About the Book
Forty-eight-year-old Anita Wilson is too young to feel so old, but rheumatoid arthritis limits her ability to work on the guest ranch she owns with her husband. It was a risk to hire Tad for the summer, but Anita is convinced he just needs a bit of grace and encouragement to find his footing. What she doesn't anticipate is that Tad's presence at the ranch will change everything, including her relationship with her son. And when Tad finds himself in more trouble than ever, he and Anita must learn when to hold on, when to let go, and how to embrace grace.
My Thoughts
About the Author
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Every Life Filled with Purpose by Shelia Stovall, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Every Life Filled with Purpose
Series: The Weldon Novels #3
Author: Shelia Stovall
Publisher: Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: March 27, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Women's Christian Fiction
Welcome to Weldon, Kentucky, where no one can keep a secret forever.
Imagine discovering a place where the locals treat you with warmth and welcome you like family. Carson Williams finds such a place when he visits his deceased mother’s hometown of Weldon. The atmosphere in the community creates a deep yearning in Carson, and he thinks Kentucky is the perfect place for a new beginning. Carson hopes the country life will lead to his emotional healing from PTSD.
While Carson is having lunch at the local diner with Sparky Compton, a young doctor who’s captured his heart, Virginia Willoughby collapses. Sparky springs into action, but Carson struggles to maintain control of his emotions. Mrs. Willoughby’s daughter, Emma Baker arrives, and the magnetic pull of Emma’s gaze confuses Carson. She reminds him of someone, but who? Later, Emma wonders why she can’t stop thinking about the mysterious stranger when her heart belongs to pastor Luke Davis.
But there are secrets in the small town—and they will impact both Carson and Emma.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
More In This Series
Excerpt
The flashing lights of an ambulance parked in front of the Triple D made Emma Baker’sbreath hitch as she turned the corner. Emergency vehicles in action always reminded her of theworst day of her life—the day her husband, Chris, died. Emma placed her hand over her heart.Mother!
Emma bolted to the group standing in front of the plate glass window and placed a hand overher heaving chest. A hush fell over the crowd as they stared at her.“Who needs an ambulance?” She asked.
One of the pink uniformed waitresses wrung her hands. “It’s for Mrs. Virginia.”With her worst fear confirmed, Emma rushed inside the restaurant, her heart pounding.Paramedics were lifting her unconscious mother onto a gurney. Emma’s legs weakened.Sparky came up beside her. “I was just asking Dot to call you.” She removed a latex glovefrom her hand. “You can ride with me to the hospital.”
“What happened?” Emma clapped her hand over her mouth.
Sparky squeezed her shoulder. “Mrs. Virginia passed out and hit her head.”
“Why is there so much blood?”
“Head injuries always bleed considerably, and I suspect she’s on daily aspirin therapy.”Emma gripped the table’s edge. “Yes. She is.”
Sparky turned to a man sitting in the booth. “Carson, did you see her faint? Did she clutchher chest?”
The stranger’s face matched the color of the white Formica tabletop. His dark hair was pulledback in a ponytail. “She … She …” He gulped. “Gave me the oddest look and collapsed.”There was something familiar about the deep timbre of the stranger’s voice. Emma lookedhim over. He had a strong jawline and a cleft in his chin, and his eyes, which were almost black,held Emma’s gaze.
Sparky placed both hands on his shoulders and forced him to look at her. “Are you okay?”
He blinked, then nodded as if coming out of a trance. “I’m … I’m fine. Your patient needsyou.”
Sparky slung the strap of her pack over her shoulder and grabbed Emma’s elbow. “Let’s go.”
A few years ago, Emma had helped Sparky search the internet for college scholarships, andnow she was a doctor. Thank goodness Sparky had returned home to take over Dr. Singer’spractice. Emma followed her toward the exit where Dot waited. An odd sensation pulled Emma’sattention back to the stranger. He hadn’t moved, and his dark eyes held her captive. She knewthat face, but from where?
“You need to go see about your mama, hon.” Dot’s voice broke the spell cast by the stranger.Emma nodded and chased after Sparky. What did it matter if the stranger seemed familiar?But for some reason, it mattered.
About the Author
Shelia Stovall is an author, speaker, and the Director of a small-town library in southern Kentucky. Her first Weldon novel, Every Window Filled with Light, won the 2022 Angel Book Award in the contemporary women's fiction category and was a double finalist for a Selah award in 2022, and her second Weldon novel, Every Day Filled with Hope, was a finalist for a Selah award and a Carol award in 2023.
It tickles her to see shocked expressions when folks learn she's traveling to Africa—again. She's the worst missionary ever, but God continues to send her to the ends of the earth as He attempts to mold her into something useful.
Shelia is a country girl who relishes eating a bologna sandwich at a country store just as much as savoring an elegant meal in a posh restaurant.
Shelia and her husband, Michael, live on a farm, and she enjoys taking daily rambles to the creek with their four dogs. Spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, is her all-time favorite thing. The only hobby Shelia loves more than reading uplifting stories of hope is writing them.
Connect with Shelia by visiting sheliastovall.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 20, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 27, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
About the Book
When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.
As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.
My Thoughts
About the Author
About the Book
My Thoughts
About the Author
About the Book
Wounded warrior Jonathan Gray isn't sure what to make of the attractive woman on his reclusive older neighbor's isolated property, but her presence is none of his business--until she enlists his help with an ambitious project. When Jonathan finds his interest in the new arrival becoming more personal than professional, however, his defenses go up. There's no room in his life--or his heart--for romance.
Yet, as these three hurting people join forces to restore life, laughter, and love to a historic estate that has known too much sadness, they may also find healing, hope, and happiness for themselves.
Bestselling author Irene Hannon invites you back to Hope Harbor, where hearts heal and love blooms.
My Thoughts
About the Author
About the Book
Author: Melissa Wardwell
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 22, 2022
Wedding bells are ringing on the islands, but more than romance is in the air.
Seth Mikels experienced a fulfilling marriage with his wife until her sudden death left him alone to raise their two daughters. As they approach their teens, it’s obvious that they need a woman’s influence. He’s not looking for love, but he could use the partnership of a wife. Between his handyman business and playing Mr. Mom, time is fading fast.
Sarah Reid has spent the last four years caught in the middle of one island drama after another. Following the most recent fiasco, she hopes to find refuge on Sparrow Island with her two little boys. Climbing bills and a dwindling bank account leaves her no choice but to sell out and move to the mainland. Enter Seth’s handyman skills and an unexpected romance.
With Beth and Scott planning their own Merriweather wedding (complete with a Momzilla), will wedding bells ring out on Sparrow, too?
Read the next Sparrow Island novel in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.
The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.
Click here to get your copy!
My Thoughts
About the Author
Melissa Wardwell doesn’t mind alternating between the world of writing and the reality of being a mother, but she would rather sit with a good book or a good friend and a cup of coffee.
When she isn’t penning works of fiction, she is busy reviewing books for her blog, Back Porch Reads.
To see more from Melissa Wardwell, visit www.melissawardwell.com
More from Melissa
I want to thank you for taking the time to follow this tour. This book was written during one of the most difficult times in my life but, as Beth said, God has turned the mourning into gladness. We are never promised the next breath we breathe or the freedoms that we enjoy, but He does promise that will be with us through every change in our lives.
Sarah and Seth’s stories are tragic and unimaginable for many. They have been brought to the lowest points in their lives but must continue to move on for their children.
Writing this story helped me work through some of my own struggles. Some areas of my life were burning to the ground and I found myself looking for answers as to how to pick up the pieces. Instead, God taught me some pretty important lessons.
I learned to be a woman who spoke clear and true. I learned to show the people around me how much I love them and appreciate them. I learned that only God could fix those broken pieces of our lives and stitch them back together. And lastly, I learned of the beauty of friendship and how important it is in our daily lives. Even though I am glad that journey is over, I will forever cherish the lessons.
I think Gram summed it up nicely for me though.
“When we blend our lives with others, whether in marriage or friendships, we open the door to carry each other’s burdens in life. God gives us certain friendships to help us through tough times to teach us how to be a shoulder for others.”
Fiction is a reflection of reality, so expect some of the lessons I learned to be reflected in Blended Lives as Sarah and Seth figure out how to navigate the changes I put them through.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 11
Texas Book-aholic, March 12
Simple Harvest Reads, March 12 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Inklings and notions, March 13
For Him and My Family, March 14
Library Lady’s Kids Lit, March 15
deb’s Book Review, March 16
Connect in Fiction, March 16
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 17
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 18
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 19
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 20 (Spotlight)
Blogging With Carol, March 20
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 21
Blossoms and Blessings, March 22
Aryn the Libraryan, March 23
lakesidelivingsite, March 24
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Melissa is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1b8b7/blended-lives-celebration-tour-giveaway
About the Book
Author: Amy Lynn Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Sweet and Clean
Release Date: March 16, 2021
Elsie Whitmore, a teacher from the small town of Oak Hills, Pennsylvania, is shocked when one of her YouTube videos goes viral, drawing the attention of the famous actor Graham Thurston. When Thurston seeks to cast her in a film that he is directing, Elsie is conflicted: Should she give up teaching, a career she finds deeply fulfilling, for her childhood dream of becoming an actress? Join Elsie Whitmore as she travels down the bumpy road of being cast in a film production and falling in love with a movie star while being homesick for her family, friends, and students back home in Oak Hills. Will Elsie return to teaching and her close-knit community, or will she pursue her love for Graham Thurston and acting for Proscenium Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard?
Click here to get your copy! Also available through Kindle Unlimited.
My Thoughts
About the Author
Amy Walsh is a 5th-grade teacher who loves teaching children about what she loves to do herself: reading and writing. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking and camping with her Scouts BSA Troop. Amy also appreciates opportunities to share her faith through singing, teaching and writing for her church family. Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three children: Bree, Spencer, Liz, and a son-in-law, Kyle. Amy and her family love to spend time together celebrating special occasions, listening to great music, swimming and kayaking, and having occasional ping pong tournaments.
More from Amy
The Creation of Elsie
Elsie Whitmore came into being on Election Day 2020. I needed a little escape from the reality of being an urban public school teacher in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and all the political turmoil in the United States. I decided it was time to take on a big writing project.
Wanting to create a “happy escape” for both myself and readers, I put the best of two worlds that I love into the settings of the novel: farm life in northeastern Pennsylvania and drama in New York City. I created a character who had already overcome childhood anxiety, and in the process of conquering her painful shyness, she had grown strong, wise, and firmly grounded in what she considers important. Elsie had also long ago given up her dream of becoming an actress in order to pursue the more “realistic” career of teaching, which she finds quite fulfilling. But sometimes life has some unexpected twists and turns….
Mrs. Whitmore’s Upsidedown Apple Sticky Toffee Cupcakes Recipe
Graham is so determined that Elsie will give him and his film production a chance that he pulls out all the stops with a lovely dinner after her day of screen tests at Proscenium Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He even goes so far as to google the most delicious dessert in the world so that his housekeeper can create the perfect end to the meal: English Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Eventually Elsie’s mother puts her own Pennsylvanian spin on this delicious dessert in an Oak Hills sequel. She substitutes apples for dates, adds some molasses and ginger, and makes them into smaller portions perfect for a church concession stand at the county fair.
Here is her recipe:
- Dice apples and place them in the bottom of a greased muffin pan. (You may prefer to slice the apples for a fancier look, but that will increase baking time.)
- Heat ¼ cup of salted butter, ¾ cup of brown sugar, ½ tsp of ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. (Mrs. Whitmore just throws everything into a frying pan, quickly stirs once everything has melted, and then turns off the stove as soon as the mixture begins to bubble.)
- Cover the apples with the hot mixture. (Mrs. Whitmore uses a gravy ladle to scoop the toffee sauce into the muffin pan.)
- Melt 1 stick of salted butter in a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 and ½ cup of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¾ cup of light brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 eggs, 3 tbsp of molasses, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger.
- Mix the ingredients with a spoon like you would mix pancake batter — no need to beat. The consistency will be more like biscuit or cookie dough than cake batter.
- Put a scoop of the dough on top of apples and toffee in the muffin pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 25 minutes. (The top of the cake should look dry.) If you are using regular cupcake pans, you can make 12 and they should be done in 15. If you are using larger muffin pans, you can make 8 and they need to bake for about 20 minutes. If you are baking multiple items in the oven, it will take closer to 25 minutes.
Sometimes the toffee comes up the sides of the cake, so it is best to put a larger tray on the rack underneath or line the bottom of the oven with foil. (Elsie forgot to do this the first time she followed her mother’s recipe. Graham, being a bit over-protective, made her evacuate due to the smoke coming from the oven.)
- Immediately after taking out of the oven, turn the muffin pan upside down on a tray, waxed paper, or cookie sheet. Tap the top of the pan and then lift up. Mrs. Whitmore uses a small spatula to collect any apple and toffee still in the pan and puts it on the cakes.
- Serve while still warm, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Sometimes, Mrs. Whitmore makes a smaller batch and then puts the rest of the dough in a bread pan to bake. She warms this up the following night and serves with warm lemon pudding and whipped cream — which is very much a northeastern Pennsylvania county fair treat.
Blog Stops
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 22
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 23
Texas Book-aholic, January 24
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 25
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, January 26 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, January 26
Inklings and notions, January 27
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 29
For Him and My Family, January 30
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 31 (Spotlight)
Pause for Tales, January 31
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 1
Wishful Endings, February 2 (Author Interview)
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 3
Stories By Gina , February 4 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Amy is giving away the grand prize package of $50 Amazon gift card along with the eBooks of three novels, A Cursed Enchantment, A Misplaced Beauty, and Elsie Whitmore: A Star from Oak Hills!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/186bb/elsie-whitmore-celebration-tour-giveaway
About the Book
Author: The Mosaic Collection
Genre: Christian Contemporary
Release Date: July 7, 2021
How amazing is grace? Eight short stories trace the path of grace through the lines of a well-known hymn that was birthed in tragedy.
These characters each desperately seek a variety of prizes: relationships, hope, fame and fortune, security, eternal youth. All of them struggle through trials and troubles to stumble upon the same amazing answer.
Click here to get your copy!
My Thoughts
About the Authors
Johnnie Alexander
Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides (Tyndale), is a CBA bestseller. She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the executive board of Serious Writer, Inc., co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Johnnie lives in Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon.
Eleanor Bertin
In a fit of optimism at age eleven, ELEANOR BERTIN began her first novel by numbering a stack of 100 pages. Two of them got filled with words. Lifelines, her first completed novel, was published in 2016, followed by Pall of Silence in 2017, a memoir about her late son Paul.
Eleanor grew up on a Manitoba farm, spent 20 years in cities and towns, and in the past 16 years has come full circle to embrace country life again. She lives with her husband and youngest son, Timothy, amidst the ongoing renovation of a century home in central Alberta where she reads, writes, sweeps up construction rubble and blogs about a sometimes elusive contentment at jewelofcontentment.wordpress.com.
Sara Davison
Sara Davison is the author of three romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians, and The Rose Tattoo Trilogy. She has been a finalist for ten national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, a Selah, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.
Deb Elkink
Chautona Havig
Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
Angela D. Meyer
ANGELA D. MEYER writes fiction that showcases God’s ability to redeem and restore the brokenness in our lives. She is the author of This Side of Yesterday, The Jukebox Cafe (a part of Hope is Born: A Mosaic Christmas Anthology) and the Applewood Hill series. Angela is a member of American Christian Fiction Authors and has served on the leadership team of her local writers’ group, Wordsowers. Angela currently lives in NE with her husband. They have two children, both of whom they homeschooled and graduated. Lucy, a green eyed, orange tabby who loves popcorn rounds out their family. Angela enjoys sunrises and sunsets, the ocean when she gets a chance to visit, and hopes to ride in a hot air balloon someday.
Stacy Monson
Stacy Monson is the award-winning author of The Chain of Lakes series, including Shattered Image, Dance of Grace, and The Color of Truth, as well as Open Circle. Her stories reveal an extraordinary God at work in ordinary life. Residing in the Twin Cities, she is the wife of a newly-retired juggling, unicycling physical education teacher, a proud mom, and doting grandma.
Candace West
Candace West was born in the Mississippi delta but grew up in small-town Arkansas. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Ever since the age of twelve, she dreamed of writing inspirational fiction. Over the years, she has published short stories as well as poems in various magazines. By weaving entertaining, page-turning stories, she hopes to share the Gospel and encourage her readers.
More from The Mosaic Authors
It’s Never Too Late for a Heart Transformation… and Great Books
He stood at the pulpit, chains hanging from his wrists, one fist raised to the heavens, a pottery jug in the other hand. With his teeth, he uncorked the jug (still don’t know how he did that) and took a swig of the “alcohol” within, allowing it to slosh over his mouth and onto the floor. Watching as he shouted his defiance to Almighty God, my thirteen-year-old self scooted back a little further in the pew, certain. Skit or no skit… Pastor Phillips was about to get struck by lightning.
In his characteristic style, he burst out laughing, wiped his brow, and stowed the jug under the pulpit. A grin plastered to his face, he wiped that brow again. “Almost felt the sizzle of lightning or something.”
See, I thought to myself. I’m not so crazy after all.
And from there, our beloved pastor went on to tell the story of John Newton’s conversion and how he eventually, after more years in the slave trade, renounced it for the vile nastiness that it is and worked to end it before he died. But one more beautiful thing came out of all of that ugliness—perhaps the most beloved hymn of all time. “Amazing Grace.”
The Mosaic Collection authors have joined for a summer anthology celebrating the joy and beauty found in God’s “Amazing Grace.” Each story in this collection was inspired by a stanza of that grand old hymn.
As one of the authors in the collection, I found myself humming and singing “my verse,” during the weeks before and during writing my offering. My verse is,
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.”
All four lines of my stanza play into my story, albeit some ambiguously. From that ten thousand (dollars, not years) to the (desert) sun, to praising God for His goodness all our days, Spines & Leaves tells the story of God changing the goals and desires of three individuals, just like He changed those of John Newton.
As for how Sara used the stanza in her story, Sara says, “My portion of the hymn is the final two lines of the first stanza: I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see. In my story, I’d Like to Thank the Academy, Lizzy Cross travels to the City of Angels to seek fame and fortune. When she gets lost in L.A. and meets a blind man playing ‘Amazing Grace’ on his guitar, she realizes the song could be about them. Or is it possible that the words mean something else entirely?”
Angela says, “My stanza speaks of the joy and peace we gain in heaven, although we have them in full measure in this life. Jillian’s Refuge is about a young woman discovering these amazing gifts as she journeys through grief and finds healing in an unexpected place.”
Deb says, “In my story, aging expat Dolores, retiring alone in colonial Mexico and agitated over losing her youth, meets up for an afternoon cultural tour with her visiting granddaughter and new baby. Their mother-child vitality forces Dolores to face the fear that drove her from her family and the grace that calls her back to Christian faith.”
Join Stacy Monson, Sara Davison, Deb Elkink, Eleanor Bertin, Johnnie Alexander, Angela Meyer, Candace West Posey, and Chautona Havig as they introduce you to characters and stories that will fill your hearts with God’s grace.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 26
Rebecca Tews, July 26
Inklings and notions, July 27
For Him and My Family, July 28
Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 29 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
deb’s Book Review, July 29
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, July 30 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30
CarpeDiem, July 31
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 31
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 1
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2
Mary Hake, August 2
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 3
Happily Managing a Household of Boys , August 4
Batya’s Bits, August 4
Splashes of Joy, August 5
Through the Fire Blogs, August 5
Texas Book-aholic, August 6
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 7
Pause for Tales, August 7
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 8
Giveaway
To celebrate their tour, the Mosaic Collection Authors are giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, a paperback copy of the book, and a $10 coupon to Mosaic’s brand new Etsy shop!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/11032/song-of-grace-celebration-tour-giveaway
Social Icons