The Hatmaker's Heart by Carla Stewart ~ Blog Tour

About the book: 

For Nell Marchwold, bliss is seeing the transformation when someone gets a glimpse in the mirror while wearing one of her creations and feels beautiful. Nell has always strived to create hats that bring out a woman's best qualities. She knows she's fortunate to have landed a job as an apprentice designer at the prominent Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City. Yet when Nell's fresh designs begin to catch on, her boss holds her back from the limelight, claiming the stammer she's had since childhood reflects poorly on her and his salon.

But it seems Nell's gift won't be hidden by Oscar's efforts. Soon an up-and-coming fashion designer is seeking her out as a partner of his 1922 collection. The publicity leads to an opportunity for Nell to make hats in London for a royal wedding. There, she sees her childhood friend, Quentin, and an unexpected spark kindles between them. But thanks to her success, Oscar is determined to keep her. As her heart tugs in two directions, Nell must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream, and what her dream truly is.

Landing page:

http://litfusegroup.com/author/cstewart

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/xlicl

About the author: 

Carla Stewart is the award-winning author of four novels. With a passion for times gone by, it is her desire to take readers back to that warm, familiar place in their hearts called "home." She and her husband live in Tulsa and have four adult sons and six grandchildren (with one on the way!). 

Carla can be found at: website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,Goodreads

Jazzy Hatmaker’s Heart Giveaway!

The contest runs until June 14,  2014

Go Here to Author's Website to Enter!

My Thoughts

Nell Marchwold was interested to learn the art of hatmaking.  She watched and learned as one of her grandmother's employees created hats for friends and family.  

When Nell's father unexpectedly passed away she watched her mother struggle to make a living to support their family.  Nell decided she was going to become a famous hatmaker.  She was very talented and many overlooked her stuttering speech and took notice of her talent, especially Oscar Fields, of Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City.   He offered her an apprenticeship in his prominent place of business where the wealthy frequented for quality handmade hats for men and women.  

She has big dreams of becoming a famous designer with her own label.  But her boss is a little old fashion and was slow to approve her new designs.  He feared customers would be offended by her speech impediment. The changing times of the roaring twenties had changed his mind as customers became intrigued by Nell's modern designs.

When Nell takes a trip for her job close to her hometown it gave her opportunities she never dreamed possible.  She started to question herself and her love for the young man she has loved since childhood. This reunion left her contemplating whether she should seek love and family life or rather stick with her dream to become a famous hat designer?

I found this to be a most intriguing story.  The author reveals the struggle of one woman looking for women's rights not only in the workplace but to vote and having a say in future. No matter if a woman is married raising a family and/or seeking a career this era was a time for many changes.   Women no longer wanted to sit quietly in the background.  

I read this book in one night.  It was a real page turner.  It made me think of stories my grandmother shared with me.  My grandmother was also a widow with a small daughter and had no one to help like in this book.   She moved to Houston and made a good life for her and my mother. The life she had before she was a widow was not a good life as women did not have many rights.   We must remember the sacrifices and movements women made to give us the life and rights we now take for granted.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group for an honest review.

Kindle Fire Giveaway ~ NO SAFE HARBOR ~ Edge of Freedom by Elizabeth Ludwig

About the Book: 

She came to America searching for her brother. Instead all she’s found is a web of danger.

Cara Hamilton had thought her brother to be dead. Now, clutching his letter, she leaves Ireland for America, desperate to find him. Her search leads her to a houseful of curious strangers, and one man who claims to be a friend–Rourke Walsh. Despite her brother’s warning, Cara trusts Rourke, revealing her purpose in coming to New York.

She’s then thrust into a world of subterfuge, veiled threats, and attempted murder, including political revolutionaries from the homeland out for revenge. Her questions guide her ever nearer to locating her brother–but they also bring her closer to destruction as those who want to kill him track her footsteps.

With her faith in tatters, all hope flees. Will her brother finally surface? Can he save Cara from the truth about Rourke… a man she’s grown to love?

Purchase copy Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, Baker


Meet Elizabeth 

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author and an accomplished speaker and teacher. Her historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned four stars from Romantic Times. She is the owner and editor of the popular literary blog The Borrowed Book. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in Orange, Texas.

Learn more at www.elizabethludwig.com.

Blog Tour Schedule here.

Elizabeth Ludwig is celebrating her new book with a Kindle Fire Giveaway and connecting with readers at a Facebook Author Chat party on 12/6.

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 5th. Winner will be announced at the "No Safe Harbor" Author Chat Facebook Party on 12/6. Connect with Elizabeth, get a sneak peek of the next book in the Edge of Freedom series, try your hand at the trivia contest, and win some great prizes—gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club or small group)!

So grab your copy of No Safe Harbor and join Elizabeth on the evening of the December 6th for a chance to connect with her and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 6th!

My Thoughts

Ireland, 1897.  Cara Hamilton has lost everyone in her family including her twin brother.  She can't fathom why God would leave her so alone.  Then one day she received a post from America,  it was from her twin brother Eoghan. He was alive and hiding out in New York.  But where in New York. All he said was for her to come, he would be waiting for her.  She was not to mention to anyone why she the journey to America or admit she she knew him.  Their lives were at stake.

As she gets her first look at Lady Liberty as the ship arrives at Ellis Island a kind old gentleman that befriended her on the voyage gave her a recommendation to the owner of a boarding house that helps Irish women to find employment and provides them with room and board.  Cara had brought every penny she possessed to make the trip and to live on until she could be joined with her brother.  As she is taking the fairy from the Ellis Island to the mainland a gentleman close to her age takes the seat next to her.  He strikes up a conversation with her giving his name as Rourke Walsh.  But being a lady she tries to stay to herself.  He offers to safely escort her to the boarding house since he was familiar with the area. She decided to trust him to get her to her destination.

When they arrived at the boarding house she kindly thanked him and he told her he hoped to see her again.  As she entered the boarding house she received a warm welcome thanks to the elderly man's recommendation and gladly paid her first months rent in advance.  She also was to start a new job recommended by her new Land Lady Amelia.

Ellis Island, 1897. Rourke Walsh got word that the sister of the man that murdered his father was on a ship headed for New York to connect with her brother.  His vengeance against Eoghan Hamilton was eating him alive.  He and the rest of his clan wanted the Hamilton family dead.  He finally spots a woman of her description and he is in awe of her beauty.  He must make sure she is Eoghan's sister before taking any action.

Rourke starts spending more time with her but she speaks guarding her words.  The more time he spends with her the more he is attracted to her and wants to protect her from his family.  He can tell she is also attracted to him.  This was not going as he had planned.

This story has all that I like in a book.  It has intrigue, romance, and most importantly reconciliation with God.  The author uses Cara's kindness and vulnerability to protect her from the bitterness Rourke has felt since his father's murder.  I feel as if this is the most critical part of the story.

God will heal his children if only they believe and trust in his will.  There is a Way.  God has a plan!

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Baker Publishing/Bethany House and Litfuse Group for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.

Life with Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher - A Litfuse Tour

About the Book: 

Book 1 in the ‘Adventures of Lily Lapp’ series. 

Lily is six in this story, just starting first grade in a one-room schoolhouse in upstate New York. Her parents are busy building a farm, and soon animals join the family—Jenny the cow and Chubby the miniature horse. A baby brother arrives, too, which Lily has mixed feelings about. (She wanted a sister!) Aside from a mischievous friend like Mandy Mast, Lily is happy at school and even happier at home. Trouble is brewing at the schoolhouse and change is on the horizon for Lily and her family.

Published by Revell/Baker Publishing

Read an excerpt.

Purchase a copy here.

Adventures of Lily Lapp Website!

 Lily loves making new friends. There’s always something fun going on in Lily Lapp’s life—including games, contests and giveaways of her books. And you can always write to Lily to ask her about growing up Amish. 

Meet Suzanne: 

Suzanne Woods Fisher lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has one husband, four children, one son-in-law, a brand new grand-baby, and a couple of dogs. She graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Suzanne has contracts with Revell for six more books about the Amish, both fiction and non-fiction. She is also the host of “Amish Wisdom·” on toginet.com, a weekly radio program featuring guests who are connected to Simple Living.

Find out more about Suzanne at http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/.

Blog Tour Schedule


  “Based upon Kinsinger’s own childhood, it’s reminiscent of the Little House on the Prairie books.” —Romantic Times

Win a Kindle Fire or Nook HD | “Life with Lily Giveaway

 and chat with the Authors on {10/16}!

Celebrate with Suzanne and Mary Ann by entering their contest and RSVPing to the

 “Life with Lily” Facebook Author Chat Party on 10/16!

Two fortunate winners will receive:

• Either the new Kindle Fire or new Nook HD
• Signed copy of Life with Lily for you and a young reader in your life.  

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 15th. Winner will be announced at the Life with Lily Author Chat Facebook Party on 10/18. Connect with authors Suzanne Woods Fisher and Mary Ann Kinsinger for an evening of book chat, Q&A about Mary Ann’s Amish childhood, trivia, and fun! There will also be gift certificates, books, and other fun prizes!

So grab your copy of Life with Lily and join Suzanne and Mary Ann on the evening of the October 16th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the books – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 16th!

My Thoughts

Lily Lapp is just starting school in the first grade.  She really likes here new teacher and all the fun things she gets to do in school.  She gets to sit beside her cousin Hannah.  Her favorite thing to do is art and recess.  She has to learn to not to let her peers influence her into doing things that always end up getting her in trouble.

