Hearts Haven Week. Love in the WINGS by Delia Latham

Blurb:

Church secretary and praise team leader Aria Robbins isn't happy when she  has to work with the new youth minister. She also has to grin and bear it when he moves into the cottage next to hers at Heart's Haven...but she doesn't have to like him. Truth is, she'd be much happier if Corbin Bishop would take his charm and his big, fancy ideas right back to Austin where he belongs.

When a spiritual attack on Angel Falls lands Aria and Corbin on the battlefront as part of a team of prayer Warriors in God's Service (WINGS), they must fight for their town, their church, and their pastor, and Aria sees Corbin in a whole new light.

But emotional scars from an unspeakable childhood have distorted Corbin's acceptance of certain Scriptural truths, and Aria won't trust her heart in the hands of a man whose faith is unsure. Aria wraps her prayer wings around him tightly. Will Corbin finally trust God to heal his soul?

Review:

Set against a chilling backdrop from the very first paragraph, this book pulls you into a spiritual battle for the souls of Angel Falls and Heart’s Haven. I found I could only read it in the daylight, because of my own personal history with that kind of thing. Set against this you have two characters, who really don’t get on at first, yet even that fits the mood of the story perfectly.

I cried, shivered and smiled through this story.

The WINGS from the title of the book are prayer warriors, praying for their community and pastor and I think that is something every church should set up.

Buy link:

http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=555&zenid=3b42881c74607bc4756f11673334a92a

Interview with the main characters from Love in the WINGS

Clare: Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself.

Hero: Hi, Clare! Thanks for inviting us to chat with you. I’m Corbin Bishop, a youth minister at The Falls Tabernacle in Angel Falls, Texas. And the pretty lady here with me is—

Heroine: Excuse me, Corbin Bishop! I can speak for myself, thank you very much. (Shoots the hero a withering glance.) Hi, Clare! My name is Aria Robbins. I’m Pastor David Myers’s secretary at The Falls Tabernacle. Well…that’s one of my jobs. The other is at a jewelry design company called Jewels for the Kingdom, which is owned by Pastor David’s wife, Pia. She’s my best friend, and we have a great time working together.

Corbin: Aren’t you going to tell her about—?

Aria: Corbin! (Rolls eyes and offers Clare an embarrassed smile.) He wants you to know that I’m the praise team leader at The Falls Tabernacle. For some reason, Corbin thinks that’s important, but I do it because I love it. Singing is such a huge part of who I am…and I love working with the worship team.

Clare: Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there? Aria, why don’t you go first this time.

Aria: Well, as Corbin mentioned—without waiting to be asked, of course—we live in Angel Falls, Texas. It’s a lovely little town in the Angelina National Forest of East Texas. Corbin and I both have cabins in Heart’s Haven, which is truly a blessed and wonderful place to live. There’s a precious legend of love surrounding the place, and the owner, Mr. Andrew Hart, is—”

Corbin: (A frustrated groan.) Please, Aria…don’t do this.

Aria: (Completely ignores him.) Mr. Hart speaks with angels! Folks say they hang out at Heart’s Haven, and there are all kinds of stories about various tenants having divine encounters with them.

Corbin: (Huffs out a breath.) You had to say it, didn’t you?

Aria: I wanted to say it. I love being a part of a place that’s touched by the divine.

Clare: What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know? Corbin?

Corbin: Hmm…I don’t think I’m a quirky person.

Aria: (With a sugary smile) I can answer this one for him, if you’d like…

Corbin: (Hurriedly) I don’t think so. OK…well, I guess I’m kind of obsessive about my appearance. It’s kind of a…I don’t know, a—“

Aria: A façade. You gotta make a good impression on absolutely everyone. Gotta dress perfectly, have every hair in place, speak eloquently, live—”

Corbin: So I like to be well thought of. What’s wrong with that?

Aria: (Harrumphs) Let me count the—

Clare: OK, then. Aria, what about you? Personality quirks?

Aria: (Blushing) Sorry about that, Clare. Corbin and I tend to bring out the worst in each other sometimes… (Pulls in a deep breath.) I’m not quirky at all. Just your ordinary, everyday—

Corbin: Umm...I can answer this one for you…?

Aria: (Glaring, as politely as possible with Clare looking on) I don’t think so. OK. Umm…Well, I don’t know…uh…

Clare: (Grinning behind her hand) It’s all right, Aria. You don’t have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable. Let’s try another question. How about this—name two things you would hate people to know about you?

Aria: (Laughing) I’m pretty much an open book. Really. But if had something I wanted to hide, I doubt I’d just blurt it out in an interview.

Corbin: (Also laughing) For once, we are in complete agreement.

Clare: Nothing to share then? Truthfully?

Corbin: (With a heavy sigh) Well, since you put it that way…I wouldn’t want anyone to know about my childhood. But that’s all I’m saying. I’d really prefer not to share anything more about it.

Clare: That’s fine. No problem at all. Aria, what book are you currently reading?

Aria: Oh, how I wish I had more time for reading! I’m always so busy. I’m trying to find time to read Boo Hiss, by Rene Gutteridge. So far, I’m loving it.

Corbin: (Chuckles)

Clare: (Hurrying to stop any possible argument) And you, Corbin?

Corbin: I don’t really do a lot of pleasure reading, but interestingly enough, I’m in the middle of a great book right now—one Pastor David recommended it. And the Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado.

Aria: (Grins and opens her mouth to speak)

Corbin: (Just drop it, Songbird.)

Clare: Corbin, tell us about your special lady. What makes her special?

Corbin: She’s beautiful and feisty, has a heart just about as big as the state of Texas, and a voice…man, my woman sings like a bird!

Clare: She sounds somehow familiar… How about you, Aria? Is there a special man in your life?

Aria: (Blushing) I think so, but…well, I’m not sure he knows it yet.

Clare: Hmmm... The first time you saw him, what did you think? Did you like him immediately, or did he have to grow on you?

Aria: (Laughs out loud) He definitely had to grow on me. The first time I saw him, I thought, “You need to turn around and go back to wherever it is you came from.”

Clare: (Laughing) And now some silly questions. Pepsi or coke

(Simultaneously)

Corbin: Coke

Aria: Pepsi

Clare: Rain or snow and why

Aria: Rain. I love the sound of it on the roof when I’m in bed. I sleep like a baby.

Corbin: Snow. Because it looks so beautiful in—uhm…in a certain girl’s hair and eyelashes.

Clare: Tea or coffee

Simultaneously, with a special look at each other, and even a smile) Texas sweet tea!

Clare: Elephant or tiger

Corbin: Never thought about it. Both, I think.

Aria: Definitely tiger. They’re such beautiful animals!

Corbin: And yet you tell me I’m too “into” my looks. (Laughing)

(Clare rushes into the next options)

Clare: Roast dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)

Corbin and Aria, loudly and simultaneously: Pizza!

Clare: Classical music or pop

(Again with the laughter and simultaneous answer)

Contemporary Gospel

Clare: Sunrise or sunset

(Aria and Corbin look at each other, and Clare knows these two are head over heels in love—even if they don’t know it themselves…)

Aria, very softly: Definitely sunset

Corbin: (Clears throat) Yeah. Me too. Sunset, without a doubt.

Clare hesitates, then decides to leave it alone.

Clare: Walk or run

And they do it again, in complete unison, they’re gazes locked: Walk

Aria continues in a whisper: Absolutely. Very long walks.

Clare: Chocolate or crisps (chips for our US readers)

Aria and Corbin don’t even hear. He holds out his hand. Aria places hers in it.

Clare shrugs and leaves without saying good-bye. She has a feeling they don’t even know she’s gone.

Bio:

Bio:  DELIA LATHAM is a born-and-bred California gal, raised in a place called Weedpatch and currently living in the lovely mountain town of Tehachapi with her husband and a spoiled Pomeranian. She enjoys multiple roles as Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially loves being a princess daughter to the King of Kings. She has a "thing" for Dr. Pepper, and loves to hear from her readers. Contact her through her website or send an e-mail to delia@delialatham.net. Find her also at the following online locations:

Living the Write Life (blog)

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Hearts Haven Week Designed by Love by Mary Manners

Blurb:

Traci Stanton's dream is to own a cake shop. The cramped kitchen at her Heart's Haven apartment isn't exactly an ideal space for creating her masterpieces. Plus her new neighbor, Dylan, has become a constant distraction with his DJ business and the ever-present explosion of event music as he tweaks playlists.

 Dylan Jones blew into Angel Falls like a hurricane desperate to leave the memories of a mission gone awry. A former Navy SEAL, he's got no desire to live with deadlines and boundaries or to take orders from anyone--ever again. If only Traci would quit distracting him with the aroma of her sweet confections and lilting voice singing hymns as she works. Dylan has no place for the God who let him down and claimed the life of his fellow SEALs.

