The Seekers

One of the things that have always impressed me about the Amish is that they keep basic home-making skills alive. Things like sewing, gardening, and cooking is such a vital part of their lives, it would be odd if it were missing in lieu of things like eating out instead of taking your food from garden to table and often wonder how amazing that food tastes when no preservatives are added. If you have ever wanted to cook like the Amish, you can find plenty of Amish cookbooks out there, but what if you could read a great novel about the friendships that form among various people who come together drawn initially by their love of wanting to know how to cook?

In The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter, that is just what happens when Heidi Troyer realizes that she has quite a bit of time on her hands and learning from her friends that they have benefited from creating classes to teach others what they excel at, and for Heidi that is cooking! She has always dreamed of starting a family of her own, but at this time, it seems that will never happen. So now she imagines a small group coming together where she can teach them how to prepare some of the Amish beloved dishes.

She managed to incorporate her friends who burn more than they can successfully cook like Loretta Donnelly, who is a recent widow and mother of two very busy young children, who would love to utilize this class to help her prepare better meals for her family but also give her a much needed break from being a mom. Charlene Higgins is the most desperate of the group as it seems she can't do anything right. She needs to be able to at least cook seeing as a wedding to her Amish boyfriend Len is in her future and her future in-laws aren't the slightest bit impressed with anything she does, finding fault in everything. Eli Miller is tired of cold cereal and hard boiled eggs, now that his wife has died in an accident, a cooking class might be what he needs to get out of his slump and at least put a decent meal on the table for himself. Kendra Perkins needs this class since being tossed out of her Amish house when she became pregnant unexpectedly. This might help her find a true purpose in her life for now.

Ron Hensley needed to find a place to fit in and the Troyers seems just the place. Since they are a small family with no children and plenty of space on their farm, he anticipates they are just the right people to garner sympathy for a man living out of his RV that needs a place to park it while he tries to fix it. Only it is all a ploy so he can find the time to scope out their home and find just the right things they won't miss to sell at the local auction. Joining a cooking class might just be the edge he needs to get that kind of invitation. But will they be cooking up something else that he didn't expect?

I received The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. For me, the best part of this novel is the mouth-watering recipes that Heidi provides for each of her classes and ones you will find at the conclusion of this book as well as some great discussion questions perfect for book clubs. I love how this group of people come together to learn to cook and come away with so much more. For some, they will find the perfect friends, others will see that their perceptions of others aren't quite what they imagined and for others a dream come true. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and this is the first novel in the Amish Cooking Class series.

For more information about The Seekers, Wanda E. Brustetter or where you can preorder a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter

You can find Wanda E. Brustetter on Facebook to stay up to date on his latest novels

To read more reviews on The Seekers, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

The Decision

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

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

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

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

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

The Decision by Wanda E. Brunsetter

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

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

Goodbye to Yesterday

If you're looking for a great Amish novel that is broken into manageable pieces, you might want to pick up a copy of Wanda E. Brunstetter's, Goodbye to Yesterday. It is the first in six mini-novels that are part of the Discovery Series and the Lancaster County Saga. Wanda is renowned for her Amish novels and for those of you with a little time on your hands, this is perfect. A whole lot is packed into 121 pages and introduces us to an Amish couple, Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus living in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.

In this one, Luke is facing what many of us today are dealing with and that is a downsizing in his woodworking company. Since Luke was one of the recent hires, he is unfortunately the first to go. Now struggling to find work before his savings run out, he takes out some of his stresses on his new wife Meredith. Meredith offers to find work outside the home for now but for Luke, he feels it is showing a failure to provide for his family and tells her no. On top of that, Meredith believes she may be pregnant but doesn't offer to tell Luke until she knows for sure. With all the stress he's under now, she can't think of adding something else to his already full plate.

Just when it looks like there is no sign of hope, Luke gets an offer from his uncle in Indiana who is looking to retire and wants to sell him his business. Meredith isn't sure this is the path they should take, and feels that the time away from her isn't going to be in their best interests. Yet with no other work opportunities in front of them, Luke has to make a decision to either stay in Pennsylvania and hope that works turns up or take his Uncle's offer. Now that a winter storm is brewing, it may not be the best time to travel or leave his wife at home. 

I received Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter compliments of Handlebar Central and Barbour Publishing for my honest review. I have to warn you that because this is a series of parts of a book, it ends on a cliff hanger. Yet the next book is slated for release in March of 2013, The Silence of Winter so you won't have to wait long to see what happens next. Like I stated earlier in my review, I saw this mini-novel as a way of breaking up a much bigger story for people who would love to read a full size novel but simply lack the time or energy to do so. This way you can have your cake and eat it too! I personally rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and the perfect way to introduce a new reader to Amish Fiction in general. I've read several of Wanda's books and am never disappointed by the time she puts into making the reader feel like part of the story. I can't wait for March and this one is already on my Must Read List!

For more information about Goodbye to Yesterday, Wanda E. Brunstetter, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the  links below:

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter

You can also find Wanda Brunstetter on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

You can also visit the Discovery Saga Facebook page to see what everyone has to say regarding this amazing new series. 

Lydia's Charm

Watch the book trailer:





I just came back from the most amazing visit I ever had. I've been to the small town of Charm, Ohio, an Amish town with the most amazing and resilient people you have ever met.

Take Lydia King, she just moved here from Chicago after her husband passed away leaving her alone to raise her 4 year old son Josh. With work being tough to find anywhere especially as a widow, her mom, Mae Weaver, invited her to move back home to Charm to help out with her ailing father, Lydia's grandfather and at least provide a roof over the heads while she looks for work. Lydia's mom is overwhelmed by caring for her ailing father and watching out for young Josh who seems to be more than she can handle. Should she have asked Lydia to move back home?

It isn't long before Lydia finds a job at Grandma's Restaurant, a local place to eat nestled in town where almost everyone stops in for coffee, pie and just a friendly hello.

Menno Troyer is also a widower with four growing boys. Ever since she passed away, the boys have been a bit more rowdy, and less likely to do the chores he asks them to do while he is at work. What they really need is a new mom, but where to find a young woman who is great with kids in Charm?

Levi Stutzman spends much of his time working at his family mercantile in town and he isn't looking for a wife any time soon. He fears that should he marry and have kids, they might be like his mother, father and his siblings, all "little people" or dwarfs. It's hard enough protecting and looking out for them that he doesn't see what life is about to hand him.

These are just three of the amazing people you will meet if you visit the town of Charm. I would invite you to stay awhile and visit. In the time I spent reading Lydia's Charm by Wanda E Brunstetter, I felt like a part of each of these people's lives and the wonderful stories they share with their small town charm and Amish ways. Each of their lives is interwoven in a most unusual and loving way and once you meet them, you'll never be the same.

I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and must say this one earns all 5 out of 5 stars. This one has also found a permanent place in my library collection. For more information on this book, the author and where to get a first chapter glance, then read more below:

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Lydia's Charm Barbour Books (September 1, 2010) by Wanda E. Brunstetter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Note From Wanda:

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a writer. When I was in the second grade, I wrote my first poem about a moth. Luckily, I received encouragement from my teacher. During my teen years, I wrote skits that my church teen group performed during special holidays.

It wasn’t until 1980, that I took a course on writing for children and teenagers. I became serious about a career as an author. Soon after that, I began to write stories, articles, poems, and devotionals, which appeared in a variety of Christian publications. Later, I had 5 books of puppet/ventriloquist scripts published. *These books are currently available by contacting me. (wanda@wandabrunstetter.com)

My first novel was released by Barbour Publishing’s book club, Heartsong Presents, in Dec. 1997. I have now written nearly fifty books, with over 4 million books in print. Many of the novels I've written are Amish-themed.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Widowed and jobless, Lydia King moves her son and herself to Charm, Ohio, to be close to her mother and help with her grandfather. Menno Troyer, a furniture store owner, is also recently widowed and the father of four energetic boys.

Levi Stutzman, another newcomer to the area, is the only one in his family not handicapped by dwarfism and has dedicated his life to caring for them. As fall colors the countryside, will anonymous gifts left for Lydia bring her hope for a new life and romance, or will another tragedy flood her with infinite despair?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Lydia's Charm, go HERE.