Book Review: A Christmas Haven

2 Dec

Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community’s ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she’s stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she’d cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene’s Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister.

The Zooks take in Arlan and Madga, tending to the woman’s illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm. Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God has in store for their futures and what miracles might lie around the corner this Christmas season.

Cindy Woodsmall is the “New York Times” and CBA best-selling author of eighteen works of fiction. She’s been featured in national media outlets such as ABC’s “Nightline” and the “Wall Street Journal”. Cindy has won numerous awards and has been finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards. Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in Flowery Branch, GA.

Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. She is very excited about their first coauthored book.

Find out more about Cindy and Erin at http://www.cindywoodsmall.com.

 

My Impressions:

Cindy and Erin Woodsmall return to Raysburg, Pennsylvania and the Zook family with A Christmas Haven. (The Christmas Remedy introduced readers to the quaint town and its Amish/English community.) This novella-length book features Ivy Zook, a young woman who identifies more with glitter and tulle than the Plain community in which she was born. But her plans to join the English world are put on hold when an unexpected crash into the Green Pharmacy front window brings new people and new perspectives into her life.

As always, Cindy and Erin Woodsmall created a community that resonates with all faith traditions. In A Christmas Haven the rules of the Old Order Amish actually seem pretty lenient against the extreme legalism that Arlan and Magda Keim experienced in their Swartzentruber Amish family. Readers may be surprised with the differences between Plain communities that the Woodsmalls describe. But the true message is that of mercy and grace and being true to what God has designed for your life. I liked the easy pace of this novel and the true-to-life characters. While the book is billed as a Christmas novella, most of the action takes place before the holiday season, so this book can be enjoyed at any time of the year.

Likable characters, charming setting, and a relevant faith message makes this a good choice for your Christmas reading.

Recommended.

Audience: YA to adults.

(Thanks to Waterbrook for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

 

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December Book Club Selection

2 Dec

This month is combining our love of romantic suspense and Christmas in the 2-volume novella selection — Silent Night, Holy Night by Colleen Coble. Fans of Coble’s Aloha Reef and Rock Harbor series will like these offerings. Won’t you join our discussion?

‘Tis the season for mystery and romance featuring characters from two of Colleen Coble’s most popular series!

Silent Night

As Christmas day nears, Bree Matthews and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.

Newlywed Bree Matthews and her husband Kade are preparing for Christmas guests when word arrives that a parachuter has disappeared in the North Woods, along Lake Superior’s icy shore. Bree and Samson plunge into the search.

Will this snowy, silent night search lead Bree and Samson to the missing girl?

Holy Night

One sinister phone call has derailed their Christmas wedding. Will it keep them apart forever?

Leia and Bane are looking forward to their long-awaited Christmas wedding on the beach. Everything is going as planned—until Leia’s phone rings and her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that her sister has been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the wedding without explanation—and no police. If she disobeys instructions and tells Bane, she’ll risk her beloved sister’s life. But can she handle this trauma without his help? And will he ever trust her again if she lies to him now?

Irresistible romance meets thrilling suspense in this holiday update to USA Today best-selling author Colleen Coble’s Aloha Reef series.

Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at http://colleencoble.com.

 

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Happy Release Day! — Wings Like A Dove

1 Dec

Happy release day to Camille Eide! Her newest novel, Wings Like A Dove is available today! I cannot wait to read this book!

 

In 1933, Anna Leibowicz is convinced that the American dream that brought her Jewish family here from Poland is nothing but an illusion. Her father has vanished. Her dreams of college can’t make it past the sweat-shop door. And when she discovers to her shame and horror that she’s with child, her mother gives her little choice but to leave her family. Deciding her best course of action is to try to find her father, she strikes out . . . hoping against hope to somehow redeem them both.

When Anna stumbles upon a house full of orphan boys in rural Indiana who are in desperate need of a tutor, she agrees to postpone her journey. But she knows from the moment she meets their contemplative, deep-hearted caretaker, Thomas Chandler, that she doesn’t dare risk staying too long. She can’t afford to open her heart to them, to him. She can’t risk letting her secrets out.

All too soon, the townspeople realize she’s not like them and treat her with the same disdain they give the Sisters of Mercy — the nuns who help Thomas and the boys — and Samuel, the quiet colored boy Thomas has taken in. With the Klan presence in the town growing ever stronger and the danger to this family increasing the longer she stays, Anna is torn between fleeing to keep them safe . . . and staying to fight beside them.

