A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill By:Jennifer Beckstrand on Tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Title: A Courtship on Huckleberry Hill

Author: Jennifer Beckstrand

Genre: Christian Amish Fiction

Release Date: December 26, 2017

Elsie Helmuth’s plain-spoken ways got her in trouble once before, so she needs to make a good impression at her new teaching job. But she’s not about to let disabled student Wally Sensenig work below his potential. And she definitely won’t put up with his hot-headed older brother sabotaging her efforts, no matter how handsome he is. . .

Sam is nearly at the end of his rope caring for his ailing, widowed mother, working their farm, and raising his siblings. He’ll admit Elsie’s ideas are bringing Wally out of his angry shell—but why does she have to be as stubborn as she is pretty? Yet as it turns out, Elsie has taught Sam something about himself as well. And he’ll do whatever it takes to make up for his mistakes—and win her heart forever.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Jennifer Beckstrand is the RITA-nominated, award-winning Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hillseries and The Honeybee Sisters series for Kensington Books. Her much-anticipated Amish series, The Honeybee Sisters, has created a lot of romantic buzz. Sweet as Honey received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and Sweet as Honey and A Bee in her Bonnet were both awarded Top Picks from RT Book Reviews. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth and the Honeybee sisters’aendi Bitsy. Jennifer has a degree in mathematics and a passion for Jane Austen and Shakespeare. She and her husband have been married for thirty-three years, and she has six children and six adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.

Guest Post from Jennifer Beckstrand

I have a very special place in my heart for teachers. My dad was a high school math teacher. My mother taught second grade for over twenty years. My son-in-law taught choir in high school, and my daughter taught seventh-grade science. Another daughter taught American history labs at the university and still another daughter taught classes for a youth summer program.

Elsie Stutzman is a dedicated teacher who was dismissed from her last teaching job in Ohio and is trying to make a fresh start and a good impression in Bonduel, Wisconsin. Unfortunately one of her students, Wally Sensenig, is making things difficult for her, and Wally’s hot-headed older brother seems determined to get her fired. But Elsie is a dedicated teacher, too stubborn to back down and too steadfast to give up on anybody.

Elsie’s grandparents, Anna and Felty Helmuth, have other plans for her. They want her to fall in love with one of the local boys, but they’re finding it a little difficult to get the two young people together.

Teachers have an immense impact on our lives. We all remember a favorite elementary school teacher who inspired a love of learning or a high school teacher who encouraged us to reach for greatness. One of my favorite teachers was Mrs. Zobell, who taught ninth grade English. I distinctly remember her reading “The Outsiders” out loud to our class. She had a way of making great books and great stories come to life, and she sparked a love of reading (and writing) that I will always be grateful for. The teacher who had the most impact on my life is my dad. He helped me through Calculus in high school and inspired me to major in math in college.

I hope we will take the time this month to thank the teachers in our lives for all they do for us and all they do for our kids.

Who was one of your favorite teachers and why?

My Thoughts

I am really enjoying this series. I have only read the last two, but I have had no problem following along. I love the grandparents! They are so wise and helpful. I just love Anna and Felty. I wish that I could just drop in, eat some delicious goodies and catch up. As always, great story line, great characters. I will be very sad when this series ends. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program, all opinions are my own. 

Blog Stops

Christian Bookaholic, January 16

proud to be an autism mom, January 16

Blossoms and Blessings, January 16

Reading Is My SuperPower, January 17

Mommynificent, January 17

Avid Reader Book Reviews, January 17

Bibliophile Reviews, January 18

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, January 18

The Power of Words, January 18

Multifarious, January 19

A Greater Yes, January 19

Texas Book-aholic, January 20

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, January 20

Karen Sue Hadley, January 21

Splashes of Joy, January 21

A Reader’s Brain, January 22

Mary Hake, January 22

Southern Gal Loves to Read, January 23

SusanLovesBooks, January 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 24

Janices book reviews, January 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, January 25

Carpe Diem, January 25

Quiet Quilter, January 26

margaret kazmierczak, January 26 (Interview)

cherylbbookblog, January 27

Red Headed Book Lady, January 27

Pink Granny’s Journey, January 27

A Baker’s Perspective, January 28

Simple Harvest Reads, January 28 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Pursuing Stacie, January 28

Because I said so- and other adventures in parenting., January 29

Vicky Sluiter, January 29

Bigreadersite, January 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to three winners!! https://promosimple.com/ps/c6cf

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

Son of Promise By Caryl McAdoo - On Tour With Celebrate Lit Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Title: Son of Promise

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Woman’s Fiction

Be it known, your sins will find you out, but God’s mercy endureth forever!

