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Friday, January 10, 2025

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: What I Left You For by Liz Tolsma

 






Book: What I Left for You (Echoes of the Past Book Three)

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release date: December 1, 2024

A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939

1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.

2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 


I really enjoy Historical Fiction and over recent years I have come to enjoy Dual-Time Spilt novels. What I Left You For by Liz Tolsma is the latest in this genre that I have read. It is Book 3 in the Echoes of the Past series. I have been enjoying this series since the beginning and really LOVE it! 

I started reading and was very engaged in the book within minutes. The setting is 1938-1949 Poland and 2023 Pennsylvania & Poland. The main characters for this book are Helena Kostyszak and McKenna Muir . McKenna is in the present day 2023. She decides to take a break from her Social Worker job when a 2yr old client is murdered. She begins to take a look at her Family Ancestory and takes a trip to Poland with her best friend. Helena is McKenna's Great Grandmother who lived in Poland during WWII. McKenna learns so much of what Helena endured during her life and how it reflects on McKenna in the modern times. The similarities between Helena's life and McKenna's life are realistic and heartbreaking. They both go through so much and yet they both have their faith in God.  I really felt that I was in both time periods throughout this book! The research that was done for this book, really had me feeling in both times periods as they alternated throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction, and dual-time split novels! WONDERFUL BOOK!







Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.

 

More from Liz

I stared at my computer screen in front of me. For years, I had been searching for my great-grandmother, Anna. I got no good information. Census records in the US weren’t helpful. Some listed her birthplace as Czechoslovakia, while others had it as Austria. I had heard before that she might have been born in Czechoslovakia before, but never Austria. There were no records that I had come across that listed the city or town where she was born.

Until that one day. While searching for my great-grandmother, I ran across a passport application recorded in Warsaw, Poland, for an Anna with the same last name, though spelled differently. Her birthday was listed as 1903, which matched the birth year I knew for my great-grandmother’s niece. As I read through the application, my heart was pounding. This Anna was born in the United States but went to Dubne, Poland, with her family in 1906. It was now 1923, and she wanted to return to the US, and she would be living with…

I started to cry when I saw who her sponsor was. My great-grandfather. The name and address were correct. There could be no doubt about it. It had taken me years, but I finally made the jump to Europe and discovered that my great-grandmother was not born in Czechoslovakia but in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now Poland.

Of course, good little researcher that I am, I had to find out all I could about Dubne, the town they were from. That’s when I first came across the term Lemko. What on earth was that?

Lemkos are a Slavic people that settled in the Carpathian Mountains of Southern Poland, Northern Slovakia, and Western Ukraine. They are also known as Lemko Rusyns, Rusyns (especially those born in Slovakia, like my great-grandfather), and Carptho-Rusyns. The mountains kept the world at bay, and they developed their own language, customs, and form of Christianity. For the most part, they were very poor, many of them eking out a living from the rocky ground.

They lived in “black houses,” called that because the poorest people couldn’t afford to have a chimney built. The smoke from the cooking and heating fires stayed inside the house and covered the walls with black tar. If you look at the cemetery records from Dubne, you would be old if you lived into your fifties. Conditions were brutal.

The most the average Lemko could afford was one sheep or one pig. Since this was their most prized possession, they couldn’t take the chance of a wild animal or a neighbor taking it away, so it lived in the house with them.

With all of them. Up to eleven people would live in a two-room house. When I mentioned that in What I Left for You, my editor questioned if I had made a mistake. No, I didn’t. I have no idea how they fit all those people in there, but they did. As I was tracking one branch of our family tree, I kept coming up with people living in house 43. Over and over and over. They stuffed that house full. Grandparents, parents, and children all lived together. They may not have had much, but that forged the Lemkos into strong and resilient people.

I’m proud to be Lemko-Rusyn, and I’m thrilled to share this story with you. I infused Helena, the historical heroine, with as much of the Lemko spunk and spirit as I could. Last October, my daughter and I had the privilege to travel to Poland and Slovakia and see the Lemko homeland for ourselves. It helped me to write a better, richer story because I now understand where they came from and who they were. Enjoy Helena’s story and her journey during WWII and beyond. I hope you come to understand and appreciate the Lemko people as much as I have.


Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 7

lakesidelivingsite, January 7

Lots of Helpers, January 8

Pens Pages & Pulses, January 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, January 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 10

Texas Book-aholic, January 11

Connie’s History Classroom , January 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 13

For Him and My Family, January 13

Stories By Gina, January 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 14

Holly’s Book Corner, January 15

Betti Mace, January 16

Jeanette’s Thoughts, January 16

Bigreadersite, January 17

Blossoms and Blessings, January 17

Pause for Tales, January 18

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, January 18

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, January 19

Lights in a Dark World, January 19

Cover Lover Book Review, January 20



To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54125







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Thursday, January 9, 2025

iRead Book Tours Blog Tour: The Girl of Many Crowns by D.H. Morris


 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  The Girl of Many Crowns by D.H. Morris
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  305 pages
GenreHistorical Fiction 
Publisher:  New Classics Publishing
Release date:  October 4, 2024
Content Rating: PG due to some mature subject matters, but no graphic violence, language, or sexual content.






The true and inspiring story of a powerful knight and a run-away queen who unite to defy an empire.

King Charles, the first king of France, is beset by Vikings, rebel lords, and his brother, all seeking to take his kingdom. To strengthen his kingdom, King Charles marries his twelve-year-old daughter Judith to elderly, widowed Aethelwulf, King of Wessex. When Aethelwulf dies unexpectedly, Judith is pressed into marrying Aethelwulf's cruel eldest son. When her second husband also dies, twice-widowed Judith refuses to accept a third arranged marriage.

​As punishment for her refusal, King Charles imprisons 16-year-old Judith in one of his palaces where she is visited by her brother, Louis, and his knightly companion, Count Baldwin “Iron Arm.” When Baldwin helps Judith escape, they are hunted by her father’s men and must flee for their lives. Can Baldwin and Judith hold on to each other and their faith as they face the fury of an empire?



Historical Fiction is a genre that I really enjoy. I really feel that I learn something when reading this genre. The Girl of Many Crowns by D.H. Morris is the recent book that I have read in Historical Fiction. 

WOW, I was intrigued by this storyline from the beginning. I could not put the book down until I finished. The book is based on the True Story of the people of Kingdom of Francia, King Charles family. It is based in the Middle Ages, around 856 A.D. The story really focuses on Princess Judith and how she was forced into a marriage at only age 12. Judith eventually disobeys her father, when he tries to force a 3rd marriage after her first 2 husbands died and is held captive in his Castle. I really LOVE how Judith is rescued by Knight Baldwin “Iron Arm, Knight Baldwin realizes by rescuing Judith he has been put at risk for being shunned by the King. Knight Baldwin becomes a HERO in this book by choosing Judith over Knighthood. the Author really did extensive research for this book and I made me feel like I was there in the Middle Ages. D.H. Morris is a debut author and this is her first novel. I am excited to read more from D.H. Morris. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. GREAT BOOK!



















Meet the Author:

A native of San Diego, California, D. H. Morris has lived on four continents and traveled through many countries. She has four children and eleven grandchildren and currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Choral Music education and pursued graduate work in English at USU and law at the University of Utah. She is also a published playwright.

As a descendant of Judith and Baldwin, the author discovered their intriguing story while doing a genealogical project. This journey inspired her to research everything about the 9th Century – including food, politics, travel, war, education, clothing, jewelry, religion, holidays, marriage customs, and medicine. She loves talking about this remarkable time in history when the European countries we know today were being formed and fighting for their very existence.


connect with the author:  website pinterestgoodreads





















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Wednesday, January 8, 2025

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: The New Loneliness by Cindi McMenamin

The New Loneliness JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The New Loneliness by Cindi McMenamin hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!




The New Loneliness


Title: The New Loneliness 
Author: Cindi McMenamin 
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers 
Release Date: January 7, 2025 
Genre: Christian Personal Growth 

You Can Overcome Your Feelings of Aloneness 

In our age of increased social isolation and growing reliance on technology, genuine connection can feel more difficult than ever. But what if community and closeness are nearer than you thought? 

The New Loneliness is about experiencing the authentic relationships God created you for by identifying and overcoming today’s biggest relational obstacles. Cindi McMenamin explores how our current cultural environment and dependence on electronic devices have hindered our ability to connect, and she offers uplifting guidance, biblical insights, and encouraging action steps to help you
  • release feelings of inadequacy and shame by realigning with how the Lord sees you and understanding His purpose for you
  • take confident steps toward nourishing healthy, in-person relationships by learning to slow down and operate from a secure attachment to God
  • thrive within new friendships and community with practical guidance for making life more meaningful and preferring faces over screens
God did not create us to live in isolation. Journey with the Lord from aloneness to abundance, and flourish as you deepen your relationships with God and others.


