Beauty from Ashes Tour and GIVEAWAY

A baby was never part of Tiff’s plans. Especially not a sick baby in a NICU, struggling for life on a ventilator. As days in the hospital turn to weeks, Tiff grows more and more convinced that God is punishing her for turning her back on him so many years ago. Or is it possible he’s working in the midst of her daughter’s bleak prognosis to draw Tiff back to himself once more? The Orchard Grove Christian Women’s Fiction books are standalone literary novels about real-life believers facing real-life struggles. You won’t meet perfect saints whose lives are faultless models of the Christian faith. Instead, you’ll meet a perfect God whose plans of redemption are far more glorious than what the mortal mind could ever imagine.

Click here to purchase your copy.

Meet the Author:
Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching. She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second.

Find out more about Alana and her book on her WEBSITE

My Take:
I have read multiple book written by Alana, and have  pretty much enjoyed all of them; The Beloved Daughter series probably being my favorite. Alana has a unique  style of writing, all her own. Many times her book ends with more questions than answers, as she provides mostly food for thought, instead of all out solutions to life's struggles and differences. 

This book is really no different. It is written in first person, which is not really my favorite reading style. The main character Tiff is the one talking and sometimes it just feels like you are sitting there listening to her inner thoughts drone on and on. She fights plenty of inner demons, battles of the mind. She grew up as a foster kid, has plenty of baggage, was in and out of church, religion never really stuck, even though she made a decision as a teenager, although it wasn't quite clear to me whether she accepted Jesus as Savior, or just decided to turn over a new leaf. Sadly, it didn't stick, but too often that is what happens. 

Some of the issues addressed in this book are: an overly critical and negative (in a very polite manner) mother-in-law, pregnancy out of wedlock with a quick marriage to someone she barely new, a sick newborn with a life threatening illness, although there is much more. This book has so much food for thought, it will keep your mind reeling. There was quite a bit I was able to relate to, although, I think I would have enjoyed the book a little more, had it been just a bit shorter.

There is no clear wrap up to the story in terms of solving all of Tiff's and Jake's problems with a happily ever after ending. It is more realistic to the fact that life doesn't always wrap up into a beautiful package and get tied with a pretty bow. Sometimes, layers must be peeled like an onion on the struggles we have and emotional baggage we deal with.  But on a positive note this book also offers hope, as we deal with the tough stuff. The author wrote this book based on things she went through when her son was born. 

I would recommend this book. I received my copy free from Celebrate Lit and the author. I wasn't required to review it positively, and all opinions are my own. 

Guest Post from Alana Terry

Click  here to see the special video message from Alana. 
 “You better come in,” I told my husband. “The doctors don’t think he’s going to make it.” Not the kind of conversation you want to have with anyone at one o’clock in the morning. I was spending the night at the hospital with our nine-month-old baby Silas and hadn’t left the hospital complex in days. Scott was home with our toddler trying to get some sleep. And our son Silas was dying. Raising a medically-fragile baby changed me like nothing else ever has. Thankfully, Silas pulled through that horrific evening, but that didn’t mean life was sugar and cream from then on. As anyone with experience knows, it’s hard work being a special-needs mom. And it can devastate a marriage. Thankfully, God brought my husband and me through those nearly impossible first few years while Silas was in and out of the hospital with no guarantee of his survival. And he continued to sustain us through even more years of therapy, hospital visits, and medical tests. And now we have a happy marriage, a healthy boy, and hearts full of gratitude for all God’s done for us. But I never want to forget where we were. The depths God delivered us out of. The despair that would have overwhelmed us if God hadn’t been our strength and our support. Writing Beauty from Ashes was one way to remind myself of those difficulties God brought us through. It’s not strictly autobiographical, but the baby in this novel went through a very similar traumatic birth experience as Silas did, and all the health issues — including that night in the hospital when I truly thought we were going to lose our baby — are based on the trials we went through when Silas was young. I wrote Beauty from Ashes because we all need to be reminded every now and then that even though life can be impossibly hard, even though there’s no guarantee our children will grow up and love Christ and make good choices with their lives or even survive until adulthood at all, God is good, and he will sustain us through all the trials we have to endure. I think that’s why Beauty from Ashes resonates so much with Christian readers hungry for more than a simple story with a happily-ever-after ending, like these readers: “…by far some of the best Christian fiction I’ve read.” Amy L, author ” … a story that is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming.” ~ Jaime Hampton, award-winning author of Malnourished “I didn’t think it was possible that the author could write any better than she already does … This is a book I will never forget … She writes with realism and doesn’t pull any punches … Every time I read a book from this author, my faith grows.” Deana at Texas Bookaholic I hope you’ll take a chance to grab your own copy of Beauty from Ashes today, and don’t forget to watch the video and enter to win the $100 gift card to christianbooks.com. Because Christian fiction should encourage, edify, and inspire. And because God is big enough to carry all our burdens.

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, November 19

A Greater Yes, November 19

Reading is My Superpower, November 20

Mary Hake, November 20

allofakindmom, November 21

Mommynificent, November 22

Seasons of opportunities, November 22

The Fizzy Pop Collection, November 23

Karen Sue Hadley, November 23

Christian Bookaholic, November 24

Carpe Diem, November 25

Blogging With Carol, November 26

Lots of Helpers, November 26

Reader’s cozy corner, November 27

Moments Dipped in Ink, November 27

Janices book reviews, November 28

Bigreadersite, November 28

Red Headed Book Lady, November 29

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, November 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 30

Pause for Tales, December 1

The Power of Words, December 2

Zerina Blossom’s Books, December 2

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a grand prize of a $100 CBD gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c3c1