Against The Tide by Elizabeth Camden

Hello Folks,

Against the Tide is gripping, and moving. This is the story of an AMAZING orphaned girl. Lydia grew up on a boat, and over time got to work in the Navy ship yard. Her job is to be a language translator. Lydia is very gifted with langues, speaks several of them fluidly. She has a dry quirky sense of humor, but she has not really dated anyone. Entering into her life is a man named Bane. Bane has her same sense of humor, but he is closed off for the most part. He can't deny his attraction to Lydia and her plight, but at the same time he has vowed to never marry. He can't, because his mission in life has become to shut down the opium trade. The longer Lydia is around Bane, the more her eyes are opened and her struggles for freedom and for her and Bane to have a life deepen. How far will the Professor that once ruled Bane's life go to hurt or harm him, even by using those he cares about?

That only scratches the surface of this book. This could sort of be a *spoiler* so stop reading here and skip if you need to! I was deeply moved at Lydia's struggles with Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. Frankly, the way opium was used in that, and in other things has a super strong parallel to those who are today addicted to prescription medications. Strong, intelligent people who are unwittingly addicted to medication, and watching them suffer is simply heart-rending. I think this would be a good book for anyone who has a friend or loved one who has been, or is addicted to a medication, as well as a wonderful story of some very brave people, and a well written peak into how opium was used in the Eighteen and Nineteen hundreds.

Carol

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Against the Tide

Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2012)

by

Elizabeth Camden

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A Word from Elizabeth:

I am a college librarian in central Florida by day, but by night I can be found pounding out inspirational historical novels the moment the sun goes down. I love writing books about fiercely intelligent people who are confronted with profound challenges. As a rather introverted person, I have found that writing is the best way for me to share my faith and a sense of resilience with others.

I married relatively late in life, which turned out to be an odd kind of blessing. I had gotten very good at leading a solo life, and although I was not particularly content being alone, I had become reconciled to it.  Most importantly, it taught me never to take my husband for granted. I give daily thanks for the blessing of being able to share a life with my favorite person on the planet.

As for who I am? I love old Hitchcock films, the hour before sunset, a long, sweaty run through the Florida countryside, and a glass of good wine. After spending my entire adult life on a college campus (either as a student or a librarian) I have finally been able to pursue my ultimate goal of writing professionally.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Love and Lives are Threatened in Camden's Latest Offering

As a child, Lydia Pallas became all too familiar with uncertainty when it came to the future. Now, she's finally carved out a perfect life for herself--a life of stability and order with no changes, surprises, or chaos of any kind. She adores her apartment overlooking the bustling Boston Harbor, and her skill with languages has landed her a secure position as a translator for the U.S. Navy.

However, it is her talent for translation that brings her into contact with Alexander Banebridge, or "Bane," a man who equally attracts and aggravates her. When Bane hires Lydia to translate a seemingly innocuous collection of European documents, she hesitantly agrees, only to discover she is in over her head.

Just as Bane's charm begins to win her over, Lydia learns he is driven by a secret campaign against some of the most dangerous criminals on the East Coast, compelled by his faith and his past. Bane forbids any involvement on Lydia's part, but when the criminals gain the upper hand, it is Lydia on whom he must depend.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Against the Tide, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210238 

Saving Gideon by Amy Lillard

This is wunderbaar!

Saving Gideon is the story of Avery, aka Annie and Gideon, and lots of other people as well! Avery comes from a wealthy family, but her life is upside down. Literally  In running from her would be husband, Avery has wrecked her car and come closer to death than she knew. This is how she finds herself tucked away in the home of an Amish man, a man who is waiting to die. That man is Gideon. Grief stricken and thinking himself not worth living, Gideon can't even figure out why he has kept this little pixie looking woman, with purple eyes in his home. However, he has allowed her to stay there. Annie, a tiny twist of her middle name is hiding out as a Plain woman. She is learning to cook, to heal, to read a Bible in German, to have real friends, and she is also on a mission to help Gideon Fisher come back to his faith and his kin. The problem is, at the end of the day, Avery is an Englisher, an outsider, not one of the Plain people. The other problem is that as Gideon starts to recover someone is going to get their heart broken. The question is will be a permanent issue, or will God and some smart folks figure out what paths in their lives God is leading?

