One of my favorite pastimes is reading -- almost exclusively Christian fiction. Because I read a lot, I have enjoyed countless awesome books from many great authors. Here is where I share them with you for your enjoyment!
Dani Pettrey's Shattered is a fantastic second installment in her Alaskan Courage series. The McKenna family is back, and despite some family differences, they are fiercely united in their efforts to clear their brother's name when he is arrested for murder.
Once again, Dani has crafted a plot that grabs you from the beginning and keeps you anxiously turning pages until the very end. The story has just the right blend of adventure, suspense and romance. The characters are very believable, real people struggling through life at different levels offaith.
If you enjoy great Christian suspense from authors like Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon, and Lynette Eason, I would strongly recommend that you give Dani Pettrey a try. Shattered works fine as a stand-alone novel, but why not start with Submerged, book one in the series, so you don't miss any of the adventure.
I was excited to learn that Dani is planning five books in this series, with the next one -- Stranded -- due out in the fall of this year. Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.
About Shattered:
With All the Evidence Against Him, Only a Sister's Trust Can Save Him
Now
When her prodigal brother Reef's return to Yancey, Alaska, is shattered by
his arrest for murder, Piper McKenna is determined to protect him.
Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn
to find the truth. And he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive
you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected
leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth puts Landon's career
in jeopardy.
When Piper launches her own investigation, Landon realizes he must protect
her from herself-and whatever complications await as the two follow clues deep
into Canada's rugged backcountry. Not only does their long friendship seem to be
turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with
each step.
Link to buy the book:
http://ow.ly/hLsy9
Find out what other reviewers think of Shattered here. Meet Dani:
Dani
Pettrey is a wife, homeschooling mom, and author. She feels blessed to write
inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she
loves--the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her
characters' faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland
with their two teenage daughters.
Dani Pettrey is celebrating the release of Shattered with a Nook HD giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party {3/14}.
One winner will receive:
A brand new Nook HD
Submerged and Shattered by Dani Pettrey {Be caught up in this riveting series.}
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 13th. Winner will be announced at the "Shattered" Author Chat Party on 3/14. Connect with Dani for an evening of book chat, trivia, and a chance to win gift certificates, books, and other fun prizes!
So grab your copy of Shattered and join Dani on the evening of the March 14th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 14th!
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies. Jerry lives with his wife, Tina, and their four children in Virginia.
Bestselling fiction author Jerry S. Eicher recounts his childhood in the Amish community of Aylmer, Ontario and his parents’ decision to move to Honduras. Jerry also tells of his eventual conversion to Christ and the reasons for his departure from the childhood faith he knew.
Product Details:
List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (February 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736950060
ISBN-13: 978-0736950060
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
I can still see his face. Lean. Determined. Framed by his lengthy beard. I can see him running up the hill toward our house. He was carrying his bag of doctor implements.
Mom was having chest spasms, and any real doctor was miles away—across four hours of the broken, rutted, dusty Honduran road we took only as a last resort.
The running man was my Uncle Joe. The smart one of the family. The older brother. The intellectual genius. When Uncle Joe walked by, we stopped talking and listened intently when he spoke. On this day, he rushed by, not paying any attention to us children.
I knew he was coming about Mom, but I recall experiencing no fear for her life. Perhaps I wasn’t old enough to have such a fear. To me, Uncle Joe’s haste seemed more entertainment than emergency. After all, Mom had looked fine to me a few minutes earlier.
When Uncle Joe left the house some time later, he issued a favorable report that I never questioned. Nor did anyone else. The mysteries of the Englisha world of medicine were even further removed from us than the four hours to town. Uncle Joe studied the books, and we trusted him.
Years later, when our little Amish community in Central America was on its last legs and held in the grip of terrible church fights over cape dresses, bicycles, singing in English or Spanish on Sunday mornings, and other horrors that the adults spoke of with bated breath, it was the look on Uncle Joe’s face as he talked with Mom and Dad by the fence on Sunday afternoon that made things clear to me. If Uncle Joe thought something was over, then it was over.
Uncle Joe lived below us, across the fields, in a house smaller than ours even though his family was much larger. How they managed, I never thought to wonder. Their house never looked crowded. It was kept spotless by his wife, Laura, and their oldest daughters Rosanna and Naomi. We didn’t visit often on Sunday afternoons. Mostly we children dropped by on weekdays, sent on some errand by Mom or we wandered past on our meanderings around the countryside.
They kept goats in the yard, all of them tied with long ropes to stakes. One of them was named Christopher. We didn’t have goats. Dad ran a machine shop, and Mom took care of the garden. Goats were foreign to us. Smelly creatures. Mom scorned goat’s milk, even when Uncle Joe said emphatically it was far superior to cow’s milk.
We all lived near each other in those days—part of a grand experiment to see if the Amish faith could survive on foreign soil.
My grandfather, Peter Stoll, an Amish man of impeccable standing, had taken it upon himself to lead an Amish community to the Central American country of Honduras. He wasn’t an ordained minister, and I don’t remember seeing him speak in public. Still, the integrity of his life and his ideas so affected those around him that they were willing to follow him where few had gone before.
At the height of the experimental community, we ended up being twenty families or so. We all lived on two neighboring ranches purchased in a valley below a mountain. Most of us had come to Honduras from the hot religious fervor of the small Aylmer community along the shores of Lake Erie in Southern Ontario or from the detached coolness of Amish country spread over Northern Indiana. Plans were for the two to become one in mind and heart. And for awhile we did.
Those were wonderful years. The memories of that time still bring an automatic gathering of hearts among the Amish who were there—and even some of us who are no longer Amish. All these years later, most of us are scattered across the United States and Canada—except for the few of the original group who stayed behind.
Some of the people credit the joy of those days to the weather in our Honduras valley. And lovely weather it was. Balmy. Hardly ever above ninety or below forty. Others credit the culture. Some attribute our happiness to being so far from the States that we only had each other. I don’t know the full reason for our happiness. Perhaps it isn’t possible to know. But I do remember the energy of the place—its vibrancy. I do know the years left their imprints on us all.
This was my childhood. Those hazy years when time drags. When nothing seems to come soon enough. And where everything is greeted as if it had never been before. To me that land—that valley—was home. I absorbed it completely. Its sounds. Its language. The color of the dusty towns. The unpaved streets. The pigs in the doorway of the huts. The open fires over a metal barrel top. The taste of greasy fried beans. The flour tortillas and meat smoked to perfection. In my heart there will always be a deep and abiding love for that country.
Around us were mountains. To the north they rose in a gradual ridge, coming in from the left and the right to meet in the middle, where a distinctive hump rose into the air—officially named Mt. Misoco. But to us it was simply what the locals called it: La Montaña. The Mountain. Our mountain. Which it was in ways we could not explain.
To the south lay the San Marcos Mountains. At least that’s what we called them. Those rugged, jagged peaks lying off in the distance. I never climbed those mountains, but I often roamed our mountain—or rather our side of it—from top to bottom. On its peak, looking over to the other side, you could see lines and lines of ridges running as far as the eye could see.
A party of courageous Amish boys, along with a few visiting Amish youngsters from stateside, once decided to tackle the San Marcos Mountains. They threw their forces together and allowed two days for the trip. I was much too young to go along—and probably wouldn’t have anyway. But I waited for news of their adventure with interest. They came back soon enough— defeated and full of tales of dark jungles and multiple peaks that disoriented the heart. No one even caught sight of the highest point, let alone the other side.
In the summer, around five in the morning, the Southern Cross—that symbol of Christianity—hung over the San Marcos Mountains. Its haunting figure made of stars swung low in the sky. I would stand for long minutes gazing at the sight, caught up in the glory of it.
I was eight when we arrived in Honduras. We were one of the first families there after Grandfather Stoll had purchased and settled on the Sanson ranch. Dad seemed driven to the move by motives other than adventure. He was unhappy with the ordnung rules in the Amish community at Aylmer, and he wanted change. Change that didn’t include the great sin of joining a more liberal Amish church, of course.
In time Dad came to love the land along with the rest of us. And strangely, he came to love what he didn’t expect—the old ways, imperfect though they had been. My most enduring memory of Dad in those days is hearing him sing the old German songs at the top of his voice over the roar of his machine shop motors. And in the end, it came down to that question for all of them. A choice between what they loved and what they loved the most.
I grew up surrounded by men dedicated to an old faith. I saw those men, most of them my uncles, tested to the core. I saw them wrestle with the old and with the new, trying to figure out where everything fit together. I lived among giants of faith. I saw their agony and their sacrifice. I saw their choices, and it affected me deeply. Their faith had been hammered out back in the sixteenth century, in the old town of Zurich, Switzerland. Back during the time Ulrich Zwingli thundered his sermons in the old Grossmunster Church.
But in the days of my childhood, those stories of long ago were not mine yet. Those gallant tales of deeds done under fire and sword. Of imprisonment in noblemen’s castles. Of narrow escapes into the Swiss countryside from the murderous Berne Anabaptist hunters. Instead, my memories are of men in my own time. Men who believed that life was not worth living if you didn’t believe in something worth dying for. I was surrounded by men of passion. And if someone should make the claim that these men were misguided, I would insist the fault lay not in caring too much about religious matters. For I learned while growing up among them that this is how a person should live. That true believers follow God with all of their hearts and souls.
Threads of Grace is the fourth Amish novel I have read by Kelly Long, and it is definitely my favorite of her books so far. The story of Grace -- and grace -- kept me engaged to the very end.
The developing love story between Grace and Seth certainly drives the plot of the book. But the theme of grace shown in so many ways, through so many people is definitely at the heart of the story. Abel's character also adds a special element as he and those who care about him deal with his day-to-day challenges related to his autism.
As is the case with most series, it was enjoyable to revisit characters from the first two Patch of Heaven novels. The book can be enjoyed, though, without having read the previous books.
Fans of Amish fiction should certainly enjoy this sweet, quick read, one that I was able to finish in one evening.
Thanks to the Book Sneeze blogging program for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Book
Grace's autistic son needs a life that is safe and consistent. Seth wants to leave his flirting days behind him and settle down.
Deep in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, the
beautiful and weary Amish widow, Grace Beiler, is not looking for a
husband—especially one so much younger than her. But handsome and
smitten Seth Wyse stumbles upon a way to help her and they marry to keep
Grace’s autistic son safe from his ill-intentioned uncle.
Grace soon discovers that she is far from immune to her young
husband’s experienced charm and realizes that her first marriage has not
destroyed her capacity for love.
Seth Wyse seeks counsel from his older brother, Jacob, when playing
the game of pursuing his wife becomes more dangerous to both his heart
and life than he ever imagined.
Yet God can give Grace and Seth a passion for family and each other
that teaches them the ways of the Master Quilter through the tangled and
tender threads of their lives.
The Author
Kelly Long is the author of the Patch of Heaven series and the historical Amish novel Arms of Love. She was born and raised in the mountains of northern Pennsylvania. She's been married for twenty-six years and enjoys life with her husband, children, and Bichon.
A Home for Lydia is the second book in Vannetta Chapman's Pebble Creek Amish Series and is a great follow-up to A Promise for Miriam. As always, Vannetta's characters seem so real, and I felt like I was visiting with old friends as I read the book. Lydia, Aaron, Miriam, Gabe and others were captivating, but I think nine-year-old Grace may have been my favorite. Her observations and insights from a child's viewpont added so much to the story.
One of the things that makes these stories work so well for me is the multiple perspectives Vannetta writes from. There are definitely "main characters" in the story, but as I read I got to see the happenings through the eyes of several characters and cared about how each individual was impacted by the events. I found myself on the verge of tears in a few places where the characters' emotions affected my own. And even though I read that Pebble Creek is a fictional location, this story definitely made me want to visit such a place.
Any fan of great Amish fiction should enjoy A Home for Lydia. I'm already looking forward to A Wedding for Julia due to come out soon, I hope!
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Vannetta Chapman has published more than 100 articles in Christian family magazines. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a multi-award-winning member of Romance Writers of America. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill country. Her first two inspirational novels—A Simple Amish Christmas and Falling to Pieces—were Christian Book Distributors bestsellers.
A Home for Lydia, the second book in a new romantic series from popular author Vannetta Chapman, centers again on the Plain community of Pebble Creek and the kind, caring people there. As they face challenges to their community from the English world, they come together to reach out to their non-Amish neighbors while still preserving their cherished Plain ways.
Aaron Troyer simply wants to farm like his father and grandfather before him. But instead he finds himself overseeing the family's small group of guest cabins nestled along the banks of Pebble Creek. That also means he must work with the cabins' housekeeper, Lydia Fisher.
Lydia is the most outspoken Amish woman Aaron has ever met, and she has strong opinions about how the guest cabins are to be run. She also desperately needs this job. Though sparks fly between boss and employee at first, when the cabins are robbed, nothing is more important to Aaron than making sure Lydia is safe.
Together they work to make the vacation property profitable, but can they find out the identity of the culprit before more damage is done? And is Lydia's dream of a home of her own more than just a wish and a prayer?
Product Details:
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (February 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736946144
ISBN-13: 978-0736946148
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
• Prologue •
Wisconsin
May
Lydia Fisher pulled her sweater around her shoulders and sank down on the top step of the last cabin as the sun set along Pebble Creek. The waters had begun to recede from last week’s rains, but the creek still pushed at its banks—running swiftly past the Plain Cabins and not pausing to consider her worries.
Debris from the flooding reached to the bottom step of cabin twelve. She could have reached out and nudged it with the toe of her shoe. Fortunately, the water hadn’t made it into the small cottages.
Almost, though.
Only two days ago she’d stood at the office window and watched as the waters had crept closer to the picturesque buildings nestled along the creek—watched and prayed.
Now the sun was dropping, and she knew she should harness Tin Star to the buggy and head home. Her mother would be putting dinner on the table. Her brother and sisters would be needing help with schoolwork. Her father would be waiting.
Standing up with a weariness that was unnatural for her twenty-two years, Lydia trudged back toward the front of the property, checking each cabin as she went.
All were locked and secure.
All were vacant.
Perhaps this weekend the Englisch tourists would return and provide some income for the owner, Elizabeth Troyer. Guests would also ensure that Lydia kept her job. If the cabins were to close and she were to lose her employment, she wouldn’t be able to convince her brother to stay in school. Their last conversation on the matter had turned into an argument—one she’d nearly lost.
Pulling their old black gelding from the barn, she tied Tin Star’s lead rope to the hitching post, and then she began to work the collar up and over his ears.
“You’re a gut boy. Are you ready to go home? Ready for some oats? I imagine you are.”
He’d been their buggy horse since she was a child, and Lydia knew his days were numbered. What would her family do when he gave out on them? As she straightened his mane and made sure the collar pad protected his shoulders and neck, she paused to rest her cheek against his side. The horse’s sure steady breathing brought her a measure of comfort.
Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she brought out a handful of raisins. Tin Star’s lips on her hand were soft and wet. Lydia rubbed his neck as she glanced back once more at the cluster of buildings which had become like a small community to her—a community she was responsible for maintaining.
Squaring her shoulders, she climbed into the buggy and turned toward home.
• Chapter 1 •
Downtown Cashton
Thursday afternoon, two weeks later
Aaron Troyer stepped off the bus, careful to avoid a large puddle of rainwater. Because no one else was exiting at Cashton, he didn’t have to wait long for the driver to remove his single piece of luggage from the storage compartment. He’d thanked the man and shouldered the duffel bag when the buggy coming in the opposite direction hit an even bigger puddle, soaking him.
The bus driver had managed to jump out of the way at the last second. “Good luck to you, son.”
With a nod the man was back on the bus, heading farther west. A part of Aaron wished he were riding with him. Another part longed to take the next bus back east, back where he’d come from, back to Indiana.
Neither was going to happen, so he repositioned his damp duffel bag and surveyed his surroundings.
Not much to Cashton.
According to his uncle and his dad, the town was about the same size as Monroe, but Aaron couldn’t tell it. He supposed new places never did measure up to expectations, especially when a fellow would rather not be there.
The ride had been interesting enough. They had crossed the northern part of Indiana, skirted the southern tip of Lake Michigan, traveled through Chicago and Rockford, and finally entered Wisconsin in the south central portion of the state. Aaron had seen more cities in the last twenty-four hours than he’d visited in his entire life. Those had been oddities to him. Something he would tell his family about once he was home, but nothing he would ever care to see again. But passing through the Hidden Valley region of southwestern Wisconsin—now that had caused him to sit up straighter and gaze out of the bus’s window.
There had been an older Englisch couple sitting behind him. They’d had tourist brochures that they read aloud to each other. He’d caught the highlights as he tried to sleep.
He heard them use the word “driftless.” The term apparently indicated a lack of glacial drift. His dat would laugh at that one. Not that he discounted all aspects of science, but he had his doubts regarding what was and wasn’t proven as far as the Ice Age.
According to the couple’s brochure, Wildcat Mountain to the east of Cashton was teeming with wildlife and good hiking. Any other time he might be interested in that piece of information, but he wasn’t staying, so it didn’t matter much to him.
He also learned that small towns in the Driftless Area were at risk of major flooding every fifty to one hundred years.
Staring down at his damp pants, he wondered how much rain they’d had. How much rain were they expecting? He hoped he wouldn’t be here long enough to find out.
Aaron glanced up and down the street. He saw a town hall, a tavern, a café, a general store, and a feed store. A larger building, probably three stories high, rose in the distance, but he had no desire to walk that far because it could be in the wrong direction. Already the sun was heading west, and he’d rather be at the cabins before dark.
Several streets branched off the main one, but they didn’t look any more promising. Pushing his hat down more firmly on his head, he cinched up the duffel bag and walked resolutely toward the feed store.
Instead of heading toward the front door, he moved down the side of the building to the loading docks, where two pickup trucks and a buggy were parked.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the buggy that had sprayed him with rainwater and mud. He would rather not ask information of that person, though in all likelihood the driver had no idea what he’d done. Folks seldom slowed down enough to look outside their own buggy window—even Amish folk. It appeared some things were the same whether you were in Wisconsin or Indiana.
He approached the loading docks, intending to find the owner of the parked buggy.
“That duffel looks heavy… and wet.”
Turning in surprise, he saw a man leaning against the driver’s side of the buggy. Aaron could tell he was tall, even though he was half sitting, tall and thin. Somber brown eyes studied him, and a full dark beard indicated the man was married. Which was no surprise, because a basket with a baby in it sat on the buggy’s floor. The baby couldn’t have been more than a few months old, based on the size of the basket. He couldn’t see much except for a blanket and two small fists waving in the air.
“Duffel wouldn’t be wet if someone hadn’t been determined to break the speed limit with a sorrel mare.”
The man smiled, reached down, and slipped a pacifier into the baby’s mouth. “That would probably have been one of the Eicher boys. I’m sure he meant no harm, but both of them tend to drive on the far side of fast.”
He placed the walnut bowl he’d been sanding with a piece of fine wool on the seat, dusted his hands on his trousers, and then he stepped forward. “Name’s Gabe Miller.”
“Aaron Troyer.”
“Guess you’re new in town.”
“Ya. Just off the bus.”
“Explains the duffel.”
Aaron glanced again at the sun, headed west. Why did it seem to speed up once it was setting? “I was looking for the Plain Cabins on Pebble Creek. Have you heard of them?”
“If you’re needing a room for the night, we can either find you a place or take you to our bishop. No need for you to rent a cabin.”
Easing the duffel bag off his shoulder and onto the ground, Aaron rested his hands on top of it. “Actually I need to go to the cabins for personal reasons. Could you tell me where they are?”
“Ya. I’d be happy to give you directions, but it’s a fair piece from here if you’re planning on walking.”
Aaron pulled off his hat and ran his hand over his hair. Slowly he replaced it as he considered his options. He’d boarded the bus ten hours earlier. He was used to long days and hard work. Though he was only twenty-three, he’d been working in the fields for nine years—since he’d left the schoolhouse after eighth grade. It was work he enjoyed. What he didn’t like was ten hours on a bus, moving farther away from his home, on a trip that seemed to him like a fool’s mission.
“Sooner I start, sooner I’ll arrive.”
“Plain Cabins are on what we call the west side of Pebble Creek.”
“You mean the west side of Cashton?”
“Well, Cashton is the name of the town, but Plain folks mostly refer to Pebble Creek, the river.”
“The same river going through town?”
“Yes. There are two Plain communities here—one to the east side of town, and one to the west. I live on the east side. The cabins you’re looking for are on the west. The town’s sort of in the middle. You can walk to them from here, but as I said, it’s a good ways. Maybe five miles, and there are quite a few hills in between, not to mention that bag you’re carrying… ”
Instead of answering, Aaron hoisted the duffel to his shoulder.
Throughout the conversation, Gabe’s expression had been pleasant but serious. At the sound of voices, he glanced up and across the street, toward the general store. When he did, Aaron noticed a subtle change in the man, like light shifting across a room. Some of the seriousness left his eyes and contentment spread across his face.
Following his gaze, Aaron saw the reason why—a woman. She was beautiful and had the darkest hair he’d ever seen on an Amish woman. A small amount peeked out from the edges of her prayer kapp. She was holding the hand of a young girl, who was the spitting image of the man before him. Both the woman and the child were carrying shopping bags.
“I was waiting on my family. Looks like they’re done. We’d be happy to take you by the cabins.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Aaron mumbled.
Gabe smiled, and now the seriousness was completely gone, as if having his family draw close had vanquished it. As if having his family close had eased all of the places in his heart.
Aaron wondered what that felt like. He wanted to be back with his own parents, brothers, and sisters in Indiana, but even there he felt an itching, a restlessness no amount of work could satisfy.
From what he’d seen of Wisconsin so far, he could tell he wasn’t going to be any happier here. He’d arrived less than thirty minutes ago, and he couldn’t wait to get back home.
Gabe was already moving toward his wife, waving away his protest.
Nancy Mehl's Road to Kingdom series tells the stories of people in the small Mennonite community of Kingdom, Kansas. Inescapable, book one in the series, introduced the transition going on in the town, as members have different opinions about the traditions of the church.
In Unbreakable, the differences are still very much alive, and chances of resolution don't look very promising. As outside forces begin to threaten the safety of Kingdom's residents, members of the church are forced to make some tough decisions about how to handle the potential danger. Hope Kauffman is caught in the middle, questioning her beliefs about the church's teaching, and trying to discern between attraction and real love.
One of the things that makes Unbreakable a compelling story is the very real struggles of the characters. More than one character comes to a point of crisis between strongly held beliefs and necessary actions -- something most readers have probably dealt with either in reality or in their own imagination. Mystery surrounding the violence in and around Kingdom keeps interest level high. AndHope's quest to determine which man she should marry weaves a romantic thread throughout the story.
Fans of stories revolving around the Plain life should findUnbreakable a worthwhile read.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About Unbreakable:
Gentle and unassuming, Hope Kauffman has never been one to question the
traditions of her Mennonite upbringing. She quietly helps her father run Kingdom
Quilts and has agreed to the betrothal he arranged for her with the devout but
shy Ebbie Miller.
Despite the attempts of Hope and other Kingdom residents to
maintain the status quo, changes have already begun to stir in the small
Mennonite town. The handsome and charismatic Jonathon Wiese is the leader of the
move to reform, while Ebbie insists Kingdom must remain true to its foundation.
When Hope's safety is threatened by a mysterious outsider, she can't help but
question what she's always been taught about the Mennonite tradition of
nonviolence.
As it swiftly becomes apparent the threat Hope faced is only the
beginning, the town that's always stood so strong finds itself divided. With
tensions high and their lives endangered by an unknown enemy, will Hope and the
people of Kingdom allow fear and division to break them or will they draw on the
strength of the God they serve?
Nancy
Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband Norman and her very active
puggle, Watson. She's authored fourteen books and is currently at work on a new
series for Bethany House Publishing. All of Nancy's novels have an added touch -
something for your spirit as well as your soul. "I welcome the opportunity to
share my faith through my writing," Nancy says. "God is number one in my life. I
wouldn't be writing at all if I didn't believe that this is what He's called me
to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important
message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can
imagine. He has a good plan for your life, and there is nothing you can't
overcome with His help."
Readers can learn more about Nancy through her Web
site: www.nancymehl.com. She is also active on Facebook.
Celebrate the release of Unbreakable with Nancy Mehl by entering her Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVPing to the March 5th Author Chat Party on Facebook!
One fortunate winner will receive:
A Kindle Fire
Books one & two in Nancy's Road to Kingdom series (Inescapable and Unbreakable)
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 4th. Winner will be announced at the "Unbreakable" Author Chat Party on March 5th. Connect with Nancy, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at the trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be gift certificates, books, and fun Mennonite-themed giveaways.
Grab your copy of Unbreakable and join Nancy on the evening of the March 5th for a chance to connect with Nancy and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!
In Goodbye to Yesterday Wanda Brunstetter begins a six-part saga to be released in monthly installments. Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus are having problems in their marriage since Luke lost his job . When an opportunity comes up that looks like the answer to their financial problems, Luke makes plans to travel from Lancaster County to Indiana to learn a new trade and purchase the equipment needed to start his own business. Meredith stays at home, waiting for Luke to return and waiting to find out if she is expecting their first child. Part 1 of The Discovery ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger, begging the reader to tune in to part 2.
Goodby to Yesterday begins an interesting Amish story. The characters and story line both offer a good deal of promise. There are a couple of problems areas, though, that keep it from being all it could be. (1) There is not a lot of development of plot and characters. Much of the time in the short chapters is spent on details that don't move the story along. (2) Purchasing all the installments in this serial novel will be rather costly. The entire story will likely be comparable to the length of one or two paperback novels but will cost considerably more.
Fans of Amish fiction should enjoy this story, in spite of the drawbacks mentioned above. The book is a quick, easy read that many readers can finish within a couple of hours.
Handlebar Publishing provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About the Author
Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led
millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the
author of over 60 books with more than 6 million copies sold. Many of
her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD.
Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and
her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today. Wanda’s books have been translated into four foreign languages.
Wanda’s fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her
husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family
has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite
sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their
travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish
people across America. Wanda’s desire to explore their culture increased
when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the
Anabaptist faith.
All of Wanda’s novels are based on personal research intended to
accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are
well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a
deeper understanding of the people and their customs.
Wanda’s primary attraction to the Amish is their desire to live a
devout Christian life that strives to honor God, work hard, and maintain
close family ties. Whenever she visits her Amish friends, Wanda finds
herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family
ties, which is in stark contrast to the chaos and busyness that plagues
so many modern “Englishers.” Time and time again, Wanda loses her heart
in the Amish life, and she hopes her readers will, too.
Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska, is a heartwarming story of love . . . and more!Romance is very much a part of the tale, but another big draw for me was observing Ginny and Ellie grow and discover more about themselves. The descriptions of the surroundings made me feel like I was visiting Glacier Bay -- and made me wish I could go there. Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss did a tremendous job of weaving together the two women's stories. As I understand it, Tricia wrote the contemporary part of the story and Ocieanna the historical part. The life paths their two main characters took were so very similar, even though Ginny and Ellie lived decades apart. There are a few fun surprises along that way that tie Ginny and Ellie closer together that was apparent at the beginning. For a fun, touching read, settle in to your comfy reading spot for an enjoyable journey to Glacier Bay, Alaska. I think you'll enjoy your trip. Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About
Love Finds You in Glacier Bay,
Alaska:
Singer Ginny Marshall is one signature away
from the recording contract of her dreams-a deal that would guarantee success
for the former foster child, who still struggles to bury the memories of her
painful childhood. But Ginny needs advice from the one person who will look out
for her best interests-her former fiancé, Brett Miller. She travels to the
remote town of Glacier Bay, Alaska, where the town's colorful characters and
stunning scenery provide respite from LA's pressures. In Glacier Bay, Ginny discovers a box of old
letters and is swept up in the love story between Clay, an early missionary to
Alaska Territory, and Ellie, the woman who traveled there to be his children's
governess. When Ginny is reunited with Brett in Glacier Bay, will she
discover-as Ellie did-that healing and love are sometimes found in the most
unexpected places?
Link to buy the book:
http://ow.ly/gQiNn Meet the Authors:
Tricia Goyer
is the award winning author of over thirty books including Beside Still
Waters, Remembering You, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play
Dough. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences and is
the host of Living Inspired. She and her family make their home in Little Rock,
Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.
