Seventh Born Book Tour Post

In a world where seventh born sons are valued for their strength and power, she is born a daughter.

Zezilia Ilar is the disappointment. Born after six brothers, she was supposed to be the son to restore her family’s prestige. She intends to remedy her shortcomings by being a dutiful daughter, marrying well and producing children, preferably a set of seven sons. But when someone offers her an alternative, she begins to dream of more.

In a society that worships a goddess, he follows the Almighty.

Hadrian Aleron, as a seventh son of a seventh son, stands to take up the second highest position in government, Sept Son. His main qualification for office is his birth. Despite preparing for this role from childhood, he does not desire what is to come. As a follower of the Almighty, he knows he will be the target of many, and his faith might eventually lead to death.

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10 Interesting Things about Rachel Rossano

1 – I have three children that equally challenge, frustrate, and delight me every

day.

2 – Almost twenty years ago, I married my best friend, and I have never

regretted the decision for a moment.

3 – My parents are exactly a foot apart in height, and my husband and I are

exactly a foot apart in height.

4 – I have no lenses in my eyes. I developed cataracts when I was very young

and had the lenses in my eyes removed so I could see.

5 – Since childhood, I have not liked the texture of meat. Because of this, I have

been a vegetarian since I was allowed to prepare my own food.

6 – I started publishing my books because I feared I would never have children.

Now, I am homeschooling three children and fitting my writing and publishing

around their educational needs. I’ve wondered more than once if the Lord did

that so that I would continue to write. Otherwise, I might’ve waited until they

were all raised and grown.

7 – I have naturally curly hair that refuses to stay straight or in place.

8 – My kids are some of my biggest fans despite the fact they have read none

of my books.

9 – I post silly stories on FB about the things my kids say and do, not because I

want everyone to be impressed with them, but so I will remember them later.

10 – My first crush was on Spock from Star Trek. So, when my husband

comments that I am part Vulcan (meaning highly analytical and logical), I

consider it quite the complement.

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Excerpt from the book

Plum filled my thoughts as Errol looked for the Shuttered thought. After a

few moments, he withdrew. “Now, maintain that until Korneli comes in the

fall. I will have him look for it and we shall see if he can break your defenses.”

He made some notes in his log and then reached for my code book. I

interrupted his movement with a question. It had been bothering me since we

began studying the defensive training a week ago. “When am I ever going to

need this? Are you planning on me being undercover or something?”

Errol pinned me with an amused glance. “This is standard material, Zez.

Every Talent trainee covers this stuff.”

“But what are you planning for me to be?”

“You already know the position opportunities available: Trainer, Assistant

to the Sept Son, Defender, Tester, Recruiter, User, and other odd jobs.”

“But you and Selwyn have something specific in mind for me,” I pointed

out.

Errol raised an eyebrow in my direction. Every aspect of his body language

and facial expression spoke of innocent surprise, but I knew better. Somehow

an essence of concerned fear flickered in my mind’s eye. He was trying to hide

the fact that I was striking close to home. They did have plans for me, but I was

not going to get them from him.

“Open your code book, Zez. It is time again to copy the allowed and

disallowed offensive uses of the Talents.”

I complied, flipping the heavy tome to the appropriate page and taking up

my quill. However, my thoughts were not on the words I was writing. They

were caught up in trying to figure out why Errol didn’t want me to know what

he and Selwyn had planned.

In progress, coming soon!!

Rachel Rossano lives with her husband and three children in the northeastern part of the United States. Homeschooled through high school, she began writing her early teens. She didn’t become serious about pursuing a career as an author until after she had graduated from college and happily married. Then the children came.

Now she spends her days being a wife, mother, teacher, and household manager. Her evenings and free moments are devoted to her other loves, writing and book cover design. Drawing on a lifelong fascination with reading and history, she spends hours creating historical feeling fantasy worlds and populating them with characters who live and breathe on the page. 

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Upheld tour and review

Upheld: Ordinary women discovering an Extraordinary God

Life happens. Ordinary and extraordinary events fill the days and nights, but regardless of the circumstance, God is there. We’re five friends who, over the course of a decade, learned to recognize the heavenly touches in our lives. We share our stories in a series of short vignettes, as glimpses of the profound and practical ways God lifts us.

First as a newlywed and then as a young mother, Rebekah awakens to the daily light that comes from realizing how often and simply the Lord touches her life. Jeni nurtures a child with special needs and learns that strength and support are only a prayer away. Elizabeth forges a new path towards renewal and regeneration after she exits the roller coaster ride of her spouse’s addiction. Faith discovers the beauty of reminders from a loving Heavenly Father that she has worth and the precious gift of agency. Dawn opens her mind to the understanding that no matter what happens peace can abound and everything will work out.

In Upheld: Ordinary women discovering an Extraordinary God we invite you to walk with us, explore the nooks and crannies of life, and have joy in the knowledge that you are not forgotten. As you read, we hope you will also discover God upholding you in your own life.

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I admit to being a touch hesitant about this book at the first. It's not easy to read about other peoples' hardships, at least for me, and I was nervous. But I was also very interested because the description talks about faith, peace, hope, and love (all things which I very much like). So with that in mind, I dived in. I found myself feeling for and with these woman as they each faced their own journey to learn, grow, and become what they are. I was really touched and found that this book spoke to me in ways that made sense - "I've been there" or "I've done that", etc. I am very glad these woman came together to share their stories and I thing that this is a very uplifting book. I would happily recommend this to anyone!

Five women have joined together under the pen name, Grace Lane, to write about their personal experiences in hopes to inspire and uplift others.  The following character sketches will give you a little insight about each author.

Rebekah: 

Writing about motherhood and her husband’s health struggles, Rebekah lives true to the meaning of her name—to bind. Life’s experiences have shaped her into a wise, steadfast daughter of God who has the beautiful ability to make others laugh through her clever wit.

Jeni: 

Jeni’s stories revolve around the loving care of her son with special needs. Knowing that he will not live out his childhood, she’s armed with strength and determination to give him the best life possible. The bright hope Jeni finds through the Savior will encourage the lowest of hearts.

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth is passionate about sharing the Light of Christ. You’ll feel this in reading about the challenges she faces with her spouse’s addiction and divorce. Through sophistication, uplifting words, and a touch of spunk, she’s a modern-day disciple “gathering in the fold” and feeding His sheep.

Faith:

A woman of intuition, Faith has a distinctive gift for understanding people. Her personal goal in life is to help women recognize their potential in whatever role they fill. She writes about her battle in overcoming abuse as a child and her fight with low self-esteem.

Dawn:

A single mom for ten years, Dawn not only believes the motto “Light trumps darkness”, but she lives it every day. Her short stories are about finding God after a heart-crushing divorce. Dawn touches many lives through her unwavering testimony and simple ways.

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Off Script Feature and Review!

“I kissed Edward Wolverton once. It was everything it was supposed to be—and then some... maybe I’ll kiss him again.”

TV Producer Bea Douglas’s last confession to her former business partner and ex-best friend wasn’t meant to tempt the fates. She’s eager to escape the hypocrisy of the television industry and years of hiding her faith for the convenience of other people. Edward Wolverton may be hot, smart, and funny—but he’s also two steps out of rehab with a self-proclaimed allergy to Christianity.

But after a club night turns violent, Bea loses her sense of self while Eddie teeters on the edge of relapse. Their connection to each other is the only certainty. To be together, each will have to let go of past pain and have faith in a love that never fades.

Off Script is an uncommon story of the power of love and resilience to bring people together in a society that does its best to tear them apart.

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I really enjoyed this book. It is a great story that doesn't always make you feel bubbly and great, or even "oh no, there are problems, but they always work out". It brings in reality and the understanding that some things are hard but you can work through them. It is a romance but unlike any romance I've ever read. And it brings up a lot of hard topics and the effects that choices have not only on the chooser but on those close to him/her. Please note that it does discuss some hard topics but focuses primarily on how to covercome rather than the issue itself. It's amazing and I love it for its uniqueness. I was glued to the pages, especially after some very unexpected twists and turns. The characters were real and flawed, and struggling with additions and choices they had made. It was a powerful book and I honestly loved it. The author was amazing at holding my attention and keeping the plot moving along, farther than I thought it would go. And thus showing that a good story takes time and redemption, forgiveness, and overcoming also take time. They don't immediately happen. I highly recommend this book!

Note - I asked for and was given an ARC of this book which I voluntarily reviewed here. I was under no obligation to review and my opinions have not been swayed by any 3rd party, they are all my own

Liv Bartlet is the pseudonym for writing partners Becca McCulloch and Sarah McKnight, who have been building worlds and telling stories together for more than a decade. They’ve logged hours of behind-the-scenes movie and TV footage and challenged each other in a friendly Oscar guessing game every year this millennium. Lifelong Anglophiles, their Monkey & Me world sprang to vivid life on a trip to London that included divine pastries, sublime art, and a spectacular pratfall in the British Museum.

Becca is a professor, a scientist, and a secret romantic who insisted their first order of business in London was a meandering five-mile walk to see Big Ben. She lives with her husband, children, and an ever-expanding roster of pets in Logan, Utah.

Sarah is an Army brat, an Excel geek, and has a lot of opinions on the differences between science fiction and fantasy. She lives with her cat, Sir Jack—who is featured prominently on Liv’s Instagram —just outside Salt Lake City.

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Review - Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies

Gina’s grandfather was a French chef whose life was cut short by a robber’s bullet. The only lasting legacy he could leave his family was his passion and talent for cooking.

Growing up poor but with a mother who is a gifted cook. Gina learns cooking a great meal is an act of love. An art that sustains and enhances life.

A world of new challenges, new friends, and new loves opens up for her when she’s chosen to cook for a Michelin-starred restaurant.

But danger lurks where one never expects it.

Can her passion for cooking help Gina survive and thrive in this world of privilege, pleasure and menace?

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This book was actually a pleasant surprise. I was a little unsure what to expect but found that I enjoyed the narrative, the characters, and the progression of the story. There were moments that I wondered what would happen and how the MC would react, and it was always fun to find that she had her own personality and didn't always do what I expected. It was a good read and surprisingly quick and easy to read too. I recommend taking a look and enjoying the story!

Evy Journey, writer, wannabe artist, and flâneuse (feminine of flâneur), wishes she lives in Paris where people have perfected the art of aimless roaming. Armed with a Ph.D., she used to research and help develop mental health programs.

She's a writer because beautiful prose seduces her and existential angst continues to plague her despite such preoccupations having gone out of fashion. She takes occasional refuge by invoking the spirit of Jane Austen to spin tales of love, loss, and finding one’s way—stories into which she weaves mystery or intrigue.

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Book Blitz - Selah's Painted Dream

Instilled with the need to create, I love building projects and writing adventure stories. I’m a life-long equestrian and owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse. I adore grandchildren, horses, bunnies, mochas, and forest trails.

I’ve published three books in an equestrian series. I write at an antique secretary desk that occupies a glass room with a forest view. Fittingly, it once belonged to the same wise grandmother who introduced me to the love of reading via Walter Farley's horse books. That desk has secret compartments which hold memories, mysteries, and story ideas.

As a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors, I take studying the craft of writing seriously. Revision is my super-power.

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Thirteen-year-old Selah’s life is about as perfect as it gets. She has horsy friends at school, and on weekends, she rides her black mare on Grandpa’s farm. Training the horse to do upper-level liberty work is what makes her heart beat.

But one word can ruin a perfect life—moving.

A move would separate her from her horse, so she plots to get her name on the farm mailbox instead. She’s sure she could persuade Grandpa—except he’s overly distracted by a sheep-loving neighbor.

Determined not to let Grandpa's new sweetheart take her place in his heart, Selah puts her hope in a painted dream horse from Grandpa’s past. When she snugs up the girth and buckles on her spurs, Selah rides to win.

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Snippet:

Sweet Dream’s head flew up, and she spun sharply. Ears pricked forward, the mare snorted in alarm, shaking Selah in the saddle. Selah gripped both reins and made tight contact with the bit trying to steady the horse. She stared down the service road. It dawned on her something was brushing along the crowns of the trees and coming fast in their direction. A red-and-white plane lurched and wobbled toward them as it snapped the tops off the small pines. 

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