{"id":13868,"date":"2013-01-08T21:40:30","date_gmt":"2013-01-09T02:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=13868"},"modified":"2013-01-08T21:40:30","modified_gmt":"2013-01-09T02:40:30","slug":"under-the-summer-sky-by-lori-copeland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=13868","title":{"rendered":"Under the Summer Sky by Lori Copeland"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lori Copeland<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Under the Summer Sky
\n(The Dakota Diaries Book 2) <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
Harvest House Publishers (January 1, 2013)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen for sending me a review copy.***<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Lori Copeland is the author of more than 90 titles, both historical and contemporary fiction. With more than 3 million copies of her books in print, she has developed a loyal following among her rapidly growing fans in the inspirational market. She has been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books’ Best Seller award. In 2000, Lori was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame. She lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband, Lance, and their three children and five grandchildren.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>After a man named Jones rescues Trinity Franklin from a river, they find their destination is the same: a small town in North Dakota. A seemingly coincidental beginning comes to a delightful and charming ending when orchestrated by the One who can put the pieces of any lost and broken life together.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Product Details:
\nList Price: $13.99
\nPaperback: 304 pages
\nPublisher: Harvest House Publishers (January 1, 2013)
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-10: 0736930205
\nISBN-13: 978-0736930208
\nAND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Near Piedmont, South Dakota, 1893<\/i>\u201cDon\u2019t put me in that barrel!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to die, woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! That\u2019s why you can\u2019t put me in the barrel\u2014I can\u2019t swim!\u201d She had gone to the river for a simple bucket of water when this beast had swept in and captured her. She loved the good Lord, but she wasn\u2019t ready to meet Him face-to-face. The sound of rushing water overwhelmed her senses as iron hands gripped her waist. War whoops filled the air as three riders poured over the hillside. She pounded the solid wall of flesh that enveloped her. \u201cLet me go!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to save your life, lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stranger heaved her over to the barrel and unceremoniously dumped her inside, stuffing her head between her knees before he slammed the lid down on top.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t swim!\u201d Her muffled voice echoed in her ears. Was he deaf????? Mad? What kind of man would put a woman in a barrel and send her over the rapids when she couldn\u2019t swim? She banged on the wooden sides. \u201cLet me out!\u201d<\/p>\n

All bedlam broke out, and even through the barrel Trinity could hear grunts, shouts, and the sound of bare fists meeting flesh. Her heart hammered in her chest. She willed herself to be still, but she could feel the barrel shifting underneath her, teetering at the water\u2019s edge. \u201cDon\u2019t let me fall in, don\u2019t let me fall in,\u201d she whispered. A flour mill sat downstream, but if she reached it she would be too late. A few minutes in the turgid waters and she would drown.<\/p>\n

Grunts. More fists.<\/p>\n

Please, God. Please, God.<\/p>\n

She swallowed back the urge to shout. Calling out would mean certain death. Her brother, Rob, had written tales of rebels, both Indian and white, banding together to plunder and commit unspeakable acts, but never in her wildest dreams would she have thought to encounter one of the lowlifes. A gunshot\u2014then another. Trinity\u2019s heart crowded her throat as the fighting grew fiercer. The barrel shifted again.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let me fall in. Don\u2019t let me fall in.<\/p>\n

A deep rumble. A shove. Trinity\u2019s heart sputtered. She was close\u2014too close. She could almost smell the cold, rushing water. She heard the shuffle of men\u2019s boots\u2014though now it sounded as though there were fewer of them. Maybe two? Against overwhelming odds, the stranger appeared to be winning.<\/p>\n

Rapids rushed in the distance. Relax. That beast of a man is strong. He still faced formidable odds, but it sounded as if he were besting the enemy. Trinity felt the tension draining away from her. The ruckus would be over soon and he would release her from her wooden prison.<\/p>\n

And then she would demand to know who he was and how he\u2019d had the audacity to risk her life!<\/p>\n

Locked in a duel, the men\u2019s groans filled the air as they strained against one another. The sheer force in their tones made her cringe. Then\u2014the unthinkable. A boot caught the edge of the barrel and sent it toppling into the churning water.<\/p>\n

