by Crystal Caudill | Sep 30, 2022 | Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the ninth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to Oceania, and my choice of story was A Girl’s Guide to the Outback by Jessica Kate Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
A Girl’s Guide to the Outback
by Jessica Kate
For this month’s reading challenge, I picked up A Girl’s Guide to the Outback written by Aussie native, Jessica Kate. It was a joy to get to experience Australia (or ‘Straya) through the eyes of a native. Between the landscapes, authentic Aussie lingo (translated seamlessly), peek into the grit it takes to run a farm in the outback, and the wide array of characters in the story, it truly felt like I’d made a trip around the world. Especially as the heroine was an American experiencing it for the first time The Aussie lingo was a delight to read and experience through the eyes of an American setting foot in the country for the first time. The characters were complex and real, and the storyline true-to-life. The wrestle of faith and growth in Christ with this book was well-done, not preachy, and oh, so needed.
I definitely recommend this story for those who want storylines that are rich with complex characters and transport you to another location. This was my first Jessica Kate book, but will not be my last.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Rom-Com
Plot Overview:
How far will a girl go to win back a guy she can’t stand? This funny, sweet, and romantic story proves that opposites do attract—and that God has a sense of humor.
Samuel Payton is a passionate youth pastor in Virginia, but below the surface, he’s still recovering from the blow of a failed business and insecurities he can’t shake. His coworker, start-up expert Kimberly Foster, is brilliant, fearless, and capable, but years of personal rejection have left her defensive and longing for a family. Two people have never been more at odds—or more attracted to one another. And every day at work, the sparks sure do fly.
When Kimberly’s ambitious plans for Sam’s ministry butt up against his risk-averse nature, Sam decides that obligations to family trump his work for the church. He quits the ministry and heads home to Australia to help his sister, Jules, save her struggling farm. As Kimberly’s grand plans flounder, she is forced to face the truth: that no one can replace Sam. Together they strike up a deal: If Kimberly comes to work on Jules’s dairy farm and lends her business brains to their endeavor, then maybe—just maybe—Sam will reconsider his future with the church.
As Kimberly tries her hand at Australian farm life, she learns more about herself than she could’ve ever expected. Meanwhile Sam is forced to re-evaluate this spunky woman he thought he already knew. As foes slowly morph into friends, they wonder if they might be something even more. But when disaster strikes the farm, will Sam find it within himself to take a risk that could lead to love? And will Kimberly trust God with her future?
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Book Depository | Bookshop.org | Christianbook.com
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on October 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t the Rafflecopter widget. *Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
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What did you read for September’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in October?
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 27, 2022 | Character Interview
Character interviews are always so much fun, and today we get to meet Emma Marano from Christina Sinisi’s Why They Call It Falling. Emma is the middle sister–the one who always got into trouble growing up until the trouble caught up with her. Now, she’s a single mom working two jobs and struggling.
Before we get to know Emma, allow me to introduce you to her story.
Why They Call It Falling by Christina Sinisi
Formerly the wild child of three sisters, Emma Marano grew up to be a single mom working two jobs, estranged from her mother, and lying to her friends. She’d told everyone that her daughter’s father wanted nothing to do with his child, but in reality, her own inability to deal with her mistakes and shame led to the biggest lie of her life. But her daughter, Haley, is all Emma has in the world, so how can she regret keeping Haley to herself? Emma’s struggling, though, and her life is slowly imploding.
Right after high school, Justin Lee broke up with Emma Marano and joined the Army, leaving her and all her drama behind. Years later, he stumbles upon her and what turns out to be a daughter he never knew he had. Angry and confused, he insists on having a relationship with his daughter, but to do so, he’ll need to rebuild some sort of relationship with Emma, too. Justin has to decide if he can see past her flaws and forgive her lies, and together, they’ll have to work to reclaim their love and a faith in each other and in God, or they risk losing something precious in the process.
Purchase Links: Amazon
Now for our interview with Emma.
CC: Hi Emma! It is so great to meet you. Would you please introduce yourself and your role to my readers?
EM: Hi, I’m I’m Haley’s mom. That’s the role that matters most to me.
CC: Being a mom is one of the greatest and hardest jobs a woman can have. How do you feel being a single mother makes others view you?
EM: Unfortunately, all they see is another cheerleader turned single mom.
CC: It is so hard to be judged by others, and that can make it really hard to deal with others. Who is the hardest person for you to deal with?
EM: Justin, at first, because he reminds me of who I used to be and I see him as a threat. It’s not that I don’t want him to be in Haley’s life. I just don’t want to lose her.
CC: That is so understandable. So who is Justin?
