Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Like a Bee to Honey (The Honeybee Sisters #3) by Jennifer Beckstrand







Affectionately dubbed The Honeybee Sisters in their Wisconsin Amish community, the three Christner girls are devoted beekeepers who are coming-of-age—and discovering the sweet surprise of love…
 
Shy, skittish Rose Christner is more comfortable tending to the beehives on the family farm and keeping her aunt’s unruly cats in line than attending social gatherings with the rest of the die youngie. A childhood trauma and secret shame keep her heart under lock and key, and Rose just can’t accept the sweet attention she’s receiving from a handsome neighbor. But the more she shies away from Josiah Yoder, the more their families sneakily plot to bring them together. And when a vandal who’s been plaguing the Honeybee Farm starts targeting Rose, Josiah’s steadfast protection—and patience—just may lead her into his waiting arms.


Amazon




About The Author





grew up with a steady diet of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. After all that literary immersion, I naturally decided to get a degree in mathematics, which came in handy when one of my six children needed help with homework. After my fourth daughter was born, I started writing. By juggling diaper changes, soccer games, music lessons, laundry, and two more children, I finished my first manuscript—a Western—in just under fourteen years.

I have always been fascinated by the Amish way of life and now write Inspirational Amish Romance. I am drawn to the strong faith of the Plain people and admire the importance they put on enduring family ties. I have visited and studied Amish communities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin where I met with a bishop and a minister as well as several Amish mamms, dats, and children. It has always impressed me at what salt-of-the-earth people they are. My interactions with these kind people have been some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have a dear Amish friend with whom I correspond in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She helps me keep my facts straight and gives me inspiration for my stories.

My goal is to write uplifting, inspiring stories with happy endings and hopeful messages. If my books make readers want to give themselves a big hug or jump up and down for joy, I’ve done my job. I am a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers and am represented by Mary Sue Seymour of The Seymour Agency.

There are three Amish romances in the Forever After in Apple Lake Series (Summerside/Guideposts). Kate’s Song, Rebecca’s Rose, and Miriam’s Quilt are all now available.

I have six Amish Roamish buggymances in the works with Kensington Books. The first and second books, Huckleberry Hill and Huckleberry Summer, are now available in stores and online. The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill is set in northern Wisconsin Amish country.

The series, The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill, is about an elderly Amish couple who try to find suitable mates for their grandchildren. What could be more fun than throwing two young people together to see if sparks ignite? No one would ever suspect two octogenarian Amish folks of mischief.

Romantic Times gave Huckleberry Hill 4 1/2 stars and chose Huckleberry Summer as a TOP PICK.

I have four daughters, two sons, three sons-in-law, and two adorable grandsons. I live in the foothills of the Wasatch Front with my husband and one son still left at home.



Links
Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5362202.Jennifer_Beckstrand

My Review




This is the third and final book in the Honeybee Sister’s Series, and the book wraps up beautifully. We learn some of the reasons why Rose is so shy and the hurts she holds herself responsible for.
We have already read Lily’s and Poppy’s story of their romances, and hope that Rose will finally have a chance to let go of the pain that she holds in her heart.
Aunt Bitsy is still keeping a strong hold on her girls, and some of those boys whom you are not to feed, get the stink eye from her!
While the family is still being terrorized by someone, we hope that the culprit will finally be found out before someone is hurt, who would do all of these horrible things to them, and why?
I really hate to let these people go, and yet it seem great to finally find out the answers, don’t let this great read pass you by. Also be ready for some great laugh out loud chuckles.
I received this book through Zebra Publishing and was not required to give a positive review.





Friday, August 26, 2016

Happy Birthday to You! by Michelle Medlock Adams, Sandra Rodriguez







A fun-filled musical book that celebrates the joy of a child's birthday This musical board book includes all the ingredients that make a birthday special for a child: balloons and presents, cake and candles, and, of course, the birthday song! Follow along throughout a day of celebration, concluding with a good-night prayer, then push the button to hear the melody of Happy Birthday. The book features a photo pocket on the last page to allow for personalization.

