Showing posts with label Joanie Bruce. Show all posts

Monday, December 4, 2017

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Holly, Ivy & Intrigue

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Holly, Ivy & Intrigue

About the Book

Title: Holly, Ivy & Intrigue

Author: Joanie Bruce, Alexa Verde, Denise Weimer

Genre: Mystery/suspense, Christmas

Release Date: November 13, 2017

Christmas Murder Mix-Up

“I have to get rid of her now.”

After four months of a blissful marriage, Paige is devastated to overhear her husband, Cooper, say those words to his best friend. Because of a suspicious Christmas gift, a gas leak, and a home invasion, Paige’s love for Cooper is tested to the limit. Will their marriage survive the Christmas Murder Mix-up?

Holiday Pursuit

When Brianna Rockwell’s brother finds himself in danger and disappears three days before Christmas, she does everything to rescue him. Brianna dodges bullets, escapes fire, and even turns to her longtime crush for help. But the closer she gets to solving the mystery and finding her only sibling, the more desperate someone gets to silence her forever…

A HOLIDAY INTRUDER:

Kelsey Jordan prefers upcycling junk and refinishing antiques for her store in a Georgia mountains town to being the center of attention. When a robbery and an unknown benefactor shove her in the middle of a decades-old mystery, and a real estate developer and a former baseball star compete for her attention, Kelsey isn’t sure who to trust.

Click here to purchase your copy.


About the Authors

As an avid reader, Joanie Bruce welcomed the transition from reading to writing and considered it a wonderful new experience to please others with her words. She has three published Christian suspense novels, and enjoys writing from her home in the country. Thankful that God has given her the ability to write, draw and paint, Joanie strives to use them to encourage others and to honor Him in all her accomplishments.

Alexa Verde penned her first literary masterpiece, a rhymed poem, at the ripe age of eight, and since has had 200 short stories, articles, and poems published in the five languages that she speaks. She has a bachelor degree in Spanish, a master’s in Russian, and enjoys writing about characters with diverse cultures. She’s worn the hats of reporter, teacher, translator, model (even one day counts!), caretaker, and secretary, but thinks that the writer’s hat suits her the best. After traveling the world and living in both hemispheres, she calls a small town in south Texas home. The latter is an inspiration for the fictional setting of her series Rios Azules Christmas and Secrets of Rios Azules.

DENISE WEIMER holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. An associate editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, Denise is the author of The Restoration Trilogy, The Georgia Gold Series, romantic novella REDEEMING GRACE, and ACROSS THREE AUTUMNS: A Novella of The Backcountry Brides Collection through Barbour Publishing (May 2018). This wife and swim mom of two daughters always pauses for coffee, chocolate, old houses, and to write any story God lays on her heart.

My Thoughts

This delightful trio of mysteries are light, easy reads that I was able to finish in one sitting. I loved that they were all connected to Christmas, yet each had a different flavor.

Christmas Murder Mix-up: Anyone who has made assumptions that lead to misunderstanding and difficulties will appreciate this Christmas caper. Marriage isn’t easy, and as a newlywed of only four months Paige leaps to conclusions that create all kinds of angst in her life. I loved her husband Cooper, and enjoyed following Paige as she tried to figure out what was going on. The story tied up a little too quickly for my taste, but I loved the ending.

Holiday Pursuit: The story starts off with a bang, and the fast pace continues almost to the end. Brianna is a wonderful, older sister who puts her own needs ahead of her brother as she tries to help him out. Her loyalty to those around her is commendable. After the mystery was solved (which I didn’t figure out despite the clues!), there was a nice epilogue with a bit of unexpected “feel good.”

A Holiday Intruder: Denise Weimer is a new author to me, and after reading this story, I will definitely search for other books she’s written. I didn’t solve this mystery either, and the twist at the end was fantastic. The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed learning about the antiques business. I felt for Kelsey as she struggled trying to make ends meet as a business owner. Tyler had his own issues, and yet he didn’t allow them to get in the way of helping Kelsey. A nice guy, I would like to meet in person.

I received a copy of this book for free from CelebrateLit Publicity, and a favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, December 3

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 3

Reflections From My Bookshelves, December 4

History, Mystery & Faith, December 4

Zerina Blossom’s Books, December 5

proud to be an autism mom, December 5

Mommynificent, December 6

Inklings and notions, December 6

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 6

Allofakindmom, December 7

Blogging With Carol, December 7

Blossoms and Blessings, December 8

Have A Wonderful Day, December 8

Janices book reviews, December 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 9

Carpe Diem, December 10

Mary Hake, December 10

A Baker’s Perspective, December 11

Daysong Reflections, December 12

Avid Reader Book Reviews, December 12

Reading Is My SuperPower, December 13

Remembrancy, December 13

Multifarious, December 14

Margaret Kazmierczak, December 14

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, December 15

Pursuing Stacie, December 15

Vicky Sluiter, December 16

Bigreadersite, December 16

Giveaway

To celebrate the tour, Celebrate Lit Publishing is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c515

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Blog Tour: Murder for the Time Being

Blog Tour: Murder for the Time Being

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book: Murder for the Time Being

Author: Joanie Bruce

Genre: Christian Suspense/Romance

Release Date: November 29, 2016

“You’ll pay for this. I’ll get you both.”

Computer expert Lexi Wynn is frightened. Someone is after her, but she doesn’t know why. Is it because of her past or because she was thrust into a deadly bank robbery and might identify the ones responsible? Escaping a failed kidnapping attempt and not sure who to trust, she hopes her specialized skills with computers might flush out the name of the killer. When a tall, dark, and handsome stranger rams into her truck with the hearse he’s driving and puts his life in danger to save hers, can she ignore the attraction she feels for him to concentrate on the killers? Or is God the only one who can save her now?

Drew Sheffield is irritated when a cute lady stops abruptly in front of him and he plows into the back of her pickup. After their initial confrontation, flashbacks of honeysuckle and sassy green eyes linger in his thoughts. When Lexi is threatened, he steps in to help the feisty young woman, in spite of agonizing over a past relationship.

Can Lexi and Drew forget the tragedies of the past and embrace the feelings between them or will ghostly memories snub out the promise of a future together?

My Thoughts

Murder for the Time Being is the first in Joanie Bruce’s “Murders in Madison” series. A contemporary romantic suspense, the story centers around Lexi Wynn, a young woman whose family is party of the Witness Security Program (WitSec), also known as the Witness Protection Program. Murder for the Time Being begins with Lexi and her folks running for their lives and doesn’t let up until the last page. Drew Sheffield is drawn into the situation whether he wants to be or not and must confront his own past while helping Lexi escape hers. The characters are likable and believable, and I enjoyed following the clues alongside Lexi and Drew to figure out who was responsible for the crimes. Medical technology is at the core of the story, and Ms. Bruce does a good job of explaining the concepts through dialogue and description without sounding condescending or lecture-like. The faith message is also woven throughout as Drew searches for answers. A highly enjoyable, fast-paced read.

I received this book for free from Celebrate Lit Publicity. A positive review was not required, and all views expressed are my own.

About the Author

Joanie has a strong passion for reading, and her love for books with nail-biting suspense, inspires her to write contemporary suspense books. Thankful that God has given her the ability to write from her home in the country, she strives to use that opportunity to honor Him in all of her writing. Joanie and her husband, Ben, live in a country home near Madison, Georgia, right in the middle of a pasture full of beef cows. There they raised and homeschooled their three children. She enjoys cooking, taking long walks, painting oil portraits, and caring for their home in the country.

Guest Post from Joanie Bruce

Have you ever been devastated by a certain event in your life, and later it turned out to the best thing that ever happened to you? That’s what happened to Lexi Wyn in this book, “Murder for the Time Being.” Something unthinkable happened to her family, but in the end, it changes Lexi’s life forever and introduces her to the love of her life.

In this story, both Lexi and Drew have things in their past that discourage them from seeking a lasting relationship. However, God has a plan for them both, and through His Divine engineering, they are thrown together in circumstances that nurture a growing appreciation and affection for each other.

This book was fun to write because I anchored the story in my sweet little town of Madison, Georgia. I wasn’t raised in Madison, but I’ve called it home for much longer than any other place I’ve ever lived. While growing up in the big city of Memphis, Tennessee, I had definite plans for my future. All I ever wanted was to “marry a country boy and live in the country.” The Lord heard the desires of my heart and gave me what I wanted … a country boy, born and raised here in Morgan County on a dairy farm.

After we married, I adopted Madison as my home, and I love it so much that I wanted to feature some of the fun spots in Madison as the backdrops for the scenes in my books. I hope when you read through the pages of my book, you will get an idea of what a sweet little town Madison is and enjoy reading about Lexi and Drew and how they let God guide them in discovering that murder CAN be “for the Time Being.”

Blog Stops

March 14: Ashley’s Bookshelf

March 14: Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

March 15: autism mom

March 15: Inklings and notions

March 16: A Reader’s Brain

March 16: Blossoms and Blessings

March 17: Blogging With Carol

March 17: A Greater Yes

March 18: Radiant Light

March 18: Reading Is My SuperPower

March 19: A Baker’s Perspective

March 20: Moments Dipped in Ink

March 20: Karen Sue Hadley

March 21: History, Mystery & Faith

March 21: Through the Open Window

March 22: cherylbbookblog

March 22: Seasons of Opportunities

March 23: Daysong Reflections

March 24: Pause for Tales

March 24: 2014 and Beyond!

March 25: Lights in a Dark World

March 25: For The Love of Books

March 26: Carpe Diem

March 26: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

March 27: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses

March 27: His Grace is Sufficient

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Joanie is giving away a Kindle Fire!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b291

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Blog Tour: A Memory Worth Dying For

To purchase your copy, click here.

About the Book

“Do Not Return To Texas!” Marti Rushing gets the message, loud and clear. If she returns to Texas, her life is in danger. If she stays in Tennessee, she’s safe. But when she receives a letter telling her that Daniel, her ex-husband and the love of her life, is dying, she knows she has to defy the stalker and return to Texas to see him. Three years ago, Daniel accused her of things she couldn’t remember doing. Without waiting for an explanation and after four wonderful years of marriage, Daniel kicks her off of his family’s Quarter Horse ranch. Now, three years after their separation, he walks into her art reception in Tennessee and acts like he doesn’t remember her. Does the memory loss have anything to do with the letter she received, or is Daniel pretending? Is he the one stalking her, or is it someone with a deadly, sinister motive? Ignoring the deadly warnings, she leaves for Texas, but on the way there, the attempts on her life begin. Will she be able to evade her pursuer’s attacks? Or will Daniel’s face be the last one she sees?

My Thoughts:

As with any good suspense novel, A Memory Worth Dying For starts off with a bang and immersed me immediately into the intrigue. Multiple plot lines and short chapters kept the pace breathless, causing me to read late into the night as I tried to figure out who was out to get Marti. Marti and Daniel both struggle with their relationship with God, but for different reasons. Through the use of realistic dialogue, their friends and acquaintances lead them to prayerfully consider how to respond to God’s desire to have a place in their lives. Told through the eyes of several characters, including the unknown villains, A Memory Worth Dying For has a high level of suspense and plenty of twists and turns. Themes of forgiveness and hope in God are woven throughout the story without being preachy. It is my hope Ms. Bruce plans additional novels in this series.

About the Author

Guest Post from Joanie Bruce

Hello everyone. My name is Joanie Bruce, and I’m happy to visit with you today and tell you a little about myself and my book, “A Memory Worth Dying For.”

The idea for this book actually started from a simple memory. Years ago, I watched a movie about a woman whose father-in-law ruined her marriage. That thought raised a question in my mind: What would happen if a married woman was kicked out of her home by her father-in-law, and her husband never stood up for her against his father?

Many questions and solutions emerged from that one idea, and the brainstorming began… One answer lead to another problem, and the answer to that problem produced another question. When all was done, the plot for this book emerged.

After adding suspense, mystery, love, and a growing spiritual aspect to that one idea, I was able to combine them to form an interesting plot. Finally, after several months of work, “A Memory Worth Dying For” was born.

I love this story because it shows forgiveness at its highest peak. Marti and Daniel have a wonderful marriage, but because of greed, selfishness, and a colossal misunderstanding, that marriage is dissolved. Even though they are separated, the love they feel for each other never wanes. Marti’s love for Daniel throws her into a dangerous situation, but that same love also gives her the perseverance and determination to stay in Texas and fight for the happiness of the man she loves even though her life is threatened if she does. I’m sure you’ve all read the Bible verse Joel 2:25a. “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.” That verse is the one Marti clings to throughout the story.

As I do my writing each day, I pray that God will teach me something. Writing this book taught me so many lessons. Not only did I fall in love with the characters, but with the idea of practicing forgiveness in my own life. It also reinforced the knowledge that I should never jump to conclusions and get the facts before I make decisions. In this book, Daniel jumped to a conclusion and listened to gossip which caused the break-up of his marriage and unnecessary stress in his life.

Years ago, one of my Sunday School students gave me a book for Christmas called “In His Steps.” If you remember, that book started the campaign that encouraged you to ask “what would Jesus do?” before every action. I was convicted while reading that book because I knew I wasn’t doing things in my life for the Lord’s glory. So the next Sunday in church, I dedicated my life back to the Lord, and I began praying He would use me in whatever way He chose.

After those sincere prayers, the Lord began showing me how I could use my life and the talents He gave me for Him. It was shortly after that prayer I found out I had the ability to paint portraits, and not long after starting my art career, my first attempt at writing was accepted for a publishing contract. I realized then that following the Lord’s leading in my life and an attitude of gratefulness and obedience all worked together so the Lord would bless my efforts.

If you take anything away from this post, I hope it will be that the Lord can use anyone who is willing to be used. If you surrender your talents to him, no matter what your age or limitations, God can still use you for His glory.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings. I hope and pray that God blesses each of you in all of your accomplishments.