Christian Non-Fiction and Self Help books are a genre that I really cherish. I feel that they help me grow in my faith. The New Loneliness by Cindi McMenamin is the latest in this genre that I have read. 

I really felt compelled to read this book because it really touches a topic that is in need of being discussed. I have known so many who are in the stages of Loneliness of life. God did not design us to live a life of Loneliness, especially lonely for the LOVE of GOD. God will always lift us up and give us encouragement, we have to want to be uplifted by God. The World that we live in really encourages us to isolate ourselves with Technology and so much more. The isolation of being focused on our phones and other devices has created a feeling of being lonely which furthers the depths of Anxiety and Depression. 

I really enjoyed this book and the encouragement throughout the book. The layout of the book is amazing. Each chapter discusses different phases of loneliness, has a tremendous amount of Scripture and real life stories associated with the chapter discussion, and has a section for reflection. I really think this book would make a GREAT Group Study or Bible Study. Reading the book with others will help us apply the principles and advice in this book. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is going through LONELY stages of Life! GREAT BOOK!





 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & NobleChristianbook | Bookshop




Cindi McMenamin

Cindi McMenamin is an award-winning writer and national speaker who has ministered to women for nearly 40 years. She is the author of 17 books, including When Women Walk Alone (more than 160,000 copies sold) and When a Woman Overcomes Life’s Hurts. As a Bible teacher, her passion is to help women strengthen their walk with God and their relationships.

Connect with Cindi by visiting StrengthForTheSoul.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.




(1) winner will receive a copy of The New Loneliness, Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons, Well Lived by Sally Clarkson, and a $50 Amazon gift card!

The New Loneliness JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight January 8, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on January 15, 2025. 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.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours







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Tuesday, January 7, 2025

JustRead Tours Blog Tour: Ambush on the Ranch by Tina Wheeler

Ambush on the Ranch JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Ambush on the Ranch by Tina Wheeler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!



Ambush on the Ranch

Title: Ambush on the Ranch
Series:
Red Rock Country
Author:
Tina Wheeler
Publisher:
Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date:
December 24, 2024
Genre:
Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Seeking ranch refuge…  

with lethal threats at every turn. 

After running for her life through the forest, art gallery owner Janel Newman wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past forty-eight hours. A car bomb and masked gunman make it clear she must’ve seen something she shouldn’t have. When she's forced to hide at deputy sheriff Zach Walker’s family ranch along with her twin sister, secrets are uncovered, and a murderous conspiracy is revealed. With ruthless criminals dogging their every step, will Janel and Zach be able to thwart these villains’ plan to silence Janel for good?  



I really enjoy Christian Suspense novels. Ambush on the Ranch by Tina Wheeler is the latest book in this genre that I have read. The book is the 3rd LOVE Inspired Suspense book by Tina Wheeler. I have enjoyed the first 2 and was looking forward to this one. 

I don't think I have every read a more suspense filled book then this one. I started reading and could not put the book down until I was finished. The 2 main characters are Janel Newman and Zach Walker. Janel, an art gallery owner, wakes up in the hospital after being attacked in the Forest. She has no recollection of the happenings of the past 48hrs. Zach Walker, the deputy Sheriff, decides to take Janel and her sister to his Ranch for safety reasons. The story that unravels and the measures taken to solve the mystery are just mind blowing and intriguing. Zach and Janel really work great together to discover who and why does someone want to murder Janel. I also LOVE that Janel has trust and faith in Zach. The twists and turns in the storyline kept me at the edge of my seat while enjoying reading. The book is about Mystery, Romance, and Faith. I HIGHLY Recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Suspense and Romance with Faith Based. AMAZING BOOK!





PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

Ranch Under Fire 




Tina Wheeler

Tina Wheeler is a Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author and retired teacher. Although she grew up on the edge of the desert in Arizona, her favorite place to plot a new story is on a balcony overlooking the ocean. She enjoys spending time with her large extended family, brainstorming with writing friends, discovering new restaurants, and traveling with her husband.

Connect with Tina by visiting authortinawheeler.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.




(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon digital gift card!

Ambush on the Ranch JustRead Tours blog tour giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 6, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 13, 2025. Winners 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.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours






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