Unforeseeable

The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Unforeseeable Bethany House Publishers (September 1, 2013) by Nancy Mehl

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband Norman and their dog, Watson. She’s authored thirteen books and is currently at work on her newest series for Bethany House Publishing.
All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”
She and her husband attend Believer’s Tabernacle in Wichita. Nancy can be reached through her website found HERE.

Mystery, Romance, and Suspense Seamlessly Combined in a Mennonite Small-Town Setting Callie Hoffman knows she has a good life in Kingdom, Kansas. She's thrilled to be engaged to Levi Housler, the new pastor of Kingdom Mennonite Church, and she spends her days working with her friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Lizzie Housler, at Cora's Cafe. However, Callie's idyllic life is interrupted when a body is discovered on the road outside Kingdom and the deceased turns out to be a victim of a serial killer. As Washington County's new sheriff begins questioning Kingdom residents, Callie and the rest of the town are appalled at the prospect of a killer among them. The very reason Kingdom exists is to protect the people from the temptations and dangers of the outside world, but all the town founders' attempts to plan ahead couldn't prevent a threat like this. Unsettled at this unforeseen danger, Callie is concerned when it appears Levi knows more than he's telling. Desperate to find answers for herself, Callie never expected that she'd have to face some of her own past's skeletons. As Callie and the residents of Kingdom fear this danger for which they never planned, they must learn anew that only God knows the future and their trust must always lie in Him.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Unforeseeable, go HERE. 
My Thoughts: I love Nancy Mehl's writing!  I have fallen in love with the people of Kingdom and hate to see this series end; if this is the end.  I sure hope it isn't!  This third book in the Road to Kingdom series, Unforseseeable, was the perfect blend of tender romance, suspense, mystery and faith.  I really appreciate how Nancy educates her reader on the Mennonite faith with snippets shared along the way within the story.  Callie's doubts and struggles are ones I believe we all have at some point in our life and I appreciate that Nancy highlighted that struggle.  Her stories are believable with characters you will love!  What's next for the people of Kingdom?  This isn't the end is it??
Happy Reading, Jennifer

Threads of Change

The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Threads of Change River North; New Edition edition (July 1, 2013) by Jodi Barrows

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Over the past twenty years, Jodi has remarkably touched thousands of quilters throughout the world with her unique method called Square in a Square®. Her point of view provides the quilter with the freedom to create most any quilt design with speed and accuracy. 
Jodi has spoken to quilting audiences throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy and S. Africa. She has appeared as a guest on several quilting shows, including TNN’s Aleene’s Creative Living, TNN’s Your Home Studio, Perfecting Patchwork on Family Net TV and a pbs series with Kaye Wood. 
Jodi was raised in southwest Kansas, has two grown sons, and is married to Steve, her high school sweetheart.  Jodi can be reached through her Facebook page.

ABOUT THE BOOK 
Conflict develops in the South,
Four granddaughters travel into uncertainty,
And Grandfather sells their precious home.
In the first book of A Quilting Story series, the four cousins-with social graces, charm, and a love for quilting-will face the anguish of life on the frontier in 1856 with every turn along the wagon trail. Raging storms and adversities hit the small band of travelers. Relieved to finally arrive at the abandoned military post at Fort Worth, Texas, they begin the hard work of establishing a new home. When trials follow them, they must decide to become true warriors of their hearts, minds, and souls or fall to the sufferings of prairie life.
Join the four women on a passage of friendship, love, and self-discovery as lives are mended around the quilting frame.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Threads of Change, go HERE.

My Thoughts:

One of the things I love maybe more than reading is discovering new authors.  Threads of Change is Jodi's first work of fiction and my first book of hers to read.  The story reads like Wilder's Little House On the Praire.  I immediately connected with Liz and loved her character!  This is Part 1 of Barrows A Quilting Story series.  I can't wait to read the "rest of the story" of Liz her sister and cousins.  Barrows characters are all unique and expertly drawn and well-developed.  They felt like "family" from the first of the story and I was sad to leave them for a time when I finished the book!

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

Pattern for Romance

Pattern for Romance Abingdon Press (August 20, 2013) by Carla Gade

Carla Olson Gade has been imaging stories most of her life. Her love for writing and eras gone by turned her attention to writing Inspirational Historical Romance. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Writers, and the Maine Fellowship of Christian Writers. She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. 
Her publishing credits also include a variety of newspaper articles, newsletters, and web content. She also enjoys developing discipleship materials for women. She has been a book judge for the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest (RWA), and ACFW's Genesis Contest. 
In addition to writing, Carla is a freelance website designer and webhost and an advocate for adult literacy. An experienced event and program planner/promoter, Carla designs marketing materials for her writing group, women's ministry, and other functions. Carla has also spoken at several women's events and facilitated many workshops and classes through the years. 
An autodidact, creative thinker, and avid reader, Carla also enjoys genealogy, web design, and photography. A native New Englander, she lives in beautiful rural Maine with her "hero" husband and two young adult sons, and a new grandson. Carla can be reached through the Contact link on her Website.

