A Time of Grace Delightful Summer Giveaway!

Recently, my author-sister, Alicia G. Ruggieri, completed her beautiful Christian Fiction trilogy--A Time of Grace. You can read my reviews for her books and learn more information by clicking the following links:

Book One~The Fragrance of Geraniums
Book Two~ All Our Empty Places
Book Three~ A Love To Come Home To

I want to share these books with you with a special giveaway. I pray that the Lord would use these books to greatly touch someone's heart! They are books filled with redemption and mercy and driven by a powerful and touching story line. Alicia is a gifted author, and I know that the stories that the Lord has given her will bless you greatly.

The Giveaway Includes: 

• A paperback copy of each of Alicia's beautiful books, The Fragrance of Geraniums, All Our Empty Places, and A Love To Come Home To
• A lovely "geranium" address book bearing the Scripture verse, "For I know the plans I have for you . . . " (Jeremiah 29:11)
• A tumbler for iced tea or coffee inscribed with the Scripture verse "Sing to the Lord . . . " (Psalm 96:1)
• Replacement straws! :-)
• Iced tea -for the tumbler, of course!! :-)

~Open only to readers in the continental United States, due to shipping costs~

About the Author:
Alicia G. Ruggieri writes grace-filled, Christ-centered fiction, including the A Time of Grace Trilogy. She’s a graduate of Rhode Island College, where she studied Communications and History, and her adventures include children’s theatre direction, restaurant management, and small business ownership. Alicia and her husband live in coastal New England, where she may be found drinking far too much coffee and penning stories with her emotionally-disturbed second-hand pug by her side.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://www.aliciagruggieri.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaRuggieri

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/aliciagruggieri

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/aliciagruggieri

If you would like to purchase these books apart from the giveaway, here are the purchase links:

The Fragrance of Geraniums

All Our Empty Places

A Love To Come Home To

Please feel free to ENTER and to share about this giveaway! The Lord bless each and every one of you, dear readers!!! :-)

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You might find me on these link-ups:


Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, A Little R&R Wednesdays. TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp

A Love To Come Home To: Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I am so excited to announce the release of the third book in Alicia G. Ruggieri's 

 A Time of Grace Trilogy:

A Love To Come Home To

July 22, 2016 in softcover and on Kindle

Purchase: http://bit.ly/1XVezoM

Please read to the end of the post to enter a wonderful giveaway! 

Hardened Ben Picoletti thought he’d turned his back on Depression-era Rhode Island years ago. Nothing remains there for him, except for haunting memories of an abusive childhood. Yet when a criminal accusation shatters his ambitions, Ben has nowhere to flee but back to his stepfather’s home.

There, he finds that redemption yet waits for him… but the sacrifice required to attain it may exceed the limits of his family’s hearts.

Meanwhile, his musical sister Grace continues her studies in New York. She longs to hear a word of affection from her high-school beau… yet only Paulie’s silence greets her. Grace must decide whether she wants to live in the past or move into an unknown future with unexpected love.

Lyrical and sensitive to the aching heart, A Love to Come Home To affirms that God delights in being a stronghold in times of trouble; that He renews His mercy every morning; and that He will work every bitter thing together for the good of His 
children.

My Review of A Love To Come Home To:

This book . . . so, so beautiful. It just captivated me. It brought me back in time, it brought me to tears, it brought me to the cross. The first two books led up to this one so perfectly, and A Love To Come Home To was such a fragrant offering to complete the trilogy.

I love Alicia’s writing. I love her style which is not overtly feminine or frilly, but is also not wooden or stiff. I love the way that she develops her characters, getting inside their mind for a glimpse of what and why they are thinking and doing what they think and do—it adds a depth and a realness to her writing.

I love the character of Ben. I love the way that one can relate to his struggles and fears and sorrows. I love his sensitivity that shyly emerges throughout the story and then blossoms into spiritual life at the end of the book. His character repels the reader and then draws them in at the same time.  And Alicia develops his story so well throughout the book and makes him such a believable character—rough around the edges, but loveable at the same time!

Grace’s story and her romance with Paulie is also beautifully played out throughout this book. The theme of surrender is one which I love and Alicia captures that wonderfully, both in Paulie’s and Grace’s actions and lives. I won’t give the ending away, but it is so, so well done! Anyone looking for a good romance with substance won’t be disappointed in this one!