At home Lily is her mother's little helper while learning to to do what it takes to care for her families needs. A big part of her daily activities is watching over her two younger brothers.  It is not all school and chores there is plenty of fun time.

She has a new miniature horse she named chubby and he pulls a little cart she can ride by herself.

This is a sweet book that is similar in many ways to the Little House on the Prairies series.  It is about the everyday activities of a six year old little girl.  Her and her family are Old Order Amish.  Author Mary Ann  Kinsinger takes memories from her childhood to build the story of Lily.  Suzanne Woods Fisher pulls all of these memories together into this darling series.

I plan on getting this series for my granddaughters.  They will learn through Lily's series that life does not always go the way they might expect.  It will teach them the importance of family, following the rules and having trust and faith in God.  It is an all around fun read.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Revell/Baker Publishing/Litfuse for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

Bees in the Butterfly Garden by Maureen Lang

About Maureen

I was raised with the notion that time + work = a paycheck and sitting around having fun thinking up stories surely cannot be considered work. On some days I might actually agree with that statement. Writing really is fun, or I don’t think I’d have a passion for it. But on other days I realize it really is work, and that’s what this website is all about. This is a picture of the work of a novelist — well, of one novelist anyway. Me.


I grew up as one of the youngest in a six-kid, boisterously loud German-Irish family in the suburbs of Chicago. Eight of us in a house with only one bathroom! We didn’t really argue, although just to be heard over all the noise it might have seemed that way to an outsider.


So whom did I marry? A quiet, reserved son of a German brick layer. While our family gathering decibels would compare to the lift off of a jet from nearby O’Hare, his family gatherings would register more like the soft rustling of oak leaves.


I grew up loving to tell stories, and God has blessed me immeasurably to be able to tell them to a wider audience these days.


For the latest goings-on, check my blog! I’d love to connect on Facebook.

About Book

Book 1 in The Gilded Legacy series!

Ian Maguire is determined to stop Meg Davenport from following in her father’s footsteps. He was, after all, a thief. But considering Ian learned everything he knows from Meg’s father, he may not be able to convince her otherwise, not even when they both end up over their heads in the biggest heist of Ian’s unlawful career. In trying to gain everything, will they end up losing it all?

Page Count: 432
Trim Size: 5 1/2 X 8 1/4
ISBN: 978-1-4143-6446-9
Published by Tyndale House Publishers
Release Date: June 2012

| Buy at Amazon | Buy at CBD | Buy at Barnes & Noble

Read Excerpt on Tyndale

Raised in an exclusive boarding school among Fifth Avenue’s finest, Meg Davenport has all she’s ever needed . . . but none of the things she’s wanted most, like family, or dreams of a future that includes anything other than finding a suitable match. So when her distant father dies, she seizes the chance to throw etiquette aside and do as she pleases. Especially when she learns that John Davenport wasn’t the wealthy businessman she thought, but one of the Gilded Age’s most talented thieves. Poised to lead those loyal to Meg’s father, Ian Maguire knows the last thing his mentor would have wanted is for his beloved daughter to follow in his footsteps. Yet Meg is determined, and her connections to one of New York’s wealthiest families could help Ian pull off his biggest heist yet. But are they both in over their heads? And in trying to gain everything, will they end up losing it all?

My Thoughts

Meg Davenport was very young when to started attending a prestigious boarding school for the daughters of high society. Her father, John Davenport wanted the best for his little girl or did he just want her out of his way. She felt he did not love her because he rarely came to visit her. She stayed at the boarding school year round even on holidays. She was rebellious at first not wanting to follow the rules but eventually she became the perfect role model to all the young girls at the boarding school. She has every intention on staying on after graduation to teach at the school.


Then her whole life changes when she receives a message that her father has died. Secrets, deception and lies reveal who and what her father really was. Now she feels as if she must take on a new role because she is unworthy of what she had learned and earned at the school.  As far as she was concerned not only had her father deserted her and so had God. Now she was on her own and had to prove she is worthy of her father's reputation. 


Why do we need to prove ourselves worthy to the world?  Instead we should be praying for God's will in our lives.


The author created a very head strong young woman in the character of Meg. The biggest surprise in the book was that the least likely characters were the ones God used to steer Meg in His direction onto the path He had planned for Meg all along.


John Davenport's protege, Ian Maguire, was a preacher's son. Ian had lost his whole family and John took him in and trained him well. His life also took on an unexpected turn when his mentor died. The Lord was becoming very persistent in wanting Ian to return to Him. The more Ian tried to protect Meg the closer he drew nearer to God.


What does God have planned for the many characters in this story? God has a plan for everyone.


I highly recommend this book.


I rated this book a 5 out of 5

Disclosure
I won a free copy of this book from the author. I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my own opinion.