Ponder this with Lisa Lickel

Ponder this... series of inspirational romantic novellas

New from Pelican Book Group

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Everything About Us by Lisa Lickel

About the Book - "Whatever is true"

Danny Winston, America's newest heartthrob, thinks he can have it all—his dream business and the girl. He's sure he can convince Shelly, the woman who made it all possible, to marry him. When things keep going wrong, Danny can't ask her to be a partner in failure.

Shelly Colter isn't sure she can give up her California-style life with all the glamour for a move to quaint, rural Wisconsin. At first, she thought Danny, her leading-man protégé, was all she needed, but when things get serious, her secret might ruin everything.

When Danny and Shelly realize they have a common enemy thwarting their dreams, they can choose to fight for each other or risk losing out to fear. It's an epic he-thinks, she-thinks, with the truth somewhere in between. Will they stop worrying everything beyond their control and rely on God first, then each other?

Pelican Ventures LLC

March, 2020

Inspirational romantic novella

121 pp

$3.99 eBoook

Buy on

Amazon

Pelican

BN

Review from Amy Laundrie

For Fans of Light Romance

Dream Big, Love Well, Live Large, Have Faith. These words, which movie publicist Shelly read on a ceramic mug, sum up her philosophy of life. The novella’s other point of view character, a farmer by the name of Danny, falls in love with Shelly. Danny is a farmer turned heartthrob actor who stars in a movie by the same name as the novel's title, Everything About You. He knows Shelly is beautiful and ambitious, but he doesn’t know about her criminal former boyfriend. Will their love and faith be enough to keep them safe and together?

Reviewer: Retired fourth grade teacher Amy Laundrie began writing because of a desire to share stories and connect with others. Laundrie has published seven children's books and LAUGH, CRY, REFLECT: STORIES FROM A JOYFUL HEART, testimonials to a woman's life. She enjoys sports and raising pet ducks. Visit her at www.laundrie.com.

About the Author

Lisa Lickel is an author, editor, and mentor who lives with her husband in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Surrounded by books and dragons, she writes inspiring fiction both short and full-length, including mysteries, romance and family drama, feature articles, and radio theater. She belongs to the Wisconsin Writers Association, the Chicago Writers Association and is a writing coach at Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp & Retreat. Lisa loves to encourage new authors through mentoring, speaking, and leading workshops. Lisa also is an avid book reviewer and blogger, and a freelance editor. Find more at www.LisaLickel.com.

Check out all eight books in the series.

Featured here: March 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27

Buy in the Pelican book store

Lucy in Love by Kimberly M. Miller

Charlotte's Dilemma by Susan Karsten

Buttonholed by Anita Klumpers

A Field of Forget-me-nots by Rachel A. James

To Complicate Matters by Linda Widrick

This Worthy Heart by Dixie Jo Jarchow

A Perfect Fit by Christine Schimpf

Everything about Us by Lisa J. Lickel

Christmas is anytime with Stacey Weeks

Mistletoe Melody

Stacey Weeks

December 1, 2018

White Rose Publishing, a division of Pelican Ventures LLC

A holiday Christmas Extravaganza romantic novelette

65 pp.

$2.99

Buy on

Kindle 

Nook

Publisher

About the Book

Former musician, Melody Staff, spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows. While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. She's not sure her heart will ever sing again.

Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter suffered a stroke, and they've grieved his wife's sudden death, but the Lord coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin's heart as God rewrites his and Melody's score into a holiday love song that will last for Christmases to come.

My Review

Weeks’s addition to the extravaganza holiday stories is filled with angst, mysterious health conditions, and determination to keep traditions.

When the Staff family gathers for Christmas as the inn of friends instead of Grandma’s house, the old family friend innkeeper, Quentin, catches a glimpse of the life that might have been. But there’s something wrong which keeps him hypervigilant against any chance of hurting his young daughter. And Janie absolutely should not fall in daughter-love with the woman from his past who apparently is no better than Janie’s now-deceased former druggie mom.

Melody is bitter toward everyone, especially God, for ripping her life—her gift of music and her fiancé—from under her feet. With a devastating diagnosis changing everything, she’s made decisions which she believes will keep the only thing left she has to guard—her heart—intact.

