Goodbye 2018 & Looking Ahead

Welcome to my annual “best-of” celebration! I’m changing it up a bit and separating the categories of my yearly best-of lists over a few days. All of this is to celebrate their distinction and spend a few more days talking about all the wonderful entertainment of 2018.

Day 1. Best of 2018: Novellas

Day 2. Best of 2018: Historical Books

Day 3. Best of 2018: Contemporary Books

Day 4. Goodbye 2018 & Looking Ahead

2018 has been quite the year. Personally, it has be joyous and bittersweet. I am glad for several things that happened in 2018, but I also am SO ready for a new year and the renewal and fresh start that comes with it.

Talking reading and entertainment, 2018 was a year of greatness. As I have outlined with my fav book posts so far, I have read some awesome stories. At last count, I read a total of 71 books, novellas, or short stories. I also surpassed my Goodreads challenge of reading 60. Here’s my “Year in Books” there!

2018’s Most Popular Blog Posts

  1. Favorite Quotes from “Persuasion” by Jane Austen
  2. Best of 2017
  3. Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Best On-Screen Rom-Com Couples
  4. How-To: Solar Dyed Yarn Project (With Kool-Aid!)
  5. Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Novels with the Most Unique Settings
  6. Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR + Mood Reads
  7. Top Ten Tuesday: 11 Characters Who Would Make Great Leaders of a Camping Trip
  8. Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Reads & My TBR

2018’s Most Popular Reviews

  1. I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones
  2. Impossible Saints by Clarissa Harwood
  3. Love in Three Quarter Time by Rachel McMillan
  4. Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan
  5. Rose in Three Quarter Time by Rachel McMillan
  6. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron
  7. The Cupcake Dilemma by Jennifer Rodewald
  8. “Whole Heart” Music Album by Passion Music

Looking ahead to 2019, I am anticipating several new book (and movie!) releases. A few of the ones I’m most excited about are listed below. (and I’m likely to forget one or two, so consider this a partial list).

Do YOU have any New Year’s resolutions? Do you set a reading goal for the year?

Series Feature: The Everstone Chronicles by Dawn Crandall

In case you haven’t heard, the blog tour is happening now for Dawn Crandall’s latest release, The Captive Imposter! This post is to get you acquainted with the books in the (fabulous) series before the Facebook party on April 24th.

You can find my reviews of these books here: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart, and The Captive Imposter.

The Everstone ChroniclesTHE EVERSTONE CHRONICLES

by Dawn Crandall

Drop by author Dawn Crandall’s blog or Facebook page to check out all the posts and giveaways going on throughout the next few weeks! There will be lots of prizes and giveaways!

Dawn Crandall’s Blog – www.dawncrandall.blogspot.com/2015/03/blog-tour-schedule-for-captive-imposter_25.html

Dawn’s FaceBook Author Page – www.facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst

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 The Hesitant Heiress

*** 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence WINNER (Romance Writers of America)HesitantHeiress

After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn’t who she thought at all.

Add to GoodReadswww.goodreads.com/book/show/21490837-the-hesitant-heiress

Amazonwww.amazon.com/Hesitant-Heiress-The-Everstone-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00M4LQ81I

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The Bound Heart

The Bound Heart by Dawn CrandallOne accidental kiss from Lawry Hampton. That was all it took to throw Meredyth Summercourt’s world upside-down. Determined to marry the ever-elusive Vance Everstone, she simply doesn’t have the time or the desire to fall for her friend Lawry Hampton. However, with Vance out of the country and Lawry constantly at her side, Meredyth can’t help but wonder if what’s holding her to Vance is nothing more than a desire to redeem herself from their unfortunate past.

When Vance comes home to stake his claim on Meredyth, will she be strong enough to break free from the tangled web she’s convinced she deserves? Or will she find the strength to accept that God’s plan for her life could include redemption… and quite possibly the love of her best-friend?

Add to GoodReadswww.goodreads.com/book/show/21490844-the-bound-heart

Amazonwww.amazon.com/Bound-Heart-Everstone-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00P2YEFSC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=11S4SCJKBW68C1WNGMCG

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The Captive Imposter

11062744_10205550334931088_2555500445048911149_oSent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she’d always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn’t like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can’t refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can’t deny the pull that’s evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she’s been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she’s with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she’s Estella Everstone? She’s not entirely sure.

Add to GoodReadswww.goodreads.com/book/show/21490845-the-captive-imposter

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Captive-Imposter-Everstone-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00VKLN3JS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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About Dawn Crandall

IMG_3368 (683x1024)A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing her debut novel, The Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Northeast Indiana.

Dawn is a member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.

The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.