Sweet Love Story ~ When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ Review

A contemporary love story that I wouldn’t really call a romance, but a story that takes the heart of two characters and steadily draws them closer together.

            I thought the setting, a small Mennonite community and one bitter young man, was an interesting take on the “bonnet” fiction sect. I enjoyed that each character brought a struggle to the plot that crafted a sweet and surprising ending.

            Why don’t I call this novel a romance? Mainly because the story kept me in limbo the entire time, wondering if these two people would get together. I actually enjoyed this angle, because I wanted to see each one come together, they both have so much to overcome, primarily forgiving people in their past. You don’t have the typical boy meets girl, boy dates girl and boy loses girl equation and I enjoyed the “shake up”.

          

  It’s different than the expected prairie romance and don’t let the cover deceive you to think as such, but within the pages I’m sure many readers are going to find a cast of characters to jerk the heartstrings and entertain the soul.

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

Amy Knackstedt moves with her children to Weaverly, Kansas, to escape the speculation surrounding her husband's untimely death. She hopes the new location will provide a fresh start for them all. But her neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have a Mennonite family living next to his apple orchard. 

When the children try to befriend him, he resists. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life. Yet Amy and Tim find their paths colliding far more than either could have foreseen. 

Will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?

Giveaway! The Black Rose by Naomi Musch!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Naomi Musch, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Unless you know me personally, most readers might not realize that many of the heroes and heroines in my books have names loosely based on my children's names.  Here are my kids' names on the left, and some of the characters' names that have evolved from those on the right.

Evan Marie - Marie Winter

Quinn Rylan - Nathaniel Quinn

Cade Forrest - Manason Kade

Beau Kenton - Zane and Kelly Beaumont

Jessamyn Winter - Jesilyn Beaumont

                                   and also Paul Winter

I have almost as much fun naming my characters as I did my kids! As you can see, I haven't used all the possible derivatives yet.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

My heart is most at home writing historical fiction, but I've found writing contemporary women's fiction/romance to be very rewarding too, and I plan to do more of it in the future.  PAINT ME ALTHENA

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

As individuals, we each have a page in God's Epic. What happens there on that page is what He writes into our lives. When it comes to our own writing, we need to do our best to pursue the talents and desires He gives us, but always remember that the outcome is in His hands. So enjoy the journey and don't fret.

5 things you love?

My family and church, the smell of lilacs, gnarly oak trees, outdoor adventures, old movies

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

I most enjoy hearing that someone really got swept up in one of my books, or that they found some kind of take-away value in it, whether it was just the pleasure ride itself, or further thinking on a theme.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

My site: http://www.naomimusch.com

Twitter: NMusch

Facebook: Naomi Musch - Author

All things by Midwesterner writers  The Barn Door

A tutorial blog for young and developing writers: A Novel Writing Site

Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Naomi's latest ebook!

Please leave an email adddress! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is open internationally as the winner will receive a PDF to use on their computer or ereader. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on November 9th.

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Meaningless

Photo Credit: Free Digital Photos.net

Reading Ecclesiastes is not for the faint of heart. I had forgotten how discouraging the author is towards life in general and humanity as a whole. He's not one to sugarcoat or make light of a life that isn't. As I've been reading the book for my devotions I wondered what I needed to glean from this. 

That life is meaningless? That my desire to write is meaningless? The book certainly doesn't spread much love in the direction of being happy and joyful toward life.

And I started thinking. Why would God give one of His children a desire, if He didn't intend for us to use them toward His glory and perfect end?

Being a fairly (as some people have described me) "bubbly" personality, I don't like to think of life as meaningless. I like to believe that God has given me a specific life to live and wants me to live it to His glory. So where does the book of Ecclesiastes leave me?

It leaves me challenged. If life is meaningless, what am I going to do to change my heart and make it meaningFUL? Life isn't the birds in the trees or the fish that populate the waters. Life is the state of our hearts. The joy in our souls. The point of living. 

Yes, life IS meaningless if you aren't walking with the Savior of our sins.

Yes, life IS meaningless if you aren't taking the gifts He has given you and using them towards the glory of His kingdom.

