Month: October 2019

Book Spotlight: An Alaskan Christmas

Published on by Carrie3 Comments

Happy Wednesday! I have some exciting news to share with you today!

Today’s spotlight features a book by Belle Calhoune that will air as a movie on UPtv! Look for Love, Alaska (based on An Alaskan Christmas) this Saturday (October 26th) at 7:00pm eastern.

LOVE ALASKA PROMO

ABOUT THE BOOK

an alaskan christmasHer Christmas Match

After inheriting a gift shop in Love, Alaska, single mom Maggie Richards is ready for a new beginning—while her little boy is ready for a new daddy! But Maggie has no time for love—she wants to open the shop in time for Christmas, something she’ll do with help from childhood friend Finn O’Rourke.

Finn’s on board to help Maggie—but not with the romance rumors that swirl around them like snow. Like Maggie, he’s hiding too many secrets to ever wed.

So why do Maggie and her little boy make him dream of finding an unusual gift under the tree—a ready-made family?

GOODREADS | AMAZON | B&N

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

belle calhouneBelle Calhoune is a Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author of inspirational and heartwarming romance. Raised in a small town in Massachusetts, Belle had the pleasure of growing up right across the street from a public library. Married to her college sweetheart, Belle has two lovely daughters and two very spoiled dogs. She is a member of the RWA Honor Roll and a recipient of the Angeline Bishop award for multicultural series. She’s published 40 novels with four additional books being released in 2020 and 2021 from Harlequin Love Inspired.

Connect with Belle:  website | Facebook | Twitter

What about you? Will you be tuning in to Love, Alaska? Have you read An Alaskan Christmas?

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Author Interview: Stephenia H. McGee

Published on by Carrie3 Comments

Happy Monday!

On Friday, I shared my book review of Missing Mercy by Stephenia H. McGee. Today, I’m pleased to share part of my interview with the author, an interview first posted at my own blog.

ABOUT THE BOOK

missing mercyMISSING MERCY
SERIES: Ironwood Plantation Family Saga #3
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Fiction
PUBLISHER: By the Vine Press
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2019
PAGES: 376

Mercy is missing, Faith is floundering. Only truth can lead them to freedom.

The venture ahead could leave their friendship behind.

Made a safe-haven after the Civil War, Ironwood Plantation is a refuge of equality for former slaves. But twenty years and a new generation later, they have become an isolated community with little contact with the rest of the world.

Mercy Carpenter is everything the world thinks she shouldn’t be. Educated and adventurous, she longs to make a life for herself beyond the beautiful prison of Ironwood. When she secretly submits an article to the Boston Globe under a man’s name and receives an enthusiastic response and an offer for employment, she’s determined to take advantage of the opportunity. But she isn’t prepared for a startling world that won’t accept her color or her gender, and her ambitions soon land her in grave danger.

The privileged daughter of a plantation owner and an aspiring suffragette, Faith Harper is determined not to marry. Especially not her father’s opportunistic new business partner. She doesn’t want any man telling her what to do, least of all the annoyingly chivalrous Nolan Watson. But when Mercy goes missing, Faith will do anything to find her best friend, even if it means trusting a man she doesn’t understand. In a time where prejudices try to define them, Mercy and Faith must push the boundaries of their beliefs and trust in the God who holds the keys to freedom.

Pick up your copy HERE!

Hi dear Stephenia! Welcome to Diversity Between the Pages! Let’s start with a couple of ‘just for fun’ questions first 😉

Q: Which books are “on your nightstand”?

Stephenia: If we ignore my Kindle full of hundreds of books stored in that one slim little device, then I have: Shadows over England series, books 1- 3 and the Everstone Chronicles, books 1 – 5. And then there’s Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes… in You and Your Kids in my drawer. But don’t tell my boys.

Carrie: haha! I highly recommend both of those series… and your boys won’t hear it from me 😉

Q: If I sneaked a peek in your purse right now (which I would never do, I promise!), what would it tell me about you?

Stephenia: It would tell you I need to throw away a bunch of crumbled receipts, I prefer lip gloss over lipstick, I have a keychain that I could use to hurt you (should you be a nefarious villain of ill-intent) and that I must never have to actually remove my key from the depths of my purse in order to start my car.

Carrie: LOL – hopefully that keychain is more accessible than the key, should you run into any nefarious villains of ill-intent!

Q: What was something you learned in the process/challenge of writing Mercy as a diverse main character?

Stephenia:Writing outside of your own ethnicity is daunting. I’m very grateful for the gracious guidance and insights of some awesome authors who performed a sensitivity read. The hardest part was having to write in some of the cruelty and hateful attitudes toward Mercy. I love her as a character. She’s smart, feisty, and strong-willed. Having people treat her as less than because of her physical appearance and disregarding the soul and mind inside was difficult.

Carrie: I adore Mercy – and those scenes broke my heart for her. Vital to the story – and to her character development – but heartbreaking nonetheless ♥

Q: Were there any songs that inspired you as you wrote Missing Mercy?

