Lady of a Thousand Treasures Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!

Welcome to  Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd Scavenger Blog Hunt with an awesome giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!  On each stop, there will be:

• special content by the blogger, plus
• a clue
• then head back to the launch post on JustRead or straight to the main crossword puzzle to fill in the words and get the special phrase to enter the  giveaway!

Before we begin, there's a bit about Lady of a Thousand Treasures. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Lady of a Thousand Treasures
Series: Victorian Ladies, Book 1
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Tyndale House
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Genre: Historical/Gothic Romance
Links: Goodreads

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.

Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.

With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.

TO PURCHASE A COPY*

Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Christian Book | Book Depository | Books-A-Million

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published fifty books.

Sandra's delighted to kick off her new historical romance series with Tyndale House Publishers, Victorian Ladies, with Lady of a Thousand Treasures. The three-book Victorian Ladies series follows her historically sound Gothic romances, Daughters of Hampshire, launched with the bestselling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor's Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, was published in 2017. Check out her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.

Sandra has published dozens of books for kids, tweens, and teens, including the bestselling The One Year Be-Tween You and God Devotions for Girls. She continued her work as a devotionalist, with The One Year Home and Garden Devotions, and The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype.

CONTACT: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

SCAVENGER HUNT CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Instructions: Head to every stop on the tour to collect a word to finish the crossword puzzle. Hint: You might want to print out the crossword puzzle (link below) and enter it everyday to make it easier.

Crossword Board: https://crosswordlabs.com/view/lady-of-a-thousand-treasures-scavenger-hunt

Not a crossword puzzle fan? Just compile the clue words from each stop and enter it on the Rafflecopter entry.

This stop's CLUE is:   yourself.

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive:

• a copy of Lady of a Thousand Treasures (print to US addresses OR ebook to international)
• Cork coaster set of the British Isles (US Only)
• "To The Lighthouse" diffuser made by Seawitch Candles in Cornwall, England. (US Only)
• $10 Amazon gift card (open international)

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Entry form will be live on the 19th once all clues are revealed. Clues for giveaway will begin at midnight October 15, 2018. Entries are opened at midnight on October 19, 2018 and lasts through 11:59pm October 22, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to stop on every stop on the Tour Schedule for all the clues to enter!

TOUR SCHEDULE

For the full tour schedule, click on either of the launch pages below.
(All stops expected to post by 12:00 NOON EST)

Launch Page at JustRead

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

REVIEW

My Thoughts ~

Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd is truly a treasure!

And I'm sorry if that sounds like a cliche, but it's true! This tale is pure gold! ;-)

Each time I cracked the spine (Well, I didn't actually crack the spine. I'm not a monster.), I was immediately swept into this beautiful tale! The details painted such vivid imagery that just had me lost in the story! Not lost as in the details were threatening to devour me with their pointy detail-ness. No, I mean lost as in I fell into some sort of bookish time-space continuum that delivered me into the midst of this gorgeous story in the best possible way!

The story is told through Eleanor's first person narrative - which I loved! I loved experiencing everything with her, seeing the story unfold through her eyes, and asking the same questions as her - Harry: chivalrous dreamboat or sleazy Victorian playboy? In case you're worried, it's the first one. Chivalry isn't dead! Except this novel is set in the Victorian Era...but you know what I mean! ;-) The romance between Harry and Eleanor stole my heart, leaving me breathless and in need of smelling salts! I also loved learning about antiques - I love antiques! - in a vintage setting, and the Gothic Victorian setting only enhanced the unfolding mystery, angst, and danger.

There was so much that I loved about this novel, but my favorite thing was the underlying theme regarding trials and testing seasons in life, that one doesn't need to fear those tests because it's through those events that we learn who a person - or our own person - really is at the core. Gold or brass. True or false. Loyal or untrustworthy. Lady of a Thousand Treasures skillfully shines a light on weaknesses and strengths through the tests of moral character that Eleanor, Harry, and the others endured.

Four Stars ~ A beautiful and enchanting tale! Lady of a Thousand Treasures is the first book in Sandra Byrd's new Victorian Ladies Series with Tyndale. I can't wait to read the next book, releasing Spring 2020!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos

About the Book ~

A girl with a deadly lung disease . . .

A boy with a tragic past . . .

A land where the sun never sets but darkness still creeps in . . .

Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger named Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don’t know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.

For more information about Matt Mikalatos and his books, check out his website here!

My Thoughts ~

The Crescent Stone is one of those books where all the awesome things you hear about it is totally and completely true.

