Movie Review and Giveaway: Still Hope

Get tickets now to see this powerful film in theaters February 5!

Still Hope is a movie where awareness about human trafficking meets

compassion and recovery begins. Freedom is just the beginning.

A portion of ticket proceeds will go towards organizations that care for victims of trafficking.

When you purchase a ticket to Still Hope, you help shine a light on the fight

against trafficking and amplify the hope this film was created to share!

“Every person needs to see this film!” -Natalie Grant

Buy Tickets

Synopsis: 

Hope, a teenager from a tight-knit community, finds herself in danger when the person she believes to be a new friend proves unsafe. Taken from all she knows, Hope is forced into sex trafficking and stripped of her identity.

After finding freedom from her captors, Hope discovers that survival is only the first step. Inspired by true stories, Hope’s journey is a powerful illustration of the courage it takes to walk the complex path of recovery.

Buy tickets today to see Still Hope in theaters starting February 5th!

Trailer:

My Review:

Still Hope took me on an emotional journey. I admired Hope's fight for survival and bravery with trying to move on from the horrors she experienced. The movie shows the trauma for those who have are currently being  sex trafficked, living through it, being rescued and the after effects that follows. I found myself tearing up throughout seeing the realness of what humans will put others through. Truly horrific to see. However, I loved seeing the beauty of God's love that Hope comes to discover.

I would love to have given Still Hope one hundred stars if I could. Because of the sensitive themes within the film, I highly recommend it for viewers of sixteen and up. 

I received an early screener link to view Still Hope from Studio 523 but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.  

Disclosure:

Many thanks to Studio 523 for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon giftcard  

Leave a more than a three word completed sentence telling me who you will be watching Still Hope with. Don’t forget to leave your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS in your comment so I can contact you if you win. Winner’s name will be drawn on February 9, 2026.

Giveaway Rules:

Giveaway is limited to US winners only.

Three or less word comments will be deleted and will not be entered into the giveaway.

Chosen winner/s will be contacted by email to verify information needed to give to the appropriate channels to get the prize to you.

Winner/s MUST reply to this email within 24 hours.

If no response, a new winner’s name will be drawn and you forfeit the prize.

Locks, Hooks and Books is NOT responsible for lack of response from the chosen winner.

Winners from previous Momentum campaigns within 90 days will be disqualified.

Please note: Locks, Hooks and Books is NOT responsible in sending the prize.

Book Series Tour and Giveaway: Into the Shadows (Book 4) by J M Hofer

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  ISLANDS IN THE MIST (Book 1) by J.M. Hofer 

Category:  Adult Fiction (18 yrs +),  394 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher:  Indie
Release date:   July 10, 2014
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: 1) contains mild profanity, 2) contains occasional non-explicit sex scenes, but Book 4 has a rape scene, hence the rating, 3) contains battle violence but it's not gory or explicit

Book Description:

Set in Iron Age Britain and steeped in Welsh legend, the Islands in the Mist series brings to life the magic and mystery of the Arthurian Age.

In Islands in the Mist, we meet the great warrior, Bran, called home from the battlefield to his mother's deathbed. He honors her final wish by vowing to solve the mystery of what fatally attacked her in the night. Though many have dismissed it as a wolf attack, she insists it was not, and encourages him to seek the counsel of Talhaiarn, druid advisor to their clan.

On his journey, Bran encounters the fiery Lucia, widow to a Roman centurion, and her strangely-gifted stable boy, Gwion--an enigmatic child graced with understanding beyond his years. Lucia possesses "the Sight," an ability that has plagued her from the time she was a small girl, tormenting her with disturbing visions of events that invariably come to pass. Fate leads her to discover many of her maternal ancestors were masterful women gifted with similar psychic abilities and that some of them have been watching her from the shadows for years.

