Liz Tolsma's The Melody of the Soul Prize Pack Giveaway! 1/16--2/6

The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Facebook Live

Liz Tolsma has a new series out Music of Hope series. This first book, The Melody of the Soul, has just released and is definitely worth your time to check out! So, stick around and read my review below and also check out how you can enter to win a prize pack from the author.

From the Back Cover:
Anna has one chance for survival--and it lies in the hands of her mortal enemy. It's 1943 and Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost nearly everything. Most of her family has been deported, and the Nazi occupation ended her career as a concert violinist. Now Anna is left to care for her grandmother, and she'll do anything to keep her safe--a job that gets much harder when Nazi officer Horst Engel is quartered in the flat below them.
Though musical instruments have been declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to play the violin. But Horst, dissatisfied with German ideology, enjoys her soothing music. When Anna and her grandmother face deportation, Horst risks everything to protect them.
Anna finds herself falling in love with the handsome officer and his brave heart. But what he reveals might stop the music forever...


My Thoughts:
Liz Tolsma's novel is one about courage and endurance as her characters face impossible situations.
The story was an interesting read and constantly kept me on edge wondering how things would play out with the Nazi's as they hunted down the Jews. This story is loaded with many intense situations as Anna and others attempt to stay alive. I enjoyed reading this story and learning more about this time in history. The author did a wonderful job at making the characters' faith real and transparent throughout the story. Liz's novel moved me and made me ponder how I face hardship in my own life. I look forward to Liz continuing the story in her next novel in this series coming out Fall 2018.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Make sure to head over to the blog tour by clicking here and take a look at what others are saying about this book!
Giveaway Information:

Travel back in time to 1943 and meet Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian and concert violinist whose career is ended because of Nazi occupation in Prague. Don't miss the new historical novel, The Melody of the Soul, by Liz Tolsma. Though musical instruments have been declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to play the violin. But Officer Horst Engel, quartered in Anna's flat and dissatisfied with German ideology, enjoys her soothing music. When Anna and her grandmother face deportation, Horst risks everything to protect them.

Join Liz Tolsma and other bookworms for a Facebook Live event on February 6, plus enter to win Liz's prize pack giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• One copy of The Melody of the Soul
• A garnet bracelet
• A box of Czech Republic chocolate

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 6. The winner will be announced at Liz's Facebook Live Party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Liz and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word-tell your friends about the giveaway and Facebook Live party via social media and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 6th!

 ***I received this complimentary book from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen (Book 2, Tales From Ivy Hill series)

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is Julie Klassen's newest release in the  Tales From Ivy Hill series. Julie continues the wonderful story of Ivy Hill and this time shares the story of Miss Rachel Ashford and Mercy Grove.

From the Back Cover:
A gentlewoman in reduced circumstances, Miss Rachel Ashford lives as a guest in Ivy Cottage. With her meager funds rapidly depleting, she is determined to earn her own livelihood...somehow. her friend Jane Bell and the other village women encourage her to open a circulating library with the many books she's inherited from her father. As villagers donate additional books and Rachel begins sorting through the volumes, she discovers mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues, but both find more than they bargained for.
Rachel's hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and finds fulfillment in managing her girls school. So when several men take an interest in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what--or whom--has captured each man's attention? The truth may surprise them all.

My Thoughts:
I thought this follow up book was just as good as the first in the series, The Innkeeper at Ivy Hill. You can read my review of the first book here. The author has done a great job with the story line. It was hard to put down this book especially with the added mysterious older lady that many have spread rumors about being a witch. The ladies also have romantic interests and the author does a great job at keeping you guess as to whether the ladies will follow their hearts or marry out of duty to their families. This was another well written book that I would highly recommend.

My Rating: ★★★★★

***I received this complimentary book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Avoiding the Greener Grass Syndrome by Nancy C. Anderson

With so many marriages having problems and ending in divorce, it is not that uncommon to have been touched by this subject personally or through family, friends and acquaintances. Nancy C. Anderson has walked this road even to the point of having an affair. Nancy repented of her sin and received a second chance to mend the broken relationship with her husband. He was gracious enough to forgive her and choose to work at restoring what was lost between them.  In her book, Avoiding the Greener Grass Syndrome: How to Grow Affair-Proof Hedges Around Your Marriage, Nancy shares with readers all that she has learn by experience, and gives valuable advice on how her affair could of been prevented if only some hedges would of been firmly established around her marriage.

