by admin | Oct 11, 2014 | Amish, Books, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingA Love UndoneWaterBrook Press (September 9, 2014)byCindy WoodsmallABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author who has written fifteen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as one of the top three Amish fiction writers.
She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.
(Since that last line sounds sad and bare, I thought I’d add an “epilogue” of sorts. Our two oldest sons are married and live only a couple of miles from my empty nest, and below are my three adorable grandchildren! ?)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?
At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life—and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.
Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him – that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him…until he met Jolene.
As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God’s guidance—or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Love Undone, go HERE.
by admin | Oct 11, 2014 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Romance, WWII
MY REVIEW:
What a treat – a collection of Christmas novellas by three of my favorite authors who write novels about the World War 2 era! Beginning with a brief prologue and ending with an equally short epilogue, “Where Treetops Glisten” features three siblings in the Turner family during the years 1941 through 1945. Each segment takes place during the days and weeks before Christmas of each year. From the gorgeous cover to the added bonus of recipes featured within the stories, “Where Treetops Glisten” is an absolute delight.
A common element in each of the novellas is that fear of being hurt again has caused Abigail, Pete, and Meredith Turner to avoid any possibility of romance. However it seems as if the Lord has other ideas for each of them as well as for Jackson, Grace, and David who also feel that marriage is not meant to be for them. I enjoyed reading each of their stories and seeing how learning to give to and help others resulted in healing and peace for themselves.
Each of the novellas flowed together as one cohesive novel so well that it was difficult to distinguish one author from the other. Character development was superb and I enjoyed reading about how their lives were affected by the war both at home and overseas.
I always enjoy these weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays because I have the opportunity to read and review many of the latest Christmas novels. “Where Treetops Glisten” has earned its place as one of my favorites ever. Its message of hope and faith during the uncertainty, loss, and deprivation of war is an encouragement for our own uncertain times. Be sure to pick up a copy. I can almost guarantee you will enjoy it.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A trio of award-winning authors, Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin, unite for holiday-themed World War II-era love story collection in Where Treetops Glisten. Curl up in front of the fire with the perfect Christmas read.
The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime
Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas
Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.
In Cara Putman’s White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.
Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew?
In Tricia Goyer’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.
The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
TRICIA GOYER is a prolific author of nearly forty books, including “Chasing Mona Lisa,” and a speaker and blogger.
CARA PUTMAN is the author of twenty books including “Shadowed by Grace.” She is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction.
SARAH SUNDIN is the critically-acclaimed author of the Wings of the Nightingale series, the Wings of Glory series, and the forthcoming Waves of Freedom novels.
Find out more about Goyer, Putman, at Waterbrook Multnomah.
by admin | Oct 11, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Mason jars have always been a part of my life. As a child I watched my mother and grandmothers can food from their gardens and enjoyed the bounty during delicious meals all year. After my own marriage, I too learned the secrets to using mason jars and have a large supply of pickles, relishes, and salsa on my shelves today. Since his retirement my husband has developed an interest in old and nostalgic items, especially bottles and mason jars and has acquired quite a collection of them. Needless to say, they are not used for canning. With mason jars such a integral part of life for this country girl and farm wife, I was of course intrigued by the book with the simple title “The Mason Jar.”
“The Mason Jar” is one of those books within a book that I run across occasionally. This time a young woman is told about a novel written by her ex college boyfriend that is obviously about herself. As Eve reads through “The Mason Jar” the reader learns most of the story about her romance with Finn as well as what happened in his life after her disappearance from it. Between excerpts from the book, some other details about Eve are filled in. The final chapters of this book are set in the present time and the reader will learn whether Finn and Eve ever meet again.
In some aspects, “The Mason Jar” is a very sad story that emphasizes Finn’s grief and hopelessness after the loss of the woman he loved. To me the highlights of the story were the conversations with his grandfather along with the letters received from him in their special mason jar. Finn’s grandfather was a fount of wisdom and the one constant in Finn’s life. Many worthwhile quotes to ponder can be found within the pages of “The Mason Jar”. I also liked the fact that despite his pain and disappointment, Finn spent a number of years as a missionary in Africa helping others rather than becoming bitter and dwelling on his loss. I was particularly intrigued by his descriptions of microfunding as a better way to help those in need rather than just giving them handouts.
All-in-all, “The Mason Jar” was a pleasant read and I recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of angst with their romance or those who enjoy reading a romance from the male point of view.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
What if your old college roommate called, raving about a book someone sent her, calling it the most beautiful book she’s ever read? “But,” she said, “it’s about you.” The author is your college ex.
In The Mason Jar, Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather’s desk—letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark debutante from Colorado. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.
Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken Mason jar.
A story about a girl who vanished, a former love who wrote a book about her, and a reunion they never imagined.
Written for the bruised and broken, The Mason Jar is an inspirational romance that brings hope to people who have experienced disappointment in life due to separation from loved ones. With a redemptive ending that encourages us to love again and written in the fresh, romantic tones of Nicholas Sparks, The Mason Jar interweaves the imagery of Thoreau with the adventures and climatic family struggles common to Dances with Wolves, A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall.
Find out more and purchase a copy at James’ website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James Russell Lingerfelt is the author of “The Mason Jar” and writes articles for “The Huffington Post.” James connects with readers at his blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective, and divides his time between Southern California and his family’s ranch in Alabama.
Find out more about James Russell at http://www.jamesrussell.org.
THE MASON JAR Kindle Fire Giveaway from @JRLingerfelt!
James Russell Lingerfelt‘s debut novel, The Mason Jar, is hot-off-the-press and causing quite the buzz. It’s even been optioned for a feature film and is in pre-production.
Catch the spark by entering James’ Kindle Fire giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire
- The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 19th. Winner will be announced October 20th at James Russell’s blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective.
by admin | Oct 6, 2014 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Novella, Romance
MY REVIEW:
I cannot think of a better way to begin to prepare myself for the Christmas season than with this short but sweet romance from Mary Connealy, the first installment of Barbour’s new The 12 Brides of Christmas collection. I was hooked from its opening line and read through it in one sitting.
Although character development was necessarily limited due to the short length of the novella, there was adequate information for me to quickly love Melanie, Henry, and Simon. I loved the symbolism of the puzzle box and how as each of its hidden compartments were opened, the corresponding hidden compartments of the characters’ hearts were also opened and softened as they found their way to Christmas and each other.
I am looking forward to the hidden treasures in each of the other eleven installments of The 12 Brides of Christmas collection. What a wonderful idea!
This book was provided for review by Shiloh Run Studios.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Melanie Douglas attempts to connect with a troubled student using an advent box with hidden rewards. When Henry O’Keeffe sees a remarkable change in his son, he has to meet the new teacher. Will more than one prayer be answered in the small Nebraska town?
More About The Advent Bride with Mary Connealy
What is a puzzle box?
“I’ve wanted to use a puzzle box because I love the idea of hidden latches and drawers and secret compartments. I thought of Advent, with its set number of days and decided a puzzle box with the right number of drawers would be perfect,” Mary said.
Research sent her to Youtube where she spent hours watching videos on the intriguing and complex boxes. You can see one here:
The award-winning and best-selling author of many novels and novellas, Mary Connealy lives in Nebraska and has been looking for a story to set there for many years. The Advent Bride, located in a wind-swept Nebraska town, provided her with a place close to home.
But not too close. While Mary loves historical stories, she knows too much about what life must have been like from her own experiences.
“I love the modern world. I suppose it’s possible my inner pioneer toughness would be revealed if I was forced to live in the old west, but if it did, it would surprise everyone. I’m a wimp. I love air conditioning. I live pretty close to the soil here in Nebraska, on a ranch. I know how to do a lot of the things necessary to survive. Kill and clean a chicken, milk a cow, gather eggs, grow a garden, can food. I know enough about it to know its stinking hard work!”
Perhaps history intrigues her because her personal roots go deep into the American past.
“I had an ancestor come to America in 1638. I’ve got the paperwork to prove I could join the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) I have Irish ancestors who came here because of the potato famine in the mid-1800s. Many pioneers in that group.”
Mary has written full length novels as well as novellas, and enjoys the challenges presented by both. As to her characters? Like many writers, she writes heroines with characteristics she admires.
“My heroines are all how I wish I was, tough, take charge, speaking their minds. I’m pathologically non-confrontational and I tend to apologize for everything….and I’m really sorry about that.”
Mary and her husband have four adult daughters and Christmas if filled with “faith, food and fun.”
As to The Advent Bride, Mary incorporated her spiritual life by using Advent as the theme. “As Christmas drew near my characters were on their own journey, just as Joseph and Mary were on their journey to Bethlehem.”
For further information on Mary, please visit her website at www.maryconnealy.com.
She regularly blogs at Seekerville and Pistols and Petticoats and Her Blog.
or see her on social media: Facebook and Twitter
