The Gift of Christmas Past

I'm sure all of us can remember our first loves. Those times when we believed we were invincible based on the belief that love would and could conquer any challenges that we faced. Then it seems as if somewhere along the way our fairy tale bubble burst. We were faced with dealing with picking up the pieces of our broken hearts and no longer did we want to believe in love again. That is the very underlying theme facing Hadley when faced with moving from foster home to foster home and dealing with the emotions one might when you feel your life slipping away. Now trying to work through anger management issues and facing the threat of possible jail time for a crime she didn't intentionally commit.

She was now facing having to find somewhere else to live after her current foster parents were asking her to leave. They couldn't deal with her lies and not being able to trust her, when they had tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. But Hadley knew that if she could just find a way to reach Monroe, the love of her life, she might convince him to marry her quickly and the two of them could runaway together and find a new life and future. After he gladly proposes, he tells her that he will meet her later once he is able to go home, talk to his parents and get the money he has saved up, which will be just what they need to start over. Only like most parents, they refused to let Monroe leave. Once they knew that Hadley was facing jail time, his wealthy parents, offered to pay for the best lawyer and provide a financial scholarship for her to continue to pursue her dream as a speech therapist without knowing his family provided it. It was the only reasonable option that would benefit Hadley the most, and with it came the exception that he could not reveal any of it to Hadley and he would break off any future contact with her.

Now ten years later, the two have moved on respectively in their own futures but like all divine appointments, God will once again intervene like a wonderful Hallmark movie and cause them to reconnect not only to find out if they have feelings for one another, but more importantly to heal the brokenness they each have carried since carrying the secrets into their futures. Will there be a true Christmas miracle in store for them both and will love really conquer their tainted pasts to give them a future neither could imagine? Pick this one up to find out.

I received The Gift of Christmas Past by Cindy and Erin Woodsmall compliments of Woodsmall Press and Litfuse Publicity. While you might be thinking this is something predictable, there is a bigger lesson at work between the cover of this novel. It is showing that forgiveness can be found, even if despite all the evidence facing you that points to someone's guilt, resolution is possible. It shows how carrying secrets that could lead to restoration have caused additional pain and hurt that were not needed, but most of all it does show that love really is the greatest gift one could possess. I give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars and it does include discussion guide questions at the conclusion which is perfect for book clubs.

For more information about The Gift of Christmas Past, Cindy and Erin Woodsmall or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Gift of Christmas Past by Cindy and Erin Woodsmall

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

For more reviews on The Gift of Christmas Past, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour page. 

Gathering the Threads

"His Mamm called her the Thread Gatherer. Mann believed life was like an heirloom quilt that life ripped at the seams, and gatherers were rare. But Ariana took the frayed pieces and worked with them until the quilt could fulfill its purpose once again. Quill had seen her do it. At least once she had done it for him, when he was eighteen and his Daed died of a heart attack."

Gathering the Threads by Cindy Woodsmall is the third book in the Amish of Summer Grove series, and for this reader, I hope there is more. The best part of this novel that I really had to share is that at the beginning the author took the time to walk the reader through the previous novels to get them caught up to where this one begins. It is a rare jewel to find this in a series novel, but one I hope more authors will follow suit with.Ties That Bind and Fraying at the Edge are the first two in this series and should be read before picking this one up as it conveys so much more than a simple summary of the first two novels.

Ariana Brenneman is far from the Amish girl that her community remembers anymore, especially her boyfriend Rudy. Even her parents are struggling to figure out just how to get back the Amish girl they have raised, but not the daughter by birth. It was through an accident at birth that Ariana and Skylar Nash were switched and both grew up being raised by parents that were not theirs until they recently discovered the grave error. Since spending months with her English family, Ariana has been exposed to things she never knew before living among the Amish and never once questioning the ways they lived and believed, until now. Being forced by the ministers, her parents and boyfriend, they believe such correction is necessary to help Ariana return to her former life. She can't.

The only people that seem to understand her confusion is her best friend Quill Schlabach, also a former Amish man, Skylar, and her brother by being raised Amish Abram. They understand her confusion about trying to fit back into a society just because that is how you were raised but now are longer the same being exposed to reading the Bible for herself and understanding how the ministers in her community were manipulating things to work for themselves and not the community. It draws a line in the sand between the Amish upbringing she loved, and the new knowledge of what God has provided. Her parents are now faced with the prospect of being shunned if they can't control her defiant daughter, and her boyfriend Rudy isn't so sure he can wait for a girl that may no longer be who she was. This will be a true test of loyalty, love and faith for everyone if they hope to find a lasting peace among them all.

I received Gathering the Threads by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. I really love how this book took into consideration all the things going on for Ariana, being challenged in her faith and standing up for what she believes God wants for her in her life, even if it means losing everything she ever knew. She knows she can never go back to that person, because that person no longer exists. Armed with a sense of love and faith, she tries to convince her family and friends of the life she has now embraced and that it might just mean walking away from everything she had ever known even if it separates her from her Amish family. I only hope that there might be more in this series as there are so many other relationships I would love to see expanded on at the conclusion of this one. This has been one of my favorite series by Cindy Woodsmall and well worth 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Gathering the Threads, Cindy Woodsmall or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Gathering the Threads by Cindy Woodsmall

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

To read more reviews on Gathering the Threads, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah Publisher's website. 

Fraying At The Edge

I can't imagine leaving behind my entire family and moving in with complete strangers, at least to you, but one's you've learned are now your biological parents. To go from living as an Amish young woman to know having to enter an English home is what some might label as culture shock. You're entire way of living is drastically changed and all your hopes and dreams for the future are now placed on a temporary hold for a year. That is what Ariana Brennerman and Skylar Nash are both having to endure.

Ariana Brennerman believed she was the twin of her brother Abram only to learn that she was switched at birth by the midwife when she and Skylar were born in an Amish birthing center and thrust into the same carrier during a fire that same night in an effort to rescue them. For twenty years, they have both lived a life that now is about to be abruptly changed as both sets of parents have asked for time, a year, to spend time with their biological daughters. Ariana was set on preparing to marry Rudy, and now she learns that the entire large Brennerman family is not really her biological family and even worse that she isn't Abram's twin sister.

For Skyler Nash, living in an English world dealing with a prescription drug addiction as a way of dealing with her set of parents who apparently want nothing to do with her, since learning that they have a daughter with a better track record than she has displayed. Both girls will be faced with the challenges of trying to fit into vastly different worlds with parents who want nothing more than to get to know them. Skyler just wants her next drug fix and finding out a way to leave the Amish family and run off with her boyfriend. For Ariana, she has to come to terms with learning that she was conceived out of wedlock when her mom had an affair with a married woman, something she doesn't believe the Amish community and elders will forgive her for. Now she is faced with learning more about the Amish faith from an outsider looking in and seeing God for who He really is. Is it possible the Amish have it all wrong and if so, can she ever go back to her Amish roots and the man she left waiting for her?

I received Fraying At The Edge by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  In the second novel of The Amish of Summer Grove series, I found myself really seeing things from both woman's perspective and seeing the difficulties in dealing with the choices they were faced with. Perhaps the one character I found myself truly admiring the most was Quill Schlabach, her childhood friend who had gotten stuck in the middle with keeping some things confidential to those he made agreements with. What a tough place to be. I don't think I could have kept those great of secrets especially if I knew I would hurt the person I was holding them from once they were revealed. Of course that would all come back to him and it does.

Thankfully Ariana's faith is what gets her through some tough obstacles her English parents throw her way and now as in the first novel, this one ends with a bit of a cliff hanger ending, making me wish I had the third one, ready to read. The best part of this series, is the opening on this novel provided the reader with a short overview of what Book 1, Ties That Bind, was about for those who had to wait long months before this one was available. Now waiting on Gathering Threads, and this will be a nail-biter for me. I just have to know how this will turn out. Once again, couldn't stop once I began this one because I needed to know how it would all play out. For me, that is the ear-mark of a true 5 out of 5 stars novel.

For more information about Fraying At The Edge, Cindy Woodsmall or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Fraying At The Edge by Cindy Woodsmall

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

To read more reviews on Fraying at the Edge, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah's website. 

Ties That Bind

I am sure that kids that have been adopted, often wonder a lot about what life would have been like if they were raised by their birth parents, and perhaps even children from divorces often face that challenge as well. But what if you grew up knowing one way of life, and then learning that this wasn't your life after all? Could you come to terms with the results of thinking the people who raised you and your siblings weren't really yours after all?

In the novel Ties That Bind by Cindy Woodsmall, Ariana Brennerman is coming to terms with the issues of trusting those she loves. Even since dreaming of the day when her and Quill Schlabach might marry, she had her heartbroken when he ran off into the evening with her best friend Frieda and leaving her a letter trying to explain things. Now at twenty-one, she has spent her life trying to do everything she can for everyone in her family. In my world, one might call her a people-pleaser, doing for others while she is left going without. But for her, her future is looking up. She is on the verge of fulfilling a dream of owning her own restaurant with being just $6000 short of her down payment and dating Rudy, a man who have given her his whole heart.

At late night encounter, leaves Ariana running into Quill once again, and all she can see is rage against the one person she trusted more than anything else in the world. The one person she loved, left her behind to marry her best friend. She can't even understand why he has returned except to help his ailing mother in any way he can. The leaders of the Amish community can't know about him being back and Ariana certainly isn't going to tell anyone, except the one person who knows her better than herself, her twin brother Abram. But when Quill informs her that someone in her family is considering leaving the faith and the community, Ariana believes it is her life mission to prevent him from hurting the only family she has ever known. But is there more to Quill than what she believes and can she learn to trust him again even if it means hurting those closest to her?

I received Ties That Bind by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.This is the first novel in the Amish of Summer Grove Series and it truly begins with a powerful opening. For me, this is a more mature Cindy Woodsmall in this series. There is a more serious theme in this novel than ones I have had the opportunity to read in the past. I would almost compare this series to one from Wanda Brunstetter with a more straight-forward approach to the situation developing between the Brennerman family and those leaving the Amish faith. I absolutely inhaled this one in an afternoon and am super excited to read the next novel in the series, Fraying the Edge. For me, this one easily garners a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Ties That Bind, Cindy Woodsmall or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Ties That Bind by Cindy Woodsmall

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

To read more reviews on Ties That Bind, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah Publisher's website. 

The Angel of Forest Hill

Words.

They can cut to the core of who you are, even if they aren't true. We tend to focus on the negative ones instead of the positive things people say about us. If we don't stop it, it will force us to put up a wall between ourselves and the people we love in an effort to not be hurt by those who love us the most.

At least that was what Rose Kurtz believed. When the offer to leave her home and tend to an Amish family in a small community who needed someone to care for their children, Rose was offered up. Her community and family never dreamed it would be forever, but for Rose it was a chance to make a name for herself against what her mother and father said to her. That she never was good enough for anything including finding love. She was better off tending to her parents farm and household, caring for her 11 brothers than finding love anywhere else.

So when the opportunity came, Rose went. She never imagined she would walk into a home on the night the wife and mother died after childbirth. Even after a few weeks she imagined going home to a life she didn't want to be a part of. Here at least in the Dienner home, caring for Joel, and his three children, she felt she had a sense of purpose. However when Joel and his father came up with a plan for Rose to remain in the home, she never imagined marriage as a contractual agreement to care for his children would be the one she dreamed of. At least it prevented her from having to go home to a life she hated, and here she could raise and care for Joel's children as if she was their mother.

But when another widow shows us and garners Joel's attention, Rose believes that the feelings she had been developing for him is just another sign she isn't supposed to have a future. She wonders if there is hope for her at all and if love is just something for others but not for her. After 4 years of marriage with Joel, what did she expect? That he would honestly develop feelings for her?

I received The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers. This is such a wonderful feel good Christmasy novel that reminds us all what it means to feel loved by those in our lives. I could relate to Rose's character the most because I dealt with the same self esteem issues growing up, wondering if anyone could love me. The best part is how Joel and Rose work on building their ability to communicate around the walls they put up to protect themselves and realize while they were keeping people from hurting them, they were also keeping themselves from the love they needed and deserved. There are also some amazing recipes tucked in the conclusion of this wonderful novel and well worth a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

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

The Angel of Forest Hill 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 The Angel of Forest Hill, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page. 

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.

Seasons of Tomorrow

The divine gift on intuition and insight that Rhoda Byler has been given to her by God, have many in the Amish community Orchard Bend, Maine questioning its validity. Most of the Old Order Amish believe that she is practicing witchcraft when the visions she has come true without any knowledge of just how she knows these things before they happen. Even Rhoda herself can't explain them, just that she does. Most of the times, she keeps these visions to herself because of the accusations being waged against her by her own people, most vocal by Samuel and Jacob King's father. They have moved from Pennsylvania to begin a new community and to establish Orchard Bend Farms, an apple orchard and canning business and have partnered with Rhoda Byler in part to her knowledge and experience in organic growing and tending the orchards. She was also in love with Jacob at one point believing they would be married.

But over time, secrets have caused a great divide between them. Jacob has a past that he has kept secret which involves another woman, Sandra and her daughter Casey and placed them all in legal hot water. When Rhoda herself wound up dealing with her own set of legal issues, instead of standing by her, Jacob left in an attempt to keep his secrets from hampering her investigation. Yet what they did was to cause Rhoda to gain support from Samuel, his brother, and over time, they both began to develop feelings for one another. Even though they tried to deny their feelings, eventually all three realized that the relationship between Jacob and Rhoda would never amount to what a marriage should be based on and Jacob called it off. Instead of resolving his bitterness against Samuel and Rhoda, Jacob moved away to give them all time to heal.

Now that the orchard is in full swing getting read for spring, an unforeseen tragedy will test everyone involved in unprecedented ways. Samuel's sister Leah is struggling with her own romantic feelings for Landon, an Englischer that was hired by Rhoda as her assistant to help build the business. Even though he understands the complications facing Leah by their love, he can't help but wonder if God has bigger plans in store for them. If they don't keep their feelings out of the public eye, Leah could face shunning by her community as well as bring down the orchard business for Rhoda and the King family if they get rid of Landon. They too could face shunning from their community for letting an Englischer causing one of their own to fall astray. But Leah is starting to come to an understanding of God's love through her faith by attending Landon's church and believes God might be calling her in a different direction. Once again if she walks away from her Amish faith, and leaves with Landon it will jeopardize more than just Orchard Bend Farms but isolate herself from her support system as well.

I received Seasons of Tomorrow by Cindy Woodsmall compliments Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable one. This is the fourth book in the Amish Vines and Orchards Series. I've loved this series from the first novel and have been wanting more of it with each additional novel that Cindy writes. The best part of this one, is the recap of the entire series up to this point at the beginning. It provides a brief look at what has been happening to all the major characters through the first three novels so you can jump right in. I love when authors do this, not so much because new readers might pick this one up without realizing there are more in the series and might be lost, but for those of us that patiently wait until the next novel comes out, the time that has passed makes us forget where we left off without having to go back and reread the previous books. The best part of this series for me, is the gift of foresight that Rhoda is given by God. It isn't something she can control or make happen when she needs it, but when it happens like a day dream, she has to make sense of what is happening by the clues she is given, like looking through a photo album and seeing pictures of her friends and then minutes later someone in those pictures is now missing. She isn't sure why that is, will they die, are they going to leave, or are they being removed for some other reason. Trust me, this series has been may favorite so far and can't wait for more. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Seasons of Tomorrow, Cindy Woodsmall, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Seasons of Tomorrow 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 Seasons of Tomorrow, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah's website. 

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

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

You can also follow Cindy Woodsmall on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can also visit her on her website by clicking here. 

• 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. 

Sisters of the Quilt: The Complete Trilogy

The best part about reading Amish fiction is that you really come to love a series of characters, in this case the Lapp family from Owl's Perch. In this wonderful collection from Cindy Woodsmall, The Sisters of the Quilt is a complete novel containing three books in one and makes for a wonderful novel.

When the Heart Cries begins the story of the Lapp family with the oldest daughter Hannah spending much of her time working at an Mennonite farm just down the way from her farm. She has come to fall in love with Paul, the grandson of the women she is caring for. Yet she is caught between knowing what to do about it. Being only 17, she is in the middle of her rumspringa, and if she chooses to pursue the relationship with Paul, it might mean being shunned by her family or Paul having to lose his. When she decides to let God handle the details, she is forced into a car while walking home and is raped. This is considered an unmentionable by the Amish and one that may prove to be a shame to the community. Will Paul be able to handle the truth if Hannah can manage to tell him or will her family have Hannah sent away in shame?

When The Morning Comes deals with the Hannah Lapp being rejected not only by her entire family but even the man she loves turns his back on Hannah. She has no choice but to follow her heart and head to Ohio to find the aunt that was shunned many years ago by her father. Hannah will now learn to let her heart heal and learn how to put the pieces of her broken heart back together doing what she loves, learning about medicine and helping the Amish women out as a midwife. But has Hannah truly left her old past behind in Owl's Perch or will her past find a way to bring all the pain back to her new life?

When The Soul Mends is the final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series and now Hannah is on the brink of accepting her new life when a phone call late one night from her sister Sarah warrants an urgent return home. Seems like someone has been setting fires in Owls Perch and Sarah senses she is the one doing it. Now her best friend Matthew and his brother David have been injured in the fire and Hannah knows she has to be there for Matthew. Will that mean that the life she left behind in Ohio will be forgotten or will Hannah finally see that she can't outrun the mistakes from her past and finally reconcile with God?

I received Sisters of the Quilt series complements of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review and I have to say, I LOVED this idea. So many great Amish authors have such amazing series and to read them back to back really does create a seamless transitions between books. The strength of Hannah's character can teach us all that God will use any situation to bring about good in our life even though at the time, we may not be able to see it. Now you can see how Hannah's life is brought to a complete circle and see just how mighty God's healing hand can be. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and hope more Amish authors do the same with their series.

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

Sisters of the Quilt Series: The Complete Trilogy by Cindy Woodsmall

You can also find Cindy on Facebook by clicking here.

The Christmas Singing Promo

Cindy Woodsmall is known for her great Amish fiction books and now has written a heart-warming story for Christmas. Click here for an excerpt. The best part is the savings WaterBrook Multnomah is offering its readers this Christmas to get a copy to you at a discount.

You can get 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing (and any other title) when you use promo code CHRISTMAS11 at checkout on WaterBrookMultnomah.com. The coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.

The Christmas Singing

Mattie Lane is said to be a journey one encounters during the course of the day when anything extraordinary or magical can happen. It's also the pet name for Mattie Eash, bestowed upon her by Gideon Beiler when they were courting. Now whenever she hears it, it makes her cringe with anger, bitterness and extreme sadness.

Gideon broke up with her after Mattie discovered him in the arms of an English girl named Ashley. Gideon said it was for the best and for the last two years, Mattie has attempted to start her life over again. This time with someone who is stable and won't leave her, Sol and if she can just find it in her heart to love him enough to marry him, then her life might be as perfect as it had been with Gideon.

She's been able to start over as the owner/baker of Mattie Cakes, making muffins, cupcakes and homemade custom designed cakes for the people who come into her bakery for a taste of goodness and the love she pours into her cakes. When tragedy strikes the bakery and fire erupts leaving it in a pile of ashes, and Mattie in the hospital, Gideon rushes to her side to ensure that the woman he has spent his whole life loving is safe. He wonders if one day, he'll have the courage to tell her the real reason he called off their engagement but for now he's content just making sure she'll be OK after the fire.

In the latest novel from Cindy Woodsmall, The Christmas Singing, takes us into the mixed up world of Mattie and Gideon. Into the world of love that will never die and remains the perfect ingredient for a Amish Christmas story that will last long after you finish the final page. I received this book compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review and found this to be the perfect recipe for a cold, winter's night to warm your heart and give you a blend of Christmas Spirit. This one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars! For more information about this book, the author or where to pick up this wonderful book, please click on the links below:

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

You can also find Cindy Woodsmall on Facebook by clicking here.

The Harvest of Grace

Picking up right where The Bridge of Peace left off, Cindy Woodsmall takes us once more back into the lives of the characters we have come to know and love to see where their lives are headed, in the latest novel, The Harvest of Grace. This is the third book in the Ada's House series and it feels nice to head back to the Amish farm lands once more.

We find ourselves meeting a new friend, Sylvia Fisher, who is one of six daughters in her family and the one that has taken up working the family farm with her Daed. She hasn't wanted to live the typical Amish girls life and has made improvements to the dairy farm that have been instrumental for helping them turn the farm around and even begin making a huge profit. So when Elam, the boy she has imagined marrying, proposes, she isn't sure why she hesitates and asks for a few weeks to consider the request.

When she learns that because she asked for him to wait, he has asked her sister Beckie instead and they have agreed to marry instead. Feeling the ultimate sense of betrayal, Sylvia feels she has no choice but to leave the farm. When she answers an ad in the newspaper to assist another dairy farmer in need, her family is beyond hurt and her Daed tells her she won't be able to have contact with any of her sisters any longer.

Aaron Blank is the prodigal son who is returning to his fathers dairy farm after being in rehab to fight his alcoholism. Armed with a plan to convince his Daed and Mam to sell the farm and get out from under the mounting debt, he doesn't realize that he is about to come face to face with his newest challenge, Sylvia. She believes she can turn the family dairy farm around, but Aaron already has his mind set on running an appliance shop in the town of Owl Perch, he only needs his father's signature to make the deal complete.

I received the novel, The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review. Once again new characters are introduced to the ones we have come to love and adore from the previous two novels and truly see in this one, that God's grace is available to anyone, no matter what their circumstances are or how far they feel like they have stepped away. An unforgettable story of redemption and forgiveness found among the love of family and friends. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars!

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

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

You can also find Cindy on Facebook by clicking here.

When The Soul Mends

Someone is setting mysterious fires around the Amish town of Owl's Perch. Only this time, someone is killed in the fire.

When Hannah returns home after being ostracized by her community over something in her past, she wonders if time truly does heal all wounds. When she attends the funeral of a close friend who was killed in the fire, she finds even her father isn't willing to let the past go. Determined to help her sister Sarah, who seems to be having a mental breakdown, she tries to find a suitable Amish doctor who can help Sarah figure out the difference between reality and what she imagines is real.

Seeing the only suitable doctor in town is Paul, Hannah's ex fiance', Hannah struggles with having to deal with him to provide the care Sarah needs in addition to dealing with Dorcas, his new love interest. Hannah didn't think it would be a problem since she has falling in love with Martin Palmer, a wealthy English man who accepts Hannah's lifestyle and doesn't wish for her to change anything she isn't comfortable with.

Since his brother's death, Matthew is having difficulty knowing what to do. Caught between the love of two women, he must make a choice to live in the English world or return to his Amish one and begin rebuilding.

In the latest novel, When The Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall, we see the stories of so many lives that are torn apart by things that have happened in the past, but will any of them be strong enough to move forward or will their past keep them bound forever. This is the story of what forgiveness means. Forgiveness isn't for the person who has hurt us, it's to allow us to heal and move forward instead of being held back by regrets.

I received this book compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review and give this story a full 5 out of 5 stars. This is the third book in the Sisters of the Quilt series. So if you love Amish stories, this one is a must have. This book is available in paperback, hardcover, CD, and eBook formats.

For more information regarding the author, the book or where to purchase this, click on the link below:

When The Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

You can also follow her on Facebook here!

Plain Wisdom

Sometimes the very best kinds of friendships develop over distances. Too often times we fail to be the very friend we are looking to find in others, but we do need to find ways to develop the friendships we have and one of the best ways to do this is to do a kindness when they're not expected.

