Scattered Petals is a beautifully written story set in Texas hill country just before the Civil War. Priscilla’s quest for adventure results in devastating tragedy. Overcome with guilt and grief and troubled by nightmares, she attempts to resume her life in the home of her dead sister’s husband and his fiance. When faced with yet another unwelcome surprise, Priscilla is rescued by ranch foreman Zach who has unresolved issues of his own.
Scattered Petals is a realistic view of the harsh realities of frontier life during the mid-1800’s and vividly portrays both the good and bad sides of human nature. A tender love story, the importance of forgiveness towards both others and oneself is stressed.
I thoroughly enjoyed Scattered Petals and look forward to reading other books by Amanda Cabot. The next installment of this series will surely be on my to read list.
Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In Scattered Petals, author Amanda Cabot offers readers the second book in her beloved Texas Dreams series.
Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston and heads for Texas, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks will leave her badly injured and her parents dead. Priscilla is determined to rebuild her life and make a home for herself in the beautiful Hill Country. But the bandits who took her parents’ lives also destroyed her hope for the future.
Ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows what the future holds for him, and it’s not a woman like Priscilla. She deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who’s haunted by memories of his mistakes. The best thing he can do is leave her alone.
When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life that, like the scattered petals of her childhood, is filled with promise. But then the past intrudes, threatening their very existence.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names and a popular speaker. The author of Paper Roses, she is also a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, a member of the ACFW, and an avid traveler.
Endorsements “Crafting characters rich with emotion, Amanda Cabot pens a compelling story of devastation and loss, of healing and second chances. But most of all, of transcending faith.”–Tamera Alexander, bestselling author, From a Distance
“Scattered Petalsis an exceptional book! Insight into situations that sometimes appear unfathomable, the healing power of God’s love, and the consolation he provides so magnificently are written with heartfelt emotion that brings the characters’ romantic love to life. Do not miss Scattered Petals. Reading it is an experience that fills the heart with joy.”–Elaine Barbieri, New York Times bestselling author
The Hidden Flame is a riveting story in which the characters seem to walk off the pages of the book of Acts. People, places and events come alive with vivid descriptions and historical background of that era. Although fictional, the novel seemed to be well researched and the fictional characters could easily have been participants of early Christian history. Told from several points of view, the narrative gives the reader insight into how different people responded to the gospel message.
I enjoyed The Hidden Flame and found that it made me think about my own faith. Because the story brought the characters to life and expanded on biblical text, it was more obvious to me how much the followers of Christ had to rely on their faith and the Holy Spirit in their daily lives during turbulent times – and they didn’t have a bible like modern Christians. In my opinion, if used properly, both The Hidden Flame and it’s predecessor The Centurion’s Wife can both be valuable tools to expand our understanding of the people and events following the death of Christ.
This book was provided for review by Bethany House.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In first-century Judea, the followers of the Way have burgeoned into a vibrant, growing community that cannot be ignored. Jerusalem is in turmoil as its religious leaders on one side, and their Roman rulers on the other, conspire to stamp out the fledgling Church. And Abigail, who thought she had finally found home and safety, is caught between the opposing forces.
Two suitors desire the lovely Abigail’s hand in marriage. Ezra, a successful Hebrew merchant and widower with important connections among the Sanhedrin, is looking for a mother for his children. The Roman soldier Linux is fascinated by her winsome charm and possibly could offer the sanctuary–maybe even the love–for which she yearns. But her heart has been captured by neither of these. Will her faith and courage survive a heartbreak beyond comprehension as the followers face a gathering storm of persecution they never could have foreseen?
A glimmer of hope beckons Abigail forward.
