Diva Love: Once Upon A Christmas


I love God, anthologies, fairy tales retold, and great Christmas Romance stories, so I was delighted to read Once Upon a Christmas which combines all four. The fact that one of my favorite authors, Toni Shiloh, is a part of it makes it all the more delightful! She never disappoints in providing a sweet romance with a little humor and plenty of emotional drama that needs to be resolved. The love of God is evident in each author's tale in this great collection.

About the Book

Book: Once Upon A Christmas

Author: Andrea Boyd, Mikal Dawn, Toni Shiloh, Angela Ruth Strong, Jaycee Weaver

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 1, 2019


 Embrace the magic of the Christmas season with these contemporary twists on timeless tales.


 Upon a Dream — A rare sleeping disorder keeps Talia from performing, but when Philip recognizes her gift, he’ll do whatever it takes to see her onstage.


 Claim My Heart — Li Na and Colin Wen face off in a Mulan-esque courtroom battle where the real win might be losing their hearts.


 A Snow White Christmas — Sheltered heiress Amala White flees her conniving stepmother’s plans and finds refuge with a handsome orchard owner and his seven quirky uncles.


 Christmas Ella — Reality TV meets Cinderella story when a location director is swept off her feet by a rising star.


 A Splash of Love — Las Vegas glitz meets Land of Enchantment culture in A Splash of Love, a modern twist on the Little Mermaid.



Click here to get your copy!


About the Authors

Andrea Boyd 


Each of Andrea Boyd’s series represents a different genre but all fall into the category of romance. All offer an element of her own brand of humor. And all are a tribute to God. Besides writing, she loves spending time with her family, quilting, going to car shows, and driving around in her 1968 Barracuda convertible. Andrea lives with her husband, Tommy, and at least a couple of cats in York County, SC. Visit her at www.andreaboyd11.com.

Mikal Dawn 

Mikal Dawn is an inspirational romance author, wedding enthusiast, and military (retired) wife. When she isn’t writing about faith, fun, and forever, she is obsessively scouring Pinterest (with coffee in hand!) for wedding ideas for her characters.

Mikal lives in Oklahoma with her husband and two of their three children. Visit her at www.mikaldawn.com.
Toni Shiloh 

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness. Visit her at www.tonishiloh.com.




Angela Ruth Strong 


 Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon bestsellers. She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK. Visit her at www.angelaruthstrong.com.


 Jaycee Weaver Author

Jaycee Weaver is a wife, mother, and substitute teacher living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jaycee writes contemporary Christian romance with lifelike characters in everyday situations who always get their happy ending. Visit her at www.jayceeweaver.com.





More from the Authors

Dear Readers,

Thank you for stopping by the Celebrate Lit blog tour of Once Upon a Christmas. We are so excited to bring you this Christmas collection. All of us had a lot of fun writing it as we delved into the fairy tales of Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid.

What we discovered when writing is that in the heart of every girl is the desire to be a princess. Now, I’m not talking about dressing up in a beautiful gown and wearing a crown while twirling around (although I, Toni, admit I would do that in a heartbeat). No, we discovered that in the heart of every girl (sister, mom, daughter, etc) is the desire to be loved and accepted.

Can Talia find someone who can accept all of her, including her health issues? Can Amala find someone who will love her for her and not her money? Can Li find acceptance for who she truly is and not the façade she presents? Will Ella find a familial kind of love? And Gabrielle, can she find a love so powerful that all her dreams will come true?

As the heroines of our stories journey down their path to love and acceptance, they all come to realize a deep-seated truth. They are loved. They are princesses. They have a love of a King who laid down His life for theirs. A King who is preparing a home for them. A King who sees who they truly are and loves them without hesitation.

As you read these stories, we pray they touch your heart. We pray they entertain you and maybe even make you laugh a time or two. And lastly, we pray the Christmas truths bless you this holiday season.

