The Uncharted series has a past…
The Uncharted storyline begins in the 21st Century in a hidden land that was settled in the 1860s by Americans. Throughout the Uncharted books, the characters refer to their founders’ history. Soon after the release of The Land Uncharted, readers expressed their desire for more. Why did the founders leave America in 1860? How did they plan the group migration? Where did they believe they were going? How did they establish what is now a fascinating culture?
I too was drawn by the founders’ story. When I set out to write it, I enjoyed fleshing out the mystery of how the founders arrived in the Land and what it was like for them, not only for the characters who wanted that adventure, but also those who didn’t. I became swept away on a journey of faith, sacrifice, and God’s unfailing provision.
The result is Aboard Providence (CrossRiver Media, 2016).
Join the founders as they embark on their voyage to an uncharted land.

Aboard Providence is of the adventure of eight families that leave America to find a new home and settle in South America away from the brewing War Between the States.  Aboard the ship are many men and women of different trades so they can help each other survive.  After being at sea longer than intended, four months, they finally reach land.  But is all they hoped it would be?  This riveting novel is filled with diverse and wonderful characters that go on a journey to a new world.  But it is not only a journey to a new land, it for some it is also a journey of the heart.  Keith has written a story that will pull readers in and keep them wondering what will happen next.  This is also the type of story that will cause readers to reflect on their own lives.  I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy historical, adventure, and romance.
 
Series: Prequel to the Uncharted Series
Genre: historical, romance, adventure, Christian
Publisher: CrossRiver Media Group
Publication date: October 20, 2016
Number of pages: 222
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 4 stars

Other books in the series:
1-The Land Uncharted (Uncharted #1)
2-Uncharted Redemption (Uncharted #2)
3-Uncharted Inheritance (Uncharted #3)
An Uncharted Novella-Christmas with the Colburns

An e-review copy of this book was provided by the author and CelebrateLit and the author.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

​October 20: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner
October 21: 1994
October 21: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses
October 22: A Greater Yes
October 22: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberation
October 23: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
October 24: cherylbbookblog
October 24: Through the Open Window
October 25: History, Mystery & Faith
October 26: I Hope You Dance
October 26: Mary Hake
October 27: Genesis 5020
October 27: Blossoms and Blessings
October 28: A Readers Brain
October 29: Singing Librarian Books
October 29: Bigreadersite
October 30: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
October 31: Bibliophile Reviews
November 1: Pause for Tales
November 1: Karen’s Krayons
November 2: Proverbial Reads
November 2: Seasons of Opportunities

In Shelley Shepard Gray’s fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles—and love.
Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.
But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can’t help having doubts. There’s something about Julia that doesn’t ring quite true…
Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships—but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she’s hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually…perhaps even sharing her life with him.
Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together…in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.

​GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON | WEBSITE

​As always, Shelley Shepard Gray’s books speak from the heart.  This story is filled with themes of family, miracles, and of course romance.  Gray brings her characters to life and causes readers to fall in love with them and the story as she pulls them in.  This story is about Julia Kemp and her neighbor Levi Kinsinger.  They both have things that happened to them in the past that they are avoiding, but need to come to grips with so they can move on and find the love they both desire.  Deep friendship and romance bud between the two as they work to move on from the past and come together.  A sweet holiday story that readers will absolutely love!!
 
Series: The Charmed Amish Life
Genre: Amish, romance, Christian, holiday
Publisher: Avon Inspired
Publication date: October 18, 2016
Number of pages: 288
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 Stars

Other books in the series:
1-A Son’s Vow
2-A Daughter’s Dream
3-A Sister’s Wish
​
A print review copy of this book was provided by LitFuse via the publisher. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

​​It is Friday and I am joining these lovely ladies in First Line Fridays:

Carrie from Reading is My SuperPower
Rachel from Bookworm Mama
Beth from Faithfully Bookish​
Andi from Radiant Light

​Click the links above to be taken to their posts and...
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a meassage and let her know!
​
​Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!

Today I am going to post a line from

Aboard Providence
by Keely Brooke Keith.