Reviews
“I’ve definitely added the series to my list of ‘must-reads’ as additional titles release. The authors are careful to depict Christ-like behavior in the lives of those with transformed hearts and diligently hold true to the historical facts of scripture while adding authentic cultural detail.” –Jennifer Bogart, TitleTrakk.com
“I enjoyed the way Bunn and Oke expanded and fleshed-out Bible characters like Stephen, Ananias and Sapphira. The authors brought the fictional main characters — Abigail, Ezra and Lunix — to life by presenting each one’s part of the story from her or his point of view. I found the historical and fictional characters alike interesting, complex and thoroughly explored…. All in all The Hidden Flame does a great job of bringing the Bible book of Acts to life.” –Violet Nesdoly, BlogCritics.org
“Oke and Bunn bring a wonderful combination of creativity and masterful prose in the second installment in the Acts of Faith series. The vivid scenes and the gripping emotion, set against the backdrop of first-century Christian persecution, will have readers contemplating the strength of their own faith in traumatic times. This continuation doesn’t have the same level of suspense as the first novel, but it’s still enjoyable.” –Jennifer Reyes, Romantic Times Book Reviews
“…a marvelous fictional romance that illuminates how turbulent the times were for Christians shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ…. the authors do a fine job of fleshing out their characters and the day-to-day lives they lead fraught with danger and uncertainty. Abigail, an unlikely heroine, is in the inner circle as the apostles’ travel through Jerusalem preaching the Word of God in outright defiance of the Roman Sanhedrin. Although her association with them puts her life in jeopardy, her faith and devotion to God surround and protect her. Linux, a Roman soldier, is sent to Judea to quell the rebels and is drawn into the very faith he’s been sent to disband as he falls in love with the one woman he cannot have. As the reader is drawn through the intertwining storylines, they can almost feel the tension that permeates the air and the chaos that is history.” –Connie Maier, CBA Retailers + Resources
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Davis Bunn is an award-winning novelist whose audience spans reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings. He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write. Visit Davis’ Web site at www.davisbunn.com
Janette Oke (pronounced “oak”) pioneered inspirational fiction and is the leading author in the category today. Love Comes Softly, her first novel, has sold over one million copies. Janette is now the bestselling author of over 70 books, 32 of which have been translated into fourteen languages. Her books have sold over 22 million copies.
Janette receives fan mail from all over the world and answers each letter personally. She received the 1992 President’s Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association for her significant contribution to Christian fiction, the 1999 CBA Life Impact Award and has been awarded the Gold Medallion Award for fiction. Janette and her husband, Edward, have four grown children and enjoy their many grandchildren. They make their home in Canada. Visit Janette’s web site at www.janetteoke.com.
Jill Marie Landis is the bestselling author of over twenty novels. She has won numerous awards for her sweeping emotional romances, such as Summer Moon and Magnolia Creek. In recent years, as market demands turned to tales of vampires, erotica, and hotter, sexier historical romances, Jill turned to writing Inspirational Western Romances for Steeple Hill Books. She truly feels back in the saddle again, working on stories that are a joy to write. With her toes in the sand and head in the clouds, Jill now lives in Hawaii with her husband, Steve.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Laura Foster, free from the bondage of an unspeakable childhood has struggled to make a new life for herself. Now the owner of an elegant boardinghouse in Glory, Texas, she is known as a wealthy, respectable widow. But Laura never forgets that she is always just one step ahead of her past.
When Reverend Brand McCormick comes calling, Laura does all she can to discourage him as a suitor. She knows that if her past were discovered, Brand’s reputation would be ruined. But it’d not only Laura’s past that threatens to bring Brand down?it’s also his own.
When a stranger in town threatens to reveal too many secrets, Laura is faced with a heartbreaking choice: Should she leave Glory forever and save Brand’s future? Or is it worth risking his name – and her heart – by telling him the truth?
Prim and proper Laura Foster has created a new and respectable life for herself as owner of an exclusive boardinghouse. Unfortunately she can’t relax and enjoy it for fear that the truth about her past will surface. When pastor Brand McCormick sets his hat for her, she attempts to discourage his attentions because she knows that involvement with her could destroy his reputation if her past became known. Much to everyone’s surprise, Brand is confronted by his own past in front of his congregation. Now the big question is “Will there be any chance of a future together for Brand and Laura?”
Heart of Stone is truly a gripping, page turner. Although Laura’s past is so unthinkable that it would be difficult to imagine that she not only survived but escaped it, her character is realistic and believable. Brand is portrayed as a compassionate man with human frailties and desires even if he is a pastor. All other characters from the good-hearted to the immoral are convincing and contribute to the enjoyment of the story. Forgiveness is an important theme woven throughout the story, especially the need to forgive self in order to move on with life. Heart of Stone may just be a fictional story but I found plenty of truth in it to make me examine my own heart.
I enthusiastically recommend Heart of Stone and look forward to the next installment of the Irish Angel series.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Focusing on ancient women’s history, critically acclaimed author Ginger Garrett creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. In addition to her writing, Garrett is a frequent radio and television guest. A native Texan, she now resides in Georgia with her husband and three children.
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (March 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434768015
ISBN-13: 978-1434768018
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Prologue
Fourth Day of the Month of Av
Year 3414 after Creation
If you have opened this, you are the chosen one.
For this book has been sealed in the tomb of the ancients of Persia, never to be opened, I pray, until G-d1 has put His finger on a new woman of destiny, a woman who will rise up and change her nation. But we will not talk of your circumstances, and the many reasons this book may have fallen into your hands. There are no mistakes with prayer. You have indeed been called. If this sounds too strange, if you must look around your room and question whether G-d’s finger has perhaps slipped, if you are not a woman with the means to change a nation, then join me on a journey. You must return with me now to a place without hope, a nation that had lost sight of G-d, a girl with nothing to offer, and no one to give it to.