Stephenia: There is a scene toward the end of the book (I won’t give it away!) that is inspired by “This is Me” from the Greatest Showman soundtrack. Actually, that song really could be the theme song for Mercy.

Carrie: I think I know which scene you’re talking about and I nearly stood up and clapped after reading it!

Q: How would Mercy and Faith each personally define ‘freedom’?

Stephenia: Freedom and what it means is a major theme in this book. In the beginning, Mercy defines freedom as life away from the isolated community of Ironwood, and Faith defines it as making her own way without depending on a man. However, as the story progresses, they both discover that true freedom, and how that relates to their relationship with God, is deeper than they imagined.

Carrie: I really love this theme in the book, and how it fine-tunes in each of their lives.

Q: What is something God taught you while you wrote Missing Mercy?

Stephenia: Every book means a lesson I have to learn. It’s no coincidence that during this particular book, I was struggling with asking God how I was supposed to maintain the calling to write when He also told me to homeschool. I couldn’t find a way to do both in the ways I expected. I had to learn to turn my gifting back over to the Giver, and do things His way. I’m still struggling with it, but the lessons Mercy learns are also things God taught me about following His plans instead of mine.

Carrie: I think that’s something we all struggle with at some point – just in different forms. ‘I had to learn to turn my gifting back over to the Giver, and do things His way.” – love this!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephenia H McGee HeadshotWinner of the 2012 RONE Best Inspirational Book of the year (2012) and author of seven Historical novels, Stephenia H. McGee has a fascination with hoop skirts and ball gowns, Greek revival homes and horse-drawn carriages, quirky Southern sayings, and home-grown recipes. She currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and two boys, (accompanied by their two spoiled dogs and mischievous cat) where she writes stories of faith, redemption, and stories steeped in the South.

Visit her website at www.StepheniaMcGee.com and be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get sneak peeks, behind the scenes fun, the occasional recipe, and special offers.

Join Stephenia H. McGee’s Faithful Reader Team on Facebook to find out the latest on what is going on in her writing and chat about book-related topics. You can also catch her on Twitter & Pinterest.

What about you? What stuck out to you most about this interview?

Book Review: Missing Mercy

Published on by Carrie2 Comments

Happy Friday, friends!

I’m delighted today to bring you my review of Missing Mercy by Stephenia H. McGee. Come back on Monday for portions of my interview with the author about the book!

ABOUT THE BOOK

missing mercy.jpgMISSING MERCY
SERIES: Ironwood Plantation Family Saga #3
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Fiction
PUBLISHER: By the Vine Press
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2019
PAGES: 376

Mercy is missing, Faith is floundering. Only truth can lead them to freedom.

The venture ahead could leave their friendship behind.

Made a safe-haven after the Civil War, Ironwood Plantation is a refuge of equality for former slaves. But twenty years and a new generation later, they have become an isolated community with little contact with the rest of the world.

Mercy Carpenter is everything the world thinks she shouldn’t be. Educated and adventurous, she longs to make a life for herself beyond the beautiful prison of Ironwood. When she secretly submits an article to the Boston Globe under a man’s name and receives an enthusiastic response and an offer for employment, she’s determined to take advantage of the opportunity. But she isn’t prepared for a startling world that won’t accept her color or her gender, and her ambitions soon land her in grave danger.

The privileged daughter of a plantation owner and an aspiring suffragette, Faith Harper is determined not to marry. Especially not her father’s opportunistic new business partner. She doesn’t want any man telling her what to do, least of all the annoyingly chivalrous Nolan Watson. But when Mercy goes missing, Faith will do anything to find her best friend, even if it means trusting a man she doesn’t understand. In a time where prejudices try to define them, Mercy and Faith must push the boundaries of their beliefs and trust in the God who holds the keys to freedom.

Pick up your copy HERE!

MY THOUGHTS

“I have this impossible idea that God wants all his children to realize that what makes them different isn’t nearly as important as what makes them the same.”

It always amazes me how historical fiction can be just as relevant today as the themes were at the times in which they were set. In Missing Mercy, we encounter racism (born of ignorance as well as hatred) and human trafficking – two things that are still prevalent in our world today. For all of our technological advancements, humankind doesn’t change all that much as far as our prejudices and sins, do we? If nothing else, Missing Mercy reminds us that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’ and ‘Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it’ .. and thereby challenges us to always be alert to how we can be used to change the current course.

But that’s not all that Missing Mercy does – it also captivates readers with a beautifully written story of friendship, forgiveness, and the truest Love that pursues us through our faults and failures. It’s an adventure, a love story, a tear-jerker, and a smile-inducer. Mercy & Faith are strong heroines, due in part to their unusual upbringing at Ironwood Plantation – a  community protected from racism and one which encourages female education and independence. Both young women are in for a rude awakening when they venture out into the world, and both must learn to lean into God and surrender to His plans for them.

