by admin | Sep 23, 2013 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Quilts, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRaw EdgesAbingdon Press (September 17, 2013)bySandra D. BrickerABOUT THE AUTHOR:
For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television’s hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.
The Big 5-OH! was released by Abingdon Press in the Spring of 2010, and the novel was very well-received, garnering a couple of nibbles from Hollywood.
Always the Baker, Never the Bride was released by Abingdon Press in September 2010. With its phenomenal reviews, the novel spawned a series of three more books based on the popular cast of characters at The Tanglewood Inn, a wedding destination hotel in historic Roswell, Georgia. The series cemented Sandie’s spot in publishing as a flagship author of Laugh-Out-Loud romantic comedy for the inspirational market.
“Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with my writing dream,” says Bricker, “well, that’s the best of all worlds, as far as I’m concerned!”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Grayson McDonough has no use for teal ribbons, 5k runs, or ovarian cancer support groups now that his beautiful wife Jenna is gone. But their nine-year-old daughter Sadie seems to need the connection. When Annabelle Curtis, the beautiful cancer survivor organizing the memory quilt project for the Ovacome support group, begins to bring out the silly and fun side of his precious daughter again, Gray must set aside his own grief to support the healing of Sadie’s young heart. But is there hope for Gray’s heart too along the way?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Raw Edges, go HERE.
Watch the book trailer:
MY REVIEW:
Raw Edges is the latest novel in the Quilts of Love series published by Abingdon Press and it may be my favorite one thus far. A compelling story that is a tribute to those who have battled ovarian cancer, it features Annabelle, a survivor and Gray and his daughter Sadie who lost their beloved wife and mother Jenna. The three meet at a meeting of an ovarian cancer support group and end up working together on a quilt that will be auctioned to raise money to support research and awareness of the disease. As most readers of this type fiction can imagine, Gray and Annabelle develop a romantic relationship before book’s end but Raw Edges is much more than a romantic novel.
A cancer survivor herself, Sandra has done a stupendous (I borrowed that word from the book!) job of communicating the effect this dread disease has on both cancer survivors and the families who have lose loved ones. Sandra is known for her Laugh-Out-Loud fiction and Raw Edges definitely has its moments but there are also more sobering incidents than in her previous books. The characters were well-rounded and easy to love and I enjoyed the scenes of Annabelle and Sadie learning to make a quilt. I particularly enjoyed the entries from Jenna’s journal at the end of each chapter as she shared her heart with Sadie, knowing she would be leaving her soon.
I applaud Sandra for her excellent book and am so glad that she survived to write it. I hope that it will be an encouragement to others.
by admin | Sep 5, 2013 | Books, Historical, Quilts, Romance, Texas, Western
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThreads of ChangeRiver North; New Edition edition (July 1, 2013)byJodi Barrows
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the past twenty years, Jodi has remarkably touched thousands of quilters throughout the world with her unique method called Square in a Square®. Her point of view provides the quilter with the freedom to create most any quilt design with speed and accuracy.
Jodi has spoken to quilting audiences throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy and S. Africa. She has appeared as a guest on several quilting shows, including TNN’s Aleene’s Creative Living, TNN’s Your Home Studio, Perfecting Patchwork on Family Net TV and a pbs series with Kaye Wood.
Jodi was raised in southwest Kansas, has two grown sons, and is married to Steve, her high school sweetheart.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Conflict develops in the South,
Four granddaughters travel into uncertainty,
And Grandfather sells their precious home.
In the first book of A Quilting Story series, the four cousins-with social graces, charm, and a love for quilting-will face the anguish of life on the frontier in 1856 with every turn along the wagon trail. Raging storms and adversities hit the small band of travelers. Relieved to finally arrive at the abandoned military post at Fort Worth, Texas, they begin the hard work of establishing a new home. When trials follow them, they must decide to become true warriors of their hearts, minds, and souls or fall to the sufferings of prairie life.