Blessings,

Andrea, Mikal, Toni, Angela, and Jaycee


Blog Stops

Back Porch Reads , October 2
Activating Faith, October 2
Genesis 5020, October 3
Among the Reads, October 4
Quiet Quilter, October 6
Stories By Gina , October 7
Batya’s Bits, October 7
Cordially Barbara, October 7
Melissa Henderson, October 8
Connect In Fiction, October 8
A Diva’s Heart , October 9
A Reader’s Brain, October 10
Maureen’s Musings, October 10
Remembrancy, October 11
She Lives to Read, October 12
Texas Book-aholic, October 15
janicesbookreviews, October 15

Giveaway



To celebrate their tour, the Once Upon a Christmas authors are giving away the grand prize of a Kindle Fire!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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Diva Love: Letters from Jesus



Today, I am pleased to host a blog tour stop for Letters from Jesus by Chris Palmer. This book breaks down Revelation chapters 1-3 into devotional-style with 52 chapters, one for each week of the year. It includes weekly prayers, activities and additional scriptures for study. I love how the author provides modern-day stories with biblical comparisons to teach his lessons, as well as breaks down Greek words to help readers to understand and follow God's voice. The result is an easy-to-digest presentation of the seven churches of Revelation. 

About the Book



Book: Letters from Jesus

Author: Chris Palmer

Genre: Religion / Biblical Studies/History & Culture

Release Date: September 10, 2019



“In Revelation 2:2, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus something intimate—Google Street View intimate. He says, ‘I know your works’ (Oida ta erga sou). Four words don’t seem like much, but in the Greek, it packs a punch.… Jesus chooses the Greek word oida, which expresses total, comprehensive knowledge. It is intimate knowledge that comes from being up close and personal. This knowledge isn’t hazy on the details. It doesn’t struggle to remember. It preserves the particulars. In the mind’s eye, everything is sharp and clear, like a well-taken photograph.” —Chris Palmer


 Letters from Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation explores Christ’s warnings to the seven most prominent churches in Asia Minor in the book of Revelation. These letters date back to 95 A.D., but they help us make a fascinating discovery about civilization: life hasn’t changed that much over the last two millennia.
Author Chris Palmer illustrates the truths contained in the Letters from Jesus using modern, everyday day examples. The host of the popular podcast Greek for the Week, he unpacks Greek words and phrases in these verses from Revelation with humor, joy, and biblical scholarship.



Why study Greek, even just a little bit? As Chris explains, looking at the New Testament in the original language in which it was written can offer us some beautiful insights into God’s Word. “It’s like reading the Bible in high definition,” he says. Also, “studying God’s Word in the original language forces us to approach it with reverence and awe, humbling ourselves to obey what it says, whether it’s something we want to hear or not.”

Click here for your copy.


About the Author
The Rev. Chris Palmer is the founder and pastor of Light of Today Church in Novi, Michigan, and founder of Chris Palmer Ministries. He is host of the popular podcast, Greek for the Week, seen on several Internet platforms.

Chris began in full-time ministry in 2006 and began to preach internationally in 2009, helping many congregations grow, flourish, and expand. His desire for missions is to train and educate pastors, encourage congregations, support the vision of local church, and show the love of God to the culture. He has done this successfully for a decade in over forty nations of the world in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, working with both traditional churches and the underground/persecuted church.

Chris earned a B.A. in Pastoral Studies from North Central University and an M.A. in Exegetical Theology, magna cum laude, from Moody Theological Seminary. He is a sought-after Greek scholar for his ability to make God’s Word come alive in a unique way from the Greek. Chris is often invited to present Greek and hermeneutics workshops at Bible and ministry schools. He recently began working on his Ph.D. at University Wales, Bangor, in the area of Johannine Literature, particularly the book of Revelation.

His previous self-published books include Living as a Spirit: Hearing the Voice of God on Purpose, The 85 Questions You Ask When You Begin a Relationship with God, The Believer’s Journey, and Escaping the Haunting Past: A Handbook for Deliverance.

More from Chris

Experience the Bible in high definition and learn some Greek with fun, easy lessons from pastor/scholar Chris Palmer.

Blog Stops

The Power of Words, September 15
Godly Book Reviews, September 17
My Devotional Thoughts, September 20
Mary Hake, September 21
Retrospective Spines, September 23
Texas Book-aholic, September 24
A Reader’s Brain, September 25
A Diva’s Heart, September 25
janicesbookreviews, September 26
Inklings and notions , September 27

Giveaway


To celebrate his tour, Chris is giving away a grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card, copy of LETTERS FROM JESUS, copy of HEBREW WORD STUDY!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e808/letters-from-jesus-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!

www.michellelynnstephens.com





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Diva Love: Waiting For God



I really appreciated this devotional. As someone with unpredictable chronic illness and daily aches, I can relate to Ms. Dixon's topic of the journey feeling impossible, particularly when battling for your health. I enjoyed the selection of scriptures she chose to ensure readers that God protects, blesses and provides for us. The author encourages a sense of relaxation and peace with her unique theme of inhale, exhale, rest. Biblical examples are combined with personal stories of overcoming struggle and provides a rich and in-depth devotional experience each day.

About the Book


Book: Waiting for God

Author: Xochitl Dixon

Genre: Non-Fiction, Devotional

Release Date: August 7, 2019


 Inhale God’s Word. Exhale in prayer. Rest in God’s love.



If your heart is weary and longing for answers—for healing, for provision, for miracles—Waiting for God renews your hope with strong biblical truth and encouraging Scripture-based prayer.



Conquer your fears and frustrations as you inhale God’s Word, exhale in prayer, and rest in God’s love. Live a life of deeper connection and immediate communion with God that can lead to contentment in His constant presence, no matter what your days hold or how long God’s deliberate delays may last.



Xochitl Dixon writes each chapter with heart-touching transparency and vulnerability, as she shares her own story as well as the stories of others who are trusting God through waiting seasons with no apparent end in sight. As a woman who lives with chronic pain, Xochitl understands constant struggle yet chooses to put God on the throne of her life.  





Click here to purchase your copy.









About the Author









Xochitl (So-Cheel) E. Dixon has a heart for loving God and people. She’s passionate about intercessory prayer, nurturing spiritual growth, and the prayerful study and application of Scripture. Through her daily struggles with chronic pain, due to an upper back injury she endured in 1992, she writes with transparency, ministers to the hurting, and inspires hope through worshiping God in all circumstances.



She serves as a regular contributor to Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org), a ministry devoted to making “the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.” Her devotional, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace (Discovery House Publishers) is available for pre-order and releases August 7, 2019. She is a contributing author for the upcoming Our Daily Bread devotionals: What Really Matters (August 7, 2019), And He Walks with Me (October 2, 2019), and Moments of Peace for Moms (October 2, 2019).



Her devotions have also been included in All God’s Creatures (Guideposts, 2019), God Hears Her (Discovery House, 2017), Our Help (Discovery House, 2017), and This Far by Faith: Legacies of the Black Church (Discovery House, 2017). Her nonfiction has been published in My Amazing Mom (Chicken Soup for the Soul, 2018), Second-Chance Dogs (Revell, 2018), LIVE Magazine (2019), and Church Health Reader (2019).



She followed God from California to Wisconsin and is enjoying Midwest adventures with her best friend and husband of over 25 years, Dr. W. Alan Dixon, Sr. She loves their sons, A.J. and Xavier, spoils her service dog, Callie, and likes serving as a speaker, traveling, photography, reading, singing, sketching, studying Scripture, and nurturing authentic relationships.



Xochitl connects with readers and shares encouragement devotions, prayer, and Scripture-based memes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on her blog at www.xedixon.com. You can also follow her Author Page on Amazon’s Author Central.











More from Xochitl



“Never pray for patience.”

My friend’s warning pricked at the back of my mind. Without realizing it, I began lacing my prayers with fear, doubt, and caution. I couldn’t risk being thrust into situations that would force me to develop patience, so I did everything in my power to avoid asking the Lord to help me be patient.



But even when I didn’t ask Him to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in me, I always seemed to end up in circumstances that stretched my faith as much as my patience.



When my agent challenged me to write the book I had to write, I pitched Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.



I thought I’d be sharing tips about how to persevere through trials and endure suffering with grace. But after I signed the contract and received a deadline for my manuscript, my husband received an unexpected job offer.



We followed the Lord from California to Wisconsin.



Writing became a challenge as I suffered a setback in my healing journey. I endured high levels of pain and fatigue. My husband and I struggled with frustration as we adjusted to life in the Midwest during one of the coldest winters in history.



And God changed my perspective on waiting for Him, which has nothing to do with patience.



I’ll be sharing my answers to the end-of-chapter questions on my blog (www.xedixon.com). I’m excited to invite you to join the adventure.



I look forward to growing with you as we wait for God, inhaling His Word, exhaling in prayer, and resting in His love as we trust daily in His plan and pace.







