Then Comes a Cover Reveal…

Today I get to share with you one of the coolest covers I’ve ever seen. 🤩

It has vibes I was completely not expecting, and I’m really, really intrigued now.

Ready?

The sky, the font, the vibes! 😱😱😍

Synopsis

Laramie was born to ride the desert wilds. And she won’t let anything stop her, even a fearsome warlord who wants her captive–or dead.

A genius mechanic–and a rare descendant of the once-magical Itan–Laramie drifts from dusty town to dusty town in search of the family that was taken from her.

But her rambling desert journey becomes a game of survival when Laramie crosses a ruthless warlord’s territory. Taken prisoner by one of the warlord’s biker gangs, she befriends a quiet, dangerous man named Gered. After surviving hellish circumstances Gered is tired of fighting for a better life.

Laramie will always fight. And she’ll stop at nothing to win their freedom.

Enjoy this pulse-pounding motorcycle adventure in a post-apocalyptic western setting with found family and being brave in brutal circumstances.

Then Comes a Drifter

Releasing February 24th, 2022

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The author is also hosting a giveaway for preorder swag!

Enter your preorder receipt HERE.

About the Author

C.M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent hobbit if she wasn’t so tall. She’s an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric Physical Therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up. She writes clean YA/MG fantasy-adventure as Claire M. Banschbach.

Instagram: @cmbanschbach

Facebook: @cmbanschbach

Website: https://clairembanschbach.com/

Pinterest: @clairebanschbach

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So there you go! What’s your favorite thing about the cover?

Book Review: Together

“Spring has come once again to the Triple Creek Ranch, but things aren’t all peaceful and sunny. Orlena’s attitude has even Jenelle wondering what to do, while Stephen struggles along in school and Norman faces the possibility of losing one of his ranch hands. Join the Mavrich family for a season of strangers, storms, and struggles.” (from Goodreads)

I received this book for my birthday earlier this year, which was a special surprise. 😀 Several things delayed my reading of it, but I finally got to crack it open and enjoy another season on the Triple Creek Ranch.

Jenelle and Norman were great as always, and Lloyd is my favorite of the regular ranchhands. I always enjoy the side characters in these books so it was neat to see some new developments in their lives. A new schoolteacher, maybe? *huge grin* And I am entirely delighted by the Mavrichs’ new neighbors. ❤

Throughout the series, Orlena has undergone some major heart changes. It’s been neat to see her SPOILER ALERT! struggle, surrender, and mature. I enjoyed her journey even more in this book since it hit very close to home. Following Christ is a day to day choice and relational setbacks occur when our relationship with Him isn’t right.

Stephen was such a sweetheart in this one. Probably my favorite character. (Although Marian is darling.) It hurt to see Orlena being so mean to him, especially since he’s still so afraid of consequences for getting in trouble. And, oh my, that ending!! It made the book a five star one for sure. SPOILER ALERT! I loved God’s proof to him that he couldn’t do everything on his own.

Best quote: “Do you want him to look at you and decide that if Christians are like you, than he doesn’t want to be one?” “No.” It was the faintest of whispers.

Altogether, this was a sweet and satisfying read! 😉

 

Faith Blum Interview

Who doesn’t like a birthday party? Faith certainly does. November 19th was the third birthday of her debut novel, A Mighty Fortress. To celebrate, she has all sorts of fun going on. First, she’s released a newly revised version of A Mighty Fortress. Second, she has most of her published books on sale. Third, she’s releasing the box set of all five of her novels for a special discounted price. And fourth, but not least, she now has the audiobook of her AMF available! Read on for more party fun.

About the Book

“Stay back!” Joshua ordered.  He kept his eyes on the scene below while waving his arm in Ruth’s direction.  “Get deeper into the woods and stay down low to the ground.”

Joshua hazarded a glance behind him.  He could no longer see Ruth and breathed a sigh of relief.  In one swift move, he grabbed his rifle and lay flat to the ground.  Extending the rifle, he aimed at the shorter man whose gun was pointed at Bradshaw.  

Joshua and Ruth Brookings are traveling by stagecoach to finally join their parents in Montana. Attacked by murderous outlaws, the teens barely escape with their lives and must survive in the barren Wyoming and Montana territories and escape the man who’s hunting them.

Seven years ago, Jed Stuart ran away from home and joined Tom’s gang. Jed is tired of the lawlessness and wants out. The only problem? He is the boss’s right-hand man and will never be able to leave. And what’s one more stagecoach robbery, anyway?