Yes, life IS bleak, gray and pointless if you aren't living your life for Christ, because any other road leads straight to Hell. What else is more meaningless when God has made it clear in His word He wants NONE of His children to go to such a dark and ugly place filled with weepy and gnashing of teeth?

Maybe that author of Ecclesiastes was onto to something when he said life was meaningless. Because it is. Someday this earth will be no more. The things we find important really aren't in the grand scheme of life. The fight with our sibling, the argument with our boss, the quibble over whether our dream should have come true before someone "less deserving". All those things are meaningless when you compare them to where we are ultimately headed: Heaven. 

What isn't meaningless? Walking strong in faith that we are doing exactly what God asks of us. Whether that means writing a novel. Feeding the homeless. Or parenting your children, what He asks of us, no matter how minute or inconsequential it might seem, it is NEVER meaningless.

A Story from the Headlines ~ Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry ~ Review

It’s a story ripped straight from our country’s headlines. Evil. Revenge. Fear. Desperation. Changed lives. “Borders of the Heart” is a novel that doesn’t leave many stones unturned in a touchy subject as illegal immigration.

            

The lyrical quality of this novel is outstanding. A way with words and especially dialogue on the page that has made me a fan of previous releases. I immediately cared for our hero J.D. and Maria as she ran in fear from something we aren’t sure of yet at the beginning of the novel.

          

  I’m not sure I’ve read many other cold-blooded villains as the one in this book. I was almost shocked the lines this man crossed in chasing after Maria. And that’s kind of where I lost track. I’m sure it was me, but I had a hard time following what was happening at a certain point. I knew of course why J.D. and Maria were running, but why was the villain chasing? It could be just me, but I thought elements surrounding their present circumstances could have been clearer. I wanted characterization to go deeper, trench deep into J.D. and what *really* makes him tick.

          

  Overall this hasn’t been my favorite book, very possibly because I’m not quite the target audience I thought I was for this title. Have you read the book? What was your opinion?

          

  This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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More about the novel....

Desperate to escape haunting memories, J.D. Jessup travels from Nashville to Tuscan and volunteers on an organic farm. The hardened landowner has one prevailing rule: If J.D. sees an "illegal", call the border patrol. But when an early morning ride along the fence line leads him to a beautiful young woman named Maria, near death in the desert, his heart pulls him in another direction. Longing to atone for the choices that drove him to Tucson, J.D. hides her and unleashes a chain of deadly events he could never have imagined. Soon they are running from a killer and fighting for their lives. As secrets of their pasts emerge, J.D. realizes that saving Maria may be the only way to save himself.

watch on tyndale.com

No Short of Impressed! ~ No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig ~ Review

This novel came out of nowhere and completely enthralled me.

            

A rich historical with tension abounding in heritage, setting and characters. The romance was forbidden and absolutely perfect. I loved the richness of the Irish culture, how their prejudice crossed the ocean to America with them and produced more than a little bit of fodder for today’s modern authors.

            

The voice behind the words on the page was what swept me so deeply into this book. It’s engrossing, unique and perfect for a deep and full historical. There was a familiarity and smoothness to the story that propelled me quickly through the story. I now want to go right back and read slowly, taking every little bit back in.

           

Cara and Rourke are strong and determined characters. The suspense is bringing them together and the romantic tension sizzles. Between the two of those vices, I might have had all the air squeezed out of me.

           

I wasn't sure how well I would like Rourke as from the first couple chapters, I had the impression he might be the bad guy, or at least in cahoots with the bad guys. But the man has a heart of flesh and I loved watching him fall in love with Cara. It changed him. And I love a reformed bad boy.

           

Beginning to end, I was no short of impressed, and now most eager for book two in the Edge of Freedom series. Well done!

            

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through CFBA for my copy to review.

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More about the novel and author...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing No Safe Harbor Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2012) by Elizabeth Ludwig

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Journey, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies, which she co-authored with Janelle Mowery, earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year honors. This book was followed in 2009 by “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” part of a Christmas anthology collection called Christmas Homecoming, also from Barbour Publishing.