Honour Metcalf’s quilting needlework is admired by a wealthy customer of the Boston Mantua-maker for whom she works. In need of increasing her earnings, she agrees to create an elaborate white work bridal quilt for the dowager’s niece. A beautiful design emerges as she carefully stitches the intricate patterns and she begins to dream of fashioning a wedding quilt of her own. When Honour is falsely accused of thievery and finds herself in a perilous position, merchant tailor Joshua Sutton comes to her aid. As he risks his relationships, reputation, and livelihood to prove her innocence, the two discover a grander plan—a design for love. 
If you would like to read the first chapter of Pattern for Romance, go HERE. 
My Thoughts: Pattern for Romance is the latest addition to the Quilts of Love series.  I have thoroughly enjoyed these books.  Gade's book was a little different for me than the others.  While maybe not my favorite of the series, I appreciate how Gade captures the era about which she is writing.  From the description of the characters, the surroundings and the dialect, she draws you into the story and you feel as if you are walking alongside Honour and Joshua.  What a sweet story!  
Happy Reading, Jennifer

On Distant Shores

Meet Sarah: Sarah Sundin is the author of "With Every Letter" and the Wings of Glory series. In 2011, A "Memory Between Us" was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards, and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. 
Visit www.sarahsundin.com for more information.

Caught between the war raging around them and the battles within, two souls long for peace---and a love that remains true.
Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943, Georgie's cozy life gets more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson.
Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancée. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they've made?
With her signature attention to detail and her talent for bringing characters together, Sarah Sundin weaves an exciting tale of emotion, action, and romance that will leave you wanting more.

To see what others are saying about On Distant Shores, you can visit HERE.

My Thoughts About The Book:
Sarah Sundin has just risen to the top of my list of favorite Historical Romance authors!  In On Distant Shores (book two of her Wings of The Nightingale series), Sundin does a splendid job of capturing the WWII era.  This book moves fast and is full of action, heartbreak, romance and the reality of the war zone.  I absolutely LOVE Sundin's characters!  She brings them alive and very shortly into the book, they feel like your best friends.  In a few short pages, Sundin takes you back to the early 1940's and with her vivid description transports you to another time and another place full of adventure.  Her portrayal of Georgie's and Hutch's growth and transformation due to their faith and trust in God is clear.  Thank you Sarah for sharing your exceptional gift!

Don't miss the chat with Sarah on September 3rd:
Enter Today - 8/15 - 9/2!


Thank you Litfuse Publicity for sending the book for the purpose of this review and blog tour opportunity!

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

Winter In Full Bloom

Meet Anita: Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

Connect with Anita at: www.anitahigman.com.

Lily Winter's wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels she can no longer fly. But Lily's lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her---a woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she'd been hiding for decades---Lily has an identical twin sister who was put up for adoption when they were just babies.Without looking back, Lily---with her fear of flying---boards a jumbo jet and embarks on a quest to find her sister which leads half way around the world to Melbourne, Australia. Befriended by imprudent Ausie, he might prove to be the key to finding her sister. But her journey becomes a circle that leads her back home to attempt a family reunion and to find the one dream she no longer imagined possible-the chance to fall in love again.

You can visit HERE to see what others are saying about Winter in Full Bloom.

My Thoughts About The Book:
Anita Higman has a gift and I am blessed to have discovered it.  This is my first novel by Ms Higman and I am hooked!  She has written a story that delves into one of the most painful things experienced in life:  broken family relationships.  Higman carries her readers through every conceivable emotion and there are times I simply had to close the book and weep.  With well-developed characters and a carefully constructed plot, Higman offers her readers a clear picture in novel form of the beautiful transforming and saving gospel of Jesus Christ.  The themes of forgiveness, grace, mercy and restoration shine forth.  I absolutely loved Lily and Marcus...I think you will too!

Don't forget to join Anita Higman for a book chat and chance to win some awseome prizes on August 29th!
Enter Today - 8/12 - 8/29!


Thank you Litfuse Publicity for sending me the complimentary copy of the book for the purpose of this blog tour and review!

