Shine Like the Dawn by Carrie Turansky

I believe that this will be one of my favorite books of this year. I loved it. I loved Maggie and Nate. This made me laugh and cry. There was a wonderful mix of romance and suspense. I think this has been my favorite book by Carrie Turansky. There were a few twists and turns and both characters learned to believe more in God. I received this book from blogging for books for an honest opinion that I gave of my free will.About Shine Like  the Dawn

Separated by an inconceivable tragedy, can faith and love reunite childhood friends and light the way to a bright future? 
In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible event reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart because she wonders if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident.
When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son and Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, Nathaniel returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend.
Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will the search for the truth about her parents’ death draw the two friends closer or leave them both with broken hearts?

About Carrie Turansky

CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She has been the winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott. They have five adult children and four grandchildren.

Product Details

352 pages | Published by Multnomah

On Sale Date: Feb 21, 2017

Trim Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/4

Carton Quantity: 24

Sneak Peek

Click Here to download the first chapter of Shine like the Dawn by Carrie Turansky 

About Shine Like the Dawn by Carrie Turansky

Separated by an inconceivable tragedy, can faith and love reunite childhood friends and light the way to a bright future? In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible event reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart because she wonders if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident. When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son and Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, Nathaniel returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend. Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will the search for the truth about her parents’ death draw the two friends closer or leave them both with broken hearts?

News

Pre-Order BOGO offer for SHINE LIKE THE DAWN!

November 28, 2016

Don’t miss out on this BOGO offer! Get the complete details here!
About Shine Like the Dawn

Separated by an inconceivable tragedy, can faith and love reunite childhood friends and light the way to a bright future? 
In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible event reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart because she wonders if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident.
When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son and Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, Nathaniel returns from [ … ]

Hugo and Friends by Philip Schwartz and illustrated by Denis Proulx

I usually am not too interested in poetry but this children’s book was well done. I loved the illustrations and the poems that went with each picture. Hugo and his friends all are well drawn. The poems told a small story through the book. I received a copy of this book from Smith publicity and gave a review with my own opinions.Hugo and Friends follows Hugo the Hippo and his friends as they travel the world together, seeing all of the wonders Mother Nature has to offer. From exploring a wonderland filled with chocolate to soaring high through the sky, Hugo and his friends learn more about their world and the beauty nature has to offer throughout their adventures together.
Schwartz has long loved to write poetry and stories, but was inspired to share his work five years ago by his wife, Virginia. Together, they have worked to bring illustrated poetry to the young and the young at heart while spreading awareness of our environmental impact.  
“The book was inspired after many years of writing and caring about our animal friends and the beauty of our planet,” Schwartz explains. “Family is an important source of inspiration, as they see a dream come true in smiling Hugo.”
An opportunity for children everywhere to learn the importance of respecting nature and our animal friends, Hugo and Friends explores:
· Why the continued protection and care of our animal population is of the utmost importance.

· Why it is important to teach children at an early age of the importance of preserving our environment.

· That we should care about the welfare of our future generations and take action to help them before it’s too late.

· Why it’s important to stay young at heart and how his poetry-inspired creations can help people of all ages do just that.

Covering Love by Caryl Mcadoo with a giveaway

This was the eighth book in this series. I liked it. I loved the Evie character and look forward to her story next. I couldn’t really connect to the other characters as well. They weren’t as interesting as Evie. I think the second half of the book flowed better than the first half and that is when I didn’t want to put the book down. I received an ebook copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that was given of my own free will.

covering-love-tour-fb-banner

Click here to purchase your copy.
About the Book
coveringlove-13

Click to purchase

Book: Covering Love
Author: Caryl McAdoo
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: January 26, 2017

