by admin | Jan 31, 2012 | Books, Historical
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A slave owner’s wife harbors a secret that threatens to unravel her marriage and the lives of those around her. Caroline Whitfield lives in the world she dreamt of as a child. Married to Jackson, a plantation owner, in the quiet hills of 1835 Montgomery County, Maryland, she enjoys a simple life, until new slaves, seven-year-old Sadie and her father, arrive.
When Sadie’s daddy is taken from her, the young girl is forced to serve the master and mistress she holds responsible for her loss. With her grandmother, fellow slaves in the “Loom Room,” and a young man bent on obtaining his freedom, Sadie struggles to make sense of God’s will in the midst of pain. But Caroline harbors a secret that could bring her world crashing down, and her love for Sadie, the daughter no one knows she had, threatens to tear it all apart.
Meanwhile, Caroline draws closer to an old friend, an empathetic and dependable married man. Now she must douse the raging flames of a jealous husband and fight to keep her perfect world intact. The Loom is a colorful tale of three families linked by a lie and their discovery that the truth is not always black and white.
Read the Prologue of The Loom here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shella Gillus fell in love with the arts as a child. By age ten, she wrote her first chapter book, a three-act play and performed in several theatrical shows. During her teenage years, she penned and performed in plays for her local church and organized a series of summer self-esteem workshops for underprivileged youth in South Tucson.
Shella earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona and Screen Actor’s Guild membership while working in the film industry in Los Angeles. Under the tutelage of a skilled playwright, she honed her skills as a writer before becoming a professional actress for Childsplay, an award-winning theatre company. Shella was crowned Miss Black Heritage, 1st runner-up Miss Black Arizona, Miss Congeniality, Copper Bowl Princess and University of Arizona Homecoming Royalty. She has made two appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show. The Loom is her fiction debut. She lives with her husband, Stacey, and their two children, Spencer and Staci, in Dallas.
by admin | Jan 31, 2012 | Books, Civil War, Historical
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRuth’s RedemptionMoody Publishers/Lift Every Voice (February 1, 2012)byMarlene BanksABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marlene Banks has worked 30+ years combined in nursing and the business arena. Her goal as a writer is to create inspiring, gripping and realistic stories with an emphasis on African American literature. She believes her gift and desire to write is from God and desires to use it to fulfill His purposes. Marlene lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she is a member of Bethel Deliverance International Church.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Set in the 1800s, Ruth’s Redemption, is an unusual depiction of the lives of slaves and free blacks in pre-Civil War America. Bo, a main character, was educated while a slave. He was given his freedom and now owns a farm buying slaves for the sole purpose of giving them their freedom.
Bo is also a man of God and widower whose life is destined to change when he meets the proud and hard-hearted slave girl, Ruth. Ruth has known nothing but servitude and brutality since being separated from her mother at age thirteen. Purchased and sold primarily for breeding, Ruth struggles to adjust to life outside of bondage. She wants no part of Bo’s Godly devotion. Yet Bo is unlike any man she’s known and her experiences with him will leave her forever changed.
A gripping slave era novel, Ruth’s Redemption is a story of love, forgiveness, and redemption. Set against the backdrop of the Nat Turner Rebellion in Tidewater, Virginia, this novel shines the light of God’s unconditional love in the darkness of a culture’s cruel socially accepted inhumanity.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Ruth’s Redemption, go HERE.
Learn more about Marlene and her books on her Website .
by admin | Jan 28, 2012 | Books, Historical, Post Civil War, Romance
MY REVIEW:
“Where Wildflowers Bloom” is a historical romance set in the small Missouri town of Noble Springs shortly after the end of the Civil War. Faith Lindberg and her grandfather are all that remain of their family and each one of them deals with their memories and grief differently. Faith’s dream is to move west to Washington where she is sure there won’t be so many reminders to make her sad. Her grandfather, however is determined to remain in Noble Springs for the rest of his days.
Faith soon has the attention of two young men, one who had been the focus of a schoolgirl crush and the other a new resident in town. In many ways, Faith was extremely naive and one of her suitors took advantage of it while the other spent his time trying to protect her. Unfortunately her very naivete’ kept Faith blinded to the truth for far too long.
The author’s vivid word pictures transport the reader back to a small midwest town where its citizens bravely move on with their lives after the war. With many dramatic, romantic, and humorous scenes, the narrative held my interest until the end. There is even a hint of mystery thrown in for good measure.
Some reviewers have described this book as “predictable”. Well, as many books as I have read in my lifetime of voracious reading, I have become fairly adept at guessing the direction a book will go and how things will end up. It was no different with “Where Wildflowers Bloom” but being pretty certain which man Faith would end up with was incidental to the enjoyment I received as I read their story. I for one do not mind a little predictability as long as the story is a good one. In my opinion, “Where Wildflowers Bloom” was excellent.
If you enjoy Christian historical fiction, don’t hesitate to pick up a copy of “Where Wildflowers Bloom”. It and the author’s earlier books are all well worth reading.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
How far will she go to follow her dreams?
Civil War stole a father and brother from Faith Lindberg–as well as Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs, Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new life, away from the memories that haunt her. But first she must convince her grandfather to sell the family’s mercantile and leave a town their family has called home for generations.
When Royal Baxter suddenly returns, Faith allows herself to hope that she and Royal will finally wed. But does he truly love her? Or will another man claim her heart?
Endorsements:
“Where Wildflowers Bloom invites you to settle down over by the checkerboard at Lindberg’s Mercantile Store and get to know the people of Noble Springs as they put the sorrows of the Civil War behind them and embrace life and love anew. Ann Shorey has come up with an appealing mix of history and romance that readers are sure
to enjoy.”–Ann H. Gabhart, author of The Blessed and Words Spoken True
“The authenticity of Where Wildflowers Bloom transported me straight to post-Civil-War times, yet the characters–their hopes, dreams, conflicts, and fears–all rang contemporarily true. Another winner from Ann Shorey!”–Christina Berry, Christy-nominated and Carol Award-winning author of The Familiar Stranger
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann Shorey is the author of The Edge of Light, The Promise of Morning, and The Dawn of a Dream. She has also published selections in the Cup of Comfort series and in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul. Shorey lives with her husband, Richard, in Oregon.
by admin | Jan 27, 2012 | Music, Worship
MY REVIEW:
I was introduced to Vineyard music in the late 1980’s and have had a love for it since I first heard it. I have yet to find any other worship music source that provides quite the same special personal and intimate experience of Vineyard music. I am not disparaging other worship music because I listen to many others but Vineyard music will always hold a special place in my heart.
With a Vineyard music collection as large as ours, it was a given that we would be familiar with the songs on this collection. Many of them date back years and “Isn’t He” written by John Wimber dates as far back as 1980. I really enjoyed the way old favorites were performed by different artists with different arrangements that brought a fresh meaning to each song. I particularly liked the way “Isn’t He” transitioned into an awesome acapella version of “Amazing Grace”.
I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE perfectly met all my expectations for a Vineyard Music collection. As always, the instrumentation was excellent and song choices varied from upbeat celebration to more intimate worship. The only complaint I could find is that my blank cd’s did not have enough capacity to hold all thirteen songs so that I can listen to them in my car. That is a minimal complaint because I can now listen to MP3 cd’s in my car if I can just remember to record them that way.
For those who already love Vineyard Music, it is a no-brainer, you need a copy of I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE. If you are unfamiliar with Vineyard Music, this collection would be a good way to learn why Vineyard Music has set the standard for worship music for decades.
“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255:
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
ABOUT I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE:
I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE was recorded live at the Burn Bright: Worship and The Kingdom Of God conference, hosted by Vineyard Worship. Several hundred worship leaders and worshippers gathered in the Arizona desert to explore the nature of God’s kingdom through music and teaching with some of the Vineyard’s most gifted communicators and musicians. This inspiring collection of songs recorded live at the The Vineyard Church North Phoenix will immerse listeners in the powerful worship that was the highlight of the event. I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE reminds us to not just think of worship as singing songs, but also laying down our lives for Him.
Learn more about Vineyard Music HERE.
The digital version of “I Love Your Presence” was released at iTunes January 10, 2012. The physical CD will be released February 7, 2012. You can also purchase a digital copy at Amazon HERE.
| 1. Let It Come (Featuring Matt Turrigiano) |
| 2. Glory to the King (Featuring Chris Lizotte) |
| 3. Saving Grace (Featuring Steve Jones) |
| 4. What Can I Bring (Featuring Anabeth Morgan) |
| 5. Love of God (Featuring Kirsten Ford) |
| 6. One Thing Remains (Featuring Casey Corum) |
| 7. Now And Ever (Featuring Nigel Briggs) |
| 8. Invitacion Fountain (Featuring Steve Jones) |
| 9. Sweet Mercies (Featuring Anabeth Morgan) |
| 10. Isn’t He / Amazing Grace (Featuring Casey Corum) |
| 11. I Love Your Presence (Featuring Chris Lizotte) |
| 12. Perfect Sacrifice (Featuring Nigel Briggs) |
| 13. I Lift My Eyes Up (Psalm 121) (Featuring Matt Turrigiano) |
GIVEAWAY:
I will be giving away one digital download of I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE. The winner will be sent a special code to download it. If you would like to win a copy, please leave a comment about your favorite Vineyard song. If you don’t know any, tell me about your favorite worship song.
Contest will end Friday, February 3.
