Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Spotlight and Giveaway: Maranatha, The Victory Battle (The Victory Series Book 3) by Blossom Turner

About the Book

Book: Maranatha, The Victory Battle (The Victory Series Book 3)

Author: Blossom Turner

Genre: Christian Suspense on Spiritual Warfare

Release Date: July 22, 2025

What if the greatest battle you’ll ever fight is the one you cannot see?

Mara has faced the unthinkable—abuse, betrayal, and loss—but nothing can prepare her for the final battle ahead. As demons scheme in the shadows and angels stand guard, she must confront her deepest fears. With her marriage hanging by a thread, an abandoned child thrust into her arms, and a relentless enemy determined to destroy all she holds dear, Mara must decide: will she trust in God’s sovereignty, or will fear consume her?

As darkness closes in, her faith is tested like never before. The forces of evil will stop at nothing to break her spirit. But Mara clings to one truth—God’s love is greater, His power stronger, and prayer can change everything. Yet, in her final days, with her life at risk, will she find the courage to stand victorious?

A breathtaking conclusion to The Victory Series, Maranatha: The Victory Battle is a heart-pounding Christian suspense novel that will challenge, inspire, and awaken you to the unseen war raging around us all. Your prayer life will never be the same.

“A powerful, faith-filled thriller in the vein of Frank Peretti. Turner delivers an unforgettable journey of spiritual warfare, redemption, and unshakable faith.” — Creston Mapes, Bestselling Author

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Blossom Turner is an award-winning author, multiple-time Canadian Word Guild Awards recipient, and ACFW Carol Award finalist who began her writing career later in life. An adventurer at heart, she enjoys skydiving, gardening, and singing for fun. She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and other anthologies, worked as a newspaper columnist on health and fitness, and ultimately found her true passion in writing fiction with purpose. Her latest series, The Victory Series, brings to life spiritual warfare, weaving love, deep relationships, and hope into every page. She is also the author of the award-winning historical romance series The Shenandoah Brides, featuring five sisters and their love stories. Blossom and her husband, David, have two grown children and live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with their Shepherd/Bernese dog, Lacey. Learn more at blossomturner.com.

More from Blossom

Have you ever felt like something, or someone is watching you? Have you ever experienced darkness in a fully lit room? Or wondered if a malevolent force was working against you?

We all love stories on angels and God’s love and protection, but we also have an enemy… a living, breathing adversary who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Ephesians 6:12 says: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (NKJV)

This series—The Victory Series—found me. My genre is historical romance. I was building a following, won some awards, and loved what I was doing. But as I finished up my last series, the Holy Spirit made it very clear that Mara would be my next project. From my own experiences of childhood abuse and my marriage under fire, I added enough fiction to protect real-life people and created a story that reveals the unseen spiritual world hard at work—both benevolent and malevolent forces.

We do not fight alone. In this third and final book of this series, Mara comes face-to-face with evil attacks on her children and on the very life force within her. She must choose whether to remain faithful to the end or give in to the narrative the enemy of her soul whispers to her and to us all: God does not love you or care what you are going through—He never has.

Mara’s birth to death story unfolds in a unique, riveting, and page-turning experience that will alert you to events taking place in the unseen spiritual realm.

You will be entertained, (nothing wrong with that) but you will also come away with a greater appreciation for prayer, for Christ, and for His work on the cross. You may even view the trials of life in a new encouraging way. The battle is real—but the One by our side is victorious.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, July 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 25

Devoted Steps, July 26

Fiction Book Lover, July 27 (Guest Review from Lily)

Blogging With Carol, July 27

Where Crisis and Christ Collide, July 28

Simple Harvest Reads, July 29 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 30

For Him and My Family, July 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 1

Blossoms and Blessings, August 2 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 2

Artistic Nobody, August 3 (Author Interview)

Leslie’s Library Escape, August 4

Texas Book-aholic, August 5

Stories By Gina, August 6 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Blossom is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/00adcf54257

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Crier Stone (A Sequel to The Chaos Grid) by Lyndsey Lewellen

About the Book

Book: The Crier Stone ( A Sequel to The Chaos Grid)

Author: Lyndsey Lewellen

Genre: YA Sci-fi

Release Date: July 8, 2025

Brave the Plex. Unleash the stone. Embrace your destiny.

