Rival Hearts By Tara Randel

Molly Henderson and Ben Weaver have been rival magazine writers for the same publishing group for years. When both come up for the same promotion, they find themselves in an unexpected competition to win the spot. Molly, editor of Quilter’s Heart, and Ben, editor of Outdoor Adventures, must switch roles, each working for the other for one month, then submit an article at the end of their quests.

Can girly-girl Molly survive the outdoor adventures that Ben has planned? Can Ben navigate the perils of the social dynamics of quilting events without destroying a valuable quilt in one short month? More importantly, in this he-said, she-said situation, will Molly and Ben give in to their attraction and fall in love, no matter who wins?

Pick up your copy here....

http://www.amazon.com/Rival-Hearts-Quilts-Love-Series/dp/1426773463/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1403752430&sr=8-1&keywords=Rival+Hearts

Tara Randel has enjoyed a lifelong love of books, especially romance and mystery genres, so it didn't come as a surprise when she began writing with the dream of becoming published. Family values, mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets inspire the creation of heartwarming stories, filled with love, laughter and the occasional mystery.

Visit Tara at www.tararandel.com

This is the first book I have read by this author and I pray not my last one.

The two main characters are in for an adventure they have no clue is coming. You don't want to miss it.

I enjoyed this book and recommend this fun read.

I gave this book 4 stars.

I was given a copy if this book by the publisher for my honest review.

The Midwife By Jolina Petersheim

The story about a mother who risks everything to save a child not genetically hers . . .
The Past -- Graduate student Beth Winslow was sure she was ready to navigate the challenges of becoming a surrogate. But when early tests indicate possible abnormalities with the baby, Beth is unprepared for the parents' decision to end the pregnancy -- and for the fierce love she feels for this unborn child. Desperate, she flees the city and seeks refuge at Hopen Haus, a home for unwed mothers deep in a Tennessee Mennonite community.
The Present -- As head midwife of Hopen Haus, Rhoda Mummau delivers babies with a confident though stoic ease. Except in rare moments, not even those who work alongside her would guess that each newborn cry, each starry-eyed glance from mother to child, nearly renders a fault through Rhoda's heart, reminding her of a past she has carefully concealed.
Past and present collide when a young woman named Amelia arrives in the sweeping countryside bearing secrets of her own. As Amelia's due date draws near, Rhoda must face her regrets and those she left behind in order for the healing power of love and forgiveness to set them all free.

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Midwife-Jolina-Petersheim/dp/1414379358/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403183971&sr=1-1&keywords=the+midwife+by+jolina+petersheim

I was born on a hot August day in the heart of Amish country. While my family moved to Tennessee when I was only three years old, my childhood was filled with stories of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors hiding TVs from bishops and concealing permed hair beneath kapps. But this unique heritage did not interest me. Instead, I pouted as my mother divided my waist-length hair into plaits and then forced me to change from purple overalls into a jean skirt and sneakers in preparation to visit our Plain friends--knowing, even at the tender age of six, that this combination was a fashion faux pas. Playing Hide 'n' Seek or Kick the Can with my Old Order Mennonite peers, however, I soon became grateful for that skirt, which helped me transition from Southern Englischer to intimate friend.

Years passed. I knew my Mennonite playmates had traded braided pigtails for kapped buns, yet on a visit to the community, I rebelled against my mother's instructions and arrived with unbound hair. During supper, which was eaten beneath a popping kerosene bulb, the hostess came and stood behind my portion of the bench. She slid out my blue satin ribbon and plaited my hair as I stared into my bowl of grummbeer supp accented with homemade brot.

The winter of my seventeenth year, I returned to the community to visit my once-raucous playmate whose ill health had transformed her into a soft-spoken friend. The whites of her deep brown eyes had yellowed from liver complications. Her family and my own gathered around her bed, which was heaped with spinning-star quilts, and sang hymns whose Pennsylvania Dutch words I did not know, but whose meaning struck my heart with such clarity, tears slid down my cheeks.

One week later, I stood beside her grave, wearing a thick black headband to hide my newly pierced ears with the fake diamond studs that stabbed the tender skin of my neck and gave me a migraine further magnified by jaw-clenching grief. I remember how the somber community huddled around her family as if their physical presence could shield them, not only from the slashing wind and sleet, but from the reality that their dochder and schweschder's body was about to be placed into the cold, hard ground.

I left for college that summer, almost eighteen years to the day I had been born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I was the first person in my immediate family to attempt a higher education. As I unpacked my flared Lucky jeans and beaded sweaters into wobbling dorm drawers, I thought I was leaving my Mennonite heritage along with a certain broad-shouldered, hazel-eyed man whose father had attended my father's Mennonite high school.

