#christianfiction

Rising Danger by Jerusha Agen

About the Book

Book:  Rising Danger

Author: Jerusha Agen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: May 25, 2021

It’s up to a K-9 handler and her canine partner to stop a bomber before it’s too late.

Someone’s planting explosives on dams in the Twin Cities, and Bristol Bachmann and her bomb sniffing dog must move quickly to find them before everything ends up underwater. That means relying on the dams’ supervisor—an ex-boyfriend Bristol never thought she’d see again. Hopefully Remington Jones has grown up from the rakish charmer she knew in her academy days. Because lives now depend entirely on them…

It’s an environmental terrorist who wants the dams gone, and his bid to set the waters free has lethal consequences. When he sees Bristol and her K-9 working to stop him, he sets his sights on them. Can they evade him in a lethal game of cat and mouse and protect their cities from devastating destruction before the clock runs out?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner, but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.

With a B.A. in English and a background in screenwriting, Jerusha is a speaker, writing instructor, and Fear Warrior who sounds the call to battle against fear in our everyday lives.

Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats. You’ll often find her sharing irresistibly adorable photos of them in her newsletter and on social media.

Get a free suspense story from Jerusha and find more of her thrilling, fear-fighting novels at www.JerushaAgen.com.


My Review

Rising Danger
by Jerusha Agen
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. This book was so good! It captured my attention from the very start. I always love reading about characters who are perfectly imperfect. I love the K-9 SAR/Bomb Detecting Toby! I love stories about dogs but also incorporating the love of God into our broken lives. I was very impressed with the author’s ability to keep me guessing and keep my heart rate up as I had to continue reading to find out what came next.

The characters were very layered and relatable. Who doesn’t like giving up control? Who doesn’t need a second chance? I definitely related to the characters and would love to know more about the Phoenix K-9 family. (I’m assuming the author will continue writing the stories of the other women in the company.)

The author clearly points to the forgiveness of God and God’s amazing love in this story. She weaves in the faith aspects in a way that is natural especially since romantic suspense books tend to have many crises come up.

Highly recommend this fast-paced, action-packed thriller with romance and redemption.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


More from Jerusha

Hi, readers! For those of you who are familiar with my suspense novels, you know I love to interweave fast-paced suspense with powerful character journeys of redemption. I got to do just that in my romantic suspense novel, Rising Danger.

But what I especially loved about writing Rising Danger was the chance to feature a canine hero. Bristol Bachmann, the heroine of Rising Danger, partners with Toby, an explosives detection K-9, to stop a bomber from unleashing terror on the Twin Cities.

As a lifelong lover of dogs, I’ve always been fascinated by working K-9s like Toby. Getting to portray this black Labrador’s heroism in Rising Danger was so much fun.

I also feel that writing about Toby and the other K-9s in this tale who are part of the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency was a way to honor the heroic dogs I’ve had in my own life. No, I haven’t known any working K-9s, but I’ve shared my life with dogs who were heroic in different ways.

Take Lancelot, my first Leonberger. Lancelot was one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever known. With his huge size, he was a true gentle giant. At an early age, he became terribly afraid of strangers and new places. I worked with skilled trainers to help him battle his fear, and he did have some improvement. But he would always struggle with meeting new people or visiting locations away from home.

Even so, he never stopped fighting against his fears. He continued to get better the more he fought. And while he battled his fears, he taught me how to battle mine.

Then, the worst battle of all commenced when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Doctors gave him only three to four months to live—a frightening and devastating death sentence for the dog of my heart.

But God had more to teach me through Lancelot. This courageous dog fought cancer as hard as he had fought his fears. He taught me how to find joy in every moment of life, even when there’s pain or sadness. He taught me how precious and powerful love can be. And God used him to give me unforgettable evidence of God’s loving providence and sovereignty at work.

Because God had a different plan for Lancelot. God gave me the gift of over 1,000 more days with my heroic dog.

Right up to the end of his days, Lancelot remained my hero. I’m so pleased to begin a series of books with prequel Rising Danger that feature K-9 heroes who, in different ways, remind me of the heroic dogs I’ve been privileged to love.


Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 20

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 20

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 21 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 22

CarpeDiem, October 22

Betti Mace, October 23

Daysong Reflections, October 23

lakesidereadingsite, October 24

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

Inside the Wong Mind, October 25

deb’s Book Review, October 25

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 26

Blogging With Carol, October 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 27

Simple Harvest Reads, October 27 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Inklings and notions, October 28

An Author’s Take, October 28

Through the fire blogs, October 29

For Him and My Family, October 29

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, October 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 30

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, October 31

Just Your Average reviews, October 31

Mary Hake, October 31

Pause for Tales, November 1

Spoken from the Heart, November 1

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, November 2

For the Love of Literature, November 2


Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jerusha is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, one signed copy of Rising Danger, and book swag!!

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/126b0/rising-danger-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Review & Tour Giveaway: Then Came You by Rachel D. Russell

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Then Came You by Rachel D. Russell presented by Susan May Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Then Came You
Series: Deep Haven Collection #4
Author: Rachel D. Russell presented by Susan May Warren
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing, 330 pp.
Release Date: July 6, 2021

He doesn’t need any trouble. She can’t seem to escape it.

Detective Daniel “Boone” Buckam is more than burned out. After fourteen stellar years on the job, one bad judgment call—and, fine, a whole lot of cynicism—has forced him into a mandatory vacation in Deep Haven. If he can get his head on straight, there’s a job as Police Chief waiting for him back in his Minneapolis suburb. And then, he meets Vivien.

Actress Vivien Calhoun isn’t really a drama queen. Sure, she gets swept up in the emotions of life—but please, she’s an actress. Or, um, was until a stalker made her flee the bright lights of Broadway. Now, she’s passionate about directing her local theater production. But when she accidentally ropes an uptight police detective on vacation into her cast, she can’t help but wonder if he might be the leading man she’s always longed for.

Boone can’t help but like Vivien. He might even have a type—vivacious and bubbly, with a penchant for attracting danger. He can smell trouble even if she can’t, and is pretty sure her stalker has hunted her all the way to Deep Haven. He’ll have to stay by her side—even if it means being in her silly play—to keep her safe. But Vivien is more than he expected as she helps him discover a part of him he’s locked away…the part that said he could never love again.

It’s summertime in Deep Haven, and the fun is heating up in this laugh-out-loud, charming story.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

ALSO AVAILABLE


About the Authors

SMW & Rachel Russell

Susan May Warren is the USA Today best-selling novelist of 80 books. With more than 1.5 million books in print, she is beloved by reviewers and readers around the world. Visit Susan at www.susanmaywarren.com.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Rachel D. Russell is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and My Book Therapy’s Novel Academy, and is a regular contributor to the Learn How to Write a Novel blog. The mother of two teenagers, she often interrogates her husband on his own military and law enforcement experience to craft believable heroes in uniform. The rest of her time is spent cantering her horse down the Oregon trails. Visit Rachel at www.racheldrussell.com.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Merging the creative energies of best-selling authors Susan May Warren and Lindsay Harrel, Sunrise Publishing is the matchmaker for established authors who want to build on their current success for future growth and aspiring authors looking to break out, build an audience, and hone their writing skills.

CONNECT WITH SUNRISE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email


My Review

Then Came You
by Rachel D. Russell, Susan May Warren
Book 4 in the Deep Haven Collection
Rating: 4.5/5

Even though I have a large stack of books I need to review, I could not pass up the chance to read what came next in Deep Haven. I have not read the PJ Sugar series yet (although I just purchased the set on sale) so I will now need to go back and read them to discover more about Boone, but I did not think it was necessary to have read that series to understand Boone’s past. The author does a great job of giving you his background and exploring his hurt and insecurities.

From the beginning of the book, the author draws you in and hooks the reader with her first line:
Vivien Calhoun needed a man within the next five minutes.
Who doesn’t need to read more to find out why? I couldn’t stop reading lol.

When Vivien enlists Boone’s help and red mustang to rescue from her devious half-sister, she brings some life and zest back into Boone’s life as he starts his mandatory leave in Deep Haven to deal with his anger issues away from the police force. As a detective who is on the short list for the next chief, he is willing to do whatever his chief says to make sure he solidifies his chances. Boone doesn’t know who this vivacious lady is but when he observes the way her half-sister speaks to her, he decides to play along. He is in Deep Haven to relax, talk to a therapist and read the book his chief gave him. He does not need any distractions. After having his heart broken before, he fills his days with work and now, on vacation, doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. Vivien is only too willing to enlist his help with her summer theater production and eventually even casts Boone as the lead. Vivien, a former broadway star, is back in Deep Haven to prove she’s not a failure and encourage the theatrical aspirations of her fellow townsfolk. When Vivien’s past seems to have followed her to Deep Haven, can Boone help her solve the mystery and keep her safe? Will Boone’s dreams of making his father proud conflict with his dreams of having a life with Vivien?

I loved how the author made Vivien and Boone seem so different when in reality, they were very similar. I loved how the small town aspect came into play since everyone thought they were together from that parade onwards. Even though Boone was leaving, he began to find that still, small voice whispering wisdom to him. He felt he had found a place where he could breathe – where he could be himself.
Everything about you—the real you, goofy and sexy and flirty and fun, all of it—I like who you are.” And he liked who he was when he was with her.

He could not get her out of his head (and heart?).
He shook his head. Yep, he definitely had a type. Vivien. Bold and courageous and so full of life. She was adventure and zeal and added a brightness to his day. She turned a plain, ordinary day into something extraordinary.”

I highly recommend if you enjoy Christian romance with humor, heart and some mystery.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card + 3 Then Came You ebooks (one ebook for the winner and two to give to friends)!

Then Came You JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 3, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 10, 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.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: Always A Wedding Planner by Various Authors

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

About the Book

Title: Always A Wedding Planner
Authors: RL Ashly; Leeann Betts; Toni Shiloh; Davalynn Spencer
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Release Date: June 1, 2021

Love Is Only Business for 4 Wedding Planners
 
Working together at Weddings by Design in Loveland, Colorado, Felicity, Kiki, Cassie, and Saffron are business partners and the best of friends. Their goal is to make every bride’s special day perfect, but when they start keeping secrets from each other, friendships fray and business suffers.

Felicity Anderson, the cake baker, reconnects with a high school friend at a cake tasting. Could helping his sister plan her wedding lead Will Davenport to his own romance?

When Kiki Bell, the seamstress, inherits her late aunt’s farm, romance is the last thing on her agenda, until a fire brings confirmed bachelor-to-the-rapture Bing Kelley to the scene.

Cassie Blackthorn, the coordinator, is an introvert who meets a party-loving playboy. Can she share her heart safely with him, or is he simply along for the ride?

Chef Saffron Fare can’t let her partners learn she has lost her sense of taste, and with a nosy handyman working on her house and heart, keeping her secret may be impossible.

Could falling into their own romances be the key to working out these friends’ differences and learning to trust each other–and God–with their futures?

Click here to grab a copy!


About the Authors

R.L. ASHLY is a master seamstress with a Master of Arts degree in Literature. A mother and grandmother, she is active in her local writing community, never says never to a home improvement task, and strives to one day write the Great American Novel. This is her first collection.


LEEANN BETTS writes contemporary suspense from Denver, Colorado and wherever her characters drag her. She is the alter-ego of Donna Schlachter, who describes Leeann as cute and perky and everything she’s not.


TONI SHILOH is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior.

She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys.

When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, ​making jewelry, and spending time with ​her family.

Toni is a member of the American Christian ​Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia ​Chapter.


DAVALYNN SPENCER. Cowboys. Gotta love ’em, right? That’s why I married one – and write about others and their sweethearts, whether they live in 1800s Colorado or on a modern California ranch. A background in rodeo journalism helps me add a bit of cowboy reality to those stories.

The Rocky Mountains offer rich settings for my historical novels, from actual cities with Wild West history to fictional towns tucked into the fold where granite ramparts meet grassy plains.

Along with Blue the Cowdog and mouse detectors Annie and Oakley, I’ve also collected three “Bestseller” labels for novellas in Barbour collections, and a Will Rogers Gold Medallion for Western Inspirational Fiction.


My Review

Always A Wedding Planner
by RL Ashly; Leeann Betts; Toni Shiloh; Davalynn Spencer
Rating: 4/5

I always love reading these novella collections because I get to discover new authors and enjoy my favorites. I picked this one up because of Toni Shiloh but in turn, I discovered some other new-to-me authors who I am now interested in. This reading hobby is getting expensive lol. Each story revolves around one of the business partners of the Weddings by Design company located in Loveland, TX.

Finally a Sweetheart by Toni Shiloh
Felicity Anderson is the cake baker.

Hemmed In by RL Ashly
Kiki Bell is the seamstress.

The Worst-Kept Secret by Leeann Betts
Cassie Blackthorn is the coordinator.

Taste and See by Davalynn Spencer
Chef Saffron Fare is the caterer.

As each of these lovely ladies yearn to have a romance and love story of their own, they find their lives interrupted by eligible bachelors who find them irresistible and antics ensue. There’s even some hints of Cinderella but can they manage their insecurities to open up and let someone love them?

I love when I can read a shorter story in a couple hours and laugh and smile over swoonworthy gentlemen who do their best to pursue the lady that makes a bride’s dreams come true. If I had to choose a favorite, I think it was Hemmed In but they are all worth reading.

Highly recommend if you’re looking for a clean, fun, rom-com beach read.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.