Can Joshua lean on God’s strength to keep himself and his sister alive until they find a town?   Will Jed be able to face his anger or will it consume him completely? All three are running–the hunter and hunted. What will happen when they meet?

About the Author

Faith Blum started writing at an early age. She started even before she could read! She even thought she could write better than Dr. Seuss. (The picture doesn’t show it well, but there are scribblings on the page of Green Eggs and Ham). Now that she has grown up a little more, she knows she will probably never reach the success of Dr. Seuss, but that doesn’t stop her from trying.

When she isn’t writing, Faith enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, playing piano, and playing games with her family. One of her dreams is to visit Castle City, Montana, someday to see the ghost town she chose for her characters to live in. She currently lives on a hobby farm with her family in Wisconsin.

There are many ways to connect with Faith online. All of them can be found in one convenient place: http://FaithBlum.com. On her website you can find links to her various social media sites and both of her blogs.

Giveaway

Faith is offering three prizes!

Grand Prize:

• Audiobook of A Mighty Fortress (MP3 download)—Could be a short delay
• The Solid Rock Notebook

1st Prize:

• Feather Quill Necklace

2nd Prize:

• eBook set of Hymns of the West: The Complete Series

Find the giveaway here!

Hymns of the West, the Complete Series

Faith also just released her first box set, the complete Hymns of the West series. It’s available for a special discounted pre-order price until November 26th and will stay at that price until November 30th.

Mega-Sale

Every eBook in the Hymns of the West series is on sale. A Mighty Fortress is permafree, and the other eBooks in the series are $0.99. In addition, the spin-off novella series has a book on sale as well.

Find them here:

A Mighty Fortress

Be Thou My Vision

Amazing Grace

Lily of the Valley

The Solid Rock

Hymns of the West: The Complete Series

Life and Salvation: Hymns of the West Novellas 1-3

Faith also has the paperbacks on sale if you buy them from Createspace with the discount codes.

A Mighty Fortress $2.00 off (8.99) with code: MBJB3XSY

Be Thou My Vision $2.00 off (6.99) with code: GQ3KTJYY

Amazing Grace $1.50 off (9.49) with code:93LQLRJ8

Lily of the Valley $2.00 off (11.99) with code: TJXAYXD2

The Solid Rock $1.50 off (10.49) with code: 7626YZAK

Life and Salvation $2.00 (6.99) with code: V4Y5K46D

Author Interview

Join me in welcoming author Faith Blum to Once Upon an Ordinary! *cheers*
Hello, everybody! Thanks for having me.

Faith, tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a 20-something author who has published 5 novels, 6 novellas, 2 short story collections, 1 short story, 2 box sets, and now 1 audiobook.  I live at home with my family on a small family farm in Wisconsin. I also like to do crafts, read, and watch movies.

What first made you decide you wanted to be an author?
I’ve always liked writing and when I had a couple of online friends self-publish. I started asking some questions and gathering information. But what really got me started was a contest a non-writer friend of mine told me about. The grand prize was being published by West Bow press. I didn’t win, but that extra editing gave me the push to really become an author.

May we have an introduction to the Hymns of the West series?
Sure! That’s easy since I just finished writing up a description for the box set of the complete series.

Two Families…
The Brookings family move from Illinois to Montana to start a horse ranch. Their journey to Montana has hazards of its own, as does their life in Castle City, affecting each of them in various ways.
The Stuarts have been living a secluded life in Tennessee since the matriarch of the family died. When Jed runs away, they seclude themselves even more until a letter arrives that changes their lives—one at a time—forever.

Two Worldviews…
One family has believes in God with their whole hearts, living out their lives to the glory of God. The other family believes in God in a general sense, but they have no commitment toward Him or His ways.

One Providential God.
A stagecoach robbery instigates their meeting. Two years later, they meet again. Another year, and their lives cross paths again. What happens when God’s providence brings two families with two different worldviews together in ways only He could have planned?

What is your favorite part about the ordinary life God has blessed you with?
My little brother, Seth. I have two younger sisters living and 3 siblings waiting for me in heaven, but six years ago we were blessed with Seth. He is 20 years younger than me and 13 years younger than my youngest sister. God truly did a miracle when He gave Seth to us.

