Lydia's Charm by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Hi Readers,

This book just must have been suppose to come to me. I didn't recall putting it on my list, but I am glad it came, as I think I needed it.  Lydia King, who is widowed, and her young son move back to Charm. (Neat name that one!) Restarting your life for any reason isn't easy. It is hard, and it hurts. Lydia is restarting because her husband has passed, and the jobs dried up where she was.

Back home with her kin isn't easy either. Nothing feels just right in many ways, and now here she is in a new job, coping with her Mama who is coping with her ailing Grandfather! Before long gifts start showing up for Lydia! There are a few single men who could be doing it, but is Lydia ready for a new husband and second father for her young son? Worse yet, Lydia's Mother has a preference if she should choose a new man.
Lydia has to find out what God wants for her, sort through her life, and to remember that God is still in control no matter what we are facing.

As all of Ms. Brunstetter's books that I have read, they are very picturesque, with very real characters, and neatly immersed in the Amish culture. Lydia's Charm has a charm all its own.

Carol

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingLydia's CharmBarbour Books (September 1, 2010)byWanda E. Brunstetter
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Note From Wanda:

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a writer. When I was in the second grade, I wrote my first poem about a moth. Luckily, I received encouragement from my teacher. During my teen years, I wrote skits that my church teen group performed during special holidays.
It wasn’t until 1980, that I took a course on writing for children and teenagers. I became serious about a career as an author. Soon after that, I began to write stories, articles, poems, and devotionals, which appeared in a variety of Christian publications. Later, I had 5 books of puppet/ventriloquist scripts published. *These books are currently available by contacting me. (wanda@wandabrunstetter.com)

My first novel was released by Barbour Publishing’s book club, Heartsong Presents, in Dec. 1997. I have now written nearly fifty books, with over 4 million books in print. Many of the novels I've written are Amish-themed.
ABOUT THE BOOK

Widowed and jobless, Lydia King moves her son and herself to Charm, Ohio, to be close to her mother and help with her grandfather. Menno Troyer, a furniture store owner, is also recently widowed and the father of four energetic boys.

Levi Stutzman, another newcomer to the area, is the only one in his family not handicapped by dwarfism and has dedicated his life to caring for them. As fall colors the countryside, will anonymous gifts left for Lydia bring her hope for a new life and romance, or will another tragedy flood her with infinite despair?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Lydia's Charm, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1602600635
Watch the book trailer:

A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow (The Monastery Murders Series)

Hi Dear Readers,

Make no bones about it, this book is just perfect for this month, or really any time you like to read. I like books like this with hot coffee, and warm blankets, soft lamp light, and I will be transported into a wonderful mystery!

I have several other books by Donna Fletcher Crow, including all of The Lord Danvers Mysteries. I am thrilled to read this first book in this new series! Mysteries, when they are well written like this one, will always  draw me in. I have to say that you can see even more depth in this series than the last ones I read! WOW! A Very Private Grave is a very good read.

Having toured and studied some Monastery, I find this a fantastic setting, and even more so a wonderful way to weave God into things. I can't wait till I can read the next book! Go read the first chapter quick, and see if you can't wait to "turn the page" and read the whole thing. Oh, and I had to list off the rest of Ms. Crow's works, so check out this other link if you have time.  http://donnafletchercrow.com/otherBooks.php


Carol :)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Very Private Grave Monarch Books (August 1, 2010) by Donna Fletcher Crow
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Donna Fletcher Crow is author of more than thirty-five novels. She has twice won first place in the Historical Fiction category from the National Association of Press Women, and has also been a finalist for "Best Inspirational Novel" from the Romance Writers of America. She is a member of The Arts Centre Group and Sisters in Crime. Find out more at www.donnafletchercrow.com.

Endorsements:
"History and mystery and murders most foul keep the pages turning ... A fascinating read." –Liz Curtis Higgs, bestelling author of Thorn in My Heart

“A Knickerbocker Glory of a thriller, a sweeping, page-turning quest served up with dollops of Church history and lashings of romance. Donna Fletcher Crow has created her own niche within the genre of clerical mysteries.” – Kate Charles, author of Deep Waters

“As in Glastonbury, Donna Fletcher Crow’s descriptions of the English and Scottish settings in her new mystery are drawn with real artistry. Lovers of British history and church history will be impressed by her grasp of both.”—Sally Wright, Edgar Award finalist and author of the Ben Reese Mysteries

ABOUT THE BOOK

Felicity Howard, a young American studying for the Anglican priesthood at the College of the Transfiguration in Yorkshire, is devastated when she finds her beloved Fr. Dominic bludgeoned to death and Fr. Antony, her church history lecturer, soaked in his blood.

Following the cryptic clues contained in a poem the dead man had pressed upon her minutes before his death, she and Fr. Antony—who is wanted for questioning by the police—flee the monastery to seek more information about Fr. Dominic and end up in the holy island of Lindisfarne, former home of Saint Cuthbert.


Their quest leads them into a dark puzzle...and considerable danger.

If you would like to read the Prologue and first Chapter of A Very Private Grave, go HERE.

Watch the book video:



The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1854249681 

Don’t Look Back by Lynette Eason

Hey Readers,

Welcome to the second book in the Women of Justice series!!  Don't Look Back takes off, and never let up! This is a can't put it down reading kind of book. While I really liked the first book, Too Close To Home, this one just takes off! You can read this book with out reading the first one, but it is even better, at least to me, as the second in the series. I know the second book of a trilogy is sometimes a little bit weaker, but not so for Don't Look Back. 


I was instantly "sucked" in by Jamie's brutal rape, and cried with her pain. While not all rapes are from a killer, many of us know the kind of pain that this act causes. I was well pleased with how Lynette Eason wove Christ into this book so beautifully. I was touched, entertained, and very pleased with this book. I also love how real this book is, that it doesn't spare, gloss over, or sugar coat the issues, even when they are hard ones, or painful ones. 


Well done, and a highly recommended read! 
Carol 

  About The Book:

Twelve years ago, forensic anthropologist Jamie Cash survived a brutal kidnapping, torture, and rape. After years of therapy, she has made a life for herself--though one that is haunted by memories of her terrifying past. She finally lets herself get close to a man, FBI agent Dakota Richards, when signs start appearing that point to one frightening fact--her attacker is back and ready to finish the job he started all those year ago. Can she escape his grasp a second time? And will she ever be able to let down her guard enough to find true love? Filled with heart-stopping suspense, gritty realism, and a touch of romance, Don't Look Back is the second book in the WOMEN OF JUSTICE series. Readers will be hooked from the beginning, finding that once you are in Lynette Eason's world, you're trapped until you turn the very last page.

  From the Back Cover:

One man lives to see her dead--the other is fighting to keep her alive.Twelve years ago, forensic anthropologist Jamie Cash survived a brutal kidnapping. After years of therapy, she has made a life for herself--though one that is haunted by memories of her terrifying past. She finally lets herself believe that she can have a close relationship with a man, when signs start appearing that point to one frightening fact--her attacker is back and ready to finish the job he started all those years ago.Can she escape his grasp a second time? And will she ever be able to let down her guard enough to find true love?

Filled with heart-stopping suspense, gritty realism, and a touch of romance, Don't Look Back pulls you into its twists and turns to hold you there until the very last page.

“Available October 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Embers Of Love by Tracie Peterson

Hello!

Another good book by Tracie Peterson!

Carol :)

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Embers of Love Bethany House (October 1, 2010)


by Tracie Peterson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 85 novels.
She received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.

In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers to co-write a series with author Judith Pella. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers.

She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.

Tracie was awarded the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for 2007 Inspirational Fiction and her books have won numerous awards for favorite books in a variety of contests.

Making her home in Montana, this Kansas native enjoys spending time with family--especially her three grandchildren--Rainy, Fox and Max. She's active in her church as the Director of Women's Ministries, coordinates a yearly writer's retreat for published authors, and travels, as time permits, to research her books


ABOUT THE BOOK

The logging industry in eastern Texas is booming, and Deborah Vandermark plans to assist her family's business now that she's completed college. Unexpectedly, her best friend, Lizzie Decker, accompanies her back home--fleeing a wedding and groom she has no interest in.

Deborah, the determined matchmaker, puts her sights on uniting her brother and dear friend in a true love match. Deborah soon meets Dr. Christopher Clayton, a much-needed addition to the town. As their lives intersect, Deborah realizes that she has a much greater interest in medicine and science than the bookkeeping she was trained in.

