April 2021 – Diversity Between the Pages

First Line Friday: Expired Flight

Published on April 30, 2021July 21, 2021 by Allyson AnthonyLeave a comment

It’s Friday! Welcome to First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. Grab the book nearest to you and share the first line. Today I’m sharing the first line from Expired Flight by Lisa Phillips.

And the first line is…

He was nothing but a shadow–a man with no name, as far as anyone else was concerned.

ABOUT THE BOOK

She can’t remember who she is.
He’ll never give up the life he knows.

Jeff Filks lives life as a ghost. It’s the only way to keep the people he cares about safe. But a lifetime of training doesn’t just go away, even when he’s suffered a life-altering injury.
When he spots a woman fleeing a gunman in the middle of the night he steps in to help, determined to remain anonymous. But the secret she’s forgotten is deadly—to both of them—and the past won’t quit coming. The hunt is on.

A woman with no memory on the shore of the Last Chance lake.
A man who must remain nameless to survive.

Welcome to Last Chance County
*Christian romantic suspense*

AMAZON | GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London, Lisa attended Calvary Chapel Bible College where she met her husband. He’s from California, but nobody’s perfect. It wasn’t until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Since then she’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

Lisa can be found in Idaho wearing either flip-flops or cowgirl boots, depending on the season. She leads worship with her husband at their local church. Together they have two kids and an all black Airedale known as The Dark Lord Elevator.

WEBSITE | GOODREADS |FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Let us know the first line of the book closest to you and then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!

Post by contributor Allyson Anthony

Book Review: Becoming Us

Published on April 28, 2021April 26, 2021 by Caitlyn SantiLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, friends! Today I’m thrilled to share with you my review of Becoming Us by Jenn Faulk and Jaycee Weaver

Be sure to check out this great story!

About the Book

He’s easy-going and charming. She’s hot-tempered and tightly wound. Can they become better together than who they are apart?

Working through the disappointment of a teaching career that isn’t what he expected it to be, Mason Hayes’ otherwise cushy life gets turned upside down by the sudden loss of both parents in a car accident, leaving him with no one in the world. Until, that is, a half-sister he never knew existed shows up.

Hailee Miller-Garcia would do anything for Gina Bennett, including make a trip to meet the brother Gina’s never known – despite the issues Hailee’s having with her mother and little brother. As Mason’s life becomes entangled with her own, his laidback approach challenges her to reevaluate her own ways of dealing with the past, the present, and her dreams for the future.

Delving past friendship and growing into deeper feelings, it’s clear Hailee and Mason are better together. But the road ahead may be rocky and full of unexpected detours, challenging each of them to draw closer to Christ, work through their issues, and dream of a different future for themselves as they become more than a you and a me – they become us.

AMAZON | GOODREADS

My Thoughts:

What a lovely story! I am a huge fan of Jaycee Weaver’s books, and this is my first read from Jenn Faulk. I love how the authors writing voices blended really well, but were still each unique and original! Mason and Hailee were great characters who were very relatable, I was rooting for them from the start! This book is the perfect blend of fun, lighthearted moments, swoony romance, meaty topics, and a beautiful faith story, all of which adds up to exactly what I’m looking for in a Christian contemporary romance! Becoming Us is a beautiful story of true love and discovering who God created you to be! I so enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

About the Authors

Jenn Faulk is a native Texan who enjoys reading and writing chick lit. She’s a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom, and a marathon enthusiast who loves talking about Jesus and what a difference He’s made in her life. She has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston and a MA in Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Check out her website: www.jennfaulk.com

A Nevada native and New Mexico transplant, Jaycee is a happily married mother of 3. She enjoys reading, writing, singing, photography, & all things kitchen and crafty. She considers herself a recovering perfectionist, grateful for the grace of God that covers a multitude of eclectic hot messiness. Check out her website: www.jayceeweaver.com

Post by contributor Caitlyn Santi

Throwback Thursday: Her Secret Alaskan Family

Published on April 22, 2021April 21, 2021 by Caitlyn SantiLeave a comment

Happy Thursday, friends! It’s time for Throwback Thursday and today we’re throwing it back to January 2020 with Her Secret Alaskan Family (Home to Owl Creek book 1) by Belle Calhoune. Be sure to check out this story!

About the Book

Can she come home to a place she’s never known?

Everyone remembers the kidnapped Alaskan baby…but they don’t know she’s returned home.

Sage Duncan is the only person in Owl Creek who knows her true identity: the missing Alaskan chocolate heiress. Now she’s returned to Alaska to learn about the family she was stolen from—without disclosing her identity. But keeping her deep secret from gorgeous town sheriff Hank Crawford is much harder than Sage thought…especially when she finds herself falling for him.