Amazon



About The Author

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, earning top honors from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Hoosier State Press Association. Author of over 70 books and a regular blogger for Guideposts, Michelle has written more than 1,000 articles for newspapers and magazines since graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University. 
http://www.michellemedlockadams.com/ 


Mexican artist living in London with my lovely husband , our fantastic 8 year old manager and the most awesome pet rats Snow and Sky … heyyy don’t say EW,…thats rude! I started drawing when I was about 11 I actually wanted to write a diary but I was afraid someone could read it , so drawing was like my secret diary!
I found my inspiration in simple everyday life , people walking their dogs , children playing in the park , school run …
The most important thing for me in my work is to be able to transmit emotions and movement , that is why my favourite technique is water colours. I love the strength, the spontaneity and most of all how the colours blend. In my free time I love traveling and learning languages I have lived in Mexico city , Rome, Madrid, and London! If I wasn’t and illustrator I would be working as an Aerial dancer in a circus ! - See more at: http://www.advocate-art.com/community/2015/08/06/artist-feature-sandra-rodriguez/#sthash.pDRKdWpH.dpuf


Mexican artist living in London with my lovely husband , our fantastic 8 year old manager and the most awesome pet rats Snow and Sky … heyyy don’t say EW,…thats rude! I started drawing when I was about 11 I actually wanted to write a diary but I was afraid someone could read it , so drawing was like my secret diary!
I found my inspiration in simple everyday life , people walking their dogs , children playing in the park , school run …
The most important thing for me in my work is to be able to transmit emotions and movement , that is why my favourite technique is water colours. I love the strength, the spontaneity and most of all how the colours blend. In my free time I love traveling and learning languages I have lived in Mexico city , Rome, Madrid, and London! If I wasn’t and illustrator I would be working as an Aerial dancer in a circus ! - See more at: http://www.advocate-art.com/community/2015/08/06/artist-feature-sandra-rodriguez/#sthash.pDRKdWpH.dpuf
Sandra Rodriguez grew up in Mexico in a house with a big garden. From doodling her way through math class to playing with her dogs, her creative spirit was evident. Rodriguez's illustrations are inspired by simple, everyday life: children playin in the park, people waling their dogs, families interacting after school. Rodriguez favors watercolor because it allows her to transmit the movement and emotion of life into her illustration.

My Review



What a perfect gift for that special birthday child, whether boy or girl, this sturdy book is sure to hit the spot, and you will not be able to wait to give this delightful gift.
I can picture the little ones face as the bright colors draw their attention, and while grasping the thick cardboard book, just right for their hands, the book sings Happy Birthday to them. There is even a place in the back for you to place a picture of your favorite star of the day.
I can see this becoming the favorite gift of the day, it is so personal and loving, and other elements for making a special day perfect for them.
I received this book through Worthy Kids/Ideals and was not required to give a positive review.
Mexican artist living in London with my lovely husband , our fantastic 8 year old manager and the most awesome pet rats Snow and Sky … heyyy don’t say EW,…thats rude! I started drawing when I was about 11 I actually wanted to write a diary but I was afraid someone could read it , so drawing was like my secret diary!
I found my inspiration in simple everyday life , people walking their dogs , children playing in the park , school run …
The most important thing for me in my work is to be able to transmit emotions and movement , that is why my favourite technique is water colours. I love the strength, the spontaneity and most of all how the colours blend. In my free time I love traveling and learning languages I have lived in Mexico city , Rome, Madrid, and London! If I wasn’t and illustrator I would be working as an Aerial dancer in a circus ! - See more at: http://www.advocate-art.com/community/2015/08/06/artist-feature-sandra-rodriguez/#sthash.pDRKdWpH.dpuf

Monday, August 22, 2016

Fetching Sweetness: A Novel for Dog Lovers by Dana Mentink






Standing Between Stephanie and Her Dream
Is One Hundred Pounds of Lovable Trouble


It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Meet up with Agnes Wharton in a small town in California, retrieve the reclusive author's valuable new manuscript, and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent.

But Agnes's canine companion, Sweetness, decides to make a break for it before Stephanie can claim her prize. Until Agnes has Sweetness safely back at home in Eagle Cliff, Washington, Stephanie will never set eyes on the manuscript she needs to make her dreams come true.

When Stephanie tracks the runaway mutt to a campground, she meets Rhett Hastings—a man also on the run from a different life and a costly mistake. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog...thus launching a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.

Once Sweetness gets added to the mix, it's a recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest.


Amazon



About The Author


Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.




My Review




Stephanie Pink feels her whole life and career depends on her scoring the new novel of a reclusive writer. Her hopes and dreams depend on this, and she is willing to do most anything to achieve her dream, and that of her deceased brother.
When the author demands she find her lost dog Sweetness, Stephanie is hot on the dogs trail, and ends up in a campground where she meets another soul trying to find himself, Rhett Hastings.
She soon has Rhett helping in the hysterical capture of Sweetness, and soon has two candidates, which one. This story sure has its escapades to try and get Sweetness to her owner, and in the end they end up with more than they started with.
This is also about people who feel God has let them down, and this journey may just be the one that God has orchestrated to bring Him back into their lives.
We have a lot of compassion and unknowns here, along with a bit of unforeseen romance, a love of animals, sweet and really wild, and traveling along the Western US coast.
I received this book through Litfuse, and was not required to give a positive review. 

WNL Book Tour Presents: A Virtual Book Tour for Loyal by Yasmin Shiraz



Virtual Book Tour,  Loyal, a Young Adult Novel Releasing 
August 30, 2016



About The Author



Yasmin Shiraz is an author, filmmaker, speaker and activist. She uses her passion for life to fuel her books, documentaries, speaking engagements and social activities. She’s spoken at over 100 colleges, universities, middle schools and high schools as well as non-profit organizations. 
She’s an award winning Writer/ Director and enjoys producing work on youth and community issues. By day, she’s the President of Still Eye Rise Media and runs the Yasmin Shiraz website.




About The Book


When a teen girl discovers her brother has been shot, she learns about firsthand about loyalty. Should her brother be more loyal to her or the gang members he's so eager to impress?



Purchase Link

Connect Socially
Tour hosted by WNL Book Tours





Follow The Tour



Friday, August 19, 2016

Fraying at the Edge (The Amish of Summer Grove, #2) by Cindy Woodsmall



"Family, community, faith, and love. These "quilt blocks" sewn together made Ariana's beautiful life. When they are pulled to pieces, will anything familiar remain? The Old Order Amish life Ariana Brenneman loved vanished virtually overnight with the discovery that she was switched at birth twenty years ago. Now she's immersed in the Englischer world, getting to know her mother, and under the authority of her biological father, an atheist intellectual with resolute plans to expand Ariana's worldview. Only Quill Schlabach, a childhood friend living Englisch, can help steady Ariana's tilting ground between the two worlds, but can she trust him after so many betrayals? At the same time, Skylar Nash is forced to choose rehab or spend several months with her true relatives, the large Brenneman family and their seemingly backward life--no electricity, no technology, no fun. What the young woman can't leave behind is her addiction to illegal prescription drugs and deep emptiness from the belief that she doesn't belong in either family. New ties are binding Ariana and Skylar to the lives they were meant to have. Can they pray for the wisdom and strength they'll need to follow God's threads into unexpected futures? Fraying at the Edge is the second novel in The Amish of Summer Grove series"

Amazon

About The Author 











Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.
She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.
She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn’t realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn’t allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy’s house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them—afraid that if they didn’t, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann’s because her family didn’t own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults’ disapproval and the obstacles in each other’s lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy’s family moved to another region of the US.
As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities—from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.
Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.
- See more at: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/about-cindy/biography/#sthash.2dhH1m2k.dpuf
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.
She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.
She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn’t realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn’t allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy’s house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them—afraid that if they didn’t, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann’s because her family didn’t own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults’ disapproval and the obstacles in each other’s lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy’s family moved to another region of the US.
As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities—from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.
Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.
- See more at: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/about-cindy/biography/#sthash.2dhH1m2k.dpuf
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.
She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.
She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn’t realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn’t allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy’s house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them—afraid that if they didn’t, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann’s because her family didn’t own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults’ disapproval and the obstacles in each other’s lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy’s family moved to another region of the US.
As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities—from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.
Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.
- See more at: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/about-cindy/biography/#sthash.2dhH1m2k.dpuf
Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal,and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.
She's a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.
She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.
Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US.
As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.
Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.
If you'd like more information or to contact her, you can go to her website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcindywoodsmall


My Review



 If you read the first book Ties That Bind, and I hope you do, you don’t want to miss it, and then you are up to date as to what has happened in the past. If not the author will bring you up to date very quickly, and you will soon be absorbed in this story about two babies that are switched at birth, one Amish and one belonging to the world.
We are at the doors when the girls arrived at the homes of their birth parents, and both are in for rude awakenings, they must feel like there are in bad dreams they can’t awaken from. Each must spend a year away for all they know, and will they be the same person at the end?
Trying to put myself as the parent of one of these girls, one I would know intimately from day one, and raised through school, skinned knees and everyday life, and the other is really mine, how could you choose, I would want them both.
A really interesting a great read, and in the end I still don’t know all that is going to happen, and can’t wait to find out. Don’t miss this one, you won’t be disappointed, it is going to keep you thinking until you know all the answers.
I received this book through Blogging for Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck







Two women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled.