Christmas is a growing and revelatory season for Melody and Quentin as they celebrate the season of hope and promise.

About the Author

Stacey Weeks is the multi-award-winning author of Glorious Surrender (2016), inspirational romances The Builder's Reluctant Bride (2016), Mistletoe Melody (2018), and inspirational romantic suspense novels In Too Deep (2017), and Fatal Homecoming (2019). Stacey lives in Ontario where she speaks at women's conferences, teaches writing and bible study workshops, and writes about the things of the Lord. www.staceyweeks.com

Sweet novella from Marianne Evans

The Return

Marianne Evans

Christian contemporary romantic novella

White Rose, a division of Pelican Ventures LLC

c. 2018

$3.99 eBook

Buy on

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

Publisher

About the Book

Sometimes the hardest path to walk is the one that leads you home,

After college, Phillip Fisher shook the dust of Antioch, Indiana from his dress shoes and took off for Indianapolis. For the eldest of the three Fisher men, a business career promised stability and a fruitful future...until unemployment and exhausted resources force him back home. He returns to Antioch to find his father's declining health, a family farm in disrepair, and heavy doses of resentment from his brother Aaron. A repentant Phillip pays regular visits to Sundae Afternoon, the sweets and sundry shop run by Mila Thomas. Sundae Afternoon and the Thomas Grocery Market are staples of Antioch, just like the Fisher farm. A less than steady peace exists between the families, but Phillip always intrigued Mila. She admires his attempts to break free; at the same time, his return speaks of a noble, caring man. But what happens once the farm is restored? What happens when Phillip is called back to Indianapolis? Mila's roots are firmly grounded, and Phillip might leave all over again. Is returning home and the discovery of an extraordinary love, enough to bring them together forever?

My Review

Sometimes a person has to leave home in order to appreciate it, and that’s exactly what happens to Phillip Fisher, eldest son of a large farming family in Antioch, Indiana.

In this sweet novella told mostly in Phillip’s point of view and some in the heroine, Mila’s, viewpoint, the author presents a trope on the Prodigal Son. Phillip comes home after being let go from his financial planning job, only to realize that home really is where he left his heart. Finding it again cost him a right to the jaw, some shaky footwork with the local men of influence, and plenty of make peace work with the woman he left behind.

Contentment triumphs fly-by-night opportunities for success, and this short little bite of story will touch your inner love bug.

About the Author

Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God's love through the stories He prompts her to create.

Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.

Connect with Marianne at: www.marianneevans.com

Rose Colored Christmas with Mary Ball

Rose Colored Christmas

Mary L. Ball

Christian novelette, 107 pp

Contemporary romance

Forget-Me-Not Romances, August 2018

About the Book

Young widow Emilee Arnold enjoys her freelance web design, teaching Sunday school Christmas. She’s content until she rescues a pilot from a burning plane and is snowed in with her very own scrooge. 

Gabe King specializes in flying corporate groups. He claims to be an easy-going guy, until Emilee challenges his lifestyle and his heart.

Emilee can’t stop her attraction to Gabe but his dislike for Christmas is the one thing she can’t get passed.

Can Emilee help to make her very own Christmas miracle? 

Kindle: $2.99

Print: $5.97

Buy on Amazon   

Mary, tell us what you love about this book.

I enjoyed plotting the story around Christmas and bringing Gabe back to a place where he can enjoy holidays’ again.

      

Do you prefer novellas to full-length works or vice versa? Why?

Novellas. Life is busy, I just don’t have time to read a 300 page novel. I guess my passion for reading shorter works rubbed off into my writing, I like creating novellas too.

    

What was the easiest aspect of telling this story?

Christmas makes us excited for new possibilities. I enjoyed Emilee’s expectations for the holidays.

    

What did you learn during your research?

A lot about private planes. J

   

What's your favorite Christmas tradition in your family?

I enjoy watching movies where families have a tradition. Our family never had one. Each year seems to present a unique situation, which requires adjustments for us to get together, it’s been hard to carry any customs over to the next year.