Blog Stops






April Hayman, Author, September 3



Genesis 5020, September 4



A Diva’s Heart, September 4




AndreaChristenson, September 6



Kelly Harrel, September 7



Mary Hake, September 7





Just the Write Escape, September 10





Texas Book-aholic, September 12



A Reader’s Brain, September 13



janicesbookreviews, September 13



Inklings and notions, September 14



Cultivating Us, September 15



God is Love, September 15





Giveaway















To celebrate her tour, Xochitl is giving away a grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Waiting for God, and a copy of God Hears Her (Our Daily Bread 365-Day Devotional)!!



Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.













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Diva Love: Risking Love by Toni Shiloh


















Toni Shiloh is taking us back to Maple Run! This time Shorty and Nikki speak and it's easy to see why it took them so long. Nikki has been hiding her emotions in a very dark place and, with God's guidance, she is trying to come to terms with her past before it derails her future. A wonderful story of healing begins to unfold, but I still wasn't sure if Nikki would risk losing love or take the risk of choosing love. In the end, Toni once again serves up a unforgettable story from the beloved Maple Pit!



About the Book





Book: Risking Love





Author: Toni Shiloh





Genre: Christian fiction, contemporary fiction, diverse fiction





Release date: June 25, 2019







Nikki Gordon lives with a perfect trifecta of noes. No guys. No dates. No way.



The past holds her bound with ropes made of fear-infused steel, and she’s determined that no one will ever cut through them. If only her heart would cooperate whenever Shorty comes around. Things go from complicated to confusing when he appears at The Maple Pit in the company of another woman—a drop-dead gorgeous one at that.



With everything to lose and to gain, Nikki steps out in faith and prays for the courage to let him in… before it’s too late.



Gregory “Shorty” Smalls finally has the chance to take his burgeoning business to the next level. Then maybe, Nikki will quit seeing him as a goof-off and give him a real chance.



Finding out he isn’t the problem? The best and worst news possible.



Just how much healing has to take place before he has a chance to move from friend zone to love of her life?



And does he even have a chance?





Click here to purchase your copy.





About the Author



Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.







She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys in northern Virginia. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Virginia Chapter. You can find more information at http://tonishiloh.com.



More from Toni



Risking Love has been a long time in coming. You see when I wrote Buying Love, book one in the Maple Run series, I had only intended for it to be a standalone. But soon the other characters clamored for attention and you, the readers, sent me messages asking for Shorty and Nikki’s story.



Like any good writer, I sat in front of my laptop prepared to whip out their story in the speed in which I wrote Buying Love. Yeah, it did NOT go as I anticipated. You see, Shorty and Nikki refused to talk to me. They wouldn’t answer my questions about their past, about how it affected them.



Zip. Zilch. Nada.



So I wrote book two, Finding Love, featuring Luke and Delaney. They were more than willing to share their heart. I fully intended to then make Shorty and Nikki’s story book three. I figured they’d had enough appearances through book two that they were fully ready to reveal all to me and let me write their story.



Wrong. 



As you know, if you’ve been reading chronologically through the series, book three is about Belle and Micah. They spoke with me freely. I just couldn’t understand why Shorty and Nikki wouldn’t be so candid. Fortunately, while writing Belle and Micah’s story, Nikki began to speak. Then Shorty spoke, and I knew I’d finally be able to write their story.



Y’all, writing Risking Love was tough! They fought me at every turn. I can’t recall how many times I complained about them. Thank goodness my critique partners had patience with me as I fought for every word in this story. And now that their story is out in the world, I’m wrecked with nerves. Will they live up to your anticipation? Will the story truly show how tenuous the relationship between these two are?



As you began to read Risking Love, I pray it blesses you. Whether you’re reading strictly for entertainment or seeking God’s greater truth, I pray you experience those things. And more than that, I thank you for picking up their book and joining me once more in Maple Run. It’s been a blessing as I return to tell the stories in this fictional Virginia town.



Blessings,

Toni Shiloh



Blog Stops







































Remembrancy, July 4


























Mary Hake, July 6














Emily Yager, July 7








Simple Harvest Reads, July 8 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)






































Cultivating us, July 11














KarenSueHadley, July 12

























Giveaway



















To celebrate her tour, Toni is giving a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a finished copy of Risking Love!!





Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e544/risking-love-celebration-tour-giveaway







Thanks for stopping by!













Check out the latest from A Diva's Heart!






























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