Upon returning to his village, Bran finds himself at odds with the hot-tempered Aelhaearn, who is determined to become their clan's next chieftain. To Aelhaearn's disappointment, Bran's sister, now priestess in her mother's place, convinces the clan to choose Bran for the honor instead. In the aftermath of their conflict, Bran discovers something shocking about his rival that causes him to rue his sister's decision.

As everyone strives to unravel the mystery surrounding their nocturnal enemies, their creator patiently carries out her plan, woven from the exploited weaknesses of her opponents. Slowly, all but one are pulled into the seductive maelstrom of her power.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads

Spotlight and Giveaway: Fatal Past by Sarah Hamaker

About the Book

Book: Fatal Past

Author: Sarah Hamaker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 14, 2025

Dr. Eve Davenport has forged a life for herself far from the pain of her past. But when she foils the kidnapping attempt of Ethan Smith, she comes face-to-face with the boy’s father, Jefferson Smith—the high school sweetheart who broke her heart and left her with secrets she’s buried for nearly a decade. Jefferson can’t believe the woman who saved Ethan, his late twin brother’s son, is Eve—the girl he once loved and lost. But as the danger mounts, Jefferson and Eve must confront their tangled history and uncover who is behind the attacks targeting Ethan and Eve.

 

Click here to get you copy!

 

 

About the Author

Multi-award-winning and best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense, Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s an AWSA certified writer and speaker coach, and podcaster of “The Romantic Side of Suspense.” She and her husband are therapeutic foster parents with UMFS. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four children and two cats.

 

 

 

 

More from Sarah

Life has a funny way of mirroring fiction at times, and that happened to me with Fatal Past—but not when I was writing it! I wanted my hero’s (and heroine’s) son to be school-age but not too old, so I picked second grade, which put him at age 7. This is such a fun age, as they are independent and inquisitive, and you start to really see their personalities develop.

Little did I know when I wrote this last fall that I would be teaching twenty-three second graders as a long-term substitute this current school year! I began in mid-September and will continue through early March while their regular teacher is out on maternity leave. It’s been challenging but rewarding as they expand their knowledge and build on their kindergarten and first-grade foundations.

Your turn—how has something you read resonated with you lately? Has a storyline mirrored something happening in your own life?

Sarah

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 31

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 1

Books Less Travelled, February 2

Stories By Gina, February 3 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 4

Texas Book-aholic, February 5

Simple Harvest Reads, February 6 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, February 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 7

Artistic Nobody, February 8 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 9

Cover Lover Book Review, February 10

Bizwings Blog, February 11

Fiction Book Lover, February 12 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, February 13

For Him and My Family, February 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, an ebook copy of Fatal Past, a paperback copy of Truth, the limited collection of four short novels that includes Fatal Past, signed by all four authors, and 75Fatal Past-themed socks!!

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

https://gleam.io/k1w6L/fatal-past-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Tour and Giveaway: The Illumination: Izol by Mescal

 

Book Details:

​Book Title: The Illumination: Izol by Mescal
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  368 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher:  Tanager Ink Publishing
Release date:  November, 2025
Content Rating: PG: There is no swearing, and nothing explicit in my book. As far as fantasy series goes, it is more on the conservative side with less romantic material than most. ​

Book Description:

She went into the woods an ordinary young woman. She returned marked by destiny.
When Izol crosses the boundary of the forbidden forest, she encounters a terror that should have ended her life. Instead, she is not only spared, but chosen. A mysterious messenger reveals a truth that will shatter everything she thought she knew about her family, her people, and her purpose.
​
Found bloodied and half-conscious, Izol returns home changed. But not everyone is ready for a young woman touched by the divine.

As tensions rise within the keep and dangerous eyes turn toward her, Izol must choose between who she was raised to be—and the powerful, terrifying truth of who she is.  As the verity of her awakening begins to spread, those with something to lose will do anything to silence her.

