Happy Friday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Sounds Like a Plan by Lorna Seilstad, Eleanor Bertin, Sara Davison, Brenda S. Anderson, and Stacy Monson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Sounds Like a Plan: Stories of Change and the God Who Doesn't
Authors: Lorna Seilstad, Eleanor Bertin, Sara Davison, Brenda S. Anderson, Stacy Monson
Publisher: The Mosaic Collection
Release Date: July 10, 2024
Genre: Christian Fiction Anthology
♡ A Baby in the Mix by Lorna Seilstad
♡ Not By Chance by Eleanor Bertin
♡ Five Things You Know About Me by Sara Davison
♡ Mercy’s Detour by Brenda S. Anderson
♡ Piper’s Sweet Dream by Stacy Monson
What Reviewers are Saying About The Mosaic Collection Anthologies:
Each is a picture of God’s grace working in the hearts of hurting people through individual writing styles.
Each author has her own voice, yet somehow they all fit perfectly together.
The stories are just the right length to relax with at the end of a long day.
I love these Mosaic author anthologies. These are stories about real people with real problems and emotions.
Such beautifully written, inspirational short stories with themes of grace, forgiveness, love, and peace.
Uplifting stories of ordinary people dealing with their faith and life’s struggles.
Thank you to all the Mosaic Collection authors for giving us more lovely stories to remind us that we will never be alone as God is always with us.
Each of these faith-based fiction stories in Sounds Like a Plan is uniquely and beautifully written with believable characters sustained by the amazing grace of God. Memorable, touching, inspiring, and a true reading pleasure. May you be blessed by this collection.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
My Review
I have been a fan of the Mosaic Collection since its inception and always feel uplifted after reading any volume in the series. The pulse of God is felt in these tomes, and I can personally attest to feeling the whispers and nudges. Sounds Like a Plan is a five-novella anthology that are all so very different, yet all touch the spirit.
A Baby in the Mix starts off the quintuple and it packs quite a punch. Though there is not a lot of time for character development it’s clear from the start that both Aimee and Micah have the biggest hearts. I loved that I was able to get a glimpse into their world and see them both show their love and devotions through a very tough situation. The baby cakes and bakery were the sweetest moments and helped balance the heavier subject matters perfectly.
In Not a Chance Lily and Ian’s first meeting is not ideal by any means but this novella ended with one of the most charming scenes of the anthology. Their chemistry is positively palpable and while there were moments I wasn’t sure where the story was headed, it all makes sense in the end. There is a character with dementia which is very close to my heart as this is what took my grandfather a few years ago, but it was handled with the gentlest of care and showed beauty in the broken.
Hands down Five Things You Know About Me was my favorite of the five. This one was such a rollercoaster of emotions in such a short amount of time. There were moments that my heart was swooning and other times I may or may not have teared up, especially during the final chapter. There was one scene in particular that was truly touching, and I know will stick with me for a long time. I wish I could gush about it further but I’d rather you experience it for yourself than spoil it.
An unexpected phone call puts Paige’s midlife road trip on a different course in Mercy’s Detour and what a detour it is. “Funny how you don’t realize how much you love something until it’s taken away” rings true in this story of a lone woman on a personal journey. At first glance, I wasn’t sure why Paige is on this adventure but when the truth is revealed it is quite tragic and sad. Still, there is beauty to be found when truth come to light and that couldn’t be clearer in Paige’s story.
The sweet chocolate-covered cherry on top of this anthology is Piper’s Sweet Dreams, which follows Piper, a passionate entrepreneur working through the pains of a growing business. Poor Piper gets hit from all sides as she tries to open a storefront, but still has the drive and passion to push through, which was very inspiring to me. This novella was the perfect way to end the anthology.
There were so many scenes that I enjoyed throughout the anthology, including moments of tenderness that left my heart warmed, while other occasions I was chuckling to myself and shaking my head. Each story was the perfect length for my nighttime reading, and I love how rich and fully developed they each are, despite their shortened span.
As always, I am beyond thankful that I had the opportunity to read Sounds Like a Plan and grateful to the Mosaic collection and all of the authors for always uplifting and inspiring.
About the Author
Lorna Seilstad delves into life’s complexities with a generous dash of humor. She is a Carol Award finalist and the author of nine novels including the Lake Manawa Summers series and the Gregory Sisters series. Her stories are part of several novella collections. When she isn’t eating chocolate, she teaches women’s Bible classes, runs a toy store, volunteers with 4-H, and is a wedding planner. She has three adult children and lives in Iowa with her Pyredoodle named Honey Bea.
Connect with Lorna at lornaseilstad.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
From her home in central Alberta, Canada, Eleanor Bertin writes fiction that ponders the depths of God’s love and mercy to humanity.
She is the author of The Ties That Bind series, Lifelines, Unbound, and Tethered, the Burning Bright series, Flame of Mercy and Flicker of Trust, as well as the memoir, Pall of Silence, about her late son, Paul. She lives with her husband of 40 years and their youngest son, in what will someday be a beautiful century home.
Connect with Eleanor at eleanorbertinauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Sara Davison is the author of The Night Guardians, The Rose Tattoo, two sparrows for a penny, and In the Shadows series, as well as the standalone, The Watcher. A finalist for more than a dozen national writing awards, including the Christy Award, Davison is a Holt Medallion, Cascade, and two-time Carol Award winner for romantic suspense. She lives in Ontario with her husband, Michael. Like every good Canadian, she loves coffee, hockey, poutine, and apologizing for no particular reason.
Connect with Sara at saradavison.org to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Brenda S. Anderson writes authentic and gritty life-affirming fiction that shows God at work in people’s messy lives. She enjoys live sports and theater, walking along the shores of Lake Superior, sharing hot cocoa with friends and family, and taking road trips with her newly retired husband. She lives near Minneapolis with her husband and their mischievous twin kitties. Connect with Brenda at brendaandersonbooks.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Stacy Monson is the award-winning author of stories that reveal an extraordinary God at work in ordinary life. Residing in the beautiful, peaceful countryside outside of the Twin Cities with an old dog and 17 chickens, she has two kids, two wonderful in-law kids, and adores being G'ma to 7 amazing grandchildren.
Connect with Stacy at stacymonson.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will win a paperback copy of Sounds Like a Plan, a $25 Amazon gift card, and a piano music CD by Eleanor Bertin's son!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 9, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 16, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
What a lovely and encouraging review! We're thrilled you enjoyed this anthology. Thank you for reading, reviewing, & featuring Sounds Like a Plan!
ReplyDeletegreat review, Christi! Thanks for being part of the tour :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed all of the stories! And thanks for a lovely review.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteThis should be an excellent read. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and encouraging review. We authors appreciate efforts like yours more than you can know!
ReplyDelete