The Persian Pickle Club

My book club picked this read otherwise I might not have ever picked it up because I probably wouldn't have even known it was out there, despite the fact that it was publised ten years ago.

Good thing I had a chance to read it. It's outside my usual preferred genre, but that didn't matter. The book is a heartfelt tale of the friendship between women in small town Kansas in the 1930's. There is something special and different between the bonds of women than men and this novel beautifully illustrates it.

The tone is right. The individual personalities of the women distinct. The way they feel about each other, complicated. What they'll do to protect one of their own, priceless.

While it doesn't make me wish to take up quilting, it does impress me to develop my own Persian Pickle Club with the remarkable women who surround me.

Be aware there are some raw themes in this book: barreness, unwed mothers, attempted rape, and murder, to name a few. But they aren't graphic and are brought in as plot points of interest to move the story along.

I only wish I'd read it when I lived in KS so I could go visit Harveyville in person.

Worth the read.

Amazon

It is the 1930s, and hard times have hit Harveyville, Kansas, where the crops are burning up, and there's not a job to be found. For Queenie Bean, a young farm wife, a highlight of each week is the gathering of the Persian Pickle Club, a group of local ladies dedicated to improving their minds, exchanging gossip, and putting their quilting skills to good use. When a new member of the club stirs up a dark secret, the women must band together to support and protect one another. In her magical, memorable novel, Sandra Dallas explores the ties that unite women through good times and bad.

First Love, Second Choice

You know I'm a fan of Lindzee Armstrong. I read all her stuff.

This book languished on my e-reader shelf for far too long, and when I finally opened it I didn't want to put it down. The premise is crazy hilarious which makes for an instant hook and a fast read.

I love the touches with the red ballons. What you see on the beautifully designed cover is what you get.

Don't let the novella format lure you into thinking there won't be time for charcter or plot development, or that there is a lack of emotional depth. There's plenty of all of the above.

Break out your Batman pj's and favorite carton of ice cream and dive into a heart beating romance of elegant proportions. Spoon not included. 😉

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Amazon

What happens when you impersonate your identical twin sister to score a date with your long-lost high school crush?

When wedding planner Keslee gets asked on a date by her long-lost high school crush, Bryce, everything should be perfect. But Bryce mistakes Keslee for her deceased twin sister, Jadyn. And Keslee doesn’t correct him. Talk about awkward. To make matters worse, she learns they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other because Bryce is the marketing director at the venue where Keslee’s new client has chosen to get married. Keslee knows the charade can’t last much longer, and fears she’ll lose Bryce forever when she tells him the truth.

A sweet and clean contemporary romance novella from the Amazon bestselling Sweet and Sassy Anthology: Hidden Identities collection, now with a never-before-seen bonus epilogue!

Orphans of the West Cover Reveal

About the Series by Faith Blum

Genre: Christian Western Coming of Age

Logline: Through God’s leading, four orphans grow up to be important members of their communities.

The Orphans of the West series is a continuation of the stories of 4 orphans that were introduced in either a Hymns of the West novel or novella and goes through each orphans life.

Savior, Like a Shepherd is about Titus Hine who was introduced in Blessed Assurance (Hymns of the West Novellas #6) and how he must take care of his sister and brother as winter approaches, all while not being allowed to work anywhere.

All the Way is about Henry Salisbury, the only orphan in the series not directly introduced in a previous book, but it has other characters you will recognize from the books about the Brookings family.

He Hideth My Soul is also attached to the Brookings family and Otis Miller as Otis finds out that his grandfather left him a large inheritance and he can finally follow his dream.

He Leadeth Me takes up Gage Wilhelm’s story. Gage was introduced in I Love Thee (Hymns of the West Novellas #1) and tells how he is given the deed to his farm and told to go back to his farm. Gage gladly accepts only to have someone show up claiming his long-dead father owed another man a large sum of money and now there’s 10 years of interest added on.

I have the privilege of sharing with you the cover for All the Way. 

Snowed Inn

This is my first read by Kate Palmer and I'll be back for more.

The characters are well developed as is the writing. It's emotional, heartfelt, and delightful. There's a bit of suspense built in too.

A good winter/holiday read that satisfies. Now all I want is a sleigh ride at the Inn with hot chocolate.

I'd love to read more about other characters introduced in the book or in the town. Thankfully, this is the first in a series.

Clean and wholesome romance with good chemistry. Add her to your "follow this author" list.

Amazon

A woman rancher hitches the community’s dreams to her sleigh ride business and ropes in a heap of trouble for them and her heart.

Jayne Gardner turned her family’s ranch into the successful Snowed Inn Lodge and Restaurant. After she learns the community has one month to earn funds needed for a grant, she donates her company’s sleigh rides for a community fundraiser.

When Jayne’s new volunteer sleigh driver turns out to be Forrest Hunsaker, the man who left her three years ago, Jayne sets up three rules to maintain a professional distance and protect her heart.

When vandals strike Snowed Inn, Jayne must team up with Forrest to prevent a fundraiser fail. Now Jayne must decide if breaking all her rules will break her heart. Again.

Snowed Inn is the first book in the Western Hearts Series. All books in the series can be read as stand alone, clean and wholesome, romance novels.

The Reward of Anavrea Blog Tour

We all like a reward, don't we? But, not all rewards are what they appear. That's the case in the latest installment of Rachel Rossano's Theodoric Saga. Rachel created an intriguing Historical-like Christian Fantasy as she tells the tale of Jayne and Liam. Find out more and be sure to check out the giveaway!

About the Book

She couldn’t hide forever.

A hard life taught Jayne to avoid men, powerful men most of
all. When a new nobleman arrives to take over the vargar, she takes her family and hides. But the new baron seeks her out and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: protection. However, once they were sheltered behind the dark stone walls of the vargar, who would protect her from the new master?

His reward isn’t what it seems.

King Ireic of Anavrea charges Liam, a former bodyguard, with
the task of retaking and taming a corner of the northern wilds. Upon arrival at Ashwyn Vargar, Liam finds challenges beyond his military experience. The keys to the vargar are missing and so are the field hands who should be harvesting the fields. Once he finds the keeper of the keys, she raises more questions than answers.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2JATTB/

About the Author

Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.

Giveaway

Rachel is giving away one of her favorite CDs to listen to while she writes. If you’ve ever wondered what kind of music she likes to listen to, you can check out the CD on Amazon and then come back here and enter the giveaway. https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Guys/dp/B009EAO38C/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

January 2

Bookish
Orchestrations-Tour Intro and Book Review

Julie Coulter
Bellon-Review

Bokerah-Guest Post

January 3

The
Overactive Imagination-Guest Post

Queen of Random-Book
Spotlight

Rachel Rossano's
Words-Book Spotlight

January 4

Stephany Tullis-Book
Spotlight

Ember's
Reviews-Author Interview and Review

January 5

Frances Hoelsema-Book
Spotlight

Laurel's Leaves-Author
Interview

Author Franky A Brown-Guest
Post

January 6

Zerina
Blossom's Books-Review

Shout outs-Guest Post

God's
Peculiar Treasure Rae-Book Spotlight

Rebekah Lyn Book-Character
Spotlight

January 7

Bookish
Orchestrations-Giveaway Winner

Excerpt #3

Liam fell into step beside Jayne as she strode toward the vargar. He faltered for something to say to draw her into conversation.

“I heard that some of the men that returned today served your father as soldiers and have minimal training. Considering the current need, I asked them report to Braxton. He can decide which of them will be an asset to our force.”

She nodded.

“Do you think this idea wise?”

She stopped and turned to face him. “Why do you ask me? I’m the village midwife and the keeper of the household.” She pressed her lips together in frustration as she turned away. “I am not worthy of an opinion by birth or title, so stop treating me as an equal.”

Apparently unaware she had forgotten to refer to him as ‘my lord,’ her chin lifted in a manner he was beginning to realize meant she intended to take a stand. She avoided meeting his eyes. Instead, she fixed them on a point a few inches to the left of his head. With her shoulders squared, standing straight and as tall as her small frame allowed, she looked every inch the noble she was trying to convince him she wasn’t.

“I disagree, but…”

Liam raised his hand as she opened her mouth to interrupt. Her eyes flashed, but she closed her mouth.

“I refuse to debate that. Right now, all I require is your opinion, which I can request of any man or woman I choose. Do you think it is wise to include your father’s men among my own?”

Liam held her gaze and waited. Her eyes, clear blue with specks of green, remained steady, but she remained ill at ease.

Finally, she spoke. “They would add to your strength and show the people you trust them. Now, I need to return to the vargar.”

Turning on her heel, she strode up the path.

Liam frowned. Jayne wasn’t telling him everything. It shouldn’t have been so hard for her to answer his question.