Any plans for further projects?
Most definitely! I am currently working on a contemporary suspense novella as well as 4 novels in my Orphans of the West series. Lord willing, the first novel in that series, Savior, Like a Shepherd, will be published in February. I’m not sure when I’ll be publishing the novella, but hopefully early in 2017.

Thank you so much for coming!

Thank you for having me. It’s been fun!

Find the tour schedule here for more party fun and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Top 5 Favorite Western Adventures

Westerns are so much fun. I love watching them, reading them, and writing them. Unfortunately, they are usually too violent for my taste, so the westerns I can recommend are all from the same series. 😉

In book one, we meet Orlena Mavrich one of the world’s most rotten girls and the family and friends who are trying to help her.

Orlena continues to grow up and there are some important changes in her life and the lives of the others around her in book two. (Spoilers, sweetie!) And there’s Christmas in the book, so… 😉

More developments in their lives including rustlers and a BAAABY!!! How can I decide which of these are more exciting in book three?

Stephen arrives on the ranch in book four bringing the responsibilities and struggles of an older “sister” to Orlena and his own troubles to the whole ranch. (Hi, Detective Bruce!)

And then we have book five that finishes out some very neat themes set up in book three (I’m so afraid of saying too much and spoiling it for you) and focuses on one of my favorite characters.

I’ve reviewed them all (and my name is on the back cover of the last one), so as you can see I like them quite a bit. 😉

Curl up with a book and a warm blanket and sink into the delightful world of the Triple Creek Ranch. You won’t regret it.

For links to the other blogs participating in this party and entries for the grand prize, visit our hostess blog. (Hint: she’s actually the author of this series and some of her other books are part of the prize.) 😉

 

Book Review: Set Free

“Mysterious gunmen, a note of warning, and Kyle James, a young hand on the TCR, has his past brought back to haunt him. Meanwhile, Stephen’s dislike of school, Mrs. O’Connor’s sick sister, and a man eager to own part of the Triple Creek, all combine to make life anything but dull for the Mavrich family and the members of the Triple Creek Ranch.” (from Amazon)

When Rebekah Morris asked me to test read the fifth book (Ky’s book) in this series, I jumped up and down and screamed. (By email.) After a paperback copy complete with gorgeous illustrations and a re-read this summer, here’s what I have to say…

The Setting: Set on a western ranch in autumn, this book had me feeling the busyness of the round-up and the frigid winds of coming winter.

The Characters: I always say I love the Mavrichs (because I always do!), and the ranch hands were awesome too. I loved seeing Stephen’s growth and Orlena’s acceptance of her role as an older sister. 😉 I especially loved Ky (because this is his book, right?), and the way the other ranch hands did their best to help him was pretty special. (And “Detective Bruce” is super cool! He needs his own series.)

The Story: Initially this installment feels unnecessary to the series but picks up quiet a bit towards the end and brings a satisfying conclusion to the storyline set up in Rustlers. (I’ll say no more.) My favorite parts were the beautiful Gospel presentation, the banter between Mavrich and Bruce, and the fire.

Parents of younger readers please note some intense action including a fire and children in possible danger. Common to the series there is sweet, married kissing throughout the book.

Altogether, I found this to be a fun read and a nice continuation of Ky’s story. 😉

Just for grins, here’s some banter between Mavrich and Bruce. Enjoy. 😉

“All right. We’ll leave at first light.”

“We?” Mavrich asked, confused.

“Dakota and me. You don’t think I’m walking all that way do you? Especially since the train doesn’t run out to Florence.”

With a chuckle, Mavrich shook his head. “I should have known. Well, I’ll see you all in the morning.”

If you found this review helpful, please consider voting for it on Amazon and Goodreads.

Book Review: Unbroken

“Difficulties arise at Triple Creek Ranch when Orlena, Norman Mavrich’s spoiled, pampered younger sister comes to live with her brother and his wife. The move is much against Orlena’s wishes, and she doesn’t hesitate to let everyone know it. Time and again Mr. and Mrs. Mavrich are driven to their knees to find strength to face another day. Join the young ranch boss, Norman Mavrich, his sweet wife, Jenelle, and the rest of the members of Triple Creek Ranch as they strive to be examples of Christ to the unbroken newcomer.” (from Amazon)

This is the other book I picked up at the OCEANetwork Homeschool Convention’s Homeschooled Authors table. I do judge books by their covers, and this book by Rebekah Morris owned a well-done and quite appealing one. I was also really excited by the rumor that this was a non-violent western (which are so hard to find!); so I decided to bring it home with me, and I haven’t regretted my decision one bit!