Whether you are weathering through this very trial or are counseling others going through a devastating betrayal in their marriage, this is a book that is a great resource to help couples strengthen their marriage by avoiding the pitfalls that can easily snare someone's affections.

My Rating: ★★★★

***I received this free book from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Troubled Waters (Montana Rescue series book 4) by Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren's next book in the Montana Rescue series has released! And this time, she is focusing on Billionaire Ian Shaw and Sierra's story. These two have created quite the tension between themselves, but can they overcome that to acknowledge how they feel about each other? Find out below why you should pick up this great new series from Susan May Warren.

From the Back Cover:
Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants--except a happy ending. Or at least that's what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. Sierra has solved it, but a promise to the girl to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.
When Sierra needs funds to repair the damaged PEAK chopper, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the leisurely excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and Ian and Sierra find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.
It will take guts for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra's relationship.

My Thoughts:
This book starts off with a bang and continues it's fast paced story line all the way to the end. I love when books are connected through exploring a group of friends or siblings' stories. The Montana Rescue series explores the relationships between a group of friends working on the PEAK rescue team. Each person is invested in their teammates as they risk their lives together rescuing people in Glacier National Park.  This time, Ian Shaw and Sierra take center stage, and their story is another high-riding adventure. These two characters go through quite a change as they finally come to recognize some areas in their lives that need to change. But only God can produce that change in their lives as they surrender to Him. I thought this book was a great read and would definitely recommend this series.

***I received this complimentary book from Revell Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano

Do you enjoy reading funny stories with characters who have quirky personalities? Then Jen Turano is the author for you! Her characters are quick-witted and their stories are fun to follow. Her newest novel, Out of the Ordinary, is the second book in the series called, Apart From the Crowd. In the first novel in the series, Behind the Scenes, the author introduces us to a group of women who are called wallflowers. Society has overlooked these ladies, and has completely underestimated their valuable potential. The first book is the story of Miss Permilia Griswold. In this next book, we find the story of Miss Gertrude Cadwalader.

From the Back Cover:
Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader's eccentric employer makes her job unpredictable, to say the least. She find herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can't help coming to his friend's defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more, Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.

My Thoughts:
I thought Jen wrote another fabulous book. She is a funny and talented writer, and her characters make me smile. I enjoy it when an author develops a group of friends and then writes each of their stories. There is something comforting about reading a book with familiar characters. This particular story surprised me with it's twists and turns in the plot. Gertrude's companion is quite the character and she continually keeps the story interesting. She is a great addition to the story line. I would definitely recommend this series. It's fun, light reading that you are sure to enjoy.

Make sure to head over to Jen's website to see more about her book. And make sure to also check out Jen's novella, At Your Request, she wrote for this series that precedes these first two books. I'm looking forward to reading her next book, Caught By Surprise, when it's released in July 2018. This novel will be the story of Miss Temperance Flowerdew.

My Rating: ★★★★

***I received this free book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

CSB Notetaking Bible by Holman Bible Publishers

The new CBS (Christian Standard Bible) Notetaking Bible is now available through B&H Publishing. I've been excited about seeing all the new journaling Bibles available now. In years past, I've written in my Bible margin but find the space cannot hold very much information. Now, with these extra columns on the sides of the Scriptures, I'll be able to write much more.

If you're not familiar with the CSB translation, the publishing company describes this translation as a "...highly readable, highly reliable text... The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others."

This Bible has a beautiful sage cloth overboard cover that has smyth-sewn binding. The binding definitely makes the Bible feel sturdy and durable. The text is single-column and the margins are 1.75 inches for taking notes. The paper is not super-thin making it better for taking notes. Also included is a One-year Bible plan, concordance and full-color maps located in the back of the Bible. If you're looking for a new Bible, consider picking up the new Notetaking Bible to use in your study of the Scriptures this year.

My Rating: ★★★★

***I received this Bible for free from B&H Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.