Can a wife find the grace to forgive when her husband’s withheld the truth?

Travis Buckmeyer has a secret son, and the morning’s come to tell his sweet wife. He hates breaking Emma Lee’s heart. She promised him one ten years ago, but hasn’t been blessed to carry a baby to term. Every miscarriage made the telling harder, but now his clock’s run out. He’s going for his son, praying he won’t lose her.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and a quick scroll through her novels’ rankings by Christian readers attests to the Father’s faithfulness. She loves writing almost as much as singing the new songs He gives her—look her up on YouTube to hear a few. Her high school sweetheart husband won her heart fifty-two years ago, and now they share four children and seventeen grandsugars. Ron and Caryl live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.

Guest Post from Caryl McAdoo

SON OF PROMISE—a companion story to my Texas Romance Family Saga’s book ten CHIEF OF SINNERS—features Travis and Emma Lee Buckmeyer, who readers first meet in CHIEF. She’s the sister of its heroine Sandy Harris, and he is a friend of its hero Buddy Nightingale; he’s also the son of Crockett Buckmeyer (from book eight COVERING LOVE) and grandson of Patrick Henry Buckmeyer (hero of book one VOW UNBROKEN).

A standalone, it isn’t necessary for readers to know all these ancestors to enjoy SON OF PROMISE, but those who do will surely love it all the more. What I know is that this couple won a chunk of my heart. Their faith is outstanding and their love inspiring. In the ’40s, Emma Lee didn’t have the fertility options young women do today, and miscarriage after miscarriage left her hurting. That’s why he hadn’t told her.

He didn’t want to hurt her, but circumstances had changed, and time was up. She had to be told that morning he already had a son born from a one night liaison thirteen years before because he was leaving to claim his Cody from a reform school and bring him home.

The boy had never known real love, but I loved him from the first. Forced to grow up way too fast—lying, stealing, and participating in most any other rebellious act—he’s missed so much. He’s overwhelmed with Travis and Emma Lee—their home, their partnership and love for each other, and their generosity toward him.

He planned to light out from the start, but days piled on top each other, and he never pulled the trigger.

In VOW UNBROKEN, there was an awesome canine named Blue Dog, and I went into his POV (Point Of View—got into his head) a couple of times. My Simon & Schuster editor ‘requested’ that I lose those segments, and so I did. But in this novel, I get into a canine’s head again . . . I’m hoping readers will find that fun.

In years past, I owned, managed, and milked a herd of eighty-plus dwarf goats and loved their Great Pyrenees guardians, so it was fun to include them in the story. I love how Emma Lee was able to sell her paintings for exorbitant prices, but remained so humble and unassuming. And that she and Travis opened their home (they’re so much like my husband and me) to total strangers. We’ve had so many people live with us over the years, to help them, be blessings—the hands and feet of God in the earth.

I pray my story gives God glory and that its readers will be drawn closer to Him through it. He blesses me and highly favors me daily. I can’t thank or praise Him enough!

MY THOUGHTS

 I am a huge fan of this author and I am excited to see another book in this series. Now, I have not read this entire series, and the ones that I read I have NOT had a problem picking up to what was going on. The same is said for this book. I love the life lessons that Caryl gives in the book. There are always so many things to relate to. She always has a way of speaking life into people and reminding them of God's forgiveness and grace. 

Well written characters, a storyline that will draw you in. You will NOT be dissapointed. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging program. All opinions are my own. 

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 18

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, January 18

Christian Author, J.E.Grace Blog, January 19

Splashes of Joy, January 19

Karen Sue Hadley , January 20

Maureen’s Musings, January 20

proud to be an autism mom, January 21

Bibliophile Reviews, January 21

Reading is My SuperPower, January 22 (Interview)

A Greater Yes, January 22

Texas Book-aholic, January 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 23

Baker kella, January 24

Janices book reviews, January 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 25

Jeanette’s Thoughts, January 25

Quiet Quilter, January 26

Carpe Diem, January 26

C Jane Read, January 27

A Baker’s Perspective, January 27

Simple Harvest Reads, January 28 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Pursuing Stacie, January 28

Red Headed Book Lady, January 29

margaret kazmierczak, January 29

cherylbbookblog, January 30

Bigreadersite, January 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31

Avid Reader Book Reviews, January 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away

GRAND PRIZE : $50 Amazon Gift Card
1st Prize: Choice-of-Caryl’s Titles (print or ebook)
2nd-4th: ebook of SON OF PROMISE!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c511

Very Veggie Bedtime Prayers -- Book Review

Y'all. We love the Veggie Tales. They are a timeless way to help children understand the Gospel. One of our all time favorite Veggie Tale songs is: God is Bigger then the Boogie Man. We always encourage our kids to sing it when they are scared.