But when typhoid begins to spread and Lizzie's jilted fiance returns, Deborah wonders if true love can overcome such obstacles...for those dearest to her, and for herself.

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764208209 

Love Finds You Under The Mistletoe by Irene Brand & Anita Higman

Hi All,

My life went beyond wild this week. I look forward to reading the rest of this story, but for now I have to deal with my own "story": called life! I enjoyed what I read so far. Grab some coffee, or hot tea and a warm blanket on these currently nippy evenings and enjoy reading!

Carol

This week, the



Christian Fiction Blog Alliance



is introducing



Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe Summerside Press (September 1, 2010)



by Irene Brand & Anita Higman


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Irene Brand has written Sunday School curriculum, edited a two-year series of mission curriculum, and her works have appeared in five program-material anthologies. Her publishers include Zondervan, Standard Publishing, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Fleming-Revell, Barbour Publishing, Kregel Publications, Steeple Hill (inspirational imprint of Silhouette), and Summerside Press. She has had 4 non-fiction books published, and 43 fiction works. Her first inspirational romance was published in 1984.

Award-winning author, Anita Higman, has twenty-six books published (several coauthored) for adults and children, and she has been honored as a Barnes & Noble Author of the Month for Houston. Anita has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Her favorite things include exotic teas, movies, and all things Jane Austen.




ABOUT THE BOOK

Two Christmas stories - one historical, one contemporary - under one cover!

Love Finds You under the Mistletoe: An Appalachian Christmas

A promise to her dying sister compels Julia Mayfield to take her young nephew to Mistletoe, Kentucky, a tiny town tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains. Sparks fly when she meets David Armstrong, a World War II veteran like herself. Even as shadows from the past weave a dangerous web around Julia and David, will their love flourish like the mistletoe that blankets the nearby hills?

Love Finds You under the Mistletoe: Once Upon a Christmas Eve

Hollie Goodnight's store has just been voted best Christmas shop in America. All the new publicity draws flamboyant novelist Van Keaton to the cozy town of Noel, Missouri, demanding to write Hollie's story - a dramatic tale of misfortune and triumph. She is swept up in his world of beautiful words and fanciful interludes. . .until Owen Quigly, her lifelong best friend, launches a plan to win her back.

If you would like to read an excerpt of Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe, go HERE.

Watch the book trailer:



The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1609360044 

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

Hello Everyone!

This is the third book in this series. Tamera Alexander has done a wonderful job with all three books! I think this one toped the second one, but I really loved the first one, From A Distance because of the main character's occupation is one of my own as well. Within My Heart was gripping from the first chapter, so feel free to read it in the links below and see if you aren't hooked that quickly as well. ;)

Rachel and Rand are wonderful to read about and Ben and Lydia are able to move us to tears. Tamera did such a beautiful job of showing couples leaning on God in times of such crisis and difficulty.

Carol

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Within My Heart Bethany House; Original edition (September 1, 2010)


by Tamera Alexander


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart), penned in her style with deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.


These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award, the 2007 RITA for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2009 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville with Tamera's father, Doug. They enjoy life there with Joe and Tamera's two adult children, and Jack, a precious—and precocious—silky terrier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Determined to fulfill her late husband’s dream, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat with the help of her two young sons. But some days it feels as though her every effort is sabotaged. When faced with a loss she cannot afford, she’s forced to trust Rand Brookston, the one man in Timber Ridge she wishes to avoid. And with good reason. He’s a physician, just like her father, which tells her everything she needs to know about him. Or so she thinks . . .

Dr. Rand Brookston ventured west with the dream of bringing modern medicine to the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, but the townspeople have been slow to trust him. Just as slow in coming is Rand’s dream to build the town a proper clinic. When a patient’s life is threatened, Rand makes a choice—one that sends ripples through the town of Timber Ridge. And through Rachel Boyd’s stubborn heart.

From the beloved, bestselling author of From a Distance and Beyond This Moment comes an unforgettable story about faith in the face of fear, about tarnished hopes and second chances, and ultimately about the resilient courage and tenacity of hearts broken––and mended––by love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Within My Heart, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764203916