I must introduce myself first as I truly am: an exiled Jew, and an orphan. My given name was Hadassah, but the oppression of exile has stripped that too from me: I am now called Esther,2 so that I may blend in with my captors. My people, the Hebrew nation, had been sent out of our homeland after a bitter defeat in battle. We were allowed to settle in the kingdom of Persia, but we were not allowed to truly prosper there. We blended in, our lives preserved, but our heritage and customs were forced underground. Our hearts, once set only on returning to Jerusalem, were set out to wither in the heat
of the Arabian sun. My cousin Mordecai rescued me when I was orphaned and we lived in the capital city of Susa, under the reign of King Xerxes.3 Mordecai had a small flock of sheep that I helped tend, and we sold their fleece in the market. If times were good, we would sell a lamb for someone’s celebration. It was always for others to celebrate. We merely survived. But Mordecai was kind and good, and I was not forced into dishonor like the other orphans I had once known. This is how my story begins, and I give you these details not for sympathy, but so you will know that I am a girl well acquainted with bitter reality. I am not given to the freedom in flights of fantasy. But how can I explain to you the setting of my story? It is most certainly far removed from your experience. For I suspect that in the future, women will know freedom. And freedom is not an easy thing to forget, even if only to entertain an orphan’s story.
But you must forget now. I was born into a world, and into this story, where even the bravest women were faceless specters. Once married, they could venture out of their homes only with veils and escorts. No one yet had freed our souls. Passion and pleasure, like freedom, were the domain of men, and even young girls knew the wishes of their hearts would always be subject to a man’s desire for wealth. A man named Pericles summed up my time so well in his famed oration: “The greatest glory of a woman is to be least talked about by men, whether they are praising you or criticizing you.” Our role was clear: We were to be objects of passion, to receive a man’s attention mutely, and to respond only with children for the estate. Even the most powerful woman of our time, the beautiful Queen Vashti, was powerless. That was my future as a girl and I dared not lift my eyes above its horizon. That is how I enter this story. But give me your hand and let us walk back now, past the crumbling walls of history, to this world forgotten but a time yet remembered. Let me tell you the story of a girl unspared, plunged into heartache and chaos, who would save a nation. My name is Esther, and I will be queen.
1 Out of respect for God, Jews write the name of God without the vowels, believing that the name of God is too holy to be written out completely by a human. God is referred to as either “G-d” or “YHVH.”
2 The name Esther is related to the Persian name of Ishtar, a pagan goddess of the stars.
3 Esther refers to the king by his Persian name. In the Hebrew texts of antiquity, he is also referred to as Ahasuerus.
1
Eleventh Day of Shevat
Third Year of the Reign of Xerxes
Year 3394 after Creation
Was it today that I became fully awake, or have I only now begun to dream? Today Cyrus saw me in the marketplace haggling gently with my favorite shopkeeper, Shethana, over the price of a fleece. Shethana makes the loveliest rugs—I think they are even more lovely than the ones imported from the East—and her husband is known for his skill in crafting metals of all kinds. When I turned fifteen last year, he fashioned for me a necklace with several links in the center, painted various shades of blue. He says it is an art practiced in Egypt, this inlaying of colors into metal shapes. I feel so exotic with it on and wear it almost daily. I know it is as close to adventure as Mordecai will ever allow.
But as Shethana and I haggled over the fleece, both of us smiling because she knew I would as soon give it to her, Cyrus walked by eating a flatbread he had purchased from another vendor. He grimaced when he took a bite—I think he might have gotten a very strong taste of shallot—and I laughed. He laughed back, wiping his eyes with his jacket and fanning his mouth, and then, oh then, his gaze held my eyes for a moment. Everything in my body seemed to come alive suddenly and I felt afraid, for my legs couldn’t stand as straight and steady and I couldn’t get my mouth to work. Shethana noticed right away and didn’t conceal her grin as she glanced between Cyrus and me. I should have doubled the price of her fleece right then!
Cyrus turned to walk away, and I tried to focus again on my transaction. I could not meet Shethana’s eyes now—I didn’t want to be questioned about men and marriage, for everyone knows I have no dowry. To dream of winning Cyrus would be as foolish as to run my own heart straight through. I cannot dream, for it will surely crush me. And yet I can’t stop this warm flood that sweeps over me when he is near.
I haven’t told you the best part—when Shethana bought her fleece and left, I allowed myself to close my eyes for a moment in the heat of the day, and when I opened them again, there was a little stack of flatbread in my booth. I looked in every direction but could see no one. Taking a bite, I had to spit it out and started laughing. Cyrus was right—the vendor used many bitter shallots. The flatbread was a disaster.
In her best-selling series of Bad Girls of the Bible books, workbooks, and videos, Liz Curtis Higgs breathes new life into ancient tales about the most infamous—and intriguing—women in scriptural history, from Jezebel to Mary Magdalene. Biblically sound and cutting-edge fresh, these popular titles have helped more than one million women around the world experience God’s grace anew. Her best-selling historical novels, which transport the stories of Rebecca, Leah, Rachel, and Dinah to eighteenth-century Scotland, have also helped her readers view these familiar characters in a new light. And her nonfiction book, Embrace Grace, winner of a 2007 Retailers Choice Award, presents her message of hope in an engaging and personal way, speaking directly to the hearts of her readers.
A veteran speaker, Liz has presented more than 1,600 encouraging programs for audiences in all 50 states and 10 foreign countries: South Africa, Indonesia, Germany, France, England, Canada, Ecuador, Scotland, Portugal, and New Zealand. In 1995, she received the Council of Peers Award for Excellence from the National Speakers Association, becoming one of only 32 women in the world named to their CPAE-Speaker Hall of Fame.
Feature articles about Liz have appeared in more than 250 major newspapers and magazines across the country, as well as online with Salon.com, Beliefnet.com and Spirituality.com. She has also been interviewed on more than 600 radio and television stations, including guest appearances on PBS, A&E, MSNBC, NPR, TBN with Kirk Cameron, CBC Canada, BBC Radio Scotland, Rhema Broadcasting New Zealand, Radio Pulpit South Africa, LifeToday with James Robison, Focus on the Family, Janet Parshall’s America, 100 Huntley Street and Midday Connection.
Liz is the author of twenty-six books, with more than three million copies in print.
Her fiction includes two contemporary novels, one novella, and four historical novels. And she has written five books for young children.
ABOUT THE BOOK :
A mother who cannot face her future.
A daughter who cannot escape her past.
Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her.
Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips.
His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.
One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown.
A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.
“Lies are like incendiary bombs, burning and melting and mangling everything—trust, hopes, everyone you love.” — page 395
A Distant Melody is truly a breath of fresh air as a historical romance with unique characters. Both Walt and Allie have been convinced that they are not attractive enough to find true love. Allie has even settled for an engagement to a man who doesn’t love her just to make her parents happy. When she and Walt meet at a wedding, their new friendship begins a long distance correspondence that changes both their lives. Can their friendship endure the little white lies and lies by omission that each is guilty of to salve their own pride? Will Walt survive the rigors of war and reveal his true heart? Will Allie give in and marry Baxter to ensure her future? Or will the truth be revealed too late?
Rich with historical detail, examples of courage and sacrifice, and full of spiritual insight,A Distant Melody is one of the best books I have read in awhile. I was amazed to learn that this book accumulated a pile of rejection letters between 2005 and 2008 before finally being accepted for publication. I am so glad that Revell decided to give Sundin a chance and that I have had the opportunity to read this excellent novel. I am looking forward to her future books and can’t wait until A Memory Between Us is released this fall. A Distant Melody is definitely a keeper.
This book was provided for review by Donna Hausler,
Publicity Assistant with Baker Publishing Group.
A war and an ocean separate them… Will their love for music and each other be enough to reunite them?
A Distant Melodyis the debut novel in the new World War II-era series from Sarah Sundin, Wings of Glory.
In A Distant Melody, readers meet two young Americans, about to be separated by an ocean during World War II: Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval–even marry a man she doesn’t love. Lt. Walter Novak–fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women–takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt’s muddy bomber base in England and Allie’s mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?
A Distant Melody is the first book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.
Sarah Sundin is an on-call hospital pharmacist and holds a BS in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. This is her first novel.
Endorsements “Sarah Sundin is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller who puts the reader in the cockpit of B-17 bombers as easily as she crafts an achingly emotional World War II romance. This is not only the best World War II love story I’ve ever read, but it may be the best book I’ve ever read.”
— Cheryl Bolen, Holt Medallion Winner, Best Historical
“I loved A Distant Melody! Sarah Sundin is a master at lyrical writing, and she has that rare talent of being able to combine humor with heart-pounding action. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget Sarah’s compelling characters or their poignant story about honesty, redemption, and grace.”
— Melanie Dobson, author of Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana and Refuge on Crescent Hill
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In Scattered Petals, author Amanda Cabot offers readers the second book in her beloved Texas Dreams series.
Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names and a popular speaker. The author of Paper Roses, she is also a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, a member of the ACFW, and an avid traveler.
