Thursday, March 7, 2019

Fun Story with Important Lessons -- Mending Fences




About the Book

Book: Mending Fences
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Christian fiction, Amish, Mennonite
Release Date: February 5, 2019


Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future. 

Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him. He has been allowed to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, he must make a sincere apology to each person he’s hurt. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused. 

Simple, Luke thinks. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lasting effects his careless actions have caused isn’t so simple. It’s gut-wrenching. 

And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm, and Luke’s clumsy efforts to befriend her only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge.

“A funny, heartwarming story of friendship, love, and the possibility of happily ever after.”—Amy Clipston, bestselling author of Seat by the Hearth 

“Suzanne Woods Fisher has written a sweet and poignant story you won’t want put down. Definitely a must read!”—Kathleen Fuller, bestselling author of the Amish of Birch Creek series

Click here to purchase your copy.


My Review

Picking favorites is not always easy for me, but I think I can safely say Mending Fences is my favorite book by Suzanne Woods Fisher so far. It was a very fun story to read and was full of lots of important lessons along the way.

If you have read other series by Suzanne Woods Fisher, you will recognize many of the characters that she has brought together from her various series. But you don't have to feel lost if you haven't read the other books. It works like this: If you've read the previous series, you now have a chance to go back and revisit old friends, some you've already shared some important history with. If you haven't read the other books, you get to meet some new friends and begin to learn details from their past as your friendship develops. Either way, you can enjoy sharing in their stories.

Luke and Izzy both have pasts that keep hanging on, but they have found just the right place and just the right people -- including each other -- to help them deal with the baggage. Although much of the story centers on Luke's lessons learned (and those yet to be learned), he is not the only one who grows through personal experiences. There is a lot of growing going on at Windmill Farm and the surrounding community. 

I would highly recommend Mending Fences to fans of great Amish fiction. After you read it, I believe you will be as anxious as I am to find out more of Luke's and Izzy's story in the next installment in The Deacon's Family series.

Thanks to Celebrate Lit for providing a copy of this book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.


About the Author


Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop’s Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. 

Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher. 
  

More from Suzanne


A Friend in Need   “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” –Walter Winchell 

Luke Schrock was nearly friendless. He returned to Stoney Ridge in Mending Fences after a stint in rehab only because his bishop, David Stoltzfus, strongly encouraged him. And everybody knows you didn’t say no to your bishop. 

But nobody else in town wanted anything to do with Luke. They forgave him for the trouble he’d caused in his last downward spiral, the one that went too far. The one that even scared Luke. Forgiving him was the easy part. The Amish of Stoney Ridge were intentional forgivers. It was their trust—that’s what he would have to earn. Trust was a fragile thing. Once broken, it wasn’t easily mended. 

Somehow, David was still able to look past the behavior to see the best of Luke Schrock. He didn’t stop there. He found a family who was willing to take Luke in, and he spent hours with him—at times as a mentor, at times as a father figure, but mostly as a friend. 

A loyal friend can have a powerful impact. Consider those friends in the town of Capernaum, who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing—so determined to get to Him that they dragged his stretcher up onto a roof, broke through the roof tiles, and lowered him down. Can you imagine being in the crowd, listening to Jesus, as straw and tile pieces and branches and bugs started to drop down from the ceiling? A shocking display…of devoted friendship. And what a miraculous outcome for that paralyzed man!* 

I won’t tell you how Luke’s story ends—only that he works hard to find ways to make amends to those he hurt, to regain trust. Especially the hard-to-earn trust of a brown-eyed beauty named Izzy. 

Do you have a real friend like David Stoltzfus, who walks in when the rest of the world has walked out? Or maybe the better question, for you, for me, is to ask ourselves if we are friends to others like David Stoltzfus was to Luke Schrock. I know I want to be. 

*This miracle is reported in three gospels: Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26.  


Blog Stops


The Avid Reader, March 4
Quiet Quilter, March 5
CarpeDiem, March 5
Among the Reads, March 6
BigreadersiteMarch 8
Splashes of JoyMarch 10
EmpowerMoms, March 10
Vicky Sluiter, March 13
Mary Hake, March 15
Pause for Tales, March 16
Hallie Reads, March 17
The Becca Files, March 18

Giveaway



 
To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a grand prize of an Amazon Kindle!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!


Monday, March 4, 2019

Intriguing Story across Centuries -- Castle on the Rise


About the Book


Title: Castle on the Rise  
Author: Kristy Cambron  
Genre: Christian Historical Romance  
Release date: February 5, 2019  
Publisher: HarperCollins  

A storied castle. A band of rebels. A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom. And three women who rise above it all . . .

When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden.

From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn in to the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of legend, fighting for survival through the 1798 rebellion that started it all.

Spanning more than two centuries, Castle on the Rise unites the legacy of three women who must risk mending the broken places within—for life, love, and the belief that even through the depths of our pain, a masterpiece of a story can emerge.

Click here to purchase your copy.


My Review

Everything I have read by Kristy Cambron has been awesome, and Castle on the Rise is no exception. Kristy is a masterful storyteller, and her extensive historical research is obvious as she works real-life events and places into her fictional world.

In Castle on the Rise, Kristy spans more than two centuries with the intriguing stories of three sets of characters in three time periods and weaves them together in a way that keeps you totally engaged. I  admire the talent required to write such great historical stories. To be able to do so well with a triple time slip element is fantastic.

I guess it took me a couple of times through the cycle of stories to really feel the connection, but then I was hooked. Throughout the book I was torn between wanting more of the particular story I was in and getting back to the other time periods to see how things were progressing there. The characters were so real and inviting and easy to get to know as their family connections came together through the generations. And vivid details made it easy to imagine myself in the beautiful Irish setting of today and yesteryear.

I highly recommend Castle on the Rise to fans of great Christian historical romance. This is the second book in a series, and I have not read the first. I understand that some of the characters' stories carry over from The Lost Castle, but I found no difficulty in reading this as a stand alone. My interest was piqued enough, though, that I look forward to going back to that book, as well as reading the next one in the series.

Thanks to Celebrate Lit for providing a copy of this book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Author


Kristy Cambron is an award-winning author of Christian fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping Series. She is a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at ministry events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal’s Best Books, RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

To stay connected, visit www.kristycambron.com.


Kristy’s Research Trip to Ireland




Blog Stops


Back Porch ReadsFebruary 19
Maureen’s MusingsFebruary 19
The Power of Words, February 19
Livin’ Lit, February 20
Texas Book-aholic, February 20
Fiction Aficionado, February 21
Gensis 5020, February 21
Blogging With CarolFebruary 21
Bigreadersite, February 21
Just the Write Escape, February 22
As He Leads is Joy, February 22
Inspired by fiction, February 23
Connect in Fiction, February 23
Carpe Diem, February 23
Bibliophile Reviews, February 24
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, February 24
Lis Loves Reading, February 24
Emily Yager, February 25
Moments, February 25
All-of-a-kind Mom, February 26
Mary Hake, February 26
Simple Harvest Reads, February 27 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Remembrancy, February 28
Inklings and Notions, February 28
Pause for Tales, March 1
The Becca Files, March 2
Book by Book, March 2

Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Kristy is giving away a grand prize of one finished copy each of The Lost Castle (book 1) and Castle on the Rise (book 2)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/d9d0/castle-on-the-rise-celebration-tour-giveaway