It’s the 1930s, and Cora is taking the reins at her family’s wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee. Brides come from far away to be doted on by Cora and her family while they find the perfect wedding dress. Meanwhile, Cora has found her true love, Rufus, a riverboat captain. Cora counts the days until his return from the river, and she continues to wait for him as days turn into months and months turn into years. When he finally returns, she receives the shock of a lifetime: he is married to another. Nursing her heartbreak, she must find a way to continue pouring her heart into the hopes and dreams of the brides who visit her shop, all while wondering if she will ever find true love or if it has passed her by.


In present day, Haley has finished her time as a soldier, and suffering from PTSD, wants nothing to do with the heartbreak of this world. She sets off for Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, and in order to honor the memory of a fallen friend, she takes on the task of reopening an abandoned and long-forgotten wedding shop. Perhaps through helping others, she can forget the pain and disappointment in her own life.


Haley isn’t looking for love, but when her friend’s former fiancé becomes involved in the shop’s renovations, they both find that healing and restoration can perhaps happen in their lives too.


Amazon 

About The Author




A RITA finalist and winner of Romantic Times Inspirational Novel of the Year, she writes vivid characters dealing with real life issues.

She loves to hear from readers. She also loves to encourage new writers and sits on the Executive Board of American Christian Fiction Writers..

A graduate of Ohio State University with a BA in Journalism, Rachel is an avid OSU football fan. She hopes to one day stand on the sidelines in the Shoe with Urban Meyer.

An avid Diet Coke fan, she is caffeine free. Sometimes you just have to compromise.

She's never skied or jumped out of an airplane. She leaves such hijinks to Jason Bourne.

Visit her web site to find out more and click on the icons to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

www.rachelhauck.com
  



My Review





A story that spans decades but becomes so intertwined you won’t see it coming, and it circles around a Wedding Shop.
While the modern want to be owner, Haley Morgan, has had a vision for this abandoned shop since she was ten years old, the former owner, Cora Scott, was the recipient of the shop from her Aunt Jane.
There are parallel love affairs, and you never see the comparisons of these lives, and then they drop a real bombshell on you and it will blow you away. We work through the deep depression and the crash of 1929, and then in the modern time, greed and blackmail.
We also meet back up with Charlotte and the rather magic dress, and again how much these women have in common.
A really great hard to put down read, and I really didn’t want it to end, I wanted some more answers.
I received this book through the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

An Amish Harvest: Four Novellas by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Amy Clipston, Vannetta Chapman


Under the Harvest Moon by Beth Wiseman
Naomi Dienner is a recently widowed young mother; she is dealing with the fact that she is not really sad that her abusive husband is gone. She has also recently discovered she is pregnant, and is afraid she might have a miscarriage, so she spends quite a bit of money on a powwow, I interpreted it as witchcraft, but it is in the Amish community.
She has a harvest to get in and her father has hired a friend of his, and English man Brock Mulligan to help. He is a widower and went through so much pain in loosing his spouse; he has no interest in becoming involved again.
This is a very fast read but you are going to love his reaction to the children, and what they say about him.

Love and Buggy Rides, by Amy Clipston
Janie Lantz is innocently eating her lunch when she witnesses an accident with a car hitting one of the buggies that belong to her boss. She then meets the driver of the buggy, an Amish man Jonathan Stoltfuz, who is just visiting the area and staying with his grandparents.
Janie tells her family about the accident, and her farther forbids her to tell anyone about what she saw, he doesn’t want her involved, but when Janie gets to know Jonathan and is interested in him, what will happen.
We also wonder what is going to happen when he leaves.

A Quiet Love is a very sweet story about Dinah Hochstetler, a very shy, quiet, lover of poetry, young woman whose family has sent her to visit her Aunt. Now Dinah loves her Aunt, but she doesn’t like leaving her family, she is a stutter.
When she arrives at her recently married Aunt’s house she meets a handsome, special, young man, Amos Mullett, he is a farmer, and knows he is different, but would love to have a family of his own.
This is a story of when a parent needs to let go, but also be there with a helping hand. When our special children grow up and want to spread their wings, can or are we able to let them go?

