{"id":23943,"date":"2019-01-26T23:35:41","date_gmt":"2019-01-27T04:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=23943"},"modified":"2019-01-26T23:35:41","modified_gmt":"2019-01-27T04:35:41","slug":"a-love-to-behold-by-sharlene-maclaren","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=23943","title":{"rendered":"A Love to Behold by Sharlene MacLaren"},"content":{"rendered":"

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MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has been awhile since I have read a book by Sharlene MacLaren but I have always enjoyed them. I also have not read the previous books in this series but that did not take away my enjoyment or understanding of this excellent novel that easily stands on its own merits.<\/p>\n

With vivid imagery and strong characterization, the author offers an intimate look at the era following the Civil War in Charleston, South Carolina including a glimpse of the early days of the Ku Klux Klan. Teacher Lydia Albright follows her calling to teach a school for children of former slaves and meets with more opposition than anticipated including threats against her life. Nevertheless, between her own determination to follow the Lord’s leading and a group of strong supporters, Lydia refuses to back down even in the face of repeated violence.<\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed A Love to Behold <\/strong><\/em>and the history behind it. Plenty of action and danger, a bit of a love triangle, and a strong thread of faith kept me steadily turning the pages. I may just have to pick up the previous books of this series to see what I missed.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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ABOUT THE BOOK:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Title: <\/strong>A Love to Behold<\/p>\n

Author: <\/strong>Sharlene MacLaren<\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Christian romance, historical<\/p>\n

Release date: <\/strong>January 8, 2019<\/p>\n

Publisher: <\/strong>Whitaker House<\/td>\n

\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Two years after the Civil War, Lydia Albright, 27, is an established teacher in Boston when she senses God\u2019s call to leave the comfort and security of her job and go south. She accepts a position to teach in a school for former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. A church there that\u2019s affiliated with the American Missionary Association offers support, along with room and board at the parsonage.<\/p>\n

The Ku Klux men are hell-bent on seeing that the new school fails. Lydia\u2019s life is threatened, and the parsonage, church, and school are vandalized.<\/p>\n

But they haven\u2019t contended with a strong, determined woman like Lydia before. It also helps that she has a couple potential suitors on her side.<\/p>\n

A Love to Behold<\/i> is a tale of people who grow strong in the face of adversity and a church that learns love, compassion, and acceptance, even in the face of cruelty and hatred.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to purchase your copy!<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating in 1971 with an education degree, she taught second grade for two years, then accepted an invitation to travel internationally with a singing ensemble for one year. In 1975, she came home, returned to her teaching job, and married her childhood sweetheart. Together, they raised two lovely daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying families of their own. Retired in 2003 after thirty-one years of teaching, \u201cShar\u201d loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family\u2014in particular, her adorable grandchildren!<\/p>\n

A Christian for over fifty years, and a lover of the English language, Shar always enjoyed dabbling in writing. She remembers well the short stories she wrote in high school, and watching them circulate from girl to girl during government and civics classes. \u201cPsst,\u201d someone would whisper from two rows over, always when the teacher\u2019s back was turned, \u201cpass me the next page.\u201d
\nIn the early 2000s, Shar felt God\u2019s call upon her heart to take her writing pleasures a step further, and in 2006, she signed a contract for her first faith-based novel, Through Every Storm, thereby launching her writing career. With eighteen published novels now gracing store shelves and being sold online, she daily gives God all the glory. She dedicated her last novel, Their Daring Hearts<\/i>, to Jesus.
\nShar has done numerous countrywide book signings and made several television appearances and radio interviews. She loves speaking for community organizations, libraries, church groups, and women\u2019s conferences. In her church, she is active in women\u2019s ministries, regularly facilitating Bible studies and other events. She and her husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan, with their beautiful white collie, Peyton, and their ragdoll cat, Blue.<\/p>\n

Shar loves hearing from her readers. If you wish to contact her as a potential speaker for a church function or would simply like to chat with her, please feel free to send her an e-mail at sharlenemaclaren@yahoo.com<\/a>. She will do her best to answer in a timely manner. You may also find her on Facebook.<\/p>\n

GUEST POST FROM SHARLENE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

My dear readers,<\/p>\n

It has indeed been my great privilege and pleasure to write this series set in Civil War times. What a thought-provoking, amazing, and heart-wrenching era in American history.<\/p>\n

If you read all three books in the \u201cForever Freedom\u201d series\u2014Summer on Sunset Ridge, Their Daring Hearts, and A Love to Behold\u2014you will have gotten some history lessons regarding the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers; Abolition; the Underground Railroad, which the Quakers were instrumental in launching; life as a Union soldier in the Civil War; the Freedmen\u2019s Bureau; and Reconstruction, that period following the war when the south had fallen into great dis-repair. Also prevalent in this third book is a bit of history regarding the origin of the Ku Klux Klan, a hate group that formed during the Reconstruction period.<\/p>\n

Although I did not appreciate history as a young girl, as an older adult, I\u2019m quite fascinated by it. History itself is a great teacher. Learning about it can be everything from exhilarating to depressing, challenging and yet exciting. It is my prayer that as you read my books, you\u2019ll not only find them entertaining, but also inspiring and uplifting. I aim to encourage, not discourage. Much of history\u2014if we dwell on it\u2014can be disheartening, but focusing our hearts and minds on Christ gives us courage and confidence. Let us learn from history, but let us look to the future with hope in our hearts.<\/p>\n

With love and a prayer for God\u2019s best blessings,<\/p>\n

Shar<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

BLOG STOPS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reading Is My SuperPower<\/a>, January 22Maureen\u2019s Musings<\/a>, January 22<\/p>\n

Jeanette\u2019s Thoughts<\/a>, January 23<\/p>\n

Genesis 5020<\/a>, January 23<\/p>\n

Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis and Christ Collide,<\/a> January 24<\/p>\n

Babbling Becky L\u2019s Book Impressions<\/a>, January 24<\/p>\n

Splashes of Joy<\/a>, January 25<\/p>\n

Blossoms and Blessings<\/a>, January 25<\/p>\n

Happily Managing a Household of Boys<\/a>, January 26<\/p>\n

Mary Hake<\/a>, January 26<\/p>\n

Godly Book Reviews,<\/a> January 27<\/p>\n

Daysong Reflections<\/a>, January 27<\/p>\n

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy<\/a>, January 28<\/td>\n

Robin is Bookish<\/a>, January 28My Devotional Thoughts<\/a>, January 29<\/p>\n

Locks, Hooks and Books<\/a>, January 29<\/p>\n

The Becca Files<\/a>, January 30<\/p>\n

For the Love of Literature<\/a>, January 30<\/p>\n

Texas Book-aholic<\/a>, January 31<\/p>\n

Debbie\u2019s Dusty Deliberations<\/a>, January 31<\/p>\n

Abba\u2019s Prayer Warrior Princess<\/a>, February 1<\/p>\n

Janices book reviews<\/a>, February 1<\/p>\n

A Baker\u2019s Perspective<\/a>, February 2<\/p>\n

Bibliophile Reviews<\/a>, February 3<\/p>\n

Carpe Diem<\/a>, February 4<\/p>\n

Bigreadersite<\/a>, February 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

GIVEAWAY:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"To celebrate her tour, Sharlene is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks gift card!!<\/p>\n

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/promosimple.com\/ps\/d8d2\/a-love-to-behold-celebration-tour-giveaway<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MY REVIEW: It has been awhile since I have read a book by Sharlene MacLaren but I have always enjoyed them. I also have not read the previous books in this series but that did not take away my enjoyment or understanding of this excellent novel that easily stands on its own merits. With vivid […]<\/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":[8,34,123,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-historical","category-post-civil-war","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23943","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=23943"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23952,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23943\/revisions\/23952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}