tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10562202984243407382024-03-14T13:49:33.605-05:00My Buckling BookshelfJennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.comBlogger789125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-23118809571210630362015-11-11T22:08:00.000-06:002015-11-11T22:08:53.036-06:00A Father's Second Chance by Mindy Obenhaus<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373879784">A Father's Second Chance</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Love Inspired - July 21, 2015)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://mindyobenhaus.com/">Mindy Obenhaus</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLyFjO0UQJnn5tVGQURexeVwDaODcEl31wc71afdKWmu873LgJ3fNl8mlahHcWghfK3QFMncQpH0spOff35bJlnzgLj6CmRflP3elg7kz6_qr4uOCJYjnFFmwhGyfllL6R48bxHmMHSef/s1600/Harlequin-signing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLyFjO0UQJnn5tVGQURexeVwDaODcEl31wc71afdKWmu873LgJ3fNl8mlahHcWghfK3QFMncQpH0spOff35bJlnzgLj6CmRflP3elg7kz6_qr4uOCJYjnFFmwhGyfllL6R48bxHmMHSef/s200/Harlequin-signing.jpg" width="185" /></a></div><b>A Word from the Author:</b> To steal a line from Donny and Marie, I’m a little bit country, a little bit rock-n-roll. I’m trapped in the city, but prefer the country or the mountains.<br />
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I love Jesus, my family, and just about anything sweet.<br />
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I believe Jesus died for my sins, rose three days later, and will one day return. He has carried me through some of my darkest hours. Without faith in Him, I would be nowhere.<br />
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I have a penchant for chocolate, clothes, and shoes. When I’m not penning romance novels, I enjoy cooking, decorating and shopping.<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4CwtgXMnWfMWR_62HHesWgKejRZkefNQUDFhGJkYYXsrYvi7jItA7zoBsDPfsXK6UVfm8a0ohUqzHbvX_DiglFZfrNm3hZS7akCw03y3P0aoDVZ95dGclIin5v5g5LG1REOf7Mm_Lrvp/s1600/AFathersSecondChance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4CwtgXMnWfMWR_62HHesWgKejRZkefNQUDFhGJkYYXsrYvi7jItA7zoBsDPfsXK6UVfm8a0ohUqzHbvX_DiglFZfrNm3hZS7akCw03y3P0aoDVZ95dGclIin5v5g5LG1REOf7Mm_Lrvp/s200/AFathersSecondChance.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>Businesswoman Celeste Thompson has one goal: to make her restaurant and hotel a success. She doesn't need any distractions, even from handsome contractor Gage Purcell and his two adorable little girls. Besides, single dad Gage is just biding his time before a big job at the mines comes through. But as Celeste's project springs to life, their arguments transform into attraction. Gage isn't looking for romance, especially not with another career-driven woman like his ex-wife. But openhearted Celeste is more than just another work-consumed client. She might just be his happily-ever-after.<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
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A great book set in a lovely little town where most anyone would feel right at home. An engaging story line with well-developed characters who go through things that any of us might experience - broken familial relationships that make us hold others who want to be close at arms-length. A story full of hope, where we find if we lean on God - especially through hard times - He will show Himself faithful and can bring healing in ways we least expect it. <br />
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I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author. <br />
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My sincerest thanks to author Mindy Obenhaus for generously providing a copy for my honest review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373879784">A Father's Second Chance</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/11/a-fathers-second-chance-by-mindy.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-2567225827436314682015-10-21T22:02:00.002-05:002015-11-11T22:18:10.316-06:00Promise to Keep by Elizabeth Byler Younts<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1476735050">Promise to Keep</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Howard Books - October 13, 2015)</center><center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://elizabethbyleryounts.com/">Elizabeth Younts</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOjC52RFAWwSlm68DcGb7sSt_a5Be9yFa25vXIks4eibs3kCbK1LxR6PT4KgeJ2wV18961ZeUzdPlqiWOUsVpXPEVoJNW_viEWBfMjvKM9x39iUC2R-LpAcf-UuCz3MAirR7MpdTuwcT1/s1600/ElizYounts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOjC52RFAWwSlm68DcGb7sSt_a5Be9yFa25vXIks4eibs3kCbK1LxR6PT4KgeJ2wV18961ZeUzdPlqiWOUsVpXPEVoJNW_viEWBfMjvKM9x39iUC2R-LpAcf-UuCz3MAirR7MpdTuwcT1/s200/ElizYounts.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b>A Word from the Author:</b><br />
<br />
I’m Elizabeth, a blessed child of The King. I’m a middle-born daughter, military officer’s wife, homeschooling mama, writer, closet DIYer, and, dare I say it, Downton Abbey addict. May I also mention that I love both my history and my coffee rich.<br />
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I am formerly Amish and my heritage is very dear to me and thankful to be so accepted among my still Amish family. I can still speak PA Dutch, too! You can learn more about my Amish family in my first book Seasons: <i>A Real Story of an Amish Girl</i>.<br />
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My three book series with Howard Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) is a dream come true. The series is titled The Promise of Sunrise. In this series you will live through World War 2 from an Amish perspective and experience their unique struggles as conscientious objectors during wartime. What happened if one of their members enlisted? What was it like to serve at the Civilian Public Service Camps for years with almost no compensation? How did Amish women and families cope when a son or father was drafted? I look forward to taking you back into the richness of these years of Amish history through fiction.<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4yx-KomVYoKPCN4fZ1rCY57BOcowjZnVPQE72IfAGOFHTp7kVpgm66L_WrtoCbCFmonn_mi09lNy_tq9N0a7saEkxt70sXmxLnk7ssoGcPdE-j4N3GDKpZcOGc0rGLpBDuUzS5tQUtx2/s1600/Promise_to_Keep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4yx-KomVYoKPCN4fZ1rCY57BOcowjZnVPQE72IfAGOFHTp7kVpgm66L_WrtoCbCFmonn_mi09lNy_tq9N0a7saEkxt70sXmxLnk7ssoGcPdE-j4N3GDKpZcOGc0rGLpBDuUzS5tQUtx2/s320/Promise_to_Keep.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>World War II Marine Joe Garrison returns home from war longing to be a father to his deaf daughter, Daisy, only to find that she is attached to Esther Detweiler, the Amish woman who has raised her since his wife’s death in this touching historical romance.<br />
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Orphaned as a child, Esther Detweiler is used to caring for herself and her ailing grandmother. They made the best out of a hard life and poverty without asking for help. They even take in her shunned cousin’s deaf daughter, Daisy, when her mother dies and her father goes off to war. When Esther’s grandmother dies, Daisy is all she has.<br />
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When war veteran Joe Garrison returns, all he can think about is recovering from the horrors of war and building a relationship with his seven-year-old daughter. Daisy, however, is unwilling to leave Esther, whom she loves. Joe and Daisy get to know each other again, but Joe struggles with nightmares and fatherhood is proving to be more difficult than he imagined. Esther loves Daisy and despite her Amish ways, Joe finds himself drawn to her as a woman and not just a caregiver.<br />
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As their love blossoms, Joe decides to send Daisy away to a school for the deaf which propels their lives into turmoil and a battle for love and family.<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b> <br />
<br />
As a long time fan of Amish fiction, I was pleased to participate in this tour. This is my first book to read by this author and I am quite impressed. One thing I like is that it is set during one of my favorite historical eras...World War II and shortly thereafter. Most Amish books are written in a contemporary setting so it's a nice change of pace. <br />
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The author has done a wonderful job in the character development in this novel as strengths and vulnerabilities are evident for each character. As the characters interact, especially Joe and Esther, the emotions displayed are almost tangible as the reader is made to feel like a part of the story itself. Another thing I found commendable is the authentic portrayal of Daisy as a deaf/mute. Many people think that deaf/mutes have no vocal capabilities, but myself being raised around two deaf/mute uncles, I know firsthand how they sound when frustrated, angry, and highly amused. <br />
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I loved the ending of this book and plan on going back and reading the other two Promise of Sunrise books.<br />
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My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Howard Books for generously supplying a copy for my honest review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1476735050">Promise to Keep</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/10/promise-to-keep-by-elizabeth-younts.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-20009360659992316722015-10-07T22:56:00.002-05:002015-10-21T22:03:39.746-05:00Firefly Summer by Kathleen Y'Barbo<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1942265042">Firefly Summer</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Redbud Press - June 23, 2015)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://kathleenybarbo.com/">Kathleen Y'Barbo</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-Ot3Te-LzpJhiw-yb8v3_0HCrBXoZSQUTwOj9VmZVEu2uhHaZo-SJx3-RoYzoh1ykynX0ucCWf-aGwHiDHqOvbdZFzVbkEcDaWKTIZNFCJ9g1URMsWFOt93W_zt90GtrNeI0k4NNc_Hq/s1600/kathleen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-Ot3Te-LzpJhiw-yb8v3_0HCrBXoZSQUTwOj9VmZVEu2uhHaZo-SJx3-RoYzoh1ykynX0ucCWf-aGwHiDHqOvbdZFzVbkEcDaWKTIZNFCJ9g1URMsWFOt93W_zt90GtrNeI0k4NNc_Hq/s200/kathleen.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>RITA and Carol award nominee Kathleen Y’Barbo is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than forty novels, novellas, and young adult books. In all, more than one million copies of her books are currently in print in the US and abroad, and her books have been translated into Dutch, German, and Spanish, to name a few.<br />
<br />
Kathleen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She holds a BBA from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School and a certification in Paralegal Studies, and is a former member of the Texas Bar Association’s Paralegal Division.<br />
<br />
A tenth-generation Texan, Kathleen Y’Barbo has four children of her own as well as seven bonus kids she gladly inherited when she married her own hero in combat boots (read about their real-life romance <a href="http://shannonvannatter.com/kathleen-ybarbo-real-life-romantic-interview-part-1-of-1/">here</a>!). Kathleen is proud to be a military wife, even if it did mean giving up her Texas drivers license. <br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTGiMgh6X6c0HeNPlBrm0i_BLMAz54VRO5eJuoiQ1zH9akJHIbtTb_gqNpFoPLY17W4Dcdk3LE-oN3j0D-MjtsxUWmvG_v5mEVuE71RGYsx-rIFUCTSadHQayqxQVyF3R3KEFiu3L_hFz/s1600/FireflySummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTGiMgh6X6c0HeNPlBrm0i_BLMAz54VRO5eJuoiQ1zH9akJHIbtTb_gqNpFoPLY17W4Dcdk3LE-oN3j0D-MjtsxUWmvG_v5mEVuE71RGYsx-rIFUCTSadHQayqxQVyF3R3KEFiu3L_hFz/s320/FireflySummer.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>A new cowboy romance from award-winning author Kathleen Y'Barbo. <br />
<br />
Trey’s biggest challenge isn’t performing surgery…it’s restoring Sessa’s heart! <br />
<br />
Artist Sessa Chambers may never recover from losing her prodigal son. Even as she grieves the tragic decisions that led to his death, and left her with a toddler to raise, she’s asked to work on her dream project—restoring carousel horses for the Smithsonian. But she can’t do it on her own… <br />
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Dr. Trey Brown can’t pick up a scalpel again. Yes, he acted in self-defense, but the events of that awful night haunt him. He was trained to save lives, not take them. When he goes to the young man’s widowed mother to apologize, she’s not at all what he expected. For one thing, she’s not as alone as he thought—not with the fearsome ladies of the Pies, Books, and Jesus Book Club in her corner. For another, she’s beautiful, and being in her presence is more jolting than any eight-second bronco ride from his former rodeo days. Before he knows it, she’s captured his heart as easily as they capture the fireflies gracing Sessa’s Texas ranch. <br />
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How can they overcome their past to embrace a future together?<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<br />
If you're looking for a great romance with a bonus - great characters, spot-on small town dynamics, some seriousness as well as frivolity, and a story of how God can bring hope and renewal to those hurt by the ones they love, then this is a book for you. Firefly Summer will be on my "Best of 2015" list and I would love to see the author return to Sugar Pine in future books.<br />
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My sincerest thanks to CFBA, RedBud Press, and Kathleen Y'Barbo for generously providing a copy for review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1942265042">Firefly Summer</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/10/firefly-summer-by-kathleen-ybarbo.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-72450508755420750382015-08-19T22:43:00.001-05:002015-08-19T22:43:08.674-05:00Once Upon A Summertime by Melody Carlson<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800723570">Once Upon a Summertime</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Revell - June 2, 2015)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.melodycarlson.com/">Melody Carlson</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5JDvzENks9rdDJj03iGqXIyqv33xxcs0PXnUWrsih0MErereEcvCs_DA-2h4e8OQhFqkIh3ryzdXAfh6Y9_11g2KRPLOrtPr74iNChZi3Jssa6GH4TOy-NBay0DpUpiSrpux5NoD9KZ-/s1600/MelodyCarlson%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5JDvzENks9rdDJj03iGqXIyqv33xxcs0PXnUWrsih0MErereEcvCs_DA-2h4e8OQhFqkIh3ryzdXAfh6Y9_11g2KRPLOrtPr74iNChZi3Jssa6GH4TOy-NBay0DpUpiSrpux5NoD9KZ-/s1600/MelodyCarlson%255B2%255D.jpg" /></a></div>My husband Chris and I live in a cabin-style home next to the National Forest in the beautiful Cascade Mountain area of the Pacific Northwest. Our two grown sons and granddaughter live nearby and we try to see them as often as we can. We also have two 're-homed' pets to make life more interesting-our yellow Labrador retriever Audrey and a Maine coon cat named Harry.<br />
<br />
My writing studio is in a separate building next to our courtyard (a garden area that's off limits to the voracious deer). The window behind my desk looks out into the Ponderosa pine forest, where I see deer, squirrels, rabbits, and an occasional raccoon. The other windows in my office overlook the courtyard which is frequented by numerous hummingbirds in the summertime-one August evening we counted nearly fifty of the little hummers.<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQcglMtwE_vO6BCVV1S0jnQonFWKBQD3F9IsKomWNz6YfZC5OhAMCybENhqE71H6lh9rg1z6kfKfzCep7EWwAQdwnmqmSGDUEtgTcKEvj1vXvaBfJzHr3eq5Jinw7aSVKb0ZS7EdhXk_0/s1600/OnceUponASummertime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQcglMtwE_vO6BCVV1S0jnQonFWKBQD3F9IsKomWNz6YfZC5OhAMCybENhqE71H6lh9rg1z6kfKfzCep7EWwAQdwnmqmSGDUEtgTcKEvj1vXvaBfJzHr3eq5Jinw7aSVKb0ZS7EdhXk_0/s320/OnceUponASummertime.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it's a safe choice for a woman whose childhood was anything but stable. Out of the blue, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reinvent herself by moving to New York City, where she hopes for a management position at a stylish new boutique hotel. The big city is full of surprises--not the least of which is Sean O'Neil. Her childhood crush has applied for the very same position!<br />
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Sweet, romantic, and endlessly entertaining, this romp through the storied streets of New York City will enchant readers. Melody Carlson has created characters so charming that readers will long to meet them in the lobby of the stunning Rothsberg Hotel.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b> <br />
<br />
I have read Melody Carlson's books for years and am always eager when she starts a new series. This series intrigued me because it is set in New York City - a place I have never been - but I love reading about. A trip around the Big Apple through the eyes of small town girl Anna Gordon was a treat, as I felt just like her, seeing landmarks and memorable sights for the first time through the author's words. This was probably the biggest highlight of the book for me.<br />
<br />
One of my first jobs was as a maid at a motel, which was unfortunately more like the Value Lodge than the Rothsberg, so I did find the part of the story that centered around the maids in New York interesting. <br />
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The romance between Anna and Sean O'Neil was a bit predictable, however, I did like the interaction and chemistry between them, especially as they played tourists throughout the city. <br />
<br />
All in all, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to those who enjoy contemporary romance - and I am also looking forward to the next installment in this series.<br />
<br />
My sincere thanks to CFBA and Revell for generously providing a copy for review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800723570">Once Upon a Summertime</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/08/once-upon-summertime-by-melody-carlson.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-23622132835325732072015-07-29T22:50:00.001-05:002015-08-14T00:30:07.689-05:00Dead Dog Like Me by Max Davis<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1617955248">Dead Dog Like Me</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Worthy Publishing - June 23, 2015)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.maxdavisbooks.com/">Max Davis</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeRNDv1vIRy7GPrGxoW1Y9p_XBWi39bLZkAKeESFSmahXtSVL4YXHOGZahfSF_lufuYcXDhUgcudDixPvTjmWJRZC-rGxTHvaaxysj_SilUdCBLdIY3EXLAf58JP3aytUwOLDfo7CwZ41/s1600/Max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeRNDv1vIRy7GPrGxoW1Y9p_XBWi39bLZkAKeESFSmahXtSVL4YXHOGZahfSF_lufuYcXDhUgcudDixPvTjmWJRZC-rGxTHvaaxysj_SilUdCBLdIY3EXLAf58JP3aytUwOLDfo7CwZ41/s320/Max.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Max Davis is the author of over twenty books, has been featured in USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly, and has appeared on The Today Show and The 700 Club. He holds degrees in journalism and biblical studies. In addition to his own works, he’s done a variety of ghostwriting and collaboration projects. Max and Alanna have three grown children and a grand baby.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAwX1-S2U00uR0e6X-WUz2sz62o7oAmhP31bgcLxbG3fyJrkS9-W9DpKQjVRZThWMyfmPzW62hr1IbEE7-TirCUwCdVSHTyPAXOKfDc1XwDTZk46rggQtUFGS4Cq8hwS1CixJ4fb0hQ4C/s1600/Dead_Dog_Like_Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAwX1-S2U00uR0e6X-WUz2sz62o7oAmhP31bgcLxbG3fyJrkS9-W9DpKQjVRZThWMyfmPzW62hr1IbEE7-TirCUwCdVSHTyPAXOKfDc1XwDTZk46rggQtUFGS4Cq8hwS1CixJ4fb0hQ4C/s320/Dead_Dog_Like_Me.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>Nick Gregory regains consciousness after a horrific car accident to find he’s been transported back in time and that he has become Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and King Saul’s grandson. Aware that he’s experiencing another man’s life, he has to learn fast. When mega-church pastor, Nick Gregory, regains consciousness after a horrific car accident, he’s on the ground in agonizing pain. Nick realizes he is in a bizarre place – a foreign, parched, ancient land, having been transported back in time to 800 B.C. Unbelievably, he is in the body of a prince named Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan and King Saul’s grandson. Nick is fully aware of who he is and that he’s now living in Mephibosheth’s body, strangely able to speak and understand Hebrew. This experience helps him see that he, like Mephibosheth, is a broken man desperate for God’s outrageous grace and healing (2 Samuel 9:8). Returning to present day, Nick’s experience motivates a changed life.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<br />
Two things made me want to read this book. One, the cover! So unconventional, especially for Christian fiction. The second reason this book piqued my interest is because I have heard messages from three different preachers on the story of Mephibosheth just in the last few months.<br />
<br />
The story thrusts us into the chaotic world of high profile minister Nick Gregory, whose personal and professional life is imploding. That desperation leads him to do the unthinkable - just end it all! But something happens that Nick is not expecting...his efforts to end his life in the 21st century have hurled him back in time to a life during Old Testament days. I know others have mentioned wanting more of the story set during Biblical times, and I admit that to some extent I did as well, but remember Mephibosheth only shows up briefly in 2 Samuel and I think the author did do justice in not spreading that part of the story too thin. Further into the book, the story is touched on again, and brings closure to the intersection of the modern day story and the Biblical one. <br />
<br />
If I could have changed anything about the book, I would have liked to have seen more development in Abbi's story, especially the call to be like Hosea in response to Nick's ministry being his mistress; and a little more background information on Philip's story would have been nice as well. I just felt like that part of the story was in limbo as I didn't know what was behind his suicide until almost the end of the book. <br />
<br />
I will say the gems of the story, in addition to the redeeming power of grace that Nick experiences, show up in the form of Maria, Kenny, and, yes, even Deuce. These three characters brought similar aspects to the story - loyalty, faithfulness, and even showing love when people are less than lovable. <br />
<br />
Overall, I enjoyed this book as it brought the story of Mephibosheth to life for me. I'm sure it will speak to other readers as well - as a powerful reminder that God's love and grace can help us to overcome our inadequacies. Always remember, even when we feel as worthless as a dead dog, God can lead us to His banqueting table and His banner over us is Love. <br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA, Worthy Publishers, and Wynn-Wynn Media for generously providing a copy for review. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1617955248">Dead Dog Like Me</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/07/dead-dog-like-me-by-max-davis.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote><br />
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-2238313441950636122015-06-03T13:07:00.000-05:002015-06-03T13:07:16.016-05:00Justified by Varina Denman<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781412161">Justified</a></span></center><br />
<center>(David C. Cook - June 1, 2015)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://varinadenman.com/">Varina Denman</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPJlipmu6fZW5cA009uL1ZnhAf5ep5t_UCBHz96iDCsjDENNBGc7PR98WqVFwTaeYnbSWtb4hzmMIy7ukNAeoL4PYpYDSZJNrI1o_npp2jQWyqPz_GZ3U4IOGZ1IKwX_4EnAQPpGgVKFu/s1600/varina+denman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPJlipmu6fZW5cA009uL1ZnhAf5ep5t_UCBHz96iDCsjDENNBGc7PR98WqVFwTaeYnbSWtb4hzmMIy7ukNAeoL4PYpYDSZJNrI1o_npp2jQWyqPz_GZ3U4IOGZ1IKwX_4EnAQPpGgVKFu/s200/varina+denman.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>An avid reader and blogger, Varina Denman enjoys writing fiction about Christian women and the unique struggles they face. She seems to have a knack for describing small town life, and is currently working on the three-book Mended Heart Series. The first book in the series, <i>Jaded</i>, won the 2013 ACFW Genesis contest for romance.<br />
<br />
Varina attended three Texas universities over a span of five years, majoring in four subjects and earning zero degrees. However, she can now boast sixteen years as a home educator, volunteering in the local cooperative where she has taught numerous subjects including creative writing and literature.<br />
<br />
Even though Varina has spoken at ladies’ retreats and taught women’s Bible classes, she finds the greatest fulfillment facilitating prayer groups. She lives in Burleson, Texas, where she helps with Family Ministry in her home congregation. Varina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and North Texas Christian Writers.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXQxtmRPe4Lje-XJBdXg3sEhYIxzIxG5nsEyAokh4JlkmaK95XkX-U_yt12Sv2wA425nl3ihT_3I_BOhdvQIy2k50VqPTKg4xQhppqCapEDJCbrghzbznh5tJAA9MLcyYR4ifmnPvPQfC/s1600/Justified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXQxtmRPe4Lje-XJBdXg3sEhYIxzIxG5nsEyAokh4JlkmaK95XkX-U_yt12Sv2wA425nl3ihT_3I_BOhdvQIy2k50VqPTKg4xQhppqCapEDJCbrghzbznh5tJAA9MLcyYR4ifmnPvPQfC/s320/Justified.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>In a small Texas town ruled by gossip, Fawn Blaylock believes others are justified in condemning her untimely pregnancy. Stifled by guilt, she yearns for grace while the local football coach treats her with gentle respect.<br />
<br />
<i>Justified</i> perfectly captures the rhythm and romance of life in a small town, telling the unforgettable story of a woman searching for renewal, a man looking beyond what others see, and a community torn between judgment and love. It is the unforgettable story of broken dreams, second chances, and relentless hope.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781412161">Justified</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/05/justified-by-varina-denman.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-89433304996363884782015-05-20T15:43:00.003-05:002015-05-20T15:43:31.018-05:00The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601425929">The Art of Losing Yourself</a></span></center><br />
<center>(WaterBrook Press - April 21, 2015)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://katieganshert.com/">Katie Ganshert</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBFVplsKTdP_z5BMHbXhHBGkX6qEH03X2iC23r7Rh05ntLHiWw9deFIM_3VAKG8P1N80Djrk-sdsSUgq-YTPyW58T5Krr8Y1zwyT99c9qyTuCFTYntQEBeLExX34S_RXgObJ-TRn6wQ9c/s1600/katieganshert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBFVplsKTdP_z5BMHbXhHBGkX6qEH03X2iC23r7Rh05ntLHiWw9deFIM_3VAKG8P1N80Djrk-sdsSUgq-YTPyW58T5Krr8Y1zwyT99c9qyTuCFTYntQEBeLExX34S_RXgObJ-TRn6wQ9c/s200/katieganshert.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Award-winning author, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family. When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1V183FVnWq8Zjci-HprLfz46Dy3YVCZ8zu0HKcw8jpMr7MyHOo1vf9gjeV9YGdhRkXVctrJUXDTSpbntym_YK-Fm8w9n9gXd1NAwwOd7spH8cjjHT97NhLls8V1KzJYoww2FFWdLCbGt/s1600/Art-of-Losing-Yourself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1V183FVnWq8Zjci-HprLfz46Dy3YVCZ8zu0HKcw8jpMr7MyHOo1vf9gjeV9YGdhRkXVctrJUXDTSpbntym_YK-Fm8w9n9gXd1NAwwOd7spH8cjjHT97NhLls8V1KzJYoww2FFWdLCbGt/s320/Art-of-Losing-Yourself.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.</b><br />
<br />
Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together. But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.<br />
<br />
Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601425929">The Art of Losing Yourself</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-art-of-losing-yourself-by-katie.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-73216337311635071492015-04-06T08:21:00.002-05:002015-05-20T15:43:48.875-05:00Mist of Midnight by Sandra Byrd<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1476717869">Mist of Midnight</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Howard Books - March 10, 2015)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.sandrabyrd.com/">Sandra Byrd</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeocNgx5XQNAvD5nzdVt2SEEiJ5BVMqxp6ziJNDjeOa8tnS_Uds4nQjvWjR3P-EmEcwnjDVZRjJNHi724LgPa9tjXkqDeNj-IAheUTS3_52jio38loFl3ZItDQom6spleDQAfIElkWp4RY/s1600/SandraByrd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeocNgx5XQNAvD5nzdVt2SEEiJ5BVMqxp6ziJNDjeOa8tnS_Uds4nQjvWjR3P-EmEcwnjDVZRjJNHi724LgPa9tjXkqDeNj-IAheUTS3_52jio38loFl3ZItDQom6spleDQAfIElkWp4RY/s1600/SandraByrd.jpg" /></a></div>After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Her adult fiction debut, <i>Let Them Eat Cake</i>, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, <i>To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn</i>. <i>To Die For</i> was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and <i>The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr</i>, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012. The Tudor series’ end cap, <i>Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I</i> published in April, 2013.<br />
<br />
A life-long lover of Victorian Gothic romances, Sandra’s new series, Daughters of Hampshire, weaves elements of that mystical, traditional genre with inspirational and literary threads. Mist of Midnight, the series’ first book, debuts in March, 2015.<br />
<br />
Sandra has also published dozens of books for tweens and teens, and is passionate about helping new authors develop their talent and their work toward traditional or independent publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAX_Imk4NBsyNVaqzndCbQ0n25D_zSOPtTM3mYxnly9CFSLOaNVFBYKSBe5ixN7g5pgkoCm2qbpafYa9z85ojf6DzrnlBfi7ct9HC3zqMTllsB-2Lhx11qZtG6w67-QJ4jGPbLPyIBbZb/s1600/MistofMidnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAX_Imk4NBsyNVaqzndCbQ0n25D_zSOPtTM3mYxnly9CFSLOaNVFBYKSBe5ixN7g5pgkoCm2qbpafYa9z85ojf6DzrnlBfi7ct9HC3zqMTllsB-2Lhx11qZtG6w67-QJ4jGPbLPyIBbZb/s1600/MistofMidnight.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>In the first of a brand-new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands.<br />
<br />
Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her...and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca's name, but her home and incomes. <br />
<br />
That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father's investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives—does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”? <br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1476717869">Mist of Midnight</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/04/mist-of-midnight-by-sandra-byrd.html">HERE</a>. </blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-25381391414327776832015-03-25T13:33:00.003-05:002015-03-25T13:33:46.640-05:00The Tomb by Stephanie Landsem<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451689128">The Tomb</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Howard Books - March 17, 2015)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.stephanielandsem.com/">Stephanie Landsem</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOS2UeJ16U5t7hxIj3-YGKDhbDKrCr0_iH5r2BLyLKSkXqWw0-9wNEB1JOoDL6qo88n_rQo9VZbfI-skOzuRxFiPlP-oP13Hp2qUxh4axXP4eoWZflnRWRqsVZPhv18hAblTrBEZ7b5CSs/s1600/Stephanie-Landsem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOS2UeJ16U5t7hxIj3-YGKDhbDKrCr0_iH5r2BLyLKSkXqWw0-9wNEB1JOoDL6qo88n_rQo9VZbfI-skOzuRxFiPlP-oP13Hp2qUxh4axXP4eoWZflnRWRqsVZPhv18hAblTrBEZ7b5CSs/s1600/Stephanie-Landsem.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div><b>A word from the author:</b><br />
<br />
I write historical fiction because I love adventure in far-off times and places. I’ve traveled since I was a teenager—backpacking through Germany and Eastern Europe, studying German in Salzburg, eating gelato in Italy, and riding camels in Morocco were some of the highlights. Travel kindles my imagination, fuels my love of history, and introduces me to one-of-a-kind characters. It’s the best kind of research.<br />
<br />
When I can’t travel, I read. I love fiction, of course, but I’m often found behind a stack of history books or searching the web for historical tidbits. How people lived together, worked, and what they ate (I love food!) is usually what catches my imagination. No matter where or when we live, people are more alike than they are different. I love to find the similarities between our lives and those of the men and women of the ancient world.<br />
<br />
I make my home in Minnesota with my husband of 22 years, four children, three fat cats, and a tortoise named Moe. When I’m not writing Biblical fiction, I’m feeding the ravenous horde of kids and their friends, volunteering at church and school, battling dandelions, and dreaming about my next adventure – whether it be in person or on the page.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PCIXoaVEutE6oNV9-tfzTbj3uQe9UEb6Smhwd7BTFkrdixTzS0vKxuvLw3rFbWMGZxx7UmLYknt4BTa58PCgFRslQ5F1pK9mxc6irFwLzlqIDxULdzbiy48Nyj2WQ9orbFKUpIaXhsuT/s1600/Tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PCIXoaVEutE6oNV9-tfzTbj3uQe9UEb6Smhwd7BTFkrdixTzS0vKxuvLw3rFbWMGZxx7UmLYknt4BTa58PCgFRslQ5F1pK9mxc6irFwLzlqIDxULdzbiy48Nyj2WQ9orbFKUpIaXhsuT/s1600/Tomb.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>In this captivating retelling of a classic biblical story, Jesus shocks the town of Bethany with Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead, leading Martha—a seemingly perfect woman trapped by the secrets of her past—to hope and a new life.<br />
