I don't remember where, when, and how I fell in love with Liz Bennett and Mr. Darcy. But does it really matter? Austen's Pride and Prejudice is much more than a classic love story. I think any romance story that pairs a "high spirited" heroine that goes against the societal grain, with a cool, arrogant and handsome man should owe their thanks and beginnings to Jane. At least, that's what this book made me think about from the moment I pictured Lavinia Ellison. Her in her haughty gray eyes, her wit, her goodness, and her unfailing stewardship to her neighbors in need. This one is a keeper. Of course, her intelligence and her less than subtle ways of not wanting to fit in does not sit well with the 1800s high society crowd. There were a few moments in this book that brought tears to my eyes. Lavinia was faithful in her worship, and prayer to God, but her pride and anger kept her from forgiving her 'enemy.' The enemy being Earl Hawkesbury. He is haunted with memories of war, conflicted with what is expected of him, and what to make of his Elusive neighbor. But something more is offered within these pages than just a reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. Something so much more beautiful than a love story. Carolyn Miller weaves faith, salvation, God's grace into this book. I have never read a Christian historical fiction, and I can tell you this is not going to be my last book of Ms. Miller's. I love the Earl's marvel at how 'simple' it is to follow the cross. How simple God offers salvation with nothing more than a prayer, a want and need for Him to live in us. I was moved by the tug, and pull of him trying to do right by God, by his overbearing mother, and by Lavinia.....and failing. And only by coming to understand who he is at the foot of the cross - a sinner, who is loved beyond measure - does he become more real for me, and dare I say, much more than Mr. Darcy could ever be. This man, Nicholas Hawkesbury, with all his faults, and arrogance, and charm, and wit, and handsomeness could make women around him swoon, but it is his heart, his discovery of faith, and belief in forgiveness and grace that caught the eye, and heart of the Elusive Miss Ellison. *I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. About the book:Handsome appearance counts for naught unless matched by good character and actions. That's the firm opinion of not-so-meek minister's daughter Lavinia Ellison. So even though all the other villagers of St. Hampton Heath are swooning over the newly returned seventh Earl of Hawkesbury, she is not impressed. If a man won't take his responsibilities seriously and help those who are supposed to be able to depend on him, he deserves no respect from her. In Lavinia's pretty, gray eyes, Nicholas Stamford is just as arrogant and reckless as his brother-who stole the most important person in Livvie's world. Nicholas is weighed down by his own guilt and responsibility, by the pain his careless brother caused, and by the legacy of war he's just left. This quick visit home to St. Hampton Heath will be just long enough to ease a small part of that burden. Asking him to bother with the lives of the villagers when there's already a bailiff on the job is simply too much to expect. That is, until the hoydenish, intelligent, and very opinionated Miss Ellison challenges him to see past his pain and pride. With her angelic voice in his head, he may even be beginning to care. But his isn't the only heart that needs to change. These two lonely hearts may each have something the other needs. But with society's opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way. Fans of Georgette Heyer, Lori Wick, and Julie Klassen will enjoy the spirited exchanges between the bluestocking minister's daughter and the bruised war hero as they move past pride and presumption to a humbled appreciation of God's grace and the true strength of love. Learn more and purchase a copy. About the Author:Carolyn Miller lives in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn's novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Website: https://www.carolynmillerauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolynMillerAuthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolynMAuthor THE ELUSIVE MISS ELLISON BY CAROLYN MILLER | BLOG TOUR AND KINDLE AND A CUPPA GIVEAWAYRegency romance fans have another must-read novel to add to their lists: Carolyn Miller’s The Elusive Miss Ellison. Enjoy the spirited exchanges between the bluestocking minister’s daughter and the bruised war hero as they move past pride and presumption to a humbled appreciation of God’s grace and the true strength of love. These two lonely hearts may each have something the other needs. But with society’s opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way. Settle in for a cozy night of reading with a cuppa and a Kindle from Carolyn! One grand prize winner will receive: A copy of The Elusive Miss Ellison A Kindle Fire Two William Morris mugs (winner’s choice) A box of tea Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on March 22. The winner will be announced March 23 on the Litfuse blog. Information about the book, and the author go here: http://litfusegroup.com/author/CMiller
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Quick, you're at a playground playdate, tell me where you and your little ones are at in this hierarchy. I am most likely going to be close by my daughter. I use to hover. I use to fuss over every swing, every slide, and every equipment in the playground to make sure it was deemed "safe" for my precious little heart to use. There are the "helicopter" moms, and the sitting-by-the -sidelines-watching-the-kiddos-mamas, and then the 'in-betweeners,' like myself who want to appear confident that their child can climb the jungle gym, but you can see the fall that is coming, so you just wait. I don't know if I'll get to the point where I sit by the other mamas and just watch. But I'll get there. I'm slowly getting there. One thing for sure, is that every mom that I have met at the playground and I will somehow converse about one thing: balancing. Seriously, how does the mom over there by the swings look so put together? I'm in sweats, and I'm pretty sure my daughter didn't brush her teeth this morning! It's like everyone around me, at least recently, seems so well put together. How are they balancing life, when I can't even get two kids out of the house? In Tightropes and Teeter-totters by Lisa Pennington, this is one of my favorite lines: "Finding balance is not a onetime action; it requires repeatedly stepping back and looking at how we react and respond to the things that throw us off." Isn't life in the everyday details? I get caught up in rushing my daughter so that we're on time to look like I'm "owning it," as a mom. Of course, you can't rush preschoolers. There is ALWAYS something more pressing than getting out the door on time. I have pleaded. I have threatened. I even begged in tears. NOTHING. But now I am armed with this new knowledge of finding grace amidst all these "failures." I love the assignments at the end of the chapters. They're reflective of how we should implement this new found tips, and tricks. This book was filled with little zingers that made me chuckle, and made me feel a whole lot better that I'm not the only mom who gets off balance and off kilter in many areas of my life. Pennington takes the BALANCE and breaks it down into an acronym that we can use to help us when we feel like we're about to fall. Truly grace and happiness can be found in my playground lessons. I just need to learn that sometimes, there are tightropes, and then there are teeter-totters. Moms, do you wonder if you will ever stop falling over every time the unexpected comes along, or you get your feelings hurt, or you mess up? Lisa Pennington’s new book, Tightropes and Teeter-Totters, is tailor-made for you. Lisa Pennington knows how to get up after losing her balance, even with a full house, a not-so-full bank account, and never enough energy. For every woman who wonders if her satisfaction in life will ever match her dreams, Pennington has real-life answers full of hope and humor. ### {MORE ABOUT TIGHTROPES AND TEETER-TOTTERS}Tightropes and Teeter-Totters: Finding Balance in the Ups and Downs of Life (David C. Cook, February 2017) Do you wonder if you will ever find balance? Lisa Pennington knows how to get up after losing her balance, even with a full house, a not-so-full bank account, and never enough energy. In her latest book, she offers readers: —Strategies for finding balance in marriage, motherhood, and bad moods —Playful yet biblically based tips for turning hard days around —Inspiration for shaping obstacles into opportunities —Ways to respond to irritations with gratitude —Enthusiastic encouragement for living out God’s purpose. For every woman who wonders if her satisfaction in life will ever match her dreams, Pennington has real-life answers full of hope and humor. Learn more and purchase a copy. {MORE ABOUT LISA PENNINGTON}Lisa Pennington is a homeschooling mom of nine who shares her life—one laundry load at a time—on her blog, The Pennington Point. She is a sought-after speaker at conferences and women’s groups and is the author of “Mama Needs a Do-Over.” Lisa and her family live near San Antonio. Find out more about Lisa at http://thepenningtonpoint.com Ever get the feeling that some serendipitous moments are more divine interventions? Or maybe that's me. I've been "chasing" Jesus almost my whole life. I've read every book in the New Testament, and managed only to make it through Numbers in the Old Testament. When I look back to my past for reflections, I can pinpoint where I felt Him the most, and the days where my doubts and fears won me over. It's a bit - and I'll use the word, weird here, as I have no other words right now - weird to read someone else's musings and simultaneously say, "that's me," and "that's so not me." I read Confessions in one sitting and Sarahbeth is witty, and honest, and incredibly curious about her faith - both her place in Judaism and her eventual path to Christianity. I suppose if I was born Jewish, with the same fervor in finding Christ, I would have penned almost exactly this story. Except, I'm not. Growing up in the Philippines, you were either Catholic or a Muslim. I remember being introduced to a few Baptists when I moved to Texas. As an adolescent girl who wanted to fit in, I noticed that most of my counterparts were Southern Baptists. I wasn't a "Christian." Because of my ignorance - you were either a Christian (Baptists) or not - I deflated anything Catholic related. I remember in college being 'saved.' Nevermind, that I had grown up in the Church, did the religious classes for communion, and confirmation - rite of passages for a Catholic kid. Also, glaring obvious that I've pointed out to several Southern Baptists who have tried to convert me, that I didn't realize that there were two Jesus Christs in history. She counterpointed by saying, I'm not a true Catholic then, if I didn't know the names to ALL the Saints......There are thousands, let me tell you, and I promise not knowing all of them is not a basis to determine if you're a "good Catholic" or a "bad Catholic." I know nothing about my faith. I still equate my collegiate year in 2004 as the moment I felt at peace with the world and my place in it. It's funny that Sarahbeth said her literal "come to Jesus" moment happened on the bathroom floor of her dormitory. Mine was on a stairwell, bottom floor of my dorm, overlooking the campus gym. Not exactly the perfect setting for both of us to begin our spiritual journey. I also remember the hypocrisy of Evangelicals and the "Christian" culture. I felt the pull of being torn. That no matter what I do, how many questions I ask, I will never be good enough to warrant a place at His table. I'm digressing. This story isn't about my walk in faith. It's Sarabeth's. But I feel so connected to her that her story might as well be mine! While I didn't grow up wanting to be a Nun (her case, a Rabbi), I often felt out of place in high school and college. Where my friends partied and experimented, I only wanted to drink from His cup and know so much more about Christ. He really is someone worth knowing. He is worth loving. Him. His Words. His way of life, of living and being should be looked at, read over, poured and thought about, and followed - especially in today's glaringly hypocritical Christian culture. We're not all worshipping the same way, but love looks like Him. Is Him. Somewhere in our society, we pick up pieces that we like, and throw away the ones that we don't. Thank you, Sarahbeth for your story. Your pilgrimage and testimony of a faith is something that most of us 'cradle Christians' take for granted. I truly believe in this divine intervention and that Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter isn't just your memoir, as much as it is stories and reflections on some of us who lost the spring in our spiritual step, and waiting until we can come back home again. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarahbeth (SB, Beth) Caplin is a blogger, freelance writer, editor, and self-published author of nonfiction, young adult fiction, and poetry. Her memoir Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter (2012) ranked #1 in Amazon’s top 100 bestselling personal growth books, and her follow-up memoir Confessions of a Jew-ish Skeptic (2016) ranked #6 in Amazon’s Ecumenism category. On the side, she is also a jewelry maker and figure skater. A former seminary student, Beth holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Kent State University, and is currently at work on a master’s in creative writing at Colorado State University. Her work has appeared in The Sun (magazine), xoJane, FeminineCollective, Patheos, and Christians for Biblical Equality, among other places. She writes regularly for Off the Page and Friendly Atheist. Beth edited five novels for Booktrope before the publisher closed its doors in 2016, and she is an associate editor for the Colorado Review. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she lives in northern Colorado with her husband, Joshua, and two cat children, Zoey and Catniss Everclean. For more about Sarahbeth: Website/blog: www.sbethcaplin.com Facebook: Facebook.com/authorsarahbethcaplin Twitter: @SbethCaplin I imagine most of us at 17 felt caged in our homes. I also imagine that most of us at 17 tried to rebel at some point. Maybe it's a rite of passage that we all have to go through. We feel too much at that age. So much anger, so much will and wants; some of us feel numb, and need daily reminders just to feel alive. There are some of us at that age that were lucky to take all of our rollercoaster emotional teenage mess, and channel them into something productive. While I can't speak for someone who used athletics as a means of escape, I can say that writing truly helped me. And this is where I connected with Cassie. She's a goody two shoe - just like I was, and much like all of us at that age, yearned for freedom. I love how Cassie's poetry and snippets of Emily Dickison's poetry is laced in little pieces throughout the book. I can only imagine how Cassie’s sheltered world fed her poetry, and how much her poetry made her feel connected and isolated, at the same time. I love her. I love the passion brewing underneath her silent resolve. I could feel the anger, the hurt and her wants and needs, when I read her poetry. Poems can say more about who and how a person is, than anything descriptive they tell us. If I was a teenager, I would call James dreamy - ha! But what a sweet guy to give Cassie pause amid her internal battles. Tessa Hall takes us back into our high school, teenage drama years but in a sweet, heartfelt tone. I had to stop reading for a bit, as I had become so invested in these two. This book is great for anyone who still haven't quite figured out how to channel something internal into something productive. I'm a firm believer that we all have a story to tell, whether that comes across through our writings, our spoken words, our actions, or the notes we play on a piano. If we just listen for a moment to the world around us; the silence, the sounds of nature, the tones in people's voices, their footsteps, the breaths we take...... just maybe that Unwritten Melody that we've written in our heart, just may reveal itself.
