Heartsong Presents: July new releases

Narelle here. My first fiction book release with Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents line, Falling for the Farmer, is scheduled for February 2014. On the last Tuesday of each month, I’m posting information on the new Heartsong Presents releases for the following month.

Harlequin publishes four Heartsong Presents books each month: two contemporary inspirational romances and two historical inspirational romances. They also publish the Love Inspired books, including contemporary romance (Love Inspired), historical romance (Love Inspired Historical) and romantic suspense (Love Inspired Suspense).

International readers outside the USA and Canada can purchase the print books online from Amazon and The Book Depository (free international shipping). If you’re looking for inspirational (Christian) romances to read, please check out the  Heartsong Presents and Love Inspired books.

Juan Antonio has a problem.

Juan Antonio Fuentes wants to sell his father’s mango plantation. But before he can leave Mexico and head back to the U.S., he has to bring in a good crop. And that calls for the best fruit inspector in the region. But when a beautiful woman sets foot on his land, his life and his heart are turned upside down.

Dealing with difficult men is all in a day’s work for Carina Garza. But she’s never met anyone like Antonio before. He’s both strong and sweet, and soon she’s falling head over heels for the handsome plantation owner. When he proposes marriage to her—with the condition she never work again—Carina is stunned. Can this modern woman earn both love and respect from her traditional man?

Read The Marriage Ultimatum excerpt at Amazon.com

Natalie Wentworth’s past is about to catch up with her.

Natalie once dreamed of finding true love. Then Lane Gray broke her heart. After running wild to fill the emptiness inside her, she heads back to her hometown to heal. But when she sees the cowboy she once loved so much, she finds him hard to resist.

Lane Gray is a changed man. The handsome cowboy wants Natalie’s forgiveness—and more. Natalie has made plenty of mistakes in her life, but so has Lane. Could falling for each other again be the worst one yet? Or the path to redemption?

Read Rodeo Regrets excerpt at Amazon.com

Marie Bolden might be learning more than she’s teaching.

Wealthy, privileged Marie Bolden lives a life of comfort. So her father can’t understand why she’d leave her family in North Carolina to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. After all, there couldn’t possibly be anything to capture her interest in isolated Cades Cove, Tennessee. Except for the mysterious Daniel Watson.

Daniel is a jack-of-all-trades. He’s a farmer, a rancher—and possibly a moonshiner. But he is not a believer. And that makes him the wrong man for Marie. Yet their affection for each other cannot be denied. When Marie is suddenly kidnapped, Daniel must turn to God for help before he loses the only love he’s ever known.

Read A Love to Treasure excerpt at Amazon.com

Tabitha is in search of adventure.

Tabitha McClelland knows accepting a job as a Harvey House waitress can be risky. Traveling alone to the rough-and-tumble West just isn’t done by young ladies of good breeding. But far more dangerous is her powerful attraction to Adam Foster. Family means everything to the widowed chef, but the self-sufficient Tabitha cherishes her freedom above all else.

Adam is captivated by the fiercely independent Tabitha. Fraternizing with the female employees is strictly forbidden, but the Harvey Girl awakens feelings too compelling to ignore. Can Adam convince Tabby to share his dream of a future in California—together?

Read Cooking Up Love excerpt at Amazon.com

NARELLE ATKINS writes contemporary inspirational romance and lives in Canberra, Australia. She sold her debut novel, set in Australia, to Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents line in a six-book contract. Her first book, Falling for the Farmer, will be a February 2014 release. http://www.narelleatkins.com

Narelle is a co-founder of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance (ACRBA) http://www.acrba.blogspot.com

ACRBA tour Boondaburra by Natalie Lonsdale

 

17 – 21 June

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Boondaburra

(Even Before Publishing, February 2013)

By Natalie Lonsdale

available from

Light The Dark

About the Author

Natalie Lonsdale is a former Early Childhood Educator who is currently studying to be a Library Technician. Natalie loves children’s literature, photography, travelling, history, and eucalyptus trees. Boondaburra is Natalie’s first book, and she is working on several more. Natalie has a heart to write stories that encourage children to delight in God’s word and in His love.

About the book:

Boondaburra is sad. Why do the other animals make fun of him just because he is different? When tragedy strikes in the Australian bush, Boondaburra learns that being unique has its advantages. Boondaburra is the story of a platypus’ journey from rejection to accepting and understanding his uniqueness, and the friends who come to accept and admire those differences.

Narelle: I really enjoyed reading Boondaburra. The illustrations are gorgeous and relevant to the action taking place. The story celebrates God’s creation of many different types of animals. At the start of the story Boondaburra struggles with feelings of inadequacy because the other animals treat him like an outcast.

A number of native Australian animals are included in the story and they learn the importance of appreciating each other’s unique characteristics. The author’s note at the end provides fascinating platypus facts. I highly recommend Boondaburra to those looking for a fun and inspiring children’s story.

Many thanks to Even Before Publishing for providing a review copy.

Book Recommendation – Reign: The Chronicles of Queen Jezebel by Ginger Garrett

Back cover blurb:

Beyond the Drama, Her Heart Was Real

From the moment her marriage to prince Ahab thrusts her into the intrigues of palace life, Jezebel’s exotic beauty opens doors and her will breaks down walls. Torn from her homeland and wed to power in a strange country, Jezebel vows to create a legacy and power all her own. Some might call her a manipulative schemer, bent on having her way. But they don’t know the whole story, and she was much, much worse.

As she moves through the halls of power, her heart struggles between devotion to the gods she worships, the prince who loves her, and her thirst for revenge. She sparks a battle between her strangely powerless gods and the God of palace administrator Obadiah—a God who confronts her with surprising might. She will fight, though victory may cost her everything.

Narelle: I found Reign a fascinating story to read. It was a little confronting to walk in Jezebel’s shoes as she became the princess and ultimately queen of Israel with her husband, Ahab. Her despicable and evil acts including idolatry, child sacrifices and killing the Lord’s prophets are covered in the book. We gain an insight into her hatred of the prophet, Elijah, and her unquenchable desire for power.

Ahab is stuck in the middle. He is unable to please his wife and the people who have remained faithful to the Israelite God. He allows Jezebel to encourage the Israelites to worship her foreign gods. Both Ahab and Jezebel suffer the consequences of God’s wrath and judgment.

We are given a fictional perspective on their dysfunctional marriage and family life, and plausible reasons to explain their life choices. I recommend this book to those looking for insightful and challenging Biblical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and David C. Cook for providing a review copy.

Read a FREE sample at AMAZON.com

Book Recommendation: So Shines the Night by Tracy L. Higley

Back cover blurb:

In a city teetering at the brink of anarchy, Daria finds hope among people of The Way.

She escaped a past of danger and found respite in beautiful Ephesus, a trading center on the Aegean coast, serving as tutor to Lucas, the wealthy merchant who rescued her.

But the darkness she fled has caught up with her.

The high priests of Artemis once controlled the city, but a group of sorcerers are gaining power. And a strange group who call themselves followers of The Way further threaten the equilibrium. As Daria investigates Lucas’s exploits into the darker side of the city, her life is endangered, and she takes refuge in the strange group of believers. She’s drawn to Paul and his friends, even as she wrestles with their teachings.

When authorities imprison Lucas for a brutal crime, Daria wonders if even Paul’s God can save him. Then she uncovers a shocking secret that could change everything—Lucas’s fate, her position in his household, and the outcome of the tension between pagans and Christians. But only if she survives long enough to divulge what she knows.

Narelle: I loved reading this book. The first few chapters hooked me into the story and I couldn’t put it down. Daria and Lucas are intriguing and multi-layered characters. I wanted to see them triumph over their problems and achieve their seemingly impossible happily-ever-after ending.

I enjoyed seeing the city of Ephesus, with a rich cultural heritage, brought to life on the page. Paul, Timothy and other Biblical characters we learn about in the book of Acts and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians play a crucial role in the story.

The spiritual warfare element in the story is fascinating and I liked seeing the early church from the perspective of outsiders who were seeking to learn the truth. I highly recommend this book to those looking for an insightful and gripping Biblical fiction story.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for providing a review copy.

Read a FREE sample at Amazon.com

ACRBA tour Picking up the Pieces by Paula Vince

3 – 7  June

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Picking up the Pieces

(Even Before Publishing 2010)

By

Paula Vince

Available at

Amazon

and

Light The Dark

About the Author

Award winning Australian author, PAULA VINCE, loves to evoke tears and laughter through writing fiction. She has a passion to provide inspiring stories that highlight her own beautiful country.

Website is http://www.paulavince.com/

About the Book:

“One terrible decision leads to another and the Parker and Quinlan families find out what it means to be in total despair.

In a moment of recklessness, Blake Quinlan does something he never should. The bitter consequences of his impulse will reverberate through the rest of his life unless he learns to deal with his past.

Without warning, Claire Parker’s life shatters. One horrific event leads to a choice that she can never forget. She must find a source of strength and forgiveness to help her recover or she will never again be the happy person she once was.

Moving forward, there is still a ray of hope. A triumphant story about forgiveness, new beginnings and the power of love.”