Fiction Full of Faith

Special Review of A Time to Push Daisies plus a Box Set GIVEAWAY!

October 11, 2018 in my point of view

A Time to Push Daisies by Marion Ueckermann
EBOOK AVAILABLE IN THE SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE BLUE BOX SET

Not every woman is fortunate enough to find her soulmate. Fewer find him twice.

JoAnn Stanson has loved and lost. Widowed a mere eighteen months ago, JoAnn is less than thrilled when her son arranges a luxury cruise around the British Isles as an early birthday gift. She’s not ready to move on and “meet new people”.

Caleb Blume has faced death and won. Had it not been for an unexpected Christmas present, he would surely have been pushing up daisies. Not that the silver-haired landscape architect was averse to those little flowers–he just wasn’t ready to become fertilizer himself.

To celebrate his sixty-fourth birthday and the nearing two-year anniversary since he’d cheated death, Caleb books a cruise and flies to London. He is instantly drawn in a way that’s never happened before to a woman he sees boarding the ship. But this woman who steals Caleb’s heart is far more guarded with her own.

For JoAnn, so many little things about Caleb remind her of her late husband. It’s like loving the same man twice. Yet different.

Or is it?

my point of view:

Ladies, get your tissues ready, you are going to need them…….in a good way, of course! I was excited to read a love story for an older generation, and this story does not disappoint! So many romance novels these days are about characters in their 20’s, and don’t get me wrong, I love to read those too, but it is so nice to see that we older folks aren’t too old for love too! I was so enamored with Caleb and JoAnn, I found myself so many times at the edge of my seat unable to read this fast enough to get to the next part of this beautiful love story. This book has a lesson for all of us, from the young to the young at heart, we can all take away a new appreciation for God’s unending love!

Now, have you ever wanted to go on a European cruise? Visit Ireland, Scotland, London? Walk among the Standing Stones or cross over the Ha’penny bridge and all the other sites there are to see? My feet have never left the good ole’ USA, but I feel as though I have been on the most luxurious trip thanks Marion’s A Time to Push Daisies! Not only did I get to set sail on an amazing cruise with my own butler, but I had the chance to fall in love…..with both the hero and the heroine in this beautiful story of love found later in life!

Another fun addition in reading this story of Marion’s – you get a to see some old friends, Caleb is of the Blume family, and JoAnn is a part of two earlier books (A Time to Laugh and A Time to Love, making this the third, any fan will remember:

PLUS – there is a recipe that I promise you will love if you like chocolate! I made them immediately after reading this story, and my hubs loved them!! I plan on making another batch while I get to read these 4 other stories in the box set, if the other stories are half as good as this one, I am really in for a treat this weekend – win / win!!

Here is more info on the box set and additional stories:

Marion is so kind as to do an ebook GIVEAWAY of the ENTIRE box set to one lucky commenter on this post! Just let us know what your favorite weekend treat is to enter to win! Contest will be open for 7 days following this post and winner will be notified via email!

I also wanted to also let you all know – in case you haven’t heard – there is an awesome new Facebook group that just happens to include Marion Ueckermann as well as Alexa Verde and Autumn Macarther!!

It’s called Three authors and a Blogger (that would be yours truly) So PLEASE join us there too!!

36 Comments

Coffee with Ginger Solomon a Giveaway!!

October 8, 2018 in coffee with paula marie

Ginger Solomon has graciously offered to spend time with me while we get to know her better! Thank you, Ginger!!

PM: I am so excited to get to know a “new to me” author! Thank you for taking a chance on me, lol! I’d love to know how you decided to become an author?

GS: I had a dream. <chuckle> I know that sounds weird, but I did. It kept nagging me. I thought about the dream for days, and I finally decided to write it down, and *bang* I caught the writing bug.

PM: I see you write both contemporary and historical fiction – do you have a preference of the two? I think I’d get lost trying to be an author of both…hahaha…oh, wait there are no cell phones in the 1700’s? LOL

GS: Many of my contemporary characters have “old-fashioned” morals that I’ve been told don’t fit into the 21^st Century lifestyle. I enjoy both, but I think I prefer historical. Life was far less complicated, though not easy, back then.

And to add more confusion to the mix, I plan to release a non-fiction devotional next year, and I have a fantasy romance in progress (no release date on that one).

PM: Who was your greatest influence when you decided to become an author?

GS: <biting lip> I sent the first story I wrote to a number of agents, publishers. I received a number of rejections, though not all responded. Now that I look back on it, I realize just how bad that story probably was—it has since been lost due to computer issues. I then took to searching the internet for help. ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) was the most helpful in guiding me on my writing journey. The authors who taught the monthly courses available to members taught me more than they understood.

As for the answer to your question, no particular person influenced me more than another.

PM: What would be the first book you would want a new reader to start with of yours, and why?

GS: Hmm… I’m sort of biased toward my debut novel, One Choice. Even after all this time, I love the story—the series, really. I enjoyed writing it.

The story that has touched me the most, however, is Broken Freedom. It is the third novella in my Broken Holidays Series, but they are all stand-alone stories. God helped me heal from some things in my past through that story, though my circumstances weren’t as severe as my heroine’s.

And Christmas Reflections. Another novella that helped me take the next step in faith walk. I guess I love all of my books.

A new reader could probably start with any of them; though, Second Choice and Love’s Choice would be harder to follow. They are stand alone novels, but the series is about a family, so certain information is carried from one to the next.

PM: If you had the chance to go back in time, historically, what era would you like to visit?

GS: Victorian, I think, though I really do like my modern conveniences. 😀

PM: What’s your favorite flower?

GS: Roses – tea roses, specifically. They have to smell nice. Sadly, most roses sold these days have no fragrance.

PM: What was your favorite subject in school?

GS: I didn’t have one. I hated school. I preferred reading to anything, and I wasn’t much of a writer back then. I remember staying up WAY later than I should have to finish a book.

PM: What was the first book you read that had you thinking “I can do this!”?

GS: I’m not sure I’ve gotten to that point yet. LOL I still wonder regularly if I can do this.

PM: How can readers keep up with you and your new releases?

GS: Depends on their preferences. I’m an equal-opportunity author. LOL

www.gingersolomon.com is my website. From there you can receive my blog posts or sign-up for my newsletter, which I’d love to say comes out on a regular basis, but it does not.

I can also be found at the following places:

PM: Finally – Coffee or tea? Cream? Sugar?

GS: Tea, cold or hot. Hot I can handle plain (it was a hard transition when I quit adding sugar). Cold needs sugar (before it’s cooled). I am a Southerner, after all.

Ginger is so kind to offer a free ebook of her Can’t Live Without You to one commenter on this post! Just tell us what your favorite subject in school was to enter! Contest will run for one week and winner will be notified via emai!

16 Comments

Second Installment reviews of A Tuscan Legacy SALE on books 4, 5 & 6!!

October 4, 2018 in my point of view

Welcome to the next installment of my review of A Tuscan Legacy! This week we are focusing on books four, five and six!Here is the information on these three:

Ti Amo: I Love You by Marion Ueckermann, A Tuscan Legacy Book 4

Sale Price for 99 cents October 3 through 9 ONly!

She never wants to get married. He does. To her.

The day Alessandra Rossi was born, her mammà died, and a loveless life with the father who blamed the newborn for her mother’s death followed. With the help of her oldest brother, Rafaele, Alessa moved away from home the moment she finished school—just like her other siblings had. Now sporting a degree in Architectural History and Archaeology, Alessa loves her job as a tour guide in the city of Rome—a place where she never fails to draw the attention of men. Not that Alessa cares. Fear that the man she weds would be anything like her recently deceased father has Alessa vowing to remain single.

American missionary Michael Young has moved to Rome on a two-year mission trip. His temporary future in the country doesn’t stop him from spontaneously joining Alessa’s tour after spotting her outside the Colosseum. And being bold enough to tell her afterward that one day she’d be his wife. God had told him. And he believed Him. But Alessa shows no sign of interest in Michael.

Can anything sway the beautiful and headstrong Italian to fall in love? Can anyone convince her to put her faith and hope in a Heavenly father, despite being raised by an earthly one who never loved her? Will her sister’s prompting, or a mysterious painting, or Michael himself change Alessa’s mind? About love. And about God.

La Fiamma Sacra: The Sacred Flame by Clare Revell

Sale price for 99 cents october 9 through 15 only!

A Tuscan Legacy Book 5

Forged in love’s sacred flame, can a firefighter and a widow find the path God set for them?

Ric Rossi left the family farm in Tuscany and never looked back. Working as a firefighter in Reading, England, he has everything a man could ask for—a secure job, a firm faith, and a neighbour who cares for his cat Noci when he goes away. The only thing missing is a woman he can share his life with.

Widowed when her son Deforest was a week old, Bracken Hughes isn’t prepared to open herself to the heartache a relationship can bring. Especially with her handsome neighbour who risks his life each time he leaves for work. No matter how good the man is with her son.

Ric finds Deforest to be an appealing child who captures his interest. And the mother has that certain something that pricks his heart. But the unhealed wound in Ric’s soul might just spoil any chance he has at love.

Bella Notte: Beautiful Night by Heather Gray

sale price for 99 cents october 15 through 21 only!

A Tuscan Legacy Book 6

He likes to play the field. She’s content to wear her goody two shoes.

Piero Carter packs light and travels often. He loves adventure and manages to keep his life simple by sticking to a two-dates-only rule. The longest relationship he’s had — aside from family — is with his camera. As a photographer who works primarily with fashion, he’s used to having his pick of beautiful women who want to be seen by his side.

Felicity von Wolff is a makeup artist whose job takes her around the world. That’s all the adventure she craves. She has little use for Piero the Playboy. Being seen on his arm means getting tied to his reputation, and that’s the last thing she wants. Yet, somehow, they keep getting thrown together. What’s a girl to do?

Piero finally meets a woman who makes him want more than two dates, but does that mean he’s ready for one of life’s greatest adventures — falling in love? When Felicity peeks over the wall she’s built to protect herself, she discovers there’s more to the people around her than she ever realized. What will it take for Piero and Felicity to stop hiding from life and open their eyes to the rich beauty God has in store for them?

my point of view:

What can I say? I love this series, but to walk through this journey of cousins is so beautiful, it makes me think of my own family so much! I love how each book takes us to a new place with a new cousin, and yet we still get the the full scope of the entire series and mystery developing. These authors did a fantastic job of working together to keep the characters intact throughout the story line and keep the mystery of the paintings flowing along!

In Ti Amo, we get to meet Michael young, a character from one of Marion’s past books – Restoring Faith. Michael is all grown up now and in Italy when he meets Alessa and knows he is going to marry her. While Alessa has her own issues from her past to deal with, coming to trust God and Michael is a journey worth taking!

La Fiamma Sacra takes us to England and cousin Ric Rossi. This story is also worthy of a stand alone read, but knowing the history of the Rossi family certainly helps make it more enjoyable.There are very intense packed scenes, and the underlying theme of trust once again….and the love of a family separated by miles, but attached at the heart.

Bella Notte is truly a beautiful story. I love the title as this installment deals with all things beauty to the eye….but shows us there is a much more beautiful life when we stop looking at the world around us and focus on the beauty God has given us when we commit our lives to Him.

Sale Starts today!

October 3, 2018 in sump'n speshul on sale

One week only – 99 cents!!

Last Day of the Sale!

in sump'n speshul on sale

Get it today for only 99 cents!

Coffee with Mary Manners and a PRINT or ebook GIVEAWAY!!

October 1, 2018 in coffee with paula marie

I am so pleased to bring you this Coffee chat today with Mary Manners! Please take a few moments to relax and get to know this lovely author with me!

PM: Thank you so much for joining us today, Mary! So happy to have you here! I see from your bio that you are a Tennessee girl! Have you lived there all your life or are ‘transplanted’ from someplace else?

MM: Thanks so much for hosting me today. I am thrilled to be here! I was born just outside of Chicago, in Elmwood Park, and later moved to Itasca. Following my time at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbad south to the Knoxville, TN area and have loved every minute of my time here. I am a country girl at heart, so the mini farm my husband and I call home is the perfect place for me.

PM: I see you are an author in The Potter’s House series, which I love! How are you enjoying working with everyone on such an amazing journey?

MM: Oh, my…I have been blessed beyond measure by my time with fellow Potter’s House authors. Such a generous group of people, and I have learned so much and grown as a writer while working with them. I am so thankful to be a part of this faith-based journey.

PM: If we were to open you your refrigerator right now, what would we find in it?

MM: Yikes! A pitcher of unsweet tea laced with orange wedges (I know…definitely NOT southern, but I can’t stand all the sugar), a half-eaten breakfast casserole, loads of veggies from my garden, and multi-colored farm-fresh eggs from my flock of chickens. And ice cream…chocolate for me and blueberry for my husband.

PM: If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?

MM: I would be Kinsey Millhone, from Patricia Cornwell’s mystery series. I love Kinsey’s spunk and sense of honor, and the fact that she’s always getting herself into fixes, yet remaining honorable to friends and family, as well as clients, while she unravels the mysteries and figures things out. She’s got a great sense of humor, too, which always helps.

PM: If you couldn’t be a writer, what career path do you think you’d choose to be on?

MM: Well, I spent 31 years as a teacher and principal of both special needs and middle school children and absolutely loved my time in the school setting. I retired to full-time writing two years ago. Although I miss the kids, I am thrilled to realize my life-long dream of penning stories for a living.

PM: What is one thing about you that your readers would be shocked to know?

MM:I don’t know if it would shock anyone more than give them a good chuckle, but I sing my chickens a lullaby every night when they return to the coop. They seem to enjoy it, and so do the dog and cats. I also enjoy distance running, and have completed three marathons to date (not while singing, though).

PM: What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite gender?

MM: I grew up with three sisters and only one brother, and I have a daughter, so I haven’t had a whole lot of experience around guys. Sometimes getting their emotions down can be a challenge. But I read a lot and like to people watch, so that helps me figure things out pretty well.

PM: Do you have any family pets that currently own you?

MM: Yes! One of the perks of living on a farm is the ability to have pets that have room to roam. I have a rescue dog named Axel, two rescue cats named Colby and Rascal, six chickens (Pearl, Susie, Honor, Rosie, Cinnamon, and Spice), and twelve fish. They are all precious and full of spunk. I’ve been trying to talk my husband into a pig but so far, no luck.

PM: How can readers keep up with you and your new releases?

MM: I love to chat with readers through my website: http://MaryMannersRomance.com and also love to share tidbits about my family, upcoming books, contests, and free reads through my newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/f6w0j6

PM: Finally, coffee or tea? Cream, sugar?

MM: I love both coffee AND tea, but black coffee is usually my go-to drink. I love the flavored varieties…French vanilla, hazelnut, and mocha. Yum.

Mary has so kindly offered a free copy – PRINT or ebook – winners choice! Of Her newest book to be released 10/02/18! Simply comment on this post and tell us about your family pet (or lack of one) to enter to win! Contest will run for one week from post and winner will be notified via email! Good luck!

Here is the information on Tragedy & Trust:

ONE WRONG TURN AT A FORK IN THE ROAD…

When Chloe Rylin flees New York City and her dream of becoming a Broadway
performer, she returns to her hometown harboring a life-altering secret and the
shame of a shattered past. Best friend Kelsie asks her to help build a house
through the local Shelter the Homeless program, where Chloe meets Zack Coleman and his
mischievous Saint Bernard.

Zack is dealing with a devastating loss of his own, yet his gentleness and patience melt Chloe’s resolve never to trust, much less fall in love, again. But what will Zack think when he discovers the shame of Chloe’s past? Will he reject her, or can their fledgling love heal hurting hearts and blossom into a happily-ever-after?

21 Comments

New Facebook BookClub group!

September 29, 2018 in Welcome - About Me!

I am so honored and excited to be a part of this group as the “and a blogger” I would love to have all of you beautiful followers join us if you haven’t already!

Hello, and welcome to the group! We’re so glad you dropped by! So, introduction time. The three authors of the group name are Marion Ueckermann, Alexa Verde, and Autumn Macarthur.

Our theme Bible verse is: Two people can stand back-to-back to defend each other. And three people are even stronger. They are like a rope that has three parts wrapped together—it is very hard to break. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ERV)

Marion, Alexa and Autumn prove this daily, as we work together and support each other to create, write, and share our stories of love and faith. We have some wonderful joint projects we hope to share soon! With every book we write, we hope to bless our readers. To entertain, encourage, and uplift you. And we hope to share how much we love God, who shows us the perfect example of the Power of Three as Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit work together in our lives to bring us nearer to Him.

Joining us is Paula Marie, a wonderful book blogger, supporter of Christian authors, and a dear friend, whose superpower is organizing and encouraging! The rope of three parts becomes four – with God the strength at the center, holding it all together.

In this group, we’re hoping to work on a relaxed four week cycle. One week, Paula will host a Book Club discussing the book of the month, as well as posting at other times. Then the three authors will take a week each posting chat topics and giveaways related to our books and reading.

Please come along on our journey!

Click on the link to join: https://facebook.com/groups/247218999320897

4 Comments

My Review of Come to the Lake and a GIVEAWAY!!

September 25, 2018 in my point of view

Coffee with Brenda Anderson and a Giveaway!!

September 24, 2018 in coffee with paula marie

Brenda Anderson is joining me today for Coffee with Paula! Thank you, Brenda, I am so pleased to have you join me!

Thank you for welcoming me! I’m thrilled to be on your fabulous book blog!

PM: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to let me and our readers get to know you better! I see you grew up on a dairy farm, and I find that fascinating. I grew up a city girl, well, a small town really, just outside of New York City, so anything to do with farm life is foreign to me! Can you tell me what you loved most about farm life?

BA: I don’t know that I can narrow it down to one thing as the benefits of growing up on a farm were many! We learned the value and love of family, friends, and faith. We learned how to work hard and play hard. It’s the playing hard part my kids are jealous of. We had a sledding hill right across the road from our house. We had a pond that was perfect for ice skating and hockey. We had miles of roads for biking. And abundance of lakes for swimming. The hay loft was a perfect place for family games and making forts and giving concerts. And there was so much more! I’m sad that my own children didn’t get that same experience.

PM: Do you write stories more from your own experiences, or do you spend a lot time doing research on the type of characters your creating?

BA: All of my stories have pieces of my own experiences, but most require a good amount of research. My latest release, Place Called Home, was about a young woman who’d lived in an emotional abusive situation. Not having experienced that first hand, I had to do a lot of digging to learn what that looked like, especially on an emotional level.

PM: I enjoy hearing how different authors plan out their books, do you have the entire plot of the story ahead of time, or do you simply sit down in front of the keyboard and let the characters take over and lead you in the direction they are going?

BA: I’m a complete seat-of-the-pantser, though I’ve tried plotting. It never works for me, though it should as I’m an organizer who doesn’t like surprises in my non-fiction life. But being a pantser, I have to tune in to God more. Many days I’ll sit in front of the computer with no clue where I’m going to. I’ll often have a conversation with God, telling him I have no clue what I’m doing, so I need His help, then once I start writing, the story just seems to flow. Once I type The End, the story requires a lot of editing and fattening up, which I enjoy doing.

PM: Out of all your books which would you say was the hardest so far to write, in your opinion and why?

BA: The hardest to write was definitely Planting Hope. That’s the final book in my Where the Heart Is contemporary romance series. Writing romance is not a natural gift—I only wrote the first books because that’s what the market was demanding at that time, and the first in the series, Risking Love, was the first of my books to capture publishing industry attention. Over the span of two – three years, I had several stops and starts on Planting Hope. It was only when I had an opportunity to go on a week-long, writing-only retreat that I was able to push my way through the story. I ended up really liking the book, but it certainly didn’t come easy!

Now I’m back to writing the family drama / women’s fiction stories I have a passion for telling.

PM: I love to know what authors do with their free time when not writing or spending time with family, what are your favorite things to do when not writing or reading?

BA: I love going to movies (Marvel movies are my favorite!) with my family. I love roller coasters and baseball games and hiking along Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. I love theater and concerts and singing and am blessed to have a gifted daughter who seems to go from one musical production to the next. It’s so much fun watching our children use the gifts God gave them!

PM: As a full-time writer, do you lock yourself away in an office and hang out a “Do not Disturb” sign during your scheduled writing time? Do you prefer total silence, or like to have background music playing while writing?

BA: You nailed it. I lock myself in my office, and I actually have a warning sign on my door. (Not that it helps!) With the exception of nature singing outside my office window, I need silence. No music. No people interruptions.

PM: At my full-time job when we are interviewing for a new employee I always ask them what the last fictional novel is that they have read….so now I will ask you the same thing!

BA: The last one I read was No Less Days by Amanda Stevens. It was a story that really twisted the mind and made you think. Now I’ve just begun Julie Klassen’s latest, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage.

PM: If you could go anywhere in the world you have never been to spend an entire week, where would that be?

BA: I’ve always wanted to go to Israel. Our church has a group that goes every other year, and every time I ask God, “Can I go now?” but so far His answer has been “Wait.” Someday!

PM: How can readers keep up with you and your new releases?

BA: A couple of ways:

They can check out my website at BrendaAndersonBooks.com or they can Subscribe to my newsletter which typically goes out once per month: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/subscribe/. For subscribing, they can download a FREE copy of my Coming Home Series short story, Coming Home.

PM: Finally – Coffee or tea? Cream? Sugar?

BA: None of the above! My parents were coffee drinkers, but I never acquired the taste. I don’t care for tea either. But if you serve hot cocoa in the winter or fruit slushies in the summer, I’m perfectly happy.

Brenda has been so kind as to offer one commenter a free ebook of her latest in The Potter’s House series – Place Called Home!

Just comment below and tell us where in the world you’d like to spend a week to enter! Contest will run for 7 days after publication, and winner will be notified via email!

41 Comments

A Tuscan Legacy – 3 Books at a time! First Installment and Special Sale Dates!

September 21, 2018 in my point of view

I am actually going to do things a little differently for the next few weeks! Starting today I am going to bring you the first of my three part review on an entire collection of books, 3 at a time!! These are going to be about the amazing series – A Tuscan Legacy – there are a total of 9 books and 7 authors!

These books are all going to be available for just $0.99 on the dates listed for each of them – check the pricing before you buy!!

That’s Amore: That’s Love by Marion Ueckermann, A Tuscan Legacy Book 1 on sale from September 15th through the 21st for just 99 cents!!

When Rafaele and Jayne meet again two years after dancing the night away together in Tuscany, is it a matter of fate or of faith?

After deciding to take a six-month sabbatical, Italian lawyer Rafaele Rossi moves from Florence to Tuscany, resigned to managing the family farm for his aging nonna after his father’s passing. Convinced a family get-together is what Nonna needs to lift her spirits, he plans an eightieth birthday party for her, making sure his siblings and cousins attend.

The Keswick jewelry store where Jayne Austin has worked for seven years closes its doors. Jayne takes her generous severance pay and heads off to Italy—Tuscany to be precise. Choosing to leave her fate in God’s hands, she prays she’ll miraculously bump into the handsome best man she’d danced the night away with at a friend’s Tuscan wedding two years ago. She hasn’t been able to forget those smoldering brown eyes and that rich Italian accent.

Jayne’s prayers are answered swiftly and in the most unexpected way. Before she knows what’s happening, she’s a guest not only at Isabella Rossi’s birthday party, but at Villa Rossi too.

When Rafaele receives what appears to be a valuable painting from an unknown benefactor, he’s reminded that he doesn’t want to lose Jayne again. After what he’s done to drive her from the villa, though, what kind of a commitment will it take for her to stay?

my point of view:
I may be just a little bit prejudiced since I my ancestry is from Italy, but I loved this premise!! I was so anticipating this series that I had every one of them on pre order as soon as it was offered! I was part of the Facebook group so I would get notified of all the promotions, etc. Then when the first one was released, I thought, oh my goodness, I am sure to love this series so much I will be beside myself waiting for each release…….so I decided to practice restraint.

Something I have never been very good at, but hey, I was going to give it my best college try! I did try too, gave it my best, but as everyone kept talking about the books and I tried not to read, well, I couldn’t take it for too long and I finally started reading them. I consoled myself with the fact that by the time I got through the first ones, the last would be out and I’d be in good shape!

It worked out pretty darn good too, as I was able to read them all straight through! I must tell you, the way these authors brought the stories together is amazing!

Book one introduces us to the entire family of Nonna and her grandchildren. Sounds like a busy time, but add this to the author’s plate – not only must she write this love story about Rafaele and Jayne, but she is laying the foundation for all the other central characters that other authors are going to be writing about! She does a great job in this, book one, but you don’t really get HOW great of job Marion has done until you have read all of the books! The scenery of Tuscany makes me feel as if I was there (wish I was)! The descriptions are beautiful!

Luna Rosa: Blushing Moon by Elizabeth Maddrey, A Tuscan Legacy Book 2 on Sale from September 21st through the 27th for just 99 cents!!

She loves the spotlight, he prefers backstage. Can they still play love’s duet?

Nick Carter’s career as a piano tuner and teacher keeps him off-stage and allows him plenty of time to compose music he has no intention of ever publishing. Enter Louisiana Chalfant, the new symphony pianist who embodies the word diva. She’s exactly the kind of woman Nick has vowed to avoid, but when they’re cajoled into playing a duet he finds there’s more to her than he first thought.

Louisiana settles into her temporary role with the symphony in Washington, D.C., glad for the reprieve from touring professionally. She’s astonished to discover immense talent in the handsome man who keeps her piano in tune.

Practicing for a duet at church gives her the perfect opportunity to get to know the real Nick.

As they play together, Nick and Louisiana develop a friendship that begins to morph into something more, but what happens when their diverging goals threaten to upstage their love?

my point of view:
Book two brings us to the good ole USA and the world of classical music! Elizabeth brings Washington DC to life during the 4th of July celebrations with fireworks happening between the main characters that are such fun! I have actually been able to visit the DC area many times, and I enjoyed Elizabeth taking me there through this book, it brought back a lot of happy memories. I did enjoy learning about classic musical, from piano tuning, to composing and playing. I never imagined the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into most of it. I always sort of figured you have the talent or you don’t!

Louisiana is such a dear, I adored her “mis-ques” and her momma is a hoot! Down home Alabama grown Southern woman who tells it like it is and gives her daughter the funniest tips on winning your man! Nick Carter is a wonderful hero, he is so unsure of his musical talents, and that carries over to other areas in his life. God always finds a way to bring the right people together at the right time…and Elizabeth has just the right talent to put the words together for an amazing story!

Another aspect in this is the continuation of the series characters; we see messages between the cousins, get snippets of updates, and of course another mystery painting! But honestly, the stand alone quality is wonderful, to the point I almost forgot the about the paintings!

Rapsodia: Rhapsody by Alexa Verde, A Tuscan Legacy Book 3 on Sale from September 27th through October 3rd for just 99 Cents!!

A risk taker with a crushed spirit and a control-addicted businessman with a crushed heart… Can they surrender themselves to God’s healing love?

After the woman he loved left him for a richer guy, Marco Carter turned all his passion toward the chain of pizzerias he founded. He can control his business, unlike love. Then his world is turned upside down. He meets Samantha Jenkins on his flight home to Texas after his grandmother’s eightieth birthday.

Many hours with the guarded but beautiful Samantha has him questioning his career-centered mindset.

A born risk taker and fiercely independent, Samantha misses her former life as a travel photographer and extreme sports aficionado. But more than anything, she grieves her fiancé. On her trip from Italy on the anniversary of his tragic passing, the last thing she expects is to become drawn to her neighbor on her flight. Deep inside, she still blames herself for her fiancé’s death…

Though Marco is determined to forget Samantha, the arrival of a mysterious painting reminds him of all that is missing in his life. Hoping for a new chance with her, Marco opens a pizzeria in Samantha’s hometown in south Texas. Spending time with her, he’s learning to surrender control to the Lord. But apparently it’s easier to earn millions than to make Samantha open her heart again. What will it take for her to heal enough to trust in God and take the biggest risk of all-to love again?

my point of view:

Alright – full disclosure here, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know Alexa is near and dear to my heart, so naturally I adore this book! I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see a character from a previous book of hers! Bonus points, we get to see Joy and Dillon from Season of Joy!!

Keeping true to the series, this third book actually begins with Marco’s plane ride home from the family reunion in Tuscany for their Nonna’s birthday. Meeting Samantha on the plane when she is at one of her lowest points emotionally brings these two together to forge an unlikely bond.Walking away from one another was really just the beginning!

Marco can’t get past his issues with being liked for himself or his money, and Samantha is wracked with guilt for her fiance’s tragic death. These two characters are absolutely precious. I love how they take the journey of stepping out in faith to over come their past and face their future.

Here is a link to the series website with videos and photos:
http://atuscanlegacy.com/

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