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MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n If asked to describe Laura Hilton’s books, I might tell you that they are “gritty” Amish fiction. This author has chosen to write stories that reveal the fact that like in all other walks of life, at their core, the Amish are also human and not all are the perfectly upright people portrayed in many of the popular novels. In “The Amish Wanderer” the reader will find that each of the two primary protagonists have secrets and carry heavy burdens from their past.<\/p>\n Bethany longs to run away from the town that knows about her father’s disgrace but her pain goes even deeper and there is one man she wants to leave far behind. Silas has spent his entire life in a dysfunctional and violent family and probably carries the scars to prove it. He is one the road to what he hopes will be a new life away from his family and the man he believes wants him dead. When he takes shelter one night in the Weiss barn and agrees to stay and help out on their farm, he and Bethany will find their lives changed forever.<\/p>\n I have read only two of Laura Hilton’s books but if they are indicative of her others, I have found another author to add to my “Don’t Miss” list. “The Amish Wanderer” grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I found myself reading well into the night. I did not want to do anything other than read this book. The story is so compelling although it does contain at least one scene that may be offensive to some readers. I personally believe that the scene was necessary to fully make the point of the danger to Bethany and it was handled very tactfully.<\/p>\n I liked Bethany and Silas’s characters very much and enjoyed reading about their road to romance, forgiveness, faith, and restoration. A good amount of scripture was woven seamlessly into the plot and was all quite applicable to their situations. Some suspense, drama, humor, and of course romance were blended perfectly to make the perfect read. Several plot twists and surprises made it all the more enjoyable.<\/p>\n If you have not read any books by Laura Hilton, please do yourself a favor and give one or more a try soon. I do not think you will regret it.<\/p>\n I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that was provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n ABOUT THE BOOK:<\/strong><\/p>\n Click to purchase<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Bethany Weiss is ready to leave town. Tongues haven\u2019t stopped clacking in Jamesport, MO, since her daed<\/em>, the bishop, was admitted to a mental hospital after hurting their small Amish community. But her sharpest wounds Bethany hides from prying eyes, quietly biding her time until she can take a chance at a new life\u2014away from Jamesport and away from God.<\/p>\n Silas Beiler was kicked out of his own home. Dogged by a rough childhood and a family who blames him for each new disaster, he begins hitchhiking across the country, sleeping in barns where he can, working for food when possible\u2014headed for Pennsylvania in the hope of some stability.<\/p>\n When Bethany spies a man asleep in the hayloft, she first fears the return of an unwelcome suitor. But when it is Silas who turns and speaks, the memories flood back: a happy summer six years ago full of lemonade, long walks, and budding courtship. Now, however, those months of bliss seem na\u00efve and idyllic. Was their old love strong enough to overcome new pain? Or will hurt and rejection continue to haunt their path?<\/p>\n ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer. Laura and her husband, Steve, have five children, whom Laura homeschools. The family makes their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas.<\/p>\n GUEST POST FROM LAURA HILTON: I didn\u2019t intentionally set out to write an Amish story loosely based on a true story. If fact, when people asked me if I would write my maternal grandparents\u2019 story, I told them no.<\/p>\n But when time came to write Bethany\u2019s story, all I knew was a short paragraph blurb about it. Bethany and her once-upon-a-time boyfriend Silas who left that particular Amish district and her before their relationship became serious. I didn\u2019t know their backstories, really, and had no idea how the story would proceed. And since I don\u2019t plot, I spend a lot of time praying about the story, because really, I want to write what He says to write. He knows who He wants it to reach.<\/p>\n So I sat down to pray about it. And God gave me a verse. Which is unusual at the beginning of the story. Usually, for me, it\u2019s at the middle when God reveals His theme for the book. But this time, it was at the beginning. The verse is:<\/p>\n For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)<\/p>\n And the verses caused more prayer. What am I supposed to do with it?<\/p>\n I was driving to Melbourne (Arkansas, not Australia) to pay property taxes and get my vehicle tags renewed, listening to the radio as we (my three daughters and I) drove down Larkin Road (that\u2019s not the real name, just what everyone calls it\u2014we have a lot of those around here: Day Road, Moko Road, etc\u2014because there are ghost towns on these roads so they are called by the name of the ghost town). A song came on the radio and I don\u2019t remember the name of it, or even who the singer was, but when I arrived in Melbourne, I had the opening line to my story.<\/p>\n The sky is falling and I\u2019m searching for somewhere to hide. <\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019m sure the people at the county clerk\u2019s office might have been a little concerned about the state of my mental health when they saw the words scribbled at the top of my bill. I did get a strange look. I didn\u2019t offer an explanation. And they didn\u2019t ask.<\/p>\n When I got home, I started writing and paying close attention to Bethany\u2019s mental clues (and Silas\u2019s) to figure out what their stories were. And how they tied into the verse God had given me.<\/p>\n And then, without even realizing it until it hit, I knew who\u2019s story I was writing.<\/p>\n My grandmother\u2019s. My grandfather\u2019s.<\/p>\n Except they are different. My grandmother wasn\u2019t date raped. It was a member of her own family. And she wasn\u2019t in love with my grandfather. She just discovered he was leaving the Amish and she wanted\u2014needed\u2014to escape.<\/p>\n Neither were Christians at the time. My grandfather was saved on his death bed. My grandmother\u2019s youngest child was a teenager when she was saved. My mother, her sister, and all their girlfriends went to a tent meeting for a United Brethren Church and my grandmother attended one of the meetings with her daughters and was saved as a result. And their testimonies ultimately led to the salvation of my uncle and my grandfather.<\/p>\n Both of my grandparents had a lot of issues to work through as to why God allowed the bad things in their lives to happen. That they eventually came to Christ is a miracle but I\u2019m glad they did, as I was raised in a Christian home.<\/p>\n Why does God allow bad things to happen to people? The short, pat answer is: because sin entered the world. Yes, God could stop them. But what if He uses the bad thing to refine a person\u2019s faith, to draw them closer to Him as a result?<\/p>\n How a person reacts to the bad things directly ties in to how they affect them. In my story, Silas chose to trust God even though he feared for his life. No, he didn\u2019t like what had happened, but even though he didn\u2019t see how, he trusted God was working behind the scenes to bring Silas to where he needed to be, spiritually and physically. On the other hand, Bethany believed God had rejected her. Pushed her away and didn\u2019t care about her. If He didn\u2019t care for her, why should she care about Him? So she went into a stand-off with God.<\/p>\n The lessons ultimately learned, for both my grandparents and my characters, brought them to their knees before the living and holy God who was, and is, and is to come. And I trust God will use this story to help a reader out there who might be questioning something terrible that happened in their life.<\/p>\n You might not see how now and may not know why until eternity, but God has this. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep believing.<\/p>\n For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39<\/em><\/strong> (KJV)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n BLOG STOPS:<\/strong><\/p>\n February 14: Debbie\u2019s Dusty Deliberations<\/a><\/p>\n February 14: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 14: inklings and notions<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 15: A Rup Life<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 15: D\u2019S QUILTS & BOOKS<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 15: Lane Hill House<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 16: Daysong Reflections<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 16: A Simple Life, really?!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 16: Blogging With Carol<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 17: Reading Is My SuperPower<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 17: Bigreadersite <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 17: Rockin\u2019 My Mom Jeans<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 18: Rhonda\u2019s Doings<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 18: Jeanette\u2019s Thoughts<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 19: A Greater Yes<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 19: A Holland Reads<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 20: Connie\u2019s History Classroom <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 20: Blossoms and Blessings<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 21: Eat, Read, Teach, Blog<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 21: Mom Is Forever<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 22: A Baker\u2019s Perspective<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 22: Splashes of Joy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 23: Moments Dipped in Ink<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 23: Carpe Diem<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 24: Pause for Tales<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 24: Quiet Quilter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 25: For The Love of Books<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 25: Donna\u2019s BookShelf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 26: Christian Bookaholic<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 26: Chas Ray\u2019s Book Nerd Corner <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 27: Giveaway Lady<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n February 27: Autism Mom<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n GIVEAWAY:<\/strong><\/p>\n To celebrate her tour, Laura is giving away\u00a0 Amish Wanderer, Patchwork Dreams (Amish of Seymour #1), Snow Globe (Amish of Jamesport #1), MY REVIEW: If asked to describe Laura Hilton’s books, I might tell you that they are “gritty” Amish fiction. This author has chosen to write stories that reveal the fact that like in all other walks of life, at their core, the Amish are also human and not all are the perfectly upright people portrayed […]<\/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":[38,8,60,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-amish","category-books","category-contemporary-fiction","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21624","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=21624"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21631,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21624\/revisions\/21631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/divider2.png\" "\\"divider2\\"")
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\n<\/a>Amish fiction lovers responded positively and immediately to Laura V. Hilton<\/strong>\u2019s debut novel, Patchwork Dreams<\/em>, when she burst on the scene in 2009 with her unique series, The Amish of Seymour, set in the tiny town of Seymour, in Webster County, Missouri. Fans of the genre immediately recognized Hilton\u2019s insider knowledge, not only of the Webster County community, but Amish culture in general. Her natural speech and writing patterns, she says, are uniquely \u201cAmish,\u201d acquired from her Amish maternal grandparents. The Amish of Seymour, includes Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts<\/em>, and Promised to Another. <\/em>Her second series, The Amish of Webster County, is comprised of Healing Love, Surrendered Love, <\/em>and Awakened Love<\/em>. A stand-alone title, A White Christmas in Webster County<\/em>, was released in September 2014. The Amish of Jamesport includes The Snow Globe,<\/em> The Postcard and The Birdhouse. In spring 2016 she released The Amish Firefighter with the setting in Jamesport, MO, the same as for The Amish Wanderer.<\/em><\/p>\n
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\na 10 x 17\u201d canvas banner: \u201cDo justly, love mercy, walk humbly\u201d (Micah 6:8), and
\nAbba Scripture Candle (3\u201d natural, clean-burning wax, scented) \u2013 \u201cWith God All Things Are Possible\u201d! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https:\/\/promosimple.com\/ps\/b0d8<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"