This book is the prequal to the Uncharted Series.  These books include The Land Uncharted, Uncharted Redemption, Uncharted Inheritance, and the novella, Christmas with the Colburns.  I won these books in a giveaway a while ago and they are sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read them.

​GOODREADS | AMAZON--KINDLE & PRINT

Jonah Ashton held two letters, one in each hand, as if the gravity of their messages bore physical weight and his open palms were the pans of Lady Justice's scale.

​What are you reading?  What is your first line?
​Open the book nearest you and post the first line...
​

In Shelley Shepard Gray’s third book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a respectable young woman finds herself falling for an Amish man from the wrong side of the tracks.
Amelia Kinsinger is the perfect Amish woman—at least according to her neighbors. And while Amelia takes pride in her role as homemaker, she’s also harboring a secret: She’s been in love with bad boy Simon Hochstetler for as long as she can remember. Too bad he’s about as far from “perfect” as an Amish man could get… but that’s exactly why she’s so drawn to him.
Life hasn’t been kind to Simon. He ran away from an abusive home at fifteen and things went downhill from there. Eventually, Simon landed in prison. But the experience changed him. Now back in Charm as a grown man, he’s determined to make a new life for himself and not think too much about his wild past…unless it pertains to Amelia.
He’s loved Amelia for years. To him, she represents everything good and kind in the world. When he realizes that she returns his affections, he starts calling on her in secret, even though her older brother Lukas—who just happens to be Simon’s best friend—has made it perfectly clear that Amelia deserves better. Simon disagrees and believes he’s the only one who can truly make her happy.
But when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together—and face their past mistakes. There’s a chance for love… but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past.

Shelley Shepard Gray has written another Amish novel that readers will thoroughly enjoy.  This story is about Amelia Kinsinger and her lifelong infatuation and love for “bad boy” Simon Hochstetler.  During Simon’s Rumspringa, he got involved with a bad crowd, doing drugs and even landing himself in jail.  But he begged the Bishop for forgiveness and was baptized.  Now Simon is living a normal and happy life with the Amish, but his best friend does not want him courting his sister Amelia.  This story shows how people can change and we shouldn’t always judge someone by his or her past.  Filled with many wonderful characters and multiple layered storylines, Gray will steal your attention and your heart.
 
Series: The Charmed Amish Life
Genre: Amish, romance, Christian
Publisher: Avon Inspired
Publication date: September 27, 2016
Number of pages: 272
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 Stars

Other books in the series:
1-A Son’s Vow
2-A Daughter’s Dream
4-An Amish Family Christmas

A print review copy of this book was provided by LitFuse via the publisher. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

​GOODREADS | AMAZON--KINDLE & PRINT

Irene Hannon, who writes both romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than 45 novels. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), a National Readers' Choice Award, three HOLT Medallions, a Daphne du Maurier Award, a Retailers Choice Award, a Booksellers' Best Award and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. She is also a two-time Christy Award finalist.

A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, long walks, cooking, gardening, traveling and spending time with family.

To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com. ​​

​GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON | WEBSITE

Check out the interview with Irene  Hannon HERE.​

From the first time I read a novel by Irene Hannon, I was enthralled.  Buried Secrets the first book in the Men of Valor series is a fantastic read.  With well-developed characters that readers will become attached to, as well as the perfect amount of mystery and suspense, this is a novel that readers will not want to put down.  Hannon has a way of pulling her readers in from the first page and keeping them sucked in until the very end.  This is a well-written and enjoyable novel that readers of Christian romantic-suspense and mystery novels will not want to miss.
 
Series: Men of Valor
Genre: suspense, mystery, romance, Christian
Publisher: Revell
Publication date: April 7, 2015
Number of pages: 378
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating:  5 stars

Other books in the series:
2-Thin Ice
3-Tangled Webs
 
A print review copy of this novel was previously won in a giveaway.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Enter the giveaway HERE.

 Amy Flanigan’s cookbook of family meals has so many great recipes.  There are recipes for chicken, pork, beef, seafood, meatless, soup, and sweets.  Each recipe has easy to read and follow instructions.  Pictures of these delicious-looking meals and desserts enhance the book as well.  Those that love to cook will thoroughly enjoy this fantastic new and easy recipe book.  I would recommend this recipe book to not only beginning cooks, but those that enjoy cooking as well.
 