Celebrate with Tricia and Ocieanna by entering their "Glacier Bay" Giveaway and RSVPing for their Facebook Party on Feb. 12th!
One fortunate winner will receive:
A gorgeous handmade “Glacier Bay” bracelet
A handmade cowl in "Glacier Bay" blues and greens
A bottle of custom-made "Glacier Bay" sparkle polish in blue
Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss and their two other “Love Finds You” titles {Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana, and Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington}
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 11th. Winner will be announced at the "Glacier Bay" Author Chat Party on February 12th. Connect with authors Tricia and Ocieanna, get a sneak peek of their new book projects, try your hand at the Alaska trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be great giveaways—gift certificates, books, and more!
So grab your copy of Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska, and join Tricia and Ocieanna on the evening of February 12th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!
I never got around to posting my own thoughts about A Quilt for Jenna, so I decided to add them now.
It took a while for me to really "get into" this story. For a good part of the book, the storyline was pretty melancholy. In some places there was so much detail that it was tedious to read -- things such as which roads were being plowed, which roads the drivers were traveling, and so on.
But, by reading quickly past some of the slower moving sections, I found a rich, engaging story of loss and renewed hope and love. Jerusha has suffered devastating loss and has given up on everything she believed, even God himself. Only after a life-threatening disaster can she find a way to heal from the deep hurts she has held deep inside. Following the journey of her healing and the changes going in the other people affected by her life makes for an interesting and encouraging resolution.
Not your traditional Amish story -- but a story worth enjoying.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States. After ministering for a number of years in music and worship to a circuit of small churches, he is now concentrating on writing and publishing both fiction and non-fiction books. Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in northern California and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren.
Amish + Quilts = readers delight! And in this first book in Patrick Craig’s Apple Creek Dreams series, readers will follow master quilter Jerusha Springer’s journey out of tragic circumstances to a new life of hope. A beautiful story of loss…and redemption.
Product Details:
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (February 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736951059
ISBN-13: 978-0736951050
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Jerusha Springer reached behind the quilting frame with her left hand and pushed the needle back to the surface of the quilt to complete her final stitch. Wearily she pulled the needle through, quickly knotted the quilting thread, and broke it off.
Finished at last. She leaned back and let out a sigh of satisfaction. It had taken months to complete, but here it was—the finest quilt she had ever made.
Thousands of stitches had gone into the work, seventy every ten inches, and now the work was finished. It had been worth it. The quilt was a masterpiece. Her masterpiece...and Jenna’s.
She grabbed a tissue and quickly wiped away an unexpected tear.
If only Jenna were here with me, I could bear this somehow.
But Jenna wasn’t there. Jenna was gone forever.
Jerusha glanced out the window as the November sun shone weakly through a gray overcast of clouds. The pale light made the fabric in the quilt shimmer and glow. A fitful wind shook the bare branches of the maple trees, and the few remaining leaves whirled away into the light snow that drifted down from the gunmetal sky.
Winter had come unannounced to Apple Creek, and Jerusha hadn’t noticed. Her life had been bound up in this quilt for so many months—since Jenna’s death, really—that everything else in her life seemed like a shadow. She stared at the finished quilt on the frame, but there was no joy in her heart, only a dull ache and the knowledge that soon she would be free.
She had searched without success for several months to find just the right fabric to make this quilt, and then she stumbled upon it quite by accident. A neighbor told her of an estate sale at an antique store in Wooster, and she asked Henry, the neighbor boy, to drive her over to see what she could find. The Englisch had access to many things from the outside world, and she had often looked in their stores and catalogs to find just the right materials for her quilting.
On that day in Wooster she had been poking through the piles of clothing and knickknacks scattered around the store when she came upon an old cedar chest. The lid was carved with ornate filigree, and several shipping tags were still attached. The trunk was locked, so she called the proprietor over, and when he opened it, she drew in her breath with a little gasp. There, folded neatly, were two large pieces of fabric. One was blue—the kind of blue that kings might wear—and as she lifted it to the light, she could see that it seemed to change from blue to purple, depending on how she held it. The other piece was deep red...like the blood of Christ or perhaps a rose.
The fabric was light but strong, smooth to the touch and tightly woven.
“I believe that’s genuine silk, ma’am,” the owner said. “I’m afraid it’s going to be expensive.”
Jerusha didn’t argue the price. It was exactly what she was looking for, and she didn’t dare let it slip through her fingers. Normally, the quilts that she and the other women in her community made were from plainer fabric, cotton or sometimes synthetics, but lately she didn’t really care about what the ordnung said.
So, pushing down her fear of the critical comments she knew she would hear from the other women about pride and worldliness, she purchased it and left the store. As she rode home, the design for the quilt began to take form in her mind, and for the first time since Jenna’s death, she felt her spirits lift.