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

Pray The Scriptures

The son of a lifelong inner-city public school teacher and a beloved author of historical fiction for children, Kevin Johnson is the bestselling author of nearly 60 books and study Bibles for adults, youth, and children, including the one-of-a-kind Pray the Scriptures Bible (Bethany House Publishers 2012). As a writer and editor of adult works he has partnered as co-author and concept consultant with some of the publishing world’s leading authors. Kevin’s writing hasn’t stopped since his first book, Can I Be a Christian Without Being Weird?
(Bethany House 1992). He was the lead writer of the original guy’s Biblezine Refuel (Thomas Nelson 2004). His latest authoring work includes The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens (Zondervan 2012) and Resolving Everyday Conflict, with Ken Sande (Baker Books 2011). Past projects include a trio of curriculum and books that accompanied the release of the Universal Pictures family comedy Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carell (Youth Specialties 2007), and the
NCV Student Bible (Thomas Nelson 2006). On Easter Sunday 2010 Kevin began serving as solo pastor of Emmaus Road Church in Hopkins, Minnesota, a suburban city west of Minneapolis (www.emmausroadchurch.com). He was previously Teaching Pastor at Calvary in Golden Valley, Minnesota, where until 2006 he was Pastor for Children, Youth, and Family, overseeing 45 paid staff working with 1200 youth, children, and early childhood students. He ran a major adult nonfiction line as a senior editor at Bethany House Publishers. And he pastored a group of more than 400 sixth through ninth
graders at Elmbrook Church in metro Milwaukee. His training includes an M.Div. from Fuller
Theological Seminary and a B.A. in English and Print Journalism from the University of
Wisconsin—River Falls.
Kevin’s interests include trail running, backyard astronomy, and radio (with broadcasts from
more than 160 countries heard on AM and shortwave). He also tries hard at digital
photography, and some of his shots can be viewed at www.kjphotos.zenfolio.com.
Kevin met his wife, Lyn, on a high school outreach to a First Nations reserve in Ontario, Canada.
Their home has a laboratory for all the parenting tips Kevin has dispensed over the years, with
a recent college grad (Nate—snowboard instructor, electric guitarist, and English teacher), a
college junior (Karin—downhill ski instructor, vocalist, and worldchanger), and a high school
junior (Elise—long-distance runner, guitarist, and budding psychologist). Kevin and Lyn guide
their home with one rule: “Don’t do anything stupid.” They share their home not only with
three children but with several dozen tropical fish and a champion blue merle sheltie,
Channisce.
At 49, Kevin is happily on the verge of adulthood. Kevin and Lyn plan to expend themselves in
a lifetime of service, then grow ponytails and retire somewhere near an ocean.

When you don't now the words to pray, God provides them for you.
You desire a deeper prayer life, to pray God's will and his promises, but perhaps you feel stuck.  This 40-day prayer experience will energize your prayer life and draw you closer to God through his very words.  If you've ever wondered what God wants to hear from you, Kevin Johnson will guide you in praying back to God the words of Scripture, applying them to your life and circumstances.
"Prayer starter" phrases jump-start your practice of writing and speaking Scripture prayers.  Each day's entry includes an introductory devotional, Scripture text, and concluding questions for reflection, discussion, and further prayer.

*You can visit HERE for an excerpt from the book in order to get a feel for the structure of each day's prayer prompt.

Pray the Scriptures:  A 40-Day Prayer Experience is Kevin's follow-up to his Pray The Scriptures Bible which is in the God's Word Translation.

My Thoughts:
Kevin Johnson offers an excellent resource to aid in your devotional experience.  I enjoyed using his guide as part of my quiet times and can highly recommend it to you.  I really appreciated that the printed portions of Scripture in the book are offered in various translations.  The guide is simple and easy to use.  Particularly helpful are the reflect, pray and discuss section at the end of each day's scripture guide.  This would be an excellent gift for a new believer or for anyone who is seeking to develop a more focused prayer life.
Thank you Bethany House for sending a complimentary copy for the purpose of this review.

Blessings,
Jennifer

Into The Whirlwind

 A research librarian and associate professor, Elizabeth Camden has a master’s in history from the University of Virginia and a master’s in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband in central Florida.
Elizabeth can be reached through the Contact link on her Website.

 After her father's death, Mollie Knox takes over his watchmaking company and uses her head for business to solidify the good name of the 57th Illinois Watch Company. Her future looks bright until the night her beloved city is destroyed in the legendary Great Chicago Fire. With her world crumbling around her, Molly must do whatever it takes to save her company in the aftermath of the devastating fire. 
Zack Kazmarek is an influential attorney with powerful ties to the political, mercantile, and ethnic roots of Chicago. His only weakness is Mollie Knox, a woman who has always been just beyond his reach. However, all bets are off after the fire destroys Chicago, and Mollie is in desperate need of assistance. Just as Zack finally begins to pursue the woman he loves, competition arises in the form of a hero from her past who can provide the help she needs to rise from the ashes. 
While Mollie struggles to rebuild, the two men battle for her heart. One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her. In the race to rebuild the city, can she survive with her business and her heart intact? 
If you would like to read the first chapter of Into the Whirlwind, go HERE. 

My Thoughts:
I really love Ms Camden's stories!  She captures the time period and surroundings with description that isn't "wordy" and doesn't take away from the story line.  Her characters are richly drawn and you immediately find someone in the story to connect with.  I absolutely loved Mollie Knox!  What Ms Camden has given us is an exceptional historical romance with deep themes on life, love, faith and restoration.

This post is part of a tour of The Christian Fiction Blog Alliance.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer