Sunday, July 22, 2018

Celebrate Lit Blogging Tour for Firestorm by Laura Hilton Plus Giveaway






About the Book


Title: Firestorm
Author: Laura Hilton
Genre: Christian Amish
Release Date: July, 2018

Bridget Behr and her family migrate from the bustling Amish community where she grew up in Ohio to the mostly unpopulated Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a stalker breaks into their home. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to reside in a borrowed RV until the house and barn are rebuilt. While Bridget is hoping for a fresh start, she’s afraid to trust anyone—even Gabriel, the overly-friendly Amish man who lives nearby. Bridget thinks he’s a flirt who serial dates and doesn’t even remember the girls’ names.
Due to not enough construction work in his Florida community to keep him out of trouble, Gabriel Lapp has been sent to Michigan to work. His father is desperate for his son to settle down. When the family walks into Gabe’s home in the middle of a thunderstorm and he discovers their circumstances, he offers to help with construction. For Gabe, the beautiful girl he teasingly calls “the recluse” once he discovers she doesn’t attend youth events, confuses him like none other.
As Gabriel and Bridget grow closer, they realize there is more to a person than meets the eye. Just as Bridget is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding love, tragedy strikes. Now Bridget and her family must decide if they should move to another Amish community, or dare to fight for the future they’d hoped for in Mackinac County.

...my thoughts...

Laura Hilton hooked me into this story immediately.  From the moment the Behr family arrived at their new home to meeting Gabe Lapp I knew I was in for an entertaining ride.  I am tempted to tell all but no spoilers here. However, I will share that as this summer is heating up, this is one book Amish Fiction fans do not want to miss.

The characters are complex and the novel has a few side stories that keeps the reader's interest.  Bridget, who has been burned before is not going to let the handsome Gabriel Lapp into her life.  She does not date.  Period.  

Gabe, who is freezing in Michigan after growing up in Florida is the guy you  hope to introduce to your younger sister.  He is nice, funny and will help you in any way he can.  He is popular with the young ladies but nobody sparks his interest until he meets "Green eyes" aka Bridget, who does not date.  

Hosea Behr's strict no nonsense approach is such a sharp contrast to Gabe that one can feel their tension nearly leap from the page.  It is interesting to see how these two men try to work together in the face of consequences that both face for their actions.  


I enjoyed this book for the story but also because the characters are well written and believable.  The struggles they face are not what you expect in an Amish story.  Life can be a struggle and what you do with what you are handed is what makes or breaks a spirit.  Laura Hilton manages to keep all together with a surprising solution for all. 

                     




Click here to purchase your copy!







About the Author



  Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with over twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write.









 Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.





When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.



Guest Post from Laura Hilton



I read a series of books a year or so ago by another Amish author who had set her books in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As a Michigan native, I was curious, and I researched, but found nothing about Upper Peninsula Amish except a notation that one had tried and failed. So I contacted the author. She told me that she’d never been there, and her research had all been hearsay, so with that lack of firsthand knowledge and no trip to the Upper Peninsula planned, no trip to see for myself would be possible. At least at that time.



Then God intervened. My son who is in the United States Coast Guard was stationed in the Upper Peninsula this past summer (2017.) He saw the Amish driving around in their buggies. And he felt like a stalker as he followed one to see where he went and drove through the area. He even sent pictures. (Shhhh.)



Yes, there are Amish in the Upper Peninsula – at least at the time this book was written.



Okay, as a Michigan native, I used some terms that may not be familiar to non-Michiganders. A Yooper is someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula. A Troll is someone from the Lower Peninsula. A pastie is kind of like a Hot Pocket, except it’s a meat pie made with root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and rutabagas. They are so good. And the straits are the area of the Great Lakes connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.



As for the wildfire, the earliest wildfire I could find any documentation on in the Upper Peninsula was in April. It is generally a snowy area — trust me. I lived near the Muskegon area and saw snow drifts in May. We sometimes had over six feet of snow on the ground at one time. So, to get the wildfire when I wanted/needed the wildfire I used artistic license. Yes, fires really happened in Michigan’s history. Just not in the month mentioned in the book.









I am attaching a meme about Michigan seasons. We’ll call the fire set in “fool’s spring.” My son got married during the “third winter” this year. April 21 and there’s snow on the ground. He and his beautiful bride got married at a water fall (Tahquomenon Falls) very near where the story is set.











Thanks for reading Firestorm!!



Blog Stops



Carpe Diem, July 10






The Avid Reader, July 12








Among the Reads, July 14

















Pause for Tales, July 20




amandainpa, July 21




Bigreadersite, July 21







           Little Homeschool on the Praire, July 23tops 











Giveaway

















To celebrate her tour, Laura is giving away







Grand prize: Firefighter Puppet 9 (Melissa & Doug), Copies of Amish Firefighter and Firestorm by Laura Hilton.



First place prize of “I Love You to the Cross & Back” Mug (Gardenfire) & Firestorm by Laura Hilton!!





Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!  https://promosimple.com/ps/cf87/firestorm-celebration-tour-giveaway

















Firestorm



uncertain of new home sight unseen

hasty judgements

doubt of others

reasons behind doubt

dedication to service/fighting fires

proving oneself to extent of own endangerment











at







































2 comments:








  1. lollipopsJuly 25, 2018 at 8:00 AM
    Thank you so much! 
    ReplyDelete
  2. DiannaJuly 25, 2018 at 7:15 PM
    Loved the author's guest post. It's fun to read about a story's history! 
    ReplyDelete











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