 

Camille Eide writes more than a romance with her tender tales of love, faith, and family for those who enjoy inspirational romance and women’s fiction. Her novel, The Memoir of Johnny Devine, was awarded 5 Gold Stars/Top Pick, Best Inspirational Romance, & the December Seal of Excellence from RT Book Reviews, and Oregon Christian Writers’ Best Historical Fiction.

Please visit her website at http://www.camilleeide.com.

 

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If You Liked Crisis Shot . . .

30 Nov

My book club gave Crisis Shot by Janice Cantore a unanimous approval! We loved it so much, book 2 in the series, Lethal Target, is on our selection list for early 2020. If you like suspense novels with strong female law enforcement leads, then check out the books below. They all got my approval too! 😉

 

Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon

After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn’t want this dead person telling any tales–and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.

The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman

Brill Jessup would rather work than deal with the bitterness she feels about her husband Kurt’s infidelity. They’ve made a fresh start with Brill taking a job as the new police chief in a small East Tennessee town. Kurt is genuinely contrite and making every effort to show his commitment to Brill. Meanwhile Emily, their nine-year-old, is being the perfect little girl, as if she can make everything okay again. So why can’t Brill get over this anger? Work presents the perfect distraction as rumors and superstition are running rampant in the wake of the disappearances of seven people in seven days. As fear rises in the community, Brill works desperately to solve the mystery . . . until it threatens her family and she is forced to confront the real enemy.

Vendetta by Lisa Harris

No one needs to push Nikki Boyd to excel on the Tennessee Missing Person Task Force. The case of her own missing sister, still unsolved after ten years, is the driving force in her work. When a Polaroid photo of a missing girl shows up at a crime scene, Nikki quickly recognizes similarities to the past. The closer she gets to the abductor, the more she feels that this case is getting personal, and that she is not the hunter at all – but actually the one being

 

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First Line Friday — The Thief of Lanwyn Manor

29 Nov

Happy Black Friday! Are you shopping before dropping? Or are you like me who avoids the crowds and shops online? Because I do most of my shopping in the comfort of my home and in my pajamas 😉 , I spend Black Friday reading! Today I am sharing the first line of a book I hope to crack open soon — The Thief of Lanwyn Manor. Isn’t the cover beautiful?! And because I love Sarah Ladd‘s novels, I know I am going to enjoy this book.

What will you be reading this holiday weekend? Leave a comment with your first line before heading over to Hoarding Books for more fun!

 

 

In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?

Cornwall, England, 1818

Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.

As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood — and that of the people around them — the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.

When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender

Sarah E. Ladd has always loved the Regency period — the clothes, the music, the literature and the art. A college trip to England and Scotland confirmed her interest in the time period and gave her idea of what life would’ve looked like in era. It wasn’t until 2010 that Ladd began writing seriously. Shortly after, Ladd released the first book in the Whispers on the Moors series. Book one of the series, The Heiress of Winterwood, was the recipient of the 2011 ACFW Genesis Award for historical romance.

 

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Guest Post — Olivia Newport, Author of In The Cradle Lies

29 Nov

Today concludes my month long 10 Year Blogiversary Celebration guest posts. Please welcome author Olivia Newport as she shares about her Tree of Life series, combining both contemporary and historical stories through the means of genealogy, and the blessings of life. Thanks, Olivia, for helping me celebrate!

The Light of Joy Along the Way by Olivia Newport

 “May you always find nourishment for your body at the table. 

May sustenance for your spirit rise and fill you with each dawn. 

And may life always feed you with the light of joy along the way.”

“That’s an Irish blessing if ever there was one,” Tucker said.

Tucker is a character from my book In the Cradle Lies, but he said essentially the same thing that my friend Len, from my class at the gym, said.

“Where did you find that?” Len wanted to know. “I’ve never seen that one before.”

Len is a faithful reader of my books, so I could gladly tell him that I’d written the blessing for the family history of an Irish character in the first book in the Tree of Life series (The Inn at Hidden Run), where Len first encountered it. I hope he’ll be just as pleased to see it again in In the Cradle Lies (November 1, 2019 release). 

We come to tables to eat food. It’s a place to set a plate or bowl and minimize dribbling onto our shirts. (Hey, I’m not saying I ever dribble. Okay. Maybe just all the time.) But around the table aren’t we also looking for other forms of sustenance? A few moments of respite? Connections with those close to us? New bonds with new friends? Encouragement that carries us through what comes next in our day?