Love may cover a multitude of sins, but not knowing all the facts can also get a man killed.
A family calamity gathers the clan, then a dying request tests loyalties and changes lives. New York City’s posh society, living on a rugged Texas hill country ranch, and the isolation of Alaska’s frozen tundra share little commonality and make going from one to another difficult at best. Still, destiny drives Crockett and his sister Charlotte where neither wants to go or thinks they belong. Second and third generations of the Buckmeyer progeny encounter danger, challenges, heartaches, and joys. But then reunions are all the sweeter for it.
This tale continues the breathtaking—and sometimes heartbreaking—family saga of the Buckmeyers, Baylors, and Nightingales that readers around the world have come to love.
About the Author
01grnvelvetglassesCaryl McAdoo loves writing stories for all ages that glorify God, thrilled that Christian fiction fits her life purpose so well. Bold not bashful, she’s quick to share the Bible principles she lives by through her characters. She hopes each title ministers His love, mercy, and grace. Known as the “Singing Pray-er”—with a YouTube channel to prove it, the prolific hybrid author also loves praising with new songs the Lord gives her. She and high-school-sweetheart-husband Ron moved from the DFW area—home for fifty-plus years—to the woods and seat of Red River County. After him, Caryl counts four children and sixteen grandsugars life’s biggest blessings. The McAdoos live a few miles south of Clarksville in the far northeast corner of the Lone Star State with two grandsons.
 
 
Guest Post from Caryl McAdoo
Book eight of the TEXAS ROMANCE Family Saga proved difficult to write in the beginning. At my bi-monthly Red River Writers’ Workshop where I read a chapter each meeting, I couldn’t get through one without weeping. This family’s story began in 1832 (book one, Vow Unbroken)—a true-love tale when Henry, a thirty-two year old bachelor living in his mama’s house, and Sue, a twenty-nine year old widow rearing two children find each other.
Fifty years have passed—it’s now 1885—and scripture says it is appointed for every man to die once. Henry is my Ron (my beloved husband), so I could barely get through his demise for his wife’s sake. I’m not giving a lot away. Readers find this out in chapter one of Covering Love. But in a family saga such as this series, characters must pass over into Heaven.
So who’s book is Covering Love? It actually has four love stories! One is sweet budding love, another is Houston’s romance set back in the 1860s, the third is Crockett’s and takes place in Alaska, and the fourth is Charlotte’s. She falls in love in New York City . . . my cover lady who is practically forced to go there and live in May’s brownstone. Well, her older brother wasn’t that happy about going to the frozen tundra of the far North, either.
Henry’s first five children didn’t have the ‘soft’ lives that May’s two offspring experienced. After I made it through the hard beginning, writing Crockett’s and Charlotte’s love stories was great fun! And of course, the old man who’s made appearances in the majority of my novels has his part to play in Covering Love.
Have my readers recognized him? If they’ve not made the connection in prior stories, they will definitely be enlightened in this one. Namrel is his real name, and he’s a delightful cherub who oft visits earth as an angel unaware. He’s also in A Little Lower Than the Angels, volume one in my Biblical Fiction series The Generations, and The King’s Highway, book one in my mid-grade/young adult Days of Dread trilogy.
I truly love how God has given me these multi-genre series and woven common threads through them . . . like the hero and heroine in my second Red River Romance Sing A New Song, have a conversation over the gravestone of the famous Texas Ranger, Levi Baylor, Samuel Levi Baylor’s ancestor. And in the soon coming book four in that contemporary series, The Pitch, readers will meet more descendants of these awesome families God has helped to create.
My slogan is ‘Praying my story gives God glory!’ And that’s what I want every single one to do. My characters are not perfect. They all have flaws and make some poor choices. But it’s in those times of our own lives that God shows up and shows out. Oh how wonderful, how marvelous is our Savior’s love!
Book Excerpt
Crockett tapped on the door. How many times over the years had he knocked on the same one? Better question, how many girls and ladies had called it their own?
“Go away.”
He knuckled it harder. “Come on, Sis. It’s me. Open up.”
She cracked the portal. “Crockett, what are you doing up here?”
“I need a favor.”
“Too bad. The answer is no.” She rubbed her eyes. “I am not lending you any more money, so go back to bed!”
“Let me in.”
The force of the door swung wide and moved her back. “Fine, Brother. Come on in.” She exhaled audibly. “Why can’t we discuss this tomorrow? Why do you always…grrrr…you see, Mother! He’s incorrigible!”
Ma sat on the bed. He smiled. “Sorry, didn’t know I was interrupting you ladies, but if you don’t mind, I need a word in private with Charlotte.”
“If you can’t say whatever it is in front of her, then you don’t need to be saying it at all. Just get out of here. You cannot come into my room and chase Mother out!”
“Fine, if you insist. I need you to go to New York.”
“What for?”
“It’s like this. My partner is a whiz at sniffing out great deals, but he needs someone to keep a firm grip on him. He wants to gallop when he should trot, if you get my drift. If I’m expected to gallivant all over the Northwest, I need someone I can trust in New York, watching over things. You’re it.”
“Son. You’re wanting your sister to take over your business while you’re gone? That’s asking too much.”
Blog Stops
January 17: A Reader’s Brain
January 17: The Power of Words (Spotlight)
January 18: Christian Bookaholic
January 18: Simple Harvest Reads
January 19: Karen Sue Hadley
January 19: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
January 20: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
January 21: A Greater Yes
January 22: Moments Dipped in Ink
January 23: Ashley’s Bookshelf
January 24: New Horizon
January 25: Giveaway Lady
January 26: Pause for Tales
January 27: Reading Is My SuperPower
January 28: Bigreadersite
January 29: A Simple Life, really?!
January 30: Neverending Stories
Giveaway
blogtour-covlove

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away:
GRAND PRIZE: Complete set of the Texas Romance Family Saga series; all eight books, print copies: Vow Unbroken (1832), Hearts Stolen (1839-1844), Hope Reborn (1850-1851), Sins From the Mothers (1851-1853), Daughters of the Heart (1853-1854), Just Kin (1861-1865), At Liberty to Love (1866-1867), and Covering Love (1885)
FIRST PLACE: Firsts of four series: Vow Unbroken (Texas Romance), The Preacher’s Faith (Red River Romance), A Little Lower Than the Angels (The Generations Biblical fiction), and The King’s Highway (Days of Dread)
2 SECOND PLACES: each get: CHOICE of any book in any of Caryl’s series with a surprise.
3 THIRD PLACES: each get: print copy of Vow Unbroken, book one of the Texas Romance Family Saga
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post to earn 9 extra entries in the giveaway!
https://promosimple.com/ps/af06

The Sisters of Sugarcreek by Cathy Liggett

I did not want to put this book down. I laughed and cried during this book. I loved Lydia , Jessica and Liz. Two Englishers and an Amish woman. They became very good friends once Rose passed away and Lydias husband died. All three women learn to live their lives again in new ways. This is a great book. I received a copy of this book from Tyndale blog network and am giving a review of my own free will.

Many lives were changed the day a fire burned down Faith Community Church, devastating the small town of Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Now a young Amish widow, Lydia Gruber faces an uncertain future. Her husband, a craftsman and volunteer firefighter, always took care of everything, keeping her isolated from others in their community. Without anyone or any skills, how will she survive?
With the death of her beloved aunt Rose in the fire, single mom Jessica Holtz inherits Rose’s Knit One Quilt Too cottage. Though determined to keep the shop open in her aunt’s memory, she doesn’t know the first thing about knitting and quilting and begins to see her aunt’s dream slip through her fingers.
When Liz Cannon lost her dear friend Rose, she also lost her partner in the Secret Stitches Society–the name they gave themselves while delivering gifts of hope to troubled folks in the dark of night. Liz convinces Jessica to keep the anonymous society going, despite the younger women’s inadequacy with knitting and sewing needles. But soon Liz has problems of her own as the life she has rebuilt for herself begins to crumble again.
When Liz and Jessica choose Lydia for their first mission, the three women cross paths and form an unlikely friendship in the aftermath of tragedy. As they walk together through triumph and heartbreak–through grief and new chances at love–they begin to discover that with friends by your side, a stitch of hope can be found anywhere.

For the Record by Regina Jennings

This is a wonderful historical western romance. This had a little suspense mixed in. I love that. Betsy and Joel really get on each other’s nerves at first and then get to know each other. This made me laugh and cry at different times. There was a nice storyline with you learning what the true meaning of a hero really is. I received a copy of this book from the author and gave a review of my own free will.Jennings Offers Another Delightful Blend of History and RomanceBetsy Huckabee might be a small-town girl, but she has big-city dreams. Writing for her uncle’s newspaper will never lead to independence, and the bigger newspapers don’t seem interested in the Hart County news. Trying a new approach, Betsy pens a romanticized serial for the ladies’ pages, and the new deputy provides the perfect inspiration for her submissions. She’d be horrified if he read her breathless descriptions of him, but these articles are for a newspaper far away. No one in Pine Gap will ever know. Deputy Joel Puckett didn’t want to leave Texas, but this job in tiny Pine Gap is his only shot at keeping his badge. With masked marauders riding every night, his skills and patience are tested, but even more challenging is the sassy journalist lady chasing him.

Peach Blossom Rancher by Ada Brownell

I really enjoyed this second book in the Peaches and Dreams series. I found this author through bookfun.org and really enjoy her western historical. This book has many characters within the book and a few different storylines. They are both well done and all the characters work well together. This is a fun series and I hope there will be many more by this author. I received an ebook copy from bookfun.org and I gave a review of my own free will.  

A handsome young man inherits a ranch in ruin and a brilliant doctor finds himself confined to an insane asylum because of one seizure. Yet their lives intersect. Will they achieve their dreams? John Lincoln Parks has two goals: Restore the Colorado peach and horse ranch to its former glory, and marry elegant Valerie MacDougal, a young widow and law school graduate. A stranger about to give birth in his barn, a murderer on the loose, a feisty female neighbor who thinks she’s in love with him, a sheriff, and a determined attorney interrupt his intentions. At the same time, Dr. Dillon Haskill desperately hopes for release from the asylum for the insane, and he wants to take with him Pete, a ten-year-old victim of Down’s Syndrome, and Jim Cook, a teacher, paralyzed in a logging accident. But asylum dignitaries believe these patients are either lunatics or demon possessed. An intriguing story wrapped around inspiration, suspense, humor, and characters you’ll love.

The Case of the Broken Doll by Alison Golden

This was a fun cozy mystery. Inspector David Graham is a very interesting cop in this small town. He learns about a child that disappeared 10 years before and starts to investigate again. This was well done. I received an ebook copy from the author for a fair and honest review that I gave willingly.

 A missing girl. A broken doll. Dark, deviant secrets. When 15-year-old Beth Ridley vanished on her way to school, it was a mystery that baffled and shocked the small community of Gorey, Jersey. A leg torn from a doll she was carrying was the solitary clue as to what happened that day. Now, on the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, Detective Inspector Graham is taking another look at the case. His Sherlockian tendencies are set alight. What he finds will rock the town, stirring memories long buried and forgotten. There are painful truths to face. And what of Beth? Can Graham discover what happened? Could she still be alive? Buy this book because it’s good.

Summer on Sunset Ridge by Sharlene MacLaren with a giveaway

I love when an author writes a great book with Quakers in it. This was a wonderful story. I love reading about the Civil War and the quakers part in it. I loved Rebecca and Clay. Rebecca learns many lessons in growing up. Clay learns many also. They are great together. I hope there might be more books located in Sunset Ridge. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion which I gave of my own free will.Book: Summer on Sunset Ridge, Freedom Series Book 1
Author: Sharlene MacLaren
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Brought up on a Quaker farm near Philadelphia at the brink of the Civil War, plainspoken Rebecca Albright is charitable, peace-loving, submissive—and a feisty abolitionist. Determined to aid the Underground Railroad no matter what the cost, her path collides with that of formidable slave-catcher Clay Dalton. When Rebecca is assigned to nurse Clay back to health following a near-fatal gunshot wound, her uneasiness around him and the questions surrounding his mysterious past complicate their strained but developing relationship.
Sherriff Clay Dalton is grimly fighting several battles of his own as he stays on at the Albright farm to work off his debt to the family that has saved his life and taken him in. He is torn between his past commitments in the South and his unlikely present among this quiet Quaker community in the North. Almost against his will, he begins to ponder the impossible idea of a future with Rebecca.…
When tensions between North and South escalate, Rebecca and Clay find themselves propelled on a journey to discover just who God has called them to be, and they soon realize that each holds a key to the other’s answer.
 