 Izol: The Illumination is a sweeping story of awakening, devotion, and betrayal. For readers who love epic storytelling grounded in emotional intimacy, myth, and wonder.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N 
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:
In my adolescent years, I was an extreme introvert, though I had a few friends I was close with; if you weren’t acquainted with me, you would probably perceive me as asocial. I believe it was in my mid-20’s that my persona changed. I graduated from college at twenty-three and began working part-time with a major US airline. I thought the job exciting and the ability to travel the world made the position hugely attractive.

My sojourn in the airline industry was only until I had decided on a permanent career path, or so I thought. Many years later, after traveling to a multitude of countries on five continents, having two boys who also traveled the globe with me, I find myself here, at this monumental moment where I’ve embarked on a new adventure, this all unfolding by happenstance, a bedtime story I told my nieces had etched its way in my mind.

The story slowly revealed itself as I sat having lunch in my office, on my commute home late at night, and while meandering the farmers market on weekends, I would see my story in my mind’s eye.

Finally, on a trip to Copenhagen in December five years ago, it beckoned me, the inner child, when I visited the statue of the Little Mermaid with my niece. Watching her entranced by the serin, I felt her wonderment as if reliving the experience of my first reading of the fairytale at the age of ten. A whispered voice caught my ear, and a single word summoned my heart. WRITE!
​
Invigorated by this calling, I set to paper what had been dancing in my head. Now here we are: the Izol series has been birthed. My grandmother’s words stood the test of time: “Wherever you are, there you’ll find yourself.”

connect with the author:  website ~ instagram~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

The Illumination: Izol by Mescal Book Tour Giveaway

My Review: 

I have to admit that I am one of those readers that usually judge a book by its cover. When I first saw the cover to The Illumination: Izol by Mescal (M S Tanager), I was intrigued and immediately wanted to read it. I was honored to have the opportunity to have that chance. I was not disappointed. This book was full of fantasy, adventure, mystery, suspense, action, and danger. I found that the main character of Izol was admirable and courageous. I loved getting to know and I admired her so much. I wanted to keep reading to find out more and more about it. There was a lot that unfolds throughout the story that held my attention from start to finish. Overall, I thought it was a great book to read. I am not normally a fantasy fan, however, that was not the case with this one. I loved it.

I am going to give The Illumination: Izol five stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read fantasy fiction. I hope to get y hands and eyes on the next installation from the Izol series to see what Mescal (M S Tanager) has in store for their readers and fans. I thought this one should not be missed and definitely worth reading.

I received a paperback copy of Mescal (M S Tanager)'s The Illumination: Izol from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Spotlight and Giveaway: Flames of Faith by Marguerite Martin Gray

About the Book

Book: Flames of Faith

Author: Marguerite Martin Gray

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: February, 2025

1870 Switzerland. One year. A mountain of ideas. And a menacing railroad forging the barrier between dreams and reality.

Claire Pennington formulates a bold plan to avoid the pressure of yet another London season. Her parents grant her one year in Switzerland, yet afterward she must return to England and find a suitor. Armed with a notebook and gumption, she determines to make the mountain town of Thun a tourist destination for all classes of society. However, she does not count on an equally determined railroad engineer set on leaving Thun in the dust.

The rugged mountain terrain grants Englishman Lucas Stanley the opportunity to launch his engineering career. The railroad is the answer to modern travel—expedient, efficient, and competitive, yet conquering the section of track from Thun to Interlaken is harder than he originally thought, especially with opposition from a fiery female. Claire confronts him at every turn, using her enthusiasm and people skills to flame local zeal for change and progress in another direction.

Opposing proposals collide as Claire, Lucas, and the citizens of the quaint Swiss town face an avalanche of decisions and compromises sparked by flames of faith—and perhaps love.

Discover romance and faith in 1870 Switzerland through this standalone novel from the Elements of Hope series where fire, air, water, and earth meet elements of the heart.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Marguerite Martin Gray is an award-winning author of a dozen novels and novellas. She enjoys the study of history, especially when combined with fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she teaches French and Spanish online. She currently lives in North Louisiana with her husband and rescue pets. Her two adult children and two grandsons keep her young and up-to-date.

