10 days until #RunBlueRidge #brm26pt2 RACE & weekend race checklist

I found a great race weekend checklist on Runners World Website, whether you are doing a long or short race. Hopefully it can give you some ideas to help for your upcoming race.

You can check it out here:
https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20847104/the-ultimate-race-weekend-checklist/

I created my own Race checklist for what I need for the actual race.

I always lay out my running outfit, shoes, post race stuff and the things I need for the actual race-the night before. I always like to get to races 30-60 mins ahead of time so this helps me stay organized in the morning.

I can’t believe it’s only 10 more days until race day!! Hope to see you on the mountain!

RACE DETAILS & EVENTS PAGE HERE:
https://www.blueridgemarathon.com/race-details-events

The Blue Ridge Marathon Series was created by a non-profit known as Roanoke Outside Foundation whose mission is to make outdoor activity and environmental stewardship a core component of our region’s lifestyle by promoting a “conservation through recreation”
philosophy. All proceeds of the Blue Ridge Marathon go toward our main beneficiaries the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway or other local charitable organizations.

The Blue Ridge Marathon has THE MOST elevation change of any road race in the United States. This is how it gets it’s “toughest” road marathon status.

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“Miss Adeline’s Match” by Joanna Barker *book review & giveaway*


“Miss Adeline’s Match” by Joanna Barker

I really enjoyed this clean Regency Romance! Great characters, interesting story line, and good steady pace.

I especially liked Adeline and Evan’s friendship and banter back and forth, which is surprising for that time period (and I loved it!). I laughed and I cried along with the characters in this book. Once I started reading I didn’t want to put it down! I wanted to keep reading so I could figure out what happened to Charity’s past relationship and whether Adeline would change her mind about marriage as well.

I especially liked reading about the fox hunt. The author did a wonderful job with being descriptive with the setting-I felt like I was right there with Adeline, Charity, Ethan and the others.

I truly can’t say enough good things about this book! I plan on keeping it on my bookshelf so I can read it again!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Miss Adeline Hayes is the perfect lady’s companion: pleasant, conversational, and unceasingly proper. But when her closest friend, Charity Edgeworth, breaks off her arranged marriage without explanation, even Adeline’s superior skills are put to the test. Charity’s father banishes the two young women to the country, sending Adeline with a charge to find Charity a husband—or suffer dire consequences.

As Adeline takes on the role of reluctant matchmaker, she discovers more than one obstacle in her path. Not only does Charity prefer escaping in books to socializing, but Adeline soon finds her own attentions distracted by the standoffish—and irritatingly handsome—Mr. Evan Whitfield. Amidst an eventful foxhunt and the unexpected arrival of Charity’s former betrothed, Adeline simply doesn’t have time for a battle of wits with Evan. But the two are continually drawn together until Adeline begins to question her tightly guarded convictions about love and marriage.

However, when secrets are revealed and truths made known, Adeline must face her most fearsome obstacle yet: herself.

Purchase your copy here:

Biography
Joanna Barker was born and raised in northern California. She discovered her love for historical fiction after visiting England as an eleven-year-old, and subsequently read every Jane Austen book she could get her hands on. After graduating Brigham Young University with a degree in English, she worked as an acquisitions editor before devoting herself full-time to writing. She enjoys music, chocolate, and reading everything from romance to science fiction. She lives in Utah and is just a little crazy about her husband and two wild-but-loveable boys.

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“When You Are Near” by Tracie Peterson *book review and giveaway*

MY REVIEW:
“When You Are Near” is book 1 in the “Brookstone Brides” series. It was such a fun story to read! I really liked the Christian elements of faith and death weaved into the story. It was fun to read Lizzy’s life as a trick rider in her parents Wild West traveling show in the early 1900s. Her parents and Uncle owned and ran the all female show but after her fathers death, Lizzy decides to return to her family’s ranch. But before she can return she must finish up the tour, stay away from unwanted suitors, and help her friend escape a dangerous situation.

Drama, romance, murder and trick riding all wrapped up into a fun, easy to read story! I really enjoyed this Christian historical romance and I can’t wait to read books 2 and 3 which are about Mary and Ella, who are Lizzy’s friends from this book.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book

Book: When You Are Near

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2018

After her father’s death, Lizzy Brookstone, a trick rider in the all-female Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, wants nothing more than to quit her role as the star of the show and live a quiet life on her family’s ranch. But returning home would bring Wesley DeShazer, the ranch’s foreman and the man who broke her heart, back into her life. In addition, the Brookstones’ new manager fears that Lizzy’s departure could doom the already cash-strapped show.

Hope grows in Lizzy during a stopover at Fleming Farm. Ella Fleming not only has a natural talent for trick riding and could easily replace Lizzy, but she’s eager to join the show to flee a forced betrothal. However, while there, one of the show’s wranglers is killed in a manner Lizzy finds suspicious. And during her escape from the farm, Ella stumbles across a secret that could affect all of their lives, as well as the future of the Brookstone Extravaganza.

Click here to purchase your copy from amazon!

About the Author

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Guest Post from Tracie

Introducing…When You Are Near!

I’m excited about the new Brookstone Brides series and had so much fun researching for the various characters and locations. This is a story about a fictional Wild West show with all female performers. Prior to the rodeos we see today, the Wild West shows traveled throughout America and Europe to entertain people and give city dwellers a taste of what the American frontier was like. At least their version.

Buffalo Bill Cody was famous for his shows, which brought Native Americans and their culture into the world of people who might otherwise never have even seen an “Indian.” Pawnee Bill was another entertainer who sought to keep these shows alive.

For the fictional show in my novels, I wanted to focus on three female characters who became a part of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza for varying reasons. Lizzy Brookstone is the heroine in book one, When You Are Near, and as the daughter of one of the show’s owners, she has enjoyed a starring role as a trick rider.

For research I went to Pueblo, Colorado to the ranch of Karen Vold, a famous trick rider and rodeo star. Linda Scholtz, a famed trick rider, was teaching a clinic there along with Karen at the Red Top Ranch Trickriding School.

These are two remarkable Christian trick riders who have long worked to keep the sport alive. I spent three days getting to know them and what they do and learned so much. And just to prove that we weren’t all work and no play, I thought I’d share my attempt at trick riding. What I won’t do for research!

The series will have three books, as usual, and each book will focus on a different lady and her skills. Mary is a trick shooter like Annie Oakley, and Ella is a Roman rider who stands on the backs of two horses for her part in the act. It was so interesting learning about each of these types of performers, and I hope you’ll get a chance to read all three and enjoy the stories of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away a grand prize of When You Are Near, Tracie’s A $25 Barnes and Noble Gift card, and the three books in The Heart of Alaska series and three other winners will receive a copy of When You Are Near!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

Click the link here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/dcdd/when-you-are-near-celebration-tour-giveaway

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“The Interlude” & “Claire at Edisto” by Lin Stepp *Blog Tour & Giveaway*

Take your Pick blog & review tour

Welcome to the Blog & Review Tour, plus Giveaway, for two books by Lin Stepp – The Interlude and Claire at Edisto, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

With Spring Break upon us, author Lin Stepp wants to know: Where do you love to go on vacation – the mountains or the sea? Don’t worry – she’s got a book for you, no matter what you decide! Both books release on April 2, 2019, so pack your virtual bags and head to the destination of your choice. And the beauty of travel-by-novel is… you can easily visit both!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Claire at Edisto
Series: Edisto Trilogy #1
Author: Lin Stepp
Publisher: Mountain Hill Press
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2019
Set against the alluring backdrop of coastal South Carolina, CLAIRE AT EDISTO takes the reader on a sweet and gentle journey showing that love and new beginnings can often bloom from the deepest sorrows.
Standing in grief and shock at the grave of her young husband, Claire Avery wonders what she and her young daughters will do now. They live in the church parsonage they need to vacate. She hasn’t worked since her marriage twelve years ago. Old issues and complications hinder relationships with her family. Struggling for answers, Claire accepts her brother-in-law’s offer to stay at his beach house at Edisto to give her a season to heal and think. But even the peace and beauty of the coastal island bring new problems along with unexpected joys as Claire seeks to find her way.
Parker Avery always promised his brother Charles he would look after Claire if anything happened to him. Charles stood by him three years ago when his wife Ann died and Parker is determined now to be a help to Claire and the girls. As time passes, instead of feeling like a hero, he feels like a heel instead as he realizes he’s developing feelings for his own brother’s widow. To make things worse, he watches with pain and jealousy as Miles Lawrence waltzes into Claire’s life. What can he expect though? It hardly seems right that Claire, even after a season of mourning, would ever fall in love with her own brother-in-law.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Title: The Interlude
Series: Smoky Mountains #12
Author: Lin Stepp
Publisher: Mountain Hill Press
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 2, 2019
In this gentle, inspirational romance, Lin Stepp reveals the healing touch and deep peace the beauty of the Smoky Mountains can bring to a hurt and troubled heart.
Too much work, too much pressure, and too much heartache can lead even a strong young woman like Mallory Wingate to the edge of a nervous breakdown. Now her doctor and employer have insisted she take a space to heal and rest—so like it or not, she’s heading to her grandparents’ resort in the Smoky Mountains. Hoping to sleep and rest on the flight home, Mallory is entertained instead by an unexpectedly charismatic stranger, making her forget many of her problems and even making her feel deliciously female again.
Lucas James, flying home from a pro golfing event, hadn’t expected to enjoy an interlude of flirting with a pretty stranger on the plane. A stranger he never expected to see again but who turns out to be the granddaughter of his boss at The Millhouse Resort. Worse, he quickly learns she’s passed through a recent history of emotional problems that remind him all too painfully of his past wife. The last thing Lucas wants is to get involved with anyone like Cecily again. Surely it won’t be too hard to keep his distance while Mallory is at the resort.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

lin-front-page-photo

Lin Stepp is a native Tennessean, businesswoman and educator. A New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon best-selling international author, Lin now has sixteen published books, including her twelve beloved Smoky Mountain novels set in different locations of the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains, as well as a Smoky Mountain novella in one of Kensington’s Christmas anthologies. In addition, Lin’s first novel in a new Edisto Trilogy recently released, set on the South Carolina coast. Lin and her husband also write regional guidebooks, including a Smoky Mountain hiking guide and a Tennessee state parks book. Stepp’s latest 2019 releases are The Interlude, set in the Greenbrier and Pittman Center of the Great Smoky Mountains and Claire at Edisto set at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Lin enjoys keeping up with her readers on Facebook, Twitter, and through her monthly blog on her website at: www.linstepp.com

CONNECT WITH LIN: website | Facebook | Twitter


take your pick giveaway

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will win:

  • your choice of The Interlude OR Claire at Edisto (print, US only)
  • $10 Amazon gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight March 24, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm March 31, 2019. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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Which do you like best – the mountains or the sea?

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“Holy as You Are” by Christie Gardiner *book review and giveaway*


“Holy as You Are” by Christie Gardiner

As a full time working mom of 2 boys, I often find myself struggling for balance and wondering if I’m doing enough to raise my boys as upstanding, loving, christian boys.

The title and book description of this book caught my eye since the focus is for women and how we can live a holy life. (I want that!) The author shares a personal, hilarious story in the into as to why she feels she’s not qualified to write this book or her last book about motherhood. I loved her writing style in this book-easy to read and it was like we were friends chatting around the kitchen table discussing things as women.

“What if, because of Jesus Christ and the redemption that comes through his Atonement, your ordinary is extraordinary? What if you are holy as you are?”

“We know that the real definition of holiness isn’t a state of piety but a choice to set our life apart from what the natural woman would choose, opting instead for a life of sacred purpose. This is what holy is. This is what we choose.”

I especially enjoyed the chapters called “holy relationships”, “finding holiness in change” and “taking time and finding quiet”. This specific chapters really resonated with me. I find myself on a daily basis trying to balance my time with relationships, saying no and finding balance with using social media. Alot of what I do for my full time job and 2 part time jobs requires being online and on social media; so sometimes I am reminded that I need to take a step back to breathe and enjoy the quiet.

I really liked all the personal experiences and scripture references the author included in this book. I found it easy to read, funny, down to earth and relatable! I really enjoyed it and found many things applicable to my life and some ideas on what I can change for the future. This would make a great book for a womens book club!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the book:
When referenced in the scriptures, the word holy means to “set apart for a sacred purpose.” It is a description all women who seek to follow Christ want to embody—but the struggle between the ideal of a holy life and reality can seem far apart. In Holy as You Are, best-selling author Christie Gardiner seeks to close the gap, reminding women of the holy attributes they already possess and how they can accomplish extraordinary ordinary things that will forever change the landscape and heart-scape of their worlds.
With a wealth of spiritual guidance and upbeat wisdom that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, this inspired volume challenges readers to look at their tragedies and triumphs and everything in between as sacred opportunities to choose holiness. What if ordinary is extraordinary? What if you are Holy as You Are?

Purchase your copy here:

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