The conclusion took my breath away and brought me to tears. I won’t give it away here, but as one who has always loved symbolism in stories, the ending was deeply satisfying for me. The way that Alicia tied everything together, using a symbol from the first book, and bringing restoration symbolically and physically to what had been lost through Ben’s father’s sin was really brilliant.

This is a book that the reader will not want to put down. It is deeply spiritual without being preachy. It is gritty and Alicia is not afraid to delve into difficult and ugly situations, but she handles it with thoughtful tact and grace—something that I find as a rarity in modern literature.  Her end motive is always healing and restoration, not “grittiness” for the sake of the “shock” value.

I love the Spirit-filled sense that the book gives me, that the author was relying on the Holy Spirit as she wrote, and the Word of God comes through richly because of this, I think.

I highly recommend this book, and the two before it, read in order.  What a blessing these books have been to me! I pray that the Lord may continue to use Alicia’s writing to show powerfully the grace and redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ. Well done!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alicia G. Ruggieri writes grace-filled, Christ-centered fiction, including the A Time of Grace Trilogy. She’s a graduate of Rhode Island College, where she studied Communications and History, and her adventures include children’s theatre direction, restaurant management, and small business ownership. Alicia and her husband live in coastal New England, where she may be found drinking far too much coffee and penning stories with her emotionally-disturbed second-hand pug by her side.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://www.aliciagruggieri.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaRuggieri

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/aliciagruggieri

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/aliciagruggieri

RELEASE WEEK SALE INFORMATION FOR A TIME OF GRACE TRILOGY:

·        July 21-25, 2016 – The Fragrance of Geraniums (Book 1) – FREE on Kindle – http://bit.ly/1VXSyDO

·        July 22-28, 2016 – All Our Empty Places (Book 2) - $1.99 on Kindle - http://bit.ly/1UOfV02

A LOVE TO COME HOME TO RELEASE GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

·        July 19 (12 a.m. EST) – July 29 (8 p.m. EST)

·        Wrap-up and winner announced on Saturday morning, July 30, 2016 at www.aliciagruggieri.com.

·        

·        Open to U.S. residents only due to shipping costs.

One winner will receive:

·        A complete set of signed softcovers of the A Time of Grace Trilogy.

·        “Paulie’s Pearls” – So named in honor of Paulie’s first gift to Grace, these are freshwater pearl earrings set in 10k gold.

“One Day in Your Courts” journal

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, A Little R&R Wednesdays. TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp

All Our Empty Places--Review and a Giveaway!

The sequel to The Fragrance of Geraniums . . . 

 Book Two in the “A Time of Grace” trilogy – by Alicia G. Ruggieri

(read my interview with author Alicia Ruggieri HERE) 

In 1935, when the bank calls in her mortgage, Sarah Picoletti – now a penniless widow – finds herself and her children on the brink of homelessness. Sick at heart, she plans to beg her brother in New Jersey to take her family in.

Then Doctor Samuel Giorgi knocks on her door. Godly and well-off, Sam seems to have put the careless ways of his youth behind him, and he also appears to have one desire: to make Sarah his wife, two decades after he broke their engagement.

However, nothing prepares Sarah for the storm that breaks once she makes her decision. Everywhere she turns, the errors of her former choices confront her, insisting on her inferiority and the irreparable brokenness of her past. Sarah begins to wonder if Christ really can bring true redemption or if He is limited by her frailty.

Meanwhile, her daughter Grace faces new challenges in her own life. When her relationship with Paulie changes unexpectedly, Grace realizes that she must make a decision with the potential to alter both of their futures.

Compassionate and intensely poignant, All Our Empty Places paints the portrait of a mother and daughter with broken pasts, who dare to step into a future overflowing with the grace of the Cross.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alicia G. Ruggieri writes Christ-centered fiction that speaks of redemption. She received her B.A. in Communications and History from Rhode Island College and lives with her husband and their emotionally-disturbed pug on the New England coast.

My Review:

All Our Empty Places is the powerful, grace-saturated, gritty sequel to Alicia Ruggieri’s first novel in her A Time of Grace Trilogy, The Fragrance of Geraniums.

I remember reading The Fragrance of Geraniums, finishing it, and feeling so deeply and profoundly shaken and yet satisfied at the conclusion. I wondered what would become of Sarah, Grace’s mother, as well as Grace and Paulie.

Ruggieri’s second book, All Our Empty Places picks up the story where it left off in her first book. It is not a “happy ending” romance. It is a deep, poignant, look in to the heart and life of Sarah Picoletti, a woman who has been through the mill and back again, a woman who has put her faith in Christ but still holds onto “hang-ups” from her past, attitudes and memories that haunt her and seek to poison her future with their seeming power over her.

All through the book, the reader wonders, Will she be able to break free? Will the grace of Christ triumph? Ruggieri paints a beautiful picture of a broken woman—a picture which reaches out and speaks to the broken places in all of us, the places that we long and yearn for the love and grace of Christ to fill. Every woman who has experienced trials and difficulties can relate to Sarah’s struggle. Sarah’s husband, Sam Giorgi is a real-life representation of Christ. Their romance  and the strains that Sarah goes through in learning to trust in the love of her husband serves as a glorious allegory to the relationship between Christ and His church.

Meanwhile, the delightful friendship/romance between Sarah’s daughter, Grace, and Paulie continues to play out. I loved the strength of character that Grace exhibits as well as her reliance and submission to her Heavenly Father throughout the book. It is a wonderful example for young women who are seeking to honor the Lord in their romantic relationships and to place Him first in their lives. Where Sarah learns to hold on, Grace learns to let go. The twist at the end of the story involving Grace and Paulie was wholly unexpected , yet so, so intensely satisfying to the reader. And the result left me yearning to read the third book in order to find out what will happen.

I loved this book on so many different levels—the development of the characters, the unexpected and unpredictable plot twist and turns, the God-saturated and focused story-line that isn’t “preachy” but deeply ”real,” the beautiful, strong writing style that always draws me into Ruggieri’s books, and the lesson learned at the end of the novel—that His grace is sufficient in and through our weakness—and that when we are willing to let something go, that is when we truly possess it. Well-done, and I highly recommend this book for anyone who is seeking a deeper walk with Christ and a powerful, grace-filled romance.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Blog: http://www.abrighterdestiny.blogspot.com

Twitter: @aliciaruggieri

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AliciaGRuggieri

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/aliciagruggieri

PURCHASE LINKS:

All Our Empty Places (A Time of Grace, Book 2) – http://amzn.com/B014JVJYCK

The Fragrance of Geraniums (A Time of Grace, Book 1) – ON SALE for $0.99 through October 31, 2015 – http://amzn.com/B00P4PB7W6

THE GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive – a signed softcover of All Our Empty Places; a mug with 2 Corinthians 12:9 inscribed on it; Caramel Apple Biscotti; and Harvest Spice Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate mix. (Open to U.S. residents only due to shipping costs.)



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You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, SDG Gathering, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, Motivate and Rejuvenate Mondays, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Theology Thursdays, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Thought Provoking Thursday, Every Day Jesus, Count My Blessings, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Blessing Counters Link Party, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Saturday Soiree Blog Party, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, Faith and  Fellowship Blog Hop, Motivate and Rejuvenate Monday Link-Up, A Little R&R Wednesdays. TGI Saturdays Blog Hop. Totally Terrific Tuesday, RaRaLinkup

Releasing Today! This Last Surrender: A 31-Day Devotional for Women by Rebekah Neal

Releasing Today:

This Last Surrender

A 31-Day Devotional for Women Seeking a Deeper Relationship with Jesus Christ 

by Rebekah Neal 

Description from the back of the book:

Are you weary in spirit – looking for deep rest? 

Are you thirsty in your soul – needing living water? 

Do you long for a word of encouragement, helping you to persevere through the seeming monotony of motherhood, the press of modern culture, and the difficulties of the Christian life? 

Savor This Last Surrender, a 31-day devotional adapted from some of the most beloved posts from Rebekah Neal’s blog “Ready to be Offered.” Here, you’ll discover a respite – not an escape; a time of refreshment rather than of distraction; and an opportunity to surrender daily everything – heart, soul, mind, and body – to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

You’ll find each day’s selection includes nourishing quotes from past Christians who have walked the narrow way before us, as well as a heart-softening, soul-enriching selection from Rebekah. Ranging from, “Why It’s Not About Losing the Last Ten Pounds,” to “Is He Enough?”, Rebekah handles topics close to almost every woman’s heart with unswerving Scriptural faithfulness and love. 

Every daily reading includes questions for prayer, journaling, or small-group discussion.

Find it on Amazon:
Paperback - Click Here
Kindle - Click Here

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Saturday Soiree Blog Party, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, Motivate and Rejuvenate Monday Link-Up, A Little R&R Wednesdays, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop