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The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham ~ Book Review

July 1, 2022

About the Book

Book: The Heart of the Mountains

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Romance

Release Date: July 1, 2022

Can their hearts overcome the darkness of the mountains?

To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.

Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrived. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her modern ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her.

Bound by their shared war history, the pair develop an unlikely friendship, which unexpectedly hints to something more. But when Cora’s desire to help the women of the mountains crosses an unspoken line, will Jeb be able to protect this feisty flatlander from the wrath of the mountain men or will he end up losing much more than his heart?

My Thoughts

Every time I pick up a Pepper Basham book I know I'm in for a treat. This book was no exception. It had all the right elements plus so much more. I loved the setting of this story. Set in the Appalachian Mountains it seemed so rustic and secluded but honestly I found it quite peaceful despite all that was happening. Basham does such a great job at describing the setting and gives you all the details to put you right in the midst of it all. Not only does she do that with the setting but also with her characters. Each and every one of them had something to bring to the story. They were so believable and you could connect with them wether in a positive or negative way.

Cora and Jeb... (insert sigh). They were the perfect leading characters. Each had to learn something throughout the story about themselves and their journey with God. When they meet, you know there is going to be a slow burn romance happening and goodness you keep waiting for that first kiss scene that no one but Pepper can write! (I promise you it happens and totally worth the wait!)

Yes, the romance part of the book was amazing but what drew me in the most were the hard topics that Basham tackled in this story. I mean there was prostitution, alcoholism and abuse. She really writes about these in a tasteful manner but at the same time tugging at your soul and making you stop and think of God's redemptive grace while you read the words on this book regarding what these characters are going through. I love how this author doesn't shy away from her faith in her writing but rather holds on to it, breathes it, lives it and you can definitely see that in her writing and also in her life (which you can see if you follow her on social media).

I feel like there is more to this story that can be told! I would like to know about Jeb's sister and her whereabouts but as always I am just a greedy reader wanting more! If you enjoy Christian Historical Fiction I definitely recommend you go grab this one! Oh, and although this is the second in the series it can be read as a stand alone. I did and had no problem following the story but that doesn't mean I will not be reading the first one!!

My Rating: 5 Stars/Absolutely loved it!!

Favorite Musings:

"True, Life and death are in the hands of the Almighty." Her gaze met his "But sometimes our hearts are so much too broken to recognize the idea in our heads."

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

About the Author

Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley

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The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham ~ Book Review

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham ~ Book Review + Giveaway

May 3, 2021

About the Book

Book: Hope Between the Pages
Series: Doors to the Past
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Christian Historical
Release Date: April, 2021

Uncover the Story Behind a One-Hundred-Year-Old Love Letter

Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.

Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

Wow, wow, wow!! You know when you finish a book and it leaves you in a state of just wow... yeah that's how that book was. And I use that word because I don't know quite how to describe my state of feeling. This book was everything I needed I didn't know I wanted. Let's start with the setting. I don't know if you follow Pepper Basham on her Instagram (you totally should) but she captures the Biltmore Estate quite beautifully in her photographs. Makes it truly magical. I have never been even though I only live 3 hours away but after reading this book it went up on the ranks of my bucket list. She brings that magic to this book. I could picture the library that Sadie works in and the grounds as she walks in them, oh and Blackwell's Bookshop, gosh who wouldn't love a bookshop like that!!

This is a dual time line story, so there are different sets of characters in each time period. Pepper Basham has a gift with characters. She made them so realistic, I felt like I was right there with them experiencing everything with them. Both Sadie and Clara are the perfect bookish friends, kindred spirits to be exact and you will definitely cheer them on and live through their journey and find their own story. They storyline itself is dreamy and definitely SWOON-WORTHY!! Goodness is the book swoony!! But with that there is also a little mystery, love and hope. There are tears you will shed, so keep the tissues handy. But there are moments that you will sigh that dreamy sigh we all get when reading a good book. Oh and that's not all... the author has interweaved faith throughout this book in such a way that its subtle but beautiful. As a Christian you can tell it is there and flows with the story quite well. By that I mean that it wasn't something that was forced or had to be written in. It was very realistic in its placement of it.

I don't want to ruin the book for you by telling you too many details because this is definitely one of those books that cannot be missed. Pepper Basham has outdone herself with this one! Go use the link above and grab it now! I promise, you will love it!

My Rating: 5 Stars/ Absolutely LOVED it!!

Swoon Worthy Level: 💗💗💗💗💗💗 (infinite hearts) I mean Oliver and Max are just dreamy!!

Favorite Musings/Quotes: (There are so many lines that we could be here forever but these two are some of my favorites)

"I wasn't looking for romance." I slipped my hands into his as we stared at the room. "That was never in my plans, but then you came, and I feel as though I've belonged with you from before our first conversation."

"You are like an excellent book. I just knew. I didn't nee to read the ending or even the next chapter. I didn't require all the answers to have the future sorted. My heart knew I belonged with you, and that was enough."

I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

More from Pepper

Books are a uniquely portable magic – Stephen King

Appalachia is known for having a high illiteracy rate. A place of beautiful scenery and rugged landscapes, the people of the mountains developed stories through oral storytelling much more than “book learning”. As a young girl growing up in this world, I loved hearing my granny share tales from up to five generations ago, filling in the narrative gaps between a birth date and a death date on a tombstone – giving flesh and breath to the stone-etched names.

It’s no surprise then, with a heart cultivated from rich oral stories, I fell in love with reading. Books became that “portable magic” that took me places my little Appalachian community couldn’t provide. I fell in love with the Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew. Wept through the end of Bridge to Terabithia and Old Yeller. Traveled to the plains with Sarah Plain and Tall and fell in love with horses with The Black Stallion. But when I was in seventh grade, I read my very first “British” novel, The Secret Garden. In that one introduction, my world expanded into mysterious English manor houses and British classics. Before long, I’d consumed Jane Eyre, Austen’s classics, some Dickens, Dracula, Frankenstein…and the list goes on! And then…I found Tolkien and Lewis – and the ‘real’ world swelled into OTHER worlds.

I’m grateful for true stories of book-loving pioneers traveling into the world of Appalachia to provide books and literacy training to “my people”, because I know some of those books made their way to my tiny elementary school library…and not only brought me the chance to discover stories, but to write them too!

Isn’t it amazing how books can do that?

In Hope Between the Pages, I wanted to bring the same awe and discovery I felt as a child (and continue to feel as an adult reader) to the story of two people whose words had seemed small. Stories stretched their worlds, but the stories also gave them wonderful imaginations and positive perspectives. It’s still amazing to me that ink-and-paper words can make such a lasting impact on hearts and minds. They can lead us to dream, teach us new things, encourage our hearts, help us to think outside the box, swell our imaginations, broaden our horizons, and encourage our hope.

Books are not a replacement for real adventures and relationships, but they certainly provide a beautiful “door” into other lives and worlds that we may never have a chance to experience in real life. Sadie, my historical heroine, and Clara, my contemporary heroine, both have kept close to home but traveled greatly through books…and BOTH are given the opportunity to reach beyond the bindings to discover real-life adventures. I’d like to think that their love for stories helped them have the courage to step away from the page and into their own tales even more prepared than they would have been without stories.

What are some of your favorite books you read as a child? Did any of them influence you to become a more avid reader?

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, April 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Reflections From My Bookshelves, April 24

Worthy2Read, April 24

Texas Book-aholic, April 25

Reviewingbooksplusmore, April 25

Christian Bookaholic, April 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 25

She Lives To Read, April 26

Books and Everyday Life, April 26

For the Love of Literature, April 26

For Him and My Family, April 26

Wishful Endings, April 27

Bigreadersite, April 27

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, April 27

deb’s Book Review, April 27

Inklings and notions, April 28

Connect in Fiction, April 28

Writing from the Heart Land, April 28

Blogging With Carol, April 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 29

Life of Literature, April 29

Pick a good book, April 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 30

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 30

Betti Mace, April 30

Kathleen’s Blog, April 30

lakesidelivingsite, May 1

Connie’s History Classroom, May 1

Fiction Book Lover, May 1

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 1

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 2

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, May 2

Godly Book Reviews, May 2

Mary Hake, May 2

Older & Smarter?, May 3

Genesis 5020, May 3

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, May 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 4

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads , May 4

Blossoms and Blessings, May 4

sodbusterLiving, May 4

Splashes of Joy, May 5

Where Faith and Books Meet , May 5

Simple Harvest Reads, May 5 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Through the Fire Blogs, May 5

Pause for Tales, May 6

To Everything There Is A Season, May 6

Remembrancy, May 6

Lights in a Dark World, May 6

Live.Love.Read., May 7

Karen Sue Hadley, May 7

Amanda Tero, blog, May 7

The Write Escape, May 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper 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/10b27/hope-between-the-pages-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham ~ Book Review + Giveaway

The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham ~ Book Review + Giveaway

November 11, 2020

About the Book

Book: The Red Ribbon
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Christian historical/suspense

Series: True Colors, Book 8
Release Date: October, 2020

An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912

Book 8 in the True Colors series—Fiction Based on Strange-But True History

In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history. Ava Burcham isn’t your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courtin’ trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava’s tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned. The end result? The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

This is book eight on the True Colors Series which are based on on actual historical crimes. This one takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains and centers on the Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912. This is the second book I have read from the series. They are definitely stand alone novels so you won't be missing anything if you don't read them in the order they were published.