About the Author
sharmaclarenhs_blue13Sharlene MacLaren Born and raised in western Michigan, award-winning, bestselling author Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. After graduating, she traveled with a nationally touring Christian vocal ensemble, returning home to Spring Arbor to marry her husband, Cecil, whom she’d known since childhood. Together they raised two daughters. Now happily retired after teaching elementary school for 31 years, “Shar” enjoys reading, singing in the church choir and worship teams, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Her novels include the contemporary romances Through Every Storm, Long Journey Home, and Tender Vow; the beloved Little Hickman Creek series (Loving Liza Jane, Sarah, My Beloved, Courting Emma, and Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek, a novella), and three historic romance trilogies: The Daughters of Jacob Kane (Hannah Grace, Maggie Rose, and Abbie Ann); River of Hope (Livvie’s Song, Ellie’s Haven, and Sofia’s Secret); Tennessee Dreams: Heart of Mercy, Threads of Joy, and Gift of Grace.
Blog Stops
January 19: Reading Is My SuperPower
January 19: Giveaway Lady
January 19: A Reader’s Brain
January 20: Books. Books. And More Books.
January 20: The Power of Words
January 21: Bigreadersite
January 21: just the write escape
January 22: Moments Dipped in Ink
January 22: For The Love of Books
January 23: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses
January 23: Genesis 5020
January 24: Pause for Tales
January 24: His Grace is Sufficient
January 25: Book by Book
January 25: A Simple Life, really?!
January 26: A Greater Yes
January 26: Connie’s History Classroom
January 26: A Baker’s Perspective
January 27: Christian Author: A.M. Heath
January 27: Splashes of Joy
January 28: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
January 28: Christian Bookaholic
January 28: History, Mystery & Faith
January 29: Stuff & Nonsense
January 29: Bibliophile Reviews
January 30: cherylbbookblog
January 30: Daysong Reflections
January 31: Blossoms and Blessings
January 31: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
February 1: Reader’s cozy corner
February 1: Rhonda’s Doings
Giveaway
summer-on-sunset-ridge-prizes
To celebrate Sharlene’s tour, Whitaker House is giving away:
Grand Prize
Brown and tan fashion purse with cross, multiple interior and exterior pocketsand
and
Five Sharlene MacLaren titles: Summer on Sunset Ridge (Forever Freedom #1); Heart of Mercy (Tennessee Dreams #1); Livvie’s Song (River of Hope #1); Hannah Grace (Daughters of Jacob Kane #1); Loving Liza Jane (Little Hickman Creek #1)
Second Prize
“Keepers of the Light” Orange/Cinnamon/Clove candle from http://www.acheerfulgiver.com and
Summer on Sunset Ridge
Third Prize
Summer on Sunset Ridge
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post to earn 9 extra entries in the giveaway!
https://promosimple.com/ps/af21
 

Felling Big Trees by Rich Garon

This was an interesting read. Starts with politics and moves into environmental issues. This made me laugh and cry a lot. Fran is a congressman in the 1990’s who has lost his wife and his way. He is trying to find his way again. This book goes through what can happen to a man when he loses his way. I really liked the story and had a hard time putting this down. I received this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that was my own.

 ‘Continue following the Felling Big Trees blog tour tomorrow with Breakaway Reviewers!’

Felling Big Trees is the story of disgraced Congressman Fran Stewart as he turns to the American heartland to find redemption in the eyes of his daughter and the woman he loves. He has been adrift after losing his wife in a horrific car accident. Trying to free himself from a politically powerful mother-in-law who blames him for his daughter’s death, Fran searches for a way to prepare a better future for himself and his teenage daughter, Becky. An innocent misstep one evening leads to political disaster for Fran. Fran travels through heartland towns where no one knows he’s a former congressman. Stripped of the detachment that characterized his early years as a congressman, Fran is drawn to an everyman perspective that poses universal questions. What breeds inaction and apathy? How do we jumpstart a deeper connection to the injustices we see every day? What does it take to engender empathy in a meaningful and focused way? How far will we humble ourselves to help those with few resources? Fran has to stand up to prejudices and uncaring established ways. His story and how he relates to those he meets fits well with a time when compassion and tolerance are often overwhelmed by strident tones and lack of basic civility.

Never Forget by Jody Hedlund with a giveaway

 This was a fantastic ending to a wonderful series. This was a great historical romance. I loved to learn about the different light houses on each island. Abbie and Nathaniel were great characters. I had a little trouble with Gramps but that was only because I have gone through Alzheimer’s with a family member. It is definitely not easy. I look forward to whatever Jody Hedlund decides to write next. I received an ebook copy from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion.

Book: Never Forget
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: January 4, 2017
neverforgetfrontfinalRose Island Lighthouse, Rhode Island
June 1880
Will she betray his trust to stay on the island she loves?
Abbie Wilson is content to spend her days clamming, crabbing, and tending Rose Island Lighthouse. Her grandpa is the head light keeper, but his senility may lead to their eviction. Since leaving the island would kill her beloved Gramps, Abbie will do anything to keep him in the one place he knows and loves.
Wealthy Nathaniel Winthrop III’s wild living has gained him a reputation as the ‘bad boy’ among the elite social circles of Newport. After a blow to the head in a yachting accident washes him up on Rose Island, Nathaniel has no memories of his past.
Abbie tends the wounded stranger in her home only to realize he assumes they’re married. Although she knows she needs to correct Nathaniel’s mistake, his presence calms Gramps and provides a way to prevent eviction from the lighthouse.
The longer the charade continues, the harder it gets for Abbie to tell Nathaniel the truth, more so as she begins to fall in love. Everyone she’s ever loved has abandoned her. Will Nathaniel leave her too, once he discovers he’s not really her husband?
About the Author
jody-hedlund-web-copyWinner of the 2016 Christian Book Award and Christy Award, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Guest Post from Jody Hedlund
Which Do You Prefer: Series or Standalones?
By Jody Hedlund
Readers usually have strong opinions about whether they like series or standalones.
Some readers refuse to read books that are inter-related. Others can’t get enough books about their favorite characters.
I see the pros and cons of both.
For series, I don’t like feeling lost as I try to wade through previous characters along with their backstory. I recently started a series by a well-known author and was disappointed to realize the first book was connected to a previous series she’d already published. From the get-go, I felt left out as though I didn’t quite know who all the characters were or their significance.
On the other hand, for standalones, I sometimes feel as though I would like the story to continue. I’ve invested in the setting and characters and so enjoy when I can return to that place and continue to glimpse the characters I’ve fallen in love with—even if from a distance.
My favorites are books that fall in the middle between standalone and series. I like to think of them as standalones within a series. Becky Wade’s Porter brother series is like that. Each of the books centers around one of the brothers (and a tomboy sister). While characters from other books make an appearance in the stories, each plot is separate and complete without any reliance upon another book.
My Beacons of Hope lighthouse series falls in the middle too. The books are related in that they all take place at lighthouses and share a symbolic “cross of hope” that is passed on from one book to the next. A minor character in a previous book becomes the hero or heroine in the next book. But each book can be read by itself without having read any of the others.
In other words, readers can pick up my newest release, Never Forget, which is the fifth and final book in the series, and they wouldn’t be confused about who the characters are or what their history is. The plot starts with a bang and ends with a satisfying sigh. It is complete story unto itself.
And yet, for those who’ve read other books in the series, they’ll get to see the happily-ever-after of a character from a previous book. And they’ll also get to find out where the cross of hope finally ends.
If you’re not a fan of series, I encourage you to give the Beacons of Hope series a try. It might satisfy the need for standalones and series all in one neat little package.
To that end, I’m giving away all FIVE books in the series as part of the Celebrate Lit blog tour to one lucky winner!
Tell us: What is your preference: Standalones, Series, or Standalones within a Series?
Blog Stops
January 10: Reading Is My SuperPower
January 10: Karen Sue Hadley
January 10: Bookworm Mama
January 11: Faithfully Bookish
January 11: Inklings and Notions
January 11: Blossoms and Blessings
January 12: Smiling Book Reviews
January 12: Genesis 5020
January 12: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
January 13: God’s Little Bookworm
January 13: The Scribbler
January 13: Bibliophile Reviews
January 14: Daysong Reflections
January 14: Blogging With Carol
January 14: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner
January 15: Moments Dipped in Ink
January 15: Books. Books. And More Books.
January 16: A Greater Yes
January 16: Bigreadersite
January 17: Connie’s History Classroom
January 17: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
January 18: Book by Book
January 18: Jeanette’s Thoughts
January 19: Carpe Diem
January 19: A Bakers Perspective
January 19: Splashes of Joy
January 20: Christian Bookaholic
January 20: Stuff and Nonsense
January 20: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
January 21: Radiant Light
January 21: cherylbbookblog
January 21: His Grace is Sufficient
January 22: Neverending Stories
January 22: A Path of Joy
January 23: History, Hope, Laughter & Happily-ever-after
January 23: Henry Happens
January 23: Onceuponatime
Giveaway
929456f0-0669-4720-83cc-8c6bf2172a68
To celebrate her tour, Jody is giving away the entire Beacons of Hope series. Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/ad6d