Threads of Grace

 

About The Book:  Grace's autistic son needs a life that is safe and consistent. Seth wants to leave his flirting days behind him and settle down.  Deep in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, the beautiful and weary Amish widow, Grace Beiler, is not looking for a husband—especially one so much younger than her. But handsome and smitten Seth Wyse stumbles upon a way to help her and they marry to keep Grace’s autistic son safe from his ill-intentioned uncle.  Grace soon discovers that she is far from immune to her young husband’s experienced charm and realizes that her first marriage has not destroyed her capacity for love.  Seth Wyse seeks counsel from his older brother, Jacob, when playing the game of pursuing his wife becomes more dangerous to both his heart and life than he ever imagined.  Yet God can give Grace and Seth a passion for family and each other that teaches them the ways of the Master Quilter through the tangled and tender threads of their lives.

About The Author:  Kelly Long is the author of the Patch of Heaven series and the historical Amish Novel Arms of Love.  She was born and raised in the mountains of Pennsylvania.  She's been married for twenty-six years and enjoys life with her husband, children, and Bichon.






My Thoughts On The Book:   This book veered a bit from the traditional Amish novel.  It is the third in the Patch of Heaven series.  In the beginning of the novel we find young Grace forced to marry an older wealthy Amish man to save her family and their farm. Silas was cruel and forbid Grace from having any contact with her family or friends.  Upon Silas' death she suddenly finds herself free...sort of.   In an act of total desparation she runs with her autistic son, Abel.  The two find themselves in the small community of Pine Creek. Skittish as a horse Grace and Abel begin establishing a new life when her brother-in-law appears.  He claims that he has some legal rights to her if she does not marry within 6 months of her husband’s death.  Seth Wyse, a younger, single Amish man is crazy about Grace and when he hears of her plight offers to marry her. In a hasty Amish ceremony, they are married.  The story really begins here as they seek grace within themselves and with each other.  I have not read the other two books but this book was easy to understand.  Long is a master at character development and has great attention for detail.  I would definitely suggest reading this.  It will make you laugh and break your heart within a few pages. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishing Booksneeze Program for bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

More Than A Bucket List

About The Book:  Most of us agree that the older we get, the faster time seems to speed by.  As our time on earth gets shorter, the list of promises we make to ourselves grows longer.  Fun ideas of things to do, places to see, and ways to make a difference!  Everyone dreams about places to see, people to meet, and things to do in their lifetime. But too often we lose sight of those dreams and get buried in everyday busyness and demands. More Than a Bucket List will inspire you to seize and act on a range of dreams—anything from visiting the Holy Land, donating your time at a soup kitchen, learning to climb a tree, or helping a child learn to read. The book also includes ideas to make lasting memories as you marvel at a new sight, laugh like crazy with an old friend, or change a life.

About The Author:  Toni Birdsong , co-author of @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online, is a partner in Birdsong Creative, a visual communications, marketing, and Web firm in Franklin, Tennessee. She’s served as a reporter and editor for several Los Angeles- based newspapers in and as a communications specialist for the Walt Disney Company. She has authored more than 2,000 articles and currently provides marketing content and social media strategy for businesses and ministries. She lives outside of Franklin with her husband, Troy, and their creative kids Zane and Olivia. They are members of Grace Chapel in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee where Toni serves in the women’s and youth ministries.

My Thoughts On The Book:  I love laughter.  Laughter reminds me that life is a joy.  Proverbs 17:22 tells us “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Twenty years ago I began my own Bucket List filled with things I wanted to accomplish in my life.  As I completed one I added another.  I am just like man others who walk this earth.  I dream about places I want to see, peopleI am dying to meet, and things I want  to do before I meet my maker.  Along the way I have lost track of some dreams and buried some others because life got in my way. and demands. This wonderful  gift book,  More Than a Bucket List lit the fire in me to began seeking my dreams and adding a greater perspective to my life….God’s!  I love the way that Birdsong divides her book thematically and fills each chapter with God’s word and wonderful personal narratives  I really loved the pages in the back that were set aside for the reader to write their very own bucket list  I cannot wait to take wing once more and soar!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishing Booksneeze Program for bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

Through Rushing Water

About The Book:  "Sophia has her life all planned out—but her plan didn’t include being jilted or ending up in Dakota Territory. Sophia Makinoff is certain that 1876 is the year that she’ll become the wife of a certain US Congressman, and happily plans her debut into the Capitol city. But when he proposes to her roommate instead, Sophia is stunned. Hoping to flee her heartache and humiliation, she signs up with the Board of Foreign Missions on a whim. With dreams of a romantic posting to the Far East, Sophia is dismayed to find she’s being sent to the Ponca Indian Agency in the bleak Dakota Territory. She can’t even run away effectively and begins to wonder how on earth she’ll be able to guide others as a missionary. But teaching the Ponca children provides her with a joy she has never known—and never expected—and ignites in her a passion for the people she’s sent to serve. It’s a passion shared by the Agency carpenter, WillougIhby Dunn, a man whose integrity and selflessness are unmatched. The Poncas are barely surviving. When U.S. policy decrees that they be uprooted from their land and marched hundreds of miles away in the middle of winter, Sophia and Will wade into rushing waters to fight for their friends, their love, and their destiny."  Want to know the real story behind the book?  If you do then check this link out. 

About The Author:  While Catherine Richmond  was busy raising a family, working as an occupational therapist, and trying to remember where she hid the chocolate,  a song sparked a story within her. The journey to publication was long, but full of blessings. She admits that she couldn’t have done it without ACFW, RWA, and FHL, the inspirational chapter of RWA, and Nebraska Novelists critique group.  Richmond was born in Washington, DC, grew up in northern Virginia, attended Western Michigan University, and moved around a lot for her husband’s aviation career. Her favorite place to write is the porch!  I love this woman.  Check out her website at:  http://catherinerichmond.com. 

My Thoughts On The Book:  When I began reading this book I thought, "Oh no...a sappy love story about a political figure and a girl."  I was far from correct on this story.  It had so many layers it was hard to keep up with them sometimes.  It drew you into the characters lives when you least expected it to,  I always dreamed of teaching school on a reservation.  This story was my dream in pen and ink.  Sophia was everything I planned on being as a teacher and then some.  I felt as if I knew her personally and then I felt as if I was looking in a mirror at myself.  My heart bled for the Ponca Indians.  I felt as if I walked each mile through the bad weather conditions with them.  I felt as if I lost the same loved ones they did.  Richmond as a way of stringing her story together where you don't want to put the book down.  I read every chance I could like a man starving for food.  It was a wonderful story about a not so wonderful time in United States History.  This book is a must read and must own.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publisher's  BookSneeze as  part of their blogger book review team in exchange for an honest review.

Lonestar Angel Review

About the Book:  Years ago Eden and Clay Larson's baby was stolen. Kidnappers demanded a ransom, but something went horribly wrong at the exchange: the kidnapper's car crashed into the river and was never recovered. Eden blamed herself, Clay lost himself in work. Their young and rocky marriage ended. Or so Eden thought.  Now she's met Kent. He's everything Clay wasn't: funny, stable, and eager to please her. Just as he's about to propose marriage at a romantic dinner, Clay arrives and tells Eden she can't marry Kent. She's still married to him. He never signed the divorce decree. Even more earth-shattering than this news is that he's never stopped looking for Brianna. Based on a tip, he thinks their daughter is in Bluebird, Texas, at a youth ranch. All five little girls there are the right age, but he's not sure which is Brianna. To discover the truth, the couple becomes counselors to the girls at Bluebird Ranch. They move into small quarters in the bunkhouse and oversee the kids as they try to find out more. As they work together, their love for the children grows and their love for each other is rekindled. But as danger closes in, Eden and Clay realize they've been lured to this remote West Texas location; their lives and the lives of the little girls are in danger. But as Eden learns, "hope does not disappoint."

About the Author:  Colleen Cobbles genres include romance, suspense, and historical. Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

My Thoughts:  From the moment I began the novel I was hooked.  I felt my heart wrenching for Eden and Clay as they began their journey to find each other and their missing child.  There were a great many twists and turns in the story that kept me sitting on the edge of my chair.  I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves suspense with a romantic kick.  Loved it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255