When Tessa’s fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. She writes in a small town nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Southeastern coast. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: www.tessaemilyhall.com Title: The Gracious Wife Author: RaeBeth McGee-Buda Genre: Christian Living Publish Date: Feb. 5, 2017 Book Description: Marriage can be surreal, unpredictable, and enticing all at the same time. We find and fall in love with our best friend, and all of our dreams seem to be coming true. We've heard of the princess being rescued by her prince and they ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, this isn't how marriage is in real life, especially when you're trying to be what God has called you to be. Marriage is two self-centered individuals coming together to live as one. Given all the foes and dips that may come with marriage, this book gives the basic understanding of marriage the way God intended and not as the way fairy tales has made it out to be. It's meant to help wives be more self-sacrificial toward their husband by acting in grace, love, and forgiveness. In this journey with our best friends, we can work toward being more humbling and giving. It takes more than love alone for a great marriage. The basis of a great marriage starts with a strong spiritual foundation, a strong friendship which grew into a strong romance, along with tons of work, sacrifices, and submission by both partners to make it last. This book provides Rae-Beth's opinion with communication, getting through the tough times, fair fighting, and keeping God the center of the marriage. Dive in and see marriage from one wife's perspective Tell us a bit more about your new book, The Gracious Wife... The purpose for my writing this book is directed at all women in all walks of life. My goal is to help those who are looking forward to getting married one day, those who are engaged, and those who are married. As I wrote this book, I included so very personal details about the darker side of my marriage in hopes of giving someone else the opportunity to learn from my mistakes. I feel that we are so focused on what society thinks is a great marriage over what God wants for our marriage. In the past, I was so focused on doing things my way and pointing out where my husband was going wrong; while I did this, I forgot to focus on what God had planned for me as a wife. The transparency and honesty within the pages of this book are to show those who are struggling what I overcame and that it's possible for them to overcome them too. God wants and desires for us to be the gracious wife he intended. I pray that each person who reads The Gracious Wife can relate to several areas within the book and see their marriage in a different light by the end of their reading. I encourage all women to read this book, even if they're looking to strengthen their joyful marriage. We all know that marriage doesn't come with a manual, but I think this book will make a great engagement gift to a Christian bride to be, a Christian wife who wants to better herself for God and her spouse, and for the struggling wife. There are a lot of Bible references that are there to help guide and direct the reader toward the ways that God intended. I believe this book will be great to refer back to often throughout marriage to help keep us on our intended path. So, join me in being your husband's crown as you journey with me into being a gracious wife. Excerpt The Gracious Wife (Taken from Chapter one) Most little girls dream about their wedding day. They want the perfect dress with the perfect pair of shoes for the big walk down the perfectly decorated aisle where their prince charming is waiting to sweep them off their feet and run away to paradise. However, this is where the dream usually comes to a screeching halt; at least for me, it did. Growing up, I was a very imaginative little girl. I made a castle out of blankets, cars out of boxes, a field into a battlefield, and two rooms in the same house into a neighborhood. But thinking about it, I never went on to dream of how my life would be once I was married. Let's face it, most Disney movies stop once the princess married her prince. (Until years later when the second movie comes out for the second generation and those that saw them aren't interested in fairytales anymore.) I was married on August 11, 2012, to my prince charming who loved me for the previous eight years. When I walked down the aisle to become Mrs. Buda, it never crossed my mind on what kind of wife I wanted to be for this man I was forever uniting within the eyes of God. It's a little sad to say, but I started thinking about these three years after I was married, and after a handful of problematic situations had occurred, which almost ended my marriage, what I actually wanted for my marriage. Shouldn't we be thinking of the values of a wife/husband before we say I do? I think so. **** About the Author RaeBeth McGee-Buda was born in southwestern Pennsylvania in 1987, the second daughter of Rachel Yost and Arthur Curtis McGee. RaeBeth grew up loving to read and write poetry, as well as short stories. Her childhood dream was to become a teacher. Rae Beth's dream of writing was created in her eleventh-grade literature class where writing became her passion. RaeBeth married in August 2012 to her husband, Gregory Stephen Buda Jr. and resides in a small West Virginia town of Farmington. RaeBeth is a full-time mother of one beautiful little girl, an angel in heaven as of May 27th, 2013, and her rainbow baby son. She graduated from American Intercontinental University in 2010 with her associates in business administration. She enjoys spending her time writing and feels that connecting with readers is her main goal. CONTACT LINKS Website: http://raebethmcgee.weebly.com/index.html Facebook : //www.facebook.com/raebethbuda/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/raebethmcgee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raebethmcgeebuda/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5095502.RaeBeth_McGee_Buda Blog http://raebethbuda.blogspot.com/ |
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