I enjoyed the details in this book, the strawberry plants, the pies, the customs, and the over all outcome of events. The recipes at the back are a nice touch, the closing words very good. God moving in an over all story that changes many lives makes this book fun to read.

Carol

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Saving Gideon

B&H Books (October 1, 2012)

by

Amy Lillard

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word from Amy:I’m a wife, mother, and bona fide Southern belle. Published author, expert corn bread maker, and Squirrel Princess.

I live in Tulsa, though I was born in Mississippi. I moved to the Sooner State when I was seventeen and met my soul mate and best friend not long after. I’ve retained a little of my Mississippi accent though most people think I’m from Texas. (?)  Rob and I have been married for over twenty years and have a son–a mom proclaimed prodigy, of course!

I love homemade tacos, shoes, and romance novels–not necessarily in that order. I’m a big fan of country music, a staunch proponent of saving the Oxford comma, and I’m shamefully obsessed with all things Harry Potter.

I  believe that God is love. I guess that’s why I adore romances.

I have always been intrigued with the Amish culture, their gentle ways and slower-paced lifestyle. (And I love, love, love the fact that they stay married for their lifetime.) But until recently I never thought to blend this interest with my penchant for romance. Okay, okay, I’m a bit old-fashioned and even enjoy the gender roles that are present in this culture.  I love to cook and take care of my family. Yes, that’s me June Cleaver with a laptop.

I dislike people trying to convince me to read the Twlight series (I’ll get to it or I won’t, either way I’m good with it), gratuitous violence, and strawberry ice cream. (I know I’m alone on this last one, and again, I’m good with it.)

Favorite movies–(besides HP) French Kiss, Maid of Honor, A Lot Like Love, Just Married, and Sweet Home Alabama. Oh, and Miss Congeniality, Sabrina (both versions) and a 1940′s movie called Dear Ruth. If you haven’t seen it, you should! A-dorable. Anything with Doris Day and most all of Marilyn’s and Audrey’s.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Gideon Fisher wants one thing out of life -- to be left alone. This is not the Amish way, but he’s devastated after the death of his wife and son to the point of losing his faith. He buys a farm on the outskirts of the district and pulls away from his community. But when a freak spring snowstorm brings a beautiful Englisher to his farm, what choice does Gideon have but to let her in?

Dallas socialite Avery Ann Hamilton is intrigued by the Amish farmer who pulls her out of the snow and into his austere lifestyle. Poor little rich girl, Avery has just gone through (yet another) bad breakup. Every man she meets only wants her for her father’s money. All she has ever wanted is to be loved for herself. Avery soon discovers the Oklahoma Amish country is the perfect place to hide out and heal her broken heart.

But she finds a peace in those back roads that she’s never felt before. Now her life has purpose and meaning as she connects with God and those around her. And there’s something more as she begins to care for this man who needs both love and forgiveness.

Gideon never wanted to live again much less fall in love, but Avery finds her way into his heart, showing him the beauty of life and God’s greatness. Yet as the feelings between Avery and Gideon grow, can they overcome their dissimilar lifestyles, or will their sheer differences pull them apart?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Saving Gideon, go HERE

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1433677520 

Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan

This is a clean, sweet tale that leaves you sort of going --- Ahhh.

Meet to brides-to-be, mail ordered! Cora and Greta have both come far from their homes to marry. Only there is one problem, they are both there for the same man. Cora is from a home with wealth and she shows it in her bearing and clothing. Greta is from Holland, and her braids and bright blue eyes tend to set her off. The two women are different, but both have a strong faith. They have both suffered loss, one worse than the other in a way. Of course they both want love, and possibly children and a life that is different than what they left, but which bride will Jess choose? Well that gets down right complicated because Zach did this with out Jess knowing! Before long it is decided one brother will marry one woman, but the sorting out of who should marry whom, and who loves who is not an overnight decision! What if they don't want to marry that person at all? Then what?

All the main characters are Christians, some with a more readily shown strong faith than others. Granny makes you cringe, and giggle. Cora comes across as "green" and untrained, but finds herself flourishing in ways that are unexpected! There are deeper things going on though. God is leading and guiding, and as both our leading men, and our leading ladies list to and follow God's guidance, and grow in Him, their lives will take on new changes that are fun to read!

I enjoyed the historic part, the town, the friends and family, and the over all sweet picture of healing and growth. This was quite a fast, light easy read that I enjoyed.

Carol

About the Book:
Seeing how successful her older sister's "mail order marriage" has been and longing to strike out on her own, Greta Olsen answers an ad for a mail order bride in Central City, Colorado. But when she meets Jess Gifford, owner of a thriving mercantile, she begins to harbor doubts. He didn't place the ad to begin with and his business in a busy mining town leaves him little time or energy for love. To compound her troubles, she was not the only bride to answer the ad! Will either bride strike the match she hopes for?
Filled with amusing and awkward situations that will keep the reader interested and guessing, Twice Promised is another sweet romance from Maggie Brendan.

About the Author:

Hello, dah-lin. I'm from Gah-gah (Georgia) which makes me a Southern belle. Think Scarlett O'Hara. No, make that Margaret Mitchell since I, too, write historical romance novels.

I hosted a writers' critique group in my home for years. I'm a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and American Christian Writers, and I won the 2004 Atlanta Persistence Award from the American Christian Writers.

When I'm not writing, in my spare time, I like to paint and scrapbook, and be with my four grandchildren. I'm also a member of a large sanctuary choir..

Maggie's web site is here: 

http://www.maggiebrendan.com/

The book link is here: 
http://www.amazon.com/Twice-Promised-Novel-Willow-Brides/dp/0800734637

Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

When A Heart Stops by Lynette Eason (Deadly Reunion's Series - Book Two)

Ahhh! Another rousing read from Lynette Eason! This is the second book in this series, and it picks up and moves quickly. The tie-ins to the last book are present, but you can read this one on its own as well.

Serena Hopkins is a ME, a medical examiner. She winds up at the scene of a crime and realizes she knows the victim, although it was some time back when she knew her. Virtually partnered with her is a man she could grow to love, FBI agent Dominic Allen. As Serena starts working as ME for victim after victim, with a fast rising death rate, she and Dominic soon realize they either have a copy-cat killer, or the killer who is in jail is innocent, or he has someone working with him on the outside. The last time this killer was loose, NINE women were found dead, and nine more remained missing. However, it is happening all over again. The way the last killer operated was to leave a doll that was an exact copy of the dead woman on her person, or next to her, but now things are slightly different. Really bad poems are included with each body, and sometimes a doll shows up before the body! Before they know it Serena appears to be a target, and her missing friend from high school still hasn't been found either. She knows she is alive, but they still don't know where or what really caused her to bolt back then.

If Serena and those she cares about are going to stay alive, they are going to have to keep praying, which they are doing, and catch the killer before they are killed. They have to find the connection between the women who are vanishing, and figure out why her high-school friend is still gone, and what she knew.

This is a fast paced read, with a pretty decent little twist or two! I love how the characters pray their way through the worst of situations, and how they stay faithful to God and Godly behaviors  Lynette put in the front of this book that she was praying that people see Jesus on every page. I think she did a very good job of that over all, and I look forward to the next book!

Carol

About the Book:

A killer's deadly game needs new players . . . but someone's about to change the rules

As a medical examiner, Serena Hopkins is used to dealing with death. But that doesn't make it any easier when she's called to the eerie scene of a murder--especially when Serena realizes that she knows the victim. Nearly as unnerving is the presence of FBI agent Dominic Allen, her childhood crush.

As evidence mounts and points to a serial killer with disturbingly familiar methods, Serena and Dominic must work to find a pattern and stop the killings before the murderer strikes again. And when Serena's own life seems at stake, she must decide if the secret she has been keeping has put her next on the killer's hit list. Can she trust Dominic with the truth before it's too late?

About Lynette:

Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. Even as a young girl, she knew she wanted her life to reflect the love of Jesus Christ. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Business Degree she used for a very short time (sorry Mom and Dad), she moved to Spartanburg, SC to attend Converse College where she obtained her Masters degree in Education. During this time, she met the man she would marry—the boy next door! She is married to Jack Eason, who speaks, leads worship, and consults ministries around the country. They have been married for 15 1/2 years and have two children.