Freshly freed from an earth-dwelling monster, Juniper Conway is stuck with a promise she never intended to make. But if rescuing Plex City from a deadly nano drug is what she vowed, it’s what she’ll do.

Miles of wasteland stretch between Juniper and the domed city. In the Texas Outer Grid, following a tribe of whalers seems to be her best bet at surviving the chaotic storms. But when the nomadic tribes prove just as dangerous as the Grid itself, Juniper realizes her streak of bad luck is far from over.

Only her shipping crew friends can help her through the waste and into the Plex. When the crier stone guiding her mission only shows her fragmented steps, Juniper will need more than the stone around her neck and a halfhearted promise to make it out alive.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lyndsey Lewellen grew up on a healthy dose of comic books, punk music, and sci-fi. She infuses all three loves into novels written for young adults. Inside her “what if” worlds, her characters take risks, grow, and fight for what matters. When she’s not writing or whittling down her endless TBR, she designs novel covers and paints on shoes. She lives on a small Texas farm with her best friend/husband, five children, and what some might call a zoo of animals (especially after meeting the peacocks).

More from Lyndsey

Justice. Mercy. Grace.

Teen girls in my youth group hear these words often. Maybe that’s because the simplest words are sometimes the hardest to define—and even harder to live out. So, we talk about them a lot. In fact, we go over their meanings so often that when our church’s youth pastor asked the main group to define grace one Wednesday night, girl after girl turned to look at me sitting in the back. They knew the answer. I was proud.

But knowing that justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is not getting what you deserve, and grace is getting what you don’t deserve is only half the battle. The real challenge? Learning when—and how—to apply them.

In The Crier Stone, the conclusion to The Chaos Grid duology, Juniper Conway comes face to face with God’s mercy in direct conflict with her sense of justice. We love it when He relents in His wrath toward us. But what happens when He stays His hand against our enemies?

The people of Juniper’s futuristic Texas experience justice daily for the sins of the past. In their attempt to fix the climate, their ancestors instead turned the world into a wasteland. Now, the last remnants of civilization hide away in domed cities, clinging to their technology like a drug—willing to sacrifice anything for the next upgrade. The government forbids advanced tech outside the domes, trapping its people inside their artificial paradise.

But a life of confinement and convenience is hardly the justice Juniper wants for those who orphaned her. And when visions confirm God’s call for her to save the worst of the domed cities from destruction, she rages at His mercy. Of all the people He could choose to show kindness to her enemies, why would He choose her?

If she had His power, she would do things differently.

At its heart, Juniper’s struggle is one of trust. Is God just in showing mercy to those who don’t deserve it? Would she see His choices differently if she knew everything He did? We may not always understand why God allows suffering on this side of eternity. In Juniper’s world, deadly nano-drugs run rampant, corrupt mega-corporations kill without consequence, and inhumane tech enhancement labs push the boundaries of morality for the next upgrade. Yet, God’s mercy does not mean He has abandoned justice.

Paul says in Acts 17:30-31:

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

It was at the cross that justice, mercy, and grace met—a breathtaking harmony orchestrated by a sovereign God.

Juniper’s journey is filled with trials, betrayals, and impossible choices as she is forced to confront the full weight of justice, mercy, and grace. Will she step into her destiny and save the domed city, or let it all burn?

Find out in the thrilling conclusion to this wild Texas dystopian duology.

—Lyndsey

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 26

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, July 27 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, July 28

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 29

Simple Harvest Reads, July 30 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, July 31

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 1

Guild Master, August 2 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 3

Pens Pages & Pulses, August 4

A Reader’s Brain , August 5 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 6 (Author Interview)

CeCe Reads and Sings, August 6

Fiction Book Lover, August 7 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 8 (Spotlight)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lyndsey is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a hardcover 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/00adcf54259

Monday, July 28, 2025

Spotlight and Giveaway: Waitin' On Paige (Romance in Valiant Book Four) by Mary Pat Johns

About the Book

Book: Waitin’ On Paige (Romance in Valiant Book Four)

Author: Mary Pat Johns

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 8, 2025

All he wants is to reclaim her love…

Tavo Morales has returned to Valiant, Texas, to stir the embers of a relationship with the woman he has never stopped loving, but hidden reefs from his past threaten to destroy his future. Paige Munoz wants her new event planning business to be a success and won’t let anything stand in her way. But the path she’s on to make her dreams come true proves dangerous. Is the love Tavo and Paige once shared strong enough to survive his secrets and her stubbornness?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from teaching speech and writing. She has written devotions for an online publication, had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul, and wrote a column for the Victoria Advocate, a local newspaper.

Countin’ On Jesse, her first novel debuted in 2023, and books 2 & 3 of the Valiant series, Lovin’ On Red and Glitter and the Grouch released in 2024. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war.

She writes Christian romance because when we see life through the hope of Christ’s sacrifice, we find that happily ever after is God’s idea.

More from Mary Pat

The ending of a series is always bittersweet. I will miss the characters, but I remind myself they are in a good place. Kind of like my grown children. They have their own lives to live, and I’m not as “hands-on” as I was during their formative years. If you weren’t around for the beginning of this series, no worries. Each book tells its own story. In the meantime, stay tuned. I have other stories to write. That said, I probably won’t wander too far from Valiant—the strong, safe place where it all began.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 22

Simple Harvest Reads, July 23 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 23

Leslie’s Library Escape, July 24

Artistic Nobody, July 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 26

Guild Master, July 27 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 28

Fiction Book Lover, July 29 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 30

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, July 31 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, July 31

Cover Lover Book Review, August 1

A Reader’s Brain, August 2 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys , August 3

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 4 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary Pat is giving away the grand prize of signed copies of the four book in the series!!

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

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54255/

Sunday, July 27, 2025

The King of Kings Review and Giveaway

The animated film The King of Kings is now streaming on

Angel.com and the Angel App and available to all Angel Guild members!

The King of Kings helps children understand the

life and teachings of Jesus better than any other film.

Angel Studios and its new film King of Kings,

about the life and teachings of Jesus told through the eyes of a child.

Angel, the platform empowering filmmakers to distribute stories that amplify light, has announced its landmark animated film The King of Kings is now streaming on
Angel.com and the Angel App and available to all Angel Guild members.

Following an extraordinary theatrical debut, The King of Kings has already cemented its place in cinematic history. The film premiered as the #1 faith-based animated opening of all time, became the #1 Korean-made film ever released in the United States, and captured audiences nationwide with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes fan score, earning the coveted Verified Fresh distinction.

"The King of Kings has truly transcended expectations, becoming more than just an animated film—it has sparked a global movement,” said Jared Geesey, Chief Distribution Officer at Angel Studios. “We're incredibly grateful for the passion and support shown by families and communities worldwide. With the film now streaming, even more viewers can experience this extraordinary story of hope and redemption.”

The King of Kings brings the life of Jesus Christ to the screen with breathtaking animation, a stirring musical score, and a powerful retelling of the Gospel story that has resonated deeply with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The film was produced by South Korean animation house MOFAC and distributed to global audiences through theaters and Angel’s innovative platform.

Inspired by Charles Dickens, The King of Kings features a father telling his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.

Directed by Seong-Ho Jang and featuring an all-star voice cast—including Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas, and Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ —The King of Kings has captivated audiences worldwide. Inspired by Charles Dickens, the film follows a father and son as they embark on an imaginative journey through the life of Jesus, delivering a fresh and heartfelt take on the greatest story ever told.

