by admin | Nov 7, 2012 | Amish, Books, Romance
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Courting CateBethany House Publishers (November 1, 2012)
by
Leslie GouldABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Even though I knew I wanted to write fiction by the time I was in the sixth grade, as I grew older I pursued other things instead, such as majoring in history and communications, and then working as a museum curator, then a public relations specialist, and finally as a magazine editor. Once I finally started writing fiction, it was another ten years until I sold my first novel. By that time I’d been married for nearly 20 years and had four children of my own to read to.
In the decade since my first contract I’ve written fifteen books, from Beyond the Blue, a story about international adoption set in Vietnam, to Courting Cate, a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. No matter what I write, I aim to reveal truths about God’s love, beauty, and redemptive work in our lives. My goal is to connect more deeply to God, family, and friends through my writing. My hope is that my stories encourage readers to deepen their own connections too.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty–and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!
However, the sisters’ wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn’t have any suitors–until Pete comes to town, that is.
Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate’s feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she’s immediately suspicious of his interest.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Courting Cate, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
An Amish romance novel based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew – what an interesting concept! Every time I think that there cannot possible be anything new under the sun as far as Amish fiction goes, I am reminded of how creative so many of our Christian fiction authors can be. Amish fiction is not my favorite genre but I keep reading it and am constantly being surprised by new and interesting plots.
I loved the character of Cate who had internalized her emotional wounds over the years. It had become so instinctual for her to be defensive with others that she didn’t realize how much her caustic reactions pushed people away. Pete’s arrival in Paradise Township changes everything. In a story rife with misunderstandings and difficulties, Cate is forced to meet some challenges head-on. What she doesn’t realize is that as she is being sifted, her spirit is undergoing some radical positive changes and her outlook on life also undergoes a major change.
Courting Cate is a fun read with a serious message. Fans of Shakespeare will probably find themselves looking for the similarities to The Taming of the Shrew.
by admin | Nov 7, 2012 | Books, Romance, Suspense
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Breath of DawnBethany House Publishers (November 1, 2012)
by
Kristen HeitzmannABOUT THE AUTHOR:
From the time my dad taught me to read at sit-on-the-floor school when I was four—launching me past kindergarten into 1st grade—I have loved learning and expressing what I know through art, music, and especially writing. Education came easily, and I grew accustomed to having my work read and displayed. But breaking out of the family mold, I left college to marry my husband Jim (celebrating our 29th this year.) Since then, life and all kinds of research have provided the grist for my stories. We have three awesome adult kids, and one incredible teenager. (You might think I’m biased, but ask anyone who knows them.)
While home schooling my four kids, I wrote my first novel. I pitched it for publication, and it became the first of a five book historical series. Since then, I have written three more historical novels and nine contemporaries. The Still of Night was nominated for the Colorado Book Award. The Tender Vine was a Christy Award finalist and Secrets won a Christy in 2005.
People often ask why I started writing, and I say to get the stories out of my head. Some say they’d like to write a book, but I say if you’re not wracked with labor pains, there are easier ways to express yourself. Being a writer is a solitary, eccentric, and often compulsive path. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Learn more about Kristen and her books HERE.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kristen Heitzmann Delivers Powerful New Romantic Suspense
Morgan Spencer has had just about all he can take of life. Following the tragic death of his wife, Jill, he retreats to his brother’s Rocky Mountain ranch to heal and focus on the care of his infant daughter, Olivia. Two years later, Morgan begins to make plans to return to his home in Santa Barbara to pick up the pieces of his life and career.
Quinn Riley has been avoiding her past for four years. Standing up for the truth has forced her into a life of fear and isolation. After a “chance” first meeting and a Thanksgiving snowstorm, Quinn is drawn into the Spencer family’s warm and loving world, and she begins to believe she might find freedom in their friendship.
The man Quinn helped put behind bars has recently been released, however, and she fears her past will endanger the entire Spencer family. As the danger heightens, she determines to leave town for the sake of the people who have come to mean so much to her.
Fixing problems is what Morgan Spencer does best, and he is not willing to let Quinn run away, possibly into the clutches of a man bent on revenge. But Morgan’s solution sends him and Quinn on an unexpected path, with repercussions neither could have anticipated.
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Breath of Dawn, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
The Breath of Dawn is a gripping character-driven novel that I found extremely difficult to put down. I was also quite sad to reach its end. Featuring several members of the Spenser family from the author’s earlier books A Rush of Wings and The Still of Night, The Breath of Dawn focuses primarily on Morgan Spenser and a new heroine Quinn Erin Riley. Several of these characters are almost bigger-than-life yet so realistically normal at the same time. Each supporting character is integral to the story and the same attention to detail has been allotted to them as to the main characters. Even Morgan’s toddler daughter Livie played an important role.
For the greatest enjoyment, The Breath of Dawn is a book that should be read without too much advance information so I won’t attempt to describe its plot. The story advances at a steady pace with plenty of time allowed for the reader to get to know the characters. The suspense does not take a prominent role for awhile but hovers menacingly in the background and builds to a climax near the end. The romance between Morgan and Quinn is one of the best I have read in some time and I loved how their characters were developed. A strong spiritual message was woven seamlessly throughout the narrative and illustrated so well how God works in our lives even when we aren’t particularly paying attention.
There is absolutely nothing that I can criticize in The Breath of Dawn except for the fact that it ended. It is another fine example of why I make it a point to read every book written by Kristen Heitzmann.
by admin | Nov 3, 2012 | Books, England, Historical, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
“A Flight of Fancy” has a little bit of everything – an on-again-off-again romance, a spunky heroine who defies the norm for her era, a handsome, dedicated suitor, blackmail, adventure, humor, action, and intrigue. Someone wants to kill the hero Geoff, a reluctant Duke, and heroine Cassandra Bainbridge is also in danger because of her close relationship to him. Recovering from injuries suffered in a terrible accident, Cassandra is convinced she is being punished by God because of her “improper” attraction to her fiance Geoff. For this reason she spends nearly the entirety of the book trying to convince herself and Geoff that they should not be together. In the midst of the somewhat tiresome back and forth between Cassandra and Geoff, several more mysterious and dangerous incidents occur that escalate the mystery surrounding them.
Although I had a suspicion about one particular character’s involvement in the threats, the motivation and other person involved came as total surprises to me. Several scenes were quite enjoyable, especially Geoff’s unplanned balloon ride. Spiritual content was present but not as strong as I would have liked it to be. Overall “A Flight of Fancy” was an enjoyable novel and one sure to please those who enjoy a regency romance with a twist of intrigue.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Daughters of Bainbridge House Series- #2
Filled with the mystique of London society and the charming beauty of the English countryside, A Flight of Fancy explores what it means to find the true source of happiness and love amid the distractions of life. Readers will love the next installment in this rousing Regency series from accomplished author Laurie Alice Eakes.
Cassandra Bainbridge has twice set aside her scholarly pursuits–once for the London Season and once for her wedding preparations. Love seems a wonderful alternative to study, until disaster strikes. When an accident brings an end to her betrothal, she heads for the country to recover from both her injuries and her broken heart. There she pursues her love for ballooning and envisions a future for herself as a daring aeronaut. But when her former fiancé slips back into her life, what course will she choose?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of Lady in the Mist, A Necessary Deception, Heart’s Safe Passage, and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats.
“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
by admin | Nov 2, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Thousand Sleepless Nights
Realms (October 16, 2012)
by
Michael KingABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When Mike Dellosso won a one-year battle with colon cancer he set out to help readers of his books discover it before they had to go through what he experienced.
“I want others to avoid what I had to go through,” he says. “It was an experience that taught me a lot about myself, others, and God, but one I wouldn’t want to repeat. If I can help even one person battling this disease, it would have been worth it.”
Mike set about writing a novel quite different from what his fan base had come to expect from him. Not a thriller, but a character-driven novel, so he wrote it under a pen name, Michael King, and entitled it A Thousand Sleepless Nights. His publisher, Charisma Media, went for it and the first copies went on sale in October.
Mike’s next step was to determine whether a partnership between him, Charisma Media, and the Colon Cancer Alliance was possible. This month both announced their cooperative fundraising venture, with Charisma Media making a significant contribution to CCA and Mike committing a portion of the proceeds from the book through December to CCA.
Speaking about A Thousand Sleepless Nights Mike says, “I want people to see colon cancer (and all the other cancers) for the monster it is, but also to show it does not need to defeat us. There is hope, there is strength, and there is courage and love. And though cancer may rob us of our physical vitality, it has no power over our spirit.”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the 1970s, escaping a home where he knew nothing but violence and hate, Jim Harding found work, and love, on the largest horse ranch in Virginia. The object of his affections, Nena St. Claire, is the daughter of the owner—a man who ruled his ranch with an iron fist and would do whatever it took to keep Nena and Jim apart.
Against the wishes of her family, Nena marries Jim, and after her father dies, she sacrifices everything—including her family—to keep the ranch alive. Now their three grown children have lives of their own and want nothing to do with Nena. She was never the mother they needed.
When cancer strikes and Nena is given a devastating diagnosis, can Jim reconcile the family before it is too late?
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Thousand Sleepless Nights, go HERE.
