I always open a novel by Kim Vogel Sawyer with great expectations. Each time I have found her books to contain a well thought out plot containing realistic and dimensional characters with whom I can relate. I was not disappointed by “Sweet Sanctuary”.
A story that begins with a deception that would send most men running for cover, “Sweet Sanctuary” features a hero of a different sort. When Dr. Micah Hatcher rushes to Boston to defend himself against false accusations, he quickly understands the desperation behind them and agrees to help Lydia protect the child she has raised as a son from an addicted father who wants to sell the child. Despite the distance between Boston and New York where Micah has obligations at his clinic and receiving mysterious “packages” from his brother in Europe, Micah and Lydia develop a close friendship that promises to develop into something more serious.
With its World War 2 setting, “Sweet Sanctuary” offered interesting historical details about the plight of the Jewish people in Europe and the ignorance of most Americans about what was actually happening to them during a large portion of the war. Micah’s involvement in helping rescue innocent children was based on real facts as were many other events in the novel. A strong spiritual thread was woven throughout the story that emphasized the importance of prayer and following God’s plans for one’s life. A realistic story of forgiveness and redemption, “Sweet Sanctuary” is a book to read more than once.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Sweet Sanctuary” and would recommend it for lovers of historical fiction.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A Story of Hope and Love Set Against the Backdrop of World War II
Lydia Eldredge longs to provide sanctuary for her young son, Nicky. But a constant threat comes from Nicky’s drug-addicted father, who wants the boy and seems willing to do whatever it takes to get him.
Dr. Micah Hatcher faithfully serves the immigrant population of Queens, New York. But under cover of darkness, he has a secret mission that challenges everything he thought he wanted out of life.
When Lydia and Micah’s paths cross, they are suddenly wrapped up in each other’s callings. Together, they seek a refuge of safety–for Nicky, for themselves, and for the needy people God puts into their lives. Amid turmoil and discord, can hope and love prevail?
Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of twenty-one novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women’s fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and nine grandchildren.
To celebrate the release of Sweet SanctuaryKim Vogel Sawyer is giving away a Cupcake Club membership (monthly cupcake delivery!) from the amazing Magnolia Bakery in New York and hosting a Facebook Author Chat party {4/30}!
One “sweet” winner will receive:
Cupcakes from NYC’s Magnolia Bakery delivered to your door every month. (Eat them all yourself or share!)
Sweet Sanctuary by Kim Vogel Sawyer for you and four of your friends. (Start a book group — cupcakes and a “sweet” read!)
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 29th. Winner will be announced at the “Sweet Sanctuary” Author Chat Party on 4/30. Connect with Kim, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be fun giveaways – gift certificates, books, and more!
So grab your copy of Sweet Sanctuary and join Kim on the evening of April 30th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)
Don’t miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 30th!
The storyline of “Tangled Ashes” vacillates between modern day Lamorlaye, France and it’s World War 2 history during the Nazi occupation of France. Each section is set primarily in the ancient castle of Lamorlaye with its modern tale focusing on the renovation of the castle and the historical narrative about the Nazi’s use of the castle as a maternity hospital for the women who were to bear the perfect children for Germany’s future. For most of the book, the only connection evident between the two eras was the common location but as the story neared the end the relationship became more clear.
The primary character, Marshall Becker was a most unpleasant fellow – angry, rude, an alcoholic, and thoroughly unlikeable. Although he improved somewhat by the end, I was never able to develop much sympathy for him and his problems. Jade may have been a more likeable person but I didn’t feel that I learned quite enough about her personal feelings to identify with her either. The history of the castle was interesting as far as it went but I would have liked that story to have been expanded a bit more. Overall the book had a lot going for it but I personally felt that it did not quite reach its full potential. I am certain that this is largely due to my own preferences and not any shortcomings of the author.
This book was provided for review by Handlebar Marketing.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When Marshall Becker arrives in Lamorlaye, France, to begin the massive renovation of a Renaissance-era castle, he unearths a dark World War II history few in the village remember. The project that was meant to provide an escape for Becker instead becomes a gripping glimpse into the human drama that unfolded during the Nazi occupation and seems to live on in midnight disturbances and acts of vandalism.
Populated with a cast of complex characters, “Tangled Ashes” follows Becker’s exploration of the castle’s shadowy past as he seeks to cope with an unbearable present. From the virtually mute recluse who lives in the gatehouse to the feisty and enigmatic nanny of the owner’s children, every one of the château’s inhabitants seems to have something to hide and something to survive—but none more so than Becker himself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born in France to an American mother and a Canadian father, Michele Phoenix is an international writer with multi-cultural sensitivities. A graduate of Wheaton College, she taught writing, music, and theater at the boarding school for missionaries’ children she attended in Germany as a teenager. She currently works for Global Outreach Mission as an advocate for Third Culture Kids, helping them transition back into North American culture and educating stateside churches and missions about the special needs of this people group. Michele lives in Wheaton, Illinois. Visit www.michelephoenix.com for more information.
