Promise to Cherish - A Must-Read!

Promise to Return
(Promise of Sunshine)
Elizabeth Byler Younts
(Howard Books)
ISBN: 978-1476735030
October 2014/352 pages/$14.99
As World War II draws to a close, nurse Christine falls in love with roguish Amish boy Eli and must choose between a new, uncertain life in the Amish faith or face the judgment of a conservative postwar American society for her past mistakes.

It’s 1945, and Christine Freeman is a nurse at Hudson River State Hospital, where she works alongside members of a Civilian Public Service unit. Eli is one of the conscies—conscientious objectors to the war—and he is doing his best to become a man of character instead of the immature heartbreaker he used to be back home in his Amish community.

Christine and Eli are friendly, but when an old acquaintance, Jack, returns home from the war, Christine’s world is violently turned upside down. Eli, heartbroken to see his friend so hurt, offers her an escape within his Amish community. Despite her misgivings, Christine is fully embraced by Eli’s community. She slowly begins to feel valued and loved as she learns the Amish way of life.

Christine finds herself falling for Eli. But soon, the abusive Jack discovers Christine in her Amish hideaway and starts causing trouble for the quiet community. Christine can’t see herself becoming Amish, and she knows that if Eli leaves the church to be with her, he will be shunned. Will she escape Jack and possibly have to give up the one thing she holds most dear, or will she follow her heart and promise to cherish the Amish man who loves her?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Byler Younts is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She is an Air Force officer’s wife and a homeschooling mom with two young daughters. She makes her home wherever her family is stationed. Elizabeth was Amish as a child and after her parents left the church she still grew up among her Amish family and continues to speak Pennsylvania Dutch.

MY THOUGHTS

I knew when I read Elizabeth Byler Younts’s first novel, Promise to Return (reviewed here), that she is a gifted author whose books would stand out from the rest of the Amish fiction genre. This sophomore release simply confirms that assertion. Rife with history gleaned from her own family background, Promise to Cherish focuses on a lesser-known aspect of Amish culture and World War II history: the role of Amish conscientious objectors and the services they rendered to the country during this pivotal era. Younts has once again crafted a tale that engages the heart and mind with its authentic setting, believable and endearing characters, and themes of faith, family, and forgiveness. At times painfully honest in its portrayal of the attitudes and beliefs of the time period, this novel simultaneously addresses issues that transcend the decades. From the opening pages to the richly satisfying conclusion, I remained engrossed in this story, staying up until the wee hours to finish it. Don’t miss this book and this series!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Elizabeth Byler Younts and Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. 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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Coming Next Week!

Promise to Cherish by Elizabeth Byler Younts releases Tuesday, October 7! Click the image to pre-order now. My review is coming Monday!

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Deceived

Deceived
(Private Justice #3)
Irene Hannon
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800721251
September 2014/416 pages/$14.99
A grieving mother. A mysterious child. And a dedicated PI who's determined to solve the puzzle.

For three years, Kate Marshall has been mourning the loss of her husband and four-year-old son in a boating accident. But when she spots a familiar-looking child on a mall escalator, she's convinced it's her son. With police skeptical of her story, she turns to private investigator Connor Sullivan for help. As the former Secret Service agent digs into the case, the boating "accident" begins to look increasingly suspicious. But if Kate's son is alive, someone is intent on keeping him hidden--and may go to lethal lengths to protect a sinister secret.

As Irene Hannon's many fans have come to expect, Deceived is filled with complex characters, unexpected twists, and a riveting plotline that accelerates to an explosive finish.

Read an excerpt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Irene Hannon is the author of more than forty-five novels, including Vanished, Trapped, and the bestselling Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, two HOLT Medallions, a Daphne du Maurier Award, two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers' Choice Award, and a National Readers' Choice Award. In addition, she is a Christy Award finalist, and Booklist included one of her novels in its "Top 10 Inspirational Fiction" list for 2011. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.

Read my interview with Irene Hannon from earlier this year here.

MY THOUGHTS

Irene Hannon brings her Private Justice series to a satisfying close with a gripping novel that chilled this mother's heart. Don't plan to read this book in small increments. You won't be able to put it down as the story, compelling enough by the initial mystery of "accident vs. kidnapping," becomes more complex and sinister with each chapter. Hannon demonstrates her skill at character and plot development with this pulse-pounding page turner that kept me up way too late. I suspect this novel will be nominated for multiple awards next year. Don't miss it!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Baker/Revell as part of a blog tour. 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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FALLing for the Hodgepodge

It's always fun to play along with Joyce on the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I love when she connects the questions with a theme. I'm impressed she comes up with questions each week, much less coordinating them! LOL

1. Are the leaves turning color where you live? Have they begun to fall? Will you have to rake when it's all said and done? Is that a chore you love or loathe?

No, leaves don't tend to turn colors when it still hits 90 degrees most afternoons! And with very few exceptions, our leaves fall in the spring because our neighborhood is full of live oak trees. We've quit raking them and generally run over them with the mulching mower.

2. When did you last shake like a leaf?

I honestly don't remember. Probably the time we almost had a raccoon come in our house. That was pretty unsettling.

3. After 20 seasons with the NY Yankees, Derek Jeter played his last official game Sunday afternoon. Jeter has been described even by opponents as a 'class act', both on and off the field. The NFL is back in action this month too, with several players in that sport also making headlines. What are your thoughts on athletes as role models? Should a professional athlete be expected to act as role model or is that going beyond their job description? What responsibility do the organizations these athletes work for have when it comes to dealing with off the field behavior? Discuss.

I think our society puts far too much emphasis on sports at all levels, and I think it's ridiculous that professional athletes make the money that they do. No, they shouldn't be role models because we shouldn't pay them that much attention. Having said that, because they do receive the attention and visibility, I think they do have a responsibility to behave in a mature and professional manner.

4. What season of the year is toughest for you in terms of your health? Why?

Probably winter because the dreary days really drag me down emotionally. I could not live up north where the days are even shorter and the winters are even colder. I would definitely struggle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)!

5. The top six healthy food trends of 2014 according to Eating Well are-

clean eating (more veg, less meat, less sodium, limit alcohol and processed foods)
trash fish (you know those fish that get caught in fishermen nets and are thrown back? It seems chefs are finding creative ways to make them more appetizing)
cauliflower (this year's IT vegetable)
kaniwa (essentially baby quinoa, so like quinoa only smaller)
fermentation (think pickling except with twists on flavor we're not accustomed to)
community supported food (farms operating with community support/membership).

Okay-so how many of the hot healthy food trends for 2014 have you experienced, encountered, enjoyed? Any you've tried and said ewwww? Any on the list you'd like to try before year's end?

Eww to most of them. I'm not a trendy eater. I believe in moderation and balanced diets. I don't as many vegetables as I should because I don't care for them that much, but I'm not going to give up meat completely either. I don't drink alcohol at all, so that's not a problem and I like to cook, so I don't eat a whole lot of processed foods. I really wish we would just go back to the Four Basic Food Groups.

6. In seven words or less, bid September adieu.

Another family birthday season completed.

7. What's something on your October calendar that makes you happy just thinking about it?

Seeing my girl! We'll go visit her one weekend and she'll be home for fall break one weekend.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Love these verses from Daniel that remind us Who is in charge of the seasons!

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are His.
He changes times and seasons;
He deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with Him.
(Daniel 2:20-22)

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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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