Remember that when your friends aren't perfect, be grateful - because if they were, you'd be the only one in that relationship who wasn't.

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author of several novels whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She shares her insights as a wife, mother and friend along with Miriam Flaud, who is an Old Order Amish woman who has lived within one of the most structured societies in the United States.

Cindy and Miriam have co-authored the latest novel called Plain Wisdom, in which they share how their differences have brought about a sense of respect and gratitude for one another in the very different lifestyles that have led through their lives and how that sweet blend has transformed their friendship in very delicious ways.

Throughout the book are scripture quotes in which each author gets an opportunity to share their insight or wisdom with us, their captivated audience. Whether it's through short stories shared over coffee and by the fading light of the sun, we are warmed in their love and hope. What a treasure this book was to read today and to have the opportunity to share with you, my readers.

I received this book compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review and was so captivated by the stories of these two amazing friends that I felt I was intruding on a private conversation. Yet in the midst of the pages of this book, I found hope, redemption, forgiveness, faith and most importantly love, not only for their friends and family but for the differences that make us all unique and who we are with our own stories to share.

I loved learning more about the Amish community and feel we have so much to learn from them and in respecting their ways of living. This book rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. This book is available in paperback, and some eBook formats . I invite you to join in this wonderful book and promise you that it will warm your heart with friendship and love. What a great gift to offer for that special friend or family member in your life!

For more information about this book, the beautiful and talented authors, catch a sneak peek at the book trailer and first chapter of this book, and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

Plain Wisdom, An Invitation Into An Amish Home and The Hearts of Two Women

The Bridge of Peace

Living in the Amish community isn't easy. Especially when you have a disfigurement that is so apparent, people can't seem to notice it when looking at you. No matter how hard you try to hide it, its no use.

Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man, named Peter, whose only goal is to finish school no matter what the cost.

Lena has to deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and use of ideas that don't line up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board's case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.

One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife, Elsie, has shut him out of her life, and he doesn't know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls their family.

Lena and Grey have been life-long friends, but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?

This novel, A Bridge of Peace, by Cindy Woodsmall, is a great Amish story with a difference. This time it isn't so much about falling in love in the Amish community but more with how does the Amish community cope when they don't care for the newest school teacher that comes with Public School ways of teaching. Or even how does one rebuild your life and marriage when its finally reached an end of no hope? What happens when a wife finds herself abandoned by her Amish husband and left with no way to make a living in a failing bakery business when everything around her home is falling apart, including her horse that has become lame due to her own neglect?

This novel is about finding hope in the hopeless situations? That no matter how tragic the loss in your life is, there is always God and the restoration possibilities that await when we return to Him for the solution. I absolutely adored this book. I got a deeper understanding of the Old Order ways of the Amish lifestyle as well as how someone outside the community is treated. I would rate this amazing book a 5 out of 5 stars and would highly recommend this book to anyone in need of recharging their faith and hope.

I received this book, compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. For more information about the book, the author and even a first chapter sneak peek, then read on:

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Bridge of Peace WaterBrook Press; Original edition (August 31, 2010) by Cindy Woodsmall
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

She was also a homeschool mom. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter.

Her first novel released in 2006 to much acclaim and became a best seller. Cindy was a 2007 ECPA award finalist, along with Karen Kingsbury, Angela Hunt, and Charles Martin.

Her second book, When the Morning Comes, hit numerous best-sellers lists across the US, including edging into the extended list of the New York Times, coming in at number thirty-four.

Her third book, When the Soul Mends, hit the New York Times best-sellers list, coming in at number thirteen, as well as making the USA Today’s best-sellers list.

Cindy continues to write and release best-selling works of fiction, and she’s also written a nonfiction work with an Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud. The book is titled Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. It will release March 11, 2011.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children.

Cindy, her husband, their three sons and two daughters-in-law reside in Georgia.


Here's a wonderful contest to enter:


Win a "Trip To Amish Country"...contest opens August 31st -December 31st...go HERE to enter!

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Bridge of Peace, go HERE.