Tag Archives: Amanda Wen

Top 10 Tuesday — Debuts!

23 Jul

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is Debut Novels. The books on my list really hit it out of the park! No way could they be first offerings by the authors, but they were. And the good news is that many of the authors on the list have other books to read when you finish their first. Hope you find one to love!

For more fabulous debuts, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Debut Novels

Abounding Hope by Cindy Kay Stewart

After She Falls by Carmen Shober

All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon by Linda MacKillop

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels And Misadventure by Angela Bell

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

Shadows in The Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp

Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green

Up From The Dust by Heather Kaufman

Top 10 Tuesday — I Get All Emotional, Baby!

4 Jun

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is books that bring out all the feels — sadness, joy, anger — you name it! My list includes books that made me really feel what the characters were feeling. Thanks to all the fabulous authors that can elicit that in a reader. That makes me very happy! 😉

For more emotional reads, check out https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com

Top Books That Gave Me All The Feels

Darkness Calls The Tiger by Janyre Tromp

Embers in The London Sky by Sarah Sundin

The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green

He Should Have Told The Bees by Amanda Cox

Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen

A River Between Us by Jocelyn Green

Up from The Dust by Heather Kaufman

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner

Top 10 Tuesday — Books That Made Me Google!

5 Mar

I confess that I use “the Google” when reading. Mostly it occurs when I read historical novels, but it can strike at any time if there is something I just have to know or see. In the past few months I have looked up recipes for food that was mentioned in a book, dresses by a a famous dress designer, buildings/landmarks that books are set in and around, and characters that lived in real life. Sometimes I can stray down rabbit trails, but I eventually return to the book until another Google-fancy hits me. This week I am featuring the last 10 books that caused me to Google. I hope one piques your interest.

For more Google-inspired lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

These Books Made Me Google!

By Her Own Design by Piper Hugely (Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown)

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli (treatment of leprosy)

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham (sites in Venice, Italy)

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels And Misadventure by Angela Bell (food specialities of Amsterdam and Prague)

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb (Grasse, France)

Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley (Marie-Louise Christophe)

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen (people who survived scalping)

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay (American’s who spied for the USSR)

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt (pictures from the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII)

Whiskers, Wreaths, And Murder by Kathy Manos Penn (sites in the Cotswolds, UK)

Top 10 Tuesday — Reading Rambles

27 Feb

Happy Tuesday! I live in Georgia, a state with many natural delights. Beaches, mountains, swamps, even a little grand canyon! — lots of places to explore nature. Today’s TTT topic is nature found in book titles or on covers. I chose two rambles — the woods of north Georgia and the beaches of the Golden Isles. The titles of the books I chose feature things that can be seen on nature walks in both locations. Some of the covers do double duty for today’s topic too! I hope you find a book to excite your imagination!

For more nature musings, check out The Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books in Reading Rambles

A walk through the woods of north Georgia.

Mountain Laurel by Lori Benton

The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

A walk in the Golden Isles.

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

The Inn at Ocean’s Edge by Colleen Coble

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon

A Vast And Gracious Tide by Lisa Carter

Book Review — The Rhythm Of Fractured Grace

22 Feb

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace JustRead Takeover Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace

Title: The Rhythm of Fractured Grace
Series: Sedgwick County Chronicles #3
Author: Amanda Wen
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Genre: Christian Split Time Romantic Women’s Fiction

Is Siobhan too far gone to respond to the song of a God who’s calling her back to him?

When a new customer brings a badly damaged violin into Siobhan Walsh’s shop, it is exactly the sort of challenge she craves. The man who brought it in is not. He’s too close to the painful past that left her heart and her faith in shambles.

Matt Buchanan has had a rough start as the new worship pastor. A car accident on his way into town left him with a nearly totaled truck, and an heirloom violin in pieces. When he takes it to a repair shop, he’s fascinated with the restoration process–and with the edgy, closed-off woman doing the work.

As their friendship deepens and turns into more, they both discover secrets that force them to face past wounds. And the history of the violin reveals more about their current problems than they could have ever expected.

On the nineteenth-century frontier, a gruesome tomahawk attack wiped out most of Deborah Caldwell’s family. Her greatest solace after the tragedy is the music from her father’s prized violin. Given her horrendous scars, she’d resigned herself to a spinster’s life. But Levi Martinson’s gentle love starts to chip away at her hardened heart, until devastating details about the attack are revealed, putting their love–and Deborah’s shaky faith–to the ultimate test.

