3.15.2015

To Everything a Season ~ Review

To Everything a Season
Song of Blessing 1
By Lauraine Snelling

The town of Blessing is growing and changing and the Bjorklund family is about to experience these changes as well.  Doctors Bjorklund - Elizabeth and Astrid are preparing to train student nurses at their hospital.  But in the midst of all this preparation the town of Blessing experiences something that threatens the safety that was a given.  And then there is the matter of all the immigrants moving to the area who have different beliefs in the matter of worship.  To say that growth is easy would be wrong and Blessing is a perfect example of just how hard it can be. 

And it is to this town, far away from her family, that Miriam Hastings has come.  Determined to complete her year of hands-on nursing, Miriam soon finds her heart being touched by Trygve Knutson.  But can the differences between them ever be bridged?  Or will the prejudices that have made their presence known in Blessing convince her that she belongs in Chicago?

Take a step back in time to the early 1900's when times were not simpler only less technologically challenged and dependent.  Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this look back. 

I was provided a copy this book by the publisher through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.

ABOUT THE BOOK : 
Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Returns Again to Her Popular Red River Valley Setting
Trygve Knutson is devoted to his family and his community. With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing. Though he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.

Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always considered set in stone.

When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it mean losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of over 70 books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold over 2 million copies. Besides writing books and articles, she teaches at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California. Learn more at www.laurainesnelling.com

3.13.2015

Believers ~ Review with Excerpt

Believers
The Believers Saga
By Tamara D. Taylor

Mari Messais is a non-medi in a world that has catered to the medis for over 400 years.  After all those who live forever deserve to enjoy all that life has to offer.  But when Mari is unexpected promoted to be Joseph Aramat's assistant she finds herself suddenly in the medi world.

Mari finds herself suddenly in doubt about whom to trust - those in her familiar world or those in her new one.  And when she suddenly finds herself subject to attack she must decide quickly whom to trust.  Is Joseph as safe and trust worthy as he appears?  Or is it an act to get at Mari's most guarded secret - one that could cost her and her family everything?

Believers is a journey of trust and a discovery of love in the midst of betrayal.  If you like your books exciting, with danger increasing towards an explosive climax you will enjoy this offering from Tamara D. Taylor.  This is a world different from our own but one can see what once was.  Belief in God has been outlawed.  The world prospers and rewards the elite while subduing the spirit of the lower classes.  It is this world that Joseph is determined to change, if he can be believed, and he wants Mari to help him.

 I'm hopeful that the very fact that this book says The Believers Saga that there will be additional books forthcoming.

It is important to note that are a few situations that may be slightly offensive to very sensitive readers who don't appreciate language that could fall in the PG category.

I was provided a copy of this book through PUYB in conjunction with this blog tour in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.


About the Author:

Tamara D.Taylor was born and raised in the East Bay of California until she moved to Omaha, Nebraska to attend Creighton University. Today, Tamara still resides in Nebraska where she and her husband, John, are raising their five young children.

A life long lover of all forms of the written word, Tamara is an avid reader, and has been writing short stories and poetry since elementary school. After watching her son struggle with succeeding in school, she decided to finally write the novel she had been thinking about for years in an effort to show her son that no dream is too big to achieve.

Her latest book is the YA Believers: Truth in Deception.

For More Information:
• Connect with Tamara on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Tamara at Goodreads.

About the Book:
Title: Believers: Truth in Deception
Author: Tamara D. Taylor
Publisher: Tamara D. Taylor
Pages: 330
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Mari lives in a world of the future where an anti aging drug has torn society
apart, creating an insurmountable divide between the wealthy and the poor.
Her life is thrown sideways after she receives an unsolicited promotion at work, which leaves her as assistant to one of the most notorious playboys of the wealthy elite.

Mari struggles to find solid footing in a world that drastically conflicts with her
humble upbringing. Her moral compass is tested as she finds herself falling in
love with a man she knows she should not trust,  compromising her relationship
with her childhood sweetheart.

After her life is threatened, she fears for her safety and that of her family.
Will she be able to guard her own secrets to prevent even further danger? Will
death be the consequence of falling in love with the wrong man?

“This is a great book. It contains a world that is dark and focused on the
comforts of the select elite and a world of hope and love for those less
fortunate... all coupled with action and anticipation. Great combinations in my
opinion! I can't wait to read the next book!”-- California Mom

For More Information:
Believers: Truth in Deception is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.



Book Excerpt:
What would you do if you knew you could live forever? How would you change 
your life? The world? Would you be the one to make it better? I thought the 
cure for aging would be the answer to so many of humanity’s problems. I really 
believed this little pill would help us make the world a better place. 

Yet all I have seen is the further deterioration of generosity, love, compassion 
and freedom. It has not brought out the better side of the human race. It has 
created a darker side where compassion and generosity are rare traits that 
are almost extinct. It has taken me over 400 years to realize that the end of 
aging does not give one freedom. Your body becomes a prison in which you are 
trapped and from which you can’t escape.

It saddens me that the world has entered such a dark time, to the point where 
I no longer want to stay and witness the pain that we, as people, are putting 
ourselves through. 

To many, this will come as a shock. My success has only forced me to put up a 
wall, one that keeps away even those who feel they are my closest friends. I do 
not trust anyone. The friends I have left only appear to be interested in their 
association with me to advance their own political aspirations in life.

I feel that if I can’t offer the peace that eternal life brings to all, then none of 
us should have it. It is not fair of us to choose a select few to live far past an 
age that God has intended. 

I have watched too many good people come in and out of this world, knowing 
that, “in the end,” I could have saved them. However, like many other people, 
I had started believing that I deserved this gift, that it was my right, and that 
if a person was not smart enough or rich enough to buy this gift, then they did 
not deserve to obtain it.

Looking back on my life, I can see that I am the origin of all the world’s 
troubles. As intelligent as I was to invent this amazing drug, I can’t begin to 
imagine that I am brilliant enough to change the course of our planet.

My heart is broken, my soul damaged and weak. My resilience is nothing but 
a shadow left. I cry, for humanity, mother earth and the faith that we have 
lost in God. So the only thing left I can offer is the end. Tonight will be my 
last. I have settled my regrets, sins and all other misgivings with God and 
look forward to joining all of those I have cared for over my 400 years on this 
planet.

He slowly raises the gun and puts it into his mouth. With a quick fluid motion, 
the trigger is pulled.

3.12.2015

By Your Side ~ Review

By Your Side
Crisis Team 1
By Candace Calvert

Macy Wynn is tough and she knows she can only count on one person - herself.  Her father wants nothing to do with her on a personal level. Her mother died when she was a child.  And Macy spent most of her childhood in the California foster care system.  The only connection from her childhood left is Leah, a young woman whom she considered a sister.  In her opinion this upbringing has prepared her for a career as an ER nurse.

Fletcher Holt, a police deputy, has reluctantly put his life in Houston on hold.  He's moved to Sacramento to be there for his mother who's battling cancer.

When Macy and Fletcher both respond to a freeway accident they find themselves in the middle of a random sniper-of-opportunity attack.  But when attacks start occurring around Sacramento Hope tensions rise as the hospital and Macy seem to be a common factor in the attacks.  The only question is why is someone targeting Macy?  

By Your Side will keep you guessing as to who the perpetrator is.  It is also interesting to see Fletcher in this book after his appearance in Life Support.  Leaving Jessica behind in Houston is Fletcher's main regret, but there is something about Macy that captures Fletcher's attention.  Something beyond her tough exterior.  

I have to say this was an enjoyable diversion after work.  And this would be the perfect way to spend a day off.  Get ready for some excitement from the California Delta region (which I'm partial to as it was my birth place).

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

ER nurse Macy Wynn learned essential, gritty lessons in the California foster care system: land on your feet and trust no one. She's finally located the fellow foster child she loves like a sister, but the girl's in deep trouble. Macy's determined to help, no matter what it takes. Her motto is to "make it happen" in any situation life throws at her—even when she butts heads with an idealistic cop.

Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he's been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he's attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.

When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust? 

3.10.2015

Mercy's Rain ~ Review

Mercy's Rain
An Appalachian Novel
By Cindy K. Sproles

Mercy Roller's life has been one filled pain and abuse.  At 19 she's been married and a mother and she's lost everything.  And her losses have come at the hands of her father - the Pastor.  But when Mercy determines to stop the Pastor from hurting anyone else, she didn't realize what it would cost her.

Mercy's Rain is Mercy's journey to healing and wholeness.  But her journey isn't an easy one as memories from the past come over her at any moment, shattering what peace she has obtained.  To discover the truth of God's love and His mercy, Mercy must come to terms with her past and accept what God wants to give her.

Mercy's story starts when she makes a decision to stop the "righteousness" of her father.  Her mother wanting nothing more to do with Mercy, refuses to allow her to stay in the family home.  Mercy's wandering brings her into the company of Samuel Stone, a preacher and Isabella and Terrance Johnson.  

Mercy's early life is one of brutal ugliness which is in sharp contrast to the life in which she finds herself now in.  Mercy's Rain is a story of mercy which, like Mercy, we don't truly understand.

Mercy's Rain has something about it that reminds me of Francine Rivers The Last Sin Eater.  I believe it has to do with the setting, the cruelty of the Pastor, and Mercy's brokenness.  This is a story that may in places move you to tears. 

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher, Kregel, in exchange for my honest review.   

About the book:

Mercy Roller knows her name is a lie: there has never been any mercy in her young life. Raised by a twisted and abusive father who called himself the Pastor, she was abandoned by the church community that should have stood together to protect her from his evil. Her mother, consumed by her own fear and hate, won't stand her ground to save Mercy either.

The Pastor has robbed Mercy of innocence and love, a husband and her child. Not a single person seems capable of standing up to the Pastor's unrestrained evil. So Mercy takes matters into her own hands.

Her heart was hardened to love long before she took on the role of judge, jury, and executioner of the Pastor. She just didn't realize the retribution she thought would save her, might turn her into the very thing she hated most.

Sent away by her angry and grieving mother, Mercy's path is unclear until she meets a young preacher headed to counsel a pregnant couple. Sure that her calling is to protect the family, Mercy is drawn into a different life on the other side of the mountain where she slowly discovers true righteousness has nothing evil about it--and that there might be room for her own stained and shattered soul to find shelter. . . and even love.

Mercy's Rain is a remarkable historical novel set in 19th century Appalachia that traces the thorny path from bitterness to forgiveness and reveals the victory and strength that comes from simple faith.

3.09.2015

Betting on Hope ~ Review

Betting on Hope
A Four of Hearts Ranch Romance 1
By Debra Clopton

The last thing Maggie Hope wants is to conduct an interview with Tru Monahan.  But Tru's sponsors want this and the powers that be have ordered Maggie to fill in for the reporter scheduled to conduct the interview.

But Maggie is totally out of her element, after all she's an advice columnist not a reporter.  And the interview goes from bad to worse with the highlight being Tru stating he could teach anyone to ride and Maggir betting him he couldn't teach her.  Unfortunately for both Tru and Maggie both the station and his sponsors see opportunity in their "bet".

Maggie and Tru are given two months to fulfill their bet.  And they have no choice in the matter - Tru's sponsors see $$$$, the network sees ratings, and the future of Maggie's column depends on her accepting the bet.  But will the small town of Wishing Springs, Texas ever be the same after Maggie gets done with it?

Maggie is determined to avoid Tru's charm and becoming the newest tabloid fodder.  Tru is determined to keep any and all women at arm's length for their own good.  But Maggie's constant presence just may make that a tad difficult, especially if she can't overcome her klutzy ways.

Betting on Hope is both humorous and emotionally moving as Maggie and Tru fulfill their obligations while dealing with issues from their pasts.  The various residents of Wishing Springs add to the richness of the story, adding both a depth and dimension that will make you want to revisit Wishing Springs.

I was provided with a copy of this book through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for my honest review.



Book Description:
A bet gone wrong. A small town’s meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch.
Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it’s beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie’s bosses know this is the opportunity she's been looking for to launch her career—and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat.
Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he’d like, but he knows it's the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru’s fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige. To his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do—for her own good.
In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart’s desires.
About the Author:
Debra Clopton is a multi-award winning novelist first published in 2005 and has written more than 22 novels. Along with writing, Debra helps her husband teach the youth at their local Cowboy Church. Debra is the author of the acclaimed Mule Hollow Matchmaker Series, and her goal is to shine a light toward God while she entertains readers with her words.

Ribbons of Death ~ Book Blitz

About the Book:
Title: Ribbons of Death
Author: Edita A. Petrick
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 371
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Format: Paperback/Kindle

The ancients believed that once in a Blue Moon a child with Peacetaker powers is born. Such child, when grown to maturity, can seed murderous madness in people’s minds by merely walking amongst them. A simple amulet activates the Peacetaker’s powers. When a horribly scarred man knocks on the door of Stella Hunter’s ramshackle cottage in upstate Montana, she lets him in. What’s there to lose? The book critics killed her chances to warn the world about myths and legends behind the myths and legends.

But once the man pushes a book smudged with bloody fingerprints across the table, Stella sees a glimmer of hope. She may re-establish her credibility within the scientific
community and vindicate her ‘peace-taker’ theory. She may also be murdered by anyone standing next to her if her theory is correct because the ancient curse is anything but extinct. In fact, the ancient curse has a new attitude....

Ribbons of Death is available at Amazon.

About the Author:

By profession, I’m an engineer and ten years ago, I left a corporate job to concentrate
on writing. It was perhaps the scariest thing I’ve done. Of course, there were other
considerations at the time, life, kids, economy and my mother who was battling cancer. I
wrote as means of staying grounded because I had to hold it together. There was no one
else to pitch in. There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t have doubts about whether
what I was doing was the right thing or not, but doubts come and go, while the need
to write goes on forever. Since 2005 I’ve published 5 books and this year alone I have
6 new ones coming out. I live in Toronto with my family and our two pets – wheaten
terriers. And whenever I’m tempted to look back, and start second-guessing my past
decisions, I sit behind the computer and start another book. At least for me, that’s a cure-
all.



3.08.2015

Anna's Crossing ~ Review

Anna's Crossing
An Amish Beginnings Novel
By Suzanne Woods Fisher

If you read Suzanne Woods Fisher's Christmas at Rose Hill Farm you will want to read this newest offering she has put to paper.  In this you will learn more about the mysterious rose bush that was discovered hidden away in the greenhouse.

But this story is Anna König's.  Leaving her family behind, to journey to the New World with her people.  But leaving her family behind is the last thing Anna wants, but she speaks English and her people need her skill to help them leave behind the old life for a new one.  The rumored trials of an Atlantic crossing weigh heavily on Anna, but she is determined to see this through and return to her home.

The Charming Nancy is to be their home for many weeks if not months.  Conditions are less than ideal and crowded.  And living in the damp, dark lower deck away from fresh air and sun is only the first difficulty the Peculiars must face.  Then there is the suspicions of the crew about these passengers - passengers which include women and children. 

With orders to stay below Anna and young Felix Bauer can't help themselves as they seek the freedom of the upper deck which brings them to the attention of Bairn who is both carpenter and surgeon for the ship.  Bairn feeling empathy for Felix and his confinement, allows the boy freedom to explore the ship, within reason.  But Anna is not what he expected as she speaks her mind letting him know what she thinks of the situation in which lower deck finds itself.  And she is quite firm in her beliefs of her Amish ways and she's not afraid to share this beliefs with Bairn.

But Bairn wants nothing to do with a God who wasn't there for him at a time when he most needed Him.  And he's determined that nothing will change his opinion, after all God wouldn't want him, not with the sins that crowd his past.  But sometimes God sees something in us that we don't...  

Anna's Crossing is unlike any Amish book you've ever read.  This is a story of new beginnings and second chances.  The setting for the majority of the book is the Charming Nancy. There are moments of heart-wrenching loss and those of joyous wonder.  I truly feel that this is the best book that Suzanne has written to date.  The characters are compelling and story moving.  I, for one, was fascinated by the Author's Note with the historical research that went into the making of this story.
I also loved how this book tied into her previous books with a single rose bush.

I was provided a copy of this book through Revell's blogging program in exchange for my honest review.

Some endings are really beginnings . . . 

On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known.

Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.

Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing--and the lives of two intrepid people who braved it.


Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more atwww.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.