Home to Owl Creek

AMAZON | GOODREADS

About the Author

Belle Calhoune is a Publisher’s Weekly Best-Selling author of Heartwarming, inspirational romance. A member of the RWA Honor Roll, Belle is the author of over thirty-five books. A lifelong New Englander, Belle now resides in Connecticut with her husband, two daughters and two very spoiled dogs, a toy poodle named Copper and a black Lab named Beau. Her book, An Alaskan Christmas, is now a television movie, “Love, Alaska” and aired on the UPTV channel.

Post by contributor Caitlyn Santi

First Line Friday: ‘Til I Want No More

Published on April 16, 2021April 8, 2021 by Danielle Grandinetti2 Comments

Today for First Line Friday, we’re looking at ‘Til I Want No More by Robin W. Pearson. First Line Friday is hosted by Hoarding Books.

“You know trouble ain’t catchin’.”

About the Book

When the man she loved years ago returns to town, one young woman’s complicated past rises again, threatening to expose her well-kept secrets.

If Maxine could put her finger on the moment when her life went into a tailspin, she would point back twenty years to the day her daddy died. She tells herself he’s the only person who ever really knew and loved her, and if he hadn’t left her behind, her future would’ve taken a different path. No absentee mother, no stepfather, no rebellious ripping and running during her teenage years. And no JD, who gave her wandering young heart a home, at least for a time.

But that’s over and done with. All grown-up now, Maxine has pledged her heart and ring finger to Theodore Charles, the man she’ll promise to love, honor, and obey in front of God and everybody. At least that’s what she’s telling anybody who will listen. The only folks buying it are the dog and the readers of her column, however. Her best friend and family aren’t having it–not even Celeste, the double bass-playing thirteen-year-old the community of Mount Laurel, North Carolina, believes is Maxine’s adopted sister. And apparently, neither is the newly returned JD, who seems intent on toppling Maxine’s reconstructed life. As her wedding day marches ever closer, Maxine confronts what it means to be really known and loved by examining what’s buried in her own heart and exposing truth that has never seen the light of day.

A Christian fiction novel with a poignant story of romance, a search for truth, and a journey to redemption. For fans of Chris Fabry, Lauren Denton, and Charles Martin. (Source: Goodreads)

About the Author

Robin W. Pearson’s writing sprouts from her Southern roots and her love of her husband and seven children. Both lend authenticity to her novels. After graduating from Wake Forest University, she has corrected grammar up and down the East Coast in her career as an editor and writer that started with Houghton Mifflin Company twenty-five years ago. Since then she has freelanced with magazines, parenting journals, textbooks, and homeschooling resources. Follow her on her blog, “Mommy, Concentrated,” where she shares her adventures in faith, family, and freelancing. (Source: Robin W. Pearson’s book club kit)

Book Review: Fate.

Published on April 14, 2021 by Ebos AifuobhokhanLeave a comment

Hello Friends.

Lovely Wednesday! Today I will be sharing my thoughts with you about a book I recently read and loved.

Fate (The Perfect Time For Love) by Natasha Frazier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Melanie Bennett and Detective Brian Morris met over a year ago when he solved her best friend’s murder case, and now Nashville’s annual Christmas festivities have them crossing paths again, could it be fate?

Melanie Bennett has spent the last six months in therapy to erase the self-assigned blame and eradicate the night terrors that plagued her at every attempt to close her eyes after witnessing her best friend’s murder. The Christmas season always had a way of lifting her spirits, and this year is no different. The spark within her to live again couldn’t have come at a better time when she and Detective Brian Morris are reacquainted, but first, she must believe that she deserves happiness.

Will the circumstances of how they met prevent Melanie from taking a chance on love?

Brian was drawn to Melanie when he first laid eyes on her over a year ago; he wanted to ask her out, but the timing was all wrong. Expressing interest in her when she’d just lost her best friend was tacky, but fate dealt him another opportunity when he walked into her hair salon delivering flyers for the annual stuff the cruiser toy drive a year later. Though Brian desires love, will his unresolved issues with his mother get in the way?

Every moment spent with one another can only be described as fate – a power beyond human control. Will this Christmas season bring about the healing and love both Melanie and Brian crave?

Fate is book 2 in the Perfect Time for Love Series (Sweet Christian Romance).

AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS

Melanie’s and Brian’s story is very sweet, relaxing read.

I loved the flow of the story. The characters were wonderful. I love how the author wove the little twists and turns into the story with such beauty and love. Their individual faith journeys was very inspiring.

Very relaxing and sweet read filled with hope.

I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Natasha has penned an award-winning devotional, The Life Your Spirit Craves and a Henri award nominated devotional, Not Without You: 365 Days in the Lord’s Presence. Natasha desires to encourage readers to live the life they have been created to live in God. Natasha’s first fiction book, Love, Lies & Consequences, was released on April 21, 2015, and earned The Readers’ Choice Award.

