About the Book

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A CURSE

Hesitant to enter the kingdom, spirited and stubborn Pipiera grudgingly accepts a task to save a fledgling earth-dwelling boy, Matthew, from sabotaging his own future. Challenged with the pull of an obsessive emotion from her past life, she’s unequipped to handle the mission, let alone discern the perplexing interference from a rebel–an unearthly soul who takes great interest in both she and the boy and who relentlessly seeks to capture their affection.

As Matthew’s world spins throughout the cosmos, his mother’s world churns at his bedside while she awaits an unknowing outcome.

Who overcomes?

Who ends up cursed forever?

The Gatekeeper’s Descendants is an easy-to-read, thought-inspiring fantasy. The story weaves together adventure in the afterlife with growing faith and family drama.

BEAUTIFUL…   TWISTED…   LIVELY…

Click here to enter the giveaway!

My Thoughts

About the Author

To Johanna Frank, retirement means the freedom to do what she simply loves—bringing family and friends together with good food. But even better is the space to pen creative, inspirational fiction; stories she hopes will touch the lives of her readers.

Johanna lives in the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada with husband, Joe, cherishing and watching their children and their families as they churn through life and develop into their own wonderful characters.

At the time of publishing, Johanna’s The Gatekeeper’s Descendants was declared a Winner of The Word Guild’s 2021 Word Awards.

The Gatekeeper’s Descendants is Johanna Frank’s debut novel.

More from Johanna

Hey, hello! It sure is a pleasure to be here 😊.

I’ve always believed it’s a gift when others just happen to come into our lives. Sometimes it’s like a drift and ever so brief, maybe even digital. But always, I like to think anyway; it is for a reason. Sadly, we simply don’t see it that way.

That was just one premise for The Gatekeeper’s Descendants. There is so much more to our life journey than what we see and, therefore, what we could possibly appreciate.

According to some translators of ancient Greek (yes, I google the internet a great deal), the term we so often use today to explain chance happenings, coincidence, is derived from the word synkyrian – a combination of two words: sun and kurios. Sun reported as meaning “together with” and kurios reported as meaning “supreme in authority.” So, a chance happening, meeting someone along one’s path in life? …not an accident. The question becomes why.

As far as the story in The Gatekeeper’s Descendants goes, sure, I had a plot in mind. But those wonderful fictional characters came first, and I quickly discovered they had much to say about their own decisions and paths. Important to me was to incorporate realisms: personality traits, emotional challenges, tough situations and simply, life in general. And then place all such realities alongside characters from an ethereal and lively kingdom. Of course, what would a kingdom be without its rebels? This fantasized world in charge of intervening to make chance happenings actually happen, or, interfering to disrupt the course of one’s path? Well, what fun! I totally loved the adventure of writing this novel. But please, be rest assured. Faith is central in my life, and I did my utmost to treat it with great and utter respect.

And you are part of this equation. That is the most exciting part for me: your experience with the read. One reader told me how grateful she was after reading The Gatekeeper’s Descendants for the hope it gave, particularly as it came at such a perfect time—weeks following the loss of a parent. Another said it brought to her imagination the child she lost at infancy and the absolute joyous wonder of her lively existence now. Yet another felt the appreciation of having a chance at feeling a troubled teen’s point of view and the potential of very real battles that are not always visible. As one reviewer put it, “this is a story that has something to impart to even the most cynical among us.”

Without readers, writers simply wouldn’t have much purpose. So, a heartfelt thank you. I hope you will give The Gatekeeper’s Descendants a chance even if it is a diversion from your normal genre.

I would absolutely love to connect and hear your experience with the story!

And may you journey well!

Johanna Frank

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 11

Texas Book-aholic, February 12

By the Book, February 12

Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 14

For Him and My Family, February 15

Inklings and notions, February 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 17

deb’s Book Review, February 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 19

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 20

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 21

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 22 (Spotlight)

Through the Fire Blogs, February 22

Blogging With Carol, February 23

Wishful Endings, February 24 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Johanna is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed hardcover 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/1a459/the-gatekeeper-s-descendants-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

THE SHADOW OF WAR

Seare is at war. The Red Druid has continued to gain strength and power, and the people of Seare suffer beneath the ravages of the isle’s unbound spirits. The Fíréin are all that stand between the land and certain disaster. But there is strife within the Brotherhood as well: Eoghan still refuses to claim his rightful throne, leaving the responsibilities of rule to Conor and creating an uncomfortable distance between the sworn brothers.

When Conor leaves Ard Dhaimin to find the key to defeating the Red Druid, he delves into a world of shadows and danger which will bring him to the brink of madness and back. All the while Eoghan and Aine are left to pursue their own mission to defeat their adversary through her magical gifts.

But as the final battle looms ever closer, they realize that the cost of defeating the Red Druid may be greater than they’re willing to pay… and that nothing—and no one—is as it seems.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

About the Author

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA® award-winning author of over a dozen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two sons, and an opinionated tortoiseshell cat named Willow.

More from Carla

Why We Should Read About Difficult Things

I’m not going to lie—a lot of my past reading has fallen into the feel-good category. Don’t get me wrong—I like my stories to have some depth, but there’s generally enough turmoil in everyday life that I often feel the need stories with predictably happy endings and not a lot of angst.

But I don’t necessarily think that’s the best approach in times of trouble. Which is why ever since the pandemic hit, I find myself gravitating toward messy, intense reads. Stories where everything goes wrong and it seems like nothing is going to ever work out in the end… until it does. I think it’s a way to work through my own feelings about the state of the world while still being assured that justice will be done, that hope is within reach, that the dawn will still come.

The Sword and the Song is that kind of book. As the third and final volume in the Song of Seare trilogy, things have come to a dangerous tipping point: the rightful High King has been revealed, tensions within the Brotherhood have reached their boiling point, and the Red Druid is slowly but surely moving toward his deadly endgame. Meanwhile, Conor finds his good heart and gentle nature becoming strained by the demands of leadership and the memory of the things that he’s seen and done to survive. It seems that even if victory is still possible—however distantly—it may come at a high personal cost for everyone involved.

There is no doubt that this is the darkest, most dangerous, and most exciting book of the Song of Seare trilogy: on every page, alliances are tested, friendships are shattered, and resolve is stretched to the breaking point. But I would argue that this is the kind of book we need right now. We may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s no arguing that we’ve emerged from it changed in unexpected ways. Some of us may not yet see the light through the darkness. That’s why we find catharsis in reading about difficult things and take hope in their final resolution.

In both this book and in real life, we can be assured that hard times are all part of a bigger plan in the hands of our Creator…and while we may still need to walk through them, there is always One who stays by our side to the very end.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 28

Worthy2Read, January 29

By the Book, January 29

A Reader’s Brain, January 30

Inklings and notions, January 31

Texas Book-aholic, February 1

deb’s Book Review, February 2

Blossoms and Blessings, February 2

For Him and My Family, February 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 4

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 6

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 7 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, February 7

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 9

Simple Harvest Reads, February 10 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away the grand prize package of a hardcover set of the series (Oath of the Brotherhood, Beneath the Forsaken City, The Sword and the Song) and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

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/193c8/the-sword-and-the-song-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

A Prince, a friend, and a lizard walk into a trap…

Everard of Havilund—fierce warrior, brave soldier, loyal friend, heir to the throne, and painfully shy.
The war is over! Or is it? After four long years fighting in a war that has spanned a millennium, Everard is finally going home. He has faced everything he fears most—he thinks. Alas, trouble is brewing in the little hamlet of Hidden Hollow and he has only himself to blame.

Follow Everard as he tries to slay the Dragon of Ironia, face the Giant of the Tripp Mountains, bring the Enchantress of Enervatia to justice… just for starters.
Will he succeed? Will he overcome his personal demons that threaten all he is working for?

Find out in this second installment of the Not-So-Fairy Tales.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

About the Author

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.

More from Chautona

“Can you write a short story for Kaira’s birthday? Something about a paisley princess? We’re doing a medieval theme, and Cathe is making the most scrumptious dress…”

A short story. Sure, I could. Why not? I’d throw in some things that fit Kaira and her family and some to make it not a bad attempt to write about a girl I only knew through her mother’s eyes. I’d make her hopelessly ordinary (which Kaira certainly was not). I’d give her lovely skills with a harp (which Kaira definitely has), and I’d give her the name Paisley Paisley so that, as her father, the king of Jackalopany, said “She’d be eager to marry and change it someday.”

Seventy-thousand or so words later the “short story” was done.

The silliest thing I’d ever written, but man… that was fun. Complete with a human chess game, frog pox, and heartbreaking bravery, it wasn’t great literature—Andersson would never approve—but it was mine.

It also gave me a thirst for something more… something… real. Okay, so that sounds a little weird writing about a fairy tale as “real” but in truth, it’s how I felt. I wanted to write a deliberate one, not just a wild romp through story ideas. Some elements of the first book would have to stay. For example, I’d given the first book a cheeky narrator who did a lot of “explaining” about “fairy tale terms” and definitions. She had to return.

But this time, I wanted quests daring dos, and well… yeah. I wanted something a bit more structured. I also wanted it to reflect another family I loved and cherished. In this one, a prince returns from a war lasting almost a thousand years (he didn’t fight the whole time, never fear) to report victory and does something so out of character that it sends his life in a totally different direction.

In my opinion, it has the most truly romantic scene I’ve ever written in it, but even most boys of very tender years (who still think girls are “yucky”) haven’t complained. THAT is my kind of romance!

But more than anything, Everard has honor, bravery, self-sacrifice, and every kind of love you see in the Bible. It’s the second book in the Not-So-Fairy Tales, but it won’t be the last. Leicelin has something she wants to share with the world, too.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 27

Blogging With Carol, January 27

Texas Book-aholic, January 28

deb’s Book Review, January 29

Inklings and notions, January 30

Rebecca Tews, January 30

For Him and My Family, January 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 1

Connect in Fiction, February 1

Lots of Helpers, February 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 3

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 4 (Spotlight)

Sodbuster Living, February 4

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 5

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 6

Mary Hake, February 6

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 8

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, February 9

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

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/193c4/everard-celebration-tour-giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Path to Forgiveness by Lisa M. James, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

About the Book

WHAT IF YOU COULD TRAVEL TO ANOTHER WORLD IN YOUR DREAMS?

In the modern nation-state of Riyen, few people dream anymore, and those who do are prescribed medication. But when Anissa Robson begins to dream of a strange jungle after the death of her mother, she neglects to report it. Feeling lost and alone in the waking world, she embraces her new dream world, until reality begins to cross over.

When Anissa stumbles upon evidence that her own government has known about Angapo for years, she uncovers a conspiracy that will change her life forever.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

About the Author

E.B. Dawson was born out of time. Raised in the remote regions of a developing nation, traveling to America was as good as traveling thirty years into the future. Now she writes science fiction and fantasy to make sense of her unusual perspectives on life. Her stories acknowledge darkness, but empower and encourage people to keep on fighting, no matter how difficult their circumstances may be. She currently lives in Idaho with her family and her cat Maximus.

More from E.B. Dawson

G.K. Chesterton once wrote that “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” I rather suspect that Aslan would have agreed. In fact, he says something very similar when he explains to the Pevensies why he brought them to Narnia in the first place. It is also why I wrote The Traveler. The vivid, broken, beautiful, dangerous world of this book is completely of my own creation, and yet you will pick up the clear echoes of the world you know, and my hope is that it will allow you to see it with new eyes.

Born in a developing nation to expatriate parents, I traveled a lot as a kid. There really is no way to describe what it is like to grow up between two vastly different countries and multiple cultures. By the time I was seven I was more familiar with the concepts and consequences of political coups, religious persecution, colonization, regional famine, and ethnic discrimination than I was with Sesame Street or Winnie the Pooh.

I grew up surrounded by dozens of Non-Governmental Organizations like humanitarian groups and mission organizations, and military troops from multiple nations. This is probably why almost all my books have a political element that examines the relationships between parties with opposing interests. But my chief interest is and always will be exploring the impact an individual can have when surrounded by (and sometimes at the mercy of) forces beyond their control.

In The Traveler (and its two sequels) I invite you on a journey to examine the relationships between nations, individuals, and cultures. This series is truly about adventure and the spirit and wonder of traveling to new lands and how it can impact your perspectives and priorities. Sprinkle in some fantasy and advanced technology and you have the recipe for a transportive, emotionally rich, thought provoking story unlike any you’ve read before. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I hope it makes you look at the world around you with fresh perspective.

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 11

Blogging With Carol, December 11

Rebecca Tews, December 12

Inklings and notions, December 13

For Him and My Family, December 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 15

Texas Book-aholic, December 16

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 17

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 18

deb’s Book Review, December 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 20

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 21 (Spotlight)

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 22

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, December 23

Mary Hake, December 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, E.B. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback 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/14830/the-traveler-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

There is a thin line between the natural and the spiritual realm.

Ms. V., a humble servant of the Lord, has been placed on assignment at Center of Hope Christian Academy.

By day, she serves as a trusted counselor for students, giving them a safe haven to pour out their innermost feelings while providing professional and honest truth wrapped in a firm kindness and love that inevitably draws them closer to Jesus. Not to be outdone, the faculty also bends her ear from time to time.

By night, Ms. V. enters the spiritual realm and takes her place on the battlefield as one of God’s faithful prayer warriors. She wields her whispering sword, slicing through the enemy’s plans to bind the precious hearts under her charge.
Her assignment’s burden on her physical body is taxing, but can she withstand the strain and remain victorious?
Saving souls is her true mission, but at what cost?

Readers are in for a journey of spiritual intrigue and biblical insight as they experience the ramifications of each character’s life-altering decision.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

About the Author

“Tina” Batten is a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter and Mima to her grandchildren. She is a gifted visual storyteller who is passionate about bringing encouraging messages of inspiration and hope to the world.

Tina Batten, a writer for over eighteen years of various dramatic works of performing art via stage, and film, encompasses unique ways of creating fascinating story concepts that touch the heart of most who view or read her work. She is both honored and thrilled to have teamed up with long-time friend, sister in the gospel and co-author Tracy on this phenomenal collaborative book project. With such a humble heart and desire to bring people together in love and unity, Tina Batten will continue her work as a visual storyteller spreading the good news of Jesus Christ one project after the other.

As Always, D. “Tina” Batten gives God All the Glory!

Traci Wooden-Carlisle began writing to publish in 2011 and enjoys writing stories that provoke thought and evoke emotions. Her desire is to draw readers into the lives of her characters and share messages of God’s love, His faithfulness and peace. The messages in her books speak to her way before they speak to her readers.

Traci lives in San Diego with her husband, David. When she isn’t writing she does some light traveling or assists people with their physical fitness, creates graphics, designs pretty things for her jewelry business and swag for authors.

More from Traci

The Backstory of the Prayer Warrior: Two authors, Two Thousand Miles Apart, One Supernatural Story

I used to believe writing wasn’t a team sport. With a few Christian fiction titles in my backlist, I believed there was truly only enough room for God’s message and my writing style in a book. From January 2019 to March of 2021 I was proven wrong.

Tina Batten and I, Traci Wooden-Carlisle met in 2004 at a performance and praise showcase Sister Batten produced. As a liturgical praise dancer, I performed in her showcase and we became fast friends.

Over the years we would support each other on goals reached, such as Sister Batten’s film success and my books, even when Sister Batten moved to the other side of the country.

At the end of 2018 the Lord prompted me to give Sister Batten a call. It felt like more than a greeting to see how she and her family were doing and by the time we finished talking we had committed to seeking God for an idea for a story we could write together and what message He wanted us to share.

When we came back together at the beginning of the next year, we merged our storytelling, fiction writing skills and desire to share God’s message of encouragement and perseverance. We spoke on the phone every Sunday afternoon for months, discussing the previous week’s writing, before a family emergency on my side forced us to take a short break. When we resumed our calls, it was as if no time had passed.

A year later, amidst a few tears and a great deal of praise to God, we completed The Prayer Warrior and I was more than proud of what we were able to accomplish.

The Prayer Warrior is the story of a Christian School student counselor who allows the Holy Spirit to guide her when listening and discussing issues with the students, and sometimes staff, she counsels. At night in her dreams, she is led to war in the spirit and finds that some of the battles she wages against demonic forces affect her waking world and the people she interacts with daily.

There are a lot of twists and turns with a few big surprises, especially after one strenuous battle.

One of our hopes is that readers come away from reading this book with a greater sense of encouragement, empowerment and understanding that the line between the spiritual and natural realm is thinner than most of us realize. Prayer is powerful and it truly changes our lives and the lives of those around us.

Blog Stops

Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 5

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 8

Mary Hake, August 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 9

Inklings and notions, August 10

Aryn The Libraryan 📚, August 11

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 12

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 12

deb’s Book Review, August 13

Texas Book-aholic, August 14

Blogging With Carol, August 14

For Him and My Family, August 15

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 16

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Traci are giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed 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/111b1/the-prayer-warrior-celebration-tour-giveaway