In 2010, her first full-length historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned Four Stars from the Romantic Times. Books two and three of Elizabeth’s mystery series, Died in the Wool (Barbour Publishing) and Inn Plain Sight (Spyglass Lane), respectively, released in 2011.

Coming in 2012 is Elizabeth’s newest historical series from Bethany House Publishers. No Safe Harbor, the first book in the Edge of Freedom Series, will release in October, with two more books following in 2013 and 2014.

Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, and often attends conferences and seminars, where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Her popular literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoyed a wide readership in its first full year, with more than 17,000 visitors in 2011. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in the great state of Texas.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Thrill of Romantic Suspense Meets the Romance of 1800s America

Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh.

Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.

If you would like to read the first chapter of No Safe Harbor, go HERE.

Giveaway! Soul's Gate by James Rubart!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Jim Rubart, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Contrary to popular belief, I’m an introvert. I love people, but have to have huge amounts of alone time to recharge.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

To read (and watch): Time Travel. I loved the idea of the past affecting the future and visa versa. Without question, I’ll someday write a novel involving time travel.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

It’s not about me. If a writer is a follower of Jesus they’ve died to self and the main thing is stepping into what Jesus has called them to do, then it doesn’t matter if they’re published or not. I know this is easy for me to say because I’m traditionally published, but trust me, getting published isn’t the panacea some pre-pubbed writers think it is. When Peter checks us in, it won’t be about how many books we wrote, or if we were published or not, it will be about if we followed the path He designed us to walk on.

5 things you love?

1. Speed- water skiing, cars, dirt bikes, etc.
2. Back packing
3. Hanging out with my wife and sons
4. Reading
5. Writing (big surprise, right?)

Tell us briefly about your latest novel.

What if you could send your spirit into other people’s souls to fight for their freedom? That’s the premise of Soul’s Gate.

Publisher’s Weekly: “Readers with high blood pressure or heart conditions be warned: this is a seriously heart-thumping and satisfying read that goes to the edge, jumps off, and “builds wings on the way down.”

RT Book Reviews made Soul’s Gate a Top Pick and says: “Rubart’s novel is enthralling and superlative. Truly a story about freedom from things that we hold onto, this tale will captivate readers and encourage a more active, dynamic spiritual life. The original plot and well-drawn characters elevate this book to “must read” status.”

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

The Reunion by Dan Walsh. I read it on a plane recently and, wow! It got dusty in there! Great heart to that book.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Web site: www.jameslrubart.com

Twitter: @jimrubart

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-L-Rubart/320882261326243

Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks, Casey, I always love being with you.

Much freedom to you and your readers,

Jim

Okay readers, here's your chance to win Jim's latest novel!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on November 2nd.

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Joys and Fears

Joy: finishing the final round of edits on my manuscripts!

Fear: knowing it has to go off to my agent request in a little over a week.

Joy: only three more scenes, a proposal and a couple critter's eagle eyes before I'm gulp...done.

Fear: hoping to rock these scenes and blow them out of the water!

Joy: a little over a week I can start a NEW STORY

Fear: do I really want to write 50,000 words or more in the same month as the Thanksgiving holiday?

Joy: I have a fabulous opportunity to send my novel to a great agent who wants to see it no matter what.

Fear: it has to go through her assistant first...and what if the assistant hates my characters like 50% of the population has been inclined to behave?

Joy: (and completely random) Downton Abbey season 3 is available from this Facebook page in the U.S. :D

Fear: that the season won't last nearly long enough to erase the sorrow of episode #5.

Joy: cheering a great accountability partner to a smashing success this week!

Fear: that she'll let overwhelming tasks discourage her success (you know who I'm talking about, AP...;-)

Joy: picking out new glasses--the first pair I've ever been really excited about getting. ;-)

Fear: that people will think the Nine West brand is snobbish.

Joy: while there is frost on the ground every morning, I have a box of Lipton Blackberry Vanilla to sip.

Fear: that the frost will turn into snow.


Joy: I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday. (four more days to play with my novel!!)

Fear: I have to go back to work on Tuesday.


Joy: my brother turns nine on Tuesday.

Fear: that he'll let this go to this head. (not that it hasn't already... ;-)

Joy: said brother has also made friends with our adopted-us-not-us-adopting-them kittens

Fear: we're not cat people. ((don't hate me!))

Joy: my blog hit over 700 hundred followers this week! (THANK YOU!!)

Fear: that you'll eventually catch on to what's really going on around here... ;-)

Joy: planning a Skype date with a super-sweet writer friend next week

Joy: talking to an awesome and dear writer Alley Cat this afternoon. :D

Joy: Tamera Alexander's latest novel is headed for my doorstep!!

Joy: November is almost here. One of my favorite months. 

Joy: it's Friday! 'nuff said.

Joy: that the 'joy' side of this post HEAVILY outweighs the fear side. :D

What are your week's joys and fears?

Have a great Friday, friends!!

Perfect Escapism! ~ A Bride's Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer ~ Review

I do think this novel might be my latest “cute novel find”. A sweet romance with characters that had me chuckling and loving their antics upon the page, was the perfect end to my restful Sunday, while also completely entertaining me.

            I have to give a bit of attention to the most unique character names I think I’ve ever read. Heaven and Angel threw me once in a while, thinking I was reading a cliché instead of a name, but I loved the little twists given their names for the enjoyment of the reader.

            I loved the light-hearted side of this novel. Yes, there were serious issues the characters tackled; it’s not comedy by any means, but some of the character’s thought processes and their excellent dialogue had me chuckling.

            Angel just might be my favorite character in the story. What the little girl lacks in sight, she more than makes up for in wit. What a pistol. 

            Heaven and Travis have great chemistry on the page and their dialogue was great. Their story is a quick read, but one that took me out of the everyday stress of my life and gave me welcome, pleasure-filled time amongst the pages. A good score for this newest Barbour line!

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the author for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

Journey to Tennessee at the end of the Civil War. Heaven Wharton has been left in charge of her father’s farm, but weeks of facing marauders has finally taken its toll. Meaning to fire into the air, she accidently shoots a man charging the house. Shocked, she and her sister Angel drag the semi-conscious man into the house and nurse him back to health. As Travis recovers he finds his heart turning to the possibilities of love. But can he and Heaven learn to accept God’s plan, however it unfolds?

            

Gripping Marvel! ~ You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren ~ Review

A gripping novel with the struggle of the human condition woven through the story and characters. A home town that draws the reader in and a story I couldn’t help but want to see resolved to a happily ever after. “You Don’t Know Me” is a gripping marvel of strong storytelling and solid characters that beg to have their story told in the way that has put Warren on the Christian fiction map.

            I couldn’t put this book down. No, once I met this Decker family, they became my next door neighbors and I wanted to know them better, watch them succeed. Annalise has spent her adult life living a lie and now it’s coming back to haunt the family she adores. How do you reconcile a past that could harm your family and yet never want to part with your heart’s reason to beat?

            The story is richly entwined with real-to-life characters. Subplots that contribute vital motivation for me to continue reading. This is definitely one of those stories that pulsed in my throat and wounded my heart when they struggled.

            It’s a story that feels…real. I’m never left unchanged after reading a Warren novel. The passion upon the page starts with the story and ends with hope and grace to be found in God’s love.

            A marvelous bit of news has become known that another Deep Haven will soon be entertaining readers again and I couldn’t be happier!

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through Litfuse for my ARC to review.

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More about the novel...

A Deep Haven Novel

Sometimes the secrets we keep to protect ourselves can be our undoing.

To all who know her, Annalise Decker is a model wife and mother. She’s a permanent member of the PTA, never misses a sporting event, and is constantly campaigning for her husband’s mayoral race.

No one knows that Annalise was once Deidre O’Reilly, a troubled young woman whose testimony put a dangerous criminal behind bars. Relocated through the Witness Security Program to the quaint harbor town of Deep Haven, Deidre received a new identity and a fresh start, which began when she fell in love with local real estate agent Nathan Decker.