Will Dylan ever leave the past--and his anorexic faith--behind and allow God to calm the raging storm in his soul?

Buy link: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=554&zenid=517d01f95dcad2f482eea049eb093360

Review:

I could so relate to the way this story starts as it happens a lot in this house. Nice and quiet one minute and then BOOM. Traci and Dylan are total opposites, different tastes in music and cakes, And when disaster strikes right at the start, it seems as if they will never see eye to eye. This one kept me riveted to the pages, from one heart stopping moment to the next.

Bio:

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus.

Mary’s debut novel, Mended Heart, was nominated Best Inspirational Romance and was finalist for the Bookseller’s Best Award and her follow-up, Tender Mercies, was awarded an outstanding 4 ½ star rating from The Romantic Times Book Reviews and was also a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Buried Treasures, her third novel, was named Book of the Year by The Wordsmith Journal. Light the Fire took top honors for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award while Wisdom Tree garnered National Excellence in Romance Fiction. Mary was named Author of the Year by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone.

Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

 Character Interview:

Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself?

I’m Wyatt Cutler, oldest brother in the Cutler Clan. I’ve just come home to Clover Cove to help manage the family nursery, but I’m not happy about this new and unexpected fork in the road.

Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there?

I was living happily in New York City…great job and all the fancy grown-up toys. I traded that all in to come home. Ouch.

What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know?

I love coffee with lots of cream and sugar, but that isn’t very manly so I choke it down black. Works for me. I also belt out tunes to the radio while driving in my truck. Shh…don’t share that. (opps too late. sorry)

Name two things would you hate people to know about you?

I’m impatient and sometimes, well…I question God

Tell us about your special lady. What makes her special? 

Kami Moretto…she’s beautiful inside and out. I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember but coming home and seeing her again…it just blew me away.

The first time you saw her, what did you think? Did you like her immediately, or did she have to grow on you?

It was definitely love at first site. But all I could think was to run away…fast. She scared me. My feelings frightened me.

And now some silly questions.

Pepsi or coke         Sweet tea all the way

tea or coffee           Coffee…black

elephant or tiger     Tiger

roast dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)     Definitely burger and fries

classical music or pop     Classical (think slow dancing with Kami) or pop if I’m belting it out in the car

sunrise or sunset      Sunset, for sure

walk or run     walk…hand in hand

chocolate or crisps (chips for our US readers)    always chocolate. I’m a chocoholic (wink)

Hearts Haven Week. Wounded Grace by Tanya Stowe

Blurb:
Madison Harper is glad to be alive after a devastating skiing accident. She loves her new community, too. There's something peaceful about the Heart's Haven cottages. Madison wakes up every morning, praising the Lord and basking in constant sunshine--until the day Andrew Hart collapses from a massive heart attack and dies. When widower Lance Dalton arrives to help his sister bury her husband. He and Madison agree to bury the hatchet from their turbulent past. But no matter how hard they try, they seem to bring out the worst in each other. Their verbal battles uncover too many old hurts, mistaken paths, and hidden feelings.  Can these two embittered souls ever hope to find peace and healing or has the healing peace of Heart's Haven died with Mr. Hart?

My Review:
This story had me in tears on page five. One of those heart stopping...no you can't do that moments. This isn't a spoiler if you've read the blurb. Later on I wanted to bash the character's heads together or tell them to grow up. And I smiled and chuckled. It's rare a book will produce such a torrent of different emotions and Wounded Grace certainly delivers on that front. Combine it with a story where you actually care what's going on and you have a winning combination that you will want to read over and over again.

Bio:
Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…gifts of the spirit and miracles, mysteries and exotic travel, even an angel or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a journey to the Old West or to contemporary adventures in foreign lands…be prepared for the extraordinary.

And now the character interview:
Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself?

My name is Madison Harper.  I had a horrible snow skiing accident two years ago andI almost lost my life.

Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there?

I live at Heart’s Haven. My good friend Vivien Hart invited me to stay and I’ve found a peace and a new purpose here. I don’t ever want to leave.

What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know?

I used to have a very lucrative decorating business and spent my time in suits and heels. Now I love to dig in the dirt and am most comfortable with a sun hat, gloves and a shovel in my hand!

Name two things would you hate people to know about you?

I may seem organized and accomplished on the outside but inside I’m an insecure teenager and please don’t look in my closet or my drawers!

Tell us about your special bloke. What makes him special?

Lance Dalton is an amazing man. I’ve loved him forever…everyone loves him. He’s strong, sincere, dependable. He cares and it shows. People are drawn to Lance and his core strength.

