Enjoy a good book this weekend

 

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Waiting for Summer - Review

Waiting for Summer by Kim Sawyer

Summer Steadman is all alone in Kansas and is looking for a job.  Peter Ollenberger has decided to hire her to tutor his son, Thomas while he is recuperating from an injury and unable to attend school.

Summer and Peter’s life are so drastically different.  Will they be able to find a common ground that they can both agree on so there can be peace within this family?  There are many funny moments in the book and there were moments that brought tears to my eyes.  Kim Vogel Sawyer write from the heart, at least from mineJ.  Seriously she gives so much character to her characters that they seem so real. 

More about Kim Vogel Sawyer

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women's fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren. She invites you to visit her Web site at www.kimvogelsawyer.com for more information

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The Pieces of the Heart - Review

Can love survive the span of a war?  That is exactly what you will learn in The Pieces of the Heart: Quilts of Love Series by Bonnie Calhoun. 

Cordelia Grace has fallen in love with her hero, Bernard Howard.  Bernard has now joined the army and will go and fight in World War II.   While Cordelia waits for him she makes a guilt that weaves the love, happiness, pain and the longing of waiting that they have for each other.  Can their love bare the throngs of being separated?

This is not only a story about someone waiting for a loved one to come home from war but it attacks racism.  It’s also a story of forgiveness and find the faith that is needed to survive when times are rough.

This is the second book in the Quilts of Love Series. Each book brings love and hope in a sometimes not “too friendly” world. 

This was given to me by NetGally and Abingdon Press for a fair and honest review.

More about Bonnie Calhoun

Bonnie S. Calhoun is Owner/Director of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance helping to promote Christian fiction with blog tours. She is owner/publishes of Christian Fiction Online Magazine devoted to readers and writers of Christian fiction. As Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), she was named ‘2011 Mentor of the Year.” She is President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network, and also Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.

In her spare time she is an avid social media junkie, and teaches Facebook, Twitter, blogging and HTML. Bonnie and her husband live in a log cabin on 15 acres in upstate area of Binghamton, New York with a dog and cat who consider the humans as wait-staff.

 

Into the Whirlwind - Review

Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden tells us about Mollie and her love for her a city that brought so much heartache to her.

August 9, 1871, was the day that will be forever etched in Mollie's mind. Mollie Knox is the owner of the 57^th Illinois Watch Company.  There she found her world to be perfect, until one night her world came crashing down around her. 

Zach Kazmarek is the lawyer that signs her paycheck and frightens her. He comes to her aid and seems to be her knight in shining armor but can she trust him when things become worse than they already are?

You will cry at the destruction around in this book but you will read a story that unfolds so perfectly that you will find that the book is over too soon.  You will watch a love grow out of tragedy but was there all along. 

This book was a great book for my first read from Elizabeth Camden.  I will definitely find more of her stories.

I was given an eBook copy from NetGalley and Bethany House for a fair and honest review.  Thank you for allowing me to read a great book. 

 

More about Elizabeth Camden

 

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. She has a master's in history from the University of Virginia and a master's in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

 

For more about Elizabeth Canden please check her blog out.  Hoover over her name to get there.

 



The Blessed Woman - Review

Can you still learn from the women of the Bible?  Do women from so long ago still have the answers to help you along?  I think they do.

The Blessed Woman: Learning About Grace from the Women of the Bible by Debbie Morris has so many amazing women from the Bible that you can learn from.  Women like Mary, Rebakah, Eve, Jael, and others all shows you how they loved and learned from others.  We are truly blessed and this book teaches you why. 

There is nothing better than having a friend go along side with in life and being able to learn from, cry with and relate to them.  It is something every woman needs and longs for.  This was a book that held so much truth in it-from the first page until the very last page.    The study guide in the back of the book includes discussion questions and it can be used as a 12-week mini Bible study. 

I received a copy of The Blessed Woman from the Waterbrook Multhomah Blogging for Books program, and these are my thoughts on the book.

Last Chance Christmas - A Review

Last Chance Christmas by Hope Ramsay is a bok in Ms. Ramsay’s Last Chance series.  Has Stone has finally found his one true love?

Lark Chaikin has come to spread her father’s asses over the eighteenth hole of a gold course that he always referred to as “I found myself on the eighteenth hole of Golfing for God”.  Will she be able to accomplish what she set out to do?

Stone is the chief of police in Last Chance, South Carolina.  He has past issues that keeps him from being able to help those he love in this small town.  Will he be able to put these aside when the real danger starts?

This wonderful story has many different layers to it.  It will make you laugh and cry.  It will keep you on the edge of your chair in anticipation until you close the last page.  This was the first book that I have read by Hope Ramsey but it won’t be the last.  Now I need to go and read the very first book and catch up with the people in Last Chance, South Carolina.

This was given to me by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a fair and honest review.  Thank you for allowing me have an enjoyable read.

More about Hope Ramsay

Hope Ramsay was born in New York and grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. Hope earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, and has had various jobs working as a Congressional aide, a lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a meeting planner. She’s a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart, and is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She has two grown children and a couple of demanding lap cats. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar.

 

 

Rose Harbor in Bloom - Review

Rose Harbor in Bloom is the second book in Debbie Macomber’s Rose Harbor series.  It is a story about second chances and how finding yourself can mean a deeper and richer life.  Jo Marie Rose is the owner of a bed and breakfast inn in Cedar Cove that she bought when her husband passed away in Afganistan.  This is a place for her to heal while caring for her guests. She has two guests that need her tender love and care so won’t she find happiness?

Mary Smith has just been diagnosed with cancer.  She comes to Cedar Cove because the feeling of regret and lost love is so intense she has to be near the ones that she has lost.  Can she reveal her secrets and find love again?

Annie Newton is in town to help celebrate her grandparent’s 50^th wedding anniversary.  She has planned this celebration while staying busy after her broken engagement.  Oliver, an old friend, is driving her grandparents up to Cedar Cove and will be attending the party also, unbeknownst to Annie.  Will Annie realize Oliver wants the best for her before it is too late?

I enjoyed the way Debbie wove these three different stories together.  As the owner of the inn Jo Marie speaks in first person to tell her story.

This book can be read as a standalone book,  but if you have read the first book you will be surprised seeing other friends show up.

Indebted - Review

Can the past catch up with the present? If and when it does what will become of Alice?

 That is what you will find out in the latest novel, Indebted by Braxton DeGarmo. 

This is a story about Alice Cummings who grew up in the “60’s with a father that was abusive and impossible to live with.   After she came home with a beautiful newborn son and her father made good on a threat Alice finds herself in a place that she had never expected to be.

Meet Alice, Myra, Alexia, and many others in this suspenseful story.  It switches back and forth from two different time periods but I found it to be a very easy read.   It was a gripping novel from the first page to the last.  If you like a fast paced mystery you need to read this book. 

I received an eBook copy of this by the author and bookfun in exchange for a fair and honest review.  Thank you to both Braxton and Fred for letting me read such a wonderful novel. 

More about Braxton DeGarmo

Braxton can't lay claim to wanting to be a writer all his life, although his mother and seventh grade English teacher were convinced he had what it would take. He went to Duke University, earned a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Engineering with a major in Bio-Medical Engineering, and followed that with medical school at the University of Cincinnati. After a residency in Emergency Medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center, he served tours as the Chief, Emergency Medical Services at Fort Campbell, KY and as a research Flight Surgeon at Fort Rucker, AL. Who had time to write?

 

He now lives in Missouri with his wife, Paula. Their two children are grown and with three grandchildren nearby, "Papa" wears many different hats.

A Prayer for the Devil - Review

WOW! What can I say about A Prayer for the Devil by Dale Allan?  If you like suspense from the first page to the last, then this is the book for you..   It is the best fiction, thriller and suspense novel that I have read in a while.  You become friends with all of the characters in the book and are intertwined in their lives as Dale Allen writes this powerful book.

Father Luke Miller has just lost his twin brother in a senseless explosion and he is ready to take off his priestly garb and find the killer.  Deborah is now a widow with two children.  Luke takes it upon himself to watch out for them.

Not know who to trust Luke becomes a self-imposed sleuth.  He wants answers that no one else can provide.  Along the way of solving the mystery he finds friends like John and Jami that are helpful to him.  With each person he meets he finds himself in more danger.

More about Dale Allan

Dale Allan is a graduate of Fordham University, has held several senior positions in Fortune 250 companies, and has traveled the world. A black belt in martial arts, avid fly-fisherman, political junkie, and devout Christian, the storylines of his novels reflect his diversified life.

When Dale was just twelve years old, his father was murdered while away on an extended business trip. A week before his death, Dale had struggled to write a letter updating him on the family's activities. When his father was buried with the handwritten note in his pocket, Dale fully understood the power of writing.

Leaving Lancaster - Review

Holly grew up in Seattle without her father or family, other than her mother. She often wondered about what it would be like to have the love of extended family.

Her mother, Esther is called home to care for Holly's grandmother, whom she has never met and for all she knows is dead. There she finds family and a love interest that will keep you in suspense.

When her life suddently collides with her pretend world, can she be happy in this new world that has many hidden secrets in them?

More about Kate Lloyd

 

Kate Lloyd is a novelist, a mother of two sons, and a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the inspiration for Leaving Lancaster & Pennsylvania Patchwork. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. Kate and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, the setting for Kate's first novel, A Portrait of Marguerite. Kate studied painting and sculpture in college. She has worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur. 

Book Binge

Never Let Go - Review

There are just some books that you read that makes you say WOW! Never Let Go by Mac and Mary Owen is one of them. 

When I was sent this book I read the first page and did not want to read any more.  It was about something called Celebrate Recovery and since I have not ever needed anything like that, why would I read a book about someone who did?  But, if I put the book at that point I would have missed out on a blessing.

The hurt and pain of their story kept me in tears often.  From giving up a son to hearing your child at the foot of your bed asking, “Why, Mommy?”.   There were also many times that I smiled and always was I rooting for Mac and Mary.  But the joy of being in the place where God can help put pieces back together is something that is amazing.   We all have our hang-ups, not always as visible, but always in need of Christ and his all sufficient grace.

I grew up in the same era and not three hundred miles from where this book took place, but I did not have the struggles and hardships as Mac and Mary.   Sometimes, no, a lot of times I keep my head buried in the sand and since it doesn’t affect me I don’t try and deal with it.   I will pray for this wonderful couple and their ministry.  I hope to hear more of them.  I can’t wait to see where God is leading this fantastic couple.

Thank you Fred and bookfun for allowing me to read this story.

More about Mac and Mary Owen

 

Mary and Mac Owen are leaders in Celebrate Recovery and have been working together in recovery for over 25 years. They have shared their testimony 120 times in the past 4 years to over 48,000 people (in church, Celebrate Recovery seminars & meetings, rehabs, prisons, and festivals). They are sought-after speakers since sharing their testimony at Saddleback Church to 3,600 leaders from around the world.

They have been married since 1976 and have three children ages 38, 34 & 29 years old and eight grandchildren ranging in ages from 12 to 2 years old. In 2012 they decided to sell their house in West Monroe and have it turned into a recovery house for addicts. They moved to Colorado where two of their children’s families live.