Watch The King of Kings now on Angel.com or download the Angel App on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and other major platforms. For more information, please see: https://www.angel.com/collide

My Review:

I loved watching The King of Kings. I enjoyed seeing this animated version of Jesus and life. It begins with his birth, his baptism, teachings, and beyond. I liked how it showed a loving father spending time with his young child to tell him about Jesus. I thought it was a great way to teach everyone - young and old - about the King of Kings - Jesus Christ. I could not help but to smile all throughout the movie. I am giving The King of Kings a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for families of all ages. It would be a great addition for a family movie night. My children are teens now and they even enjoyed it as much as me. I received a short term complimentary Angel Guild membership to preview The King of Kings, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Disclosure:

Many thanks to Angel for providing a one month Angel Guild membership for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon giftcard

Leave a more than a three word completed sentence telling me who you will be watching King of Kings with. Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. Winner’s name will be drawn on August 1, 2025.

Giveaway Rules:

Giveaway is limited to US winners only.

Three or less word comments will be deleted and will not be entered into the giveaway.

Chosen winner/s will be contacted by email to verify information needed to give to the appropriate channels to get the prize to you.

Winner/s MUST reply to this email within 24 hours.

If no response, a new winner’s name will be drawn and you forfeit the prize.

Locks, Hooks and Books is NOT responsible for lack of response from the chosen winner.

Winners from previous Momentum campaigns within 90 days will be disqualified.

Please note: Locks, Hooks and Books is NOT responsible in sending the prize.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Spotlight and Giveaway: An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey

About the Book

Book: An Uncharted Dream

Author: Abbey Downey

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 1, 2025

An explorer in search of answers, a determined protector, and an expedition that could cost them everything…

Leonora Thornton always envisioned following in her father’s footsteps—exploring the world and chasing adventure. But after his tragic death, she can’t get past the debilitating fear…until she meets an explorer who promises to take her on his expedition to the very place where her father died.

Marcus Turner knows a con man when he sees one, and after years of hiding his family’s shameful financial situation, he won’t let anyone he cares about be swindled again. Especially not Leonora, his longtime best friend and the woman he secretly loves. Joining the expedition, Marcus embarks on a mission to protect Leonora from the swindler, no matter the cost.

When betrayal leaves them stranded far from their destination, Leonora and Marcus must determine if they can rely on God—or each other.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Abbey Downey started writing inspirational romance stories during naptime when her kids were babies and found she couldn’t stop. She previously published two books with Love Inspired Historical under the pen name Mollie Campbell. She also works with Spark Flash Fiction producing a quarterly digital magazine that contains love stories under 1000 words.

A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in central Indiana with her husband, two kids, and one rather enthusiastic beagle. She loves watching her kids play sports and fixing up a 1900 farmhouse with her husband.

More from Abbey

Have you ever doubted God’s faithfulness toward you? That He could take a tough circumstance and make anything good come out of it?

As with all my books, An Uncharted Dream is filled with romance and fascinating real history. I had the best time writing the love story between lifelong friends Marcus and Leonora. And the research into archeology, exploration, and surveying in the early 1900s was so interesting. You can get a peek into that in my author’s note.

However, I also wrote An Uncharted Dream while struggling with the kind of doubts I mentioned above in my own life. I was fighting to understand how God’s loving plan for me could include so much heartache that quite honestly still seems to have no end in sight. I know I’m not alone. Many of us grapple with questions like this every day and it’s so tough.

Leonora also faces these questions. Just when there might be a chance for romance with her best friend and her dream of going on an archeological expedition is within her grasp, she faces an obstacle that makes her doubt God’s goodness in her life. Like us, she has to come to grips with the reality that following Christ doesn’t mean things automatically go smoothly. Even for His faithful followers, God doesn’t always work out a difficult situation with a tidy happy ending. Often, we’re left to learn to lean on Him as we go straight through the worst of that situation, instead.

It’s not easy, I know that just as well as many of you. And while I don’t know why it has to be that way, I can tell you that God’s faithfulness is constant. He doesn’t love us any less when He lets us remain in a struggle. This story is just that—a work of fiction. But I hope you’ll go through this journey with Marcus and Leonora and be encouraged. I hope you’ll see the unwavering truth of God’s Word and His character. And I hope you’ll be uplifted by the moments of joy and success these characters find in their hardship and see those same kinds of blessings in your life.

Happy reading!