When she arrived home, she searched through her fabric box for the cream-colored cotton backing piece she had reserved for this quilt. She then sketched out a rough design and in the following days cut the hundreds of pieces to make the pattern for the top layer. She sorted and ironed them and then pinned and stitched all the parts into a rectangle measuring approximately eight and a half feet by nine feet. After that she laid the finished top layer out on the floor and traced the entire quilting design on the fabric with tailor’s chalk. The design had unfolded before her eyes as if someone else were directing her hand. This quilt was the easiest she had ever pieced together.
The royal blue pieces made a dark, iridescent backdrop to a beautiful deep red rose-shaped piece in the center. The rose had hundreds of parts, all cut into the flowing shapes of petals instead of the traditional square or diamond-shaped patterns of Amish quilts. Though the pattern was the most complicated she had ever done, she found herself grateful that it served as a way to keep thoughts of Jenna’s absence from overwhelming her.
Next she laid out the cream-colored backing, placed a double layer of batting over it, and added the ironed patchwork piece she had developed over the past month.
On her hands and knees she carefully basted the layers together, starting from the center and working out to the edges. Once she was finished, she called Henry for help. He held the material while she carefully attached one end to the quilting frame, and then they slowly turned the pole until she could attach the other end. After drawing the quilt tight until it was stable enough to stitch on, she started to quilt. Delicate tracks of quilting stitches began to make their trails through the surface of the quilt as Jerusha labored day after day at her work. The quilt was consuming her, and her despair and grief and the anger she felt toward God for taking Jenna were all poured into the fabric spread before her.
Often as she worked she stopped and lifted her face to the sky.
“I hate You,” she would say quietly, “and I’m placing all my hatred into this quilt so I will never forget that when I needed You most, You failed me.” Then she would go back to her work with a fierce determination and a deep and abiding anger in her heart.
And now at last the quilt was finished—her ticket out of her awful life.
“I will take this quilt to the Dalton Fair, and I will win the prize,” she said aloud. “Then I will leave Apple Creek, and I will leave this religion, and I will leave this God who has turned His back on me. I will make a new life among the Englisch, and I will never return to Apple Creek.”
She stared at the quilt. I will call this quilt the Rose of Sharon. Not for You, but for her, my precious girl, my Jenna. The quilt shone in the soft light from the window, and Jerusha felt a great surge of triumph.
I don’t need You—not now, not ever again.
And Jerusha turned off the lamp and went alone to her cold bed.
A few months ago, I had the privilege of reading the first installment in the Adventures of Lily Lapp series. (See my review here.) I recommended this series as a great way to introduce young readers to Amish fiction. Book two, A New Home for Lily, reinforces that recommendation.
Following Lily through her day-to-day life as a young Amish girl makes for a fun read. Knowing that the story is based on real-life memories of a former Amish girl makes the book even more enjoyable. Lily's adventuresprovide excellent opportunities for readers, young and old alike, to learn more about Amish customs. And those with no connection at all to Amish ways can identify with Lily's challenges in adjusting to the new life she finds when her family moves from their familiar surroundings in New York to a new home in Pennsylvania. There are lots of moments that can bring a smile or a chuckle as Lily finds herself in one kind of fix or another.
Just like book one, this book can be read in large segments, or each chapter can be enjoyed as a short story.
Kudos to Suzanne Woods Fisher and Mary Ann Kinsinger for combining their first-hand knowledge of the Amish and excellent writing skills to craft a sweet series of stories.
Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
(This book was provided free from Revell Publishers for my honest review.)
The second novel in the charming Adventures of Lily Lapp series, A New Home for Lily gives children ages 8-12 a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Amish with lots of fun and laughter along the way. It combines the real-life stories of growing up Amish from Mary Ann Kinsinger and the bestselling writing of Amish fiction and nonfiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher. With line illustrations throughout, this series is sure to capture the hearts of readers young and old.
Lily Lapp is moving with her family to Pennsylvania to join a new Amish community. In this small town where changes – and newcomers – are greeted with suspicion, Lily must adjust to a new school, new friends and Aaron Yoder, an annoying boy who teases her relentlessly. Still, there are exciting new developments, including an attic full of adventure and a new baby brother. But why, Lily wonders, can't God bring her just one sister? Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and The New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania. Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, The Keeper and The Haven, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
Once again, Dani has crafted a plot that grabs you from the beginning and keeps you anxiously turning pages until the very end. The story has just the right blend of adventure, suspense and romance. The characters are very believable, real people struggling through life at different levels of faith.
Once again, Dani has crafted a plot that grabs you from the beginning and keeps you anxiously turning pages until the very end. The story has just the right blend of adventure, suspense and romance. The characters are very believable, real people struggling through life at different levels of faith.
Dani
Pettrey is a wife, homeschooling mom, and author. She feels blessed to write
inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she
loves--the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her
characters' faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland
with their two teenage daughters.
