About the Book

Book: Jo

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: May 3, 2022

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways

, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!
An evil tragedy upends Jo’s young life. Sickness propels the young lady and her grandfather from the thick, moisture-laden air of the Mississippi to drier desert land at the end of the Santa Fe Trail. Her life-long beau professes his love from the banks of the muddy river, but Papa is her whole life, and she’s determined to keep him alive. Along the way, suitors and adventures are aplenty. How is a stubborn girl who always knows what’s best supposed to choose when the one she likes best is constantly rubbing her the wrong way? Could things be any more difficult? Has she made a huge mistake?

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About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling novels—over fifty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen to a few at YouTube. Sharing four children and eighteen grandsugars with Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty years, she lives in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

Writing Jo had a special meaning to me as Ron and I reared four of our grandsons. Right off the bat in Chapter One of JO, tragedy befalls her family when she was only six years old. The incident results in her being raised by her grandfather, and she adores him!

So many grandparents today are called on to rear their grandsugars—and even great-grandsugars—that I believed if would afford the opportunity for a really great and different story. Though it didn’t happen nearly as often back then, it did happen. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Timothy 5:8

Several years ago, a poll was taken in one of the groups I belong to. It asked readers what kind of western historical romance they wanted to read about, and covered wagon stories won the day, so I organized the multi-author project and called it the Prairie Roses Collection.
That was back in 2018—and that inaugural collection launched in early May of 2019 in time for Mothers’ Day! Each year we have new authors—and some returning ones—and new standalone stories with the covered wagon conmnection. We have a Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PrairieRosesCollection

This year, the Fourth Annual Prairie Roses Collection, we have twelve authors offering a wagon train story of a strong and brave ‘prairie rose’ making an arduous journey in a covered wagon. I’m so excited to have so many great authors writing a wagon train story for 2022!

Back in the day, Ron and I drove the Oregon/California Trail for some awesome research. All my other roses took that route, but this year, we traveled the Santa Fe Trail! It was great fin seeing the new landscape and going to the hot dry air of New Mexico’s desert.

Jo convinced her grandfather to go for his health’s sake, not realizing how hard it would be on him to start over. She keeps goats and is a calligrapher of some renown, creating beautiful legal documents on parchment made from the goat skins. I once had a herd of 80 dwarf Nigerian goats, so knew all about the critters!

I love the era for novels and how once written, a historical never goes out-of-date! Contemporary romance will be outdated almost as soon as it’s written these days due to all the amazing technology. I love the time when people knew their neighbors, life was slower, families ate together at the table, and women were modest and considered treasures.

I don’t know if any generation has seen such advances as my own. My parents watched the first televisions, but that can’t begin to compare with computers in every home. I believe we truly are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation—a peculiar people who will show forth the praises of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord with me and be blessed!
This Texas author hopes readers will love Lilah as I always am, “Praying my story gives God glory!”

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 11

Texas Book-aholic, June 12

lakesidelivingsite, June 13

Inklings and notions, June 14

For Him and My Family, June 15

deb’s Book Review, June 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 17

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 18

Connie’s History Classroom, June 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 21

Guild Master, June 22 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, June 23

A Reader’s Brain, June 24 (Author Interview)

Miriam Jacob, June 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of Remi!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1eb79/jo-celebration-tour-giveaway

About the Book

Book: Much Ado About Persuasion

Author: Barbara Cornthwaite

Genre: Historical/Jane Austen Retelling

Release date: May 3, 2022

Some duel with swords, others with ships. In love, however, they duel with hearts.

When Sir Walter Elliot, secret admirer of the Navy, invites officers to visit his estate, what could be more natural than for his two daughters to find themselves in love?

Elizabeth Elliot’s legendary, bitter pride clashes with Admiral Baldwin’s stubborn conceit until any hope of a match seems impossible. They say love conquers all, but does it?

All looks hopeful for Anne Elliot and the dashing Captain Wentworth, but when a cousin steps in and sets evil plans into motion, is their love enough to withstand the storm, or is it best to let the captain sail that ship… alone?

Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing meets Jane Austen’s Persuasion in this story about trust, disappointment, and disguises.

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My Review

To say I loved every bit of this classic literature remix would be the understatement of all time. Being a Jane Austen enthusiast, I was a little wary at first but our author took each character and developed them as beautifully as Austen herself. The mixture with Shakespeare’s classic tale flowed seamlessly together as if they were meant to be as one all along. The many layers to the plot keep you easily intrigued ready to see what happens next, and the redemption found with some of our even less likeable characters is very satisfying. The language and descriptions used transported me in time and place to be a part of the story. I can not recommend this fiction enough for those who enjoy classic fiction or are looking for an engaging historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are entirely my own.

About the Author

Barbara Cornthwaite lives in the middle of Ireland with her husband and children. She taught college English before “retiring” to do something she loves far more; her days are now filled with homeschooling, trying to keep the house tidy (a losing battle), and trying to stay warm in the damp Irish climate (also a losing battle). She is surrounded by medieval castles, picturesque flocks of sheep, and ancient stone monuments. These things are unappreciated by her six children, who are more impressed by traffic jams, skyscrapers, and hot weather.

More from Barbara

I discovered Jane Austen in college when I was required to read Pride and Prejudice. This was in the dark ages before the famous adaptations, and I knew nothing about the storyline. In fact, I expected it to be depressing, probably because the title sounded similar to War and Peace. It was a delightful surprise to be charmed by the novel, and I went on to read all Austen’s other books on my own. Each of them have a special place in my heart. I love Emma so much that I wrote a two-book parallel novel for it (the George Knightley, Esquire series). I also have novellas based on Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma in the A Very Austen anthologies. This book, however, is the first thing I’ve written based on Persuasion.

Shakespeare I met in high school, and furthered my acquaintance with him in college. Much Ado About Nothing is, I think, my favorite of his plays (although there are several close contenders for the top spot). His grasp of character is unmatched, and his language, even after five hundred years, is striking.

Mixing the stories of these two authors has been great fun, and redeeming a couple of characters who didn’t learn anything from their mistakes in the original stories gives my version a spiritual twist. I hope you enjoy it!