Here
are some links to some books featuring women which I have shared on my blog previously. Following this list
is a link pack I curated for your reference of a wide variety of Women's History Month activities for children of all ages -- Kindergarten through
12th grade.
Find
the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from
middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.
A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking case, with the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to-toe with younger men. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the two crimes together. But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game and bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes and he loses his job?
About Terry Korth Fischer
Terry Korth Fischer writes mystery and memoir. Her memoir, Omaha to Ogallala, was released in 2019, S&H Publishing, Inc. Her short stories have appeared in The Write Place at the Write Time, Spies & Heroes, Voices from the Plains, and numerous anthologies. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston with her husband and their two guard cats. She enjoys a good mystery, the heat and humidity, and long summer days.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for the Abducted in Alaska by Darlene L. Turner, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Abducted in Alaska Author: Darlene L. Turner
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: March 1, 2021
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Protecting a child…
could cost them their lives.
Saving a boy who has escaped his captors puts Canadian border patrol officer Hannah Morgan right into the path of a ruthless child-smuggling ring. Now with help from police constable Layke Jackson, she must keep the child safe. But can they rescue the other abducted children and bring down the gang…all while protecting a little boy and keeping themselves alive?
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EXCERPT:
Layke stumbled on the uneven surface and
turned back. The Suburban’s front tire slipped under water. He pointed. “Run!
Get to the road!”
“Not without you,” Hannah yelled.
“Get Gabe to safety. Now!”
The frozen river continued to separate from
the weight of the vehicle. He took a step back toward the road.
A chunk of ice broke apart beneath him and
water gushed to the surface.
His legs weakened as his heartbeat exploded
in his chest. A terror he’d never faced overtook his body just as the ice
divided and plunged him into the arctic waters.
The last thing he heard was Hannah yell his
name. Would he ever see her beautiful face again?
Darlene L. Turner’s love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message.
Darlene won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense twice and an ACFW Genesis award. She’s represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. Her debut book, Border Breach, released in April 2020 with Love Inspired Suspense. She has two books releasing in 2021: Abducted in Alaska (March) and Lethal Cover-Up (August).
Darlene met her husband Jeff at the turtle races in Ontario, Canada. She loves flavored coffee and plaid shirts. You can connect with Darlene on her website where there’s suspense beyond borders.
(1) winner will receive a prize package including a Bible study book, swag, and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 23, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 2, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for The In-Between Place by Kat Armstrong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The In-Between Place Author: Kat Armstrong
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Christian Life/Spiritual Growth
Jesus’ journey to the woman at the well in Samaria offers insights and hope for women today to make peace with the past, find hope in the present, and step into the future.
God wants us to move toward the goodness He has planned for us. But what do we do when challenges stop our forward momentum? What’s the next step when we fall into a pit of despair with the determination knocked right out of us?
On his way from Judea to Galilee, Jesus traveled through Samaria, a broken place everyone knew to avoid. In Samaria he stopped in Shechem, where evil had gained such a foothold of power that it eventually reigned. Yet the place once condemned as somewhere no one wanted to visit—let alone hang out in for a while—was the location of one Samaritan woman’s most hope-filled encounter with the Savior.
The In-Between Place offers deeply important insights to anyone who feels stuck and can’t see a way forward. It is for the person who feels that if she looks left, her face will be scraped by an immovable boulder, and if she looks right, she’ll see nothing but hard to handle. It’s for the person who feels lost and is not sure she is worth the effort to be found, for the person who feels overlooked and unfulfilled. Because sometimes Jesus saves our greatest spiritual breakthroughs for our in-between places.
EXCERPT:
Twenty years as a Christian has taught me that following Jesus means
abandoning our own way. If I’m honest, I don’t naturally like the fact that
surrendering is required to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. But I have come to love
it, even glory in it. Jesus had to show me how everything I was doing to
survive was actually keeping me from living life to the fullest. He did the
same thing with the woman at the well in John 4.
