A Lasting Impression - Virtual Book Tour

                                                         About the book:

A fake. A forger. More than anything, Claire Laurent longs for the chance to live an authentic life, to become the woman she wants to be. And she'll be given that choice. But will it come at too costly a price?

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.
The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.

Tamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.
For more information please visit www.tameraalexander.com







My Review:
This was one of the few books I've read that has left me with a feeling of wow.  The characters, the setting, the storyline...everything seemed to line up perfectly to create a fantastic novel.  Claire was brilliant.  The perfect mix of repentant with enough of a real person to really make her come alive.  Her life was extreme but still believable, if a bit lucky at times.  Her relationships, not just with Sutton, but with the entire cast of the book, come slowly at first and the develope into something very rich and meaningful.  I truly enjoyed watching Claire and Sutton get to know one another and discover their lives together.

Now many of you may remember me saying that I wasn't a big fan of Christian novels.  Well, this book is one of the reasons I keep giving them a try.  Religion was not written in every line, but rather between the lines, with characters trying to live their lives in the way they know they should be.  They just picked right back up and tried again. 



Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Party from Tamera Alexander! While Tamera and her book,  A Lasting Impression, are traveling across the country virtually (with a few international stops as well!), she will be hosting a Kindle Fire Giveaway (11/4 - 11/15) and preparing for a lavish Southern-Style Facebook Party (11/15) (dripping with hospitality, of course). She will be giving away Southern Food Baskets, books, and an array of other fabulous freebies! Don't miss a minute of the fun. Swoon!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Brand New Kindle Fire (shipped as soon as it releases)
• A copy of A Lasting Impression and 3 other special books Tamera wants you to have (for Kindle)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on November 15th. Winner will be announced at A Lasting Impression Facebook Party on the 15th. Tamera will be wrapping up the A Lasting Impression celebration with an author chat and giving away Southern Food Baskets (Loveless Cafe Food Baskets, books, Amazon & Starbucks gift certificates, and copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate cookbook), six gift certificates to Starbucks and Amazon.com, and copies of A Lasting Impression! So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet- you might win one!) and join Tamera on the evening of November 15th for an author chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of Southern-inspired giveaways (complete listing here).

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on the 15th!

Blog Tour Schedule:

11/4

Lena at A Christian Writer's World http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Mocha with Linda http://mochawithlinda.blogspot.com

Holly at 2 Kids and Tired Books http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com

Alena at Little Bit Of Wonderful http://little-bit-of-wonderful.blogspot.com

Jami's Reviews http://jamisreviews.blogspot.com

Tara at Ramblings of the Blonde Mother Bear http://www.theblondemotherbear.com

Patricia at It's Time To Read Mamaw http://itstimetoreadmamaw.blogspot.com

11/5

Jenny at Book Reviews By Jenny http://bookreviewsbyjenny.blogspot.com

Diana at hanging by a thread http://www.pencildancer.com

Debra at Footprints in the Butter http://debrakb.blogspot.com

Pam at Southern Gal Loves to Read http://southerngallovestoread.blogspot.com

Maggie at Tethered Mommy http://www.tetheredmommy.com

Renee at Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com

11/7

Margaret at Creative Madness Mama http://creativemadnessmama.com

Kari at Alas 3 Lads http://www.alas3lads.blogspot.com

Reviews By Jane http://www.reviewsbyjane.blogspot.com

April’s Lifestyle Show http://aprilslifestyleshow.com

Mindy at A Room without Books is Empty http://detweilermom.blogspot.com

Mary Ann at A Mom With A Blog http://www.amomwithablog.com

11/8

Trish at In So Many Words http://trishdoerrler.com

Faith Hope & Cherrytea http://faithhopecherrytea.blogspot.com

Misha at On my Bookshelf http://mollystories.wordpress.com

Diane at That's What I'm Here For http://www.dianeestrella.com

Kim at Window To My World http://berlysue.blogspot.com

Amber at Snidbits http://amberfrench.blogspot.com

Crystal at My Reading Room http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com

Tiffany Amber Stockton http://amberstockton.blogspot.com

11/9

Books, Etc...by Bina http://www.booksbybina.blogspot.com

Laurie's School Days http://www.lauriegauger.blogspot.com

Michele at My Blessings From Above http://koreamom.blogspot.com

Caroline at Happy Four http://happyfour.blogspot.com

Stacie at Hobbit Door http://hobbitdoor.blogspot.com

Krista at Welcome to Married Life http://www.welcometomarriedlife.com

Elizabeth at Count It All Joy http://texasjoy.blogspot.com

Casey at Writing for Christ http://enjoyingthewritingcraft.blogspot.com

Annette at Net's Book Notes http://www.annetteirbyreviews.blogspot.com

11/0

Christy at Southern Sassy Things http://southernsassythings.blogspot.com

Mandie at Taking Time for Mommy - Online Magazine for Moms http://takingtimeformommy.com