Full of forgiveness and the message that no one is too damaged for God’s healing touch, the final book in the split-time Sedgwick County Chronicles will thrill fans of Rachel Hauck, Lisa Wingate, and Kristy Cambron.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Christianbook | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Excerpt

Tucking the violin under one arm, Siobhan held the door for Matt, the bells jingling against the glass, and ducked into the little shop after he hobbled through. The small space was cluttered with instruments of every size, shape, and description, from basses and cellos standing at attention along a far wall to violins and violas hanging from hooks near and far. The comforting scents of wood and varnish enveloped her in a gentle hug. 

Of all the jobs she’d pictured herself in, tucked away in a tiny shop learning how to rehair bows and repair stringed instruments hadn’t even made the list.

But after her last job? Tucked away seemed ideal.



More Books in Series

Roots of Wood and Stone The Songs That Could Have Been

My Impressions:

Wow! I didn’t think I could like a book more than I already liked the first two books in Amanda Wen’s Sedgwick County Chronicles, that is, until I read The Rhythm of Fractured Grace. Another dual timeline novel set in modern day Wichita and the late 1800s Kansas frontier, this novel has powerful themes of forgiveness, identity, and worthiness in God. Modern day Siobhan has been damaged by the church. Manipulated and abused by a person in authority, then shunned by fellow church members, she keeps a low profile with her dyed hair and baggy plaid shirts. That is until Matt hobbles into her life on crutches holding a violin certainly damaged beyond repair. The second story centers on Deborah, a woman wounded physically and emotionally by an attack in her childhood. Both women feel less than, unworthy of love from man or God. I loved how the author used the old, broken violin as a bridge to the women’s stories and as a symbol of restoration. God is everywhere in the two women’s lives, though they either don’t see it or don’t want to. The men in their lives aid in the healing of their hearts, but it is God who works His will in their lives. I loved, loved, loved that!

With novels with two or more timelines, I generally like one story over the other, but in The Rhythm of Fractured Grace, I was immersed in both. The characterization is strong, the themes were relevant to my life, and I just did not want either story to end! This one is a highly recommended read!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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


About The Author

Amanda Wen

Amanda Wen is a Selah Award–winning, Parable best-selling author of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction, including Roots of Wood and Stone and The Songs That Could Have Been, and a professional musician. Wen currently lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and three children.

Connect with Amanda by visiting amandawen.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of the book, a mug, chai mix, and a kitsugi heart necklace!

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 21, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on February 28, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Top 10 Tuesday — Reading Superpower!

20 Feb

While I probably need a few reading superpowers — being able to stay awake later to get in just one more chapter or reading without becoming distracted — I drew a blank this week. So true to form I am going off topic. Reading itself is a tremendous superpower — it transports you to other eras and worlds, it can make you smarter, and it can make you more empathetic. So let’s celebrate that we read — we have an indispensable superpower!

The books in my list this week are those that made me think, made me feel, and took to me to other places and times. All fed my soul, taught me something, and engaged my emotions. Maybe the authors are really the ones with superpowers!

For more on-topic lists, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books That Made Me Think, Feel, And Took Me To New Places

The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse

The Long March Home by Tosca Lee And Marcus Brotherton

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

Up from The Dust by Heather Kaufman

The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy

Within These Walls of Sorrow by Amanda Barrett

First Line Friday — The Rhythm Of Fractured Grace

9 Feb

Happy Friday! I am pleased to feature The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen today. I so much enjoyed the first two books in her Sedgwick County Chronicles series, that I jumped on the chance to read/review book 3. These dual timeline novels set in Kansas are so good! My review will be posted later this month.

But for now, here’s the first line . . .

This was not how Matt Buchanan’s life in Wichita was supposed to start.

Is Siobhan too far gone to respond to the song of a God who’s calling her back to him?

When a new customer brings a badly damaged violin into Siobhan Walsh’s shop, it is exactly the sort of challenge she craves. The man who brought it in is not. He’s too close to the painful past that left her heart and her faith in shambles.

Matt Buchanan has had a rough start as the new worship pastor. A car accident on his way into town left him with a nearly totaled truck, and an heirloom violin in pieces. When he takes it to a repair shop, he’s fascinated with the restoration process–and with the edgy, closed-off woman doing the work.

As their friendship deepens and turns into more, they both discover secrets that force them to face past wounds. And the history of the violin reveals more about their current problems than they could have ever expected.

On the nineteenth-century frontier, a gruesome tomahawk attack wiped out most of Deborah Caldwell’s family. Her greatest solace after the tragedy is the music from her father’s prized violin. Given her horrendous scars, she’d resigned herself to a spinster’s life. But Levi Martinson’s gentle love starts to chip away at her hardened heart, until devastating details about the attack are revealed, putting their love–and Deborah’s shaky faith–to the ultimate test.

