The Healer's Touch

Combining the legend of the Ozark Spook lights along with a bit of western romance, best-selling author Lori Copeland takes us back in time in The Healer's Touch, her latest novel from Harvest House Publishers. The novel opens with the mystery of the lights seen on a deserted stretch of gravel road, known to the locals as the Spook lights. Some argue that the lights can be explained by headlights from the cars traveling along old Route 66, which would be fine, except that the lights began before the road was constructed and cars were invented. Whatever they are, they are a supporting character found in this novel set in the late 1800's in Missouri, where the majority of the people living just outside of Joplin, fear the Bolton family. They believe that the old woman who lives in the house that is just plain mad is responsible for those mysterious lights that no one can explain and the reason why no one ventures up to the Bolton home.

Good thing for Lyric and Lake, who care for their aging and ill mother, that the town has for the most part left them alone in Bolton Holler. Believing that she is moments from dying, Lyric is buying her time to save as much money as she can so they can leave this place and move to where people stop judging others based on what they think they know. .What she doesn't expect is to find her barn door destroyed late one night, and an injured man laying beneath the shattered remnants of her door. Believing he is one of the Younger brothers, a notorious gang of outlaws living in Missouri, she believes she is in for a reward if she can convince the sheriff to come and get him. She didn't count on the sheriff being so afraid that he refuses to venture up to her property to identify him. Now she will have to find a way to get the man to town in order to collect her reward and hopefully get out of town a whole lot sooner than she expected.

Now if she can figure out who this man is, but unfortunately not even he can help. Seems that running into her barn door that night has caused him to lose whatever memory he had and he isn't able to provide any identification, since he isn't carrying any. How can Lyric be sure that by turning over this man to the sheriff that she won't be sentencing an innocent man to hanging if he isn't guilty? How will they ever figure out just who this man really is? If he isn't wanted, then she will be living here a whole lot longer than she wanted since she doesn't have enough money for them to leave right now.

I received A Healer's Touch by Lori Copeland compliments of Harvest House Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I love the combination of the mysterious lights along with the western romantic flair. It's like Ghost Hunters meets Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The beginning of this one was a bit slow and took me a bit to get into the story, but about 1/3 of the way through, I was engaged in the dilemma that Lyric faces in how to determine the outcome of a man's fate when she didn't know if he was a wanted man or not. In a time when information was slow coming and justice was doled out swiftly, it would be easy to wonder how many innocent men might have been hanged based on hearsay instead of known facts. For those that love a bit of western romance along with the mysterious spook lights, you will definitely want to pick this one up. I even found myself researching them on YouTube. You just might be surprised at what you will find! I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and it includes a discussion guide at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about The Healer's Touch, Lori Copeland or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Healer's Touch by Lori Copeland

You can also find Lori Copeland on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Healer's Touch, please visit Harvest House Publisher's website. 

Rainy Day Dreams

The hardest thing to comprehend when we go about our daily lives is how hard it was for those first settlers to travel thousands of miles and begin the cities we find ourselves living in today. We often forget the hardships, the struggles and adversities they faced in trying to make their dreams of a new life come true. From disease, to Indian attacks and just the journey itself is one to be commended and remembered. Perhaps that is why I have such a love for historical fiction. In the Seattle Bride series from Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith, both well known Christian Historical authors, they have once again teamed up to bring you Rainy Day Dreams, the second novel in the series.

We find ourselves watching the struggle that Kathryn Bergert faces upon arriving by ship to the town of Seattle in 1856. She was sent here to find a suitable husband by her parents, mostly her father, since the ratio of men to women is 100 to 1. Armed with a small savings and all her painting supplies, she has acquired lodging with a cousin she has never met, Mary Ann Garritson, who is the proprietor of the Faulkner House. She is also hoping the job she has been promised will allow her to make a living for herself until she figures out just what she is going to do.

When she discovers that the job she had hoped for was that of a maid instead of a manager of the establishment, she immediately begins to make plans to head back on the first available ship out and back to San Francisco. Only she isn't quite sure if she will have enough money to pay for the fare and what her father will say when she returns without a husband. She may have to buy her time, and settle with dealing with her harsh and blunt cousin as a maid until she is able to save enough money. Mary Ann tells her that she isn't going to be paid, but that she can work for her accommodations instead, and that consists of a room that has been converted from an old closet. She definitely won't have room for painting in there. What will she do now?

I received Rainy Day Dreams by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith compliments of Harvest House Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This was such a delightful novel and I didn't even realize it was part of a series until the end. Now I will definitely need to pick up a copy of the first novel, A Bride for Noah, and see how they came to be a couple! You truly meet such a wonderful cast of characters in this novel along with dealing with the threat of an Indian attack in a town that is unprepared to deal with violence. I love that most of this was built on a foundation of historical facts which the authors disclose details about at the conclusion of the novel for further research. A discussion guide is also included for book groups. I absolutely loved this one from start to finish and easily give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Rainy Day Dreams, Lori Copeland, Virginia Smith or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Rainy Day Dreams by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

You can find Lori Copeland on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Virginia Smith on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Rainy Day Dreams, please visit Harvest House Publisher's website. 

Love Blooms In Winter

It's 1892 in the small town of Dwadlo, North Dakota just as winter is beginning to set in. When I refer to Dwadlo being a small town, it is just that. All the buildings in town from the post office, general store, bank and the residents homes are all within a few short blocks either way. The train station literally ends at Dwadlo and here is where we find the setting of our story and meet the characters from Love Blooms in Winter, book 1 in the Dakota Diaries series by Lori Copeland who is fast becoming a personal favorite writer for me.

Here we meet Mae Wilkey who runs the post office within the general store and helps out when she can with the customers who come in for various supplies. Mae is also the sole provider for both herself and her younger brother Jeremy, who is 13, but mentally acts like 9 due to issues with his birth. Mae's parents died and now she cares for Jeremy as well as Pauline, a 92-year-old woman who needs constant care to due her age and mental capability. She lives alone caring for all the towns stray animals who are constantly finding their way to Pauline's home. Mae fears that once she marries Jake, the local well-to-do lawyer, there will be no one left to care for Pauline.

So Mae takes it upon herself to find out of Pauline has any living relatives who might be able to care for her. While cleaning out Pauline's desk, she uncovers the name and address of Tom Curtis, but the problem is, Pauline in her moments of clarity can't remember if he's related to her or not. So Mae sends a letter explaining the circumstances in hopes that Tom is in fact related to Pauline and can come care for her in the time she has remaining.

When Tom Curtis receives Mae's letter, he thinks it's a practical joke being played on him by one of the railroad employees. However, when a second letter arrives, Tom makes arrangements to check out the details of the letter and arrives to pay Mae a visit. What he doesn't plan on, is that his so-called routine life is about to get the biggest upheaval he will ever know.



I received Love Blooms in Winter compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and was captured in Mae's story. Not only in caring for her mentally challenged younger brother Jeremy, but also for her neighbor Pauline. Mae is a true do-gooder with a heart for everyone. She tries her best to be the best she can, even though she has been waiting six long years for Jake to ask her to marry him. She is by far, my favorite character in the book, because she is always putting everyone else's needs above her own. I can't wait to read the next book in this series as Lori Copeland writes her stories so well, you feel like you're part of the action! I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Love Blooms in Winter by Lori Copeland