Mischief In The Autumn Air by Vanetta Chapman
Martha Beiler has left her home and gone to live with her Aunt, but boy I wondered why she made the move. She is also working with Eli Wittmer, who is not thrilled when the bishop asked him to help and give Martha a job.
When an elderly couple send some of their last possessions to auction, a mystery is created when they pieces go for a lot more money than expected.
Will Amos and Dinah find answers to their questions, and go on with their lives, or will there be a spark that will make then move forward?

Amazon



About The Authors

Award-winning, bestselling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but she has also written several successful contemporary novels, set primarily in her beloved Texas, including Need You Now and The House that Love Built. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth's The Promise is inspired by a true story. Website: www.bethwiseman.com Twitter: @bethwiseman Facebook: Fans-of-Beth-Wiseman

Amy Clipston is a native of New Jersey, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I often joke that my fiction writing “career” began in elementary school as I wrote and shared silly stories with a close friend. However throughout school, I only considered writing a hobby, and I never dreamt of being an author.
In 1991, I graduated from high school, and my parents and I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. My father retired, and my mother went to work full-time. I attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, and I graduated with a degree in communications. I met my husband, Joe, during my senior year in college, a few days after my father had a massive stroke. Joe and I clicked instantly, and after a couple of months we started dating. We married four years later.
After graduating from VWC, I took a summer job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, which turned into an eleven-year career. I worked in the Public Affairs Office for four years and then moved into Planning as a writer/editor.
During that time, I continued writing for fun. It was something I did to escape stress and unwind. I didn’t share the stories with anyone except for a couple of close friends. In fact, I was even afraid to admit to my husband that I wrote.


Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including A Man of His Word and Treasuring Emma, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, The Mysteries of Middlefield. Website: www.kathleenfuller.com Twitter: @TheKatJam Facebook: Author Kathleen Fuller

Vannetta Chapman is author of the best-selling novel A Simple Amish Christmas. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather's birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania.


My Review


Under the Harvest Moon by Beth Wiseman
Naomi Dienner is a recently widowed young mother; she is dealing with the fact that she is not really sad that her abusive husband is gone. She has also recently discovered she is pregnant, and is afraid she might have a miscarriage, so she spends quite a bit of money on a powwow, I interpreted it as witchcraft, but it is in the Amish community.
She has a harvest to get in and her father has hired a friend of his, and English man Brock Mulligan to help. He is a widower and went through so much pain in loosing his spouse; he has no interest in becoming involved again.
This is a very fast read but you are going to love his reaction to the children, and what they say about him.

Love and Buggy Rides, by Amy Clipston
Janie Lantz is innocently eating her lunch when she witnesses an accident with a car hitting one of the buggies that belong to her boss. She then meets the driver of the buggy, an Amish man Jonathan Stoltfuz, who is just visiting the area and staying with his grandparents.
Janie tells her family about the accident, and her farther forbids her to tell anyone about what she saw, he doesn’t want her involved, but when Janie gets to know Jonathan and is interested in him, what will happen.
We also wonder what is going to happen when he leaves.

A Quiet Love is a very sweet story about Dinah Hochstetler, a very shy, quiet, lover of poetry, young woman whose family has sent her to visit her Aunt. Now Dinah loves her Aunt, but she doesn’t like leaving her family, she is a stutter.
When she arrives at her recently married Aunt’s house she meets a handsome, special, young man, Amos Mullett, he is a farmer, and knows he is different, but would love to have a family of his own.
This is a story of when a parent needs to let go, but also be there with a helping hand. When our special children grow up and want to spread their wings, can or are we able to let them go?

Mischief In The Autumn Air by Vanetta Chapman
Martha Beiler has left her home and gone to live with her Aunt, but boy I wondered why she made the move. She is also working with Eli Wittmer, who is not thrilled when the bishop asked him to help and give Martha a job.
When an elderly couple send some of their last possessions to auction, a mystery is created when they pieces go for a lot more money than expected.
Will Amos and Dinah find answers to their questions, and go on with their lives, or will there be a spark that will make then move forward?

Finding Sarah Finding Me: A Birthmother's Story by Christine Lindsay






Sometimes it is only through giving up our hearts that we learn to trust the Lord.
Adoption. It's something that touches one in three people today, a word that will conjure different emotions in those people touched by it. A word that might represent the greatest hope…the greatest question…the greatest sacrifice. But most of all, it's a word that represents God's immense love for his people.

Join birth mother Christine Lindsay as she shares the heartaches, hopes, and epiphanies of her journey to reunion with the daughter she gave up...and to understanding her true identity in Christ along the way.

Through her story and glimpses into the lives of other families in the adoption triad, readers will see the beauty of our broken families, broken hearts, and broken dreams when we entrust them to our loving God.


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About The Author



Christine Lindsay writes historical inspirational novels with strong love stories, and she takes pride in her Irish roots. Her great grandfather and grandfather worked as riveters in the Belfast shipyard, one of those ships her ancestors helped build was the Titanic.

On her mother’s side, it was stories of ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in India that seeded Christine’s long-time fascination with the British Raj and became the stimulus for her series Twilight of the British Raj.

The Pacific coast of Canada, about 200 miles north of Seattle, is Christine’s home where she lives with her husband, David, and they enjoy the visits from their adult children and grandchildren. Like a lot of authors, Christine’s chief editor is her cat.



My Review





The Author bares her soul in this book that should be a must read for adopter and birth moms and adoptees.
We read about Christine’s first meeting with her darling daughter that she has not seen since she was three days old and is now twenty. The story of Christine and her family is like ripping a Band-Aid off, and not knowing your doing it. Through all of the struggles the anchor is God.
Christine’s story is featured throughout the book along with other stories of adopters, adoptees and almost. There is so much heartache, dread and all out love here, and we walk in the author’s shoes. Would I have had the courage to do what she did? In this day so many babies are kept, unheard of when I was growing up, and yet wouldn’t you want to keep you own baby?
This story touches me on a very personal level, I saw the baby my sister gave up, and he brought joy into our lives when God opened doors to let us meet him. There was all class reunion that year in our small town, and my Florida, Indiana and Illinois siblings were all home, my sister the Mother the one from Illinois, this is the last time we were all here. Anyway, God pulled strings and my new nephew was traveling this way to go to Canada; he stopped and we met this blessed man.
The Author has arranged for all proceeds of this book to be donated to the Woman and Children’s Initiative with Gain, Sarah and Mark work for them, yes a Blessing.
I received this book from the Author, and was not required to give a positive review.



Monday, August 15, 2016

Snuggle Time Psalms by Glenys Nellist, Cee Biscoe






Did you think the book of Psalms was only for adults? Think again! Snuggle Time Psalms, written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Cee Biscoe, is the perfect way to introduce little ones to the poetry book of the Bible. This padded cover board book uses simple concepts, rhyming text and adorable art to help children engage with the Psalms. Beginning with 'Bedtime Peace' and ending with 'Wonderful Me!' this collection of fifteen bedtime poems enables young children to discover the One who holds them in his arms, leads them like a shepherd, created them just as they are, and cherishes them with a love that never ends...snuggle and see!

About The Author
Glenys Nellis



Although I live in Michigan, USA, I was born and raised in a little village in northern England.

I grew up in a big old house, with two wonderful parents and seven siblings. My dad was the one who introduced me to the gospel. My mum was the one who encouraged me to work with children.

And at primary school, my teacher was the one who urged me to write. One day a week, I was one of the lucky few withdrawn from the classroom to sit in big, comfy armchairs in the teachers' lounge. There, in front of a roaring log fire, with pencil and paper at the ready, I would write.

I never would have imagined that four decades later, I would be blessed enough to be an author of children's books, or be married to a wonderful husband, or be mum to four sons, and a grandma too. But of course, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)


And to God alone, be the glory.
  







Cee Biscoe 
 I’m very lucky to have been illustrating picture books full-time since early 2008. My first picture book, commissioned by Little Tiger Press, was  ‘Gruff The Grump’, written by Steve Smallman, which was published in 2009 in the UK, US and 9 other countries. It was one of the 'Reads Of The Year' in the Younger Children category of the Red House Children's Book Awards 2010. Since then I've illustrated several picture boks and board books for a variety of publishers.

2016 has started well as I continue to work on a four-book contract with a US publisher.  Having recently completed commissions for Korean, Slovenian, American and Australian publishers, it's great to carry on illustrating for different international clients.

My Review




Snuggle Time Psalms almost brought tears to my eyes, it is so sweet and lovely, and the perfect sharing gift for that special toddler in your life.
There are fifteen bedtime prayers that will bring the psalms into your little ones life, and allow you the joy to share them. Sharing the word of God with your Child is a blessing in itself, and with your arm around your love one, pure joy.
The book has a darling mother and baby elephant on the padded cover, and the rest of the book is made of sturdy cardboard, just right for little hands.
I received this book from Book Look Bloggers, and was not required to give a positive review.


One Big Turkey by Anne Vittur Kennedy






Count your blessings! Join one big turkey and his forest friends as they celebrate the harvest season.


Children will count along with big turkey, squirrel, and their forest friends all the reasons they have to be grateful. Sweet, rhyming text will help children count everything they have to be thankful for, including food, friends, full tummies, and most of all, God! This board book presents parents with an adorable and simple way to teach their children about giving thanks.


With sweet rhyming verse, lots of fun images to count, and warm, charming artwork, this book will surely be a favorite every holiday season!


No turkeys were harmed in the telling of this story.


 About The Author





Anne Vittur Kennedy started out as a music teacher in public schools, but shifted to illustration in 1982. She has illustrated many children’s books, including the Miss Fox series by Eileen Spinelli and the Pony Scouts series by Catherine Hapka. Anne Vittur Kennedy lives near Columbus, Ohio.


My Review




I just received the perfect fall book for my little one, brightly colored cover shows a big tom turkey, and lovely fall leaves. The book is made of study cardboard, and just the right size for small hands.
Besides cute pictures with rhyming words, the little ones will be learning to count to ten without realizing it. When you read this one to your child you both will be giggling at the cute pictures that go along with the story.
What a delightful little book to share with that special toddler in your life, and a great introduction to fall and Thanksgiving.
I received this book though BookLook Bloggers and was not required to give a positive review. 

Friday, August 12, 2016

God Made You Just Right by Jill Roman Lord, Amy Wummer (Illustrations)






Here is a message that every parent will want to share with his or her child: “You’re brilliantly created and there’s no one else like you!” With easy-to-understand descriptions and simple, rhyming text, Jill Roman Lord shares the message that God created each of us in just the right way in a manner that even the youngest child will understand. Bright and engaging illustrations from Amy Wummer pair perfectly with the text and enhance the appeal of the book.


About The Author



 





After winning her first writing contest in first grade with an essay called “Patrol Boys are my Friends," Jill couldn’t keep herself from writing. As she grew, she soon found that with every boy she liked, every new friendship formed, every break of her heart, she wrote a poem and forever stashed it away in her file called “Stuff I Wrote”.
Eventually she tried to write “stuff” for publication. In fact, she received her first request from a publisher for a completed manuscript when she was 9 months pregnant with her third child. Jill literally finished tweaking the manuscript between contractions in the hospital! It paid off with the acceptance of the manuscript, publication of her first book, and a bouncing baby boy! 
She continued writing stories for children and over the next few years accumulated enough rejections to jam a file drawer. She has quit several times, cried puddles of tears on her back porch vowing never to write again, only to hear one of her children say, “You have to write, Mommy. You’re a writer.” 
With those words and eventually the nudge from a "squirrel" she became a committed writer and loves it despite the rejections. Her eleventh book, The First Easter, will be released in the spring of 2013 by Candy Cane Press. Also watch for a Thanksgiving Book coming out in 2013, as well! Check out her book page for other books she’s written.
She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, three children and Golden Retriever. She enjoys running, hiking, golfing and cheering for her children in their sports and activities. 


Amy Wummer Illustrator

AMY WUMMER is an award-winning children’s book illustrator of over fifty titles. She received the Highlights for Children Cover of the Year award in 1998 and 2007, the 2006 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Highlights for Children Illustrator of the Month award in October 2003 and November 2007, and was a 2002 Gold Medallion Book Award finalist.

My Review

This book is just the right size for toddler’s hands and made of sturdy cardboard, no pages will get ripped while they carry it to you to snuggle and read for them.
Love the bright colors, and all the boys and girls doing different activities that you and your little one can talk about! There is sweet rhyming text to keep their attention, with a great lesson that God made each of us the right way, he knew what he was doing.
A great book for that little one in your life, you will not be disappointed.

I received this book through WorthyKids/Ideals and was not required to give a positive review    

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries) by T. C. LoTempio

  Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries) by T. C. LoTempio About Cats, Carats, and Killers Cats, Carat...