About the Book
Author: Sharlene MacLaren
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release date: January 26, 2021
Joey Fuller is still mourning three years after his wife’s death, so much so that he leaves his four rambunctious young children to throw himself into the Civil War as a Union captain. But his kids are so ill-behaved that nannies keep quitting—and now, his mother has a broken leg and can’t handle them either. In desperation, Joey decides to advertise for a wife.
Faith Haviland is in a different kind of mourning. Not long ago, her fiancé left her to marry her best friend. Her customers at the diner where she works keep reminding her of that humiliating event and one of them, an older man, has been making aggressive advances. She’s desperate to flee the city—and Joey Fuller’s “Wife Needed” ad seems to be the answer to a prayer.
Will Faith live up to her name when Joey’s kids torment her with their mischief? Can she surrender this strange marriage to God while her new aloof husband is off fighting? And will a string of buttons convince her that he truly loves her?
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My Thoughts
About the Author
Shar has always enjoyed writing, and her high school classmates eagerly read and passed around her short stories. In the early 2000s, Shar felt God’s call upon her heart to take her writing pleasures a step further, so in 2006, she signed a contract with Whitaker House for her first faith-based novel, Through Every Storm, thereby launching her professional writing career. With more than twenty published novels now gracing store shelves and being sold online, Shar gives God all the glory.
Shar’s novels have won numerous awards. Her Steadfast Heart is her twenty-first novel and the second book in her Hearts of Honor series (after Her Rebel Heart).
Shar has done numerous countrywide book signings and has participated in several interviews on television and radio. She loves to speak for community organizations, libraries, church groups, and women’s conferences. In her church, she is active in women’s ministries, regularly facilitating Bible studies and other events. Shar and her husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan, with their beautiful white collie, Peyton.
Shar loves hearing from her readers. If you wish to contact her as a potential speaker or would simply like to chat with her, please send her an e-mail at SharleneMacLaren@Yahoo.com. She will do her best to answer in a timely manner.
More from Sharlene
Faith Haviland swept a few strands of damp hair off her forehead, irritated by how it had escaped the neat bun of this morning. She shoveled more dishes into the sink and set to washing them as fast as possible to prepare for the supper crowd that would soon descend upon Daybreak Diner. It wasn’t a fairytale job by any means, but, alas, it was a job, and many would clamor for it if her Aunt Martha ever hung up a “Help Wanted” sign in the window. Her aunt, who happened to be her father’s younger sister, owned and operated the establishment and often stated her wish for Faith to one day take it over. Faith shuddered at the prospect of telling Martha she’d been entertaining the idea of leaving Columbus. Martha wouldn’t like the news, but Faith couldn’t worry about that. Things had grown too tedious in her hometown, and too many found it their job to remind her of the unfortunate event of her canceled wedding. Add to that the troublesome, if not peculiarly obsessive, behavior of Stuart Porter, and tedious hardly described it. Ever since her fiancé’s departure with her best friend just two weeks before their April 15 wedding day, Mr. Porter had started closing in on her, insisting he would marry her in an instant if she’d simply agree.
For as long as she could recall, the man had outwardly admired her, even though she had done nothing to encourage it. Nothing about him appealed to her. First, he didn’t serve the Lord; second, he was an obsessive drinker; third, he came off as pushy and persistent; and finally, he resembled a goose with his nose sticking out like a beak. Not that looks meant all that much—goodness, she didn’t consider herself any major prize—but it was all the other things thrown in. The man was almost twenty years older than she and widowed to boot. At least, that was the rumor anyway. No one had really known his wife, only that she was there one day and gone the next. Some said she’d died, and others said she’d left him for another man. Whatever the case, it’d been a mysterious event that few knew anything about, and if they did, no one discussed it much, probably mostly from lack of caring.
Blog Stops
Connie’s History Classroom, February 9
Texas Book-aholic, February 10
Britt Reads Fiction, February 10
Artistic Nobody, February 11 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 12
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 13
For the Love of Literature, February 14
Sara Jane Jacobs, February 14
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 15
Inklings and notions, February 16
Reviewingbooksplusmore, February 16
For Him and My Family, February 17
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 18
Labor Not in Vain, February 18
deb’s Book Review, February 19
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 20
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 20
Blossoms and Blessings, February 21
Vicky Sluiter, February 22
Genesis 5020, February 22
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Sharlene is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks 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/1073e/her-steadfast-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway
Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder, Kristof Bartok, for help. He is Rose's violin instructor and the concertmaster for the Columbian Exposition Orchestra, and his language skills are vital to helping Sylvie navigate the immigrant communities where their search leads.
From the glittering architecture of the fair to the dark houses of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, they're taken on a search that points to Rose's long-lost family. Is Sylvie willing to let the girl go? And as Kristof and Sylvie grow closer, can she reconcile her craving for control with her yearning to belong?
Welcome to the Blog + Social Blitz for the French Twist series by Sandra Byrd, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOKS
Download and devour this delicious series, lashed with romance and fun, and then spiced with a lightly Christian world view. Bon Appétit!
Title: Let Them Eat Cake
Series: French Twist #1
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Quaystrokes
Release Date: 2012
Genre: ChickLit
What do you do when you've got a degree in French and absolutely no job prospects? You slide into your favorite French bakery, of course! When a lighthearted conversation with the manager of the local patisserie turns into a job offer, Lexi Stuart gladly accepts.
She indulges in tasty pastries and wins over skeptical coworkers, but the actual glamour is minimal and the pay less than generous. Trouble by the handful is stirred into her life as she juggles the flirtatious baker she has her eye on and a handsome young executive who likes Lexi even more than her Napoleons. As she folds together dilemma and delight, Lexi learns that it's not satisfying to try to fulfill everyone else's expectations. Instead, she embarks on an adventure in trusting herself and God with her future.February 11-15 Let Them Eat Cake Kindle edition is FREE
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub
Title: Bon Appetit
Series: French Twist #2
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Quaystrokes
Release Date: August 25, 2016
Genre: ChickLit
Lexi Stuart is risking it all. Saying au revoir to the security of home, her job, and could-be boyfriend, Lexi embarks on a culinary adventure in France to fulfill her life dream of becoming a pastry chef. Life in her new quaint French village should be everything she dreamed of, but settling in isn’t nearly as easy as she imagined. Her optimism is greeted with both acceptance and resistance in the people and culture around her—soft and crusty at the same time— like the very best baguettes. Determined to gain her footing, she finds a church, meets new friends, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine - as well as Celine's attractive, widowed father. As Lexi lives her dream, she realizes she can have anything from life's patisserie display window, but not everything. How will she choose?
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub
Title: Piece de Resistance
Series: French Twist #3
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Quaystrokes
Release Date: August 25, 2016
Genre: ChickLit
Having earned her chef's hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship to find life unexpectedly complicated.
She's put in charge of a high-end catering bakery, but there's a catch: she has to make this lavish bakery into a successful business in just a few, short months. In over her head and at a loss for creative marketing ideas, Lexi can't compose the perfect recipe for success. Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau, then add a dash of romance with her down-to-earth lawyer, and life suddenly contains more ooh la la than Lexi can handle. With the fate of her career and her love life hanging by a thread, the phrase "piece of cake" has never been more daunting. Lexi finally trusts the dreams in her heart to the God who put them there.PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $75 e-gift card to MarieBelle!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 11, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 18, 2021. Winner 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 the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
Growing up in the foster care system, Jase Edgar always dreamed of one day starting his own family. But his fiancee's untimely death shattered his plans. Moving to Kansas and serving as a youth minister should be a fresh start, but he can't seem to set aside his doubts about God's goodness long enough to embrace his new life.
Newly-appointed church custodian, Lori Fowler is battling her own challenges. Her strained relationship with her father and her struggles with overeating convince her she's not worthy enough for love. When an Amish weaver enlists their help locating the owner of a ring found among the donated clothing she uses as fabric, Jase and Lori find themselves drawn to each other. But will they be able to release the past and move forward from this moment into a joyful future?
She's desperate to find her missing father. His conscience demands he risk all to help.
Eliza Brooks is haunted by her role in her mother's death, so she'll do anything to find her missing pa—even if it means sneaking aboard a southbound ship. When those meant to protect her abandon and betray her instead, a family friend's unexpected assistance is a blessing she can't refuse.
Daniel Clarke came to California to make his fortune, and a stable job as a San Francisco carpenter has earned him more than most have scraped from the local goldfields. But it's been four years since he left Massachusetts and his fiancée is impatient for his return. Bound for home at last, Daniel Clarke finds his heart and plans challenged by a tenacious young woman with haunted eyes. Though every word he utters seems to offend her, he is determined to see her safely returned to her father. Even if that means risking his fragile engagement.
When disaster befalls them in the remote wilderness of the Southern California mountains, true feelings are revealed, and both must face heart-rending decisions. But how to decide when every choice before them leads to someone getting hurt?
strides!! Definitely has been a slower pace with him but I have learned so much and I have seen so much growth that it is truly exciting!
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