Twenty years later, Annalise couldn’t be more unprepared for her past to catch up with her. When Agent Frank Harrison arrives with news that the man she testified against is out on parole and out for revenge, Annalise is forced to face the consequences of her secrets. Will she run again, or will she finally find the courage to trust those she loves most with both her past and her future?

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Contest Info!!

Welcome to the campaign launch for Susan May Warren’s latest offering in her beloved Deep Haven series, You Don’t Know Me. Susan is celebrating with a $200 Weekend Getaway Giveaway and hosting a fun video Author Chat Party!

 

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to catch up with a loved one and “Get to Know” your spouse, friend, sister, mom…whomever!)
• The entire set of Deep Haven Books

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 22nd. Winner will be announced at the ”You Don’t Know Me” Author Chat Facebook Party on 10/23. Connect with Susan for an evening of book chat, Deep Haven trivia, and a live video chat! There will also be info about Susan’s BookShout read-along and a chance to win gift certificates, books, and other fun prizes!

So grab your copy of You Don’t Know Me and join Susan on the evening of the October 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the books – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

Giveaway! Winner's Choice

Sometimes I just have laugh.

Blogging is never a consistent thing, no matter how hard we try and make it such. So sometimes pulling a little trickery out of the bag has to be done to make sure we stay on schedule. ;-)

Because, after all, I am very much a schedule kind of girl.

ARC

You might have noticed that last week was allll book reviews. Yeah. Sorry. I was all "ooh! ooh! I want to read this book!" and then they all came due for review. At the same time. A week after I got back from ACFW. And none of them were read yet.

Yeah. But they were some awesome books. ;-)

Even if I did have to read them ultra-fast to get them reviewed in time...

I've spent the last two weeks hard at work on edits for my novel due to a request I received at ACFW. This certainly wasn't how I was expecting to spend my month of October, running around like a chicken with my head cut off (farm-girl humor) a-hem and while I am in NO way complaining, some other things have slipped through the cracks, this blog being one of them.

So I thank you for sticking around, continuing to comment and share in the little joys every day life gives us. 

I had a reschedule for today's giveaway slot, so I'm jumping in with a giveaway of new books I have stored away for just such an occasion. Standard giveaway rules apply and the books are shown here throughout this post. 

Thanks for being the awesome followers and friends that you are!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on October 26th.

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Dropping Bodies! ~ When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason ~ Review

Oh the bodies are dropping! I think there must have been another murder every twenty pages and there really isn’t much time to do a whole lot of gawking with this novel.

           

I’m not a blood and guts kind of girl, I’d rather reader a romance over a murder, so when I read a murder, I take them suspenseful. If you’re going to creep me out…then. creep. me. out. I think this novel did a pretty fair job of that task. The balance between murder and romance was pretty well level, though it did tip a bit heavier towards the murder business side.

            

The novel did feel a bit as though there needed to be a killing to keep the tension level high, but I didn’t think it too much until the ending.

           

I loved it when the story took a personal turn for our heroine. Putting someone close to her in danger, totally upped the anty and pumped my blood. Excellent moment in the novel. The only place where I thought it totally came out of character for the novel was at the end and the twist. Which of course I can’t say anything, so my lips are sealed, except to say I didn’t see it coming and wasn’t sure it really fit…but that’s just my personal opinion.

            

All in all, great book, cliffhanger ending, darn that author! ;-) And I have to wait more months until we figure out what’s in that envelope people were killing over. Shoot.

          

  Pun intended.

           

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publisher for my copy to review. 

            

**Available October 2012 from Revell, a division of Baker publishers**   

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More about the novel...

Spunky and outgoing, nothing much bothers medical examiner Serena Hopkins--except for the thought of falling in love again. But when a serial killer is picking off her former classmates, Serena's life becomes intertwined with her old high school crush, FBI agent Dominic Allen. Is the secret she's keeping putting her next on the killer's hit list? Can she trust Dominic with the truth before it's too late? 

Intense, emotional, and fast-paced, "When a Heart Stops" will have readers up late as they race to the finish to find out what happens.