The Setting:
This story was set on a ranch in the Midwest. I loved all the mentions of the cattle and the beautiful horses, and its description of ranch life seemed both realistic and interesting to me. : ) The illustrations are just fabulous and really bring to life the world of cowboys and prairies.

The Storyline:
The storyline was really great! I loved watching the journey of the Mavrichs and of their younger sister as well. The plot is cleverly twisted throughout the book, and one would have never guessed how the climax was being set up with an encounter extremely early on in the story! Lessons in controlling a temper and loving difficult people, as well as a clear Gospel presentation, were integrated into the book.

The Characters:
The characters were delightful, at least the ones that were supposed to be. : ) I very much enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Mavrich, and their relationship was a beautiful reminder of how wonderful marriage can be under Christ’s headship. Mrs. Mavrich was sooo sweet, and Mr. Mavrich was awesome in his own way! : ) I also enjoyed Mrs. O’Conner and their cast and (more importantly) crew of considerate ranch hands including Hardrich, St. John, and Hearter. Orlena was definitely not the protagonist, but she was very real and at some points one could almost understand (definitely not agree with) her.

The Concerns:
Parents should have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of some things that Orlena says in her arguments with her brother. Also, although the marriage relationship between two of the main characters is very sweet and godly, some parents may not want younger readers to read this yet because there is a lot of kissing throughout the book. : )

I found this book so fabulous! The marriage relationship was sweet, the characters and setting felt very real, the lessons were wonderful, and the story was one of loving difficult people and leaning on God! A must read. : )

If you found this review helpful, please consider voting for it on Amazon and Goodreads.

Book Review: Home at Last

“Orlena Mavrich little dreamed what winter on Triple Creek Ranch would be like. Her awakened conscience and inability to “be good” are not the only cause for tears. Will the long winter days ahead bring only trouble and quick tempers? Join Mr. and Mrs. Mavrich, Mrs. O’Connor and the ranch hands as they face winter’s storms within and without, relying on the Lord’s help to bring some wanderers home at last.” (from Amazon)

This is the second book in the Triple Creek Ranch series by Rebekah Morris, and it is just as wonderful (or even better) than the first! The cover is, once again, very beautiful and accurately portrays the tone of the book.

The Setting:
This story was set on a ranch in the Midwest during winter which added an extra danger and excitement to ranch life. It was great to be able to learn more about the setting of the series, and their little town featured more into the story this time. The illustrations are just fabulous and really bring to life the world of cowboys and prairies.

The Storyline:
The storyline was really great! I loved “watching” the continued journey of Orlena and those around her. The plot was very interesting (and even set up some more for the next book!!!), and I loved how it mirrors the struggle going on in the Orlena’s life at the time. Lessons in controlling a temper, loving difficult people, and leaning on Christ for help, as well as a clear Gospel presentation, were integrated into the book. And it was so awesome that Christmas got to be in the story!!!

The Characters:
The characters were delightful, (though there almost were too many ranch hands to keep track of). As always, I very much enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Mavrich, and their relationship was a beautiful reminder of how wonderful marriage can be under Christ’s headship. Once again, Mrs. Mavrich was sooo sweet, and Mr. Mavrich was awesome in his own way! : ) Their friends, ranch hands, and housekeeper Mrs. O’Conner (as well as a few new people added) made up the rich group of side characters. Orlena has definitely improved since the last book, but she still has lots to learn. (I love the way that turns out!)

The Concerns:
Parents should have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of some things that Orlena says in her arguments with her older brother. Also, although the marriage relationship between two of the main characters is very sweet and godly, some parents may not want younger readers to read this yet because there is a lot of married kissing throughout the book. : ) Also, a small scene takes place with a drunkard in the town, and there are small mentions of drinking and gambling throughout the book (but the character comes around!).

I was very excited to read this book! It tells the continuing story of the transformation Christ can bring to our lives and added to that it is a really good story! I can’t wait to read the next book that just came out!

If you found this review helpful, please consider voting for it on Amazon and Goodreads.

Book Review: Rustlers

“The ranches around Rough Rock have been hit by cattle rustlers, and Norman and the sheriff both suspect that someone local is involved. After the Triple Creek Ranch hands discover unknown riders on their range, Norman is determined to put a stop to the whole thing. Join the Mavrich family as they hunt down rustlers, celebrate new life, and experience the joys and challenges of living a Christian life.” (from Amazon)

I was very excited when I heard this book by Rebekah Morris was out. Especially since the cover gives away a very special aspect of the story. : )

The Setting:
This story was set on a ranch in the Midwest during late spring. Awesome descriptions of ranch life. Their little town figured much more into the story than in the first two books, and we get to see a couple other ranches as well this time. The illustrations—they are fabulous. : )

The Storyline:
The storyline was really great! I loved seeing how the Mavrichs’ story continued as they worked together as a Christian family. This story is a little more action packed than the first two, but it was exciting and clever plot! I would have never guessed how the rustlers were working. Lots of sweet home life stuff too which I like a lot. : ) Really awesome lessons about dealing with worry, loving people as Christ does, living as a Christian, and leaning on God’s strength were integrated into the book. The fact that it is spring in the story is really fun too since there are baby animals to enjoy hearing about. : )

The Characters:
The characters were awesome! Same awesome cast (love the Mavrichs!) and crew (love Scott, Hearter, and Mrs. O’Conner!), plus some new characters. (My only complaint—too many ranch hands to keep track of. Fortunately all of them aren’t main characters.) Mr. Mavrich and Mrs. Mavrich are so sweet, and Orlena is definitely improved! : ) Everyone is very realistic, and it is interesting to note how people’s motives can move them to act in different ways. (I hope Ky is cool in the next book.)

The Concerns:
Parents should have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of (SPOILER ALERT!) a western shootout. While very not-graphic, two characters do get hurt, and there are slight mentions of wounds and blood. (They are going to recover though!) The main thing I thought would not be good for younger readers is that Orlena has to walk by a saloon, and someone drunk is trying to be mean to her. (One of her brother’s very nice friends helps her out before anything happens, though.) There is also a mean little girl at the school that Orlena goes to that says some uncharitable things, but Orlena is learning to deal with that and reach out to her. Also, although the marriage relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Mavrich is very sweet and godly, some parents may not want younger readers to read this yet because there is a lot of married kissing throughout the book. : )

Once again, this awesome author provided me with an amazing book to read and enjoy!

If you found this review helpful, please consider voting for it on Amazon and Goodreads.

Book Review: Stephen

“Norman Mavrich has no need for another hired hand, but when a young boy shows up asking for work, he can’t turn him away. But where did the boy come from and what really brought him to the Triple Creek Ranch? The search for answers sends Bruce on an investigation and brings an unexpected conflict to the ranch family. Join the Mavriches, Mrs. O’Connor and the ranch hands for an eventful summer of hard work, fun and excitement.” (from Amazon)

It’s pretty hard to decide which of the books in this series by Rebekah Morris is my favorite, but this one probably comes the closest. ; )

The Setting:
The story is, of course, set on the fabulous Triple Creek Ranch during summer. Awesome descriptions of the season and ranch life (including how to fix a fence, though I still don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it since I’m not strong enough). ; ) Probably my favorite part of the whole setting is the horses especially since there are a few new ones added in this book.

The Storyline:
The storyline was really amazing! Although the book is mainly about Stephen, the author didn’t drop the continued story of Orlena’s growing in Christ. I loved the lessons on reaching out to other and loving them especially the part where Norman says, “God made love to grow, if we share it. We can’t use it up.” Once again, the love of Christ really shone through the characters, and I loved the story of how they cared for Stephen.

The Characters:
The characters were delightful (and I almost have the ranch hands’ names down!) as always. The Mavrichs are just the cutest ever, and I love watching their family grow. Lloyd, Ky, Stephen, and Orlena rank next in my favorites; but I enjoy just about every character there is. (Nice detective work, Bruce! Thumbs up!)

The Concerns:
Parents should have caution in considering this book for younger readers because of some schoolgirl spats including calling another girl a liar. (Resolved, of course.) Also, the marriage relationship in this is very sweet and godly, but some parents may not want younger children to read this because there is a lot of married kissing throughout the book. : ) My main concern however would be SPOILER ALERT!!! an evil, distant relative that has mistreated the boy and is coming to take him back.

I was very excited to read this book and bought it ASAP! I’m sorry if this review is a little sketchy since I usually like to write them directly after I read the book the first time, and this is written from a re-read.

If you found this review helpful, please consider voting for it on Amazon and Goodreads.