Trinity screamed as the current caught the barrel and bounced it downstream. Terror-stricken, she watched the water seeping through the cracks in the wood. The rapids were only two hundred yards downstream\u2014she had to be getting close.<\/p>\n

She was going to die. Rob had perished far too young, and now she was going to join him. And it was all her fault. She should never have left her nice, safe caf\u00e9 job in Sioux City and come to this rugged land. She had refused to accompany Rob a year earlier when he\u2019d pleaded with her to join him and help him settle Wilson\u2019s Falls, the plot of land their family had owned for generations. She should have held to her belief that no good would come of her visiting this remote country for even a short time. No amount of money on earth could keep her safe now\u2014not even the handsome sum the railroad was likely to offer for the family\u2019s parcel of land.<\/p>\n

The trip was supposed to be brief. Never once had she thought her journey would end at the Pearly Gates.<\/p>\n

W<\/p>\n

Jones whirled when he heard the barrel hit the water. The man locked in his grip took advantage of the distraction and landed a blow that took Jones to his knees. He swung wildly, landing a punch that momentarily staggered his opponent.<\/p>\n

His eyes swung back to the barrel. Only a few moments before it went over the rapids. The other thug came at him and he managed a hard right and then his signature left, the knock-out blow. His opponent slumped to the ground and Jones took off running down the bank. His boots thrashed through a heavy thicket as his eyes followed the bobbing container. When he reached a wide spot, he dove in and surfaced just within reach of the barrel.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on! I\u2019m here!\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

The girl\u2019s reedy voice came back. \u201cI can\u2019t swim! Get me out of here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying!\u201d He lunged, his hand brushing the barrel in vain. Charging again, he only managed to hurry the barrel along. It flew over the rapids and he heard her screams until the roar of rushing water snatched them away.<\/p>\n

Shoot. She was going to be mad as a wet hen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you still there? I can\u2019t hear you!\u201d<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t imagine why not. She was yelling loud enough for them to hear her all the way to Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here! Just hang on!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t swim!\u201d<\/p>\n

Like he hadn\u2019t heard her the first eight times. Closing his eyes, he dove under the swift current.<\/p>\n

W<\/p>\n

The thin wood split as the water and rocks smashed the barrel into kindling. Trinity gasped for air, her breath lodged in her throat. The wind and water whipped wildly about her. Where was he?<\/p>\n

Anger churned with panic as she bumped along. Objects blurred as she choked, struggling to right herself. She went down, down, down, thumping and bumping over rocks. This was it. This was the end. She\u2019d never done anything worthwhile in her nineteen years. Nothing but wait tables and serve others\u2014but that was good. To her knowledge she\u2019d never caused anyone an ounce of trouble, so she could meet her Maker in good faith.<\/p>\n

Now she would draw her last breath\u2014gurgle it, more like\u2014but\u2026she broke the waterline, choking. A strong hand latched onto her hair as she went under again.<\/p>\n

Pain blinded her\u2014pain the likes of which she\u2019d never experienced. Her very roots were being ripped out. She struggled to break the fierce hold, and did, momentarily, but then something snared her and yanked her back to the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop fighting me!\u201d a male voice demanded.<\/p>\n

She saw him then\u2014the man who\u2019d stuffed her in the barrel. At the moment it didn\u2019t matter what he\u2019d stuffed her in; he was an anchor in the storm. Her efforts ceased. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.<\/p>\n

He was a strong swimmer, but she was dead weight. Dragging her through the water, he reached a ledge and paused to catch his breath. Paralyzed with fear, her heart threatened to pound out of her chest, and for the first time in her life she couldn\u2019t find the words she wanted. His arms around her were powerful, and the feel of his prickly dark beard against her cheek brought a blush to her face. She\u2019d never been this close to a man before\u2014except Rob, of course. When she poured coffee at the caf\u00e9 she bent close, but never this close. She could smell him, hear his ragged breath in her ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry I scared you,\u201d he said, swiping his face to clear the water out of his eyes. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean for the barrel to go over.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded, still not able to find her voice. She was in the middle of a rushing rapid, standing in the arms of a stranger, finding her brush with death very difficult to comprehend.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on.\u201d He hitched her up and swam the remaining distance to shore. Throwing her on the bank like a landed carp, he crawled out and collapsed beside her. For a moment they lay in the warm sun, gasping for breath. In a novel the moment might have been romantic, Trinity thought. Instead it was wet and cold and ghastly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d she asked, finally finding her breath. Since she could speak she should probably thank him\u2014it was only polite\u2014though at the moment she wanted to throttle him for putting her life in danger in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t matter. I\u2019m just passing through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d She had the right to know who\u2019d almost killed her, didn\u2019t she?<\/p>\n

\u201cJones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJones what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust Jones.\u201d Rolling to his back, he stuck out his hand. \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Trinity stared at the proffered hand, stultified. \u201cWhy did you stick me in that barrel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI saved your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could easily have taken it. I don\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSwim. So you\u2019ve said.\u201d Struggling to his feet, he removed his left boot and dumped out a stream of water. \u201cSorry I upset you, but those men would have distressed you more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her gaze fixed on the tall stranger. She knew she should feel nothing but gratitude, but he\u2019d scared the wadding out of her. \u201cWell, before you stick a lady in a barrel and send her downstream, you might want to make certain you can save her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones dumped the water out of his right boot. \u201cDon\u2019t figure there\u2019s any reason for me to apologize for saving your neck.\u201d He glanced up. \u201cWhat are you doing out here alone, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was doing my wash.\u201d She pushed to her feet and brushed the wet hair out of her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou live around here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot live. I\u2019m staying here for a while. I\u2019m in the process of selling my land, and once I do I\u2019m going back to Sioux Falls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been there?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded, shoving his foot, wet sock and all, back into his boot. \u201cCouple of times. Do you want me to walk you back to your place?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thank you.\u201d She\u2019d had quite enough of him for one day.<\/p>\n

Nodding, he set his Stetson on his head and adjusted the band. \u201cYou might want to keep a close eye out for the others. The men scattered, but they\u2019ll meet up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trinity swallowed, trying to retain her composure. She\u2019d get home, and then she wouldn\u2019t rest until she\u2019d sold the land and left this godforsaken place behind her forever. \u201cThank you. I\u2019ll be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think you can handle these wilds?\u201d<\/p>\n

She lifted her chin. \u201cOf course I can handle myself.\u201d Granted, he had caught her in a bad circumstance, but chances were that the men were only passing through and she\u2019d have no more trouble with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have a gun?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother left one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know how to use it?\u201d<\/p>\n

The chin rose higher. \u201cI do\u2014if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

He paused, a slow grin starting at the corners of his mouth. Dark curly hair, penetrating brown eyes, and skin browned by the long hours in the sun. He was handsome, no denying it, but Trinity had more important things on her mind. \u201cI see you\u2019ve got things well in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded coolly. He had every right to suspect that she was one of those helpless simpering females, but she was far from vulnerable. She\u2019d been on her own since Rob had left to work this land, and she\u2019d learned to care for herself nicely.<\/p>\n

He started off and then turned back. \u201cBy the way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She pushed another lock of soggy hair out of her eyes. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

His gaze drifted down. \u201cYou lost your skirt in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gasping, she looked down. She was wearing nothing but her bloomers! And he hadn\u2019t said a word until now.<\/p>\n

When she looked up, he was gone. Drawing herself up straight, she sniffed. And a good riddance it was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"divider2\"<\/a>
\nMY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under the Summer Sky<\/a> has a little bit of everything! Both poignant and humorous, it also contains hearty doses of drama, action, and romance. Having lost everyone of importance in their lives, Jones and Trinity are each fearful of allowing themselves to care for another person. Yet they continually find themselves in the same place and their similar pasts forge a friendship that threatens to develop into more.<\/p>\n

Revisiting the town of Dwadlo, North Dakota featured in “Love Blooms in Winter”, the first installment of the Dakota series, the reader will catch up on the lives of old friends Tom, Mae, Pauline, and Lil and find that very little has changed, especially with Lil and her madcap antics. Once again Lori Copeland has kept me turning pages as quickly as possible but wishing the story could go on much longer. I am hoping for a new installment asap featuring Lil. Please tell me that will happen.<\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed Under the Summer Sky<\/a> and the previous novel “Love Blooms in Winter” and highly recommend them both.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,34,41,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-historical","category-romance","category-western"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13868"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13897,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13868\/revisions\/13897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}