Celena at The Traveling Sisterhood http://thetravellingsisterhood.blogspot.com

Theresa at Frugal Experiments http://www.frugalexperiments.com

Christen at mom, writer, crafter, coffee drinker http://ChristenKrumm.com

Whitney at Rambles of a SAHM http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com

Debora at A Book and a Cupcake http://abookandacupcake.blogspot.com

Kristen at Read Great Fiction http://readgreatfiction.wordpress.com

Katie at Legacy of a Writer http://katie-mccurdy.blogspot.com l

Melissa at Bibliophile's Retreat http://www.bibliophilesretreat.com

Lauri at Knits, Reads and Reviews http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com

Brooke at I blog 4 books http://iblog4books.blogspot.com

Paula at Grace Reign http://gracereign.blogspot.com

11/11

Kendra at Happily Managing a Household of Boys http://familymgrkendra.blogspot.com/

Andi at Radiant Light http://www.frommipov.blogspot.com

Jasmyn's Reviews http://jasmynninestuff.blogspot.com

Jendi's Journal http://jendisjournal.com

Jettie’s Ramblings http://jettiesramblings.blogspot.com

Stephanie at A Cooking Bookworm http://www.acookingbookworm.com

11/12

Vera at Luxury Reading http://www.luxuryreading.com

Linda's Lunacy http://lindaslunacy.com

Amy at My Friend Amy http://www.myfriendamysblog.com

Becky at Christian Chick's Thoughts http://christianchicksthoughts.blogspot.com

Angela at All Grown Up? http://pantylesspreacherswife.wordpress.com

Sheila at Showcase Sisters http://showcasesisters.blogspot.com

Suzanne at Clicking Her Heels http://www.clickingherheels.blogspot.com

Melanie at So Many Books.. So Little Time http://www.melanieski.blogspot.com

Kim at Teaberry Cottage http://teaberry-cottage.blogspot.com

Sara at Shoopette's Book Reviews http://shoopettesbookreviews.blogspot.com

Kathy at Bags, Books & Bon Jovi http://bagsbooksandbonjovi.blogspot.com

11/13

Kelli at The Zen of Motherhood http://www.thezenofmotherhood.blogspot.com

Renee at Doorkeeper http://reneeannsmith.com

Betsy Ann - Writer at Large http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com

Jen at Happy Little Homemaker http://www.happylittlehomemaker.com

Lauren at 5 Minutes for Books http://5minutesforbooks.com

Michelle at Healing Hearts http://edgyinspiratuionalauthor.blogspot.com

Megan at The joys of life http://www.raunandmegan.blogspot.com

Laurel at Let's Go on a Picnic! http://headant.com

11/14
Megan at Inspired by Fiction http://inspiredbyfiction.blogspot.com

Charity at Austenitis http://austenitis.blogspot.com

Jennifer at Adventures in Unsell Land http://www.theunsells.blogspot.com

Michelle at Life in Review http://lifeinreviewblog.com

Savanah at Ridiculous Reviews http://ridiculousreviewsbysavanah.blogspot.com

Preslaysa at The Literary Mama http://www.preslaysa.com

Patty at Broken Teepee http://brokenteepee.com

Whitney at Rambles of A Stay at Home Mom http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com

Book Review: Outriders by Kathryn Mackel



Genre: Christian Fantasy
Pages: 288
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it:
Series: The Birthright Project (1)

The world has almost come to an end. Vast areas have been rendered desolate by bombs and disasters. What remains is ruled by evil overlords that force the people to undergo cruel experiments in the endless effort to rule over all. But hope is not lost. Far beneath the polar ice caps a second ark lies, housing people and animals untouched by the blight that has swept across the surface. The time has come for the Birthrighters, as they call themselves, to venture out into the world. Setting up outposts where they can, they fight against the overlords and rescue what they can of the remaining animals and plants that have retained their original form.

I was a little leary when I realized this was a Christian book, many of them get too preachy for my taste. However, Outriders' mix was just right. There was plenty of lessons to learn as the people fought against the overlord Alrod and his mutants, most of which were created against their will from the peasants under his rule. The Outriders must learn to fight when it is needed while learning to accept that it is not always the only way. The overlord isn't their only concern. As the first group to leave the arc enters their 20's, they begin to fight temptation and jealousy. There is much to overcome if the Birthrighters want to succeed in their mission of returning the earth to its original glory.

