A Fragile Hope

"Alone. It's a feeling. Not a destination or condition. God is especially near to those who think they're alone." ~ Seedlings and Sentiments from the "Faith" collection.

Too bad pieces of wisdom like this one came to Josiah Chamberlain a bit too late. One would hardly believe that the writer of such valued books on marriage, would fail to recognize that his own marriage was in trouble. But life can be like that sometimes, passing us by without us realizing it and we wonder why did all the time go. But now, Josiah will have to come to terms with an unknown future and the endless questions that have no answers. The only people who could answer them are either dead or in a coma. Was his wife really having an affair and leaving him?

Now faced with an uncertain future, not knowing if his wife, Karin would ever gain consciousness, he can only stare at her hopeless and wonder about the few clues left behind. A note left to her business partner Leah apologizing for leaving her and the mess that would come with it. A packed suitcase. Leah's husband Wade, driving her so far from her business and then subsequently losing control of her car and hitting a tree, killing him. What didn't he see? Why would she leave him after all these years?

Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, Josiah learns that Karin is pregnant and that the child has managed to survive the accident. The one thing Josiah knows is that the child isn't his. For many years Karin and him had tried unsuccessfully to have children and after all the tests came back, it appears that he is the one to blame. Even after learning of this and still wanting children, Karin was willing to adopt by Josiah was adamant that this wouldn't be an option. If God had wanted them to have children, they would be able. He now was comfortable with them living out their remaining years as a couple. Just how long had this affair with Wade been going on? Where did he go wrong in meeting her needs that she had to look someplace else? Then again, if she has to ask, then I'm doing it wrong.

I received A Fragile Hope from Cynthia Ruchti compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity. 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. The one thing I notice about Cynthia Ruchti's novels is that they take you to those uncomfortable places in life that no one wants to go. In fact people are relieved when it happens to someone else and not them. In this case the issue of infidelity is tossed in the face of a man who is considered an expert in marriage and finds that while he was busy giving his advice to everyone else, he failed to listen to any of it himself. Now face with the uncertainty of a future without his wife and a baby that isn't his, all he can do is struggle with the silence facing him. The only one who can explain things is in a coma that doesn't look like a great outcome and how will he deal with it if those answers remain unknown forever? For me this one was worth 5 out of 5 stars and includes discussion questions that make this perfect for book clubs.

For more information about A Fragile Hope, Cynthia Ruchti or where you can pick a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti

You can find Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Fragile Hope, please visit Litfuse Publicity Book Tour Page.
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When your life's work revolves around repairing other people's marriages, what happens when your own marriage begins to fall apart? Find out what happens to Josiah Chamberlain in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, A Fragile Hope. Feeling betrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and the strength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Will what's left of his faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing that holds him together and sears through the impenetrable wall that separates them?

Celebrate the release of A Fragile Hope by entering to win Cynthia's Sign of Hope Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of A Fragile Hope
• A metal wall scripture hanging

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 3. The winner will be announced May 4 on the Litfuse blog.

A Fragile Hope

"Alone. It's a feeling. Not a destination or condition. God is especially near to those who think they're alone." ~ Seedlings and Sentiments from the "Faith" collection.

Too bad pieces of wisdom like this one came to Josiah Chamberlain a bit too late. One would hardly believe that the writer of such valued books on marriage, would fail to recognize that his own marriage was in trouble. But life can be like that sometimes, passing us by without us realizing it and we wonder why did all the time go. But now, Josiah will have to come to terms with an unknown future and the endless questions that have no answers. The only people who could answer them are either dead or in a coma. Was his wife really having an affair and leaving him?

Now faced with an uncertain future, not knowing if his wife, Karin would ever gain consciousness, he can only stare at her hopeless and wonder about the few clues left behind. A note left to her business partner Leah apologizing for leaving her and the mess that would come with it. A packed suitcase. Leah's husband Wade, driving her so far from her business and then subsequently losing control of her car and hitting a tree, killing him. What didn't he see? Why would she leave him after all these years?

Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, Josiah learns that Karin is pregnant and that the child has managed to survive the accident. The one thing Josiah knows is that the child isn't his. For many years Karin and him had tried unsuccessfully to have children and after all the tests came back, it appears that he is the one to blame. Even after learning of this and still wanting children, Karin was willing to adopt by Josiah was adamant that this wouldn't be an option. If God had wanted them to have children, they would be able. He now was comfortable with them living out their remaining years as a couple. Just how long had this affair with Wade been going on? Where did he go wrong in meeting her needs that she had to look someplace else? Then again, if she has to ask, then I'm doing it wrong.

I received A Fragile Hope from Cynthia Ruchti compliments of Abingdon Press and Net Galley. The one thing I notice about Cynthia Ruchti's novels is that they take you to those uncomfortable places in life that no one wants to go. In fact people are relieved when it happens to someone else and not them. In this case the issue of infidelity is tossed in the face of a man who is considered an expert in marriage and finds that while he was busy giving his advice to everyone else, he failed to listen to any of it himself. Now face with the uncertainty of a future without his wife and a baby that isn't his, all he can do is struggle with the silence facing him. The only one who can explain things is in a coma that doesn't look like a great outcome and how will he deal with it if those answers remain unknown forever? For me this one was worth 5 out of 5 stars and includes discussion questions that make this perfect for book clubs.

For more information about A Fragile Hope, Cynthia Ruchti or where you can pre-order a copy of this book that is due out in April of 2017, please click on the links below:

A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti

You can find Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Fragile Hope, please visit Abingdon Press' website. 

Song of Silence

"There are moments in life, seasons in life, when it seems that God goes silent. We wait. We listen. Nothing. No movement. No stirring. No signs of hope or relief. In the silence, it's tempting to believe nothing is happening. Good musicians understand the crucial role silence plays in music. The pause creates tension. They give weight to what is about to come or what has just passes. These silences are not empty, dead space. They're the crucial, fertile silences that make a song what it is. Musically speaking, in the silence, something is happening.

"In your season of waiting on God to speak, don't be fooled into thinking that just because nothing's happening, nothing's happening. In the silence, a song is brewing. Even now, in the quiet pause, in the desperate waiting between what was and what is to come, a song is being composed. You are becoming, and this becoming is not empty and passive. It's active, fertile and alive no matter how hidden it may seem to your ears. Wherever you find yourself waiting...keep composing. Keep becoming. Keep hoping and listening. Somewhere beneath the silence that is your life, a faint chord is striking, a song is brewing. - Brad Nelson, Restoration Living" (pg 201-201).

Such profound advice for retired music teacher Lucy Tuttle who finds herself afloat in her life without a sure way to figure out what is next. Being forced into early retirement when the school board votes to eliminate the music program, she feels like she has no voice. No song left to sing. Her husband Charlie, who has been retired is looking forward to this chapter of their life where he has hopes of spending it with Lucy. Lucy realizes how much this early retirement will cut into their finances and can't seem to get her head above water long enough to figure out what she is going to do.

Her daughter Olivia, needs to move home temporarily while she finishes up school and at the same time, her son just announces that he is getting married to someone who he has barely known at all. Along with that relationship comes the fact of dealing with Sasha who is deaf and her son Evan who has Asperger's. Just how much more can one woman be expected to deal with at this stage in her life when age seems to play an imminent role in her finding another teaching position. The last thing she wants to do is hang out with her husband Charlie who is considering going into the worm farm business and Lucy would make the perfect partner.

I received Song of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti compliments of Abingdon Press 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 review. This is such a great novel as I find myself considering entering the work force at the same age as Lucy is and wondering how I will be received. I couldn't imagine dealing with all that she is faced with all at the same time. Love her HHATT group, her doctor has her meet with and can only hope I can form my own such group to share my inner most woman feelings with to those who can truly understand. For me, this one easily goes down as a 5 out of 5 stars and a Reader's Discussion Guide is included for those real book clubs to enjoy! I hope Cynthia decides to expand this into a series of the women we meet in Lucy's HHATT group! Would love to know their stories!

For more information about Song of Silence, Cynthia Ruchti or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Song of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti

You can find Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

For more reviews on Song of Silence, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.


As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, will Lucy's faith song go silent, too? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, Song of Silence. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes. When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything.

Celebrate the release of Song of Silence with a blog tour and giveaway. Two winners will be chosen!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Song of Silence
• A $150 Visa cash card

One second place winner will receive:

• A copy of Song of Silence
• A music-themed prize pack filled with goodies hand-picked by Cynthia

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 9th. The winners will be announced May 10th on Cynthia's blog.

An Endless Christmas

Once you finish reading An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti, you will undoubtedly want a family like the Binders. As the family gathers at the cottage of Dodie and Wilson Binder in the woods just north of Stillwater, something of a family tradition, Micah and Katie prepare for her first visit on meeting the family and of course the parents. They have been dating for almost 10 months and while things have been going great, Katie knows no matter how perfect Micah is, he won't want anything to do with her once she reveals what she has been hiding. What she didn't expect was for him to propose just moments after they arrived at the cottage.

They just didn't expect her answer to the question. Of course, she said, "No." She expected reactions she didn't get and while the woman rallied around her, the men attempted to figure out why she had said no and to hopefully figure out a plan to keep things going between the two. Perhaps she simply needed more time. Perhaps being under the pressure of being in a home filled to the brim with family members she was just seeing and meeting at the same time. No one wanted to think it wasn't because she didn't love Micah. The truth was she truly did, but now all Katie wanted to do was make plans to escape this place before Christmas arrived.

Yet no matter how much she tried to pull away, the families closeness, genuine love and peace kept her from making any immediate plans. She found herself trying to come up with legitimate excuses of why she shouldn't just rush on out the door. Being a nurse practitioner gave her much needed insight that most people missed and one thing was certain, despite all appearances, Micah's grandfather didn't look well at all. What it was she wasn't certain, but perhaps she might be needed after all and it wasn't for finding time to explain things with Micah even though she needed to do that. What she would find in the course of the time she spent with the Binders is that they truly were a family that wasn't afraid of honesty or for showing one another how they truly felt. She might just get more than a miracle this Christmas.

I received An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti compliments of Worthy Inspired and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. This is truly a beautifully inspired Christmas book that will not only get you in the mood for Christmas but quite likely change how you view the Christmas season. Life is filled with fleeting moments and no tomorrow is ever a guarantee. This story helps you to appreciate each day as if it were an endless Christmas. For me, this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and has found a permanent home in my personal library!

For more information about An Endless Christmas, Cynthia Ruchti or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti

You can find Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

For more reviews on An Endless Christmas, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page. 

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Worthy Inspired (October 13, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1617955876
• ISBN-13: 978-1617955877
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 1 inches

As Waters Gone By

How would you handle your life, if suddenly everything changed in one split second? Missing a phone call from your husband asking you to come pick him up, and in return he was involved in an accident while driving under the influence and disabling a homeless man who just happened to be sitting in front of the building he crashed into? After the trial, he was sentenced to five-years in prison and he told you he didn't want to be married to you any longer? He wanted a divorce and wanted no further contact with you? What would you do?

That is just the premise that sets up the latest novel from best-selling author Cynthia Ruchti in As Waters Gone By. Oh this novel truly beckons to be read by a cottage by the lake, because that is just where Emmalyn Ross finds herself after walking away from both a lucrative career as an executive chef when the economy turns south. Having sold their home in an effort to stay afloat without her income or that of her husband, she finds the only place left to go is an old hunting cottage on Madeline Island that has been fully paid for. She only hopes what she has left in her savings will pay for whatever repairs need to get the cottage in livable condition while she sorts out what to make of the life she dreamed she have one day, that seems to be falling apart like the hunting cottage.

She will find solace and healing as she sorts through what she had hoped her life would be and what may remain of it, as she sets out on the restoration project of a lifetime. Not just with the hunting cottage itself, but what she envisioned the life she would have with Max, had this accident not stolen it from her. As she works on the bits and pieces of her life, she finds the most unlikely place to meet friends who will become not only her dearest friends, but her mentors and advocates to help her find her place in this life.

I received As Waters Gone By written by Cynthia Ruchti compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Abingdon Press for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review aside from the complimentary copy of the novel. The opinions contained here are strictly my own. Each time I read a novel like this one, I often ask myself the same questions I posted at the beginning of the review. How would I handle the situation the main character Emmalyn finds herself in, not by her own choices, but those of her husband which impacts her. I love that it is set on an Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior and found myself quite literally in the shoes of Emmalyn as I was reading it. From the short stay at the Wild Iris Inn where she meets Bougie, the proprietress of the property who brings a form of healing in the way of friendship for Emmalyn who is trying to bear this burden in her life alone. She is seeking a sort of definition for her life when she thought all she might be was a wife and mother one day, but thanks to circumstances beyond her control, she is having to reevaluate her role in life at this stage and spending time working on a cottage is the perfect way to see how God has it all under control even when we feel like it isn't. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and only wish I had a cottage of my own by the lake to reread this one again. A truly perfect summer read!!!

For more information about As Waters Gone By, Cynthia Ruchti or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti

You can find Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on As Waters Gone By, please visit Litfuse Book Tour Page.


Can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, As Waters Gone By. Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out.

Cynthia is celebrating the release of As Waters Gone By by giving away a summer of fun to one lucky reader!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 cash card to put toward your trip to Madeline Island (discover the beauty of the setting of As Waters Gone By) or your summer vacation destination
• A book-club set (10 copies of As Waters Gone By and a downloadable starter kit) so you can start your own summer book club

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 10th. The winner will be announced June 11th on Cynthia's blog.

 

Plus, now through mid-July, sign up for Cynthia's mailing list for a five-day virtual tour around Madeline Island for the chance to win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack. Each day begins with an email from Cynthia that introduces where you'll be “visiting” that day (all key places from As Waters Gone By) with various interactive elements, including“I wish you were here” postcards, trivia quizzes, and an ongoing Island scavenger hunt. The person who interacts the most will win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack (valued at more than $200). That includes:

• The letterpress block Hope sign from DaySpring
• A set of 6 Hemmed in Hope notecards showing a hope-themed Bible verse
• A leather “I can’t unravel, I’m hemmed in hope” journal
• Signed copies of each of Cynthia’s books, fiction and non-fiction

All My Belongings

Sometimes all we want is to escape from our pasts. Not necessarily because of something we have done that we are trying to forget but often times something our parents have done, allow that kind of connection to follow us based on the fact we are their children. When Jayne Dennagee turned her father in for killing her mother, she hoped she was doing the right thing. After her mother was diagnosed with ALS, her father believed he was helping her along by putting her out of her misery of suffering from the terminal effects of the disease, but it would be something that would haunt both of their lives for years to come. As her father was placed behind bars, Jayne had to find a place to begin again where no one would no her name or what her father had done. But it seems that no place is too far away.

The first thing she needed to do was lose her name and with the help of the internet and a couple hundred dollars she could at least gain a new identity for now. Good thing that her friend Geneva has the perfect job lined up for her. She offers her the opportunity to put her nursing skills to work, caring for her dying sister. She is residing in the home she shares with her son, Issac Hughes, a commercial real estate broker who simply doesn't have the time or patience to deal with the effects of Alzheimer's and continue to work. It pains him how one moment his mother will have a few lucid moments and remember him and other times, he is as much as a stranger as the temporary workers who care for his mother.

He is more than thrilled when his Aunt Geneva recommends Becca Morrow, Jayne's new identity, to help care for his ailing mother. Only Becca's personality does more than win over his mother, she imbeds herself in his heart no matter how much he tries to fight it. But it's his best friend Tony, a police detective that believes that Becca is hiding more than secrets about where she lives and her life before coming to care for Issac's mother. Is is possible to that just changing your name won't be enough? Will her past come back to haunt her in ways she never dreamed before and arrive right back where she started? Only time will tell.