“With Every Letter” is another captivating historical WW2 novel from Sarah Sundin that opens her new Wings of the Nightingale series. A unique romance that develops through an anonymous correspondence between Mellie, a flight nurse and Tom, an army engineer. For very different reasons, both Mellie and Tom have suffered rejection by their peers for most of their lives and each also harbors unforgiveness toward a deceased parent. As they continue to exchange letters, Tom and Mellie find that they can share the secrets of their hearts that have been hidden from everyone else. In due course, as one would expect, a romance develops between them but it is not without its ups and downs.
Well developed characters, a steady plot, interesting historical background, lots of drama and a sweet romance kept me turning the pages and the story ended much too quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed “With Every Letter” and observing the changes made by both Tom and Mellie, most of which could be directly attributed to the influence of the other’s encouragement through their letters. The story is an excellent example of how we tend to believe that others see us the way we see ourselves and that the rejection we receive is usually because we set ourselves up for it. “With Every Letter” clearly illustrates how we need to see ourselves the way God sees us.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Book 1 in the Wings of the Nightingale series
Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she’s never met–even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence–he’s been trying to escape his infamous name for years.
As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other’s true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?
Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing–and true love.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah Sundin is the author of “A Distant Melody”, “A Memory Between Us”, and “Blue Skies Tomorrow”. In 2011, “A Memory Between Us” was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children.
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 26th. Winner will be announced at the “With Every Letter” Author Chat Facebook Party on 9/27. Connect with Sarah, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group)!
So grab your copy of With Every Letter and join Sarah on the evening of the September 27th for a chance to connect with Sarah and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)
Don’t miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 27th!
I am a schoolteacher by profession and have taught school for (thir—ahem!) years. I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school and serving a two-year mission to Japan. During university, I met and married Marsha Smith, and we are the parents of four children, which has grown to include their spouses and our ten grandchildren.
I have always loved to write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers). But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a difference in the world.
I’ve had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and have written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. I won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running, and have had one of my songs receive international airplay. I have written four novels intended for the juvenile market. They are unpublished as yet, but I read them annually to my fourth grade students and my students tell me they love them, the darlings.
Learn more about Darrel and his books on his Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
At their sixtieth anniversary party, Adam Carlson asks his wife, Elizabeth, for their customary waltz. After the dance they gather the family and share their story—a story of love and courage overcoming adversity and thriving in the face of overwhelming odds.
It’s the summer of 1946, and Adam has just returned from the war to his home in Reunion, Montana. At a town festival he meets Elizabeth Baxter, a young woman going steady with his former high school rival and now influential banker, Nathan Roberts.
When Adam and Elizabeth share a waltz in a deserted pavilion one evening, their feelings begin to grow and they embark on a journey, and a dance, that will last a lifetime.
The Anniversary Waltz is a beautifully told nostalgic love story set during the year immediately following World War II. Contrasting excitement over the end of the war and returning soldier with the many financial and other challenges faced by the returning heroes, the story illustrates the era well. Hero Adam Carlson and heroine Elizabeth Baxter’s courtship is fraught with complications as they face overwhelming situations and tragedy. Only their faith and some creative solutions help them overcome the odds against them.
As a debut novel, The Anniversary Waltz shows great promise of more good stories to come. The characters are true-to-life and it was easy to become involved in their lives. The setting was the perfect backdrop and I almost felt like I had stepped back in time to post war Montana. I enjoyed The Anniversary Waltz and look forward to reading more by this author.
“Chasing Mona Lisa” is a riveting, action-packed novel that takes place for the most part in Paris during the days immediately preceding and following its liberation from the Nazis. Filled with abundant historical facts and information about famous art, the story features Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler, primary characters in the authors’ earlier novel “The Swiss Courier”.
With vivid descriptions of sometimes gruesome wartime events, this is not a story for the faint-hearted. Yet to remain totally realistic and believable, these scenes could not be left out and I felt that the authors handled them well. In fact, in more than one instance when a character was forced to kill in order to survive or protect another person, he or she reacted with great remorse and struggled emotionally for some time afterwards. In contrast, more than one of the “bad guys” were portrayed as cold-hearted with no compunction at all against killing in cold blood.
The plot of “Chasing Mona Lisa” moves at a fast past as several parties race against time to prevent the Mona Lisa from being stolen by German operatives. Each person involved has a different motive – usually a political one, and the narrative has as many twists and surprise curves as a mountain road. A true story of bravery and heroism, this historical suspense novel will keep most readers on the edge of their seat.
Another winner by the team of Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey, “Chasing Mona Lisa” is on my recommended book list for fans of World War 2 novels.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK: It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci’s masterpiece before it falls into German hands?
With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers’ adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on–and the runners are playing for keeps.
Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here. http://www.triciagoyer.com/historicalfiction.html#ChasingMonaLisa
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Tricia Goyer is the coauthor of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW’s Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas. For more about Tricia and her other books visit her website.
Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man’s Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California. For more about Mike and his other books visit his website.
Read what other bloggers are saying about Chasing Mona Lisa HERE.
CHASING MONA LISA GIVEAWAY:
Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway from @triciagoyer @mikeyorkey!
Chasing Mona Lisa is the continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous painting in the world – the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!
One passionate protector will receive:
iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)
Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)
Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)
Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)
Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia’s website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)
So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!
Sarah Sundin’s captivating novel Blue Skies Tomorrow is a fitting conclusion for her Wings of Glory series. Taking place on American soil, an English Air Force base and in the war torn fields and skies of Germany, this story plumbs the depths of human emotions. It reveals the masks people wear as they endeavor to keep hidden the secrets of their lives.
Helen Carlisle, a young war widow with a small son, has managed to hide the truth about her troubled marriage in order to protect her son. When forced to move in with her in-laws, she soon realizes just how deep the secrets have been buried.
Ray Novak, an Air Force trainer finds himself reassigned to a position in “supply” because the trainer jobs should be for the heroes who have actually flown in combat. Although all he really wants to do is be a pastor, he soon feels that he is less than a man because he is not actively involved in fighting the enemy.
Helen and Ray renew their acquaintance after many years. Although Ray’s memories of Sarah are from when she was little more than a child, he soon realizes that he cares deeply for her. Unfortunately, their past intrudes and the two end up oceans apart.
Blue Skies Tomorrow is a page turner that is filled with action, suspense, and romance. It had characters I loved, characters I despised, and a couple I wanted to shake some sense in. It was fun to renew acquaintances with characters from the first two books of the series. Although dead, Helen’s husband managed to control her life for much of the book. Although there were many crooks and turns, the finale was satisfying. I won’t say more because I fear spoiling the story for other readers.
If you enjoy historical fiction, especially that set during World War II, be sure to pick up Blue Skies Tomorrow and the first two books of the Wings of Glory series. They are all excellent.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
War Widow Fights The Past, American Pilot Fights For The Future
Award-Winning Author Delivers an Emotion-Packed,
Gripping Tale of War, Intrigue and Love
The country is still at war in Blue Skies Tomorrow (ISBN: 978-0-8007-3423-7, $14.99, 448 pages, August 2011) by award-winning author Sarah Sundin. It is 1944 and America longs for the war to be over so their boys can come home. This war has taken too many lives and made too many widows, orphans, and broken hearts. However, the homeland continues to pull together and buy bonds to support the troops, and Helen Carlisle has become the town’s war widow heroine. Doing her part with her son, she faithfully appears at community events asking people to support the troops. But deep down she is troubled. How much longer can she do this? Is she living a lie? Was her dead husband a hero? How can she live with the past?
Lt. Ray Novak prefers to follow his calling into ministry rather than the cockpit. But his current position offers him the luxury of a personal life since he is stateside training B-17 pilots. His interest in Helen, the young war widow, grows, but he knows she is hiding a painful past under a frenzy of volunteer work. Ray is called to fly a European combat mission at the peak of the air war. Their romance is tense because Helen is afraid, but Ray cannot help because he is in Europe. As Helen tries to make ends meet and confronts the past, Ray encounters a deadly enemy of his own. Will they find the courage to face their challenges? Will the truth come out? Will hope and redemption ring true for Helen?
The great era of World War II in Blue Skies Tomorrow is brought to life by Sundin in this emotion-packed novel.
Sarah Sundin received the 2011 Writer of the Year Award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and her second novel, A Memory Between Us, is a finalist for an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. She is the author of A Distant Melody and A Memory Between Us. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. For more interesting information about Sarah visit: sarahsundin.com
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Many links on this site are supplied by the Reviewer groups that provide the books I review. Occasionally other links may be my personal associate links.
A Story of Hope and Love Set Against the Backdrop of World War II
Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of twenty-one novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women’s fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and nine grandchildren.