I loved both Faith and Mercy (and Nolan and Jed, too, for that matter) but oh how I wanted to shake both of them at various times throughout the book. Probably because I share similar traits with each one and heaven forbid fictional characters point out my own flaws LOL. During their separate character arcs in Missing Mercy, my heart alternately sank with dread and swelled with pride. One scene in particular, near the end, almost had me standing up and clapping (I refrained, because my husband was already asleep lol).

And then there’s Hezzie – oh my heart, one of my fave fictional characters ever, I think. I wanted to pick her up and hug her more than once. At other times, I wanted to sit at her feet and just listen. She was adorable, intuitive, wise, and kind – and she just made me smile.

Bottom Line: Missing Mercy by Stephenia H. McGee is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. While it’s the third book in this series, it can easily be read as a standalone. The theme of freedom – and where it’s truly found – manifests in various ways and through various characters, and its contribution to the story is well-written and pivotal. The layered plot keeps you firmly engaged from beginning to end, and the multi-dimensional characters capture your heart. Thought-provoking and entertaining, Missing Mercy is a must-read!

THIS REVIEW FIRST APPEARED ON READINGISMYSUPERPOWER.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author.
All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephenia H McGee HeadshotWinner of the 2012 RONE Best Inspirational Book of the year (2012) and author of seven Historical novels, Stephenia H. McGee has a fascination with hoop skirts and ball gowns, Greek revival homes and horse-drawn carriages, quirky Southern sayings, and home-grown recipes. She currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and two boys, (accompanied by their two spoiled dogs and mischievous cat) where she writes stories of faith, redemption, and stories steeped in the South.

Visit her website at www.StepheniaMcGee.com and be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get sneak peeks, behind the scenes fun, the occasional recipe, and special offers.

Join Stephenia H. McGee’s Faithful Reader Team on Facebook to find out the latest on what is going on in her writing and chat about book-related topics. You can also catch her on Twitter & Pinterest.

What about you? What interests you most about Missing Mercy?

Book Spotlight: Claim My Heart

Published on by Toni4 Comments

Happy Wednesday!!

Thanks for stopping by Diversity Between the Pages. We so appreciate your visit. As you know, today’s a day for a book spotlight. I decided to spotlight Claim My Heart by Mikal Dawn, found in the Once Upon a Christmas collection.

About the Book

Li Na feels a bit like her childhood heroine as she impersonates her father and whisks across the night sky on a mission. Colin Wen’s Hun of a boss insists he must take no prisoners and win the legal battle before Christmas. As the two figure out which side they should be fighting for, there’s no denying the law of attraction is at play.

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author

Mikal Dawn is an inspirational romance author, wedding enthusiast, and proud military wife. By day, she works as an administrative assistant for an international ministry organization, serves in her church’s library, runs her kids to football, Tae Kwon Do, and figure skating, and drinks lots of coffee. By night, she pulls her hair out, wrestling with characters and muttering under her breath as she attempts to write while dinner is burning. And drinks lots of coffee. When she isn’t writing about faith, fun, and forever, she is obsessively scouring Pinterest (with coffee in hand, of course!) for wedding ideas for her characters.

Born and raised just outside of Vancouver, Canada, Mikal has lived throughout the southern United States, currently residing in Nebraska (and loving it!) with her husband, three kids, and one lazy (strike that) ferocious feline.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Book Spotlight: Shame on You

Published on by Toni2 Comments

Happy Wednesday!

We’re so glad you stopped by Diversity Between the Pages. Today we’re sharing a spotlight on Rhonda McKnight’s latest release, Shame on You. Have you put it on your TBR pile? If not, read below to find out why you should!

About the Book

Grammy Award winning R&B princess, Benxi, is a rising superstar. When the man she loves marries someone else she rebounds from hurt with one of nastiest rappers in the business. Will the choice she makes cost not only her stardom, but her life?

Mekhi Johnson has one of the hottest new record labels in the industry, but when he reneges on a promise he never should have made his personal and business life spiral into an abyss. Will he lose everything he’s worked hard for trying to do the right thing?

Samaria Jacobs is paying her debt to society. She’s trying to live right, but challenges are coming from all sides. Will she come out of prison a better woman or revert to her old shameful ways?

Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author

Rhonda McKnight is the author of several award-winning novels and Black Expressions Top 20 bestsellers, including An Inconvenient Friend, What Kind of Fool and Breaking All The Rules. She is the winner of the 2015 Emma Award for Inspirational Romance of the Year. She was also a 2010 nominee for the African-American Literary Award. Rhonda writes edgy stories that touch the heart of women. The themes of faith, forgiveness and hope mark her stories.

Rhonda has done free-lance work as a developmental editor and writing coach for the past seven years. She’s also the founder of the Write It Right Online Fiction Writer’s Workshop. Originally from a small, coastal town in New Jersey, she’s called Atlanta, Georgia home for nineteen years. She can be reached at her website at www.RhondaMcKnight.net and at www.BlackChristianReads.com.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter