The Sweetest Rain - Giveaway and Review

For me, historical novels don't have to be a perfect match to something that has happened in history. I am not one of those fact checkers who are more concerned with the accuracy of the novel that the story itself. For me, if I can get so lost in the novel that I forget about time or that I feel like I can really see this happening in my mind, for me, that is a successful author and novel. In this case, that honor goes to Myra Johnson in her novel The Sweetest Rain. I am so thrilled I got the opportunity to review this one because as I have read in my history books quite a bit about the Great Depression but also the Dust Bowl. Living in California and suffering under some of the effects of the drought, it made me really want to know what a family might endure in the 1930's dealing with the effects of both of these issues.

In The Sweetest Rain, the first in the Flowers of Eden Series, we meet Bryony Linwood, who is struggling to help her grandfather and two younger sisters, Rose and Larkspur, to bring in what remains of their cotton crop. Like most tenant farmers, they are responsible to pay for the right to farm the land with a portion or share of their crops to the plantation owners, in this case, the Heath family. After another horrible year with dealing with the drought in Eden, Arkansas, it looks as if they will have to find another source of income if they want to keep food on the table. Bryony insists in pleading her case before Mr. Heath in hopes that he might give them more time to pay their rent. But another opportunity presents itself, when the plantation has need for another maid and if Bryony is obliged to work for the Heath's, he will deduct her earnings from what her grandfather owes him.

She just didn't expect to find love within the confines of the Heath plantation. Michael Heath is still recovering from the effects of mustard gas he was exposed to while fighting in the war as well as PTSD, or shell shock as it was known then. He finds solace in the botanical sketches he has been doing in his sketchbook and shares them with his mother, who is suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's. It's the caring concern that Bryony shows for his mother by reading to her from one of the many books in the home, to taking walks in the garden that helps ease some of her symptoms but one thing is certain, that the love that is developing between the two is one thing his father will not tolerate or stand for. He has already cast out his daughter when she fell in love with the hired help and wound up pregnant. There is nothing Mr. Heath will not let stand in his way, even if it means doing the same to Bryony and her family as well.

I received The Sweetest Rain by Myra Johnson compliments of Franciscan Media for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review, aside from a free copy of the book, the opinions contained here are strictly my own personal ones. I love how well this message of redemption and hope comes across in this novel. It highlights how some families would have to band together in tough times to make ends meet. It also shows what keeps families together and what drives them apart as well as what each of them has to do to survive during the most difficult of circumstances. I can't wait to read more about this amazing and resilient Linwood family in the very near future. For me, this one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Sweetest Rain, Myra Johnson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Sweetest Rain by Myra Johnson

You can find Myra Johnson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Sweetest Rain, please visit Franciscan Media's website.

Now for the amazing part. Thanks to the generosity of Franciscan Media, they are offering a giveaway copy of this novel to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your guidelines for entering:

1.  "Like" my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart. 

2. Not a Facebook user, no problem, make sure you are a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.

3. Be a resident of the U.S. No P. O. Boxes please.

4. Leave me a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this novel. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner. You can even use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email once it ends on October 16th, so be sure to enter. You can enter as many times as you want.

One Imperfect Christmas

Belinda and Bram Morgan have been married for almost 50 years and have set the example for all their children to follow in what makes love work in a marriage. They celebrate Christmas the same way now that their children have grown beginning with the celebration of Natalie's birthday and then trimming the tree. But for Natalie, those are high expectations to have even within your own home. She is far from the perfectionist her mother is and often procrastinates more than she should. That's why her husband Daniel asked her to take down the decorations before his own parents arrived later that afternoon. So when Natalie's mom called enlisting her help to take down their decorations she had the perfect excuse. Her mother wanted to help since Bram and their oldest son were on a trip leaving her alone to begin the task if she didn't want to wait.

So when Natalie told her she couldn't help today due to the visit from Daniel's parents she told her mom to simply leave all the boxes in the guest room downstairs and she would over later this week to put them in storage for her. She often worried that her mom did too much now that she was older and suffering from the effects of arthritis. What Natalie didn't expect when she hung up with her mother, was to receive a phone call later that evening that would forever change her life. Her mother had suffered from a massive stroke and since she had been alone at the time, the damage was far too great for her mother to return to her former self.