I received All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Abingdon Press for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions found here are strictly my own. This is a novel about the effects of guilt that are not the fault of the characters in the story yet they impact their lives nonetheless. It shows how damaging those can be depending on their severity and how each of them cope. From Jayne dealing with her father's murderous past, while Issac struggles with wanting to care for his mother, but finding himself unable to deal with the effects of the diseases that trample over what feelings he has for his mother from the past to where he finds himself at presently. It is a novel to healing, finding forgiveness and coming to terms with pasts that we can't change but need to deal with before moving forward. I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about All My Belongings, Cynthia Ruchti, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti

You can find Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on All My Belongings, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page. 


Cynthia Ruchti asks what it takes to overcome your past and become who you were meant to be in her latest novel, All My Belongings. Cynthia has woven a heart-wrenching tale of forgiveness, grace, and learning what it means to truly belong.

Cynthia is celebrating the release of her latest novel with a fun giveaway and a live webcast event!

 
One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa cash card
• All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the All My Belongings LIVE webcast event on June 11th. Connect with Cynthia for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Cynthia will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of All My Belongings and join Cynthia and friends on the evening of June 11th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

When the Morning Glory Blooms

It's great when you open a novel and find not only one compelling story inside but three all woven together in different ways. In the novel, When the Morning Glory Blooms, author Cynthia Ruchti introduces the reader to three women in different time periods. We meet Becky Trundle in 2013 who is dealing with the unexpected pregnancy and birth of her grandson, Jackson. Her daughter Lauren is still in high school and finds a suitable arrangement with living at home, finishing school and having her mom, Becky babysit and care for Jackson. Becky struggles with wondering how much she is enabling Lauren instead of having her come to terms with being a new mom and how to be a good role model as a Christian. Becky soon has her own struggle when she turns on her friend Monica who can't seem to understand why Becky is catering to Lauren.

Next we are introduced to Ivy Carrington in 1951 who is struggling with the recent departure of her boyfriend, Drew Lambert who has left to join the war in Korea. What she has failed to tell him is that she is now pregnant and fears what might happen to him if she writes him to tell him the good news. So instead she keeps the information to herself and continues to find solace in the company of Anna Grissom, an elderly lady in the nursing home when Ivy is employed. Anna has asked Ivy to capture her life story in a journal before she dies and along the way dispenses much needed wisdom to Ivy in ways she could have never imagined.

The last woman we meet is Anna Grissom who takes us back to 1890 when she was trying to establish a ministry of sorts to care for the young women who needed a place to stay that were pregnant. Back in those days, most families would cast aside the young girls and soon they had no place to go and now home to care for their children. Anna soon learns that no prayer is too little to ask for God's divine intervention when she inherits a dilapidated home belonging to her Aunt and attempts to turn it into something God can use to help these young women find hope again.

Throughout the novel, the story toggles back and forth in each of their wonderful women's lives and we can see not only their struggles but their perseverance to push through when the going gets tough. I especially found myself found of Anna. She was brought up in a time when there wasn't much available to help women who found themselves at the end of the bad choices they have made. Anna showed them what God looked like with skin on, and it touched the lives of so many women who never forgot what she did for them. Truly a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

I received When the Morning Glory Blooms compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Abingdon Press for my honest review. This is a beautiful novel that inspires hope and shows us what the grace of God really looks like. It's beautifully written and you truly can experience each of these women through the eyes of author Cynthia Ruchti in such powerful ways. I truly believe that everyone will take away something special through their journey in this novel. It has found a permanent place in my own personal library. The wonderful ending is so unexpected you will need a box of tissues to get through this one. For anyone who has ever wondered why life hands us situations we didn't necessarily want to deal with, this one will show you how to inspire hope in those who need it the most. I rate this one a perfect 5 out of 5 stars!!!

For more information about When the Morning Glory Blooms, Cynthia Ruchti, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

When the Morning Glory Blooms by Cynthia Ruchti

You can follow Cynthia Ruchti on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on When the Morning Glory Blooms from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here.