The first time you saw him, what did you think? Did you like him immediately, or did he have to grow on you?

I loved Lance almost from the first time I met him.

And now some silly questions.

Pepsi or coke

Neither. I can’t afford the calories or the caffeine.

tea or coffee

Both. One cup of latte in the morning and herbal teas throughout the day. Still avoiding that caffeine.

elephant or tiger

Tiger. Definitely.

roast dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)

I love a good burger with pickles, onions and fries.

classical music or pop

Pop. Can’t stop dancing when I hear those beats…even if movement is restricted with my bum leg after the accident.

sunrise or sunset

Both. They are both God’s paintings and I catch them when I can.

walk or run

Walk. My leg doesn’t allow me to run for any distance.

chocolate or crisps (chips for our US readers)

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.

Hearts Haven week. Jodies Song by Marianne Evans

BLURB:

Nothing fills Jodie Cunningham's spirit like sharing contemporary Christian music and scriptural insights on her morning drive radio show at KWJD. But lately, she’s overwhelmed and depleted by family circumstances that have led her from Dallas to Angel Falls, Texas and Heart's Haven apartment complex.

Kevin Mitchell is the groundskeeper at Heart's Haven—a place famous for angelic intercession and loving connections. His uncle owns the facility, but he's ailing. Kevin eagerly chips in, and as he prepares the grounds for a spring wedding, he meets Jodie. They begin to work together to make Heart's Haven sparkle.

But just as Kevin succeeds at coaxing Jodie's heart to bloom, tragedy strikes in a double dose that tests both their strength of faith and the love they've found.

My Review:
Don't think I've read anything by this author I haven't enjoyed and Jodie's Song is no exception. The last thing Jodie is expecting when forced to move from busy city to small town is love, but that's exactly what she finds. But nothing is ever that simple.
Ms. Evans has written a story that will tug at the heartstrings and engage the reader on every level.

BUY LINK:

Pelican Book Group

And now a character interview:

Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself:

Hi, Clare. I’m Kevin Mitchell

And I’m Jodie Cunningham. Nice to meet you! I met Kevin when I moved in to Heart’s Haven apartment complex. He landscaped the area in front of my apartment and it’s stunning.

::Kevin gives her waist a squeeze:: Thanks, Jodie. I’m glad you were led to Heart’s Haven from Dallas.

Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there?

As Kevin mentioned, I moved to Heart’s Haven when I left Dallas. My dad’s health took a bad turn a while back and I moved back home to Angel Falls to take on a new job at the Christian radio station in town, KWJD.

She’s morning drive, and she’s fantastic.

::elbows Kevin:: You’re biased, but incredibly sweet.

We both live at The Haven and I manage its outdoor upkeep.

What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know?

::shared laughter:: You first, Kevin.

Well, I play with flowers in the dirt.

::Jodie laughs:: My quirk is painted toenails. Frequently changed, always funky shades.

Name two things you would you hate people to know about you?

I’m a guy who loves flowers. Isn’t that enough?

I’m a strong, capable, calm-natured woman—until spiders walk across the wall. When that happens, I turn into a raving loon.

Tell us about your special lady/bloke. What makes her/him special? 

Jodie has tremendous heart and dedication to the ones she loves. I’m honored she shares that love with me.

Kevin is the most patient, attentive man I’ve ever known. He slips into your heart before you even know what hit.

The first time you saw her/him, what did you think? Did you like her/him immediately, or did she/he have to grow on you?

::unison:: Instant. Definitely.

And now some silly questions.

Pepsi or coke?

Kevin likes ginger ale. I enjoy an occasional coke.

tea or coffee?

:unison:: Coffee!

elephant or tiger?

::Jodie pouts:: Can’t I pick both? They’re both pretty cool in their own ways….

::Kevin answers with the roar of a tiger::

roast dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)?

Mmmm….burger and chips, fresh of the grill. Delicious!

I have to agree with Jodie. Burgers and chips.

classical music or pop?

Pop…although Kevin and I love to slow dance to classical pieces…

sunrise or sunset?

::Jodie takes the lead:: Why, yes, thank you.  J

walk or run?

Jodie and I take long walks along the green trail that surrounds Heart’s Haven. It skirts the Angelina National Forest and is just beautiful.

chocolate or crisps (chips for our US readers)?

::unison:: Chocolate!

Bio:
Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laud her work as: ‘Riveting.’ ‘Realistic and true to heart.’ ‘Compelling.’
Marianne’s novel, Devotion earned the prestigious Bookseller’s Best Award from Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America as well as Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements from the ACRA, a chapter of RWA.  Hearts Communion earned Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year honors in the Romance category as well as Best Inspirational Romance from ACRA. Her novella Finding Home earned the Selah Award for excellence in Christian fiction and Evans has also earned acclaim in such RWA contests as The International Digital Awards, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence where she has been a finalist twice, and the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence contest.
Happily married and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. She’s also active in American Christian Fiction Writers and the Michigan Literary Network.

Connect at:

Website: www.marianneevans.com

Blog: www.marianneevans.blogspot.com

Facebook Reader Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marianne-Evans/308711716744

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarEvansAuthor

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Marianne-Evans/e/B001KHZN0Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1389809743&sr=8-2-ent

Unexpected Wedding by Carla Rossi

 Rocky Lionakis has been a wheelchair user since a fall in college. He plays bass guitar in Cornerstone Fellowship’s worship band and shares his testimony every week with the campers at Towering Pines summer church camp. At peace with his chair, he has settled into a boring but successful career in technology...but then stunning camp counselor, Gia Rinaldi, enters his life and turns it upside down.

      Lifelong preacher’s kid and occasional wild child, Giavanna Rinaldi, has always learned things the hard way. With a trail of bad choices in her wake, she has finally grown up and found her niche as a student of Christian child psychology. She returns to Camp Towering Pines where she’s worked since high school, but unsettling dreams and an unexplained illness lead her to a harrowing discovery.

     Will Rocky and Gia’s budding romance survive her trauma? And is their bold decision an answer from God, or a serious step outside of His perfect will?

Comes out today from Pelican Books. You can pick up your copy HERE

Anniversary Weekend

This weekend just gone was a hectic, but Wonderful, Fun Filled Time with Family and Friends. Because 50 years ago on March 28th 1964 This Happened.

Saturday looked like this:

The house was full of streamers, balloons, sparkly bits on the table - which Mum will be hoovering up for months no doubt. And approx 50 guests. It was FUN. And there was a time line of stuff that happened over the past 50 years as well.

And then four years ago yesterday I signed my first contract with Pelican Books. And never looked back. I don't write for anyone else, don't intend to write for anyone else.

That first book was this one - 

A Killer lurks in Headley Cross…

…And Holly Carmichael is the only woman to survive his attack. Now she lives in fear, searching for normalcy and trying to put her life back together. When she meets Kyle Stevens, he turns her world upside-down. He’s as exasperating as he is appealing. How can Holly make sense of her awakening feelings when she’s so unsure of Kyle? His voice is familiar, he’s left-handed, and he wears the serial killer’s cologne. Who is he…really? As Holly struggles to restore her damaged faith, she must find the strength to trust once again—in Kyle and in God.

Kyle Stevens isn’t ready to live again. Racked by guilt, he’s afraid to feel. His sole focus is finding the Headley Cross serial killer—his girlfriend's murderer. That is, until he meets Holly Carmichael. He’s drawn to Holly, vows to protect her where he failed to protect his former love. But Holly makes him feel again, emotions quickly morphing into something much more dangerous to his hardened heart.

When the serial killer returns to finish what he started, only a miracle can save them…but then, it's the Season for Miracles. 

Review: Beautiful Imperfection by Kathryn J Bain

Review: Beautiful Imperfection by Kathryn J Bain

Blurb:

When witnesses to a mass murder start dying, breast cancer survivor Teddy Federline must push aside her anger and trust an ex-boyfriend to ensure she lives long enough to testify against the killer.

Detective Sloan Michaels still has deep feelings for Teddy but realizes that after the way he left her years ago, he has a lot of making up to do. Now, he must keep his focus on the case and off the woman he loves. If Sloan doesn't keep Teddy safe, he'll never get a second chance.

Buy link: amzn.to/1bxHHda

Review:

It’s not often I pick up a book I can’t put down. But this is one of those.

Teddy has been through the wringer before we meet her and she’s not going to get an easy ride here either. Tossed straight into a shooting, she’s determined not to let anything faze her. With the exception of the cop assigned to her case. The one man she could quite happily do without seeing ever again.  

Sloan struggles to keep his mind on the job. He has other reasons for wanting to keep Teddy alive and safe, but that becomes increasingly difficult to do as the witnesses to the shooting begin dying.

This story will keep the reader glued to the pages. Just when you think its safe to draw another breath, put the book down, something else happens. A rollercoaster of a ride, this book is a keeper.