In this novel we meet Ava and Jeremiah which are the main characters in the story. Ava is definitely full of gumption and dreams of using her writing gift to make a difference in the world. As typical of that timeline she writes under a male pseudonym for the local newspaper. Jeremiah is in love with her but most of the time too shy to do something about it. Their romance is sweet but for me it lacked a little bit of that Basham romance touch. If you have ever read any of her other books for me she is great at those romantic type scenes that leave you in awe and I felt like this one felt a little short.

Overall this was not my favorite. Compared to the other one I previously read I felt like this one lacked a little bit more suspense. I felt like this story revolved more on Ava and her background. That being said I think Basham did a phenomenal job with her research on this story. The details regarding the event were great. It was something I was not familiar with so she definitely peaked my curiosity and I went searching for information regarding the massacre. I think that's important when reading historical fiction that the facts align with the story.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars/ I liked it

(I received this book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains where her family have lived for generations. She’s the mom of five kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at the award winning Writer’s Alley blog. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015, and the second in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuted in April 2016.

More from Pepper

Feuds, Moonshine, and Family Loyalties by Pepper Basham

My upcoming release for Barbour’s True Colors series is really close to my heart…and pretty close to my house.

The Red Ribbon, my first foray into a historical suspense novel, takes place in the county where I grew up. Carroll County, Virginia, is a county on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, not too far from Mt. Airy (Mayberry). Nestled in the foothills and mountains of the Blue Ridge, it is a part of the Appalachian Mountains, and with that comes similar histories as other backwoods Appalachian communities: feuds, moonshine, and family loyalties.

One thing I love most about my Appalachian upbringing is the intense closeness of family – and when I say ‘family’ I mean, of course, my mom, dad, and brother, but also my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents…the whole “gang”, as my granny used to say.

The closeness of family, and the protection of the family name, is a big deal in Appalachia. There’s a lot of pride in the way your ‘name’ is thought of throughout the community, so when someone insults your name, there’s a good chance the repercussions aren’t going to be pleasant. Especially back in the early 1900s, when The Red Ribbon takes place. In fact, insulting someone by “stealing a kiss” is one of the events that leads to The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre/Tragedy.

A long-time feud between the Allen family and the “Courthouse Clan” came to a head inside the Hillsville Courthouse in March 1912 and this event resulted in the largest shootout within a courthouse in Virginia history. The story followed with a nationwide manhunt and made national news until the sinking of the Titanic the following month.

Growing up in Carroll County, I knew a few things about this story. Rumors and whispers, really. Most folks didn’t talk about it because it still caused a stir among those who were descendants (because another thing about Appalachia is that families tend to stay on or around family land for generations). People still took “sides”. So, when I decided to write this book, I knew I was stepping into precarious territory. Not that anyone would start up a shootout nowadays because of a book, but because people still have some deep feelings about how their ancestors are portrayed in history, and since many of my family members still live in Carroll County, I wanted to tread carefully into the events of “The Allen Tragedy”.

What I discovered was a story that still held a whole lot of mystery even one hundred years later. Bullet holes still mark the courthouse steps from that fateful day, rumors still circulate about who was to blame, and no one knows who fired the first gunshot that began the tragic shooting.

I’m not a “scary” book writer or reader, but I love a good adventure, so this book takes the reader on an adventure into Appalachia to my neck of the woods, and follows the journey of Ava Burcham and Jeremiah Sutphin as they live among the illegal moonshiners, dirty cops, and mountain gunslingers of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

(To learn more about the true events of the Courthouse Tragedy, you can read about it here: https://roanoke.com/news/virginia/the-courthouse-tragedy-gunfight-in-hillsville-in-1912/article_45d0d7f3-6e1f-57c4-83be-fceb3d98dafd.html)

Have you ever read a book set in Appalachia? If so, what was the title and what did you learn about the Appalachian culture? Have you ever visited the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Let’s chat mountain people, mountain ways, and mountain books 😊