SOOO GOOD!!!

The Crescent Stone had such a Narnia vibe while still professing its own unique identity. There's even extra content that will make the bookish giddy - at least I was giddy! New worlds. New magic. New races.

But circumstances that are achingly relevant to life today.

Madeline and Jason/Wu Song are more than just relatable, they are you and me and everyone around us. They represent the mix of millions of people who don't know, who are being pushed down, who are searching for truth, who are fighting for justice. Madeline's  journey of discovery was both enlightening and empowering. While her tale seems to have a hefty dose of heartbreak, I love this character for the way she looked at the truth she didn't want to be real and fought for a change of heart. Jason/Wu Song might be my favorite part of this story! His blunt snark had me laughing through each page, but his story was just as eye-opening. And his romance with Baileya will be one of my very favorites, I know this to be true!

Racial, class, and justice issues are the big themes of this novel, and God's loving heart shines on these issues through The Peasant King, the representation of God in the story. I loved this!I can't even tell you how much I loved this! So powerful!

Five Stars ~ The Crescent Stone is fantastical journey with a relevance that will pierce hearts! The Crescent Stone is the first book in The Sunlit Lands Series. The next book, The Heartwood Crown, releases Summer 2019, and I am so excited to continue this journey!!!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
 

Review of Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh

About the Book ~

For Quinn Collins, buying the flower shop in downtown Harbor Pointe fulfills a childhood dream, but also gives her the chance to stick it to her mom, who owned the store before skipping town twenty years ago and never looking back. Completing much-needed renovations, however, while also competing for a prestigious flower competition with her mother as the head judge, soon has Quinn in over her head. Not that she’d ever ask for help.

Luckily, she may not need to. Quinn’s father and his meddling friends find the perfect solution in notorious Olympic skier Grady Benson, who had only planned on passing through the old-fashioned lakeside town. But when a heated confrontation leads to property damage, helping Quinn as a community-service sentence seems like the quickest way out―and the best way to avoid more negative press.

Quinn finds Grady reckless and entitled; he thinks she’s uptight and too regimented. Yet as the two begin to hammer and saw, Quinn sees glimpses of the vulnerability behind the bravado, and Grady learns from her passion and determination, qualities he seems to have lost along the way. But when a well-intentioned omission has devastating consequences, Grady finds himself cast out of town―and Quinn’s life―possibly forever. Forced to face the hurt holding her back, Quinn must finally let go or risk missing out on the adventure of a lifetime.

For more information about Courtney Walsh and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Just Let Go is the perfect book to read when you need a really good excuse to avoid all those outside chores this summer! And maybe by the time you're done, you'll have a whole "wild and untamable" vision for your flower garden.

For me, that means another excuse to let it overgrown this summer and read! Hehe! ;-)

Revisit the adorable town of Harbor Pointe, spot a couple of your favorite characters, and fall in love with some new ones in Just Let Go! There's so much to love in this story that's sweeter than a bouquet of roses!

Quinn Collins is snarky, dedicated, and stuck. I love flowers, so I adored the fact that she's a florist. It all felt so whimsical and beautiful! Grady is snarky, talented, and rebellious. I love to ski, and while I'm much more cautious than Grady, relating to him in that way made this swoony character even more endearing. And did you notice that Quinn and Grady have something huge in common? Snarky! So I obviously loved, loved, LOVED the witty dialogue between Quinn and Grady! I could not stop grinning! Their progression towards being a couple felt natural, and the push and pull of I'm not good enough for you! coupled with But I want to be good enough for you! felt totally relatable.

In the midst of all those snappy one-liners, there lies a powerful truth that reflects the title of this sweet tale. The power of letting go of all the hurt, the lies, the unforgiveness, the past, the future, the questions, the anger, the everything! And only once you let go are you free to grow "wild and untamable" in God's love.

Four Stars ~ A witty and sweet romance filled with God's "wild and untamable" truth! Just Let Go is a standalone novel, but if you've read Just Look Up, you will be delighted to return to one of most adorable small towns in the fictional world!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt

About the Book ~

It’s been ten years since Payton Thatcher’s twin sister died in an accident, leaving the entire family to cope in whatever ways they could. No longer half of a pair, Payton reinvents herself as a partner in a successful party-planning business and is doing just fine―as long as she manages to hold her memories and her family at arm’s length.

But with her middle sister Jillian’s engagement, Payton’s party-planning skills are called into action. Which means working alongside her opinionated oldest sister, Johanna, who always seems ready for a fight. They can only hope that a wedding might be just the occasion to heal the resentment and jealousy that divides them . . . until a frightening diagnosis threatens Jillian’s plans and her future. As old wounds are reopened and the family faces the possibility of another tragedy, the Thatchers must decide if they will pull together or be driven further apart.

For more information about Beth K. Vogt and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Do you have tissues?

Well, you're going to need them...

Things I Never Told You is an intense read in women's fiction with some serious Little Women vibes - only everything goes horribly, horribly wrong... And I'm not exaggerating.

Have. Tissues.

Things I Never Told You is very well written and will be a powerful book for many, many people; however, since the grief and breast cancer storylines may hit too close to home, prepare yourself for the upheaval of emotions this novel will unleash within you.

The grief storyline is told mostly through Payton's first-person point of view as she finally starts to deal with the grief she's never acknowledged over the death of her twin sister. With a little help from an unconventional friendship with Zach Gains - another wonderful perspective - and the God she doesn't realize has been there all along, Payton finally starts to live her life again. The breast cancer storyline is told through Jillian's perspective, and while tactfully written, readers will ache with her on this journey.

A tale of estranged sisters who are desperately trying to find their way back to each other as they navigate decades of grief, fear, and secrets, this story really touches on what it means to be a family. Since the living Thatchers are not Christians, the spiritual angle is light, but I enjoyed how organic all the God moments and subtle nudges felt. Living in God's freedom regardless of present circumstances or mistakes from the past reverberates within these pages with a beautiful clarity.

Three Stars ~ Things I Never Told You is a heartachingly, intense, beautiful tale that will speak to the hearts of many readers. Things I Never Told You is the first book in Beth K. Vogt's new Thatcher Sister Series.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Until We Find Home by Cathy Gohlke

About the Book ~

For American Claire Stewart, joining the French Resistance sounded as romantic as the storylines she hopes will one day grace the novels she wants to write. But when she finds herself stranded on English shores, with five French Jewish children she smuggled across the channel before Nazis stormed Paris, reality feels more akin to fear.

With nowhere to go, Claire throws herself on the mercy of an estranged aunt, begging Lady Miranda Langford to take the children into her magnificent estate. Heavily weighted with grief of her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees . . . if Claire will stay to help. Though desperate to return to France and the man she loves, Claire has few options. But her tumultuous upbringing―spent in the refuge of novels with fictional friends―has ill-prepared her for the daily dramas of raising children, or for the way David Campbell, a fellow American boarder, challenges her notions of love. Nor could she foresee how the tentacles of war will invade their quiet haven, threatening all who have come to call Bluebell Wood home and risking the only family she’s ever known.

Set in England’s lush and storied Lake District in the early days of World War II, and featuring cameos from beloved literary icons Beatrix Potter and C. S. Lewis, Until We Find Home is an unforgettable portrait of life on the British home front, challenging us to remember that bravery and family come in many forms.

For more information about Cathy Cohlke and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Until We Find Home is such a deep, moving story that I would compare it to the ocean! There's depth and heartache and life explored within these pages. Racial prejudices, the meaning of home and family, and the fear of love are just some of the topics the author will gently use to touch and challenge the reader's heart.

The story starts in such a way that I was having serious Father Goose vibes. (If you don't know the movie to which I refer, then you must binge watch all Cary Grant movies immediately!) The majority of the novel is really the characters learning to navigate - and eventually love - each other. However, the end is packed with some eerie drama! Also, I so enjoyed the many references to beloved classics and the cameos appearances from Beatrix Potter and CS Lewis! But I won't spoil those for you! ;-)

There were at least seven points of view, making a way for the author to flesh out even more of the challenges that this eclectic group of characters must face. I didn't connect with the characters in the way that I had hoped, but I definitely think that they were well written. Claire's struggle with giving and receiving love was especially moving! She struggles with the very concept of love because she has never known true love, only rejection and betrayal. Aunt Miranda's journey deals very much with the way she has become frozen in her grief.

The romance was sweet, yet very, very subtle. Truly, this was not a romance novel, but rather the romance was like the creamy aftertaste of a delicious cup of coffee. Well, at least the way I make coffee. :-)

Three Stars ~ An enjoyable story about what - and who - home really means set to the backdrop of World War Two. Until We Find Home is a standalone novel, but Cathy Gohlke is an award-winning, multi-published author, so be sure to check out her other titles!

I received a copy of Until We Find Home by Cathy Gohlke published by Tyndale from the Tyndale Blog Network. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.