Friday, April 14, 2023

Rose by Rena Groot

About the Book

Book: Rose

Author: Rena Groot

Genre: Christian Historical Romantic Fiction

Release date: April 28, 2022

Strong, determined Rose finds more than she bargained for on a wagon train headed out West on the Oregon Trail. Will she be able to leave the comforts of high society behind to survive the rigors of the trail? Will she humbly admit her need for strength, hope and courage from God? What is God saying to her about Lachlan, her surprise chaperone? Why did God bring Lachlan into her life if their dreams collide? Rose has dreams of being a teacher in town. Lachlan’s dream is to be a rancher, far from any town. Must Rose abandon her dreams to embrace his…or will she let this gentle giant of a man leave to pursue his own dreams?

Click here to get your copy!

  *I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are not an endorsement of agreement with authors and their opinions presented.

Author Interview 

1. Why did you want to become an author? 
I didn’t decide to become an author. God decided for me. Words just insisted on being written. Something deep is released in me when I write…a part of me I didn’t know existed. It’s funny, an old friend knew me as a Kindergarten teacher. She read The Narrow Path Trilogy and her response was, “Rena wrote THAT?”
 
2. What step of writing this book was the most challenging and why? 
This is probably not the answer you are expecting. My biggest challenge was quitting. I once wrote all night because the story wanted so badly to be written. 
 
3. Which character in your book do you relate to the most?
Rose. She is basically me living over one hundred years ago. 
 
4. If you could meet your characters in real life, what would you talk about? 
Everything…but mostly how utterly and completely amazing God is. 
 
9. How did you celebrate when you completed your book? 
I caught up on my sleep…haha. 
 
11. What message do you hope readers take away from your book? 
That God can be trusted—even when His ways seem perplexing and we don’t understand. 
 
Thank you, Katie.
Blessings,
Rena Groot

About the Author

Hi. My name is Rena Groot. I have a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Religious Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta. I have been a teacher in Canada and China, have published eight books, I have designed a digital course called Broken to Beautiful-Transformed By God’s Power, I have been a tour manager from the Rockies to the Pacific, have been a missionary to the ends of the Earth, a mom of four—and the most important part—I am a child of God.

More from Rena

My middle name is Rose. I was named after my grandmother, Rose. As far as I know, I never met my father’s mother, Rose. Her life, and my dad’s, were an enigma to me. While writing this book I found out Rose had two other grandchildren I knew nothing about—my brother and sister I didn’t know existed. God is so amazing! (This is attached to the email)

One of my favorite recipes is fry bread. On days we stay in camp, I make enough for the week. It gets a bit hard towards the end of the week, but softens when it’s dipped in stew. Here’s the recipe: Four cups flour, one quarter cup shortening—I use bacon fat—four teaspoons baking powder, three-quarters cup of milk, one teaspoon salt, and oil or fat for frying. If the dough is too thick or thin, Willow said to play with it until it feels just right. It can also be made into a dessert if you put milk, cinnamon, and berries on top.

Johnnycake’s delicious with beans. It’s so easy to make. You need two eggs, two cups of sour milk, one half cup flour, two tablespoons molasses, one teaspoon salt, two cups cornmeal, one teaspoon baking powder, and two tablespoons butter. You mix all the ingredients then bake it in a Dutch oven over the fire until it’s cooked.

Cheese is easy to make. It’s a good way to use the two gallons of milk we get from our cow and the goat each day. We are getting so much we have been sharing. Willow showed me how to gently heat the milk in a pail on the fire until it’s blood warm. Rennet is needed to make cheese, so I use a flask made from a cow’s stomach because it has rennet in it. I had no idea. I pour the hot milk into the stomach flask and wait. After it’s been left a few hours, I pour it out, break up the curds, and mix them with salt. I wrap the curds in a cloth and put them in a round wooden frame called “the follower.” (Thankfully, Lachlan had the good sense to buy one of those also). The curds are pressed in the follower. The cheese is usually aged for at least two months before it can be eaten.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 3

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 4

Texas Book-aholic, April 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 6

Simple Harvest Reads, April 7 (Author Interview)

Connie’s History Classroom, April 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 9

By The Book, April 10 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 11

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, April 12 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 12

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, April 13

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 14 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, April 15 (Author Interview)

Sheila’s Reading Corner, April 15

Giveaway

https://promosimple.com/ps/2525e/rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rena is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

Saturday, April 8, 2023

The Neighbor Renovation by Grace Worthington

About the Book

Book: The Neighbor Renovation

Author: Grace Worthington

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy

Release date: March 30, 2023

My perfect summer just got ruined by a brunette in a tool belt.

This was my summer to get away from it all. Live like a hermit. Fix up my family’s vacation home.

Until Ella arrived.

My infuriating neighbor has returned for beach season.

Ever since our families bought summer homes next to each other, that was the beginning of our neighbor war.

Now I have to see her every. single. day.

When I let it slip that I’m making a few home improvements, she jumps at the chance to help. She’s an interior designer who needs work. I’m a man who loathes shopping. Any mention of the words color palette makes me want to break out in hives.

We’re the dynamic duo for this fixer upper.

There’s only one problem: the more time we spend together, the more attracted I am to her. Now our on-the-job flirting is veering into dangerous territory.

Because if there’s one thing I know, Ella and I are not meant to be together.

I’m emotionally unavailable. She’s sworn off relationships. And our families hate each other.

I know my future is at stake. But I can’t seem to tear myself away from this project…or her.

So I tell myself:

I most definitely will not fall for my neighbor.

But you know what they say about promises you can’t keep? Don’t make them.

Like most home projects, I’m learning that nothing ever goes according to plan.

Especially when it comes to love

Click here to get your copy!

  *I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are not an endorsement of agreement with authors and their opinions presented.

About the Author

Grace Worthington is the author of sweet romance and sweet romcom novels. She loves quaint small towns and the beach is her happy place, which is why you’ll find both in her books. She’s obsessed with chocolate, romcom movies from the 80’s & 90’s, and goldendoodles. Get a free book sweet romcom at graceworthington.com

Author Interview

1. What/Who inspired you to write on the main themes found in the book?

One of my guilty pleasures is watching home renovation shows. I love seeing the transformation from a drab or dated house to something extraordinarily beautiful. It makes me believe I could do the same over the weekend.

Of course, after tackling several small projects with my husband, we quickly realized that we’re no Chip and Joanna Gaines. Nearly every home project we attempt has something unexpected happen that makes the project harder.

When you’re working with your spouse, it’s tricky, because it can get stressful fast. But it can also be fun. And there’s nothing better than when a project is finished!

When I created the book, I decided to ask the question: What if two people who were enemies worked on renovating a home together? Would they survive the renovation? Could it even make them fall in love?

It’s a great fit for a romcom, providing lots of hilarity, forced proximity, and a very happy ending. Even better than your favorite home renovation show.

2. Which character in your book do you relate to the most?

I really love Ella, the main female character, because her flaws represent things we all struggle with. She feels like she doesn’t fit in for several reasons, including a family situation that she has no control over. But over the years her shame has grown over her family, and she’s finally facing it head on.

She also has this very independent spirit. She’s a sunny optimist with a quirky fashion sense, and yet, she’s not afraid to lean into who she’s made to be.

She knows she’s made to be an interior designer, and even when her aunt puts doubts in her head, she doesn’t let it stop her.

In the end, she learns that she doesn’t need to listen to the world’s opinions about her. Because she is loved as she is.

3. Did you have to step out of your comfort zone to write this book? If so, how?

I’ve written several small town romance books, but this was my first romcom. I used to write sketch comedy, so it was like going back to my roots.

It was a riot coming up with the slapstick parts, like when she falls on her face in front of this gorgeous guy at the airport. Or when Grant tries to fix a plumbing issue and tells her how good he is at plumbing, right before causing a huge leak in the bathroom.

When we flesh out real characters with real flaws, it can be funny because we’re leaning into what makes us all human–our unique quirks and flaws.

4. Do you have a favorite drink or snack for when you’re writing?

I love drinking coffee. I write mostly in the morning and I need a little pick me up to push through the creative process. As far as snacks, chocolate is my favorite! And if you read the Wild Harbor Series,you’ll see that the coffee shop and chocolate shop play special parts in the story.

5. What message do you hope readers take away from your book?

Romcoms are often very lighthearted, but under the humor, there’s an important message about learning to love yourself–flaws and all. It’s so easy to get caught up in the social media comparison trap and try to find our value and worth from the world. But as Ella learns in the book, she needs to let go of the world’s opinions and accept herself as she is.

Sometimes, we all struggle with that. Learning to love ourselves can be hard, especially if we’ve spent years repeating certain limiting beliefs about ourselves. But like Ella, we can learn to love the way God has made us unique and different.

More from Grace

I love home renovation shows, because they make it look so easy to magically turn your home into something amazing in only a half-hour. (If only that worked in real life.)

But what if two people who were enemies worked on renovating a home together? Would they survive the renovation? Could it even bring them together?

I love all the tropes, but enemies to lovers is one of the most satisfying for me, especially in romantic comedy. The huge payoff is seeing two very opposite people come together quite magically. In the end, I’m always rooting for the couple who overcomes the odds.

It’s also been my experience that no matter how much you prepare for a home project, it never goes according to plan. This sets the stage for lots of hilarious scenarios as things go wrong and the couple learns to navigate these unexpected detours together.

But in The Neighbor Renovation, it’s not just about the physical home. There is a deeper metaphor of what happens in their lives as they learn to overcome past wounds and take a chance on love. Just like the home renovation shows, the renovation that happens in their hearts is almost miraculous.

So if you like HGTV, sweet romantic comedies, grumpy sunshine couples, and second chance love stories, then you’re going to enjoy The Neighbor Renovation: A sweet romantic comedy.

–Grace Worthington