  

About the Author

Mary L. Ball is a multi-published Christian author. She lives in North Carolina and enjoys fishing, reading, and ministering in song with her hubby at functions. Her books are about small-town romance, suspense, and mystery, influenced by the grace of Jesus Christ.    

  

Readers can check out her titles at: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-L-Ball/e/B007O97Y0E

Connect on:

http://www.marylball.com

https://www.facebook.com/gracefulbooks

https://twitter.com/inspires4mary

Carol James Christmas novella Marys Christmas Surprise

Mary’s Christmas Surprise

Carol James

White Rose Publishing, a division of Pelican Ventures LLC

Holiday Christmas Extravaganza romantic novella

December 1, 2018

$2.99 ebook

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Barnes and Noble 

About the Book:

Mary Sherman’s Christmas is nothing like she’s planned. Her fiancé has called off the engagement just days before Christmas, and her parents have gone on an anniversary cruise around the world.

Suddenly alone for the holidays, Mary returns to the comfort of her childhood home to spend Christmas in her parents’ empty house.

There’s only one problem. The house is not empty. Unbeknownst to Mary, her parents have taken in a boarder, a handsome carpenter named Jake Wolesky.

​Mary’s Christmas surprise may make this the best holiday ever.

My review:

Carol James’s sweet holiday novella is a great bite-size escape from the busyness of the season. Take an hour or so to read the adventures of a young professional man and woman who meet by accident while on leave from their personal traumas.

Mary has spent years waiting for other people to make decisions that impact her future lifestyle and career. Joseph, aka Jake, needs a break from his mother’s bitterness in watching her ideal of a perfect family collapse around her. Jake and Mary meet accidentally when Mary calls the police on an intruder in her parent’s home, which she expected to be empty when she unexpectedly goes home to lick her wounds in private.

It’s a good thing the two grown single adults are on the same page regarding morals and high ground, and decide to refrain from sleeping in the same house. It also doesn’t take long for misconceptions, mayhem, and mistletoe to work its magic.

About the Author:

Carol James is an author of inspirational fiction. She lives in Lilburn, Georgia, a small town outside of Atlanta, with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell "Terrorist," Zoe.

Having always loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors of inspirational fiction.

Retired from her "real" job, she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, traveling with friends, volunteering at and serving on the board of a nearby Christian school, and serving in the production department at her church. 

She is also a soccer fan extraordinaire and keeps her DVR busy recording Atlanta United and English Premier League games. 

And, most days in the late hours of the night or the wee hours of the morning, she can be found bringing her newest novel to life. https://www.carol-james.com

Christmas Extravaganza with Annette O'Hare

About the Book

Will Margaret’s prayers for a child of her own be answered this Christmas or does God have something else in store? After five years of marriage, Margaret’s prayers for a baby have gone unanswered. When she and her husband, Thomas travel to Boston to help his ailing father, Margaret happens upon a desperate young woman, sick and lying in the street heavy with child. Unable to simply ignore the woman, Margaret makes the decision to take the woman in. Condemned for her decision to help a woman of ill repute, Margaret does what she knows is right—even if doing the right thing sometimes has life-altering consequences.

$2.99 eBook

Buy on Amazon

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My review:

Child of Light is a precious tale of a woman who gives everything of herself to others, yet is denied her heart’s desire for a child of her own. In the harshness of rebuilding society after America’s Civil War, Margaret, a southern girl, spends fall and Christmas of 1870 with her Yankee husband’s family in Boston, helping them in ways that tear her heartstrings. Her father-in-law was injured on the job and reluctantly, if cheerfully, accepts her help, only to remind her of the happy home she left in Texas. Her sister-in-law is expecting a fourth child and accepts Margaret’s help caring for the household. Though happy to help, her nieces and nephew remind her of the emptiness of her cradle. Even the news from home hurts when Margaret learns her younger newly married sister is going to have a baby.

When Margaret, unlike others on the street, can’t bring herself to step over a woman obviously in need, she risks her job and the health of everyone around her with potential contagion by rendering aid. Margaret’s compassion in offering their home is rewarded in ways she never thought possible.

This sweet novella is told from Margaret’s point of view, and is a well-painted picture of historic Boston with its shortcomings and luxuries. Child of Light is just the right size for a quick holiday reading break.

A brief interview with the Author

      Introduce us to the Christmas holiday tradition in your book’s community.

Child of Light takes place in Boston, MA during the Christmas of 1870. Margaret and her husband, Thomas moves to Boston from South Texas after Thomas’s father suffers an injury. Everything about Boston is foreign to Margaret, including the frigid temperatures there. While in Boston, Margaret and Thomas follow the week-by-week celebration of Advent. I would like my readers to see that when we face uncertain times in unfamiliar places, especially during the holidays, keeping up with the traditions we are accustomed to can be a soothing balm and also helps us to remember to keep Christ first. And by praying for the hope, love, joy, and peace of advent, we allow God an opportunity to reveal himself in our lives at Christmastime.

      What would you like your readers to know about Christmas after reading your story?

After reading Child of Light, I would like my readers to believe that miracles really can and do happen, especially at Christmas. What better time for a miracle to take place than during the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, the King of Kings!

What is your favorite family Christmas tradition?

Three years ago my family started a new Christmas tradition of choosing a theme for our celebration. Our first year’s theme was The Reindeer Games and consisted of fun games, contests and competitions, including each family member creating their own elf name. The following year we celebrated Christmas in Mexico. We adorned our home with colorful Mexican decorations and ate tamales and guacamole with all the works. Last year’s theme was A Cajun Christmas. Family members wore overalls, and we enjoyed eating delicious boudin balls and seafood gumbo. I can hardly wait for this year as we celebrate A Hawaiian Christmas. So…Mele Kalikimaka y’all!

About the Author

Annette O’Hare is an award-winning author of inspirational historical romance. Her love for history shines through in her novels. As a member of the Christian Author Network, American Christian Fiction Writers and ACFW The Woodlands, Annette desires to reveal God’s love to her readers while hopefully giving them a laugh or two. Annette and husband Dan of thirty-three years live in Porter, Texas and enjoy fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast and spending time with their two sons, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, two lovable rescue dogs, three grand-dogs, and a Russian tortoise named Frankie.

Mistletoe Mania! and book launch

Celebrating release day for our Christmas Holiday Extravaganza 2018!

Today, the three Happy Holiday stories featuring Mistletoe are highlighted below!

But first, a little about mistletoe.

TODAY - DECEMBER 1 - ONLY
FACEBOOK LAUNCH AND GIVEAWAY
FACEBOOK 10:30-Noon EST, 9:30-11 AM CST

Mistletoe—it puts a picture in everyone’s mind, doesn’t it? Mostly we think of this little plant as a cute holiday decoration put up in doorways or other passageways to encourage a kiss. It’s an ancient plant with over 13,000 species worldwide, many of which are endangered. North America has over 30 different species alone.

So, what is it? Would it change your mind about the cute kissing Christmas decoration if I told you that it’s partially a parasite? It can grow on its own and makes its own food through photosynthesis; it just prefers the easy way out by attaching itself to some kind of tree and eating from it. Those thousands of species come in several shapes and sizes, with different berries. Some types are shrubby with little flowers and white berries that are poisonous; some prefer growing on oak trees, most on apple trees.

Naturally such an ancient plant has many legends associated with it. Celtic people of northern Europe, Greeks, Germans, and Scandinavians stories have been passed down through the eons. Mistletoe is revered as a symbol of fertility and emasculation, depending on what part of a king’s reign he finds himself in. The ancient Druids used it in their cult ceremonies. We’re trying to keep it upbeat here, so that’s as far as I’ll go. You can look up more if you want. In various cultures it was considered to ward off evil spirits, put out fires, and bring about peace. Enemies could make peace treaties underneath a ball of mistletoe; in Scandinavia, embattled spouses could make up and kiss under the mistletoe. In France, kissing under mistletoe was once considered a New Year’s Day custom.

In Scandinavian mythology "the Death of Baldur", the plant was sacred to Frigga. She was the mother of Balder, who dreamed that if he died, all life on earth would end. Frigga went to all the elements, air, fire, water and earth, as well as the animals and plants and exacted a promise that nothing on earth or under the earth would harm her son and thus end all life. Unfortunately, she overlooked mistletoe, which grows neither on nor under earth, but in the trees. Loki had an arrow made of mistletoe and gave it to Hoder who killed Balder. Frigga’s tears for her son became the white berries on the plant. Balder was restored to life three days later. Frigga kissed everyone under the mistletoe who came to offer help. Can you relate this tale to the Christian story of Jesus?

Mistletoe’s mythical healing powers are beginning to be studied in modern medicine as a cancer treatment. Although mistletoe parasite growths affects the life cycle of the trees it “infests,” the growth harbors nesting birds, including endangered species such as the spotted owl, as well as small nesting mammals, and butterflies such as various hairstreaks, and bees. The berries are poisonous to humans, but many creatures rely on them during times of scarcity.

So—mistletoe the misunderstood? Mistletoe the romantic? Which side are you on?

Come back and check in on THURSDAY DECEMBER 6 to see the post and review here.
$2.99 eBook
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Mistletoe Mix-up - Evan Edwards faces another lonely Christmas in the dorm. His mom is on her fourth, or maybe it's her fifth, honeymoon. A rain-soaked ad promises free room and board in exchange for holiday decorating. Evan jumps at the chance to spend Christmas in a cozy home. The owners won't even be there until Christmas Day, so he'll have plenty of time to practice their piano for his graduation recital. He heads for Candle, Tx. Across the street, Rise' Larkin, also home from college for the holidays, has some bad news for her widowed father.

As Evan and Rise's friendship grows, Evan wonders if he might have a future with a family of his own. Evan realizes, nearly too late, that he's been living in, and decorating the wrong house! Will this crazy mistletoe mix-up ruin his Christmas, or possibly, even his future?

Come back SATURDAY DECEMBER  8 to read the full post and review here.
$2.99 eBook
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A former musician, Melody Staff, spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows. While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. Will her heart ever sing again? Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter suffered a stroke, and they’ve grieved his wife’s sudden death, but the Lord coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin’s heart as God rewrites his and Melody’s score into a love song.

$2.99 eBook

Purchase links:

AMAZON UK 

AMAZON US 

BARNES AND NOBLE 

Ivy has just cause to be wary of men. Her long-time fiancé backed out of their wedding. The slow fizzle of their undramatic relationship leaves her wondering if romance is a myth. Then, Adam, an intriguing new member of her pet organization, catches Ivy’s attention. Unfortunately, his cat Isis, a beautiful purebred Egyptian Mau, prefers to pick on her cat, Memnet. Ivy would like to get to know Adam better, but with her self-esteem in the gutter and feline fights at every turn, she wonders how to proceed.

When Ivy agrees to help a clingy friend find her missing pet, she learns that true love doesn’t need theatrics. There’s hope for Adam and Ivy, if only their cats would approve.

New from Robin Fuson A Sparkle of Silver

A Sparkle of Silver
Robin Fuson
Inspirational Contemporary Romance Novella
155 pp
Winged Publications
March 2018

$2.99 eBook
$6.74 Print
Buy on Amazon

About the Book:

Beautiful, creative Amber Warren and handsome, dependable Jesse Nelson have been best friends since grade school. Jesse’s strength and reliable spirit draws Amber, but can she trust a man with her heart after being jilted by her fiancé? A strong and self-reliant woman, Amber discovers she will need someone to help her after unexpected news from her parents upends her world. Will Jesse meet the demands of his work and still step up to be the rock she can lean on? An unlikely source will help Amber conquer the menacing and paralyzing fear gripping her heart. In the midst of a devastating disaster she pulls from deep within her being the courage to look fear in the eye to save the one she loves.

My Review:

This charming, sweet novella is a perfect addition to Fuson’s growing repertoire of both contemporary and historical tales set generally in her stomping grounds of the western US and Colorado. Amber’s fiancé wanted more of the world than he was willing to share and ditched her for the opportunity to work in Paris. I might have wondered why Amber wouldn’t jump at Paris until I realized Mr. Wrong didn’t bother to spend much time discussing it, and neither was Amber’s heartstrings too firmly attached to the cad. Better opportunities were right under her nose, and it took only a little persuading to open her eyes to the good thing waiting just for her. I loved it when she realized just how interwoven Jesse’s life was with hers when he knew his way around the family kitchen.

Conquering challenges and rising above the hurt others put on them show Amber and Jesse how strong they are together. Add in Miss Purrfect, the darling antique store cat, and we’ve got a very fun read. Highly recommended for those who like their clean romance in bite-size chunks.

A brief Interview with the Author:

In A Sparkle of Silver, Purrfect is the sweet store cat. The antique store where she reigns supreme is named Preowned Perfection. So, Purrfect got her name. She is a pure white cat with green eyes. For the most part she doesn’t interact with patrons but occasionally she can’t help herself. She might follow a customer through the store but not in a typical fashion. She loves to roam the mock or staged rooms along the top of the partial walls that are a whopping ten feet tall with a span of another six feet above that. The cat is a great mouser and yet doesn’t displace breakables off the shelves. Purrfect is a good judge of character which we find out in the pages of the story.

Tell us about your motivation to write the story, Robin. What do you love about it?

This book was fun to write for a variety of reasons. I love antique stores. Finding the right wedding ring set was tons of fun. Writing a story where Colorado is the backdrop is a delight because It’s my home. I identify with the character, Amber. She dresses nicely even to go to the grocery store which is what I typically do. She loves antiques and working with her hands. She is strong but doesn’t always give herself credit for being so. Amber has a deep fear that she has to work through. Don’t we all struggle at some point in our lives with fear? Her handsome sweetheart, Jesse, is a good fit for her. Attentive to her needs and strong both emotionally and physically he helps her through encouragement and lending a hand when she asks. He is purposeful and yet can be spontaneous.

Nice! I agree! Can you share a couple of things you learned while working on this book?

I spent hours delving into research on antiques that still pop up on the ads on my computer. For instance, Amber bids on and purchases an antique cuckoo clock. I pulled up a picture of the clock to make the description in the book. I’ve been to auctions in the area, so I could write that into my story through my experience. The store where she works is similar to ones I walked through on Broadway in Denver. I added a warehouse and attached a house for her to live. Something that I had not known before was, for a price, you can have a new piece of furniture or knickknack made that appears like the original antique.

I also learned that help to overcome fear can come from an unsuspecting place and love will be the necessary strength it will take to conquer that fear.

What’s next for you, Robin?

Right now, I’m writing a historical mystery novella, Gamble on Fate, set in Colorado Territory of 1886 in Colorado City near present day Colorado Springs with a Pinkerton investigator. Also, for a few years, I’ve been working on a contemporary cozy mystery novel, The Race of Her Heart, that is set in Durango, Colorado. In this story, a ski Olympian has an accident, dashing her hopes and dreams. The tumble down the mountain was caused by someone tampering with the bindings of her skis. The saboteur is not satisfied with only the limp caused from the fall and the threats keep coming.

Oh my goodness! I can’t wait to read them. Thank you, Robin. 

About Robin:

Robin lives in Rifle, Colorado with her husband Jimmy. Together, they celebrate with seventeen grandchildren. An award winner for romance and flash fiction, Robin is multi-published and writes stories on her blog for children. Robin is a member of ACFW, Vice President of ACFW Colorado Western Slope, and member of John316 Marketing Network. She enjoys leading a Bible study group and singing in two community choirs. Robin loves company and challenging her young guests to discover the many giraffes in the obvious and hidden nooks and crannies of their home.

Book Review Manila Marriage Ap by Jan Elder

Passport to Romance Series

April 2015

Pelican Ventures, White Rose Publishing

Romantic novella

115 pp

Ebook - $3.99

Buy on Amazon

About the Book

It all began as a lark. Shay Callahan’s life was just fine, thank you, but when the seemingly misogynistic missionary, Timothy Flynn, places an advertisement in a Christian magazine for a wife, Shay decides to give it a whirl. Why not? After all, she’s not currently seeing anyone, and this man truly needs to be taught a lesson. 

When Dr. Flynn picks Shay's application, she hops on a plane and flies to the Philippines. The strategy is to jet in, enjoy an exciting two-week vacation, and jet out again, all at his expense. Instead, her plan backfires. The handsome missionary man is not what he seems, and the foreign land has far more to offer than Shay could imagine. 

Embark on a tropical adventure with Shay that challenges everything she believes. 

My Review

For a sweet romantic novella, a lot of good reading and adventure is packed in. Shay’s character is never in doubt, even if she is, about her personality. From the moment she cheerfully but regretfully changes her ruined heels for too-big flip flops after being baby barfed on en route to meet her prospective fiancé with dried peas in her hair, the reader knows we’re in for a great tale. Timothy is nothing like Shay expects, and the author has fun unpeeling his tough outer hide.

The Philippines grow on Shay the more time she spends there; an accident, an unexpected visit, and a life-threatening illness draw this couple together. If anything, there is too much packed into this short little read and some clues could be drawn out. Told from Shay’s point of view in first person throughout, readers are treated to a whole lot of fun introspection, subjective cues, and tangled emotions. Nicely done. Those who like a quick and clean romantic read with a too good to be true hero will love Manila Marriage Ap. Check out the Passport to Romance series.

About the Author

Jan Elder is a Christian romance writer with a zeal for telling stories other women can relate to. She strives to write the kind of book that will strengthen the reader's faith, while also providing an entertaining and engrossing love story. Pelican Book Group/White Rose is publishing her first novella, Manila Marriage App, one of many in their successful Passport to Romance series. 

Besides writing romance, she enjoys the occasional hazelnut cappuccino while watching Turner Classic Movies. Always an avid reader, she devours books voraciously, both Christian and secular. She was born a cat-lover and all future books will, no doubt, feature a feline in some way or another. 

Happily married for twelve years to loving (and supportive) husband, Steve, the two live in central Maryland along with Jamie (a tuxedo cat), and Shu-Shu (a tortoiseshell cat). On the weekends, Jan and Steve comb the nearby countryside in search of the perfect ice cream flavor.

Deborah Piccurelli's new novel Love Comes Calling and giveaway

About the Book

The day new Christian, Derek Spencer, shows up on Charlie Parkes’s doorstep to make up for what he’d done, is the very day he falls in love with her. But Charlie’s sister mistakes him for a home improvement contractor, and he decides to play along until he finds a way to tell her who he really is.

Charlie is attracted to Derek, but knows the attention he pays her is only flattery. How could such a great-looking guy fall for someone with a face like hers? Nevertheless, the two form a relationship that brings a joy to Charlie that’s way beyond her wildest dreams.

But what will happen when Derek’s true identity is revealed?

Deborah has graciously agreed to give an e-copy in a drawing from those who leave a comment today, March 24. Drawing will be held March 25. 

NOTE: My review will appear next Saturday, March 28.

A brief interview with the author:

Deborah, what do you love about this book?

I love the characters. This book has such vibrant characters, each unique in their own way. I also love the storyline. I could not have written it if I didn’t have a great interest in it. The sweetness of the romance is also very important to me.

Share two things you learned during the writing and publishing process.

Not to get offended when an editor asks for changes in your work that you never thought would need to be. Especially if you assumed that section was one of the best writing you’ve ever done.

Always make sure it’s clear which character’s point of view it is in any given scene.

What do you hope readers will tell others when they’ve finished?

I hope readers will tell others that the book impacted them in some way. That they thoroughly enjoyed the story. That they didn’t want it to end. That they couldn’t put it down. That they loved the characters. That they should really, really buy this book!!!

Novella, buy on Amazon
Prism Book Group
March, 2015
Kindle: $2.99


About the Author

After years of reading books and watching movies with an element of romance, Deborah M. 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading. Deborah lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons.

   

Piccurelli’s desire to write romance novels came naturally. She is active in her church and is an advocate for sanctity of life. Deborah is the author of two novels, a novella and several cause-related newspaper articles. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the New Jersey Society of Christian Writers. As one of the winners in a contest by The Christian Authors Show, details of Deborah’s writing journey can be found in the 2013-2014 edition of the book, Visit Deborah's website for more news and information.