by admin | Sep 26, 2011 | Books, Historical, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
Just when you think you’ve read about all the mail-order bride stories that could possibly be written, Maggie Brendan releases another one. Set in the growing city of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Deeply Devoted features Catharine, a young woman who has fallen in love with Peter through their six-month correspondence. The story begins when Catharine arrives from Amsterdam for her wedding unexpectedly accompanied by her two younger sisters. And that is just one of the secrets she has hidden from her new husband-to-be. Like a good sport, Peter manages to overcome his shock and proceeds to marry Catharine anyway, even when his own mother attempts to stop the wedding. During the following weeks, the newlyweds experience many ups and downs, challenges, and surprises – some that even threaten their marriage and their future.
Deeply Devoted is another fine example of why Maggie Brendan has found her place as one of my must-read authors. The story was easy to read and I finished it in less than a day. Characters are well-developed and even the primary characters have flaws. One particularly obnoxious character actually ended up with a few redeeming qualities by the end of the book.The plot is perfectly paced and the novel background has been well researched. Afirm reliance on God is a prevalent theme without being heavy handed.
For anyone who enjoys romantic historical westerns, particularly those that feature mail-order brides, Deeply Devoted would be a perfect choice.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
European Mail-Order Bride Finds Love Against All Odds
Acclaimed romance writer Maggie Brendan’s latest offering from the “Blue Willow Bride” series, Deeply Devoted (ISBN: 978-0-8007-3462-6, $14.99, 336 pages, September), introduces readers to Catharine Olsen, a mail-order bride arriving in America from Holland. She carries not only the anticipation of her marriage to Peter Andersen but also the residual pain of a tragic past, her mother’s Blue Willow china, and has her two younger sisters in tow. The fact is, in Wyoming, the single men outnumber the women five to one, so Catharine’s surpassing beauty and willing spirit are priceless gifts for Peter.
In spite of initial culture shock and necessary adjustments, Catharine finds a love with Peter that enraptures both her heart and mind. She is greatly troubled by Peter’s mother’s endeavors to sabotage their precious marriage. Catharine becomes terrified that her haunting past will be discovered, as the story unfolds with tremendous detail and extraordinary characterization.
Brendan’s previous work has received high rankings and praise in the Romantic Times, and she has also received the Atlanta Persistence Award from the American Christian Writers. Author Julie Lessman commented, “Maggie Brendan’s gentle style of prairie romance is reminiscent of Janette Oke, capturing the heart of both the Old West and the reader with romance that will make you sigh.”
Deeply Devoted is sure to captivate readers with its page-turning thrills and the hope of a deeply redemptive story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Maggie Brendan is a member of the American Christian Writers (ACW), American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). She was a recipient of the 2004 ACW Persistence Award in Atlanta, GA.
Maggie can be found on her blog, http://SouthernBelleWriter.blogspot.com and is a resident blogger on http://BustlesAndSpurs.com. Her book, No Place For a Lady, the first in the Heart of the West series received a 4.5 star review from Romantic Times. The Jewel of His Heart, book two, received a 4 star review from Romantic Times. A Love of Her Own will release was released June 1st. She has begun writing another historical series called The Blue Willow Brides. Maggie was quoted in, Word Weavers, The Successful Writer’s Critique Groups. She led a writer’s critique group for six years.
A TV film version of No Place for a Lady is currently in development for possible movie production. She recently spoke at a Regional Church Bookstores and Libraries conference in Marietta about The Value of Christian Fiction. She has participated in three of LifeWay Christian Store’s Annual Fiction Event Day. She recently had a book signing at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando on June 2010.
Maggie is married with two grown children and four grandchildren. She has a love for the West and all things western. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, singing, painting, scrapbooking and being with her family. She lives in Marietta, GA.
by admin | Sep 26, 2011 | Books, Historical, Romance, Texas, Western
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingCaptive TrailMoody Publishers (September 1, 2011)bySusan Page DavisABOUT THE AUTHOR:
From Susan: I’ve always loved reading, history, and horses. These things come together in several of my historical books. My young adult novel, Sarah’s Long Ride, also spotlights horses and the rugged sport of endurance riding, as does the contemporary romance Trail to Justice. I took a vocational course in horseshoeing after earning a bachelor’s degree in history. I don’t shoe horses anymore, but the experience has come in handy in writing my books.
Another longtime hobby of mine is genealogy, which has led me down many fascinating paths. I’m proud to be a DAR member! Some of Jim’s and my quirkier ancestors have inspired fictional characters.
For many years I worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer, covering local government, school board meetings, business news, fires, auto accidents, and other local events, including a murder trial. I’ve also written many profiles and features for the newspaper and its special sections. This experience was a great help in developing fictional characters and writing realistic scenes. I also published nonfiction articles in several magazines and had several short stories appear in Woman’s World, Grit, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
My husband, Jim, and I moved to his birth state, Oregon, for a while after we were married, but decided to move back to Maine and be near my family. We’re so glad we did. It allowed our six children to grow up feeling close to their cousins and grandparents, and some of Jim’s family have even moved to Maine!
Our children are all home-schooled. The two youngest are still learning at home. Jim recently retired from his vocation as an editor at a daily newspaper, and we’ve moved from Maine to Kentucky.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Captive Trail is second in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896. Although a series, each book can be read on its own.
Taabe Waipu has run away from her Comanche village and is fleeing south in Texas on a horse she stole from a dowry left outside her family’s teepee. The horse has an accident and she is left on foot, injured and exhausted. She staggers onto a road near Fort Chadbourne and collapses.
On one of the first runs through Texas, Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver Ned Bright carries two Ursuline nuns returning to their mission station. They come across a woman who is nearly dead from exposure and dehydration and take her to the mission.
With some detective work, Ned discovers Taabe Waipu identity. He plans to unite her with her family, but the Comanche have other ideas, and the two end up defending the mission station. Through Taabe and Ned we learn the true meaning of healing and restoration amid seemingly powerless situations.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Captive Trail, go HERE.
Learn more about Susan and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
Although Captive Trail is the second installment of The Texas Trail series, I had no problem at all keeping up with the characters. In fact, this novel qualifies so well as a stand-alone, I didn’t even know it wasn’t the first of the series until I had finished reading it.
Primary characters are Taabe Waipu, a young white woman who has been held captive by the Comanches for twelve years before her escape and Ned Bright, the stage driver who rescued her after an accident that left her incapacitated. Taabe Waipu remembers very little of her life before her capture and has even forgotten the English language but she has never given up hope of finding her true family. Her lengthy stay with a small group of Ursuline nuns begins her healing, not only in body but in mind and spirit also. Ned’s friendship with Taabe blossoms into a growing affection and although he knows he could lose her, he never gives up searching for her family.
Captive Trail is a well-written and researched novel with a perfectly paced plot, interesting characters, and just the right amount of drama, humor, and romance. If you enjoy historical westerns, Captive Trail may be something you would enjoy.
by admin | Sep 24, 2011 | Books, Historical, Romance
MY REVIEW: I’ve often heard the old axiom about getting “more bang for the buck”. A Heart Revealed is definitely a good example of that. First of all, the book itself is at least two hundred pages longer than most of the novels I read. Then, although the primary characters of the story are Emma Malloy and Sean O’Connor, the reader is also treated to the ongoing drama of the members of the O’Connor family who have been featured in the earlier novels of both The Daughters of Boston and the Winds of Change series.
A Heart Revealed is going to be a bit difficult for me to review without any spoilers but I shall give it a try. It should be fairly obvious that since this story features Emma and Sean, a romance between them will develop. It was evident that the two of them shared a platonic affection but the story was well advanced before either realized that their feelings were even stronger. Then there was the fact that Emma was already married. How would she and Sean overcome that obstacle? Well, I can say that my speculations were totally off track and there were several surprises in store before the book ended.
I have read every book in both of Lessman’s series and I think that A Heart Revealed has to be my favorite of them all. Julie’s skill with character and plot development has just improved with each book even though it has been excellent from the beginning. I admit that there were a few times that I became impatient with the length of the book but I believe that was more because I was trying to meet a deadline for this review. If I had been able to read it at my leisure, I would have savored it more. As in the previous books, A Heart Revealed is an honest portrayal of real life with all its best and worst and the human emotions and actions that keep it interesting. Woven throughout the narrative is one of the strongest messages of faith that I have encountered but it seems to be a natural part of the story.
If you haven’t discovered Julie Lessman’s books yet, you are missing a treat. I strongly recommend A Heart Revealed as well as her previous novels.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK: 
She Left Ireland And A Man Who Broke Her Heart… Only To Find An American Who Could Restore It.
Julie Lessman’s new novel A Heart Revealed (ISBN: 978-0-8007-3416-9, $14.99, 512 pages, September), the second offering in the “Winds of Change” series, opens in Boston in 1931, where thirty-one-year-old Emma Malloy has fled from an abusive marriage in Ireland. Although her former husband has left her haunted and deeply scarred. Emma cannot help but develop strong feelings for her friend Charity’s brother, Sean O’Connor. Described by his sister as very stubborn, Sean maintains that he is not the marrying kind. But as he and Emma draw closer and closer, will her strong, tender heart ensnare him and change his mind?
Transporting readers back to a time when the Empire State Building was brand new and the local speakeasy was a common destination, Lessman outlines the fascinating era and its citizens with deft precision. Lessman, who has been hailed as a writer with noteworthy skill by Publishers Weekly has once again delivered an epic tale featuring vibrant characterization, wonderful thrills, sharp dialogue, and surprises both large and small.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose books give readers “Passion With a Purpose,” underscoring her intense passion for both God and romance. Julie is the recipient of 13 Romance Writers of America awards and was chosen as #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2011 Readers Choice Awards. She was the winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational. She resides in Missouri with her husband, daughter, son and daughter-in-law and is the author of “The Daughters of Boston” series, which includes A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied. Her “Winds of Change” series has recently released with A Hope Undaunted, which ranked #5 on Booklist’s Top 10 Inspirational Fiction for 2010. You can contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.
by admin | Sep 22, 2011 | Amish, Books, Christmas, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingNaomi’s GiftZondervan (September 12, 2011)byAmy ClipstonABOUT THE AUTHOR:
From Amy:
A native of New Jersey, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I often joke that my fiction writing “career” began in elementary school as I wrote and shared silly stories with a close friend.
In 1991, I graduated from high school, and my parents and I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. My father retired, and my mother went to work full-time. I attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, and I graduated with a degree in communications. I met my husband, Joe, during my senior year in college, a few days after my father had a massive stroke. Joe and I clicked instantly, and after a couple of months we started dating. We married four years later.
After graduating from VWC, I took a summer job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, which turned into an eleven-year career. I worked in the Public Affairs Office for four years and then moved into Planning as a writer/editor.
One day while surfing the Internet for a professional editor’s group, I accidentally found a local fiction writing group, Chesapeake Romance Writers. I attended a meeting and I met writers in all stages of their careers. The group helped me realize that I did want to be an author, and it was my dream to see my name on the cover of one of my novels. Through Chesapeake Romance Writers, I learned how to plot, write, and edit a novel, and I also learned how to pursue an agent. I signed with Mary Sue Seymour at the Seymour Agency in 2006, shortly before Joe and I moved my parents and our sons to North Carolina.
My dream came true when I sold my first book in 2007. Holding my first book, A Gift of Grace, in my hands was exhilarating and surreal.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Take a trip to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, where you’ll meet the women of the Kauffman Amish Bakery in Lancaster County. As each woman’s story unfolds, you will share in her heartaches, trials, joys, dreams … and secrets. You’ll discover how the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle can clash with the ‘English’ way of life—and the decisions and consequences that follow. Most importantly, you will be encouraged by the hope and faith of these women, and the importance they place on their families. Naomi’s Gift re-introduces twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has been burned twice by love and has all but given up on marriage and children. As Christmas approaches—a time of family, faith, and hope for many others—Naomi is more certain than ever her life will be spent as an old maid, helping with the family’s quilting business and taking care of her eight siblings. Then she meets Caleb, a young widower with a 7-year-old daughter, and her world is once again turned upside-down. Naomi’s story of romantic trial and error and youthful insecurities has universal appeal. Author Amy Clipston artfully paints a panorama of simple lives full of complex relationships, and she carefully explores cultural differences and human similarities, with inspirational results. Naomi’s Gift includes all the details of Amish life that Clipston’s fans enjoy, while delivering the compelling stories and strong characters that continue to draw legions of new readers.
If you’d like to read the first chapter of Naomi’s Gift, go HERE.
Learn more about Amy and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
Naomi’s Gift is a quick to read novella that gives the reader a glimpse of life among the Amish as the Christmas season approaches. Although the Amish may seem quaint and certainly different from the world known by those of the English persuasion, Clipson’s narrative reveals that in many respects they are much like people everywhere. One of the characters of Naomi’s Gift is even a busybody/gossip which totally blows the perception of Amish perfection out of the water.
Because of two past failed relationships, Naomi King has resigned herself to a life caring for her younger brothers and sisters. She is certain that the Lord must not have a husband and children in his plans for her. As Christmas draws near, time spent with a young girl and her widowed father reopens her heart and makes her hope once again for love. Caleb Schmucker’s grief over his wife’s death two years previous has kept him just going through the motions of living and taking care of his daughter Susie. Each encounter with Naomi has touched his heart and caused him to reconsider plans for his future. However, detractors are at work to keep them apart. Caleb’s sister has other plans for him and goes to great lengths to implement them. Naomi’s own mother discourages her interest in Caleb and she hears and sees things that tend to support the fact that Caleb could not be the man for her.
Naomi’s Gift is a sweet story that would be perfect for a relaxing break during the hectic days leading up to Christmas.
