A Dream of Miracles

I can't imagine dealing with the loss of a spouse, especially when you have children and the idea of single parenting becomes a reality. However if you take the idea of having a small child with a lot of health problems and amplify that with a doctor who believes these numerous doctor's visits may be a masquerade for child abuse, you pretty much have the premise behind A Dream of Miracles, the third book in the Amish Wonders series from Ruth Reid.

It takes a typical Amish story line and adds a bit of "House" to the mix. While the signs are all pointing to the fact that Mattie Diener might in fact be more than neglectful in trying to raise two small children just 18 months after losing her young husband in his sleep. When her established family doctor takes a long sabbatical, his replacement is less likely to see things from an Amish perspective and when Mattie fails to notice simple things in her child's illness, she reports her for child abuse.

Now enter Bo Lambright, who has worked for the office of Child and Protective Services for quite some time and experience has taught him that no matter how simple things might look, there is always more than meets the eye, especially in his line of work, where parents will face imprisonment if found guilty, so lying is something he has come to expect from parents. When he is called in to investigate the claims on Mattie, he wonders if perhaps there might just be more than what everyone would expects. He knows that the Amish are very protective of their families and communities, but it doesn't mean they aren't capable of child abuse as well. When his past comes back to him in dreams, God might just be pointing out the truth that is hidden in the dark. It may in fact cost one mother everything in the end if the facts don't come to the light.

I received A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation. I really LOVED the premise in this novel and it felt like an Amish episode of the television series, House. It was that great! Just when you think Mattie will be cleared, another issue comes up and she is faced with making the decision to take her child in to the doctors and face losing him, or does she try and find a cure herself and spare having her children taken from her. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars. Now I want to go back and read the first two novels in the series, A Miracle of Hope and A Woodland Miracle. There is also a Reader's Discussion Guide included at the end that makes this perfect for book clubs.

For more information about A Dream of Miracle, Ruth Reid or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid

You can find Ruth Reid on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Dream of Miracles, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.


When a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into Amish widow Mattie’s fragile world, can she learn to love again? Find out in Ruth Reid's new book, A Dream of Miracles. When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible—not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo’s dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away?

Ruth is celebrating the release of A Dream of Miracles with a Kindle Fire HD 6 giveaway (details below) and an author chat party on May 3!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• One copy of A Dream of Miracles
• A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/3. The winner will be announced at A Dream of Miracles Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Ruth and other fans of Amish fiction, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 3rd!

Promise to Keep

The most difficult thing when writing a great series, is to bring that series to a conclusion and that is just what Elizabeth Byler Younts does in the third and final novel, Promise to Keep, in her Promise of Sunrise Series. Where do I begin in my review of this novel? First of all I would have to say that it does include quite a few different genres, from Historical, Romance, Amish, World War II, and all of them being Christian based without a lot of the heavy religious overtones coming across. It's a simple story of being lost and the redemption that comes from being found.

As the reader embarks on the journey, there are two very different stories that come to an intersection at the first 100 pages and the first being of Esther Detweiler, who has had a challenge most of us would find hard to endure. Not only with the recent death of her mother, she is left all alone to deal with raising Daisy, a young girl who was abandoned, first by the death of her mother, Irene, Esther's cousin, and then when Daisy's father, Joe Garrison leaves her behind to enter World War II. Not because he had to, but because he couldn't handle caring for Daisy who he didn't understand was simply deaf, but others thought belonged in a mental institution. Esther soon learns that her father whom she believed died, is now coming back home and wishes to restore all the time he has lost with Esther. He believes it is something he can just pick right back up again. But Esther isn't so willing.

On top of that she discovers from Joe's sister, Angelica, that he is returning home from the war and is planning on taking back the daughter he had abandoned. It's not an easy thing for Esther to deal with all at once. Daisy barely remembers the man who left her so long ago, and right now, Esther is the only family she has ever known. Her own Aunt Angelica was offered the care of Daisy, but she felt that Daisy was too much to deal with and relented her care to Esther. But as Joe returns home he too has his own share of issues, dealing with the shell shock he has from the war, along with the alcohol that seems to keep it under control are the least of his worries, when he realizes that Daisy doesn't want anything to do with him and wants to stay with Esther over living with her own father. It will take a miracle to restore the lives of those characters we see spilled out in the covers of Promise to Keep!

I received Promise to Keep from Elizabeth Byler Younts compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review, aside from a free copy of this book, and the opinions expressed here are my own personal honest ones. Being a huge lover of WWII fiction, I absolutely loved the idea of a English soldier returning home from the war to deal with his feelings for a young Amish woman. It's truly the best of two ideal genre's in my mind. The impacts of what is now known as PTSD, wasn't something that many knew how to deal with and you can imagine how that might be played out among the non violent Amish. Not only that, the impacts of dealing with a deaf child and learning how to communicate, was something that would have been considered out of the ordinary since most of the education in dealing with how to communicate with them would have been fairly new as well. You could see where others would automatically assume they might be mentally challenged instead of something more simple. This one really worked well and thus the reason for the 4 out of 5 star rating in my opinion. It's truly a story of restoration on many different fronts.

For more information about Promise to Keep, Elizabeth Byler Younts or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Promise to Keep from Elizabeth Byler Younts

You can find Elizabeth Byler Younts on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Promise to Keep, please visit Howard Book's website. 

When Grace Sings

To receive grace is to gain something you didn't deserve, much like a prisoner receives a pardon. They deserve punishment for committing crimes, but when they are pardoned, they are receiving something they didn't deserve. That is the definition for grace and also the theme in Kim Vogel Sawyer's second book in the Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy Series. In When Grace Sings, one could misinterpret what it really is about.

For Alexa Zimmerman, it is about coming to terms with the recent knowledge that she was adopted and left behind by her birth mother. It's wondering what your purpose is life is supposed to mean when you realize that all the people you believe in your life were your family, really aren't. So in order to find purpose for her life, she takes over running Grace Notes B and B on her grandmother's Mennonite farm. In fact just her appearance alone would beg to ask the question why she doesn't dress like all the others in the Old Order, but she isn't about to convey to anyone what the truth is just yet. Not until she comes to terms with it first.

Just beginning to take on guest after all the recent renovations, Alexa wants to prove she can make this business profitable and not have to rely on the finances from her grandmother. She gains a long term book from Briley Forrester, an up and coming reporter who wants the story of a lifetime. Convinced that the Mennonites and Amish aren't exactly as wholesome as they appear, his editor convinces him to stay for a couple months in order to find the story that will prove they are just like the rest of the world in their short comings. But will Briley be able to do that at the cost of hurting Alexa and the people who welcome him into their community with open arms?

I received When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah 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. The one thing I took away from this novel besides its theme on what grace really is, is the quote, "Every man has two equal abilities - to build up or tear down. The challenge lies in knowing which is the right choice." I guess the hardest thing any of us has to master is ability to recognize how our words can either build up or tear down. The hardest thing comes in learning to control what comes out. Sometimes it takes quite a while to figure out God's plan in things when they turn out to not be so favorable in our own eyes and it's learning how to deal with it that shows true growth of character and a healthy dose of grace as well. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and readers will find a great recipe for peace and pecan pie as well as a Reader's Guide at the conclusion of this heartwarming novel.

For more information about When Grace Sings, Kim Vogel Sawyer or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

You can find Kim Vogel Sawyer on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on When Grace Sings, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah Publisher's website. 

• Series: The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (March 17, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307731332
• ISBN-13: 978-0307731333

The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy
# 1 When Mercy Rains
# 2 When Grace Sings

The Decision

We have all made decisions in our lifetime that we often times wonder if it was the right one. Many times we wish we had the opportunity to go back and change some of those decisions as we have seen how they have played out in our life or in the lives of others. Jonah Miller was one such person. After being left at the altar by the love of his life, he has opted to start over again someplace else where the memories aren't quite so fresh when they are revisited from Pennsylvania to Illnois.

It is there where he learned to find love again with Elaine Schrock. In fact he wasn't even looking for love again and then again neither was she. They are literally on the verge of watching all their dreams for a future come true, when tragedy strikes and Elaine's grandfather dies. These are the only parents she has known since they have cared for her since she was little when her own parents died. In his dying words, Elaine's grandfather begged her to please take care of her grandmother, Edna. It was a promise that Elaine would ensure she would keep. After all how to you pay back your grandparents for raising you? It was the very least she could do.

When Edna begins to have dizzy spells and is a bit more than forgetful, Elaine and the community just believe that Edna is still in the grieving process and simply trying to move forward before she is physically ready. But when those situations become dangerous like wandering off and forgetting where she is, or leaving the oven on while making cookies, Elaine believes there might be something more going on. The doctor determines that besides being diabetic, Edna is also experiencing dementia. How will Elaine be able to move forward with Jonah, when she now has to face caring for her grandmother? Will Elaine's decision to forget her own future be the very best one God has in mind for her? Right now, she can't see how it can be.

I received The Decision by Wanda E. Brunsetter compliments of Nancy Berland Public Relations and Barbour 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 is the first novel in the Prairie State Friends Series and it is one I truly love. Relying on her own experiences in dealing with caring for a loved one with dementia, Wanda captivated the beautiful way the Amish care for their loved ones. They would never consider putting them in a facility to care for the aging, but instead the entire community rallies around to help in any way they can. Dementia has to be one of the most difficult illnesses to deal with because it robs our loved ones of their memories, the most priceless treasures we have. It is hard for both to deal with the effects and that comes across so well in this novel. There is a discussion guide at the end along with some great recipes. I can't wait for the next one in this series and for that reason it deserves a full 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Decision, Wanda E. Brunsetter, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Decision by Wanda E. Brunsetter

You can find Wanda E. Brunsetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can also read the first chapter and more by visiting Barbour Publishing.

The Bachelor

I almost thought I had missed out on the opportunity as a book reviewer to review Stephanie Reed's latest novel The Bachelor, the second in the Plain City Peace Series. You don't know how happy I was when I realized that Kregel Publications had extended the invitation to do so even though many others had read it way before I did. There is joy in the small things like this.

I feel in love with the character of Betsie Troyer from the first novel and if you're like me, you often times, have to wait quite a bit to get the next novel in any series. However, I knew right away, I wanted to see right where Stephanie was going to pick her up story since Betsie's parents along with her Aunt Lovina had moved away from the Amish community to settle far away so they could practice their new found faith in the Jesus of the Bible as well as learning more about salvation. In an Amish community if you left, your salvation was doomed for all eternity. This is the reason so many Amish remain and become baptized in their Amish faith to ensure that through their good works and obedience they might get to heaven, but they had no way of knowing for sure.

Betsie was left behind on the family farm trying to do her very best along with his younger sister Sadie to make ends meet until she believed one day her parents would return home. Until that time, the Amish had a firm rule of shunning that prevented them from associating with them until they made a kneeling confession in front of the church. Betsie held on to her belief, her parents would be coming home. That didn't stop Charlie Yoder, from pressing the issue with Betsie that they would be married soon, having children, and take over running the Troyer farm. Betsie was more than surprised with Charlie's way of dismissing her faith that her parents would be home soon and they would be running the farm again. It is clear that Charlie has a firm way of holding on to the old Amish way of running things especially having his mother Mattie supporting them since his father had died.

But is Charlie really the bachelor for her or perhaps is her heart bringing her back to Michael, an English man who saved her life from what could have been a brutal attack. Now that Michael is living on the Farm to avoid having to serve in the Vietnam war, she wonders just what their relationship might have been like if Michael were Amish instead of English. In order to keep her mind busy, Betsie has been asked to take care of Michael's little sister Shelia while his father has left to try and reconcile with his distraught wife who has run off. It is the faith of a small child that will lead Betsie to the truth of salvation in a way she never imagined.

I received The Bachelor by Stephanie Reed compliments of Kregel Publications 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 absolutely LOVED this novel but once again must way until 2016 to get the third novel in the series, The Bride. This is such a moving novel to conveys hope for our eternal salvation in heaven through the simple faith of becoming like a child again. It is that simple faith of simply accepting things at face value rather than trying to figure them out that makes this one a winner in my opinion and well worth 5 out of 5 stars. The only downside is the wait between the novels, but all great things come to those who wait! There are Book Club Discussion Questions included at the conclusion of this novel as well!

For more information about The Bachelor, Stephanie Reed or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Bachelor by Stephanie Reed

You can find Stephanie Reed on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Bachelor, please visit Kregel Publications website. 

A Love Undone

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Love Undone
WaterBrook Press (September 9, 2014)
by
Cindy Woodsmall


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times 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, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline 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 Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as one of the top three Amish fiction writers.

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.

Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.

(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 below are my three adorable grandchildren! ♥)

ABOUT THE BOOK

A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.

A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.

How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?

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.


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.

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?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Love Undone, go HERE.

Hopeful

Webster's dictionary defines hopeful as exciting hope; promising advantage or success and in her latest series, Return to Sugarcreek, Shelley Shepard Gray does just that for two remarkable characters in her book Hopeful. Miriam Zehr wants to have hope. Being twenty-five among the Amish and without any romantic aspects in her future, she is considered a bit of an outcast by both friends and her family. That make Miriam all the more subconscious about being a little overweight and not the prettiest young woman in her opinion. In fact, no one has ever given Miriam a passing glance. She finds solace in working as a waitress and baker at the Sugarcreek Inn, but even there she comes up short, she can't even make it to work on time. It's a good thing she is such a great baker and hard worker or she would have lost her job awhile ago. But something has to change for her.

When Junior Beiler arrives at the Inn and asks to meet with Miriam at her house after work, she finally feels that God is about to answer her prayers. She thinks Junior has come to court her! She has had her eye on Junior for quite some time and is finally willing to believe something good is coming her way. Even her parents are thrilled to hear that Junior is making plans to come to the house to talk to Miriam, However, when Junior arrives all he wants to know is if Miriam can help set him up with her best friend Mary Kate. In one instant, all her hopes and dreams are dashed in pieces. Yet Miriam will never let anyone know that she set herself up believing for one minute that Junior was interested in her and plays it off in front of her parents and Junior. To Junior, she is willing to be that "friend" he needs to get to Mary Kate, but she can't let her parents and family think that Junior doesn't want to court her, so she begins to live a double life of sorts, not being honest to anyone but most of all not even herself.

Judith Graber has learned after her last miscarriage that she can no longer have any babies and she wonders just what kind of wife can she be to Ben, if she can't give him the family he has wanted. No matter how much Ben assures her that his only concern is for her to get better, no amount of love seems to be enough for Judith to come to terms with only being a wife to Ben and not a mother of his children. She's isn't even willing to consider adoption. Knowing many women who have lost babies, she believes she might find the answer with another doctor, but what if this is the choice God has in store for her, to remain childless. Can she live with that fact forever?

I received Hopeful by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Avon Inspire for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I found myself relating to Miriam's character quite a bit, willing to put her true feelings on the back burner to make everyone else happy. She is undoubtedly a people pleaser. I can see her struggle with her own self image and when things don't work out the way she likes, it seriously affects her self esteem. She finds herself second guessing herself at virtually every turn. I see so much of myself in Miriam's character, I felt like Shelley was writing about me. For me, this was one of the closest character parallels I've ever come across in a novel. It was like watching myself in this novel. I love how it turned out, and I won't give this one away, but trust me you'll want to check this one out. I personally give this a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Hopeful, Shelley Shepard Gray, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Hopeful by Shelley Shepard Gray

You can also find Shelley Shepard Gray on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Hopeful, please visit the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour Page.

Welcome to the blog tour for Hopeful, the first book in Shelley Shepard Gray's new series, Return to Sugarcreek. Critics have already given their thumbs up for Hopeful: “Lovable characters and a good story, full of romance and suspense . . . a must read." (Library Journal)

Enter to win one of FIVE copies of the book. 

Five winners will receive:

• Hopeful by Shelley Shepard Gray

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 23rd. All winners will be announced February 24th at Shelley's blog.

Enter today and be sure to visit Shelley's blog on the 24th to see if YOU won one of the books!

The Calling

Sometimes when you read such a great story about a fictional place, you find yourself wishing that the places, people and settings are real so you could visit. Much is the same for the Inn at Eagle Hill. Suzanne Woods Fisher created just the place in her series, The Inn at Eagle Hill. It's a B & B located on the Amish farm of Rose Schrock and she is trying to find a way to earn a living after the recent death of her husband which also left her under scrutiny of the SEC for Schrock Investments. A company that was owned and ran by her former husband and his business partner Jake Hertzler. Only Jake has disappeared along with her son Tobe and now they are being investigated. Only Rose doesn't know where either of them have run off to, and she is doing everything she can to keep going in spite of all the debt that Schrock Investments now has to pay for their investors.

Bethany is trying hard to forget Jake and the idea that she ever saw anything in him to begin with. Now they they had broken up and Jake has left town, she is trying to find someone to keep her thoughts off of her past and focused on her future. It seems that she can't seem to make any good decisions lately. In fact even though she is tempted by Jimmy Fisher, her neighbor, who is more than interested in her, Bethany feels that she is just one of many girls that Jimmy is interested in. And based on her most recent relationship with Jake, she doesn't believe she is meant to be with anyone at all right now.

While she spends her time trying to help her mother with the guests that are staying at their Inn, she also has a part time job assisting a group of five Amish sisters who are in desperate need of organizing their home. They are what you would call Amish horders and since the Amish are supposed to rotate house for Sunday services, the Bishop has told the Sisters that they have to host as soon as they can get their home ready. That is the reason they have hired Bethany. She isn't attached to anything the Sisters want to hold on to and she could use the money to help her mother. Everything is going along fine until Bethany finds a chest of bones located in the basement and believes the Sisters are murderers. Will she ever be able to go back?

In the novel The Calling, the second book in the Inn at Eagle Hill series from Suzanne Woods Fisher, we are once more taken back into further detail with the Schrock family. In the first novel The Letters, we got an inside look into Rose's life and the establishment of the Inn. Now in The Calling, her daughter Bethany is the focus and we get a chance to see how her past relationship with Jake is complicating matters with helping her family dealing with the investments issues with the SEC. While the novel focuses on the lives of Bethany and Jimmy, we are also introduced to Naomi King, Galen's sister who is married to Rose. Naomi has had a crush on Tobe Schrock since she was a child and now that he has come home to face the music of his dealings with Schrock Investments and Jake Hertzler, Naomi finds her crush has turned into true love. But what will happen when Tobe meets with the SEC investigator. It may mean a life altering choice for Bethany and Naomi.

I received The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Revell 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 can't wait to see how this all plays out and I will have to wait until The Revealing is released to know. However I loved so many of the Amish proverbs that are woven through this story that my poor novel has been ear marked to death. Couple that with an amazing recipe for Rose's Blueberry Buckle that is already calling my name and a Book Discussion Guide that is perfect for book clubs you have it all in one amazing novel. This one is well worth all 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about The Calling, Suzanne Woods Fisher, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

You can find Suzanne Woods Fisher on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Calling from the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour, please click here.



Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating her newest book, The Calling, by giving away TWO iPads, TWO Kindles, and TWO Nooks!
 

Two grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• The Letters and The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Four second place winners will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX or a Nook HD—winner's choice!
• The Letters and The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 8th. All winners will be announced February 10th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 10th to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

Awakened Love

Katie Detweiler is cursed. Cursed to wind up alone and a maidel while everyone else around her falls in love and gets married. At first, she didn't believe it, but the more her friend Patsy reminded her, the more she began to believe that the lot in life that was falling over her was due to being cursed. Losing her brother Noah in a freak accident has left her growing up alone and has caused her mother to remain in depressed state, leaving her and her father behind to stay with family away from the place that brings only loneliness and sadness.

Katie has always wanted to take part in the courtship of the Amish like all her friends, but soon realizes that dream will never come true. Patsy has asked her to stand up as part of her wedding part when she learns that Micah's cousin is in town. To Patsy that means all bets are off and she will stop at nothing to ensure that her and Abram Hilty are married this year. Too bad Abram isn't aware of that plan. Leaving his family to avoid his own past, Abram can't help but notice Katie. She's not like all the other girls he has met, that throw themselves at him, but instead seems to not be attracted to his good looks at all. Now if he can only convince her that he is interested.

When Katie notices Abram's persistent ways to be around her, she believes that he isn't really interested in her, but probably wants to date Patsy. However, Abram manages to persuade Katie that it is her that he wants to date and no one else. But because Katie has grown up believing she is cursed, she believes it's just a prank being played on her by the Amish boys. It will take a lot of convincing on Abram's part and if Patsy has it her way, it will never happen. Things are going to definitely get interesting to say the very least.

I received Awakened Love by Laura V. Hilton compliments of Whitaker House Publishers and Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. This is the third book in The Amish of Webster County and it's a mix of Amish Romance, coupled with a twist of suspense as both Abram's and Katie's past come back to disrupt their lives in ways neither one could ever manage. I literally inhaled this one in a couple of hours. This is a first novel with Laura V. Hilton but it definitely won't be my last. I will be going back to read the first two in this series! Her writing style is very easy going and keeps you hooked from the very beginning all the way to the end. I didn't want it to end. With that being said, it's easy to give Awakened Love a true 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Awakened Love, Laura V. Hilton or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Awakened Love by Laura V. Hilton

You can also find Laura V. Hilton on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Awakened Love from the Pump Up Your Book Tour, please click here. 

Amanda Weds a Good Man

I have fallen in love with the people of Cedar Creek through author Naomi King who introduced us to a handful of the residents there in her novels Rosemary Opens Her Heart and Abby Finds Her Calling. Now launching a new series, One Big Happy Family, Naomi introduces us to Amanda Lambright, a widow with three children who has managed to raise her family in the last four years even if it has been a struggle as a single mom. She finds solace in her best friend Abby who runs A Stitch in Time in Cedar Creek. She understands what it's like to want to work to provide for her family but also knows the struggles facing women in the Amish community trying to do it alone. She only hopes to find a man who might be as understanding as her husband, Atlee was.

When she finds hope in marrying Wyman Brubaker, also a widower with five children, she wonders if they will find ways to mend the differences between the two families. They each come with a set of unique challenges, one of them being that the community of Clearwater is a much stronger Old Amish Order and they believe in sticking to the guidelines set within the community. One of them being that the pottery that Amanda makes and sells at the Cedar Creek Mercantile isn't allowed. In fact, she will have to give up that interest of hers altogether if she hopes to fit in with the new Bishop. Her daughters are also being challenged in their new school with the new rules set forth by the school teacher, the bishop's daughter who believes that their dresses are too short and that too much hair is showing from their kapps.

In the midst of all of this new change, Amanda wonders if she didn't rush into this marriage with Wyman as a way to help one another out. Perhaps this wasn't God's plan after all. She struggles with trying to find a way to communicate with him despite wanting to be a good and devout Amish wife who follows what her husband asks of her. She already knows that Wyman had to tell his previous wife to stop painting because of the Bishop's orders but will he be able to ask Amanda to do the same even if it means causing a rift between them while trying to make things work?

I received Amanda Weds a Good Man by author Naomi King compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and Penguin 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. This is true a novel that you can compare quite simply as an Amish Brady Bunch with a twist. Understanding the guidelines of the Amish faith plays a big part into the roles that Wyman and Amanda fall into, and thus blending two very different Amish orders together along with additional children to the mix is bound to cause more than just a few ruffled feathers. I love how it simply doesn't all fit together and I love the struggle that Wyman is challenged with in finding resolution with his new wife and the community he grew up in. I love this series and can't wait to read the next book which we get a sneak peek at in Emma Blooms at Last at the end of this one. Hands down a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Amanda Weds A Good Man, Naomi King or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Amanda Weds a Good Man by Naomi King

You can also find Naomi King on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Amanda Weds A Good Man from the Pump Up Your Book Tour, please click here.

• Series: One Big Happy Family (Book 1)
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (November 5, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451417879
• ISBN-13: 978-0451417879
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.8 inches

Christmas in Apple Ridge

What a surprise I got when I asked to review Christmas in Apple Ridge from best selling author Cindy Woodsmall, a collection of three novels all rolled into one beautiful book!!! This novel combines three beautiful Amish novels in one beginning with The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing and wrapping up with the newest The Dawn of Christmas. For those of you looking for a great collection all in one book, then this is it for fans of Amish Christian fiction. Cindy Woodsmall is known for writing amazing Amish fiction and couple this with the celebration of Christmas and you know you have a true winner.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells begins this collection when Beth Hetzler heads off on her yearly journey out of town to find new items to carry in Hertzler's Dry Goods among the Amish and English. What she doesn't expect to find is an item carved in wood that truly speaks to her heart and soul. It is one she simply must have and it true is one-of-a-kind. One that just might make this Christmas more memorable when she discovers through writing letters to a wood carver that she just might have found her soul mate.

The Christmas Singing is must like the first novel in this collection involving heart ache and moving on in life. This time Mattie is struggling to find that new purpose in life after losing her heart to her childhood sweetheart. She finds that she must leave her past behind her and start over beginning with a new town and a new business that will keep her mind off her past making cakes.  But can Mattie really forget all about the past including the man who still has a piece of her heart?

The Dawn of Christmas wraps up this collection with Sadie dealing with the loss of the man she once loved, whom she believes has lied to her. Not only is she finding it hard to come to terms with, but the whole town believes him as well. Sadie vows that she will never find love again until it quite literally falls into her lap. When Levi is thrown from his horse, she stays with him to make sure help arrives. They have more in common than they are willing to meet and when they both come up with a plan to prevent people for meddling in their love life, soon they will discover it may not be an act after all!

I received Christmas in Apple Ridge by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah 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. The Christmas season tends to always bring about healing, forgiveness and restoration and these three stories demonstrate that in their own ways. Each of them is dealing with the pain of heartbreak in some way and each vows to accept the hand of fate they have been given until faith in God reveals a much greater plan instead. Each of these stories will make you fall in love with the sense that during Christmas love can be found in the unlikeliest of places. I rate this collection a true 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Christmas in Apple Ridge, Cindy Woodsmall, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Christmas in Apple Ridge by Cindy Woodsmall

You can find Cindy Woodsmall on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Christmas in Apple Ridge visit WaterBrook Multnomah's website.

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; d edition (October 9, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307730999
• ISBN-13: 978-0307730992
• Product Dimensions: 1.5 x 5.2 x 8 inches

An Amish Country Christmas

"An Amish Country Christmas by best selling author Charlotte Hubbard who also goes by the pen name, Naomi King was asked to write a novel based on the characters from both of her Amish series where they get to mix and mingle, this is the result of that collaboration. The reader is bound to get a true gift when they can enjoy their favorite characters from both Willow Ridge and Cedar Creek together for the Christmas Season. With the fact that Charlotte (Naomi) have a book in each of her series all releasing just in time for Christmas, here is the chronological order for these stories: Amanda Weds a Good Man: One Big Happy Family by Naomi King; Winter of Wishes by Charlotte Hubbard; and then An Amish Country Christmas. This order will make sense, especially for Preacher Tom and Vernon Gingerich as they court the Hooley sisters and prepare to get married.

This novel, An Amish Country Christmas is divided into three sections, two of them, fantastic and charming additions to the bigger novels in the series based on Christmas and then the third section entitled, Sugar and Spice gives readers some amazing recipes that they have only read about not only in this book but in other books in the series, just in time for some Christmas baking.

In the first part of the book, The Christmas Visitors by Naomi King, shares the delight of what happens when Nate and Bram Kanagy head to Cedar Creek to pick up a courting buggy and a sleigh from Graber's Custom Carriages. While doing some shopping at the Cedar Creek Mercantile, the brothers have the opportunity to help a girl in need, Martha Coblentz who is struggling with some heavy mineral blocks she needs for her farm. Each seeing an opportunity to take a young girl out for a holiday trip, they both compete for her attentions. What they don't realize however is Martha already has plans for both very handsome young men and that would be to take them back home to meet her sister Mary, an identical twin in every way. What happens along the way is truly unforgettable and a delightful Christmas romance story between families.

In the second half of the book, The Bishop's Kiss by Charlotte Hubbard takes the readers back to Willow Ridge as the community decides what will happen now that the town's previous bishop Hiram was excommunicated for some under handed dealings within the community and now he has moved away to start his own community called Higher Ground, leaving the town searching for who their next bishop will be. Preacher Tom and Vernon Gingerich are about to encounter the Hooley sisters, Nazareth and Jerusalem who each have their sights set on a prospective man. What soon follows is bound to keep even the old at heart in awe as love comes to Willow Ridge in new and unexpected ways.

I received An Amish Country Christmas by Naomi King and Charlotte Hubbard compliments of Kensington Publishing Group and Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I have LOVED every single novel that Charlotte and Naomi have written in the Cedar Creek and Willow Ridge series and this was such a delightful and charming way to take a trip back to these towns to see just how some of my favorite characters are spending Christmas this year. The best part are the amazing recipes I can't wait to try and add some new flavors to my Christmas baking this year. I would rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and it truly does give you a Christmas treat you can enjoy in front of a warm fire on a cold night.

For more information about An Amish Country Christmas, Naomi King, Charlotte Hubbard or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

An Amish Country Christmas by Naomi King and Charlotte Hubbard

You can find Naomi King and Charlotte Hubbard on Facebook to stay up to date with all their latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Amish Country Christmas from the Pump Up Your Book Tour, please click here. 

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (October 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420131885
• ISBN-13: 978-1420131888
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches

The Bargain

"The problem with the English is that everyone wants to lead. No one wants to submit to authority." ~ Betsie's Journal

Imagine a novel where an Amish woman makes a bargain with her cousin and winds up experiencing what life is like for an English family in the 1970's. That is just the premise for the latest novel by author Stephanie Reed, The Bargain, her first novel in the Plain City Peace series.

Betsie Troyer has made a bargain with her cousin Nelson to mind the harness shop while he agreed to serve in the Chicago military hospital without being drafted for two years. The arrangement would include her living with the Sullivans, an English family during her apprenticeship, while her own parents have agreed to leave behind their Amish way of life and heading to Belle Center, Ohio. They have agreed to allow their children however, to make their own choices about whether to leave or stay behind. Betsie is more that convinced her parents are making the wrong decision.

She meets Michael Sullivan, a college drop out, hippie and the only son of the Sullivan's she is planning on working for when he arrives to pick her up for work in his yellow-jacket colored Super Bee. He lives in the small town of Hilliard and is prone to the typical emotional outbursts that were common for teens dealing with all the issues surrounding the time in which this novel takes place. He is moved to the peace movement and tries to teach Betsie some of the slang words of the English as she attempts her first visit to their local supermarket in order to fit in. She clearly doesn't have a clue to what she is saying or doing and finds herself at odds in how to fit in with this very different family.

She is befriended by Michael's younger sister, Shelia who is 12, who she teaches the value of hardwork in taking care of the house, which is being left by the wayside by the now newly liberated Phyllis Sullivan, Shelia's mom. The family is used to such modern conveniences like a dishwasher, washer, and dryer and the television which occupies the late night hours after dinner, which they are use to getting out of a box or by making a TV dinner which is clearly unheard of in Betsie's family.

What ensues along the way is a blending of two very different cultures and two very different types of people. There are some great humorous scenes like Betsie watching an episode of Gilligan's Island and isn't sure why a "good buddy" is being hit with a hat by another man all the time, or why Michael seems upset when Betsie fixes his blue jeans and removes all his patches to make him look less like a scarecrow and more like a respectable man. This is truly an example of an Amish woman who finds her way into That 70's show!

I received The Bargain by Stephanie Reed compliments of Kregel Publications and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are mine alone. There are some great quotes that are included at each chapter opens from Betsie as she journals what her life is like now living among the English family. This one was truly a different kind of Amish fiction for me than I have ever experienced and gave me new insight into what life would have been like for someone so different trying to fit in during a unique time in American history. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the next novel in this series.

For more information about The Bargain, Stephanie Reed or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Bargain by Stephanie Reed

You can also find Stephanie Reed on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Bargain as part of the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour, please click here. 

• Series: Plain City Peace (Book 1)
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Publications (September 19, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082544215X
• ISBN-13: 978-0825442155
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches

Stephanie L. Reed is celebrating the release of The Bargain, the first book in her new series, Plain City Peace, with a Kindle Fire 'Bargain Bundle' giveaway!

 
  One winner will receive a 'Bargain Bundle':

• A Kindle Fire
• The Bargain by Stephanie Reed

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 27th. Winner will be announced at the Litfuse blog on October 28th.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by the Litfuse blog on the 28th to see if you won. (Or, better yet, subscribe to their blog {enter your email in the blog sidebar} and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox)!

A Christmas Gift for Rose

"Rose couldn't get Jonathan off her mind. He'd captured a large slice of her thoughts since that first evening three years ago when he'd stared at her over the fire pit at the Yoder's place during a Singing. Distance had not lessened her care.

When he'd gone overseas, Jonathan had written and told her he worked at the hospitals away from the front lines. Rose should have been thankful, but as a pacifist he should have had no part in supporting the war - not even in the hospitals. If Jonathan had been drafted, that would have been one thing, but he'd volunteered. And while other young Amish men waited out the war on the home front, growing gardens in the small county prisons or working for the Conservation Corps, Jonathan had left their Amish community and traveled to a distant county with armed soldiers. He'd trained in their camps and made friends with outsiders. The shame! And she was the one left to see the disapproval in the gazes of her fellow Amish. To hear the women's comments around the sewing circle. She was the one who'd received a visit from a very unhappy bishop upon the discovery of what Jonathan had done and where he'd gone.

Pretty soon he's going to stop being Amish. Most likely he's already made that choice," the bishop had commented after it was discovered that Jonathan was in France. His disapproval had been clear. Though they were friendly with their English neighbors, there was a dividing line. Though invisible, the barrier was all Rose had been raised to know. There was "them" and "us." Rose knew there was no middle ground.

Being among the English had no doubt changed Jonathan. Supporting the war most likely did too. In all their months apart her feelings for him had never waned, yet how could she continue loving someone who had chosen to follow the world's way?" (pg 8).


In the latest novel from best selling author, Tricia Goyer, A Christmas Gift for Rose, takes us back to the Amish community located in Berlin, Ohio during 1945, where we see the struggle that is working in the life of Rose Yoder when Jonathan left the Amish to join in the war efforts as a medic. It goes against everything they both were brought up to believe. Now that he has returned home, she has assured herself that their relationship is over but why do these feelings for him continue to linger? What will happen when Rose discovers that she too was born English? What will happen to the feelings she still has for Jonathan or will the faith she was brought up on as an Amish woman be too hard to let go of?

I received A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer compliments of Zondervan Publishing and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the review is based on my personal opinion of the book. I love getting the opportunity to review books that bring not only a love for reading during the Christmas season but also share a wonderful message that lasts long after you finish the final page. Tricia Goyer is definitely one of my favorite authors so I LOVED being able to review this book just in time for the upcoming Christmas season. Trust me, you'll want to pick this one up if you love Christian Amish Romances set in the 1940's during a time of war for both the Amish and English communities. This shows what it really means behind sacrifice, deep love and discovering one's own true identity. The answers might just surprise you. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about A Christmas Gift for Rose, Tricia Goyer, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer

You can also find Tricia Goyer on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on A Christmas Gift for Rose from the Litfuse Publicity Tour, please click here.

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (September 24, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310336783
• ISBN-13: 978-0310336785
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches

Eventide

There is something bittersweet that happens when a really great series of novels comes to a close in the final book and Eventide by best-selling author Shelley Shepard Gray is no exception. In her Days of Redemption series, we have followed the Keim family through a series of trials facing them as both Amish and English converts to the faith. In this conclusion to the series, Eventide wraps up some of the lingering questions that have plagued the family since the beginning.

Elise Keim is a twin who shares something that her twin doesn't. She is facing a degenerative eye disease that offers no hope of cure and will ultimately leave her blind. Seeing more than most, she just wishes she could have had the same hope for a future like all Amish women, the ability to fall in love, get married and have a family of her own. But Elise's family treats her like she is more disabled than she is, and finds herself fighting more with them internally than with her own struggle at losing her sight.

Thankfully Landon Troyer sees something in Elise her family doesn't. Her unique ability to face her fears head on with dignity and strength. She doesn't want to be treated any different than any other Amish girl and in order to try to make others see her that way, she fails to inform them just how progressive the loss of her eyesight is. But until Elsie can be honest to Landon and tell him what their future will look like, he believes she is like all other Amish girls and one that has completely captured her heart. Will she have the strength enough to tell him what the future really holds for him if he chooses to marry her?

I received Eventide by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Avon Inspired Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. This is such a perfect novel because it deals with the power of finding forgiveness even when it might just cost you the future happiness you hoped for. Sometimes life involves taking the biggest risk of losing it all in hopes of finally reaching the other side. The one thing I truly admire about the Amish is their sense of family and community and that no matter what obstacle any of them face, they never face it alone. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and bid a bittersweet farewell to the characters I've come to love and really appreciate in every sense of the word in this amazing series. For those of you that want to begin the journey, start with the first book Daybreak and then Ray of Light before closing with Eventide. There is even a Discussion Guide included for book clubs and a sneak peek at Shelley's next novel Peace at the end of this novel.

For more information about Eventide, Shelley Shepard Gray or where you can pick up a copy of this amazing novel please click on the links below:

Eventide by Shelley Shepard Gray 

You can also find Shelley Shepard Gray on Facebook to stay up to date with all her novels.

You can read more reviews on Eventide from the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour by clicking here.


Shelley Shepard Gray is celebrating the release of the final book in The Days of Redemption series, Eventide, by giving away FIVE sets of the series. 

Five winners will receive:

• Daybreak, Ray of Light and Eventide by Shelley Shepard Gray

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 21st. All winners will be announced September 23rd at Shelley's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Shelley's blog on the 23rd to see if you won one of the book sets!

Pennsylvania Patchwork

Sometimes our greatest times of adversity can also be our best opportunities for growth and reliance on God. Such in the case in the latest novel in the Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy Series from author Kate Lloyd, Pennsylvania Patchwork. Once again we pick up the story of Holly Fisher who has recently discovered that her mother, Esther has been keeping a secret from her. In fact, it's quite a huge secret. Esther grew up Amish and left to get married but led Holly to believe she has always had an English upbringing. She learned early on the reason for no real relatives or grandparents were that they were all dead. Now she discovers that she has quite an Amish heritage. Her father, Samuel has been missing in the Vietnam war and is now believed dead for the last few years.

Holly and her mother Esther are now living with her Amish grandmother Anna, who is in need of being taken care of now that she is getting older. What Holly soon discovers is that her grandmother and mother are planning to intervene on her recent engagement to Zack Fleming, a Mennonite veterinarian since learning of  a rumor that Zack may in fact be a father to his recent ex-girlfriend Victoria's son Justin. But until all the facts are in, Holly is willing to wait and see just what happens. While she is spending some time debating the merits of just how honest Zack really is, she suddenly finds herself in the middle of being pursued by two additional men. Larry, a man she meet when she was living in Seattle and an Amish man, Armin who has just returned from living among the English.

Will Holly be able to find a way to sort out her real feelings of love in the midst of three men who all want to marry her? Is Holly willing to give up her English way of life and learn to become Amish like her grandmother Anna who is hoping for her to marry a nice Amish young man? Or will Holly learn something from her mother's own past that may cause her to return to Seattle for good? To find out, you'll need to pick up a copy of Pennsylvania Patchwork.

I received Pennsylvania Patchwork by Kate Lloyd compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. Since reading the first novel in the series, Leaving Lancaster, I knew I wanted to see how Holly's story would play out in this novel. I was not disappointed. Along the way, we learn more about Samuel and his disappearance in Vietnam. Esther also has to deal with the potential of deciding if she will become baptized in the Amish church satisfying a possible marriage with Nathaniel as well as dealing with a health issue with her own aging mother. I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to seeing how this all wraps up in the next novel.

For more information about Pennsylvania Patchwork, Kate Lloyd or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Pennsylvania Patchwork by Kate Lloyd

You can also find Kate Lloyd on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Pennsylvania Patchwork on the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour, please click here. 

Kate Lloyd is celebrating the release of book two in her Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy, Pennsylvania Patchwork, by giving away an authentic Amish-made quilt!







 



One "grand" winner receive:




• An authentic Amish-made Quilt


• Pennsylvania Patchwork and Leaving Lancaster by Kate Lloyd

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced on July 1st at Kate's blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Ray of Light

Summertime is the best time to find some exceptional books to take to the beach or lakeside to immerse yourself in and I've got a great recommendation for those of you that love Amish Fiction. Take Shelley Shepard Gray's latest novel from her Days of Redemption Series, Ray of Light. This is the second book in the series and even though it's part of the series, you can pick this one up as a stand alone and still enjoy it just as much as the first one, Daybreak.

In Ray of Light, we meet Amanda Yoder who is living in the beach side Amish town of Pinecraft in Florida. She has spent the last two years attempting to find a way to move forward in her life after losing her husband, Wesley and is raising her daughter Regina on her own. Despite all the help from her in-laws, they don't seem to think that two years is enough time before Amanda can attempt to find a new love for herself and Regina. She hadn't exactly been looking for anyone either but when her next door neighbors brother comes to town, he seems at ease in talking to Regina. She hadn't been socializing much since her father died and it seems she has found a true friend in Roman Keim.

The only problem with this romance is that Roman is strictly in Florida on vacation and is leaving back to Ohio in a week. What will happened between Amanda and Roman? Will they both be willing to walk away from a potential relationship or will one of them be willing to uproot their home and move closer to the other?

I received Ray of Light by Shelley Shepard Gray compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Avon Inspire, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. I've been a huge fan of Shelley's for quite some time and loved the blend of my favorite places Amish country in Ohio alongside a beachfront setting in Florida. It shows just how many times God will show us a ray of light in the darkest of our storms to teach us better things are on our horizon.

In relationship between Amanda and Roman there is hope being restored for each of them in the process. For Amanda its not only about finding love again but finding someone that it suitable for her younger daughter. Regina only makes the process that much easier when she befriends Roman before Amanda realizes what is happening and that relationship between them is genuine. Not just because Roman finds Amanda more than attractive. He understands the trust that must accompany his actions and words in respect to both Amanda and Regina. Now if they can only find a way to make the distance between them work. You'll have to read this one to see what happens along their journey as well for all the families involved. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Ray of Light, Shelley Shepard Gray or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today please click on the links below:

Ray of Light by Shelley Shepard Gray

You can also find Shelley Shepard Gray on Facebook so you don't miss any of her latest novels.

To read more reviews from the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour for Ray of Light, click here.

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Avon Inspire; Original edition (May 14, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062204424
• ISBN-13: 978-0062204424
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8 inches 

This is available at your favorite book retailer in paperback, audio and eBook reader formats. 

The Confession

I'm a huge fan of family friend movies and LOVE the Hallmark Channel. Now I've got the perfect review and giveaway just for you. Beverly Lewis is one of the best selling authors on Amish fiction and has been blessed enough to not only have one of her famous series made into a movie with The Shunning but now the second in the The Heritage of Lancaster County Series, The Confession is now ready to be released on DVD on June 11th.

In this latest movie, we once again follow Katie Lapp (Katie Leclerc, TV's "Switched at Birth), who we left off in The Shunning learning that she was adopted by an Amish couple and was born English. Her birth mother was searching for Katie but her Amish parents kept both of them apart. Only when learning that her birth mother was dying of cancer, did Katie's Amish mother tell her the truth. Now we find ourselves at the beginning of that journey for Katie to find her mother, Laura Mayfield-Bennett (Sherry Stringfield, TV's "ER"), a socialite now living in New York. She learns from her doctors that she has only weeks left to live before she succumbs to cancer and her only wish in life is to find Katie.

Her husband, Dylan Bennett, is struggling with addiction to alcohol and gambling and she feels if he doesn't get help there won't be anything left of her estate and the foundation she's worked so hard to build. When her husband learns he is being cut out of the will, he is desperate  to satisfy his outstanding gambling debt with some ruthless loan sharks. He learns that Katie is searching for her birth mother, Laura Bennett and soon comes up with a plan to appease his gambling debt and get back in his wife's good graces again but hiring a stand in to act as the long lost daughter. Since Laura has never met the real Katie Lapp and is at the end of her life, she is desperate to believe that Katie has come home at last.

I received The Confession compliments of Sony Pictures, Affirm Films/Provident Films, and Edify Media for my honest review on this DVD and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. The only flaw I saw in this movie is that the actress who played Katie Lapp (Danielle Panabaker) in The Shunning is different than in The Confession so if you are watching them back to back, there is a disconnect between the character of Katie Lapp. I prefer the first actress from The Shunning but the story overall is amazing. The depths to which the husband will go to make money off of his dying wife is extraordinary and has you rooting for her to throw him out and discover the truth. It's only when someone from Katie's past shows up that things get interesting in the Bennett household. Now I can't wait for the next movie in the Hickory Hollow series and hope that Katie can truly find happiness in either her English life or her Amish one.

This movie was directed by Michael Landon Jr and has a running time of approximately 88 minutes. I had the opportunity to review The Shunning on DVD and think this make a wonderful sequel to the series. If you haven't seen The Shunning, I would suggest watching that one first to understand the back story to Katie's Amish upbringing and why the desire to find her birth mother is so strong. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. For more information about The Confession, Beverly Lewis or where to preorder a copy of this DVD today, please click on the links below:

The Confession by Beverly Lewis

You can also find Beverly Lewis on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels. 

You can find more amazing family friendly movies on Affirm Films website or Provident Films website.

The Winnowing Season

"Rhoda Byler shoved her to-do list into the hidden pocket of her apron and slipped out of the summer kitchen. A brief glance assured her non one was around to see her. She needed a few minutes, however fleeting, without anyone tugging at her. Her shoulders and arms ached as she walked into the orchard.

She breathed in, and the heady scents fo fall and ripe apples helped soothe her frayed nerves. After nearly two months of nurturing the tornado-ravaged orchard, she found the view both uplifting and disheartening. Despite their long, hard days of cleaning up felled trees and mending broken ones, the once vibrant orchard looked like a battlefield strewn with injured, defeated soldiers. Would all of her and Samuel's tending restore the wounded trees? Or simply prolong their dying?

How strange that she found comfort in walking among these wounded trees. Much of the orchard lay dormant, waiting for late winter, when new trees would be planted.

But she wouldn't be here for that.

A ladder rested against a tree where she and Samuel has grafted tree limbs from storm-damaged trees into healthy ones, hoping their grafts would take. It wasn't the right time of year for such work, but they were giving this orchard their all before leaving it behind tomorrow.

A wavering, misty image stepped out from behind an apple tree.

Emma.

The vision appeared real enough, but it wasn't actually her little sister. Emma had been with God since the day she was murdered, since the day Rhoda all but sent her teary-eyed sister to that convenience store by herself at exactly the wrong time. Emma often formed in a visible way, as if Rhoda's guilt over her death was burned so deeply into Rhoda's soul that she would see her sister the rest of her days.

And maybe she would, but Rhoda dared to hope the move to Maine would end the haunting memories.

Not long after she met Samuel King of Kings' Orchard last summer, he asked if she would partner her canning business with his family's apple farming business. When she finally agreed, she did so hoping for several things to come from the agreement. One desire was for the aberrations to remain at home in Morgansville, some thirty miles away - and where all memories of Emma had been made.

But whether Rhoda was here at Kings' Orchard or at home with her family, she had yet to be freed of Emma's constant reminders that Rhoda had failed her.

Would Maine be an escape?" (pg 1-2).

In the second novel in the Amish Vines and Orchards Series by author Cindy Woodsmall, The Winnowing Season picks up right where A Season for Tending left off. In this continuation of the struggles that Rhoda Byler faces by the Amish community for having a gift from God that allows her to see into the future using her intuition, she is ready to take on a new challenge. A challenge she hopes will bring her far away from the judgmental eyes from her Amish community and church for being branded as using witchcraft to know things that no one could know about the lives of the people living in Morgansville.

She hopes to find a way to go about living a single life as a successful business woman and in helping build an alliance between herself and the King family. But when Samuel goes to far in bringing an issue to the attention of the church leaders, Rhoda feels that Samuel has overstepped his bounds into her personal life. However will that be the proverbial straw that inevitably severes the relationship between their business dealings?

I received The Winnowing Season by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of Waterbrook Multnomah for my honest review and received no compensation for a favorable review. What immediately drew my interest in this series was the unique gift that Rhoda possesses of being able to use God's gift of prophecy to help the people in her community. Instead of them seeing it as just that, they don't believe that she has been endowed with it from God but instead is up to no good and has resorted to witchcraft to allow herself to be so successful.

This was a unique change from your typical Amish books and I was interested to see how Rhoda would continue to use her knowledge of gardening to potentially help another failing apple orchard. Being a huge gardener myself I was interested to see how this could be incorporated into the novel since most Amish women are seen but not necessarily heard when it comes to running their own business and home as a single woman. The best part about this novel is Cindy's attention to detail. Since I hadn't read the first book in the series, one I will rectify shortly when I pick that one up, is that she takes a moment before launching into this book to bring her readers up to speed where the first book left off. I especially love this because often times there is so much time that lapses between books in a series, you have a tendency to forget what the first book was about. There is also a character reference included in the back so you can refer to it as needed to remind yourself about each of the characters you meet in this one. Hands down a 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait to read the next one in this series.

For more information about The Winnowing Season, Cindy Woodsmall, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Winnowing Season by Cindy Woodsmall

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• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (April 2, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307730042
• ISBN-13: 978-0307730046
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches 

This novel is available at your favorite retailer in paperback, hardcover and eBook formats.