Fading Starlight

Lauren Summer's career is on the pinnacle of success as she awaits to hear what the fashion experts have to say about her first dress making its red carpet appearance. She is the first intern to have her dress on public display and it will be a make it or break it opportunity depending on this one event. When the dress malfunctions and leaves the rising starlet in a less than compromising position, suddenly her entire future vanishes before her very eyes and with it comes a text message from her employer to not bother to show up for work on Monday.

In fact, they have decided to do what they can to black ball Lauren from ever hoping to work in the fashion industry again. Her only hope is to take a low paying job creating costumes for a theater group and she hopes she can remain out of the limelight and paparazzi. The biggest asset comes when the theater group offers her a chance to stay at a home in a secluded community along the coast with the promise she will be available for the contractors who are coming to restore the dilapidated home according to the Home Owner's association.

She has to promise to keep visitors at a minimum and never disturb the residents who are seeking privacy for their own reasons, especially Charlotte Montgomery, an elderly woman who sits in a huge Victorian home as a bit of a recluse. Lauren is given the opportunity to be restored to her former glory by a reporter seeking information about Ms. Montgomery and a murder mystery that has gone unsolved. She promises to investigate Lauren's mishap to see if it was all a publicity stunt. But will Lauren compromise her faith and integrity to get her former future in fashion back? What is Ms. Montgomery hiding and why is she always seen wearing beautiful ball gowns?

I received Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman compliments of TLC Book Tours and Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my personal and honest evaluation. I absolutely adored this novel and read it in one sitting. I love the premise behind this one as both renovating old homes and uncovering the mysteriousness about Charlotte Montgomery and her former glory days as a starlet in Hollywood. I've been a huge fan of all the older Hollywood films and believe they hold a sense of awe in the wonderful decades that they came from in regards to fashion and the rumors circulating behind those starlets. In my opinion this one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars and has found a permanent home in my personal library.

For more information about Fading Starlight, Kathryn Cushman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman

You can find Kathryn Cushman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Fading Starlight, please visit TLC's Book Tour page. 

Fading Starlight is available in paperback and ebook formats from your favorite retailer. 304 pages ISBN: 9780764212628

Almost Amish

If you've ever read anything about the Amish lifestyles, you know that they live a much simpler life, no electricity, no technology, no cars and just a whole lot less stress. So when the Lisa Lee show gets an idea for a new reality show called Almost Amish, a modern family from California is going to get a lot more lessons in life than simply learning how to be Amish.

Susan Reynolds is a Martha Steward in training. She's a bit of what most would call overly assertive, a bit of a perfectionist, and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure not only she's on top of her game but also her young daughter, Angie as well. Since being divorced from her husband James, Susan's working harder than ever to make sure she provides the type of life she believes her daughter deserves even if it means pushing her a bit harder than most parents. So when an opportunity becomes available not only to sell her cookbooks, but also to star in a reality series based on a simple lifestyle, she jumps at the chance. Since the program is revolving around the Amish lifestyle, she manages to convince her sister in law, Julie Charlton, to join her with her kids for the summer shooting the series.

Julie Charlton has never been good at anything except the ability to overschedule and over commit herself to virtually everything happening in her families lives, from helping her husband Thomas out with work, attending to committees for her son Brian and her daughter Whitney, including all those after school sports events they are both committed to. Still Julie feels she is less than perfect. Even the cupcakes that she makes for the semi-formal, eight grade, parent- child dance come out wrong. They are lumpy and lean to the left or right, sometimes both, and even the frosting looks like a huge mess. So when Susan's offer for a simple lifestyle challenge is presented, she literally jumps at the chance to slow it down.

However what they all fail to realize is that this is a reality show based on ratings, the higher the ratings, the better the show, and the only way sometimes to generate that is to create the chaos going on with the family that now finds itself dropped off, on a dirt road, with only a mail box on the edge of a field as their only guide to the home they will be staying at. Not only that, they only have 60 seconds to retrieve their belongings before the driver takes off with them.

Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman is such a breath of fresh air from your standard Amish fiction books. There is something in this novel for everyone. Think of it like the show Survivor but geared to how a modern family can make it living like the Amish. It is both funny, emotional and there is a lesson in it for all of us, who simply wonder if there is a better way at life, than the busy ones we find ourselves in. So what about you? If you had the opportunity to spend three months living a simple life like the Amish, would you do it? You may just want to pick this book up first to see just how "simple" it really is!

I received Almost Amish compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. I LOVED this one, such profound wisdom can be found throughout the pages, mostly in the words of Rosemary Foil, who comes to teach the women how to quilt but instead imparts such sage advice on thirsty soil in the hearts of them women who listen to her stories. She encourages, inspires and teaches them to look deep inside themselves to see why they have some to participate in this show. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and once again, Kathryn Cushman takes her readers to an unexpected place of pure enjoyment and speaks to the heart of a book lovers everywhere.

For more information on Almost Amish, Kathryn Cushman and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman

You can also read more reviews on this book tour by clicking here.

Another Dawn

Grace Graham loves to run! Not just the kind you do for exercise but anytime life gets too complicated, she runs rather than face it head on.

Her life is slowly falling apart little by little, starting first with the death of her mother, which she completely holds her father responsible for, blaming her boyfriend for possibly cheating on her since he wasn't taking her phone calls, thus ending that relationship and now because of that break up with Steve, her investment company contact, her friend Jasmine will not get her Bed and Breakfast sold so she can deal with her autistic son.

So what's make sense rather than avoid all that? When her sister, Jana calls with a dilemma of dealing with their father's upcoming surgery, she asks Grace to help for two weeks to care for their father. She'd rather have teeth pulled without Novocaine rather than deal with her father. So when Jana rudely informs her that its her turn to start helping out with the family, out of guilt she complies.

She packs up her son Dylan and heads for Shoal Creek, Tennessee as a test to prove that she isn't someone that runs from things. Grace believes if she can last two weeks with her father maybe things can change for her. But in Graces past lies a secret that can put her son's life and the lives of the other children at risk. Will she face it head on or will she run again?

I received Another Dawn from Kathryn Cushman compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and found a parallel in the relationship she has with her father, much like the one I have with my own father. I identified in so many ways with Grace and how often when you really want to speak your mind, sometimes holding your tongue is the best approach. This is a must read for anyone looking to resolve some of the issues from your past that may be holding you back. For that reason, it's a 5 out of 5 stars.

Here's more information on the author, the book and even a first chapter sneak peek!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Another Dawn Bethany House (February 1, 2011) by Kathryn Cushman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. After practicing as a pharmacist, she left her career to marry and begin a family and has since pursued her dream of writing.

Other books by Kathryn, A Promise to Remember was a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book-of-the-Year in the Women’s Fiction category, and Waiting for Daybreak was a finalist in Women’s Fiction for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.

Leaving Yesterday, her third novel, was a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award.

Now her fifth book, Another Dawn, has arrived in stores, and I’m very excited about it!

On the homefront, Kathryn has been married to Lee for over twenty years now, and their two daughters are currently braving the worlds of junior high and high school. They’ve lived in Santa Barbara for the last nineteen years. It’s a beautiful place and Kathryn feels blessed to be there (although a seventy degree Christmas still leaves her dreaming of a white one—or at least a colder one!)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Grace Graham is back in Tennessee with her four-year-old son on a short unpaid leave from work, helping her father recover from surgery and spending time with her sister.

Shoal Creek seems more backward than ever after her years in California, and it's hard to find organic food anywhere. When the unthinkable happens and her son is diagnosed with measles, Grace's fears over modern medicine take a dangerous turn.

Worse, the town has fallen into quarantine and its residents focus their anger and blame on Grace. She is alone and scared, until one brave woman chooses to reach out a hand of forgiveness and mercy. But when the outbreak takes a life-threatening turn, will Grace be able to forgive herself?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Another Dawn, go HERE.