Full of forgiveness and the message that no one is too damaged for God’s healing touch, the final book in the split-time Sedgwick County Chronicles will thrill fans of Rachel Hauck, Lisa Wingate, and Kristy Cambron.

Amanda Wen’s novels have released to both reader and critical acclaim, including a 2023 Selah Award for The Songs That Could Have Been and a Foreword Indies Gold Award and a Christy Award nomination for Roots of Wood and Stone. In addition to her writing, Amanda is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team, as well as serving as a choral accompanist. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

Mini-Book Review — The Songs That Could Have Been

29 Jan

The Songs That Could Have Been is the second book in Amanda Wen‘s outstanding Sedgwick County Chronicles series. This Wichita, Kansas set novel explores important themes including identity/worth and interracial relationships with its dual timeline plots set in the 1950s and the present day. Lauren has battled body dysphoria and bulimia, but has come out on the other side, until a meeting with a long ago summer love upends her structured world. Lauren’s grandmother, Rosie, is quickly losing herself to Alzheimer’s, but a secret romance from the past begins to merge with her present. Each story is well-crafted, but as a whole they make this novel sing. The book is mostly told in the third person, but Rosie’s first person recollections add a depth and poignancy to the narrative. There is also a naturally developed faith message that God is enough that runs throughout the pages.

While you can certainly read The Songs That Could Have Been as a standalone novel, I would not recommend that. Characters from the first book in the series, Roots of Wood and Stone, play a part in the second book. Besides, this series is too good to miss out on anything! Book three, The Rhythm of Fractured Grace, releases in February.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Two couples in love. Two sets of impossible circumstances. One powerful God of grace.

After a tailspin in her late teens, Lauren Anderson’s life is finally back on track. Her battle with bulimia is under control, her career is taking off, and she’s surrounded by a loving family. Then a chance meeting with Carter Douglas, her first love and the man who broke her heart, leads to old feelings returning with new strength. And suddenly her well-balanced world is thrown off kilter.

Now a TV meteorologist, Carter is determined to make amends with Lauren. After all, she still owns his heart. But the reasons they broke up aren’t lost–and those old demons are forcing him toward the same decision he faced in the past. He isn’t sure he’s courageous enough to make a different choice this time around. 

When Lauren’s elderly grandmother, Rosie, begins having nightmares about a man named Ephraim–a name her family has never heard before–a fascinating and forbidden past love comes to light. As Lauren and Carter work to uncover the untold stories of Rosie’s past in 1950s Wichita, they embark on a journey of forgiveness and second chances that will change their lives–and Rosie’s–forever. Along the way they’ll learn that God wastes nothing, his timing is perfect, and nothing is beyond his grace and redemption.

Amanda Wen’s novels have released to both reader and critical acclaim, including a 2023 Selah Award for The Songs That Could Have Been and a Foreword Indies Gold Award and a Christy Award nomination for Roots of Wood and Stone. In addition to her writing, Amanda is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team, as well as serving as a choral accompanist. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

Top 10 Tuesday — Best Books Read in 2023

2 Jan

Happy New Year! Today at TTT, bloggers are looking back at the best books read in 2023. I read fewer books in 2023 than in years past, but the ones I read were excellent. I am focusing on quality reading experiences as I balance the real world with the fictional world. 😉 I was surprised that almost all of the books on the list involve dual timelines, although the time periods vary. And all are steeped in history. It just goes to show that the past influences and illuminates the present. Lots of favorite authors too. I hope you find your next favorite book from one on my list.

For more Best of 2023, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Best Books Read in 2023

By Way of The Moonlight by Elizabeth Musser

Hope Beyond The Waves by Heidi Chiavaroli

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

The Long March Home by Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay

Songs That Could Have Been by Amanda Wen

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson

Within These Walls of Sorrow by Amanda Barratt

Top 10 Tuesday — Headlines!

7 Nov

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is titles that would make good newspaper headlines. I chose to turn the books featured today into titles of magazine articles also. Profuse apologies to the authors for this — you’ll see. 😉

For more headline worthy books, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Titles As Headlines

Obituary Headlines

The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon by Linda MacKillop

The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray

Travel & Leisure

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Crime Magazine

The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell by Kelly Flanagan

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

Military History

Facing The Enemy by DiAnn Mills

Rolling Stone

The Songs That Could Have Been by Amanda Wen

Backpacker

The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee