My Review of Wonderland Creek (CFBA Tour)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wonderland Creek Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Lynn Austin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was during the long Canadian winters at home with her children that Lynn made progress on her dream to write, carving out a few hours of writing time each day while her children napped. Lynn credits her early experience of learning to write amid the chaos of family life for her ability to be a productive writer while making sure her family remains her top priority.

Extended family is also very important to Austin, and it was a lively discussion between Lynn, her mother, grandmother (age 98), and daughter concerning the change in women's roles through the generations that sparked the inspiration for her novel Eve's Daughters.

Along with reading, two of Lynn's lifelong passions are history and archaeology. While researching her Biblical fiction series, Chronicles of the Kings, these two interests led her to pursue graduate studies in Biblical Backgrounds and Archaeology through Southwestern Theological Seminary. She and her son traveled to Israel during the summer of 1989 to take part in an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Timnah. This experience contributed to the inspiration for her novel Wings of Refuge.

Lynn resigned from teaching to write full-time in 1992. Since then she has published twelve novels. Five of her historical novels have won Christy Awards in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009 for excellence in Christian Fiction. And two of her inspirational fiction books were chosen by Library Journal for their top picks in 2003, and 2005. One of Lynn's novels has been made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel, starring actress Shirley Jones. Ms Jones received a 2006 Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Batty in the film.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.

But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated--not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. While Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and mystery--and especially romance--are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Wonderland Creek, go HERE.

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

Once upon a time a friend gave me the opportunity to visit The World's Fair in Chicago, as well as experience some quirky intrigue and sweet romance, by letting me borrow her copy of A Proper Pursuit. When the opportunity arrived to read Wonderland Creek, I dived in and discovered another great story that let me meander Kentucky trails during the Great Depression and find all sorts of crazy adventures.

Both of my experiences with Lynn Austin's work have been quite enjoyable! Wonderland Creek is a book that holds up a mirror and gives you a chance to examine your own book-worm lifestyle (if you're anything like the heroine and me) - but be careful! When you step through the mirror you might just discover an unusual world where you shouldn't be too quick to judge or too quick to assume you know all there is to know. Sweet surprises are in store when Alice visits Wonderland...Creek, that is!

Wonderland Creek explores the joys of life and loving as the heroine discovers that living life can be more exciting than reading about it (believe it or not!). Don't worry, though - the blessings of books are also shown throughout the story. This book doesn't shy away from some serious questions about the realities of hardships, and yet it remains fun and unique in what seems to be traditional Austin style. Go ahead and visit Wonderland Creek - I think you'll be glad you did!

*With thanks to Bethany House through CFBA for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

My Review of Love on the Line (CFBA Tour)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Love on the Line Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Deeanne Gist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid To Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.

My Rating: Spring/Summer

My Review:

Looking for a wonderfully entertaining historical romance that you won't want to put down? Say "hello" to Love on the Line! From a heroine with a big heart for birds to a hero with a nest full of secrets, Gist has written an intriguing story with some edgy romance and some historical fun that will have you flying through the pages.

Georgie's career as a switchboard operator is interesting to read about and makes for some humorous scenes involving the gossipy townsfolk, as well as some cute scenes between the hero and heroine as they search for ways to really communicate with each other. While the hero's career isn't quite as unusual in Christian historical romance, the historical background to the story overall (as discussed in the author's note at the end of the book) is indeed unique.

Love on the Line is a clever, engaging book - a real treat for historical romance fans!

*With thanks to Bethany House through CFBA for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Note: Since this was an Advanced Reader Edition, some changes might have been made to the final edition which would not be taken into consideration in this review.

Contentment Reading Challenge: October

Can you believe we're already halfway through October? Fall sure is a busy season, and the days just keep flying by! I have nothing new to report for this challenge, unfortunately - I've been reading plenty of books, but they've either been new ones for review or textbooks and such for school. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in another re-read or two before the year ends!

For this month's update, I have a few questions for you:

• How are you doing on this challenge? Have you been able to re-read any books since the last update?

• Do you have any ideas for a possible end-of-year celebration for this challenge, whether we completed the level we aimed for or not? What would you like to see here on the blog to commemorate our re-reading - giveaways? author interviews? games? prizes? (Not sure yet what I'll be able to put together, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!)

• Is this something you would like to participate in for 2012? If for some reason I'm not able to commit to hosting the challenge, is there someone who would be interested in taking over for next year?

Thank you for any input!

P.S. Is there anybody out there with a talent for making buttons that might be willing to help me? I'm gearing up for the "Love Finds You" blog party I'll be hosting in December, and I'd love to have a button for the occasion! (Renee Ann did such a fabulous job with the button last year!) No worries if you're too busy - believe me, I know how that goes! ;) Just thought I'd ask!

My Review of The Merchant's Daughter

Here's a description of the book from the author's website:

"An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice.

Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff—a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.

Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger.

Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart."

My Rating: Spring

My Review:

This engaging historical romance combines elements of some well-loved stories to make it an enjoyable read! Intentional or not, this book brought to mind Jane Eyre (Mr. Rochester and Jane), North & South (the BBC version, as I haven't read the book), and Disney's Beauty and the Beast (I confess to being more familiar with Disney's version than any other adaptation). I could go into detail about the scenes and characters that brought these great romances to mind, but it will be much more fun for you to read the book and see for yourself!

Like Dickerson's first novel The Healer's Apprentice, this book is sweet and just plain fun to read! Her interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale is unique enough to stand on its own and yet familiar enough to make the connection. The added faith element is inspiring - a good reminder of the blessings we have in being able to read Scripture for ourselves. Sometimes it flowed very well, but sometimes faith seemed almost forced into scenes in an unnatural way, especially towards the end. That is to say, it's great to see belief in God interwoven throughout the story, but sometimes it's included with a "preachy" and "out of the blue" feel.

While the first page or so seems a bit stilted - like the story coming to life in fits and starts - it didn't take long for this book to draw me into the past and into a tummy-tingling love story that emphasizes humility and beauty from within. For those who love the age-old Beauty and the Beast story, there's much to love in this new twist!

*With thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.*

Note: This book will be released November 2011.

Book Trailer:

Laughter and Tears - Women of Faith Conference

Oh, what an emotion-packed experience the Women of Faith Conference in Portland, Oregon was! From tons of laughter to some unavoidable tears, last weekend had it all!

Now the question is, "Where, oh where, to begin?" Well, let's start with the first part of the event. The Friday morning/afternoon sessions were "General Audience" seating, meaning that we could sit wherever we wanted (or wherever we could find room!). Here's the view from our first seats:

The Rose Garden arena? Yep, it's pretty big! Those large screens you see were really nice, though, for such a high-up perspective as ours.

These first sessions were all about Patsy Clairmont and Andy Andrews - speakers and authors that I had never heard or read before. Both of them were my mom's and my favorite speakers of the weekend. Oh my goodness - Patsy Clairmont!! Here's what the Women of Faith website has to say about her:

Pint-sized dynamo with larger-than-life stories

That just about sums her up! ;) She is absolutely hilarious, but also absolutely real and inspiring.

Here are some of the things I wrote down from her various talks:

~ When you wake up in the morning, say these 3 things: "Yes" (to God's plan for the day), "Thank you" (for this new day you've been given), and "No" (you can't do it all, so you have permission to say "no" to the things that will complicate your day).

~ Pride = "bad helium"

~ People can't bring stuff out of you (ie: the worst) that isn't already there.

~ "God has designed us with a will that is stronger than our emotions."

~ "Sarcasm is anger that has gone underground and come up in a clown suit."

Don't you just love her already? =)

So what about Andy Andrews? Here's what the website has to say about him:

A masterful storyteller with an inspiring message

He really did have some inspiring things to say, and here are a few of the notes I took:

~ What's one investment you can control? Reading. Don't think of it as $20 for a book - think of it as $20 for learning from someone's life.

~ By the very virtue of us sitting in the stadium (or now - sitting in front of a computer), breathing - we have more to come!

~ Fear is the misuse of the creative imagination God gives us.

There were some other fabulous speakers, as well! One quote I just had to write down from Sandi Patty goes like this:

~ "It's not that God said 'no' to my dream, it's just that He said 'yes' to a dream I didn't yet know about."

How beautiful is that??

Now, remember how I said that Friday morning/afternoon was "General Audience" seating? Want to see the perspective from our reserved seats Friday night/Saturday morning?

In case you're wondering, that's the back of Casey's head 2 rows in front of me! ;) And that's the stage right there!! We were seriously that close!

Here are a few more pictures from last weekend that you might enjoy:

Like Casey remarked this summer when we first met: we're both on the same side of one computer screen! ;) It was so fun to have a sleepover in the hotel Friday night with Casey and her mom!

Here's the four of us in the "concourse" - the area circling the actual arena, where all the of the booths and food shops were. From left to right: my mom (Brenda), me, Casey, and Casey's mom (Sue).

My mom and me with our box lunches on Saturday!

Overall, the conference was a blast! It was such a blessing to have this mother-daughter respite from our busy lives and to be moved and inspired by the speakers, music, and just being together with good friends and dear family. My mom was so sweet to come up from California just for the weekend, and we had a wonderful time together! We stored up special memories full of laughter and tears to look back on fondly in days to come, and we were reminded of important truths of God's love.

*With sincere gratitude to Women of Faith through the BookSneeze program (Thomas Nelson publishers) for providing me with two tickets - one for me and one for my mom - to attend the Women of Faith Conference in Portland, Oregon in exchange for posting about my experience.*

Litfuse Publicity Blog Tour: Along Wooded Paths

Here's a description of the book:

"All she wanted was a simple Amish life . . . But now Marianna Sommer finds herself depending on Englisch neighbors. Although proud of living apart from the world, she and her newly relocated Amish family have discovered that life in the remote mountains of Montana requires working together.

As Marianna begins helping those different from herself—and receiving their help—her heart contemplates two directions. She’s torn between the Amish man from Indiana whom she has long planned on marrying and the friendly Englischer who models a closer walk with God than she’s ever seen before.

Who should have young Marianna’s heart? What is God asking her to sacrifice? Her traditions? Her community? The answer is found along the wooded paths.

Find out about book 1, Beside Still Waters, HERE.

My Rating: Spring

My Review:

In this second installment of a sweet yet serious series, Tricia Goyer has hooked me with the bait of a complicated love triangle! Despite the inherent sorrow that comes from the eventual "odd man out," love triangles are addicting to read about because of the heightened tension and the longing to know the end result. That is certainly the case in this series - I'm ready for book 3, Beyond Hope's Valley, so I can finally see who Marianna picks, and why she picks him!

From the lovely, peaceful cover until the last page, this book has a hopeful innocence to it that is quite charming. As with the first book in the series, I enjoyed watching the characters grow, especially in their spiritual understanding. This book is an encouraging and engaging read.

There are a few quirks that gave me pause - such as the occasional use of words such as "wouldna" and "wasna" which I've always thought of as more of a Scottish flavor than Amish. And I wanted to see more depth to Aaron's character besides just his apparent love for Marianna. From his actions in the first book, he didn't quite win me over, and despite the brownie points he earned in this book, I'm hoping that readers get more of his background and insights in the next part of the story.

All in all, though, this new Amish series is intriguing and will leave you wanting to find out what happens next!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity Blogging tour.*

About the Author:

"Tricia Goyer is the author of thirty books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.

For more about Tricia and her other books visit www.triciagoyer.com."

To Buy the Book: click HERE

Blog Tour Schedule: Check out all of the other review scheduled by clicking HERE.

Facebook Party:

Come to a Facebook Party and Live Author Chat!

Tricia is celebrating the release of Along Wooded Paths with a Fabulous Facebook party on October 18th. She'll be giving away prizes and a sneak peak at the next book in the Big Sky series.

Then during the second half of the party she'll be hosting a LIVE AUTHOR CHAT on her website and announcing something BIG! CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then go here to sign up for the Live Author Chat.

My Review of A Wedding Invitation (CFBA Tour)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Wedding Invitation Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Alice Wisler
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice was born in Osaka, Japan in the sixties. Her parents were Presbyterian career missionaries. As a young child, Alice loved to walk down to the local stationer's store to buy notebooks, pencils and scented erasers. In her room, she created stories. The desire to be a published famous author has never left her. Well, two out of three isn't bad. She's the author of Rain Song, How Sweet It Is, Hatteras Girl and A Wedding Invitation (all published by Bethany House).

Alice went to Eastern Mennonite University after graduating from Canadian Academy, an international high school in Kobe, Japan. She majored in social work and has worked across the U.S. in that field. She taught ESL (English as a Second Language) in Japan and at a refugee camp in the Philippines. She also studied Spanish at a language institute in San Jose, Costa Rica.

She has four children--Rachel, Daniel, Benjamin and Elizabeth. Daniel died on 2/2/97 from cancer treatments at the age of four. Since then, Alice founded Daniel's House Publications in her son's memory. This organization reaches out to others who have also lost a child to death. In 2000 and 2003, Alice compiled recipes and memories of children across the world to publish two memorial cookbooks, Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After returning home from teaching English at a refugee camp in the Philippines, Samantha Bravencourt enjoys her quiet life working at her mother's clothing boutique in Falls Church, Virginia. When she receives an invitation to a wedding in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she looks forward to reconnecting with her college friend. Instead her life collides with Carson, a fellow teacher and the man who broke her heart, and a young Amerasian refugee named Lien who needs Samantha and Carson's help to find her mother before Lien's own wedding. When the search for Lien's mother reveals surprising secrets from the past, Samantha must reevaluate her own memories and decide whether to continue to play it safe or take a risk that could change her life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Wedding Invitation, go HERE.

My Rating: Summer

My Review:

One word that describes Wisler's work is authentic. That's not to say there aren't traditional elements of fiction in her books, but rather that her characters and their emotions/thoughts are real, broken, and beautiful.

Rain Song was the first book I read by Wisler, and I found it to be a story with a rainy-day atmosphere all its own that left a dear impression on my heart. While I also enjoyed Hatteras Girl, it didn't impact me in the same way. And then came A Wedding Invitation.

Despite the fact that A Wedding Invitation is difficult to compare to Rain Song because of their different plots, I must say that A Wedding Invitation moved me and blessed me with a heroine who reminded me so very much of myself. I'd be hard pressed to say which book I like better, so let's just say that I love both of them very much!!

The situations, settings, and surprises in A Wedding Invitation are so unique and engaging. Wisler writes in a first-person-present style that flows softly through the pages, including sweet but vivid imagery mixed in with all of the emotions. From the mother's clothing shop in Washington D.C. to Dovie with her monarch butterflies and loveable boarders, and even the flashbacks to the heroine's time in the Philippines, this book is a treat to read. So many lines deserve to be savored and remembered.

And that heroine! Her story really resonates with me. This book with its inspiring themes and gentle embrace is one to cherish and keep on the shelf to revisit and ponder again and again.

*With thanks to Bethany House through CFBA for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*