 

 

 

More from Marguerite

I am a tourist at heart and always have been since I was a child growing up in England as a preteen. A castle, a map, a manor house, a museum, a mystery, a myth in any country or state. Flames of Faith was sparked by a recent train ride from Interlaken to Thun, Switzerland where an old turreted castle rose above the lake and village. A perfect setting for a novel. It spurred thoughts of who visited this area as well as how and when since the terrain made it dangerous and tricky to just visit on a whim on a Sunday afternoon.

Have you heard of Thomas Cook (1850s and onward) and his famous travels all over Europe with tourists by horse, carriage, boat, foot, and finally train? He paved the way for the middle-class citizen to see gorgeous venues like Switzerland and the Alps. What an adventure to have been on one of his early tours! A Slow Train to Switzerland by Diccon Bewes cemented what I wanted to express in this novel.

 

Meet Claire Pennington, my heroine, who encompasses the traits of tourist in all the good senses. She wants everyone to have the opportunity to travel the continent and world as she does. Her bold dream inspires others to possibly regard seeing new sites as a way to refresh and revitalize their own lives.

Hop on board and discover romance and faith in 1870 Switzerland. Be a tourist without leaving your home.

 

 

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, January 21 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 22

Texas Book-aholic, January 23

Artistic Nobody, January 24 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, January 25

Life on Chickadee Lane, January 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 27

Guild Master, January 28 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, January 28

For Him and My Family, January 29

Devoted Steps, January 30

Fiction Book Lover, January 31 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 1

Holly’s Book Corner, February 2

Cover Lover Book Review, February 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Marguerite is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/40938/flames-of-faith-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Series Tour and Giveaway: Rise of the Pendragon (Book 3) by J M Hofer

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  ISLANDS IN THE MIST (Book 1) by J.M. Hofer 

Category:  Adult Fiction (18 yrs +),  394 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher:  Indie
Release date:   July 10, 2014
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: 1) contains mild profanity, 2) contains occasional non-explicit sex scenes, but Book 4 has a rape scene, hence the rating, 3) contains battle violence but it's not gory or explicit

Book Description:

Set in Iron Age Britain and steeped in Welsh legend, the Islands in the Mist series brings to life the magic and mystery of the Arthurian Age.

In Islands in the Mist, we meet the great warrior, Bran, called home from the battlefield to his mother's deathbed. He honors her final wish by vowing to solve the mystery of what fatally attacked her in the night. Though many have dismissed it as a wolf attack, she insists it was not, and encourages him to seek the counsel of Talhaiarn, druid advisor to their clan.

On his journey, Bran encounters the fiery Lucia, widow to a Roman centurion, and her strangely-gifted stable boy, Gwion--an enigmatic child graced with understanding beyond his years. Lucia possesses "the Sight," an ability that has plagued her from the time she was a small girl, tormenting her with disturbing visions of events that invariably come to pass. Fate leads her to discover many of her maternal ancestors were masterful women gifted with similar psychic abilities and that some of them have been watching her from the shadows for years.

Upon returning to his village, Bran finds himself at odds with the hot-tempered Aelhaearn, who is determined to become their clan's next chieftain. To Aelhaearn's disappointment, Bran's sister, now priestess in her mother's place, convinces the clan to choose Bran for the honor instead. In the aftermath of their conflict, Bran discovers something shocking about his rival that causes him to rue his sister's decision.

As everyone strives to unravel the mystery surrounding their nocturnal enemies, their creator patiently carries out her plan, woven from the exploited weaknesses of her opponents. Slowly, all but one are pulled into the seductive maelstrom of her power.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Scars of the Revolution by Megan Soja

About the Book

Book: Scars of the Revolution

Author: Megan Soja

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Some scars are born from duty, others from rebellion—theirs were carved by both.

Libby Caldwell has been in love with Isaac Harrison for years, ever since her late father befriended him. While her head knows there is no hope of sharing her life with a British soldier, her heart is much more difficult to convince, especially now that he is quartering in her home. With Boston under siege and battle looming, each day together forces her to recognize how deep her feelings truly are…and how forbidden.