As Jesus’s conversation with the Samaritan woman progressed, he asked
her to go and call her husband and come back with the man in tow. It was a
request Jesus knew she couldn’t manage. Her response was truthful; she didn’t
have a husband. Thanks to the historical context study of great Bible scholars,
we see that her circumstances were not a result of rebelliousness. In fact, she
was just trying to survive. Jesus affirmed her truth telling with this statement:
“You’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband”
(v. 17). What I hope we will see together in this woman’s story is that
none of us can thrive in life independently. And unless our survival techniques
include surrendering to Jesus, we will hitch ourselves to people and provisions
that won’t meet our deepest needs.
Taken from “The
In-Between Place” by Kat Armstrong. Copyright 2020 by Kat Armstrong. Used
with permission from Thomas Nelson.
Kat Armstrong has been emboldening women to be all-in for Jesus for twenty years as a speaker, Bible teacher, author, and podcast host. As cofounder of The Polished Network, a nonprofit connecting and gathering professional women to navigate career and explore faith, her mission is to create holy curiosity.
Kat holds a master of Christian education from Dallas Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Aaron, have been married for eighteen years, and live in Dallas, Texas, with their son, Caleb. They attend Dallas Bible Church, where Aaron serves as the lead pastor.
(1) winner will receive a print copy of The In-Between Place and No More Holding Back!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 22, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 1, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
"Jennifer Deibel's debut is rich in atmosphere, family mystery,
and sweet romance. A gem!"--Julie Klassen, author of The Bridge to Belle
Island
All her life, Boston-born Moira Doherty has relished her mother's descriptions
of the Emerald Isle. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920,
Moira is compelled to fulfill her dying wish--that she become the teacher in
Ballymann, the beloved village in Donegal, Ireland, she's heard so much about.
After an arduous voyage, Moira begins a challenging new job in an unfamiliar
and ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are
distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira's mother are
unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she's journeyed to
Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and
the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up
unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she'd never dreamed of . . . but
perhaps was meant to live. PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK:
"With an authenticity born of having lived in Ireland herself, the
author deftly paints a lush landscape, colorful customs, and memorable
characters with personal journeys of their own. This impressive debut marks
Jennifer Deibel as an author to watch."--Jocelyn Green, Christy
Award-winning author of Veiled in Smoke
"Fans of Catherine Marshall's Christy will want to clear room on their
favorites shelf because this one's earned a place alongside!"--Kristy
Cambron, bestselling author of The Paris Dressmaker and The Butterfly and the
Violin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on
(in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With
firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help
redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a
decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her
husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com.
This story is set in Donegal County, Ireland, in 1920. At her late mother's heartfelt request, twenty-year-old American, Moira Doherty, has traveled to her mother's homeland to become the village of Ballymann's school teacher.
Her mother's unexpected death has left Moira feeling unsettled in her grief, anxious about her new life, and bewildered about why her mother recommended her for this job when Moira has never taught a day in her life.
Moira's arrival in Ballymann stirs up negative feelings in the townspeople; and for the most part, their reaction to the new schoolteacher is chilled, and in some cases downright chilling.
A mystery unravels when Moira questions why she is being shunned by the villagers who constantly compare her to her mother. References are made to her mother's lifestyle before she moved to America. Whispers, accusations, and suspicions grow in their intensity throughout the first half of the book or so. Finally, the questions are answered and untruths are unearthed and Moira finds peace about her mother's life in this small town.
There are some loving, kind, compassionate, faith-filled characters in this book whom I grew to admire and respect for their loving treatment of others. Colm, Peg, Sean, and Brid were great sources of support and encouragement to Moira when she needed it most. They became her family since her parents were both deceased.
The author did a fine job of describing the beautiful countryside of Donegal County and teaching readers about the customs, traditions, and lifestyle of the Irish in this time period.
The faith element in the story is strong at times, and I was touched by one quote from Brid when she was comforting Moira about an uncomfortable situation, "The Laird said to love and pray for our enemies. He didna say 'twould be easy." (page 190)
There are a few instances of verbal and physical abuse aimed at Moira from three different men in the village. All of these incidents were worrisome. One event, in particular, was especially disturbing as it involved a brutal assault which I did not expect to read in a Christian historical romance.
Moira grew up fast in Ballymann. She learned a lot about God, herself, and human nature as time passed by. She found answers to her search for why her mother wanted her to live in Donegal County. More importantly, she found the true love of a good man.
I received a paperback copy of this book
from Baker Publishing Group through the Revell Reads blogger program. My
opinions and comments are solely my own.
Wilderness guide Crystal Rainey leads a group of college students to a private campground amidst the awe-inspiring Olympic Rain Forest. The excursion is ruined when the charming hostess Roxie is discovered standing over the land owner's body, murder weapon in hand.
Enlisted to investigate the crime to absolve her friend, Crystal descends on the quiet city of Forks to find loggers, developers, and eco-protesters circling the property, intent on either exploiting or protecting the bastion of old-growth forest. The list of suspects is intimidating. Can Crystal find answers in a community determined to keep her in the dark?
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Excerpt
“That’s why we have to go after the guy. He took the dress. It’s the
proof we need to get the police here. Not the local ones. Real policemen, who
want to get to the bottom of this. Ones who will want to solve Olivia’s mur...”
Crystal couldn’t finish the word. Choking back the pain, she continued. “I
think I’m ready to go after him.”
Sympathy radiated from Suzy’s tormented expression. “We can’t chase an
armed murderer through the forest. You can barely stand.”
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About ML Erdahl
Award-winning author ML Erdahl lives amidst the trees of the Pacific Northwest, where he pens humorous cozy mystery novels set in the wilderness he has spent his lifetime exploring. The only thing slowing him down is when his adorable rescue dogs, Skip and Daisy, demand to be pet and cuddled on his lap while he types. When he's not working away in front of a computer, you can find him gardening, hiking, or grumbling to his wife, Emily, about the perpetual Northwest winter rain that prevents him from going outside.
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How to Find Writing Inspiration
Much like every other fellow writer I’ve spoken with, I’ve
been inspired by authors I’ve read over the years. I wanted to be the writer
who made people laugh, imagine, wonder, and say “I didn’t see that coming!”
Over the years, I’ve dabbled in short stories for myself and friends, and
started at least three novels that never passed twenty pages.
However, I decided to get serious about the craft of writing
when I was inspired by an idea that my wife had. We decided to do a genre swap,
and while I had always been partial to fantasy novels, she typically read
mysteries. She picked books by Janet Evanovich and Isis Crawford for me. I was
captured by the light-heartedness of the stories, and quickly lost myself in
solving the mysteries with Stephanie Plum and the Simmons sisters. My own story
began percolating in my brain, until one day I put pen to paper. I didn’t stop
until I’d written, “The End.”
That’s how I was inspired to begin writing, but another type
of inspiration is what goes into the story itself. I followed the old adage,
“write what you know.” I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and spent my
formative years hiking and camping in the surrounding pristine forests. I spent
two summers working in the Olympic National Park, clearing the forest roads,
and living in a tent. Those memories found their way into my novel and soon
Crystal Rainey was guiding guests into the wilderness for Emerald City
Outfitters.
When I need to be inspired for a book, it’s an easy
solution. I head out into the wilds. For example, in my first book, “Winter
Takes All,” I strapped on a pair of snowshoes to immerse myself in the
experience. I made conscious notes of not only the mechanics of snowshoeing,
but the crispness of the air, the sound of snow packing underneath my steps,
and the serenity that comes from losing oneself in the silence of a winter
forest. For my short story, “A Climb to Kill,” I took classes on rock climbing,
memorizing all of the equipment and knots. For my upcoming third book, “Summer
Assault,” I hit the the rivers for white-water rafting. As you can imagine,
this is a sublime way to inspire my writing.
You also can’t discount the inspiration of one’s own
imagination. When I’m not actively writing, I’m often pondering the direction
of the story, red herrings to drop, plot twists I want to incorporate, and even
bits of dialogue. I pull this from whatever part of the brain imagination comes
from. In my opinion, this is the most vulnerable source to pull inspiration
from, since it is all based on whatever stray thoughts come forth from the
recesses of my psyche, but it is invariably the most rewarding when I develop
it properly.
My advice to every person who has a story in them is to
imagine the pivotal scenes come to life, sink into your setting by immersing
yourself, and pick up a pen.
Mystery/Suspense
