Monday, January 5, 2009

CFBA Tour: Wanted



This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Wanted

Avon Inspire (January 6, 2009)

by

Shelley Shepard Gray


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
This is the second book in the Sisters Of Heart series. The first was Hidden, which was Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Twenty-year-old Katie Brenneman has always quietly fancied Jonathan Lundy. So when the brokenhearted widower asks her to help him take care of his two young girls, Katie knows it will be a trying time-yet she cannot pass up a golden opportunity to get to know this man better.

Just as she's settling into her new life, a message arrives from Katie's past, threatening to expose her darkest secrets. During her Rumspringa, her running-around years, she experimented with activities forbidden in the Amish way of life. Frightened by how far she'd strayed from her values, Katie ran back home, vowing to cut all ties with the outside world. Now her transgressions are coming back to haunt her, just as Jonathan seems willing to welcome her into his heart.

Will the past destroy Katie's chances for love? Or will Katie finally allow herself to accept God's love, forgive her past...and receive everything she's ever wanted?

If you would like to read an excerpt of Chapter 1 of Wanted, go HERE

MY THOUGHTS:
I am really enjoying this series. I reviewed Hidden in July. Now comes the second book, the story of Katie. While I related a little more to Anna (who was an "Englischer", after all!), I sympathized with Katie's struggle to determine how much her past will (and should) affect her present. . . .and her future. This is a beautiful story of forgiveness and moving forward, and a reminder that keeping sins hidden can not only cripple us, but can result in the guilt growing until it is greater than the transgression. I say that not to minimize sin, but to point to the increased damage that results from not dealing with it immediately.

Happy Reading!

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

I read your comment at Robyn's, and thought, "My goodness, her weather is awfully similar to ours!"

Duh.

I'm deep in the heart of Texas, too. Well, a little closer to the Gulf than the heart.

Christina said...

I read Hidden and thought it an amazing book so I was so excited to see this post on "Wanted."