Courting Miss Amsel

Edythe Amsel comes to the quiet small town of Walnut Hill, Nebraska searching for a new life for herself. After spending years raising her siblings after her mother died and her father slipped into a non-existent father, she is embracing a change that a teaching position will offer her.

Since graduating teaching school, Miss Amsel offers the children of Walnut Hill a different way of teaching than others that came before her. The first lesson is to rid the school room of the old switch used to punish children who make mistakes. The second lesson is to teach them that by making mistakes are the way to learning. There should be no fear in the classroom. Yet even when she tries to encourage her students, the Town Council isn't happy with her teaching things outside of basic reading, writing and arithmetic and they make their concerns known to her.

Joel Townsend has spent his time, farming and raising his nephews Robert and Johnny as best as he can since their parents both passed away. Yet despite his best intentions, he can see a change in the boys since the new schoolmarm has been teaching this year. They are more than eager and willing to attend school and once Joel meets Miss Amsel, he begins to once more have feelings for a woman he didn't think was possible.

Yet just what is it that Edythe is running from? Her landlady Mrs Kinsley, aims to find out and spends her time praying for Edythe to learn to let go of controlling things and let God take the lead. She also becomes a true friend for Edythe, especially when one boy in class aims to take his childish pranks to a whole new level to get rid of the teacher.

In the latest novel by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Courting Miss Amsel, is a delight to read. This novel is a classic in my opinion and I found it enjoyable to take my time reading. I loved the strong and independent thinking offered by the character of Miss Edythe Amsel, yet remaining soft and caring to the students that come to love and admire her. This is the third book I've read of Kim Vogel Sawyer and I savor each one of them that I get the opportunity to read. What a pleasure again and a perfection 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. For more information about the novel, the talented author and where to get a first chapter peek, please read on further:

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Courting Miss Amsel Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Kim Vogel Sawyer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Edythe Amsel is delighted with her first teaching assignment: a one-room schoolhouse in Walnut Hill, Nebraska. Independent, headstrong, and a strong believer in a well-rounded education, Edythe is ready to open the world to the students in this tiny community. But is Walnut Hill ready for her?

Joel Townsend is thrilled to learn the town council hired a female teacher to replace the ruthless man who terrorized his nephews for the past two years. Having raised the boys on his own since their parents' untimely deaths, Joel believes they will benefit from a woman's influence. But he sure didn't bargain on a woman like Miss Amsel.

Within the first week, she has the entire town up in arms over her outlandish teaching methods, which include collecting leaves, catching bugs, making snow angels, and stringing ropes in strange patterns all over the schoolyard. Joel can't help but notice that she's also mighty pretty with her rosy lips, fashionable clothes, and fancy way of speaking.

When Edythe decides to take her pupils to hear Miss Susan Anthony speak on the women's suffrage amendment, the town's outcry reaches new heights. Even Joel isn't sure he can support her newfangled ideas any longer. And if he can't trust her to know how to teach the boys, how can he trust her with his heart?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Courting Miss Amsel, go HERE.

The Pirate Queen

Everyone's definition of treasure is unique. Some spend their whole lives looking for it, some actually dig for it and then there are those that uncover it along their life's journey.

Saphora Warren is one of those people. She is well-liked and admired by all her friends, her kids look up to her as a role model and mother, while her husband, Bender Warren, a prestigious doctor, ignores her. Yet her she spends her day, planning for their home to be featured in Southern Living magazine while her husband disappears for a round of golf, leaving her to make a name for their family, while he earns the money.

Now that the kids are grown and making lives for themselves, Saphora is about to discover her own treasure when she makes plans to leave Bender after the closing of the party for Southern Living. Bags packed and ready to go, she is all set for the new life ahead of her when her husband arrives home with news that he is dying of cancer.

Shocked and still not ready to deal with this latest issue from her husband, she is unsure what to do, until he asks her to take him to Oriental, a small community where the have a house on the lake. This was where she was planning on making her new start and now she finds she has a new issue to deal with regarding Bender. This is about to take her on a whole new hunt to find missing treasure she never knew existed.

In the novel The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman, we take a journey ourselves into the lives of people dealing with the cancer of Bender Warren. In the process we discover that the things we think will make us happy aren't the true treasures of life. When Bender begins to discover God in the process he has many questions that are waiting to be answered.

I received the book compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review and found myself captivated by the many people in the lives of Saphora and Bender. The strength that emerges from Saphora is amazing for a woman who has lived the life she has in the story, yet with unconditional love and hope, she makes an amazing discovery. I rate this book at 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman

Son of Hamas

There is so much information in the media about Islam extremists and the confusion into the world of the Muslim religion. In a thrilling biography, Mosab Hassan Yousef, takes us into his former world of Hamas and the life he led prior to coming to Jesus Christ.

In Son of Hamas, Mosab tells of his upbringing as the prominent son of one of the highest leaders in Hamas when it first began back in the mid 1950's and why peace in the Middle East continues to pose a problem. Even though he has now found Jesus Christ as his personal savior and become an outcast in his own hometown and with his family, Mosab takes us all on the thrilling inside look into a place few have been and lived to tell the story.

We learn through his personal accounts of what it's like when you live in the midst of the personal crisis surrounding the Palestinians and the Israelies people, what is was like being accused by your own country of being a spy and the horror of the prisons locked deep underground that few ever see and live to tell about.

This was an eye opening book for me to see the ladder of religion for most of the Muslim people and just what each step is as they climb closer to Jihad and their religious beliefs. It also took me into the eyes of the people that ran the prison camps both on the Israeli side as well as for the Hamas extremists and just how they think in regards to what is happening all over the world. The bigger picture is how one many who could be so deep inside Hamas could find Jesus Christ as his savior and risk his own death in telling this story and why even now he can't go back.

I received this book compliments of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review and couldn't wait to read about a complete extreme transformation of a persons soul. I was not disappointed and commend the courage of Mosaf Hassan Yousef for telling his story through this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a greater understanding of the life in the Middle East and the Hamas organization in general. This book rates a hands down 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on this book, the brave author and where to purchase a copy of the book, please click on the link below:

Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef

The Girl In The Gatehouse

Mariah Aubrey has come back to her distant relatives home after her father has sent her away. Her Aunt Francesca Prin-Hallsey has allowed her to stay in the estates gatehouse that is no longer in use along with her companion Miss Dixon.

Feeling a bit like an outcast at the start when her carriages arrives, her aunt refuses to greet her arrival. Forced to pay for the repairs for broken and missing windows, and the general upkeep of getting the gatehouse in living order, Mariah and Dixon begin work immediately.

When her aunt calls for her one day, she learns that she is in failing health, but wants to make sure that the chest her Aunt has her keep remains locked and removed from the estate until after her death. Seems her step son, Hugh Prin-Hallsey believes Francesca is selling off his mothers personal effects without his consent or knowledge.

This comes at a time when women were expected to be well bred and well mannered in all affairs, and when Mariah agrees to keep the chest locked away in the attic of the gatehouse, the mystery of it's contents begins.

Mariah herself has quite a few mysteries of her own, and it's not until the estate is leased out to a former Sea Captain that things begin to take an unexpected twist.

In the novel, The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen, we are taken back to the days of long forgotten romance and to the era of such great novels like Jane Austin. Where women are beautiful and captivating and men once more become the heroes of their dreams. Set in September in 1813, we are held captive by the words that Julie Klassen uses to tell the story of Mariah Aubrey, an unpublished author of romance novels who herself carries a dark past. The best part of this novel, is how she doesn't unravel the pieces of the mystery until almost the conclusion of the book itself, keeping the reader on the each of her seat and rooting for Mariah's true love and happiness no matter what the cost.

I received this lovely novel compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and anyone who is a fan of Jane Austin or any books from the Regency period, this one will steal your heart with a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on the author, the book and even a first chapter glimpse, then click on the links below:

The Girl In The Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Girl in the Gatehouse Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Julie Klassen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie says: My background is in advertising and marketing, but I am blessed with a dream job—working as an editor of Christian fiction. I have been writing since childhood, but Lady of Milkweed Manor was my first novel. It was a finalist for a Christy Award and won second place in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards. My second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, was a finalist in the ACFW Book of the Year awards. I am currently writing one novel a year.

I graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends.

My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made.

When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Girl in the Gatehouse, go HERE

The Wolf of Tebron

The Wolf of Tebron

A Fairy Tale by C.S. Lakin from the Gates of Heaven Series.

This was a Great Read! 5 out of 5 stars!

This should be a classic fairy tale that all children and adults should read!

The books starts out in the Prologue by pulling you into a magical world of wizardry, good and evil before the book even begins! Enchanted by the story I found myself reading for hours without even realizing what time it was. I absolutely was riveted by the story of a young man named Joran who is newly married to Charris, a woman from another village. He believes he has seen his wife with another man and starts down a long perilous road of anger, forlorn, misery and suffering.

He somehow has found out that his wife whom he sent back to her village after he confronted her about the other man magically disappears and is trapped by his own nightmare! He soon learns by the Goose Woman that he has to travel to the farthest regions of the Earth and beyond to find her and rescue her from his own nightmare where he can only see her in his dreams. From the House of the Moon in the North, to the Palace of the Sun in the East and the Cave of the South Wind, Joran must wear out three pairs of shoes before he is ready to truly find his one true love and be free forever of his anger and fear.

As he travels, he finds a few companions who help him in his soul searching journey to find not only his wife, but himself along the way. These new found friends end up being more than he could ever ask for in a friend and companion. There is so much conflict between good and evil that you find yourself identifying parts of the Bible in almost every chapter! You must read this book to find out what happens to Joran, his wife Charris and his life after such a long journey. I am so glad that I had the chance to review this book for Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy. To visit the authors website, visit the link below:

Author’s web site - http://www.cslakin.com/
Author’s blog - http://cslakin.blogspot.com/

To purchase a copy of this book, you can find it at Amazon below:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899578888

Thank you for such a great Fairy Tale! For more reviews on this amazing title, click on any of the blogs listed below:

Noah Arsenault
http://the1amster1.wordpress.com/"> Amy Bissell
Red Bissell
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Carol Bruce Collett
Valerie Comer
http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
April Erwin
Andrea Graham
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Shannon McDermott
Matt Mikalatos
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
John W. Otte
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
Kathleen Smith
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler

Paradise Valley

Just what the name implies, lush, green, fertile lands just waiting to be farmed, and the answer to Caleb Bender's prayers. Paradise Valley is a place to start over, begin again, before their way of life has ceased to exist.

Caleb Bender makes the most difficult choice a man can make for his family. As an Amish farmer who has held the same piece of land for generations, he finds he can no longer just let things be. When the local school board has him and other farmers arrested and brought before the court for having their children work the farms rather than attend school, Caleb stands his ground. Their fine, 60 days in jail and paying a 20 dollar find for every child in their home that should be attending school. If after jail time, they do not send their children to the public school, things will get more difficult.

During their jail time, the sheriff's and the courts have the children removed from their homes and placed in a state home. They are forced to attend school and have their hair cut and clothing changed to conform to the English ways. When Jake Weaver decides to make a run for it, Rachel Bender lures the administrator away to go to the restroom. Once she has locked their door, the children make a run for it. The only ones who escape without being caught are Jake and his younger brother.

Deep down inside her heart, Rachel, has known that she likes Jake. When he confesses the same intention to her at a Sunday singing, her heart is filled with joy. When Caleb Bender finds a note selling land in Mexico at $10 per acre and learns that they don't care what people do there, he believes God is telling him, to move his family to Paradise Valley, Mexico.

The adventure just begins at the conclusion of the Mexican Revolution and Caleb decides his family will be the first of the Amish town to head to Mexico. Hopefully once he has arrived, he will send word for the other Amish families to join him, so they will not be forced by the government to abandon their way of life.

I received the book, Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer, compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and loved the unique twist on your typical Amish romance stories. Wondering if Jake and Rachel will be able to endure a long separation that will unite them or drive them apart forever and will Paradise Valley become a new Amish town south of the border. This book rates a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about the book, the author and where to get a first chapter peek, then read on:

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Paradise Valley Bethany House (January 1, 2011) by Dale Cramer





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dale Cramer was the second of four children born to a runaway Amishman turned soldier and a south Georgia sharecropper's daughter. His formative years were divided between far-flung military bases, but he inherited his mother's sense of place—



He took on small construction projects at night to help make ends meet— "and to preserve the remainder of my sanity," he says. While building an office in the basement of a communications consultant, a debate over labor/management relations turned into an article on mutualism which found its way into an international business magazine. It was Dale's first published article, and he liked the feel of it. He bought books, studied technique, and began participating in an online writers' forum, writing during the boys' naps and after they went to bed at night. Before long he was publishing short stories in literary magazines and thinking about writing a book.



Three storylines vied for Dale's attention when he finally decided to write a novel. His first two choices were commercially viable secular stories, and a distant third appeared to be some kind of Christian saga about a broken-down biker. The process of determining which novel to write was settled by a remarkable encounter with his youngest son, a lost set of keys, and God. His sense of direction was suddenly clarified. In 1997, Dale began work on Sutter's Cross, which was eventually published in 2003.



His second novel, Bad Ground (July 2004), while it is not autobiographical, contains a great deal of material drawn from his own experience as a construction electrician.



He and his wife and two sons make their home in northern Georgia.





ABOUT THE BOOK

An Amish settlement in Ohio has run afoul of a law requiring their children to attend public school. Caleb Bender and his neighbors are arrested for neglect, with the state ordering the children be placed in an institution. Among them are Caleb's teenage daughter, Rachel, and the boy she has her eye on, Jake Weaver. Romance blooms between the two when Rachel helps Jake escape the childrens home.



Searching for a place to relocate his family where no such laws apply, Caleb learns there's inexpensive land for sale in Mexico, a place called Paradise Valley. Despite rumors of instability in the wake of the Mexican revolution, the Amish community decides this is their answer. And since it was Caleb's idea, he and his family will be the pioneers. They will send for the others once he's established a foothold and assessed the situation.



Caleb's daughters are thrown into turmoil. Rachel doesn't want to leave Jake. Her sister, Emma, who has been courting Levi Mullet, fears her dreams of marriage will be dashed. Miriam has never had a beau and is acutely aware there will be no prospects in Mexico.



Once there, they meet Domingo, a young man and guide who takes a liking to Miriam, something her father would never approve. While Paradise Valley is everything they'd hoped it would be, it isn't long before the bandits start giving them trouble, threatening to upset the fledgling Amish settlement, even putting their lives in danger. Thankfully no one has been harmed so far, anyway.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Paradise Valley, go HERE.

Love Food & Live Well

Just in time to help with all those weight loss goals so many of us begin right as the new year begins. Chantel Hobbs knows a thing or two about what struggles we all have in dealing with weight loss. She herself, has lost 200 pounds and now maintains not only a health weight but a life style as well.

In her latest book, Love Food & Live Well, she conquers our thought process on just why it's so hard to say no to the foods that lead us to over eating and over indulging. The one "Ah Ha!" moment for me is that in our minds, we feel like we owe it to ourself and there may not be another opportunity to enjoy that candy bar or that extra serving of freshly baked bread, hot out of the oven.

She found when interviewing people that didn't have weight issues, they don't over-indulge, but then again they don't think about it. Even though we begin our diet and eating plans with the best of intentions, we automatically tell ourselves that means giving up all our favorite foods, so when we blow it, we tell ourselves well if I ate one cookie, it doesn't matter that I eat another.

Chantel teaches you throughout the book about "clean eating" and adding our favorite foods back in, what we truly enjoy eating, not just inhaling. For example, I love chocolate, yet I don't need to eat the entire bag of chocolate, mindlessly while watching TV, I don't have to succumb to the desires in my head that if one is good, two is better. I can stop at one. It's changing our thinking that will lead our bodies to follow suit.

If you face those very same challenges and wonder how you can put it all behind you, check out the book, Love Food & Live Well. Just the stories that Chantel shares shows she truly knows what we feel like and what we are thinking. That makes it all the more believable for me. What have you got to lose, besides the excuses we've been making our whole life and start things off on a positive note and get back to enjoying food once again, the way God planned for it.

This book contains using personal inventories, original recipes, simple eating plans as well as new exercises for strength training and aerobic fitness. Instead of offering another set of world advice that we are not good enough or pretty enough, she offers hope.

I received this book, compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review. Loving her second book The One Day Way, I was super excited to read this one. It didn't disappoint and rates a 5 out of 5 stars for trying a diet with God in mind. For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book and get started today, click on the link below:

Love Food & Live Well