Saturday, May 27, 2017

The Secret Slipper - Spotlight Book Tour





Genre: Christian Fiction 
Publication Date: May 25, 2017
Number of Pages: 166 
 
Being a cripple is only the beginning of Lia’s troubles. It seems as if Bioti’s goal in life is to make Lia as miserable as possible. If Lia’s purpose is to be a slave, then why did God make her a cripple? How can He make something beautiful out of her deformity?

Raoul never questioned the death of his daughter until someone reports her whereabouts. If Ellia is still alive, how has she survived these ten years with her deformity? When Raoul doesn’t know who to trust, can he trust God to keep Ellia safe when evidence reveals Bioti’s dangerous character?

As time brings more hindrances, will Raoul find Ellia, or will she forever be lost to the father she doesn't even know is searching for her?





Amanda Tero is a homeschool graduate who desires to provide God-honoring, family-friendly reading material. She has enjoyed writing since before ten years old, but it has only been since 2013 that she began seriously pursuing writing again – starting with some short stories that she wrote for her sisters as a gift. Her mom encouraged her to try selling the stories she published, and since then, she has begun actively writing short stories, novellas, and novels. If something she has written draws an individual into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, it is worth it!

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)


Connect with Amanda

Email: amandaterobooks@gmail.com
Website: http://amandatero.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandaterobooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandateroauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amandaruthtero/
Blog: www.withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AmandaTero
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/amandatero


Behind the Scenes with Amanda

 
 Giveaway Time!!! 



U.S. Giveaway: Enter to win the set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”

International Giveaway: Enter to win the eBook set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”




Also Touring with “The Secret Slipper”

May 25, 2017
Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise | Release Day, Giveaway
Leila @ Leila Tualla's Bookshelf | Spotlight
Faith @ Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections | Review, Giveaway
Leona @ Great Books for God's Girls | Review, Interview

May 26
Emily @ Zerina Blossom’s Books | Interview
Kendra @ Knitted By God's Plan (Spotlight) and O'Scarlett Reviews (Review) | Spotlight, Review
Alicia @ A Brighter Destiny | Review, Giveaway

May 27
Anika @ This Journey Called Life | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway
Katie @ His Princess Warrior | Review, Giveaway
Sarah @ The Destiny of One | Spotlight
Heather @ Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | Spotlight, Interview, Giveaway
                                                               
May 29
Kate @ Once Upon an Ordinary | Review, Interview
Sarah @ Penumbra Reviews | Review
Dary @ Peculiar Miss Darcy | Character Interview
Julia @ My Joyful Journey with Jesus | Interview

May 30
Kenzi @ Honey Rock Hills | Review, Giveaway
Anita @ Christian Author: A.M. Heath  | Review
Judith @ JudithWNicholson  | Interview

May 31
Jesseca @ Whimsical Writings for His glory  | Spotlight, Review
Raechel @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae  | Spotlight, Review
Esther @ Purposeful Learning | Review, Interview, Giveaway

June 1
Kellyn @ Reveries Reviews  | Review
Victoria @ Victoria Minks Blog  | Spotlight, Review
Kelsey @ Kelsey’s Notebook | Spotlight

June 2
Hanne @ RockandMinerals4Him | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway
Erica @ Roxbury Books Blog | Spotlight
Janell @ Views from the Window Friend  | Review
Crystal @ Crystal’s Adventures for Christ  | Spotlight, Review, Interview

June 3
Alexa @ Verbosity Reviews  | Spotlight
Faith @ Chosen Vessels  | Review
Melissa @ Clothed with Scarlet | Review, Interview, Giveaway


Happy Reading!  



Friday, May 26, 2017

First Line Fridays


Happy last Friday of May!  Can you believe the month of June will be starting next week?!  It is crazy to consider that we are already half-way through the year.  Yet I am looking forward to the summer, which has always been my favorite season.  How many books have you read this year, and what have you been reading lately?  I started reading a couple of books and some short stories recently, but I haven't finished them quite yet.  However, I have been watching Masterpiece lately, and I cannot wait until Season 2 of Victoria comes out!  Have you seen the first season?  It is simply splendid, and I highly recommend it.  Here is a sneak peak of the second season:


I hope you get a chance to check out this lovely series from Masterpiece--I know I have said this many times before, but I absolutely love the Victorian era, so it was wonderful to learn a bit more about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  As you may have guessed, this week I want to highlight another text from the Victorian era--last week I featured Jane Eyre.  Today I would like to look at Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.  This first line is a bit intense, but I hope it leads you to reading this text.  I will include a short video clip at the end too, which is from my favorite film adaptation of this book.

As always, please be sure to check out the book lines from these other amazing bloggers too:  

Sydney from Singing Librarian
Rachel from Bookworm Mama
Andie from Radiant Light
Katie from Fiction Aficionado
Kathleen from Kathleen Denly
Lauraine from Lauraine's Notes 
Trisha from Joy of Reading
  Jane from C Jane Read  
Christina from Moments Dipped in Ink 
Molly from Cafinated Reads
 
 Click the links above to be taken to their posts and...
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message 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:

Little Dorrit 
by Charles Dickens



And the first line is...

Book One - Poverty 
Chapter One 
Sun and Shadow 

"Thirty years ago, Marseilles lay burning in the sun, one day.  A blazing sun upon a fierce August day was no greater rarity in southern France then, than any other time, before or since.  Everything in Marseilles, and about Marseilles, had stared at the fervid sky, and been stared at in return, until a staring habit had become universal there." 


Happy reading and happy Friday!  






Saturday, May 20, 2017

Cookie Recipe for Tea

Despite all the lovely desserts in the world, cookies are still my favorite treat.  Any type of cookie is wonderful too...oatmeal, macadamia nut, peanut butter, shortbread, and sugar cookies to name a few.  Most people probably prefer the traditional chocolate chip cookie though.  So I wanted to share a new recipe I found this week.  This is a chocolate chip cookie recipe from the Grand Floridian resort in Walt Disney World, and it is simply splendid.  This is the perfect accompaniment to your coffee or cup of tea.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!




Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen medium, or 18 large cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks butter), softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 330°F.
  2. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine butter, brown sugar and powdered sugar in a separate bowl and cream with electric mixer until fluffy.
  4. With mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla. Mix until combined, scraping sides of bowl.
  5. Slowly add flour mixture, scraping sides of bowl. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Scoop 1 tablespoon dough for medium cookies and 2 tablespoons for large onto ungreased baking sheet.
  7. Bake until light golden, 10 to 12 minutes for medium cookies, 12 to 14 minutes for large.






Friday, May 19, 2017

Check Out My New Post!

Check out my new post on the Daily Megaphone to recognize how vital proper communication is, and how we can remember to speak life to others on a daily basis.  God bless.


Failure to Communicate 
by Heather Snyder 







First Line Fridays


Classic literature is my favorite genre, and books from the Victorian era contain some of the greatest works to read and study.  So this week, I want to post a line from Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre.  I hope if you have not read this incredible story yet, you will add this novel to your 2017 reading list.   

It is a beautiful tale that illustrates the ventures of Jane Eyre from childhood to adulthood.  Because others have never bestowed kindness upon her, Jane feels all alone in the world.  Yet once her circumstances change, her solitary life is altered as she is introduced to some engaging characters, including the mysterious Mr. Rochester.  Although even after becoming a governess, Jane could never have imagined the turmoils that would continue to consume her life.  Will she ever find comfort in her world?  Charlotte Bronte's use of descriptive words and imagery within this text highlight her incredible writing style and storytelling capabilities. As she vividly portrays the human heart, showing how it reacts to each joyous and tragic event in life, her honest and vulnerable characters continue to connect well with each and every reader throughout the generations.  

As always, please be sure to check out the book lines from these other amazing bloggers too:  

Sydney from Singing Librarian
Rachel from Bookworm Mama
Andie from Radiant Light
Katie from Fiction Aficionado
Kathleen from Kathleen Denly
Lauraine from Lauraine's Notes 
Trisha from Joy of Reading
  Jane from C Jane Read  
 
And I want to welcome Christina and Molly to the First Line Fridays fun!  

 Christina from Moments Dipped in Ink 
Molly from Cafinated Reads
 
 Click the links above to be taken to their posts and...
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message 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:

Jane Eyre 
by Charlotte Bronte 



And the first line is...

"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.  We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of the question."   

Happy reading and happy Friday!  






Friday, May 12, 2017

First Line Fridays


This week's book comes from a Twitter recommendation--it said that fans of Downton Abbey would love this series of stories.  So I am super excited to read this first book--I actually listened to the first bit on Audible, and it was wonderful.  :)  Can you recommend any other novels that would fall in line with the genre or time era of Downton Abbey?  

I hope that each of you have had the lovely opportunity to watch Downton Abbey--I confess that I own all six seasons on DVD.  If you haven't seen them yet, go watch them right away!  In my opinion, the series of Downton Abbey is one of the best TV period dramas of all time.  :)  As always, please be sure to check out the book lines from these other amazing bloggers too:     

Sydney from Singing Librarian
Rachel from Bookworm Mama
Andie from Radiant Light
Katie from Fiction Aficionado
Kathleen from Kathleen Denly
Lauraine from Lauraine's Notes 
Trisha from Joy of Reading
  
And I want to welcome Jane and Christina to the First Line Fridays fun!  

Jane from C Jane Read  
 Christina from Moments Dipped in Ink 
 
 Click the links above to be taken to their posts and...
If you would like to join us, send Carrie a message 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:

Love of the Summerfields 
by Nancy Moser



And the first line is...

Summerfield, England 
Late July 1880

"'They're back!' Fidelia Hayward burst into the Summerfield Mercantile, one hand to her heaving chest, the other steadying her bonnet, which tipped precariously over her left ear."  

Happy reading and Happy Friday!








Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Hartly Manor - My Review


Amanda Tero's children's book Hartly Manor is a wonderful read for any parent to read to their child.  I love the beautiful love story woven throughout the piece, and I love how it was mirrored in each of the character's own personal stories.  After all, we are all orphans until the Lord adopts us into His family. 

For the reader, it is easy to follow along, especially considering this is a story for those under the age of ten, but this tale could equally be perfect for anyone at any age.  Consider giving this book to someone who is either new in the faith or perhaps never heard the good story at all. 

Tero begins the story by introducing the reader to each character, so as not to confuse young readers.  She also breaks the story down into two separate parts, so that any young child can understand the overall purpose to the story. 

I highly recommend checking out this book.  Here is a link to where you can purchase this story on Amazon:  Hartly Manor by Amanda Tero   

Happy reading!  


This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to Amanda Tero for my copy. 


About The Author


Amanda Tero is a homeschool graduate who desires to provide God-honoring, family-friendly reading material. She has enjoyed writing since before ten years old, but it has only been since 2013 that she began seriously pursuing writing again - starting with some short stories that she wrote for her sisters as a gift. Her mom encouraged her to try selling the stories she published, and since then, she has begun actively writing short stories, novellas, and novels. If something she has written draws an individual into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, it is worth it!

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

Connect with Amanda:

Email: amandaterobooks@gmail.com

 

Saturday, May 6, 2017

New Books from Bethany House Publishers


*Grace Mallory is tired of hiding. She hungers for a normal life, perhaps even a suitor like two of her friends in Harper's Station have found. But when the man she believes responsible for her father's death discovers her whereabouts, survival takes priority.

Amos Bledsoe prefers bicycles to horses and private conversations over the telegraph wire to social gatherings with young ladies who see him as nothing more than an oddity. His fellow telegrapher, the mysterious Miss G, has been the ideal companion. For months, their friendship--dare he believe, courtship?--over the wire has fed his hope that he has finally found the woman God intends for him. However, when he intercepts an ominous message and discovers her life is in peril, Amos must shed the cocoon of his quiet nature to become the hero Grace requires.




*One of the many immigrants struggling to survive in 1850s New York, Elise Neumann knows she must take action to care for her younger sisters. She finds a glimmer of hope when the New York Children's Aid Society starts sending skilled workers to burgeoning towns out west. But the promise of the society's orphan trains is not all that it seems.

Born into elite New York society, Thornton Quincy possesses everything except the ability to step out from his brother's shadow. When their ailing father puts forth a unique challenge to determine who will inherit his railroad-building empire, Thornton finally sees his chance. The conditions to win? Be the first to build a sustainable community along the Illinois Central Railroad and find a suitable wife.

Thrown together against all odds, Elise and Thornton couldn't be from more different worlds. The spark that ignites between them is undeniable, but how can they let it grow when that means forfeiting everything they've been working toward?



*A British nurse in WWI German-occupied Brussels, Evelyn Marche spends her days at the hospital and her nights working at a café . . . or so it seems. Eve's most carefully guarded secret is that she also spends her nights carrying out dangerous missions as a spy for a Belgian resistance group.

When a plane crashes as she's en route to a rendezvous, Eve is the first to reach the downed plane and is shocked to recognize the badly injured pilot as British RFC Captain Simon Forrester. She risks her life to conceal him from the Germans, but as the secrets between them grow and the danger mounts, can they still hope to make it out of Belgium alive?



*Sallie Riehl has dreamed of traveling at least once before settling down to join church, so she is thrilled at an unexpected summer opportunity to nanny in Cape May for a well-to-do family. However, saying even a temporary good-bye to Paradise Township means forgoing baptism another year, as well as leaving behind a would-be beau. Yet the weeks in Cape May soon prove unforgettable as Sallie meets a Mennonite young man whose friendship she quickly begins to cherish. Has she been too hasty with her promises, or will she only find what her heart is longing for back home?



*When a series of circumstances beyond her control leaves Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater putting on the most popular show in the city. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage. That is, as long as the shadows from her past don't catch up with her.

After a hand injury forces Nate Moran from his army regiment in India, he returns home to London, a place that holds bitter memories. He agrees to fill in temporarily as a stagehand while his brother recuperates from a broken leg, but Nate is counting down the days until he can rejoin his regiment. His future is decided--until he meets a beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate yearns to leave behind.



*After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, Miss Permilia Griswold has finally figured out a way to pass the time at all the New York high-society events she attends. Under the pseudonym "Miss Quill," she is the author of society gossip columns filled with tidbits only an insider in society--albeit one on the fringes--would know.

When she overhears a threat against Mr. Asher Rutherford, the owner of one of the most up-and-coming department stores in the city, she's determined to warn him. But the irritatingly handsome man doesn't believe her, leaving her no choice but to take matters into her own hands. What she doesn't anticipate is that she'll end up putting herself at risk in the process--or that she and Mr. Rutherford, a man with secrets of his own, just might end up joining forces after all.



*After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. However, when John, an adoptee, is diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his ancestry.

John enlists Nora's help to uncover the identity of his birth mother, and as they work side by side, this pair of opposites begins to suspect that they just might be a perfect match. But can their hope for a future survive their wounds from the past?



*After a sheltered life in Pittsburgh, Hope Irvine is ready for a new adventure. When her father takes a position as a preacher in a railroad car converted into a traveling church, she's thrilled at the chance to accompany him. While accommodations in their new chapel car home are tight, Hope couldn't be happier putting her musical skills to good use and ministering to the people of West Virginia alongside her father. But when their chapel car arrives in Finch, West Virginia, they find a coal mining community that has hit hard times and is suspicious of outsiders.

Luke Hughes works for the coal mine when he can, but the struggling company doesn't always offer steady work. When Reverend Irvine and Hope arrive in town, Luke is intrigued by what the reverend can teach him--and by the lovely and kind Hope.

When Hope's desire to bring supplies and Sunday school classes to neighboring counties leads to her traveling with a flirtatious young mine manager, Luke is hard-pressed to suppress his jealousy. But when he begins to suspect the manager's motives are less than charitable, can he prove it without hurting Hope, or worse, putting her in danger?



*Motherless and raised alongside her brothers, Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting. When her father and brothers are killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.

Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, has spent his share of time on the battlefield and is shocked to find an unconscious woman among the casualties. Compelled to bring her to a healer back at the Hebrew camp, he's unprepared for the consequences of what he intended as an act of compassion.

In order to survive, Alanah must unite with her enemy. But will a terrible revelation drive her toward an even greater danger?



*Evelyn Wisely loves working at the local orphanage, but her heart can't ignore the women of Teaville who are also in need. Her boss is willing to help build a shelter for them, but only if she gains the cooperation and financial support of other local businessmen.

While David Kingsman plans to stay in Teaville just long enough to get his father's business back on solid ground, he's intrigued by Evelyn's cause and finds himself more invested with each passing day.

Will their plans and partnership fall apart when confronted with all that is stacked against them, or can they trust in God's plan despite it all?



*Grace Martindale has known more than her share of hardship. After her parents died, raising her two younger sisters, Hope and Mercy, became her responsibility. A hasty decision to head west seemed like an opportunity for a fresh start but has instead left Grace in a precarious position. When missionary Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife agree to let Grace and her sisters stay at their mission for the winter, Grace is grateful. Until they hear from their uncle in Oregon City, the three sisters have nowhere else to go.

As Grace adjusts to life in the West, she meets a fur trapper named Alex Armistead who intrigues and infuriates her in equal measure. But when a measles outbreak threatens lives at the mission and among the native Cayuse who live nearby, it is Alex who helps Grace use the natural healing remedies she learned from her mother to help where she can, despite Dr. Whitman's disapproval. As the death toll rises, so do tensions between the settlers and the natives, and Grace soon finds herself and those she loves in more danger than she imagined possible.


*Each synopsis is from the back cover of each novel.