<br />
Everyone in Bethany admires Martha—the perfect Jewish woman. She feeds and clothes her loved ones, looks after the family farm, and meticulously follows every precept of the Pharisees’ strict laws. But Martha is hiding a secret. At her sister’s marriage feast, she gave her heart and her innocence to a young musician who promised to return and marry her, but instead betrayed her love and abandoned her.<br />
<br />
Seven years later, only two people in Bethany know of Martha’s secret sin: her brother, Lazarus, and Simon, the righteous Pharisee to whom Martha is betrothed. When Lazarus falls ill, Martha is faced with a choice: send for Jesus to save her dying brother—risking the wrath of Simon who threatens to betray her—or deny Jesus’ healing power and remain trapped in her tomb of secrecy and lies.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on the shores of Galilee, Isa roams the wilderness, tortured by demons and knowing only that someone is waiting for him. When he is healed by Jesus, he finds that seven years have passed since his descent into madness. Isa journeys home to Bethany only to find he is too late to win back Martha’s love. <br />
<br />
When Martha risks all to heal Lazarus, will Jesus arrive in time, or will he—like Isa—come too late?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<br />
I'm not quite finished with the book...review to follow!<br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Howard Books for generously providing a copy of this book for my honest review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451689128">The Tomb</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-tomb-by-stephanie-landsem.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-33380770410545783242015-02-18T20:17:00.000-06:002015-08-19T22:43:54.847-05:00Wisdom Tree by Mary Manners<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1611161665">Wisdom Tree</a></span></center><br />
<center>(White Rose Publishing - September 19, 2012)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.marymannersromance.com/">Mary Manners</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKaDaMcihSetKUTcFgyiy5cefydwK3zCQgybh0BBRnb7AnQ8fw0VrmBqNnJpDO_tswVWuCPo2eXiIGbz4VzL2a6SmohSrfCkhbabC3JiE5nk12JNeWGIjmvZtlG4RV5LSK41vsl4u72xn/s1600/Mary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKaDaMcihSetKUTcFgyiy5cefydwK3zCQgybh0BBRnb7AnQ8fw0VrmBqNnJpDO_tswVWuCPo2eXiIGbz4VzL2a6SmohSrfCkhbabC3JiE5nk12JNeWGIjmvZtlG4RV5LSK41vsl4u72xn/s1600/Mary.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div><br />
<b>A Word from the Author:</b><br />
I live in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with my husband, Tim, and our teen-aged daughter, Danni. Also with us are Lucky and Gus - the two cherished cats we rescued from local animal shelters.<br />
<br />
I'm a member of the Romance Writers of America and Smoky Mountain Romance Writers.<br />
During the school year, I teach middle-schoolers reading and Algebra. When I have free time, I love to garden, take long walks with my husband, and read romance novels in a hammock beneath century-old shade trees.<br />
<br />
<br />
I write romance novels for White Rose Publishing. If you'd like to visit, I have an author page there, as well. That's where you'll find everything there is to know about my books.<br />
<br />
<br />
I also have author pages at the following locations. Do come by and spend some time with me there!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliwT1L0iDZfdOJxSpyAP0QjmdA7NXZS-Z1wRVXNbp1mHVbvaPUW24uisyLFSZiwPhpaeSb6HwvUdUIptaBlRPvcAYXoc6lMtUSO2VFu2V94R5JMYU1ofDkw6S-QSrIdY0zoO8tqaSdc_O/s1600/WisdomTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliwT1L0iDZfdOJxSpyAP0QjmdA7NXZS-Z1wRVXNbp1mHVbvaPUW24uisyLFSZiwPhpaeSb6HwvUdUIptaBlRPvcAYXoc6lMtUSO2VFu2V94R5JMYU1ofDkw6S-QSrIdY0zoO8tqaSdc_O/s1600/WisdomTree.jpg" height="320" width="196" /></a></div><b>Sometimes the last thing we think we need is exactly what God has planned</b><br />
<br />
After the death of his parents, Jake Samuels has enough on his plate—including a fledgling church to lead and a mischievous younger brother to raise. The last thing he needs is a rambunctious woman to contend with.<br />
<br />
Carin O'Malley is dealing with the death of her brother and a new job as an English teacher at East Ridge Middle School where Corey Samuels reigns as King of Chaos. The last thing she needs is to fall in love...especially with a handsome and complicated preacher like Corey’s brother Jake.<br />
<br />
But when Corey's antics toss Carin and Jake together, the two must draw from God’s wisdom to find refuge in His perfect plan.<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------<br />
Discover your own wisdom tree with the included one-month devotional.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1611161665">Wisdom Tree</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/02/wisdom-tree-by-mary-manners.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-78808830336560881562015-01-28T23:08:00.001-06:002015-01-29T00:07:50.916-06:00A Stitch in Crime by Cathy Elliott<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/142677365X">A Stitch in Crime</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Abingdon Press - January 20, 2015)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cathyelliottbooks">Cathy Elliot</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUZtgnIf_30ia3xSlyZHBWu1x3Ro_cLvstubWoOlMWgkg60BaT60MriTXEIUuAehOtkmedLpmu3pKGNXnq_9HW2ikK-QUxdkY1NZ1geaWw9MgdRcL2E2FQCLATUJ7Y4qGiQaJTaFBHQ9Y/s1600/CathyElliott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUZtgnIf_30ia3xSlyZHBWu1x3Ro_cLvstubWoOlMWgkg60BaT60MriTXEIUuAehOtkmedLpmu3pKGNXnq_9HW2ikK-QUxdkY1NZ1geaWw9MgdRcL2E2FQCLATUJ7Y4qGiQaJTaFBHQ9Y/s1600/CathyElliott.jpg" /></a></div>Cathy Elliott is a full-time writer who lives in northern California and whose cozy mysteries reflect her personal interests from playing her fiddle with friends to antique collecting and quilting. Besides collecting (too much) cool fabric, she also enjoys hunting for antiques and is several years into recovery from her eBay addiction. UPDATE: She backslid a while back, enticed to bid on a 1945 Singer Featherweight. (She won.) But now she’s back on the wagon. Except for the recent crazy quilt pillow purchase. She also leads music at church and enjoys time with her grandchildren.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_r5IetU6joNo-Qrdwu02AOEFFKzxk9YHa0BBUg0u4-l9qUOfOJeBp7p4qgmWlWj9YeYJEMHW5QE1StT-Ij3XSd21kdRkwJr62MfA57woing0gC1VXNgFQduWqYp2vje80pECCqAYowE9/s1600/AStitchInCrime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_r5IetU6joNo-Qrdwu02AOEFFKzxk9YHa0BBUg0u4-l9qUOfOJeBp7p4qgmWlWj9YeYJEMHW5QE1StT-Ij3XSd21kdRkwJr62MfA57woing0gC1VXNgFQduWqYp2vje80pECCqAYowE9/s1600/AStitchInCrime.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>Thea James has accepted an assignment as co-chairperson for Larkindale’s first quilt show extravaganza. Juggling the new assignment with running her antique business, she’s already feeling frayed when things start to unravel. Mary-Alice Wentworth, a much-loved town matriarch, respected quilt judge, and Thea’s dear friend, is covertly conked on the head during the kick-off Quilt Show Soiree, throwing suspicion on her guests. It also appears that a valuable diamond brooch has been stolen during the attack. The family is furious. But is it because of their mugged mother or the missing diamonds? When a renowned textile expert goes MIA and the famous Wentworth heritage quilt disappears, Larkindale’s reputation as a tourist haven is at risk. Thea attempts to piece the mystery together and save the town’s investment in the quilt show before Mary-Alice is attacked again . . . with far worse results.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b> <br />
<br />
Mystery, humor, great characters, and just a flicker of romance contributed in making this one of the best mysteries I've read in quite some time - and a great addition to the Quilts of Love series. I was kept guessing throughout with several twists and turns but the story wraps up nice and tidy in the end. I loved the town of Larkindale - and its many townsfolk - and would be thrilled if the story blossomed into a series - especially if Thea's "Dr Watson" came to her aid again. There were also a few very minor characters (the Durtles, for instance) whom I would love to know more about.<br />
<br />
This book was such a delight to read - I was very impressed - and I think any lover of cozies would enjoy it immensely.<br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Abingdon Press for generously providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/142677365X">A Stitch in Crime</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-stitch-in-crime-by-cathy-elliot.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote><br />
<br />
Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-17572678166224127422015-01-05T23:05:00.000-06:002015-01-05T23:05:03.119-06:00Masterpiece Marriage by Gina Welborn<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773633">Masterpiece Marriage</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Abingdon Press - December 16, 2014)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://ginawelborn.com/">Gina Welborn</a></span></center><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNX_AX5Awfj3WDfwXKOlbUFQ7-6By8Wnxi5jnno_QE6FHd59cQrMRQJUXXPoLPr0QTNWfeb6P2-QoVMYhiXWSKCz-ZqmNAiUGA6B8NBc70imyPWLrcOBmrTYNjr0vRM4wanCtCX7SGMb3s/s1600/Gina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNX_AX5Awfj3WDfwXKOlbUFQ7-6By8Wnxi5jnno_QE6FHd59cQrMRQJUXXPoLPr0QTNWfeb6P2-QoVMYhiXWSKCz-ZqmNAiUGA6B8NBc70imyPWLrcOBmrTYNjr0vRM4wanCtCX7SGMb3s/s1600/Gina.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></div>After Gina Welborn earned a Communications degee from an Oklahoma university, she thought the perfect career choice was working at a news radio station writing commercial copy, public service announcements, and news reports. A PSA writer, sadly, can only be so creative when describing ketchup and Geronimo’s grave. (No, she never combined those two elements in the same script, but now that she thinks about it, she wishes ... ) Thus Gina "retired" to focus on goal, motivation, and conflict within her family before discovering her niche in writing romances. <br />
<br />
A member of RWA and ACFW, Gina has four published novellas, including one in the ECPA-bestselling <i>Mistletoe Memories</i>, and three short historical romances: <i>The Heiress's Courtship, The Marshal's Pursuit</i>, and <i>Masterpiece Marriage</i>. A moderately obsessive fan of Community, <i>Once Upon a Time</i>, and <i>Chopped</i>, Gina lives in Oklahoma with her pastor husband, their five Okie-Hokie children, a box-lab, two rabbits, four guinea pigs, and a fancy Russian dwarf hamster named Tom Bob Deucalion. Gina is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXUhyphenhyphenT9w2TidHYFmQPUf3aHNZT28nWGrpcXIbQs2daOYml5vGPaiIX_8Re5nWj9z0AM5hmEDB9PUzxnpjAgTdXda16VO83HT9gN69pwiJzlHA4ydHqIhCjzkh5c0pAVGbLyKUxm3RDFK4/s1600/MasterpieceMarriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXUhyphenhyphenT9w2TidHYFmQPUf3aHNZT28nWGrpcXIbQs2daOYml5vGPaiIX_8Re5nWj9z0AM5hmEDB9PUzxnpjAgTdXda16VO83HT9gN69pwiJzlHA4ydHqIhCjzkh5c0pAVGbLyKUxm3RDFK4/s1600/MasterpieceMarriage.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>After a flood damages the looms at Zenus Dane’s Philadelphia textile mill and the bank demands loan payment, Zenus turns to his aunt for help repurposing his textiles. Trouble is . . . his aunt has already been hired by the lovely yet secretive Englishwoman Mary Varrs. Eager to acquire his aunt’s quilt patterns, Zenus attends the summer Quilting Bee, a social event his aunt has uniquely designed with the secret purpose of finding Zenus a wife. However Zenus only has eyes for Mary, but Mary has no such desire for him. Though his aunt is determined to design a masterpiece marriage, both Zenus and Mary will have to overcome their stubborn ways. Can he realize that love requires stepping out of his routine? And will she recognize that following her heart doesn’t mean sacrificing her ambition?<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773633">Masterpiece Marriage</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/01/masterpiece-marriage-by-gina-welborn.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-38594428288299124362014-11-26T20:50:00.000-06:002014-11-26T20:51:27.193-06:00Swept Away by Laura V Hilton and Cindy Loven<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773625">Swept Away</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Abingdon Press - November 18, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/">Laura V. Hilton</a> <br />
and<br />
<a href="http://cindylovenreviews.blogspot.com/">Cindy Loven</a></span></center><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxvMejMb9ADwbvqzvYcd28nOm8Syt6NHTrvNX44w-5h4w9zEsysiRWqsVN4rNTMonn2HhLSs0WkOESnIAujCw0GMeSHZ1yk0bgwLDb1pMu0WZJRfjZykiu8_IXaSMVwsbCGgZrMMOFX27/s1600/Laura+Hilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxvMejMb9ADwbvqzvYcd28nOm8Syt6NHTrvNX44w-5h4w9zEsysiRWqsVN4rNTMonn2HhLSs0WkOESnIAujCw0GMeSHZ1yk0bgwLDb1pMu0WZJRfjZykiu8_IXaSMVwsbCGgZrMMOFX27/s1600/Laura+Hilton.jpg" /></a></div>Award winning author Laura V. Hilton has penned many novels, including the Amish of Seymour series, the Amish of Webster County series, and the forthcoming Amish of Jamesport series. A member of ACFW, Laura is also a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites. A pastor’s wife, stay-at-home mom, and home school teacher, Laura and her family make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVzkgerNK2aWveOu4scOBui2qVNK2pmF4JoYtXWKOmAIbNj4xL32McfE_Gz0w0sEwOaeEMdcBgPnLixZ_nt2K8Fxr06whkQJwlIuFNlEszMAWq0KZwZwi0IBmP3L1pCx4GeUZDz0f6Shm/s1600/CindyLoven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVzkgerNK2aWveOu4scOBui2qVNK2pmF4JoYtXWKOmAIbNj4xL32McfE_Gz0w0sEwOaeEMdcBgPnLixZ_nt2K8Fxr06whkQJwlIuFNlEszMAWq0KZwZwi0IBmP3L1pCx4GeUZDz0f6Shm/s1600/CindyLoven.jpg" /></a></div>A lifelong reader, Cindy Loven is an active church wife of a minister and mother to one son who is a home school graduate. Cindy and her family reside in Conway, Arkansas.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-AWhoScvoARiGX-5jwPq_BbFe1bHrng0RaH7Wd2XZNDKIp1Kc2cZQ4pztaPN7yy-L8ODNvO2Kslblmfx9f_ml287i0oleAyo8lGR6kcdKkmEnS3ModsBxxEul79jEPZ8MxVE6I0JP572/s1600/Swept_Away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-AWhoScvoARiGX-5jwPq_BbFe1bHrng0RaH7Wd2XZNDKIp1Kc2cZQ4pztaPN7yy-L8ODNvO2Kslblmfx9f_ml287i0oleAyo8lGR6kcdKkmEnS3ModsBxxEul79jEPZ8MxVE6I0JP572/s1600/Swept_Away.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>Sara Jane Morgan is trying to balance teaching with caring for her ailing, stubborn grandmother. When school lets out for the summer, the plans are for Grandma to teach Sara Jane to quilt as they finish up the Appalachian Ballad quilt Grandma started as a teenager. But things don’t always go as planned. <br />
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Andrew Stevenson is hiding from his past—and his future. He works as a handyman to pay the bills, but also as an artisan, designing homemade brooms. When Sara Jane’s grandmother hires him to renovate her home, sparks fly between him and his new employer’s granddaughter. <br />
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Still, it doesn’t take Sara Jane long to see Drew isn’t what he seems. Questions arise, and she starts online researching him. What she discovers could change her life—and her heart—forever.<br />
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<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773625">Swept Away</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/11/swept-away-by-laura-v-hilton-and-cindy.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-69723145345375099592014-11-05T21:53:00.001-06:002015-04-06T08:09:28.876-05:00Saved by the Fireman by Allie Pleiter<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373879229">Saved by the Fireman</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Love Inspired - October 21, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.alliepleiter.com/">Allie Pleiter</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0U3uZe1zfAtHLIa-xpTmtK_RJfypGj9OtKlaeOmpss490hl24A2VqukpSbvm8_8rWmwPTIev1Ecb15rKGkT8VbuiDZk4cKYxr2yvNlHvTl0Iz6ihVh0jwfnGHNF-dzlBWr9dYRY6t7Yk/s1600/Allie+Pleiter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0U3uZe1zfAtHLIa-xpTmtK_RJfypGj9OtKlaeOmpss490hl24A2VqukpSbvm8_8rWmwPTIev1Ecb15rKGkT8VbuiDZk4cKYxr2yvNlHvTl0Iz6ihVh0jwfnGHNF-dzlBWr9dYRY6t7Yk/s1600/Allie+Pleiter.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>Enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and nonfiction. An avid knitter, harp player and non-reformed chocoholic, she spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in speech from Northwestern University and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing eight years ago has blossomed into a career that includes numerous public speaking engagements, two books on parenting; <i>Becoming a Chief Home Officer</i> and <i>Facing Every Mom's Fears</i> and now novels for Steeple Hill Books. She is the mother of two children and, most recently, a Havanese dog named Bella.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7QXjbDdWf6E1Fl8jKfN7tZHf5R9loYiwTtl45Lh-3206WtsXjkixrl-KsU0-PWCMk7zE3VyeuugT0XL0BFc89xnFUHvdPS8UYYiBpzWAiL4l3BlXG8M7CKZM6mGQRuSPvb3frS1vHRVn/s1600/Saved_By_Fireman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7QXjbDdWf6E1Fl8jKfN7tZHf5R9loYiwTtl45Lh-3206WtsXjkixrl-KsU0-PWCMk7zE3VyeuugT0XL0BFc89xnFUHvdPS8UYYiBpzWAiL4l3BlXG8M7CKZM6mGQRuSPvb3frS1vHRVn/s1600/Saved_By_Fireman.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>Building their future<br />
<br />
Charlotte Taylor isn't good at playing it safe. Reeling from the sudden loss of her job and her beloved grandmother, Charlotte knows buying a dilapidated cottage in Gordon Falls isn't exactly practical. Especially since she just hired the one man who may love the property more than she does to help renovate it. Volunteer firefighter and part-time contractor Jesse Sykes can't stay mad at Charlotte for very long. Though she snatched up the home he'd planned on purchasing, Charlotte's dreams are big enough for both of them…if only she'd let him in. Charlotte promised she'd never fall for a first responder, but is it already too late?<br />
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<b>Gordon Falls:</b> Hearts ablaze in a small town<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373879229">Saved by the Fireman</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/11/saved-by-fireman-by-allie-pleiter.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-89860799648844733672014-10-29T15:52:00.000-05:002014-10-29T15:52:33.755-05:00Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773617">Quilted by Christmas</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Abingdon Press - October 21, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://jodiebailey.com/">Jodie Bailey</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUOZ_HXq2bzx04xys6LwDOBXvgvOXPdYNAYJEXbdjrBYq3wMZjbKzTOL8m-u7r8HJ7WFhLIUcaErzvO14MZLHILMTZb3gTC-5O__lWOTa4_iPN5Fai7C6hsg_mP8CeI9IeVHM8QTbwE9M/s1600/Jodie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUOZ_HXq2bzx04xys6LwDOBXvgvOXPdYNAYJEXbdjrBYq3wMZjbKzTOL8m-u7r8HJ7WFhLIUcaErzvO14MZLHILMTZb3gTC-5O__lWOTa4_iPN5Fai7C6hsg_mP8CeI9IeVHM8QTbwE9M/s1600/Jodie.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div><b>A note from the Author: </b>Well, I’m a regular ol’ person. Who just happens to write. A lot. Probably more than I should. I firmly believe that God created me to be a writer. From the time I learned how to string letters together into words I’ve been making up stories. Believe me… I have a very rich imagination. I used to think I was weird; now I know God just put me together that way. I can’t even watch commercials without expanding them into stories in my head. I am humbled and honored all at the same time that God looked down from heaven on me and said, “Jodie, do what you love.” Wow… how awesome is that?<br />
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I have always loved to write. I have stories that I wrote when I was in first grade. I used to sit at my grandmother’s yellow electric typewriter for hours, banging out my own little stories. When I was eleven, she bought me a typewriter of my own (It was 1984, okay?) and I would write and write on it. I wrote stories out by hand, and they ran to hundreds of pages. I got my first computer when I was eighteen, and the first thing I did was write a story on it. I wrote for school. I wrote for fun. I wrote for my friends. I’d get them on the phone and make up stories for them. (I earned the nickname “Dreamweaver” for that one. Nobody calls me that anymore, but it still stands as the coolest nickname I ever had.)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitluA0HDPX2a9kknuMOTapTY1D4OpE3Aok987Sta6bmK27B9jtfaikSZPXiz192Py2E-F29Z18vuiQj1hyphenhyphen2OgwUG_6tT8RBwITIRdh7n7w6iMq4IT0MsROAqzRgWayJoONYCOMuk9y2ChY/s1600/Quilted+by+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitluA0HDPX2a9kknuMOTapTY1D4OpE3Aok987Sta6bmK27B9jtfaikSZPXiz192Py2E-F29Z18vuiQj1hyphenhyphen2OgwUG_6tT8RBwITIRdh7n7w6iMq4IT0MsROAqzRgWayJoONYCOMuk9y2ChY/s1600/Quilted+by+Christmas.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>Taryn McKenna believes she’s easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree—something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches. When Taryn’s grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project—an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have?<br />
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<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773617">Quilted by Christmas</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/10/quilted-by-christmas-by-jodie-bailey.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-34077264699889751332014-10-08T11:59:00.001-05:002014-10-08T11:59:51.379-05:00A Love Undone by Cindy Woodsmall<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/030773000X">A Love Undone</a></span></center><br />
<center>(WaterBrook Press - September 9, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/">Cindy Woodsmall</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGov_fxNgWFPj_874qSOX8dYScOvNlUe4SXG8tmd-HpMeylc85gmMoy5vWE8iiYPHPWGVVjPlE1JgIvYv1OAzIf1oPUvIHWRa7HXoLMZJoPsJjSqfZ8nNWuiFnG-ZMh113Y7kSnw0vFRx/s1600/Cindy+Woodsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGov_fxNgWFPj_874qSOX8dYScOvNlUe4SXG8tmd-HpMeylc85gmMoy5vWE8iiYPHPWGVVjPlE1JgIvYv1OAzIf1oPUvIHWRa7HXoLMZJoPsJjSqfZ8nNWuiFnG-ZMh113Y7kSnw0vFRx/s1600/Cindy+Woodsmall.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></div>Cindy Woodsmall is a <i>New York Times</i> and CBA best-selling author who has written fifteen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, <i>Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women</i>. Cindy’s been featured on <i>ABC Nightline</i> and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> listed Cindy as one of the top three Amish fiction writers.<br />
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She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.<br />
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Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.<br />
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(Since that last line sounds sad and bare, I thought I’d add an “epilogue” of sorts. Our two oldest sons are married and live only a couple of miles from my empty nest, and I have three adorable grandchildren! ♥)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xnmOgQVkH-tYlpiNtBuL48C4HXs24ZIAJVTCmjiCvF8B0DzVNz9ylEvDmpCFmfLnoAs1IL6ipD8vI27NGJQ6FFYLSu2aMoPaxJuBC1W-eVH2eoJqJ2RRhzw1yJL00-c1_ve6SV31C6sv/s1600/A_Love_Undone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xnmOgQVkH-tYlpiNtBuL48C4HXs24ZIAJVTCmjiCvF8B0DzVNz9ylEvDmpCFmfLnoAs1IL6ipD8vI27NGJQ6FFYLSu2aMoPaxJuBC1W-eVH2eoJqJ2RRhzw1yJL00-c1_ve6SV31C6sv/s1600/A_Love_Undone.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><b>A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.<br /><br />
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.<br /><br />
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?</b><br />
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At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life—and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.<br />
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Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him – that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him…until he met Jolene..<br />
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As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God's guidance—or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?<br />
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<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/030773000X">A Love Undone</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-love-undone-by-cindy-woodsmall.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-44956513180433323082014-09-24T13:26:00.001-05:002014-09-24T13:26:02.632-05:00Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773609">Hidden in the Stars</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Abingdon Press - September 16, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.robincaroll.com/">Robin Caroll</a></span></center><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHU34BygyHBCP_sxD7JKy8m26YgedxSl0s_1IRrjoXj2Js3nhcB5Pm9lE6NrRcMjvrt2GdVbb_UQXlZMPTy8vZucqCezG7feEKOwP4U8k1_FifCiNZlZNlhQRgn0j307pWSwvknvh5dJQ/s1600/Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHU34BygyHBCP_sxD7JKy8m26YgedxSl0s_1IRrjoXj2Js3nhcB5Pm9lE6NrRcMjvrt2GdVbb_UQXlZMPTy8vZucqCezG7feEKOwP4U8k1_FifCiNZlZNlhQRgn0j307pWSwvknvh5dJQ/s1600/Robin.jpg" height="174" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage—two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books.<br />
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When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty-plus years, her 3 beautiful daughters, 2 precious grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else? <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jBWTotTil7GpeY_9Oz98ztucQxLv-OO2HnDNPkNGeO9Cl0er4AeBkMW2Ie59hbt3Ir7D2huuMddz0SwNzDpuy66V-i2cZ5QjKLbCGP4_zxJFEdCmp0o9O6JRdd70f-x_cRjVWwgcmHFk/s1600/Hidden_in_the_Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jBWTotTil7GpeY_9Oz98ztucQxLv-OO2HnDNPkNGeO9Cl0er4AeBkMW2Ie59hbt3Ir7D2huuMddz0SwNzDpuy66V-i2cZ5QjKLbCGP4_zxJFEdCmp0o9O6JRdd70f-x_cRjVWwgcmHFk/s1600/Hidden_in_the_Stars.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
Following an attack that killed her mother and stole her ability to speak, 21-year-old Sophia Montgomery has no choice but to accept her estranged grandmother’s offer to return to their family home. Although detective Julian Frazier is working hard on the case, Sophia unknowingly frustrates him because her inability to speak thwarts her eyewitness evidence. The fact that Julian is undeniably attracted to Sophia doesn’t help either, so Julian hides his feelings as concern for a trauma victim and focuses instead on finding the killer.<br />
<br />
Little do they know, the clues to solving the case may be right in front of them, displayed in Sophia’s mother’s “special” quilt design. Who will realize the secret Sophia’s unwittingly been hiding in plain sight? When the truth comes to light, will Sophia find her voice again? Or will the murderer—still at large—silence her forever? <br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773609">Hidden in the Stars</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/09/hidden-in-stars-by-robin-caroll.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-39385687544984585842014-09-17T23:01:00.001-05:002014-09-18T00:00:08.365-05:00The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead by Diane Noble<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434704971">The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead</a></span></center><br />
<center>(David C. Cook - September 1, 2014)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.dianenoble.com/">Diane Noble</a></span></center><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZleC9y3xOPPySU_cV2POkEtp_ZxprxFjaRbhXjT3JRzSvO7jPpJLb-8AWnnqO9Al8jcL-zqAMnCBROuCUDGROrneqQiZttMmhKWeG8zO0taMMHo1w5SlfF1YnrAuHLVefHCL7jhcjsfZ/s1600/DianeNoble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZleC9y3xOPPySU_cV2POkEtp_ZxprxFjaRbhXjT3JRzSvO7jPpJLb-8AWnnqO9Al8jcL-zqAMnCBROuCUDGROrneqQiZttMmhKWeG8zO0taMMHo1w5SlfF1YnrAuHLVefHCL7jhcjsfZ/s1600/DianeNoble.jpg" height="200" width="162" /></a></div><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
Award-winning novelist Diane Noble writes stories that tap into the secrets of the heart. <br />
<br />
With more than a quarter million books in print, Diane feels incredibly blessed to be doing what she loves best—writing the stories of her heart.<br />
<br />
For the last three years Diane has been honored to be lead author for the popular Guideposts series, <i>Mystery and the Minister’s Wife </i>(Through the Fire, Angels Undercover), and has recently returned to writing historical fiction. She recently finished writing book two of her new historical series, <i>The Brides of Gabriel</i>. Book one, <i>The Sister Wife</i>, and book 2, <i>The Betrayal</i>, which are published by Harper Collins/Avon Inspire, are now in bookstores.<br />
<br />
Now empty nesters, Diane and her husband live in the Southern California low desert, near a place known for the lush and beautiful gated communities of the rich and famous.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXBiYcAy19WQecrCPOr0MsOKyUJ4cCo3YE0VDXToktYwmCdWE5Hhm1T3NMYb8SmIb6aX-JJHouzVpm0JFLoBG3ivlXZHnogFXljzYm_kZrc-tk-Vnot5ensSSju2PGVE4tBkEldruJgsh/s1600/Curious_Case_Missing_Figurehead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXBiYcAy19WQecrCPOr0MsOKyUJ4cCo3YE0VDXToktYwmCdWE5Hhm1T3NMYb8SmIb6aX-JJHouzVpm0JFLoBG3ivlXZHnogFXljzYm_kZrc-tk-Vnot5ensSSju2PGVE4tBkEldruJgsh/s320/Curious_Case_Missing_Figurehead.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b><br />
<br />
She’s Passionate about Solving the Case ... with the Town’s Life-Long Bachelor<br />
<br />
El Littlefield runs The Butler Did It catering. It’s the perfect cover for her to solve “who-done-its” (nothing too dangerous, please!) in this small university town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. While catering her most important event yet—a fancy retirement dinner for Dr. Max Haverhill, life-long bachelor and history dean—countless guests fall ill, a 200 year-old relic is stolen, and her best friend vanishes. All in the first hour.<br />
<br />
As El and Max race to solve the mystery, they discover there’s more to their relationship than simply solving the case. Welcome to Eden’s Bridge—the perfect small town setting for big intrigue, romance, and humor.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<br />
I'm not quite done with the book, but I am enjoying it. It's been a while since I've read something by Diane Noble and the title alone intrigued me. I know that the caliber of Diane's mysteries is top-notch and have had this book on my wish list and was excited to see it on the CFBA tour schedule. <br />
<br />
She doesn't disappoint. The characters are great - from the endearing Professor Haverhill, to the loyal and sensible El Littlefield, and I certainly can't leave out the quirky and inquisitive Hyacinth Gilvertin! Her antics, while seemingly far-fetched at times but befitting her personality, were enough to keep me turning pages. <br />
<br />
If you're a fan of Christian mysteries with a very light touch of romance like I am, then pick up this book. I was excited to read that this is the first of a three part series ... so I'm anticipating a return trip to Eden's Bridge.<br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA and David C Cook Publishing for generously providing a copy for review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434704971">The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-curious-case-of-missing-figurehead.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-76020879343216123212014-09-05T15:35:00.002-05:002014-09-05T15:35:28.501-05:00Driftwood Tides by Gina Holmes<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414366426">Driftwood Tides</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. - September 1, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.ginaholmes.com/">Gina Holmes</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9Jyjy36XuBL_LwtbwD22O0bpqAgC9zKiFBL0wZJWcCa1O6_oxmA4ZGsUxJDj50xobgN44ypkKiLl4O7GdGUsvRDKMmPVUzJheFSkN5oYWtTYIP5ts8297ShzOeRAp8NOIsqQUshHoa4Z/s1600/GinaHolmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9Jyjy36XuBL_LwtbwD22O0bpqAgC9zKiFBL0wZJWcCa1O6_oxmA4ZGsUxJDj50xobgN44ypkKiLl4O7GdGUsvRDKMmPVUzJheFSkN5oYWtTYIP5ts8297ShzOeRAp8NOIsqQUshHoa4Z/s1600/GinaHolmes.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a></div>Gina Holmes is the founder of Novel Rocket, regularly named as one of Writers Digest’s best websites for writers. Her debut, <i>Crossing Oceans</i>, was a Christy and Gold Medallion finalist and winner of the Carol Award, INSPY, and RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice, as well as being a CBA, ECPA, Amazon and PW bestseller. Her sophomore novel, <i>Dry as Rain</i> was a <i>Christy Award finalist</i>. Her latest novel, Wings of Glass has been named as one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and was a SIBA Okra pick and a finalist for Romantic Times’ Reviewers Choice Award. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her family in southern Virginia. She works too hard, laughs too loud, and longs to see others heal from their past and discover their God-given purpose. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Pe3VMfYiF4oMj_p3SCBVJI7lz9xAxqKOJTj5w9D7Frf0XrCfaJszqtDaznpu4cNIYwniDnxETW2my-0EiFgbRCXfuwdZ95loNK9TtcUpUchiQeApDLTZIZ35n0hKz22ZD5QYH_qbqMU4/s1600/Driftwood_Tides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Pe3VMfYiF4oMj_p3SCBVJI7lz9xAxqKOJTj5w9D7Frf0XrCfaJszqtDaznpu4cNIYwniDnxETW2my-0EiFgbRCXfuwdZ95loNK9TtcUpUchiQeApDLTZIZ35n0hKz22ZD5QYH_qbqMU4/s1600/Driftwood_Tides.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><b>He made himself an island until something unexpected washed ashore.</b><br />
<br />
When Holton lost his wife, Adele, in a freak accident, he shut himself off from the world, living a life of seclusion, making drifwood sculptures and drowning his pain in gin. Until twenty-three-year-old Libby knocks on his door, asking for a job and claiming to be a friend of his late wife. When he discovers Libby is actually his late wife’s illegitimate daughter, given up for adoption without his knowledge, his life is turned upside down as he struggles to accept that the wife he’d given saint status to was not the woman he thought he knew.<br />
<br />
Together Holton and Libby form an unlikely bond as the two struggle to learn the identity of Libby’s father and the truth about Adele, themselves, and each other.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<br />
Another winner from Gina Holmes! This is the second of her books that I've read and I think I enjoyed this one as much if not more that the first one I read. (Wings of Glass) <br />
<br />
I really enjoyed this book - the combining of complex characters and trying circumstances to deliver a heartfelt story of reaching out, forgiveness, and new beginnings. This book was engaging and pages just flew by as I read. While the whole of the book was really good, it is totally worth reading just for the ending! Absolutely loved it!<br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Tyndale House for generously providing a copy for my honest review. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414366426">Driftwood Tides</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/09/driftwood-tides-by-gina-holmes.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-49496661043459803712014-08-27T21:48:00.000-05:002014-08-27T21:48:18.098-05:00Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764212257">Miracle in a Dry Season</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Bethany House Publishers - August 5, 2014)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://sarahloudinthomas.com/">Sarah Loudin Thomas</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH3eednveD1n_8kWV_M30-qo3xtb9UArEd2RFj7tMEAZkr1GierFo86JN8nnVi4s0U8tUBpKKdcaawX1ZMHrYeq01ZCmTRNLo74ITHMHNRwrh8H75e_wXUzrSsWAkbKxbP_HZ-Vgf5G48/s1600/Sarah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH3eednveD1n_8kWV_M30-qo3xtb9UArEd2RFj7tMEAZkr1GierFo86JN8nnVi4s0U8tUBpKKdcaawX1ZMHrYeq01ZCmTRNLo74ITHMHNRwrh8H75e_wXUzrSsWAkbKxbP_HZ-Vgf5G48/s1600/Sarah.jpg" /></a></div>Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her Christian fiction is set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia. Her first novel, <i>Miracle in a Dry Season</i>, releases August 2014 through Bethany House. Sarah is represented by Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency.<br />
<br />
A graduate of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, Sarah once dreamed of being a marine scientist. But her love for words won out and she has spent much of her career in public relations and marketing. She currently oversees fundraising and communications for a Christian children’s home in Black Mountain, NC.<br />
<br />
Sarah and her husband Jim live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with Thistle–the canine equivalent to a personal trainer pushing them to hike, run, and throw sticks. Sarah is active in her local church and enjoys cooking and–you guessed it–reading.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Fa-RyeHYSa-CcU9w_iRU8cbSQ3SzaSE0amrlvqfXUPYTGcedmVy4GCQf3Psv99_6cQX7vUi_HfEiEb00GzhyphenhyphenXueoE20pxb8QAd_APe5pkE7zaFQ1CGGUMihmw9SSJPjfL64VnWyFt7wZ/s1600/Miracle_in_a_Dry_Season.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Fa-RyeHYSa-CcU9w_iRU8cbSQ3SzaSE0amrlvqfXUPYTGcedmVy4GCQf3Psv99_6cQX7vUi_HfEiEb00GzhyphenhyphenXueoE20pxb8QAd_APe5pkE7zaFQ1CGGUMihmw9SSJPjfL64VnWyFt7wZ/s1600/Miracle_in_a_Dry_Season.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div><b>In a Drought, It's the Darkest Cloud That Brings Hope</b><br />
<br />
It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.<br />
<br />
Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor. . .until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<br />
I haven't finished this one yet, but the story has hooked me - and I hope to finish it in the next day or so. I'm looking forward to seeing if love and forgiveness will prevail with the characters of this story. Reading this book really makes a reader examine his own heart in the judging and not demonstrating the loving nature of God to others - especially before you even know a person.<br />
<br />
The only thing I'm scratching my head a bit about with the book is that I feel like the time frame mirrors that of the 1930s or 1940s instead of the mid-1950s. Maybe it's the rural setting of the book that makes it seem that way. When I think of the 1950s, I think more of an idyllic "Leave it to Beaver" era. Even though it feels like it is set in a different time, it has no effect on how much I'm enjoying the story.<br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Bethany House Publishers for generously providing a copy for review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764212257">Miracle in a Dry Season</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/08/miracle-in-dry-season-by-sarah-loudin.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-74449630025835233772014-08-22T22:00:00.000-05:002014-08-22T22:03:17.078-05:00A Grand Design by Amber Stockton<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773471">A Grand Design</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Abingdon Press - August 19, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amberstockton.com/">Amber Stockton</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMsXk1S6FpwhXNprqDWyhHKyh7sAjSMxMeyl24je00JMBHp2UtEqaYd9EkJ7AkPix2xJInP2LFRgOqGvUUmj4yMxYRuDxbqGALYXPKikCdbkC_m0s_CkhLy0QAe6OuqeDJM9yj2xbO1Gl/s1600/Tiff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMsXk1S6FpwhXNprqDWyhHKyh7sAjSMxMeyl24je00JMBHp2UtEqaYd9EkJ7AkPix2xJInP2LFRgOqGvUUmj4yMxYRuDxbqGALYXPKikCdbkC_m0s_CkhLy0QAe6OuqeDJM9yj2xbO1Gl/s1600/Tiff.jpg" /></a></div><b>Words from the author:</b><br />
<br />
Hi, I'm Amber, but my friends call me Tiff, short for Tiffany, my first name. I am in my mid-30's, married to the love of my life since July 2007, have a daughter and a son, and live in Colorado. Here, I am content to do what I love—write, speak, and offer virtual assistance.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the gentle nudging of a fellow author -- Tracie Peterson -- in 2002, I joined the American Christian Fiction Writers and wouldn't be published today without them. For those of you who are also fiction writers looking for a wonderful support group, check them out! My very first book, <i>Promises, Promises</i>, sold in December 2006 and released in February 2008. I've been going steady ever since.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPkYISE2sOkvHANexqSrRaYMVzw1A_b9J-Qzd1d2xqshqhurq79P0NqH2GqYv2C8-h_OGUWgZiXwLo9IavpmhA9IWlmFRB9AAiLVAgKO8o2mylxINzQXItymOLltnxGnPXMLYMoi-aIn1/s1600/A_Grand_Design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPkYISE2sOkvHANexqSrRaYMVzw1A_b9J-Qzd1d2xqshqhurq79P0NqH2GqYv2C8-h_OGUWgZiXwLo9IavpmhA9IWlmFRB9AAiLVAgKO8o2mylxINzQXItymOLltnxGnPXMLYMoi-aIn1/s1600/A_Grand_Design.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>When Alyssa Denham, a single career woman, wins a fun getaway for two on Mackinac Island where her grandmother lives, she gives her carefree best friend a call. Together, they tour the old shops and hidden treasures of the quaint island while helping Alyssa’s grandmother piece together an heirloom quilt. Their quest gains them entrance into the homes of many longtime residents of the island, parts of the city that are otherwise off limits to tourists.<br />
<br />
As the quilt’s story takes shape, Alyssa gains amazing insight into her grandmother’s life . . . and attracts the attention of the handsome Scott Whitman, an island resident in charge of hotel transportation. Will memories of her past keep Alyssa from letting go? Or will the quest to piece together the heirloom quilt restore Alyssa’s fractured heart—and bring healing to her entire family?<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426773471">A Grand Design</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-grand-design-by-amber-stockton.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-25032193989289984922014-08-06T22:45:00.001-05:002014-08-06T22:45:55.566-05:00A Heart to Heal by Allie Pleiter<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373879032">A Heart to Heal</a></span></center><br />
<center>(Love Inspired - July 15, 2014)<br />
</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.alliepleiter.com/">Allie Pleiter</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0U3uZe1zfAtHLIa-xpTmtK_RJfypGj9OtKlaeOmpss490hl24A2VqukpSbvm8_8rWmwPTIev1Ecb15rKGkT8VbuiDZk4cKYxr2yvNlHvTl0Iz6ihVh0jwfnGHNF-dzlBWr9dYRY6t7Yk/s1600/Allie+Pleiter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0U3uZe1zfAtHLIa-xpTmtK_RJfypGj9OtKlaeOmpss490hl24A2VqukpSbvm8_8rWmwPTIev1Ecb15rKGkT8VbuiDZk4cKYxr2yvNlHvTl0Iz6ihVh0jwfnGHNF-dzlBWr9dYRY6t7Yk/s1600/Allie+Pleiter.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>Enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and nonfiction. An avid knitter, harp player and non-reformed chocoholic, she spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in speech from Northwestern University and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing eight years ago has blossomed into a career that includes numerous public speaking engagements, two books on parenting; <i>Becoming a Chief Home Officer</i> and <i>Facing Every Mom's Fears</i> and now novels for Steeple Hill Books. She is the mother of two children and, most recently, a Havanese dog named Bella.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7Ul71vqGrluv0Qq2KCWmEoRfusJvRlF0el6IUNsK8WuWShSWrtYMLiMCDcgAhFI7HaIZBGvqONeu-fD3856sUpxOElCWPgzinRo2fezFSP1rmZMUQsSCVbFByyT0oH_Hu2xPqBH7__hZ/s1600/A_HEART_TO_HEAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7Ul71vqGrluv0Qq2KCWmEoRfusJvRlF0el6IUNsK8WuWShSWrtYMLiMCDcgAhFI7HaIZBGvqONeu-fD3856sUpxOElCWPgzinRo2fezFSP1rmZMUQsSCVbFByyT0oH_Hu2xPqBH7__hZ/s1600/A_HEART_TO_HEAL.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>The Courage To Hope.<br />
<br />
Guidance counselor Heather Browning is desperate. She needs a mentor to help Simon, a disabled student who is struggling at Gordon Falls High School. Unfortunately, hotshot Max Jones is her only option. Confrontational and cavalier, Max uses his flashy persona to hide the bitterness he's felt since his life-changing accident. Perpetually cautious, Heather finds Max's bad-boy bravado as intriguing as it is infuriating. But as Heather and Max work together to build Simon's self-confidence, they begin to trust each other. Max has never been slow and careful with anything. Can he be gentle with Heather's heart?<br />
<br />
Gordon Falls: Hearts ablaze in a small town.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you'd like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373879032">A Heart to Heal</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-heart-to-heal-by-allie-pleiter.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-4018989543767979202014-07-30T23:00:00.000-05:002014-07-30T23:03:46.500-05:00In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802410979">In The Field of Grace</a></span></center><br />
<center>(River North; New Edition - July 1, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.tessaafshar.com/">Tessa Afshar</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YziFUre1-AEajqAD4MiWAnojKrWuFX1JIBHbcxu2-OkYxPgBtheJGo_IK_Xh-2Af97kE_K8vqlVXt5eAGwJrxZfkNy5p_mBgLb2PR_tpNALvR32DunLcVIo0aU6OPIqHcwZBhbSabkkT/s1600/tessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YziFUre1-AEajqAD4MiWAnojKrWuFX1JIBHbcxu2-OkYxPgBtheJGo_IK_Xh-2Af97kE_K8vqlVXt5eAGwJrxZfkNy5p_mBgLb2PR_tpNALvR32DunLcVIo0aU6OPIqHcwZBhbSabkkT/s200/tessa.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>TESSA AFSHAR was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66GvxdbqUfUhpfV5TbLlOk3tV9kLuwxyQeYKiVVL4mHaJPmYr26cy0M1heLi8sjTyWoS-CYySTpP_gmBJZXKpgAJ4VgE0NXwUU7fjM9gZA2B20an3rBeC_qSyFm-Ug36Rp_jj8tcQisQE/s1600/In_the_Field_of_Grace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66GvxdbqUfUhpfV5TbLlOk3tV9kLuwxyQeYKiVVL4mHaJPmYr26cy0M1heLi8sjTyWoS-CYySTpP_gmBJZXKpgAJ4VgE0NXwUU7fjM9gZA2B20an3rBeC_qSyFm-Ug36Rp_jj8tcQisQE/s1600/In_the_Field_of_Grace.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>Destitute, grief-stricken, and unwanted by the people of God, Ruth arrives in Israel with nothing to recommend her but Naomi's, love. Her loftiest hope is to provide enough food to save Naomi and herself from starvation.<br />
<br />
But God has other plans for her life. While everyone considers Ruth an outcast, she is astounded to find one of the most honored men of Judah showing her favor. Long since a widower and determined to stay that way, Boaz is irresistibly drawn to the foreign woman with the haunted eyes. He tells himself he is only being kind to his Cousin Naomi's chosen daughter when he goes out of his way to protect her from harm, but his heart knows better.<br />
<br />
Based on the biblical account of Ruth, In the Field of Grace is the story of a love that ultimately changes the course of Israel's destiny and the future of the whole world.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">My thoughts:</span></b> <br />
<br />
I have had people recommend Tessa Afshar's books to me in the past, but I had not tried them since I'm not really a fan of Biblical Fiction. However, since the story of Ruth and Boaz is one of my favorite stories in the Bible, I thought I would give this one a try. After reading In the Field of Grace, the author may well have won me over to the genre.<br />
<br />
With excellent character development and emotional depth that isn't always mastered in fiction writing, I found the story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, deeply compelling and was overcome a time or two while turning the pages. For me, the scene on the threshing floor was such a beautifully written scene, it brought tears to my eyes. To see how God brought Ruth and Boaz together in such a potentially scandalous way, and knowing that their togetherness would affect the lineage of our dear Savior, was deeply moving.<br />
<br />
I was highly impressed by this book and can see myself reading the backlist of this author in the not too distant future. I would recommend In the Field of Grace to anyone who loves clean romance, Biblical Fiction, or any book where God's love and grace triumphs over loneliness and despair. <br />
<br />
My sincerest thanks to CFBA and River North for generously providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802410979">In The Field of Grace</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/07/in-field-of-grace-by-tessa-afshar.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-45170215796692474322014-07-16T22:29:00.000-05:002014-07-16T22:29:16.293-05:00Shenandoah Dreams by Lisa Belcastro<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><br />
<center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1602903808">Shenandoah Dreams</a></span></center><br />
<center>(OakTara Publishers - July 1, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://lisabelcastro.com/">Lisa Belcastro</a></span></center><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qfOt-wLWz3dvRBs-GS9wenFgiEm4BR882LY5xukQaY4DE9wrVkatXpYFJR7LCxkXS0KkJoH4M4zO7NoUKQ9VeXqPiew1M0yFfxjvgTgch_cqfMTEGRLbH-U7U609suirLLFsPzPE9ern/s1600/lisa_belcastro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qfOt-wLWz3dvRBs-GS9wenFgiEm4BR882LY5xukQaY4DE9wrVkatXpYFJR7LCxkXS0KkJoH4M4zO7NoUKQ9VeXqPiew1M0yFfxjvgTgch_cqfMTEGRLbH-U7U609suirLLFsPzPE9ern/s1600/lisa_belcastro.jpg" height="145" width="200" /></a></div>Lisa Belcastro lives with her family on Martha’s Vineyard. She loves chocolate, gardening, outdoor activities, cooking, laughing, reading, traveling, a healthy dose of adventure, and her cat Ben, who keeps her company while she spends hours working at the computer.<br />
<br />
She was inspired to write Shenandoah Nights, the first book in the Winds of Change trilogy, while chaperoning two Tisbury School summer sails with her daughter, Kayla, aboard the schooner Shenandoah. The weeklong adventure, sans electricity, Game Boys, iPods and modern conveniences, kindled her imagination to dream of an altogether different voyage.<br />
<br />
In addition to writing romance novels, Lisa currently pens the cuisine column for Vineyard Style magazine. She has worked as a staff and freelance reporter and photographer for The Chronicle of the Horse and as assistant editor at The Blue Ridge Leader. She has written articles for USA Today, Dressage (London), USA WEEKEND Magazine, The Blue Ridge Leader and Sidelines.<br />
<br />
When she’s not at her desk, Lisa is living in paradise, volunteering at her daughter’s school, serving in her church community, planting and weeding her numerous gardens, trying to run a marathon a month, or walking the beach looking for sea glass.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMd8rQSE1h4353KYXCUv1NUbBbk0NMXsR0b_Y8CCisUyezS_p0t9yvFcxLGGUp6_xFw8JJGPhpvS-OrQ_D23jGBwdnUaHR5_71bCsrc4DF3SIiwKv4sLE5tE4JsC5Jx4I8va8ZXeklvV7/s1600/Shenandoah_Dreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMd8rQSE1h4353KYXCUv1NUbBbk0NMXsR0b_Y8CCisUyezS_p0t9yvFcxLGGUp6_xFw8JJGPhpvS-OrQ_D23jGBwdnUaHR5_71bCsrc4DF3SIiwKv4sLE5tE4JsC5Jx4I8va8ZXeklvV7/s1600/Shenandoah_Dreams.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>What if she met the man of her dreams...in another century? Tisbury, Massachusetts, Martha s Vineyard. It s just a dream, Melissa Smith whispers as she stares into the intense eyes of a man dressed in Colonial clothes, as though stepping out of an American Revolution movie set. A school chaperone with Holmes Hole Elementary, she boarded the old schooner Shenandoah for a weeklong educational sail. But they are not visiting Plimoth Plantation, the Boston Tea Party Museum, or the Concord Bridge reenactment. They resailing the waters around the island of Martha's Vineyard. Yet, when she awakes in Cabin 8, the captain claims to be Isaiah Reed, who sailed the original Shenandoah in the eighteenth century. He cannot possibly be real, Melissa thinks. And traveling back in time is impossible. But days pass, and she s still in 1770. <br />
<br />
What if Isaiah, who is simply too handsome to be real, is real? What if the fire he ignites in her from barely a touch isn't in her imagination? Can a dream last for weeks on end? If so, how will she find her way home...to the twenty-first century? And can she bear to leave the one man who has captured her heart, when everything in her longs to stay? A Vineyard Romance Romance, history, adventure. Get swept into the exciting Winds of Change series.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you liked to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1602903808">Shenandoah Dreams</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/07/shenandoah-dreams-by-lisa-belcastro.html">HERE</a>.</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056220298424340738.post-82387823162366383112014-07-09T22:09:00.000-05:002014-07-09T22:09:52.546-05:00Hope Deferred by Elizabeth Maddrey<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><br />
<center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><br />
<center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1938708415">Hope Deferred</a></span></center><br />
<center>(HopeSprings Books - July 1, 2014)</center><br />
<center>by</center><br />
<center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.elizabethmaddrey.com/">Elizabeth Maddrey</a></span></center><br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-wP0SIlthFtnjyBjFSIVEY_-OsG5Yv96sTousEhERZJ25_HjdIN-JmZ7R4crW0V9aM2rrydnXoDTQQEaQMh6uuUaEcBCZ2GitphXvcoy35mEr0yESwyccHplIXXwPKbNivPk1PJxDh5K/s1600/ElizabethMaddreyHeadshot+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-wP0SIlthFtnjyBjFSIVEY_-OsG5Yv96sTousEhERZJ25_HjdIN-JmZ7R4crW0V9aM2rrydnXoDTQQEaQMh6uuUaEcBCZ2GitphXvcoy35mEr0yESwyccHplIXXwPKbNivPk1PJxDh5K/s1600/ElizabethMaddreyHeadshot+(1).jpg" height="157" width="200" /></a></div>Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who loves a good happily ever after.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of computers, math, and organization steered her into computer science at Wheaton College, she always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. This continued through a Master’s program in Software Engineering, several years in the computer industry, teaching programming at the college level, and a Ph.D. in Computer Technology in Education. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity.<br />
<br />
She lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #204063; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK:</span></b> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9hWe6lmE3BdVkIpUdsMVrMprc6R4ursSZF8Si2_UC5SMz51_3TVxtwch35duXjsrOarHaQoFcETohHGX7YeRzIL9dDiW3UnnvacFJjYyYCyUy6p3pVceVpY5PxE_UkjD_UJ4Griz5ZHe/s1600/Hope+Deferred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9hWe6lmE3BdVkIpUdsMVrMprc6R4ursSZF8Si2_UC5SMz51_3TVxtwch35duXjsrOarHaQoFcETohHGX7YeRzIL9dDiW3UnnvacFJjYyYCyUy6p3pVceVpY5PxE_UkjD_UJ4Griz5ZHe/s1600/Hope+Deferred.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>Christian fiction for women.<br />
<br />
Can pursuit of a blessing become a curse? <br />
<br />
June and July and their husbands have spent the last year trying to start a family and now they're desperate for answers. As one couple works with specialists to see how medicine can help them conceive, the other must fight to save their marriage. <br />
Will their deferred hope leave them heart sick, or start them on the path to the fulfillment of their dreams?<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1938708415">Hope Deferred</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2014/07/hope-deferred-by-elizabeth-maddrey.html">HERE</a>.<br />
</blockquote>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07629937361001985675noreply@blogger.com0