Join the four women on a passage of friendship, love, and self-discovery as lives are mended around the quilting frame.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Threads of Change, go HERE.
by admin | Aug 27, 2013 | Books, Historical, Quilts, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingPattern for RomanceAbingdon Press (August 20, 2013)byCarla GadeABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carla Olson Gade has been imaging stories most of her life. Her love for writing and eras gone by turned her attention to writing Inspirational Historical Romance. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Writers, and the Maine Fellowship of Christian Writers. She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary.
Her publishing credits also include a variety of newspaper articles, newsletters, and web content. She also enjoys developing discipleship materials for women. She has been a book judge for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest (RWA), and ACFW’s Genesis Contest.
In addition to writing, Carla is a freelance website designer and webhost and an advocate for adult literacy. An experienced event and program planner/promoter, Carla designs marketing materials for her writing group, women’s ministry, and other functions. Carla has also spoken at several women’s events and facilitated many workshops and classes through the years.
An autodidact, creative thinker, and avid reader, Carla also enjoys genealogy, web design, and photography. A native New Englander, she lives in beautiful rural Maine with her “hero” husband and two young adult sons, and a new grandson.
Learn more about Carla and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Honour Metcalf’s quilting needlework is admired by a wealthy customer of the Boston Mantua-maker for whom she works. In need of increasing her earnings, she agrees to create an elaborate white work bridal quilt for the dowager’s niece. A beautiful design emerges as she carefully stitches the intricate patterns and she begins to dream of fashioning a wedding quilt of her own. When Honour is falsely accused of thievery and finds herself in a perilous position, merchant tailor Joshua Sutton comes to her aid. As he risks his relationships, reputation, and livelihood to prove her innocence, the two discover a grander plan—a design for love.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Pattern for Romance, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Pattern for Romance was an interesting and informative tale about life in Boston prior to the American Revolution that featured Honour Metcalf, a skilled quilter and Joshua Sutton, an equally skilled tailor. I enjoyed reading about the development of their relationship despite the many setbacks Honour’s health. I especially liked the way Joshua felt led to protect and defend Honour even before he realized the depths of his feelings for her.
I have grown up around quilters who go as far back as my great-grandmother and my mother-in-law was a prize winning quilter also so each of the books in this series has been of great interest to me. I loved the fact that Honour’s quilts were what she called “whole cloth” quilts as I have a definite preference for those even though my relatives never made one. I own two such quilts but I am sad to say that they were machine quilted. I wish I had the incentive to make one but I am not a quilter.
The plot of Pattern for Romance moved at a steady pace and I liked the twists and turns it took as it worked its way to the conclusion. The story contained ample drama and romance with a bit of danger and mystery. I also liked the way Honour and Joshua talked about their faith and the way it matured as the story progressed.
by admin | Jun 26, 2013 | Books, Historical, Quilts, Romance, WWII
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingPieces of the HeartAbingdon Press (June 1, 2013)byBonnie S. CalhounABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bonnie S. Calhoun is Owner/Director of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, owner/publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), the ACFW ‘2011 Mentor of the Year,” President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network, and Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference (CCWC) and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference(GPCWC).
For the last six years she has taught workshops in Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and creating Social Media promotions at both CCWC, and GPCWC, and in 2011 at the Montrose, Pa Christian Writers Conference. She also taught a Facebook workshop at the 2012 ACFW conference.
Bonnie and her husband live in a log cabin in upstate area of New York with a dog and cat who think she’s wait-staff.
Her sites are:
https://www.facebook.com/bonniescalhounsnarkandsuspense
https://www.facebook.com/bscalhoun
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Cordelia Grace watched Bernard Howard, the love of her young life, go off to fight for our country in WWII. And she has spent the last three years creating the Pine Cone quilt that will grace their marriage bed when he comes home. Each row of triangles signifies a layer in her life, sets of memories, hopes, dreams, and prayers for her future, enough spoken words to cover them forever. Her image of their “happy-ever-after” grows proportionally as the quilt expands.
But is the man that returns from the war, the same man that she remembered? Are the dark shades of color that she had to use for the outside edges of the beloved quilt prophetic of her life to come? Can love and faith overcome all?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Pieces of the Heart, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
As a CFBA blogger, I have had the pleasure of reading most of the Quilts of Love series. As the daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter of quilters, I have enjoyed the series thus far and am quite amazed at the diversity of the books. Subject matter ranges from contemporary to historical to mystery/suspense and each novel has been unique. Yet each plot revolves around a quilt.
Bonnie Calhoun’s Pieces of the Heart features a Pine Cone quilt, a traditional quilt popular with African-American women. I loved the fact that each quilt was stitched for a specific recipient and that the stitcher prayed over each piece of fabric as she put together a “prayer covering” for her loved one.
Despite the fervent prayers of her grandmother, Cordelia Grace remains resistant to God. After all, Cordelia’s father is a pastor and her parents have displayed a mixed message about their faith most of her life. There is one person Cordelia knows she can count on other than her grandmother and that is Bernard Howard. She has loved Bernard since he rescued her from a group of bullies when she was much younger and they plan to marry as soon as she graduates high school. Alas, nothing ever stays the same. Cordelia is faced with one tragedy after another and even Bernard has deserted her to go off to war. Has God turned His back on her completely?
Bonnie has bravely included several hot topics in her novel. Racial prejudice is something Americans still deal with daily but I learned a few things about the prejudice during that era that I was not aware of, especially the poor treatment of African Americans by the military. Add to that other subjects like parental abuse and tragic deaths, and it is easy to understand why Cordelia’s faith was challenged. But one of her grandmother’s statements resonated in Cordelia’s mind over and over until Cordelia began to understand how many people are motivated by their pain.
Pieces of the Heart is a great book with many life lessons that should be taken to heart. You’ve done it again my friend!
by admin | Apr 22, 2013 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Quilts, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducing
A Healing HeartAbingdon Press (April 1, 2013)byAngela BreidenbachABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela Breidenbach is a speaker/coach in mental and physical health, author of A Healing Heart April 2013 from Abingdon Press in the Quilts of Love series, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life, Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance, and Creative Cooking for Colitis. Other works by Angela include compilation books and devotionals from Guidepost, Group, and articles in magazines, ezines, and newspapers. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition coach. Angela serves as an assisting minister (worship/prayer leader) for her congregation in Missoula, MT. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom’s brain for the study of schizophrenia, but she’s also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital.
Learn more about Angela and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Mara Keegan is an uber-successful mother and a widow of three years. She’s been chasing success and all the “good things in life” for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence.
She’s not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. While Mara recuperates, she revisits the choices she’s made that led to this physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence’s big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara’s business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara’s heart and onto Cadence’s quilt?
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Healing Heart, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Mara Keegan barely has a chance to register that her new business coach is none other than Joel Ryan, the man who attempted a hostile takeover of her company several years earlier when she is forced to depend on him to keep her company afloat while she recovers from first a broken ankle, then a heart attack. Not only does he manage her company but also becomes nearly indispensable to her and her three children. Joel soon sees the Keegans as the family he has dreamed of being a part of, especially Mara who quickly gains a special place in his heart. If only he could help her to let go of her driven determination to make her late husband’s dream succeed and become the woman God intends her to be. Is it possible for Mara to trust Joel and God with the lives of herself and her children?
I found myself quickly drawn into A Healing Heart and fell in love with its characters. It was easy to identify with Mara and her tight control of her life as she struggled to run a successful business as well as being the perfect mother. Joel was the perfect hero, always ready to help, compassionate, and trying to follow the Lord’s lead in every situation. And I loved their dog – enough to shed some tears near the end. A Healing Heart is filled with true-to-life scenes, wisdom, faith, and love overflows its pages.
I’ll admit I didn’t know what to expect when I opened A Healing Heart but it didn’t take very long to find it difficult to put down. I gladly endorse this novel.