EM: He was my high school sweetheart. In fact, one of my favorite memories with him is that concert Justin and I went to in high school. It was an old 80s band, but we sang every song. I danced and the look in his eyes, well, I guess that’s what started that fire. He graduated high school and went straight into the Army instead of following in his father and his grandfather’s footsteps and going to the state military college. He wanted to prove himself and he has.
CC: He sounds like a good guy, so why is he the hardest person for you to deal with?
EM: I never told Justin he was going to be a father. I think telling him meant admitting to myself that I was going to be a mom right out of high school, without finishing college. I’m afraid he’ll take Haley. No one has actually threatened to take her away from me, but I know I’m a lousy mom sometimes.
CC: With being a single mom, do you enjoy family holidays?
EM: Not so much. It’s not fun being the daughter who distracted your father and maybe got him killed. Christmas is especially hard because Daddy used to dress up like Santa Claus and stomp ashes from the fireplace and trace a path to the tree. I loved him caring that much. I miss him.
CC: Losing a father is never easy and it appears you have a lot to deal with during the course of your story. I encourage our readers to find how how things work between you and Justin and the healing of your father’s loss through reading your story. Readers, check out Why They Call It Falling on Amazon.
About Christina Sinisi:
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. Her works include a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and the American Title IV Contest where she appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine.
Her published books include Christmas Confusion, Sweet Summer, and the Christmas on Ocracoke. By day, she is a psychology professor and lives in the Low Country of South Carolina with her husband, two children and her crazy cat Chessie Mae.
Connect with Christina: Website | Amazon | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | GoodReads | BookBub
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 13, 2022 | Character Interview
I absolutely adore getting to do character interviews! They are just so much fun. Today I get to bring you the hero of Suzie Waltner’s Midnight Blue, Jake Turnquist.
Before we meet Jake, allow me to introduce you to his story.
Midnight Blue by Suzie Waltner
A series of heartbreaking setbacks behind her, Scarlett Sykes is now focused on creating the best life possible for her daughter. One where innocence and joy is not colored by rejection or loss. While finances are tight and Scarlett’s job isn’t ideal for a single mother, her child will always know she’s loved. Especially since Harmony’s father wanted nothing to do with them. As lead singer and the face of a successful country band, Jake Turnquist’s closest friends depend on him, but life in the spotlight is quickly losing its appeal. At a party celebrating another accomplishment, he’s stunned to discover Scarlett assisting the caterer. Almost ten years have passed, but he’s never forgotten his first love. In the hours after a surprise revelation, Jake scrambles to orchestrate a way to spend time with Scarlett and Harmony—the family he’s always wanted but never knew he had. He once gave her up to pursue his music. What will he have to surrender to win her back?
Purchase Links: Amazon
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY
Giveaway includes: Antiques Roadshow DVD, ebook copy of The Maritime Cure by Michelle S. Lowe, Jeremiah 29:11 adult coloring book, Nashville streets puzzle, Nashville magnet, 12-oz handmade Orange Spice candle (coconut wax candle), and a $50 Amazon gift card.
Physical prizes are open to US mailing addresses only. Digital prizes open internationally where accepted. Giveaway ends at 11:59 EST on September 30, 2022.
Enter Here.
Now for our interview with Jake.
CC: Hi Jake! It is so great to meet you. Would you please introduce yourself to my readers?
JT: Most people know me as the guy who wrote and sings the hit “Midnight Blue.” I grew up on a farm in a Fiddler Creek, Tennessee and moved to Nashville when I was 17 to pursue music. Fate smiled on me and my friends and we have successfully navigated the county music scene for almost ten years. I’m the lead singer and the guy that bridges the gap between our manager, the record label, and the others in the band.
CC: A country music star, huh? That must have its ups and downs. Are you hiding any secrets from the other characters that you can share with us?
JT: The musician’s life is starting to wear on me. Being “on” for the fans and the shows is sapping my creativity.
CC: I can see how that would zap a person, but a musician has to stay creative to keep on going. That would definitely be a hard thing to admit to your crew. Do you know any secrets about the other characters that you can share with us?
JT: So many secrets I really don’t know where to begin. We were friends long before we became a band. Seth Mason has been my best friend since the first grade, and I could tell you some stories. The guy doesn’t always think things through before he acts.
CC: Friends through thick and thin it sounds like. How about other people? How do you think others view you?
JT: People in town are suspicious of me because of something horrible that happened in the past. It’s hard to always feel judged. And someone is trying to ruin my business and even trying to kill me.
CC: YIKES! So it’s not just the country music scene that has you stressed out. Is there anything from your past that you cherish, or has it all be muddled by the bad?
JT: I have some good memories, especially the ones of riding horses with Scarlett Sykes. Those were some of my happiest days from youth.
CC: OH so there is a history with Skye, huh? My little romantic heart is eager to discover how that may play out in your future. If you, reader, want to find out, I recommend checking out Midnight Blue on Amazon.
About Suzie Waltner:
Suzie Waltner is a lover of fiction and is first and foremost a reader. When she’s not at work or reading or writing, you can find her cheering on the Nashville Predators (hockey) or dancing an hour away in Zumba class. Until her second year of college, her life plan was to become a veterinarian. A fainting spell while watching a surgery performed on a sheep changed that plan. Now she works in the corporate world during the day while creating stories in her free time. Suzie resides in a suburb of Nashville, TN and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers as well as Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers. She currently serves as the president of the Middle Tennessee ACFW chapter.
Connect with Suzie: Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 31, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the eighth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to North America, and my choice of story was Love in the Bargain by Lucette Nel Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a book from my prize pile.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
![Love in the Bargain by [Lucette Nel]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51UmbAS1wfL.jpg)
Love in the Bargain
by Lucette Nel
This book isn’t actually out until September 30th, but being a member of the author community has its perks. Lucette Nel weaves a unique and engaging marriage of convenience story. Both Micah and Amelia are desperate to have some control over their lives and futures. When Amelia’s grandfather offers an ultimatum of marriage or return to New York, she is determined to have a paper-only marriage with the man of her choosing. Although Micah is an ex-convict, he was once her friend and the only prospect that she can entertain being stuck with for the rest of her life. Besides, it will mutually benefit them as he is struggling to raise his orphaned niece and nephew. But nothing is as simple as it looks on paper. Micah has no intention of living in a loveless marriage, and though he is a patient man, Amelia is determined to keep him at arm’s length. When life-threatening dangers arise, it’s more than their lives at stake. Their marriage and hearts may not survive.
Love in the Bargain is a wonderful story of learning to release control and open oneself up to the vulnerability of loving another. I highly recommend this story for fans of historical romance, marriage of convenience, friends to more, danger-filled romance, and realistically flawed characters.
Genre: Historical Romance, Texas 1889
Plot Overview:
Driven to rekindle her relationship with her ailing grandfather, Amelia Scott returns to her childhood home. However, her unyielding grandfather is determined to control her future and poses an ultimatum. Marry and inherit the iconic Scott Hotel or return to New York penniless. Amelia is determined to stay, and formulates a plan to ensure proprietorship of her last connection to family. But love is not a part of the deal. She can’t risk another man having control of her.
Ex-convict, now town carpenter, Micah Kelly struggles to raise his deceased sister’s children. When Amelia proposes marriage without love as the answer to both of their problems, he knows better than to say yes. While partnering with his childhood friend may yield an answer to his monetary challenges, he cannot agree to a marriage in name only. His heart is already involved, and that always leads to trouble.
Circumstances put them together, and while they struggle within their new marriage, outside forces are determined to snatch the Scott Hotel from them. Even if it means killing them.
Purchase your copy at Amazon
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy from my prize pile (OR an e-copy of Lucette’s book), comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on September 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for August’s Challenge?
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 30, 2022 | Author Interviews
Today it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Janet Ferguson. I’ve “known” Janet online for several years now, and she is a joy to keep up with. But let me introduce you to her properly.
Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist and the FHL Readers Choice Award-winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian so she could be around them all day. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after. Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.
You can connect with her through:
Website | Facebook | GoodReads | BookBub
*If you sign up for her newsletter, you will get her Christy Award finalist novella, Falling for Grace for free. Click here!
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Janet with rapid-fire.
CC: Milk or Dark Chocolate?
JF: Both!
CC: Print or E-book?
JF: Love print but since my eyes are aging, eBooks are easier to read now.
CC: Cat or Dog Person?
JF: Both again. 🙂
Morning Person or Night Owl?
JF: Night for sure. Mornings hurt!
CC: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
JF: Summer and beaches.
Now for a couple of fun personal questions:
How can we pray for you?
JF: That the stories I write glorify God and spread the Good News of His love and grace.
CC: Amen! Amen!
What is your favorite Bible verse?
JF: So many! But I love Isaiah 55’s invitation,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”
We think we need so much, but really God supplies our true needs.
CC: It is so easy to get wrapped up in the “things” of life instead of what we truly need.
What are you reading right now?
JF: I am finishing a novel by Tosca Lee called A Single Light. It’s a thriller for sure.
CC: I’ve not read anything from her, but I have heard her writing still keeps you on the edge of your seat.
What do you like to do when you aren’t reading or writing?
JF: Walking outside, trying new restaurants, traveling, Bible study, and taking pictures of nature keep me happy.
CC: Those are all great hobbies. My family especially loves trying new restaurants.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
JF: In 2012, both my parents passed away, along with my mother-in-law within 2 months. I’d had a story idea for about 7 years. After those losses, I realized life was short, and I began writing my first novel which became Leaving Oxford.
CC: Realizing the brevity of life can be a kick in the pants for so many things. I am sorry for your losses, but so glad good came out of them in the form of your writing.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
JF: A lot of times, I write sitting on my bed, LOL! My room is quiet and I have a stack of pillows piled up and research books spread out all over.
CC: That would be far too tempting for me to take a nap instead of write. LOL
What is your writing Kryptonite?
JF: I hate editing. It’s just so hard to rethink something once it’s finished, especially part of the plot or story.
CC: I’m the opposite, but I can see where that could be difficult.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
JF: I’m not the best at having a schedule anymore. I’ve decided to write one book a year, giving it my best work. If I get behind on my deadline though, I’ll go to a library or coffee shop to finish those last chapters. Sometimes I have to get away from distractions at home.
CC: Distractions at home are the hardest. You literally have to leave in order to escape them. One book a year sounds like the perfect pace to me!
What has been the biggest challenge for you on your writing journey?
JF: Writing the stories of heroines who’ve gone through abuse was incredibly hard, because I had to dig into how that must have felt and how it affected them. The emotion of that is tough.
CC: That is definitely a huge challenge and one that also becomes a spiritual battle in and of itself.
Let’s talk about your newest release, Healing Skye.![Healing Skye: A Coastal Hearts Novel by [Janet W. Ferguson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41AZIyFFjTL.jpg)
People can’t be trusted.
Animals always made more sense than humans did to marine biologist Skye Youngblood. After her mother’s tragic death, she left Alabama and never looked back. These days, she pours her heart into protecting nature’s sea creatures. When she returns to Dauphin Island, Alabama, for a temporary manatee migration study, her dark past is much too close. She can’t let her guard down. But how can she keep her heart hidden when a kind man with a genuine smile makes her want a fresh start?
Charter fishing pays the bills for widower Pete Thompson and his little girl, but like his father, a pastor, Pete can’t help but fish for men. Only, after growing up under constant scrutiny as a preacher’s kid, Pete’s ways are a bit more unconventional. And the bulk of his life revolves around raising his precious daughter.
When he witnesses the car wreck of a new marine biologist on the island, it doesn’t take a genius to see that more than just her physical pain needs tending. Pete feels called to help Skye find true healing, but he’s navigating dangerous waters. And he’s not at all sure he’ll walk away unscathed.
Purchase your copy here.
CC: Who was the most challenging character to create?
JF: Probably this last character Skye. She’s had such a hard childhood with a terrible stepfather and a mother who suffered from depression.
CC: Those traumatic backgrounds can really make for reluctant characters–even for us the author. I’m so glad you stuck with it.
Which character was the most fun to create?
JF: My hero of For the Love of Joy, Davis, showed up in The Art of Rivers as a side character and he was just hilarious. He was also in Star Rising. At some point I knew he had to have his own story. I think God gave me Davis as a gift and a joy to write.
CC: That is so sweet. I love how those recurring side characters eventually get their own stories.
What was some of your favorite research for Healing Skye?
JF: For Healing Skye. I loved researching manatees. I even went to swim with them in Florida! They are truly gentle giants.
CC: My family saw the first time in the wild this summer. They really are fascinating and so gentle.
How did this story affect you as you wrote it? Did God teach you anything through the writing?
JF: A couple of things came to me through this story. Sometimes we don’t think God is with us because of the bad things in life, but if we really look, we can see that He was there walking with us, sometimes carrying us, all along. Another thing I processed is that the church is made up of broken people, but it is still Christ’s bride.
CC: Amen to all those hard lessons!
If you could be any of your characters, which one would it be?
JF: I love Rivers from The Art of Rivers. She’s artistic and kind and though she might come off as weak, she’s truly strong in her core because of her faith.
CC: I love that. The core of our faith is really our strength.
How do you select the name of your characters?
JF: Oh goodness, I spent hours looking at websites with names and baby names and historical names and name meanings. It’s a rabbit hole for sure. I keep a long list of names. If I meet someone or hear of an interesting one, I make a note.
CC: I love capturing names as I meet new people. Writing historical, it’s rare that I get to use them, but there are some fascinating names out there.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
JF: We have a God who cares about your pain. We have a God who loves purely—a Savior who heals.
Thank you so much for joining me today and providing all of us with a wonderful distraction. As my final question, I have my usual “Fun Question”.
What are the top three things on your bucket list?
JF: They all involve travel, I think! I’d like to see Scotland, the rest of the United States that I haven’t gone to, and New Zealand.
CC: Travel never gets old. Or at least the dream of it, and your location selections are excellent!
Thanks for getting to know Deb Kastner with me. Don’t forget to check out her book, Healing Skye, and answer the question below to let us know what your bucket list items are.