About the Book:

Very Veggie Bedtime Prayers

By: Pamela Kennedy, Anne Kennedy Brady

Illustrated By: Lisa Reed

WORTHYKIDS/IDEALS / 2018 / HARDCOVER

This new VeggieTales book of bedtime prayers is perfect for easing the daily transition from playtime to sweet dreams. These rhyming, toddler-friendly prayers will help teach little ones the importance of talking to God every day. Colorful illustrations of familiar VeggieTales characters accompany the short, easily understood prayers. This collection is designed to help children reflect on their day and anticipate the day to come, with requests and gratitude for God’s guidance. With its soft padded cover and convenient size, this book is the perfect way to teach children about prayer and the ways God cares for us through the day—and as we sleep.

Author Bio

Pamela Kennedy has authored more than thirty books for children. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, playing with her grandchildren, and exploring the beaches of Puget Sound. Pam and her husband live in Seattle, Washington.

Anne Kennedy Brady lives in Chicago with her husband and their young son. She’s written half a dozen books, including several with her mother, Pamela Kennedy. When she’s not writing, Anne enjoys cooking and taking long city walks with her family in search of the perfect deep-dish pizza.

My Thoughts:

We loved this book. We have been trying to teach the boys (6 and 4) how to pray, but they keep holding back. This book helped give them a basic model to use when talking to God. We encourage our kids to pour their heart out to God. He already knows :) This book was easy for my 6 year old to read. The pictures held my 4 year olds attention. 

We love it!

I received a copy of this book through the Worthy Publishing blog program --- all opinions are my own. 

Related

Let's chat about meal planning.... What are we eating this week?

Y'all. I love saving money. It's no secret to anyone that knows me. I will cut coupons, shop for bargains, and most of all meal plan. 

Meal Planning helps solve the constant question: What's for dinner? 

It helps to curb spending. 2018 our goals are to save more, spend less. 

So, we have kicked it into high gear meal planning. 

Now, we are a family of 5. Two adults, a 16 year old, a 6 year old and a 5 year old. We spend around $100 a week. 

We live in SE Alabama - so we have a wide selection of grocery stores. We have a lot of "cost plus 10%" stores. 

This week, we did our shopping at Walmart. We did not need much, since we had stocked up last week. 

So, let's chat about meal planning. 

Today is Saturday - and we have planned through Friday.

I will include links to recipes so that you can follow along. 

Saturday: Chili with cornbread. Most of the United States has been under a deep freeze. Alabama included. It’s been 20-30 degrees which is COLD for us. Today it is a bit warmer, 45-50 so hopefully we are headed back in the upward direction.

My chili recipe is as follows.

2 lbs. of ground beef ground

2 cans light red kidney beans

2 cans dark kidney beans

2 cans of diced potatoes.

2 packets of chili seasoning.

Simple with lots of cheese.

Today, we are making Jiffy cornbread. I love making cornbread in my cast iron, but today I am all about convenience.

Sunday: Taco Bake with Mexican rice and refried beans.

MMMMMM. Taco Bake. This was one of the first Pinterest Recipes I discovered. This is a family favorite. We will never eat traditional tacos again.

The recipe I started use is as follows

2 lbs. ground beef 

2 packets of taco seasoning

1 can of light red kidney beans

1 can dark kidney beans

Shredded cheddar cheese. 

Preheat oven to 350 F

Brown ground beef and drain. add taco seasoning 

Open and drain kidney beans stir into taco meat

stir until well combined. 

Spray a 13x9 pyrex baking dish. 

Add mixture and spread out. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese until covered. 

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. 

Most of us will spread refried beans on our tortilla, then add the taco bake and then rice. It helps bulk up the burrito and fills you up faster.

Monday: Breakfast for dinner. Super simple. Super Yummy. This week it will be pancakes, bacon, eggs and hash browns. We LOVE breakfast foods. I will probably make some French toast for my husband.

Tuesday: Chicken and potatoes.

Crock Pot Chicken.

Chicken breasts. Cream of chicken soup, 1 can water. Slow cook for 6-8 hours.

Most likely will make mashed potatoes. However, I have spoiled my children with making a lot of homemade ones. They did not eat the instant ones I made a few weeks ago. We always have veggies and stuff with our dinners – this one will be peas or green beans.

Wednesday: Left over/Sandwiches. David and I bowl in a league – so dinner will be left overs from the week or sandwiches.

Thursday: Baked Spaghetti. Another family favorite. You can find the recipe: Here

Friday: Frozen Pizzas. We love the Great Value Brand of rising crust Cheese and Pepperoni.

What is on your meal plan this week?