Bound by duty to both his family and country, Isaac is determined to serve honorably in the King’s army, despite never wishing to be a soldier. But quartering with the widow and daughter of his old friend places another obligation on his shoulders—that of their well-being. The more time he spends with Miss Caldwell, the more that duty begins to feel like something personal, something he cannot allow.

As the siege of Boston tightens, Libby finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of espionage that could save the Patriot cause—and destroy any chance of a future with the man she’s growing to love.

Will betrayal and war keep their two worlds forever apart? Or will they look to the One whose love knows no bounds to bring them healing and a future?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Megan Soja is a multi-award-winning author who writes stories with strong faith, rich history, and sweet romance. She lives in western NY with her husband and two daughters and loves having adventures, both big and small, with her family. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, and playing French Horn.

 

 

 

 

More from Megan

One of the things I love about reading and writing Christian fiction, is being able to see God’s truth woven into the story. Even though the characters and their experiences are fictional, the truth of who God is and how He loves us is very real.

In Scars of the Revolution, my heroine, Libby Caldwell, wrestles with understanding God’s goodness in the face of loss and hardship. Libby is grieving the death of her beloved father, while also facing the siege of her hometown and the worsening fight between the Patriot colonists and the British Army stationed in Boston. Her growing love for one of the British officers further complicates matters, and makes it hard for her to discern what God is doing in her life.

Her questions and struggles reflect much of my own faith journey. When my husband and I lost our first baby just after birth, I spent months trying to reconcile what I thought I knew of God with the tragic loss we had experienced. I wasn’t angry at God, but I was utterly confused as to how to understand His goodness in the midst of something that felt anything but good.

It wasn’t easy, but when I look back now, I see how God led me through my grief into a deeper understand of His character and a stronger reliance upon Him. I can truthfully say, as Libby’s mother does in Scars of the Revolution, that it was “in the hardest times, when God has seemed utterly incomprehensible, that my faith has grown the most.”

If you have ever walked through a painful experience that made you struggle to understand God’s purpose or even doubt His love, I hope that Libby’s journey will inspire your own faith. Or maybe your experience is more like that of my hero, Isaac Harrison, whose life has revolved around duty for so long, that it is hard for him to comprehend a God who freely gives His love and forgiveness, even when we don’t deserve or cannot earn it. I won’t give any spoilers as to how Isaac’s understanding grows and changes, but I hope you’ll be encouraged when you read it.

Libby and Isaac’s story is one of love against all odds, set against the backdrop of the Battle of Bunker Hill and a complex web of espionage. But it is also a story of faith in the God who is able to turn our scars into something beautiful. I pray you will find that truth in the pages of Scars of the Revolution.

Blog Stops

Devoted Steps, January 17

Bizwings Blog, January 17

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 18

Life on Chickadee Lane, January 18

Books Less Travelled, January 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 20

Texas Book-aholic, January 21

Betti Mace, January 22

Holly’s Book Corner, January 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 23

Connie’s History Classroom , January 24

Books You Can Feel Good About, January 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 26

Leslie’s Library Escape, January 27

The Bookish Pilgrim, January 27

Simple Harvest Reads, January 28 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Cover Lover Book Review, January 29

Pause for Tales, January 30

Blossoms and Blessings, January 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Megan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/nSWnS/scars-of-the-revolution-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

I have had the pleasure reading the first two books from the Harbor of Spies series. I was excited to continue it with the third installment, Scars of the Revolution. I believe it is my favorite of the three books. I loved going back in time to Boston again and meeting, Isaac and Libby. Their story was exciting and delightful. I loved it. 

I am going to give Scars of the Revolution a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read clean historical fiction, particularly those set during the American Revolutionary War era. I am curious to see what releases Megan Soja has in the works for the future.

I received a copy of Megan Soja's Scars of the Revolution from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.