Now plagued with guilt for simply being glad that she didn't have to join her mother that afternoon and instead had a day for herself, Natalie pours herself into her free lance job trying to earn money she knows her father will need to pay for her mom's medical expenses. This drives a wedge between her and Daniel as he tries to fix things between them, and Natalie avoids dealing with their own marriage issues trying to make up for not being there for her mother. She feels if she had only been there, this would have never happened. Will Natalie find a way to restore her own marriage or will this be the first imperfect Christmas to rock her family?

I received One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson compliments of Abingdon Press as part of the Christmas Blog Tour for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I absolutely LOVED this novel based in part to being able to relate to Natalie's character so much. Often times when the holidays are upon us, we feel like we are expected to do our best and meet all family obligations despite having to manage our own. I could relate to the guilt that Natalie felt upon hearing of her mother's stroke and understood the need to do everything to make amends to her what she felt was her mistake. The resolution that evidently comes is believable and everything doesn't come wrapped up in a pretty bow like you would expect. This is real in my opinion and thus why I would rate this a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about One Imperfect Christmas, Myra Johnson or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson

You can find Myra Johnson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on One Imperfect Christmas, stop by Abingdon Press' website. 

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426700709
• ISBN-13: 978-1426700705
• Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 5.4 x 8.3 inches

When the Clouds Roll By

No one was anticipating the news more than families. Those looking for an end to the war were hoping that today would be different, and that they would receive news that it was finally over and the men and women would soon be returning home to waiting families and soon-to-be families. Yet not everyone was overly happy.

Annemarie Kendall knew things had changed over the time Gilbert Ballard has been serving in the war without ever speaking to him. The tone in his letters and what he wasn't saying, lead Annemarie to believe that Gilbert had changed. Sure she knew that he had suffered the loss of his leg as well as injured his arm but isn't love suppose to conquer all? Even war? Now facing him as she waits with her family and Gilbert's family to welcome him home, Annemarie is certain it will definitely be an unforgettable homecoming and one that will change the lives of them all now that the war is over. All Annemarie can hope is that she can show Gilbert that no matter what, she'll be with him all the way to the end.

Lt. Gilbert Ballard has been trying to imagine how he will manage now that he is half a man. Definitely not the man who conveyed his undying love and dedication to Annemarie before he left for the war. All he has been able to do it look at the faded photograph to help him remember what he had waiting for him when he returned back to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Not only a well-to-do family, but also the love of a woman who he had known his whole life. Beautiful beyond measure, she made sure to let him know how much she continued to love and support him, but how would Gilbert be able to provide for Annemarie now? He only hoped he could have enough courage to push past the pity she would feel for him and be grateful they hadn't married before the war.

Army Chaplain Samuel Vickary has been by Gilbert's side often fearing that the post traumatic stress disorder that is pulling at Gilbert will be able to be overcome when he reunites with Annemarie. He worried that during the long train trip home that Gilbert might find a way to take his own life without giving Annemarie a chance to show Gilbert that nothing has changed between them, even though in Gilbert's mind it has. If only he wasn't so drawn by her beauty and Gilbert's description of her kindness, he might be able to help more. But Samuel has his own war demons to face and one that has him questioning his own faith in God during the horrors he witnessed during the war. Would any of them be able to forget and move forward or will have the war changed them all forever?

I received When The Clouds Roll By by author Myra Johnson compliments of Abingdon Press for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. My love for history coupled with an unforgettable romance between Gilbert and Annemarie as well as the love of Samuel to help his two friends while the war continues to consume lives even though it's long over. This one is poignant and compelling, making me turn page after page in wondering in anticipation if it would turn out as expected. I was not disappointed. This is the story of being lost and then found and what happens when we let our feelings gain control over what we really want deep down inside. There is courage to be found in facing what we fear the most and I believe Myra Johnson did just that in this novel. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars! This is the first novel in the Til We Meet Again Series and one I will be watching for!

For more information about When The Clouds Roll By, Myra Johnson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

When The Clouds Roll By by Myra Johnson

You can find Myra Johnson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on When The Clouds Roll By, please visit Abingdon Press' website.