Genre: non-fiction, recipe book
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: October 1, 2016
Number of pages: 144
 
Content Rating: G
Book Rating: 5 stars

​October 11: The Lemon Bowl
October 12: Barefeet in the Kitchen
October 13: Mom on Timeout | My Little Sunshines
October 14: Taste and Tell
October 15: The Wicked Noodle
October 16: Miss in the Kitchen
October 17: Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
October 18: Crazy for Crust
October 19: Lemon Tree Dwelling
October 20: The Food Charlatan
October 21: Lemons for Lulu | The Things I Love Most
October 22: Spend with Pennies | Reidhead Random-ness
October 23: Wishful Endings | Inklings and Notions | Foodie With Family
October 24: Wine and Glue | Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews
October 25: I Am a Reader | Singing Librarian Books | Eccentric Eclectic Woman | Sweetly Made

​What are some of your favorite Halloween children's books?

What are some of your favorite Halloween movies?

Nourishment for a mother’s soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling!
Wouldn’t it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges women to find their faith, their true selves, and their family through daily doses of trial and error. It is a brilliant and healing time of life that is full of joy, pain, and beauty with a small side of crisis (and humor). What mothers do not know, they learn. And through this lifelong process of learning, they nurture and care for the most precious gifts on earth: children. In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these 10 minute daily devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood:
—Self-acceptance
—Self-care
—Reconciling with grief, hope and expectations
—Generosity
—Presence
—Forgiveness
In addition to the devotions, these beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did!

Sarah Humphrey has created a charming devotional coloring book combo for mothers to enjoy.  With motherly and scriptural inspiration in daily devotionals and coloring pages to go along with each devotional, this book is great for mothers to get away for a few minutes of quite study and coloring time.  The devotionals will lift and inspire, while the delightful and fun coloring pages will allow for pondering time.  I would recommend this to women and mothers.
 
Genre: art, devotional, coloring book
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publication date: August 2, 2016
Number of pages: 96
 
Content Rating: G
Book Rating: 5 stars

"Well, I suppose crime will just have to start to pay!" Jemima DeLuca said, flinging down the letter and the soap coupon with it.

What are you reading?  What is your first line?
​Open the book nearest you and post the first line...
​

But if there’s anything Izze handles worse than change, it’s trust. She may have a few issues—fine, she knows she does. But will they keep getting in the way of any chance of her own Happily Ever After? She wants to trust God to give her those dreams of love and lace, but that’s going to require some…minor alterations.

​GOODREADS | AMAZON--KINDLE & PRINT | B&N | BOOKS-A-MILLION

V. Joy Palmer is an avid blogger and is co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. She is a youth leader at her church, and loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their two socially awkward cats. This is her debut novel.

​​GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
V. JOY PALMER BLOG | SNACK TIME DEVOTIONS BLOG

Check out the interview with the author HERE.

​Hey guys! This is a snippet from one of my favorite scenes in Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations. I had so much fun writing this scene! This is when Izze and Miles meet for the first time. At a bookstore. Because who doesn’t want to meet the love of their life at the bookstore? 

Izze is just trying to buy some books, but this rude guy (AKA Miles) keeps staring at her. She’s reading in the coffee shop in the bookstore, and Miles reappears. Izze wants you to know that she seriously considered throwing her coffee at him. ;) 


I take a sip of my drink and open the first book.
Suddenly, a shadow falls over me.
I look up, and who do I see?
That’s right. Rude Guy.
“You’re sitting in my spot.”
“I beg your pardon.” My mouth hangs open.
“It’s perfectly fine. I’d just like my seat back.”
“Uh, no, I think you misunderstood me.”
He raises his eyebrows at me, and I notice his striking blue eyes for the first time. “You’re not going to move?”
“Yes. I mean no. I mean yes.”
His eyebrows creep higher at my stuttering. 
I take a breath. “I mean you misunderstood when I said, ‘I beg your pardon.’ I meant it like, ‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about.’ So, no, I am not giving you the seat back because you were not sitting here. To answer your last question.” 
His eyebrows have taken a flying leap to the moon by the time I finish. Which makes his rather gorgeous eyes that much more obvious. Oh, I really hate that I notice this.
“Okay.” He sets his coffee down and takes the seat across the table from me.
Bad. Bad. Very bad. 
This isn’t going to end well. I can feel it in my bones. 
“What are you doing?” I snarl. Politeness gone. Out comes Snot Face. 
“I’m sitting.”
“I can see that, but why? This is my table. Go get your own.” My sneer would make any middle-school kid proud.
“Well, I say it’s my table, but you clearly think it’s your table. So you’re not going to budge. Correct?” He holds my gaze and nods when I don’t answer. “That’s what I thought.” He sips his coffee, sets it down, and folds his hands all lawyer-style as he waits for me to refute his logic.
Oh, I’ll refute it all right.
“I don’t know you. And I’m not sharing a table with someone I don’t know.” Ha! Take that.
“I’m James Miles Clayton, but my friends call me Miles. And this is my spot.” His smug grin reveals an even row of teeth. “And your name is?”
“None of your beeswax.” Great, now I’m reverting back to myself at age five.
“That was a good, mature comeback.” He smirks. “You don’t have to tell me your name, but it would sure go a long way in getting to know you.” His expression is somewhat charming. And insanely aggravating.
“You could be a stalker.” 
“I assure you I’m not.”
“I’m sure that’s what all stalkers say. Especially when the restraining order is placed.”
“I sit at this table every time I come to this bookstore.” 
“I bet the other tables would like to make your acquaintance. Share the joy.”
“I’m a one-table-for-life kind of man,” he shoots back.
“Look, you weren’t sitting here when I sat down. It looked like James had left the building.” I purposely don’t call him Miles because I am not his friend. This man is crazy.
His eyes sparkle. Uh-oh. “Now, why did you think I had left?”
“Um, because I didn’t see you.”
“If you didn’t see me, I would think you would have said something like you didn’t see me. You said it looked like I had left. Meaning you saw me. Possibly even watched me.” 
“Uh…” Sigh. I cannot tell a lie. “Uh, I wasn’t watching for you. I saw you and ducked.”
“Why is that?” He leans forward.
“Because you were staring at me earlier. And that bugs me.”
He doesn’t deny staring at me. He just doesn’t address it. 
“Did your mother ever teach you that staring is rude?” I ask.
“My mother raised me to be quite the gentleman.”
I snort. Like a lady. “On the contrary. Gentlemen don’t stare.” 
James the Rude Guy shrugs. “Think what you’d like, but let’s get back to you. You were watching me after you ducked. To see if it was safe to sit or run.”
I refuse to comment. Hey, if he can do it, I can too.
He chuckles. “Looks like between the two of us, you’re the stalker.”
“I am not!”
Heads turn our way and someone shushes me. Great.
“I am not,” I say again, this time just above a whisper.
“That’s what they all say.”
“Argh!” My head drops to the table. “Can I please just have my table?” Might as well try polite desperation.
“Nope.”
I raise my head. “Why? Why sit here and bug me? Why not get another table?”
He looks me square in the eyes, and it almost takes my breath away. “Because I like this spot. And the company intrigues me.” He stands up. “But I’m afraid I have to go pay for this book. I hate reading a book in a coffee shop that I haven’t purchased yet. Until next time.” He winks and walks away.
This time I make sure he walks out the door. 

This is a funny, entertaining, and enjoyable novel that readers will love!!!

(Watch for my longer review coming soon...)

A e-review copy of this book was provided by SLB Tours via the author. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

​​October 17--Bibliophile Reviews
October 18--Wishful Endings
October 19--Christian Bookaholic
October 20--Faithfully Bookish
October 21--Singing LIbrarian Books
October 22--Zerina Blossom's Books
October 24--Flowers of Quiet Happiness
October 25--A Holland Reads
October 26--Reading Is My SuperPower
October 27--Bookworm Mama
October 28--Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen
October 29--Red Headed Book Lady | Rachael's Reads