Her web site is here: 

http://www.infinitesuspensefromlynetteeason.blogspot.com/

The Book Link is here:

http://www.amazon.com/When-Heart-Stops-Deadly-Reunions/dp/0800720083

Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

How have I missed this author?!?! Dee Henderson's Full Disclosure is a pleasure to read! She covers her subject matter with as much depth as her characters and I just don't want to stop turning pages. So far I haven't been able to guess the next turn in the plot, and I love that!

Ann Silver is an MHI - the kind of highly cleared cop that the other officers go to when they need a fresh perspective on a murder they can't solve. She can think out of the box, on her feet, and frankly she is amazing. Paul Falcon is FBI, and both of them are dedicated single Christians. Ann has some secrets, and she has been really hurt. She has nightmares that Paul doesn't know they are about. Ann keeps only good friends that are solid. She has an adorable giant black dog named Midnight that she calls Black. Ann talks to God frequently. Her past relationships with men who would be "suitors" haven't worked out well. She spends lots of time flying planes, and writing very in depth novels. (I almost wondered if Ann is patterned after the Author, or someone she is very close to regarding the writing style and in-depth kind of live Ann has.)

Now Ann has to trust Paul enough to bring him in on a MASSIVE case. A case that will change so much of what Paul sees or things about Ann. Ann knows the VP really well, she is working on books for him. Now Paul has some major choices to make - now that he has full disclosure.

I really really enjoyed this book!

Carol

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Full Disclosure

Bethany House Publishers (October 2, 2012)

by

Dee Henderson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dee Henderson is the bestselling, award-winning author of 15 previous novels, including the acclaimed O'MALLEY series and UNCOMMON HEROES series. She is a lifelong resident of Illinois.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ann Silver is a cop's cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region's most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI's top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn't expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is…


Watch the book trailer:


If you would like to read the first chapter of Full Disclosure, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764208977 

Life with Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher (Book 1 - The Adventures of Lily Lapp)

Hi Out There!

This book has one good word to describe it, charming! Life with Lily is about a 6, almost 7 year old Amish girl, and her family. It does remind me of when I use to sit and read Laura Ingalls Wilder's series - Little House On The Prairie. It is sweet, it is wholesome, and it is not off base anywhere that I could find. I would not hesitate to read it to a child, and enjoyed it very much even though I am an adult.

Nice line drawings are included in the midst of a story about growing up, helping your family, tending for those who need you, and being reliable and responsible, choosing the right friends, and keeping your heart tuned into what God wants you to be doing. The book trailer is very good for this book, so I have included it for you.

Lily and her family go through a lot of things, and the stories are ones that everyone should be able to identify with. Even if you don't relate to all of them, there would have to be some that "hit home" from your child hood or that of a child you know. I am really glad I read this sweet book!

Carol

   About the Author

Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, The Keeper, and The Haven, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award nominee and is the host of an internet radio show called Amish Wisdom. She lives in California.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Lily-The-Adventures-Lapp/dp/0800721322

Available October 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Love Surrendered by Julie Lessman

I can not believe I read this book!!! A Passion Most Pure was alright. A Passion Redeemed was a great improvement over A Passion Most Pure. And then, there is this book,  A Love Surrendered.

I was very disturbed that the whole thing never resolved in a true and real Christ-like manner. The men are all abusers. None of the couples in this book really trust each other. They are worried sick about cheating spouses, rejection, God not really having them with the people they are suppose to be with, having children, not having children, and the possibilities of their spouse or significant other leaving them for someone or something else! The Mother of most of the "clan" has a really rocky icky marriage. Her situation was heartbreaking. Because of that it is not shocking that her children have followed in this pattern. However, it is really sad and super depressing to read! I kept waiting for it to turn around. It never did turn around, it just got worse and worse.

Most of the boys in this book do not want to, and thus do not, use self control in several areas, particularly in the "going all the way" area. Then they throw it all onto the woman to keep them in line. How horribly horribly wrong! These are men with out honor. This is NOT Christ-like men we are reading about here, but instead self-centered boys who have no idea how to be good husbands or follow God with all their hearts. No wonder everyone in this book is suffering in some form or another. Lust is running a muck but they never seem to figure out what REAL love and REAL attraction would be like.

There was plenty of praying, but with out the folks praying knowing who or what they were in Christ. The females in particular were having to pray for God to grant them favor with their husbands. They were walking on egg-shells constantly and utilizing every tool possible to be unafraid enough to approach their husband with what is on their heart. I really thought one of the husbands was going to haul off and physically beat his wife, instead he just manipulated her into "submitting", crushing her spirit using his "husband" status to do so. Please hear me --- this is NOT how a marriage is suppose to work and I am speaking with a deeper knowledge than I ever thought I would have!!!

All the women in this book but one are living in Domestic Abuse! They don't know it, they just hurt, bleed and suffer because of it. I was just so horribly sad and heart broken to actually read a book that portrayed this kind of life as "normal" or even "Godly". Males in this book use their male privilege as their supposed God given right to be abusive to their family and wives or fiances. Some of them use God as a way to manipulate their wives and true Christ like love is just horribly absent.

The long twisted verse where wives are to submit - only the first half got used again, and I will add in that it is suppose to be a team - a mutual submitting and agreement to God and to each other. It is  not just the wife bowing down to appease the husband and praying it works out right! If boys, or men, expect to have a marriage that is Christ like, then the rest of the verse is vital. Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands LOVE YOUR WIVES like Christ loves the church, so much so that he DIED for her." This is a daily death to self, a daily choice to listen to her heart, to treat her like the Bride of Christ, to honor her, cherish her, and become like Christ in order to show the world that this is a different kind of life...on that is Christ filled.

I would have expected this, or been braced for this from a secular novel. From a Christian novel, I did NOT expect for these people to never get their lives right. To never have their hearts change and find out how to have a real Christ like marriage or relationships. The ending was un-redeeming as well. This is NOT the kind of book our friends, daughters or wives need to read. It was depressing. I felt like I had wasted my time, and the only thing I can think of is that maybe by my reading this and telling about it on my blog that I can keep someone else from reading it, where there would be a risk of damage to lives already in the balance and in the grips of Domestic Abuse. *If* Mrs. Lessman's husband is really  like the oldest husband in this book, then she needs a great deal of prayer and help - so add her and her marriage to your prayer list!

Carol

10-23-12

UPDATE: I want to make something very clear because I am learning how many people do NOT know this. Domestic Abuse does not necessarily mean physical violence. There are those among us who have been abused, yet never been physically hit, struck, or attacked. I know this first hand. I am unable to recommend this book to any woman who has been dealing with Domestic Abuse or Physical Violence. If you are in a relationship where you are suffering as is shown in this book please know you can get out. You can get help, and this is not the kind of life God has in mind for you. Here is just one of the power and abuse wheels that you can study.
http://www.helpingservices.org/Domestic_Sexual_Abuse/power-control-wheel-domestic-violence.shtml

In case this link doesn't work - I will give you some of what is involved in this and shown in this book. There is much more to domestic abuse than just this in my review. I am covering what is shown in this book, but there is enough to upset me and others. These things listed below are patterns of manipulation and control to get your way, it is abuse, and it is ungodly.

Flying into a rage because you didn't get your way. That is abuse.
Making others cringe at the sound of your voice because you will get your way or else.. that is abuse.
Having no say-so in your "marriage" is abuse.
Having to coercer others to make your spouse happy so you can deal with issues - is because of abuse. You fear the reaction on his part so badly that you will do what it takes to make him or her happy.
Being forced to give up the deep desires of your heart because of your spouse's opposition, this is abuse.
Being emotionally yanked around, with ups and downs, and then having to have sex with your spouse because they demand it - this is abuse.
Verbal threats are abuse.

The Biblical pattern of a marriage is one where you can share your heart with your spouse, and he (or she) doesn't blow up. You are partners - equal with like minded goals, in a safe and loving environment free of manipulation and control. It is not one where one spouse rules and lords over the other spouse.

This review needs to be here for each and every heart-broken woman who has dealt with these areas and more. Right now I have one friend who has escaped after 10 years in this kind of abuse. I have 5 more that are all close personal friends who are in marriages or relationships with this kind of treatment occurring weekly. I do not wish to cause them any farther pain. Sadly, this book would do that. My quarrel is not with the Author. It is with the way this lifestyle was portrayed as Godly when it is not Christian nor Godly. The time period is irrelevant. Jesus did not manipulate and control people and then condone those actions as like the Father's.


Author's Website: http://www.julielessman.com/books/

Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.