In the Tree of Life series, Jillian and her Irish father, Nolan, open their hearts to people who need the light of joy along the way. In In the Cradle Lies, that someone is Tucker, who has arrived in the mountain town of Canyon Mines, Colorado, with a charming personality but some reckless habits that just don’t add up — including potentially bringing harm to himself. When Jillian puts her genealogy skills to work, and the story of Tucker’s grandfather and grandfather unfolds, new light sheds perspective on what has Tucker knotted up. 

Nolan’s family Irish blessing is one way to let Tucker know he doesn’t have to figure out life on his own. 

Recently I made some changes in my kitchen. I bought a table from Facebook Marketplace for next to nothing and painted it. The shape fits our space so much better than the old one, greatly improving the traffic flow in the room. I also took down a large wall hanging to make space for a painting a sister-in-law made for me. When a friend who has read both The Inn at Hidden Run and In the Cradle Lies saw the changes, she said, “Now you just need to put your blessing up.”

I hadn’t thought of it, but she may be right! Sustenance for both body and spirit, and hope for life, are what I want for everyone who visits my home — or my stories. 

Olivia Newport chases joy in Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak where she enjoys life with her husband and nearby adult children. In the Cradle Lies is the second book in the Tree of Life series. The Inn at Hidden Run released in 2019. When I Meet You and What You Said to Me are forthcoming in 2020. Visit www.olivianewport.com and http://www.treeoflifefiction.com

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Mini-Review: In The Shadow of Croft Towers

28 Nov

With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—at Croft Towers is what they claim. Can one woman even trust what she knows about herself in this Gothic Regency romance?

When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?

When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.

Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

My Impressions:

For a debut novel, In The Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson is pretty impressive. I found this Gothic-Regency romance to be very well-written and highly entertaining. There are plenty of mysterious doings — secret letters, highwaymen, murders — to keep a reader engaged, while a very plucky main character and a swoony hero satisfy all the romantic longings. I loved the first person account by Sybil Delafield, especially as she interjects her dry humor onto her account. The setting is perfect to accompany the suspense — moors and a mouldering old house. And the cast of characters cannot be trusted to reveal their true motives — I loved trying to figure out their secrets too.

A quick read, if you enjoy historical romance with a good dose of mystery, this one is for you. I can’t wait to read Wilson’s other books!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Thomas Nelson for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

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Guest Review from Super-Reviewer, Rebecca Maney

27 Nov

When I first started blogging, I had no idea that I would connect with so many wonderful people! Authors, other bloggers, reviewers, and readers extraordinaire have crossed my path and enriched my life over the past 10 years. One such person is Rebecca Maney. Rebecca and I have very similar reading preferences — and we consistently rate books the same. Rebecca and I first connected through a number of FB readers’ groups, and then met in person while standing in line at the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat back in April. Today, she is sharing a review of her favorite book (and, of course, one of mine 😉 ) of 2019.

Rebecca’s review of The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright first appeared on Goodreads back in January. It says a lot that it is still her favorite of 2019. Here’s what she thought of this dual timeline, suspense-filled novel. Thanks, Rebecca, for sharing today!

 

Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in 1908. When clues lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a post-mortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.

A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother–who is battling dementia–compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns–and with it, Heidi’s fear for her own life.

As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?

Rebecca’s Review:

“You are the reason the voices are never heard . . . come . . . come quickly.”

Two women, separated by time and eternity, yet inexplicably drawn together by a postmortem photograph and a cryptic letter crafted by one whose mind has become crippled beyond recognition. Both are determined to find answers to the question that continually rages in their minds; “who am I”?

Dorothea Reed, orphaned at a young age and now a postmortem photographer, is drawn to the small town of Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin to search for clues about her birth mother, never imagining the trail would lead to the front door of a local mental asylum whose residents simply live in order to die. And then there are the unexplained sightings of a local woman who has been dead for years, the cursed Misty Wayfair.

One hundred years later, Heidi Lane returns to her home town of Pleasant Valley after being summoned by her aging mother. Heidi has a myriad of questions about her past that she’s not sure her remaining parent can answer; for it appears that someone, or something, is determined to destroy Heidi’s thin thread of equilibrium. And what about that old photograph; the one she happened upon in the town’s antique store, the woman could be her twin.

It’s so rare to read a book with this many layers . . . and yet every single one of them carries its own weight so beautifully . . . . while together they appear as a single thread. It’s magnificent to behold.

“Fix your eyes on the target and let the arrow fly. The rest will follow.”

*****

Rebecca Maney is a graduate of Bryan College with a degree in Christian Education, and is currently serving at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina as the Director of Children’s Ministry. With over 30 years of experience in her field, she has had many opportunities to use her love of reading and writing in creative ways across the generations. A wife, mother of four “nearly” grown children, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca has been able to return to her love of reading and more recently reviewing, with a renewed passion for the “beauty of story”. You can find more of Rebecca’s reviews over at Inkwell Inspirations.

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Reading Road Trip — The Christmas Edition!

27 Nov

With Christmas right around the corner, I though it would be fun to travel to some fun settings that feature Christmas — A Merry Christmas Road Trip! The books I have chosen are novella length — perfect for the busy holiday season — and feature actual Christmas road trips or are set in towns with a definite Christmas-vibe. I hope you enjoy the journey!

 

Christmas in Winter Hill by Melody Carlson

Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn’t always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, “Where’s the snow?” Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista’s Christmas spirit before the big day?

The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson

Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that’s exactly what she’s getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix — in the dead of winter, no less — the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride — and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.

No one captures the heartwarming fun of the Christmas season quite like Melody Carlson. Fasten your seat belt, because it’s going to be an exciting ride!

The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere

Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day.

When Lauren ends her shift one night, she finds herself driving aimlessly in order to avoid returning to her lonely apartment. And when she witnesses a car accident she is suddenly pulled into the small town of Grandon, first as a witness but then as a volunteer for the annual fundraiser for Glory’s Place, a center for single mothers and families who need assistance. Could this town and its people be the home she has always longed for?

An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti

On the way to Christmas with his family, Micah asks Katie to marry him. She says no, but there is no getting out of Christmas now. The Binder family celebrates every Christmas as if it were their last. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas.

 

 

 

An Irish Christmas by Melody Carlson

For Colleen, life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? Jamie has a few secrets of his own. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen decides it’s time for the two of them to take a trip together — to Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible.

 

A Royal Christmas Wedding by Rachel Hauck

College volleyball star Avery Truitt has not seen her former flame, Prince Colin of Brighton Kingdom, since he suddenly pushed her away five years ago. But now, the sadness of losing her father and the joy of her sister Susanna’s pregnancy have brought Avery back to Brighton just in time for Cathedral City’s enchanting Christmas season.

Avery knows she can’t avoid seeing Colin — now the Kingdom’s most eligible bachelor — whether or not her heart is ready to relive the pain. But seeing him again might bring her the closure she needs after all this time.

When Colin finds himself at the center of a centuries-old Brighton tradition, he must decide whether to follow the path laid out before him or follow his heart to the only woman for whom he would ring the Pembroke Chapel Bell.

Can Colin convince Avery to meet him at the chapel on Christmas morning — as tradition dictates — or will Avery run back to her St. Simons home and pursue a coaching career as planned?

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs

Reluctantly returning home for the holidays, Meg Campbell receives a frosty reception from her family and decides to leave for Edinburgh. Delayed by a snowstorm, she pours out her heart to a secretly hurting traveler named Gordon, who asks all the right questions. Can they find healing in each other—and perhaps something more?

 

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Happy Release Day! — Misleading Miss Verity

26 Nov

Happy release day to Carolyn Miller! Her newest Regency romance, Misleading Miss Verity is now available. If you are a fan of historical romance, you definitely need to check this one out.

Verity Hatherleigh has a mind of her own — but her actions do not impress her viscount papa. When she gets into one scrape too many, he sends her off to the wilds of Scotland to rethink her headstrong ways.

Anthony Jardine relished his role as curate, but his new duties as laird of Dungally aren’t always to his liking. Though he thought his new inheritance would be a blessing, somehow he’s finding nothing but trouble on these estates. And the intelligent, compassionate, feisty lass who was sent to rusticate in his territory is one of the biggest problems. He’s falling in love with her, but she doesn’t share the faith that’s his foundation—not to mention he’s been lying to her about who he really is. For the truth-loving Verity, that may be unforgivable.

The tangled web these two have woven may spell disaster for their happiness — and for the tenants of Dungally

Carolyn Miller is an Inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children. Carolyn loves reading (especially Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer), music, films, gardens, art, travel and food. She really enjoys creating worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love.

 

 

 

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