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All Things Come to an End: Celebrate Lit Virtual tour of Amish Romance, “Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise” Final Day!
Today we say so long, farewell! to the wonderful people at CelebrateLit, who have worked hard to promote my debut novel this month. There are two remaining blog posts for you to read, and be sure to click on the links below for your final chance to enter to win a print copy of the book and a $25 Amazon e-gift card!
Check back soon to see who won!
First today is Wendy from the blog, “Life on Chickadee Lane”.
My Review: by Wendy from Life on Chickadee Lane:
“This is such a sweet, enjoyable story. Of course, any story including a cat is my kind of story. (My daughter would agree!) I enjoyed reading how Ruth and Jonas prayed about any decision which needed to be made. I look forward to reading Anne’s next book!
If you enjoy sweet stories set in an Amish community, you will want to read this one.
I received a complimentary copy through Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.“
Thanks, Wendy! (By the way, Wendy has a cool list of all the birds she has spotted on her blog. I love this!)
Next is Renee from the blog, “Little Home School on the Prairie.”
Here’s what Renee had to say!
My Review:
“Anne Blackburne is a new author who did an amazing job with her debut novel.
The main characters Ruth and Jonas have both lost their spouses. Jonas has a young daughter. Ruth isn’t able to have children.
It’s been only a year since Ruth lost her husband and she is trying her hardest to keep up with the farm by herself. The farm is dear to her as it has been in her family for generations. Life is about to get complicated for Ruth. Bishop Troyer visits her concerning her farm. He gives her two options. One is to sell the farm to one of the men in the community. Her farm has a lot of amenities that would be good for a family. The second option is to marry Bishop Troyer. The Bishop recognizes that he is much older than her and that it would be a marriage of convenience as they are both lonely. Ruth isn’t interested in selling or marrying for convenience. She wants to expand her business with her goat’s milk products.
Jonas has a four-year-old daughter. He starts helping Ruth with chores around her farm. He loves Ruth’s interaction with his daughter. Ruth is getting fond of both Jonas and his daughter.
The story is fun with the mischievous goats, a guard dog, and a kitten named Ginger Snap. The characters are well-developed and realistic. You can’t help to not find yourself immersed in their lives. The plot is well-developed and kept my attention to the last page. I look forward to more books from Anne Blackburne.
Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest thoughts.“
Thanks, Renee!
Well, that’s it for this part of my writing journey. I sure appreciate all the help from the amazing folks at Celebrate Lit! Did you find a new blogger to follow? I know I did!
Merry Christmas, and thank you all for supporting my writing!
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Day 4: Celebrate Lit Tour for Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise!
Each day from December 9-22, one or two popular bloggers will post about my new release, “Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise” as part of the Celebrate Lit virtual book tour!
Today’s Blogger is Kris Anderson: The Avid Reader. Be sure to go to her site and click on the link to enter to win a print copy of the book and a $25 Amazon e-gift card! The link to her blogpost is below!
https://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/
Oh, and please scroll down past Avid Reader’s first review of Tricia Goyer’s “Trust the Stars”.
Here is what Kris, The Avid Reader had to say about Gingersnap!
My Thoughts (by Kris Anderson, aka The Avid Reader)
Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise by Anne Blackburne is a sweet story. I thought the book was well-written with realistic, developed characters. I enjoyed getting to know Ruth Helmuth, Jonas Hershberger, and little Abigail Hershberger. I could not believe that Ruth’s bishop, Abram Troyer suggested that she sell her family farm, which held many memories for her, because she lived alone. The bishop felt a family could make better use of the large house and property. Ruth is a good businesswoman. She has her herd of wily goats. Ruth uses their milk and fiber. She comes up with other ways to utilize the property and earn money. I liked learning about Jonas and his sister’s basket business. Their baskets sounded lovely, especially the Christmas baskets. You can feel that faith is a part of the character’s daily lives. They pray to God for guidance and assistance. They know that He will provide in His own time. I enjoyed the humor sprinkled through the story. The kitten that Ruth receives from her dear friend, Lydia Coblentz, provides many lighthearted moments. Lydia knew what she was doing when she gifted the ginger kitten to Ruth. A couple of Ruth’s friends also received kittens. Lydia is an insightful woman. Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise may be the second book in The Heart of the Amish series, but it can be read as a standalone. I especially enjoyed the heartwarming ending. I finished Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise with a smile on my face.
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Friday is THE Day!
My debut novel, Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise, launches this Friday, December 1!
What am I doing about it? Well, to be honest, Friday I’ll be going to work at the newspaper I manage. Hey, gotta keep the lights on, right?
But Saturday is another thing! On Saturday, I have an author event at Kerns Home & Garden Christian Bookstore Christmas Open House & Book Signing! My book will be available for sale, and I’ll be signing copies. (This seems very strange; I haven’t been asked for an autograph since I played Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid!)
Kern’s is located at 2438 Canton Rd., Akron, Ohio. I’ll be there from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., so if you’re in the area, please stop by and say hello! There will be five other terrific Christian authors signing their books as well! We’d all love to meet you.
I’m not entirely sure what to expect this first time, but I’m feeling optimistic!
And for an extra measure of fun, I’ll be holding a drawing for a tiny painting of the sweet orange kitty from my book, Ginger Snap! All you have to do is sign my notebook and leave me your email. Eventually, I plan to launch a newsletter, and the folks who give me their emails will be the first to get that.
Just remember, I’m a writer, not a painter, Jim! (Extra points if you get the Star Trek reference!)
Here is the painting I’ll be giving away at Saturday’s event! I hope to see you Saturday at Kern’s in Akron! And if you can’t make it, please consider going to Amazon.com, or Books a Million.com, or Barnes & Noble.com, or Barbour.com (possibly the best deal!), and purchasing Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise. And if you love it, please leave me a review at Amazon.com, or Good Reads.com.
Thanks! Hope to meet you Saturday!
Amish Stories