Another Wonderful Debut

I've been taking the opportunity to catch up on reading some of the books I picked up at ICRS back in June, and I am enjoying discovering some new authors in the process. Today I'm pleased to introduce you to another wonderful debut novel.

Miracle in a Dry Season
(Appalachian Blessings, Book 1)
Sarah Loudin Thomas
(Bethany House Publishers)
ISBN: 978-0764212253
July 2014/304 pages/$14.99
In a Drought, It's the Darkest Cloud
That Brings Hope

It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.

Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor...until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.


ABOUT THE AUTHER

Photo Credit:
© Kristen Delliveniri

Sarah Loudin Thomas is a fund-raiser for a children's ministry who has also published freelance writing for Mountain Homes Southern Style and Now & Then magazines, as well as The Asheville Citizen-Times and The Journey Christian Newspaper. She holds a bachelor's in English from Coastal Carolina University. She and her husband reside in Asheville, North Carolina. Learn more at www.sarahloudinthomas.com.

MY THOUGHTS

Miracle in a Dry Season is a marvelous debut novel that transports the reader straight into the mid-1950s, to a small West Virginia town populated with an array of personalities that are, at times, painfully authentic. Perla and her daughter, Sadie, immediately captured my affection. Sarah Loudin Thomas skillfully portrays the attitudes of the era towards Perla, even-and perhaps especially-from those who call themselves Christians as they judge her by the visible consequences of her past and the strange happenings that surround her present. And while it's easy to say I've known legalistic folks such as those, Casewell reminds me to take a look inside my own heart. Simultaneously inspiring, convicting, and completely satisfying, Miracle in a Dry Season is a must for your fall reading list. I'll be watching for more from this promising author.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Baker/Bethany House Publishing at ICRS last summer. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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A Place in His Heart

A Place in His Heart
(The Southold Chronicles)
Rebecca DeMarino
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800722180
June 2014/336 pages/$15.99
She could cross an ocean, but could she ever win his heart?

Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Left at the altar and disgraced in her small hamlet, she is being pressured to marry the eligible son of the London milliner. Puritan Barnabas Horton still grieves the loss of his beloved wife, but he knows his two young sons need a mother.

With tender hearts, Mary and Barnabas take a leap of faith and wed. But when Barnabas's secret plans to move his family to the New World to escape persecution come to light, Mary's world is upended. How could she possibly leave her papa and her dear sister?

And will she ever reach the secret places of her husband's broken heart?


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo Credit:
© Something Blue Photography

Rebecca DeMarino is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and The Southold Long Island Historical Society. She was a 2011 Genesis Award semi-finalist. Rebecca is retired from a major airline and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Tom. Learn more at www.rebeccademarino.com.

MY THOUGHTS

This is an achingly compelling novel that tugged at my heart, and it's even more touching to learn that it is inspired by the story of the author's ancestors and that Mary and Barnabas really existed. With skill that exceeds the abilities of most debut novelists, DeMarino ably portrays the heartache and loss experienced by Barnabas and his sons, Joseph and Benjamin, as well as by Mary herself as she longs to receive the deep love that she lavishes on her family. The setting comes to life with the vivid portrayal of the difficulty of eking out a life in a harsh new land. The customs of seventeenth century life add a unique depth, particularly traditions such as the passing of the tongs. Faith and the quest for religious freedom weave throughout this captivating tale. Don't miss A Place in His Heart!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Baker/Revell Publishing at ICRS last summer. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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2014 Carol Award Winners!

Last night the Carol Awards were presented at the ACFW Gala Dinner in St. Louis. Here are the winners:


Debut Novel

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Monds, Natalie Hanemann, L.B. Norton)

Contemporary

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Monds, Natalie Hanemann, L.B. Norton)

Historical

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell (David C. Cook, editors Ingrid Beck, John Blase)

Historical Romance

A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Dave Long)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Dave Lambert, Sue Brower, Ellen Tarver)

Novella

Love by the Letter by Melissa Jagears (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr)

Romance

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade, Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Sarah Long, Charlene Patterson)

Romantic Suspense

Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink (River North [Moody Publishers], editor Deb Keiser)

Short Novel

Mending the Doctor’s Heart by Tina Radcliffe (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Rachel Burkot)

Speculative

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Dave Long, Karen Schurrer)

Young Adult

A Simple Song by Melody Carlson (Revell – A Divison of Baker Publishing Group, editors Lonnie Hull Dupont, Wendy Wetzel)

Congratulations to the winners!

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Carol Award Finalists 2014

I don't know how I missed posting the ACFW Carol Award Finalists back in June when I was at ICRS, except to say it was just a whirlwind trip! The Carol Awards will be presented at ACFW's Gala Dinner tomorrow night in St. Louis. I am not there this year - at least not physically! I have been vicariously enjoying everyone's FB posts and smiling as I picture in my mind the fun, laughter, and learning that has been occurring since Thursday. I'm working all weekend but I'll be checking to see who won when I get home late Saturday night and plan to post an update Sunday!

Here are this year's finalists, with books that I have reviewed linked to those reviews:


Debut Novel

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editor Natalie Hanemann)

Jasmine by April McGowan (WhiteFire Publishing, editor Roseanna White)

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Monds, Natalie Hanemann, L.B. Norton)

Contemporary

The Language of Sparrows by Rachel Phifer (David C. Cook, editor Tonya Osterhouse)

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Monds, Natalie Hanemann, L.B. Norton)

The Dance by Gary Smalley and Dan Walsh (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Andrea Doering)

Historical

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell (David C. Cook, editors Ingrid Beck, John Blase)

Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Philpott, Julee Schwarzburg, Jodi Hughes)

Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate by Diana Wallis Taylor (Revell - A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Lonnie Hull Dupont)

Historical Romance

Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr)

A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Dave Long)

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky (Waterbrook Multnomah [Random House], editors Shannon Marchese, Karen Ball)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Dave Lambert, Sue Brower, Ellen Tarver)

Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins (B&H Publishing, editors Karen Ball, Julie Gwinn)

Fear Has a Name by Creston Mapes (David C. Cook, editors L.B. Norton, Jack Campbell)

Novella

An Ever After Summer from A Bride for all Seasons by Debra Clopton (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editor Ami McConnell)

Love by the Letter by Melissa Jagears (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr)

A Christmas Prayer by Linda Wood Rondeau (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, editor Amberlynn Noelle)

Romance

Silver Bells by Deborah Raney (Summerside Press [Guideposts], editor Rachel Meisel)

Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt (Howard [Simon & Schuster], editor Jessica Wong)

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade, Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Sarah Long, Charlene Patterson)

Romantic Suspense

Trapped by Irene Hannon (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Jennifer Leep)

Vanished by Irene Hannon (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Jennifer Leep)

Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink (River North [Moody Publishers], editor Deb Keiser)

Short Novel

Seaside Blessings by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Melissa Endlich)

The Doctor’s Family Reunion by Mindy Obenhaus (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Melissa Endlich)

Mending the Doctor’s Heart by Tina Radcliffe (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Rachel Burkot)

Speculative

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Dave Long, Karen Schurrer)

The Hero’s Lot by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Dave Long, Karen Schurrer)

The Sinners Garden by William Sirls (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Natalie Hanemann, Lisa Bergren)

Young Adult

A Simple Song by Melody Carlson (Revell – A Divison of Baker Publishing Group, editors Lonnie Hull Dupont, Wendy Wetzel)

Captives by Jill Williamson (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Jacque Alberta, Jeff Gerke)

Project Gemini by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press, editor Jeff Gerke)

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