3.5/5

Book Review: Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo

Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Christian
Pages: 305
Acquired: 2/27/2010
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: Gift
Series: Dreamhouse Kings (3)

The King family continues to discover new and dangerous secrets about their house. The boys, Xander and David, continue to search for their mother but find someone else instead. The strange man, Taksidian, continues to try and get the Kings out of the house in any way he can.

The third book in the Dreamhouse Kings series continues to offer great action. The characters are still a bit stagnant and none of them seem to be anywhere closer to their goals. While there is little resolution, there is still a lot of forwrd momentum that is driving the story forward.

3/5

Book Review: The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

Genre: Young Adult, Christian, Historical Romance
Pages: 336
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: ERC
Series: No

A rarity in 1800's, Clara Endicott is a journalist. She has made a name for herself in England by writing about the working conditions of London's poor. She has also wound up in jail for the same thing. An anonymous supporter helps her return home to Baltimore where she finds that life has changed. Her childhood best friend, Daniel Tremain, has risen from a mill worker to an industry leader and power house. But Clara finds that more than just Daniel's social and financial status has changed. He does not seem to be the same person she knew growing up. As Clara tries to find the man she once knew deep inside Daniel, she is inadvertently drawn into danger by one of Daniel's many adversaries.

A enjoyed the story very much, until the end. I had not read too much about this time period and I enjoyed reading a story that brought it to life for me - the labor riots, the crime, and the muckrakers making headlines. However, the characters fell a little flat - especially Clara who seems to start off perfect and go about trying to make everyone else just as perfect as she is. In some ways she succeeds and in others she doesn't. Her successes seem to pop out of nowhere, with people changing their entire life view after just a few conversations with her.

Overall, the story itself was good, but I found the characters to be lacking.

2.5/5

Book Review: Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 231
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Maddie and Joshua were best friends. They understood each other, they were both PK - Preacher's Kids. But then one day Maddie's family moves and they grow apart. Five years later she returns, but she is not the same person. Maddie, now Madeline, has left the church and has quite a reputation as a bad girl. Joshua is determined to bring her back into the church, but finds that Madeline is opening his eyes and make him think about his beliefs.

The story revolves around Josh trying to figure out what happened to Madeline in the five years she was gone that could change her so much. She hates her father and the church, but she won't say why. As Josh tries to get Madeline to open up to him, he finds her opening his mind. Forcing him to think about his beliefs instead of blindly doing what he has been taught his whole life. The two grow close and each of them learns so much more about themselves in the process.

4/5

Book Review: Love Remains by Kaye Dacus

Love Remains (The Matchmakers) by Kaye Dacus

Zarah and Bobby have a history, one that didn't end well the last time they parted - with broken hearts and misconceptions. When Bobby returns home to start his new job with the Tennessee investigation team and finds himself investigating Zarah, her boss, and her entire team at the Tennessee Historical Society. He must put his feeling for her, both past and present to solve the case fast so that he can see if she'll let him try again. To top it all off, their Grandparents are shooting for a match made in heaven.

I didn't quite find myself enjoying either of the main characters. I was drawn to some of the side characters and might pick up the next one in the series to see if I like them better. Zarah was too caught up in being perfect to let herself have fun, and Bobby was so caught up in trying to prove he was worth the time of day that it almost got annoying. Not my favorite read for the year.

2/5

Book Review: The Raven Saint by Marylu Tyndall

The Raven Saint (Charles Towne Belles) by Marylu Tyndall

The youngest Westcott daughter, Grace, is about to find out a lot about life. She is betrayed and kidnapped by Captain Rafe Dubois, bound to be given to a Spanish don as vengeance for something her father, the Admiral did. Grace instantly turns to prayer and places her life in God's hands only to have him seem to do nothing.

I disliked Grace in a major way at the beginning of this book. She was everything I disliked about preachy Christians that think they are better than everyone else. Thankfully, Rafe was there to somehow show her the error of her ways.

This was quite a complex plot line, with many spins and twists to keep the action going. Rafe comes from a dubious past that is catching up to him, threatening not only him, but Grace, whom he has learned to hold dear. With all these interesting people roaming the pages, I found my favorite to be the little ship cat, Spyglass.

3/5

Book Review: The Blue Enchantress by Marylu Tyndall

The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles) by Marylu Tyndall

We return to the coast of Charles Towne shortly after Faith is pardoned for piracy and wed to her Captain Waite only to discover that the middle Westcott sister, Hope, has stowed away on a boat for England to be with her lover, Lord Falkland. To her surprise the Lord Falkland has a Mrs. Falkland and Hope is set off at the next port to be sold on the auction block into slavery. An acquaintance from home, Mr. Mason, comes to her rescue, giving half of what he owns to buy her and take her back to her home.

This sets the stage for a trip through a hurricane, a ship wreck, and pirates with quite an odd moral code. While I found Hope to be a spoiled flirtatious brat, there was something endearing and vulnerable about her. Mr. Mason on the other hand is a self-righteous snot, and I didn't particularly care for him until Hope somehow worked her magic.

Once again, Tyndall has introduced not only memorable main characters, but a group of side characters that I fell in love with as well. The story was engaging and entertaining - a great follow up to The Red Siren. The story is once again a Christian tale, but avoids being overly preachy and just becomes another aspect of the story.

4/5

Book Review: The Red Siren by Marylu Tyndall

The Red Siren: Charles Towne Belle Series, Book 1 (Truly Yours Romance Series #29) by Marylu Tyndall

What would you do if you were a girl in colonial America faced with a tough choice? The choice between allowing your father to give you away in marriage to horrible men, or find a way to support yourself. Today that choice would be easy, but in Faith Westcott's time, her options seemed limited. She had to find a way to save not only herself, but her two sisters from what she saw as the horrible fate of marriages that they had no say in. Her choice to try and raise money is an interesting one. She turns to piracy...with the stable hand as her first mate and loud mouth parrot along for the ride.

Few people believe the tales of the fiery red haired captain, the temptress that lures ships to their doom, know only as the Red Siren. But Lt. Dajon Waite has had a run in with her in the past, where she took everything from him, and now he eagerly looks forward to laying his trap to capture her.

Faith beats Dajon at every turn. On the sea and on the land, she leads him in a merry chase that somehow ends up turning into a romance. But what will happen if he ever finds out that she slips to the seas at night to steal from the heavy merchant ships as they come into port?


3.5/5

Book Review: Nightshade by Ronie Kendig

Nightshade (Discarded Heroes) by Ronie Kendig - received from publisher in exchange for review.

A touching tale of redemption just about sums this story up. We have Max, the ex Navy SEAL who has returned from duty scarred. Trying to be a "real man" he hides his hurts from his wife, Sydney, and they continue to eat him up inside until one night he snaps. It tears their marriage apart, and even though they love each other deeply, it seems that they will never be able to find their way back to each other.

Max was just the right mix of macho tough guy and a scarred and injured warrior. I enjoyed his character from the get go and his fragile relationship with Sydney was portrayed in a way that I could see the thin threads that just barely held them to each other. Both strong people, fighting for what they think is best.

Max's special ops team is full of personality. It was a wonderful group of characters that allowed the author to pull things into the story in ways that just seemed natural. Each and every person introduced plays a very special and important role in Max and Sydney's journey. It is a dark and very dangerous one, but one they must face if they ever hope to save their marriage.

The rating on this book could be split into two sections for me. The story of Max and Sydney gets 4-5 stars all the way. However, there is a parallel story line of Jon and Kimber that we follow as well (don't want to say too much more and give anything away). I found their story to be a bit over done and syrupy, predictable and a little preachy, and would only give it 1 or 2 stars. While their role was very important in the overall plot, I just didn't enjoy them much at all.

Overall a good book, one that doesn't show military as all glamorous, but how it can leave the mind as well as the body scarred, making it difficult to return to a "normal" life.

3/5 (  )

Book Review: The Sword by Brian M. Litfin

The Sword: A Novel (Chiveis Trilogy)
What would happen to the human race if we lost all technology and went back to stone castles, handmade clothes, farming by hand? The people in The Sword show us. There has been a series of tragedies...a disease that wiped out most of the population....a nuclear war....climates gone haywire. A few scattered groups of people survive to rebuild their lives. One of these groups names their land Chiveis. Chiveis is a mostly happy land, surround by wilderness that none dare to enter. But Chiveis has lost the God of the ancients and now worship their own gods in their own way.

Then on day everything changes. It starts with a guardsman, a well known tournament champion, discovers a book of the ancients far from the borders of Chiveis. He brings this book back to share with his friends, Anastasia (a farmer's daughter), Maurice (his friend and mentor), and Shaphan (his student). This small group of people decide to bring the ancient's God back to Chiveis no matter what the cost.

This leads the group into quite a religious struggle with the High Priestess of the current religion who refuses to see a new religion that could potentially take some of her power from her. The group is attacked from without and faces betrayal from withing as they struggle to make sense of this new God and bring his truth to their world.

I loved this book, the plot, the character, the setting...everything. The characters are engaging and interesting. Their lives flow through a world that is well made, beautiful, and at times frightening. The struggles they endure and the choices they move the story forward is way that draws the reader even further in. I can't wait to see what the second book brings.

4.5/5

This book was received from the publisher as part of the librarything early review program in exchange for my review.  My review expresses my honest opinion of the book.