Quilts of Love | A GRAND DESIGN – Kindle HDX Giveaway & “Fall into Fall” Facebook Party!

A Grand Design
A getaway on a charming island may be just what Alyssa needs—if only she can let go of her past.

When Alyssa Denham, a single career woman, wins a fun getaway for two on Mackinac Island where her grandmother lives, she gives her carefree best friend a call. Together, they tour the old shops and hidden treasures of the quaint island while helping Alyssa’s grandmother piece together an heirloom quilt. Their quest gains them entrance into the homes of many longtime residents of the island, parts of the city that are otherwise off limits to tourists.

As the quilt’s story takes shape, Alyssa gains amazing insight into her grandmother’s life . . . and attracts the attention of the handsome Scott Whitman, an island resident in charge of hotel transportation. Will memories of her past keep Alyssa from letting go? Or will the quest to piece together the heirloom quilt restore Alyssa’s fractured heart—and bring healing to her entire family?

Find our more and purchase a copy at the Quilts of Love website.

Amber Stockton isn't a new author to me.  Her book A Grand Design is just another of her excellent books.  She's a wonderful Christian author.  It is so nice to have Christian books that you can get lost in and forget about the worries of the day for awhile.  A Grand Design is a wonderfully sweet romance and a nice addition to the Quilts of Love series.  The Quilts of Love series books are wonderful stand alone books with a quilt as a center theme and written by various authors. 

Amber Stockton is an award‑winning author, a national speaker, and a direct‑sales brand partner with Nerium International. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Colorado. They have a daughter and a son, and an Aussie/retriever mix named Roxie. Three of her novels have won annual reader’s choice awards. Find out why readers love her by visiting her website AmberStockton.com.



Don’t miss this month’s Quilts of Love book, A Grand Design by Amber Stockton. Who hasn't struggled to let painful memories go and move into God's healing? You’ll be sure to love this heartfelt and encouraging tale set on historic Mackinac Island.

Celebrate August’s release by entering to win a Kindle from Quilts of Love and RSVPing for the "Fall into Fall" Facebook author chat party.

  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle HDX
• A Grand Design by Amber Stockton
• Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 16th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love blog. Plus make sure you RSVP to the October 7th author chat party with Amber Stockton and Robin Caroll for an evening of book chat, quilting tips and tricks, prizes, and more!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on October 7th!

A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...

Willie Out West by Rhonda Walker

Book Description

Young Willie Walrus leaves his ice home to travel on an adventure to Big West, where the town’s citizens desperately need help. Arriving to cheers, he quickly runs into Old Walter, the One-Eyed Whale. Colorful illustrations and action in Willie Out West takes readers to an old West town where the citizens expect Willie to save them. Can he?

Willie Out West is geared to young readers.  It takes some imagination to think that sea animals can live in the wild west outside of water.  3-5 year olds may like the story.  I'm not a big fan of ebooks yet, since I don't have a reader just a computer app.  Reading a book on the computer just doesn't do much for me.  Reading a book to a child on a computer is hard too.  I'm still a physical book fan.  kindles haven't won me over yet when it comes to reading them to children.  However, this book is very creative, imaginative and the young ones would probably fall in love with the animal characters.  The story line is good, being brave and standing up for what it right. 

click here for more information about this book

an ebook was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review

Win a NEW Spring Wardrobe from @TheQuiltsofLove | “Maybelle in Stitches” Giveaway!

Book Info

About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. The Quilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories. About the book: Maybelle Kazinzki can't sew. She was after all, the only girl in the seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of the A-Line dress they were supposed to make. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother's house she gets the crazy idea to finish it---somehow, come heck or high water. She thinks it will help fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden, is serving overseas during World War II. Her recently departed mother's quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother's childhood, her grandmother's childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden's stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle's faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful---no matter what. And it'll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that. Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website. About the Author: Joyce Magnin is the author of the Bright's Pond novels, including the award-winning The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. A member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship, Joyce is a frequent workshop leader and the organizer of the StoryCrafters fiction group. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Learn more about Joyce at: http://joycemagnin.blogspot.com

The quilts of Love books are such an inspiration.  Maybelle in Stitches is no exception.  Magnin mingles humor, friendship, love and hope into one tremendous story wrapped around a quilt.  I loved the WWII setting and all the aspects that were intertwined in this story.  It was such a wonderful thing to see the story and quilt come together.  Awesome warm winter-night read.  This is one book I had a hard time putting down at times.  

 

Don’t miss this month’s Quilts of Love book, Maybelle in Stitches, by Joyce Magnin. Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it.

Joyce is celebrating the release with a $200 Modcloth giveaway. Enter today for a chance to spruce up your spring wardrobe!

One winner will receive:

• A $200 Modcloth gift card
• Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
• A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
• Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced on April 21st on the Quilts of Love blog!

Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER.

A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...

Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids by Jill Osborne

Book Description:

If you’re gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes.
Life is rapidly changing for pre-teen shoe spokesperson Riley Mae. After the last photo shoot and trek up the Half-Dome in Yosemite, Riley Mae and her Swiftriver friends find themselves in Northwest Montana, the perfect backdrop for a river sandal campaign. The first problem is a plane malfunction. Then the rigorous raft training for the “Ready Eddy” river sandal campaign brings more bumps and bruises. And given that she is in Montana for a shoe campaign instead of back home with her friends, Riley thinks life can’t get much worse. But then she meets Sunday, a 10 year-old boy from Kenya, who wrestles fish, battles bears, and tackles leukemia. And Riley soon learns that life is as unpredictable as the raging waters, which, if she is not careful, will sweep her away and into the hands of the enemy - who is even closer than she thinks.

This is a totally awesome book for preteens that love adventure.  It's not all about prissy girls, make-up, trying to be in fashion, boys and all the drama that goes with preteens these days.  It's about faith and living it, doing what is right.  The characters are fun and very age appropriate.  I would recommend this book and series to any middle school age child.  We need good clean Christian faith based books for our children.  Look out Babysitter club, Magic tree house and the others FaithGirlz is a super series and going to rise to the top.

About the Author:

Jill Osborne works in children’s ministry and has a passion for telling great stories. She has written plays, skits for youth groups and Sunday morning drama teams, curriculum for children’s ministry, countless articles for her church newsletter, and a blog about taking a sabbatical in a motor home. Good News Shoes is her first series for kids, and she plans to run with it! 

Find out more about Jill on her blog:  www.thegoodnewsshoesblog.com !  Tween girls can also enter to be featured on her blog!

a copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review

Tempest's Course by Lynette Sowell

A Quilts of Love book.

Kelly Frost, a textiles conservator, is invited to the Massachusetts coastal city of New Bedford to restore a 150-year-old Mariner’s Compass quilt. But there is one stipulation: she must live and work in Gray House, a former whaling captain’s home, where the quilt is stored. There she meets Army veteran Tom Pereira, the caretaker of Gray House, whose heart seems as hard as the rocky Massachusetts coastline.

Over the long-lit months as Kelly works to restore the quilt, she and Tom grow closer. And as she reads stories in a daily journal penned by Mary Gray, she learns the secrets of the quilt and Mary’s own sad tale of regret. Then Tom learns secrets of his own family’s past, and both Tom and Kelly learn they are tied to Gray House in ways they never imagined.

Purchase a copy here.

I love the Quilts of Love series.  Lynette Sowell does a super job quilting together a story of romance, suspense and history all into one book.  Tempest's Course will capture you from the first page to the last. It keeps you turning the page with each surprise when you aren't expecting it.  She draws the reader in early and keeps you hooked throughout the entire book.  It's a book you don't want to miss out on that is for sure. 

Learn more at: http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

 Lynette Sowell was born in western Massachusetts in the shadow of the Berkshire Mountains, raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and now makes her home on the doorstep of the Texas hill country. The award-winning author of more than 15 titles, Lynette loves reading, cooking, watching movies, and is always up for a Texas road trip. When not writing fiction, she works in medical transcription and is a freelance writer and columnist for her local newspaper.

http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/lynnette-sowell-tempests-course




A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...

Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and “Lead Your Family Like Jesus,” (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children. You can find out more about Tricia at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

Find out more about Tricia at http://triciagoyer.com.

Inspired by a true story, A Christmas Gift for Rose is a heartwarming novella of sacrifice and deep love.

Born in the midst of the hardships of The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But she is overwhelmed by self-doubt when she learns the truth of her birth. She was born Englisch and abandoned when her family moved West in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind—Englischers? And was her intended’s gift of discovering her birth family given out of love or fear?
Don’t miss award-winning author Tricia Goyer’s first Christmas novella.

Purchase a copy here.
Learn more at Tricia’s website.

OK so I'm a tad bit late...but just needed to get this posted.  This is a good short easy inspirational  read.  It's heartwarming for this time of the year.  You won't be disappointed that you picked it up and took the time to read it. 

A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...

Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

About the book: When Laney Carrigan's adoptive parents encourage her as an adult to seek out her birth family, her only clue is the Lokelani quilt in which she was found wrapped as an infant. Centering her search on the Big Island, she battles fears of rejection from a family that abandoned her once before while her faith struggles to embrace God's love.

Along the path to her true heritage, she meets Hawaiian cowboy/helicopter pilot, Kai Barnes. Kai is determined to protect the people he's come to regard as family against a woman he suspects of being nothing more than a gold-digger, but he finds himself drawn to Laney in spite of his reservations. He's spent his entire life seeking forgiveness from past mistakes and longs for a second chance at happiness. 

Laney's painstaking journey to find restoration and a place to belong among the breathtaking allure of the Big Island will lead her closer to her past and maybe even something more.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/qKmVW

Lisa Carter is a new to me author.  However, I totally enjoyed her Aloha Rose book.  From the beginning she draws the reader in and you don't want to put the book down.  The theme of this book is forgiveness and moving beyond tragedy. Two hearts are searching can they over come rejection?


Meet the author: Lisa Carter has been published in MomSense and Christian Parenting Today. Lisa is currently teaching music at a preschool and enjoying the enthusiasm and joy for life for which preschoolers are famous. She and David have two beautiful daughters.

Find out more at: http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com

Aloha Rose centers on a topic that touches so many lives. Why this story?

I had a dear college friend who, although with wonderful adoptive parents, spoke of her curiosity concerning her birth family. We were in each other's weddings; got busy raising families; moved away; but twenty years later reunited. And she shared with me a bittersweet tale of love come full circle when she found her birth father in the exotic Hawaiian Islands. We laughed and cried together. Knowing I was a writer, she told me it was a great story if she did say so herself and gave me permission to fictionalize it.


How does "journey" become a theme in Aloha Rose?

I think like a lot of us, Laney and Kai are on a journey, a quest. Seeking a place to belong, a connection. The Hawaiians call it, a huaka'i. A journey that requires truth, heart and extraordinary courage. The kind of courage Laney and my friend displayed in traveling the world to find a family. The kind of courage required of those who seek God. The courage intrinsic to all to desire a place to belong and someone to love.


Quilts make appearances in both of your books. How does inspiration from quilting translate into your writing?

I think quilting—I only learned to sew after my children were born—taught me patience, persistence and gave scope as Anne of Green Gables would say, to my imagination. It takes an incredible amount of discipline to see a project through to the end—as does writing. There's parts to quilting I like better than others. I love creating quilt designs just as I love crafting characters and story worlds. I love selecting the fabrics and piecing the quilt top. I love researching my stories and watching the lives of my characters unfold from my imagination to the page.

As a musician, what parallels do you see between writing and music?

Each story has a flow of sound, like music. A unique beat, rhythm, tone. Part of this is the writer's individual voice, recognizable throughout their entire body of work if you listen/look carefully. Some singers have a crystal clear quality of tonality like Julie Andrews. I think of it as a bubbling, high arching fountain. Others, a deep, full sound like Etta James with a rich, Mississippi River quality.

The story itself also impacts the rhythm or beat of the music. Some novels will start out fast, hard-hitting, leaving you breathless on the edge of your seat as you turn each page. Other books begin at a slower pace with a tease, a promise, a building crescendo of tension or romance.

Music inspires me as I develop characters and plot. I usually identify a song that sums up for me the entire feeling of a character's story arc or as an overriding theme for the book. I listened over and over to the mellow sounds of Brother Iz Kamakawiwo'ole's "Over the Rainbow" during Aloha Rose.

What is your favorite quote?
Roy Chapman Andrews—the real life inspiration for Indiana Jones
"Always there has been an adventure just around the corner—and the world is still full of corners."

In honor of their new Quilts of Love releases, The Christmas Quilt and Aloha Rose, authors Vannetta Chapman and Lisa Carter are gearing up to ring in the Christmas season with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a "Christmas Bee" Facebook Party on December 10th with fellow Quilts of Love author Lynette Sowell!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman
• Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 30th. Winner will be announced at the "Christmas Bee" Facebook Party on December 10th. Connect with the authors from the Quilts of Love series, Vannetta Chapman, Lisa Carter, and Lynette Sowell, for an evening of book chat, quilt trivia, Christmas traditions and gifts, PLUS get an exclusive look at January's Quilts of Love book!

So grab your copies of The Christmas Quilt and Aloha Rose and join Vannetta, Lisa, and Lynette on the evening of December 10th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on December 10th!

A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...

Book Blast - God's Little Instrument by Sandra Hall

 Christian Inspiration Book God's Little Instrument Book Blast $25 Giveaway

Title: God’s Little Instrument
Author: Sandra Hall
Publisher: Authorhouse
Genre: Christian Inspirational
Pages: 36
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1-48176-161-1

Purchase at Authorhouse

This book is about relationship and the joy of loving our Lord because He loves us for who we are not for who we think we should be. This book is inviting you to set aside your bucket lists. The poetry encourages you to slow down and to view God through the eyes of a child. To remember when your only goal in life was to please Him and not the world. Read the poems and lose yourself in the artwork that will take you to heaven and back. This book is meant to be enjoyed by the whole spectrum of life; from the very young right through to the old, ( I should know I’m 61) as you share it with your loved ones. It’s about embracing the little child in us that God so fearfully and wonderfully made. One look at the dynamic illustrations drawn by my niece Danielle Marie Robinson and you will feel inspired to sing praises to the Lord. The poems were written as celebrations of key moments in the authors life that touched her very soul. God never said keep his blessings to yourself so she shares her vision of being God’s little instrument with you. Enjoy and be blessed.

About the Author:

She has been working as a legal assistant the past twenty-three years in an extremely busy law office. She is the mother of three adults and grandmother of six wonderful grandchildren, with numbers seven and eight putting in their appearance this summer. The unexpected loss of a younger sibling eleven years ago opened the floodgates of her heart and the pent up poetry about her life just poured out. The onslaught was so intense that she would wake in the middle of the night and have to scribble the words down on a pad by the bed. Unable to contain it she wrote poems on envelopes, scraps of paper even ran down the street one time after a poem about her mother that the wind blew away. Now at this phase in her life her writing is all about her legacy. She wants to leave behind a body of work that will bless her family as well as others for years to come. Most of her poetry is like small prayers of gratitude to God that she prays will be knocking at God’s pearly gates long after she is gone. Her poetry is about the joy of life and how we will never find peace unless we embrace our inner child and go before God’s throne with a contrite heart. She has previously written and self-published two other poetry books; (The Poetic Offerings of a Creatively Frustrated Christian and God Whispers). Currently she is working on a fantasy love story.

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Pattern for Romance by Carla Gade

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Pattern for Romance Abingdon Press (August 20, 2013) by Carla Gade
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carla Olson Gade has been imaging stories most of her life. Her love for writing and eras gone by turned her attention to writing Inspirational Historical Romance. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Writers, and the Maine Fellowship of Christian Writers. She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary.

Her publishing credits also include a variety of newspaper articles, newsletters, and web content. She also enjoys developing discipleship materials for women. She has been a book judge for the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest (RWA), and ACFW's Genesis Contest.

In addition to writing, Carla is a freelance website designer and webhost and an advocate for adult literacy. An experienced event and program planner/promoter, Carla designs marketing materials for her writing group, women's ministry, and other functions. Carla has also spoken at several women's events and facilitated many workshops and classes through the years.

An autodidact, creative thinker, and avid reader, Carla also enjoys genealogy, web design, and photography. A native New Englander, she lives in beautiful rural Maine with her "hero" husband and two young adult sons, and a new grandson.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Honour Metcalf’s quilting needlework is admired by a wealthy customer of the Boston Mantua-maker for whom she works. In need of increasing her earnings, she agrees to create an elaborate white work bridal quilt for the dowager’s niece. A beautiful design emerges as she carefully stitches the intricate patterns and she begins to dream of fashioning a wedding quilt of her own. When Honour is falsely accused of thievery and finds herself in a perilous position, merchant tailor Joshua Sutton comes to her aid. As he risks his relationships, reputation, and livelihood to prove her innocence, the two discover a grander plan—a design for love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Pattern for Romance, go HERE.