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First Line Friday: When Stars Rain Down

Published on April 9, 2021January 1, 2021 by Nicole1 Comment

Happy Friday everyone! You know what that means…it’s time for First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. Grab the book nearest to you and share the first line!

Today we are featuring the first line of When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown.

and the first line is…

“The inside of Miss Peggy’s house was hot like the end of days the preachers preached about during summertime revival meetings.”

ABOUT THE BOOK

This summer has the potential to change everything.

The summer of 1936 in Parsons, Georgia, is unseasonably hot, and Opal Pruitt can sense a nameless storm coming. She hopes this foreboding feeling won’t overshadow her upcoming eighteenth birthday or the annual Founder’s Day celebration in just a few weeks. As hard as she works in the home of the widow Miss Peggy, Opal enjoys having something to look forward to.

But when the Ku Klux Klan descends on Opal’s neighborhood of Colored Town, the tight-knit community is shaken in every way. Parsons’s residents—both Black and white—are forced to acknowledge the unspoken codes of conduct in their post-Reconstruction era town. To complicate matters, Opal finds herself torn between two unexpected romantic interests, awakening many new emotions. She never thought that becoming a woman would bring with it such complicated decisions about what type of person she wants to be.

In When Stars Rain Down, Angela Jackson-Brown introduces us to a small Southern town grappling with haunting questions still relevant today—and to a young woman whose search for meaning resonates across the ages.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Jackson-Brown is an award winning writer, poet and playwright who teaches Creative Writing and English at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. She is a graduate of Troy University, Auburn University and the Spalding low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing. She is the author of the novel Drinking From A Bitter Cup and has published in numerous literary journals. Angela’s play, Anna’s Wings, was selected in 2016 to be a part of the IndyFringe DivaFest and her play, Flossie Bailey Takes a Stand, was part of the Indiana Bicentennial Celebration at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. She also wrote and produced the play It Is Well and she was the co-playwright with Ashya Thomas on a play called Black Lives Matter (Too). In the spring of 2018, Angela co-wrote a musical with her colleague, Peter Davis, called Dear Bobby: The Musical, that was part of the 2018 OnyxFest in Indianapolis, IN. Her book of poetry called House Repairs was published by Negative Capability Press in the fall of 2018, and in the fall of 2019, she directed and produced a play she wrote called Still Singing Those Weary Blues. Her new novel, When Stars Rain Down, to be published by Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins, is forthcoming in 2021.

WEBSITE| TWITTER | GOODREADS

Let us know the first line of the book closest to you & then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!

Book Review: The Entrepreneur’s Nurse

Published on April 5, 2021March 30, 2021 by NicoleLeave a comment

Happy Monday, friends! Today I am thrilled to share my thoughts about The Entrepreneur’s Nurse, the second book in Rose Fresquez’s Caregivers series.

Have you read any books by Rose Fresquez yet?

ABOUT THE BOOK

His trip to Africa is strictly business. Her attraction to a tourist is a prescription for heartbreak.

As a successful entrepreneur, Brady Sharp is always on the lookout for the next profitable venture. When he learns of a tourist resort for sale in Uganda, he boards the first available flight, ready to strike that deal—until he falls off a motorcycle taxi and misses the contract and his flight back home.

Being the sole owner of the only clinic in a Kampala suburb, Ruth Kirabo treats a variety of illnesses—from malaria to minor surgeries, you name it. After she stitches an incoherent tourist she rescues from the roadside, she doesn’t expect to see the white man again.

When Brady goes to thank the gorgeous nurse for saving his life, she’s on her way to the village, and he offers to tag along. Each day spent with her creates a deeper attraction—a threat to his long-term goals of becoming the next billionaire. Treating a bunch of locals, handling poisonous snakes, and digging wells—surely all must be temporary.

But why does his heart ache when she says goodbye? Is Ruth willing to risk her heart for a long-distance relationship? Soon Brady must make a conflicting choice: pursue his ambition or take a chance on love.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS

The Entrepreneur’s Nurse, the second book in Rose Fresquez’s Caregivers series, takes readers on an incredible journey to the country of Uganda in Africa. This beautiful tale of finding true love and rediscovering faith is sure to become a favorite of Rose Fresquez’s readers. Her vivid descriptions of the sights and sounds of daily life in Uganda allow the readers to feel like they are taking the journey through the villages and towns right along with Brady and Ruth.

The Entrepreneur’s Nurse is recommended for readers of inspirational contemporary romance.

I RECEIVED A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER AND WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE

REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE MINE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rose Fresquez is a stay-at-home mom, with a husband and four kids. In her free time, she likes to spend time outdoors with the family, sing gospel music and plotting her next writing project.

Rose’s writing projects include both Christian non-fiction and Christian fiction.