Three years, one death, and two lifetimes' worth of tribulations later, I realized that I had not lost the precious attributes surrounding my Plain heritage, so much as I had needed to go away in order to find myself.

I HIGHLY recommend this book!

A fantastic read, I could not put the book down.

I love the whole God can work all things for good" message in this book. The ending was fantastic, the entire book was a joy ride for me.

Petersheim really knows her stuff and has done her homework. She makes you feel as if you are living on each page of the story. I was so part of the story, it was so real to me.

I highly recommend this book. I gave it 5 stars. I have to say it is a book binge book!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and author for my honest review.

The Shift By M. Ann Ricks

There is a sense of urgency in the atmosphere as God is transitioning many into what the world has deemed impossible and unbelievable into the possible and the believable. Don't be alarmed by the "sudden" moves of the God. Pastor Douglass and his family have been positioned for such a move but because of the dense fog of deception that surrounds them, some in the Douglass family have created their own beliefs, fabricating their own sense of self; negating the truth, God's truth, even when truth is staring them in the face. They are living lives devoid of the knowledge of who they really and robbing themselves and those they love of their true identity and freedom. Deeply embedded lies from enemy have blinded eyes, impaired hearing and hardened hearts and Angels from the army of God have been deployed. The assignment: the execution of God's divine design. Dreams, supernatural revelation and actual attacks from man's ultimate foe will expose all and confirm God's plan for Xion, Veronica, Zeborah, Bo and Pastor Richard Douglas.Will the infrastructure of unbelief crumble? Can they handle the truth and surrender? The lives of the Douglass family will never be the same and neither will you, because of THE SHIFT!"

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/The-Shift-M-Ann-Ricks/dp/0991039955/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1403099613&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Shift+by+M.+Ann+Ricks

A women who does not know God as her savoir,  a tragedy, but then wait for it she will know her savoir before it is all over. 

Really well written,loveable characters a very engaging read.

This is a book I believe Gods hands are all over, you can see him on every page. I think people will see The Shift for sure.

I recommend this book. I gave it 4 stars. 

I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.

 

Sky Zone By Creston Mapes

A rally for a controversial presidential candidate.

A terrorist threat.
A nightmare of cataclysmic proportions. 

Jack and Pamela Crittendon have hit the breaking point. After months out of work as a reporter, Jack is playing Mr. Mom and working part-time at Festival Arena with his survivalist friend Brian Shakespeare. Meanwhile, Pamela has gone back to work full-time while eight months pregnant. Having her recently widowed mother on hand isn't making matters any easier.

With financial pressures boiling, Jack reports for duty at a rally for controversial presidential candidate Martin Sterling where he expects a mindless night on the job. But when Homeland Security picks up intel about a potential terrorist threat, Jack and Shakespeare are thrust into a life-or-death battle to save their own lives--and the lives of thousands of innocent people.

This third book in The Crittendon Files reminds us of the power of family, friendships and faith--and why we are never in as much control as we think.

 

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Zone-Novel-Crittendon-Files/dp/0781408172/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1402627455&sr=8-1

Creston Mapes is the author of the #1 Amazon bestselling Christian fiction mystery, Nobody, along with the bestselling Christian fiction thrillers Fear Has a Name, Dark Star and Full Tilt. His early years as a reporter inspire many of his novels.

A journalist, copywriter, and editor, Creston works from his home-office in Atlanta for some of the nation's top media companies, Christian ministries, and nationally-recognized corporations, including Chick-fil-A, Coke, ABC-TV, and The Weather Channel. In addition to Creston's novels and freelance writing, he has ghostwritten and edited seven non-fiction titles.

Creston is married to his hometown sweetheart, Patty. They have a close-knit family, with four great children, several pets, and a growing number of cars.

Are you ready for a book that will keep you guessing until the very end? You have found it Sky Zone is very well written and Mapes has a way of making you feel as if you are right there.

I was guessing until the end and I loved every minute of it.

This was in my opinion the best book in the Crittendon Files series. Not to be missed.

I have to say this was a great suspense book. very intriguing read.

I gave this book 5 stars and recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by Wynn Wynn Media for my honest review

Forever Amish By Kate Lloyd GIVEAWAY!

It’s the Last Thing She Expects to Find

 

Sally Bingham needs some time away to sort through the changes in her life and to rethink her upcoming marriage. Despite her ailing father’s hesitations, she takes off for a bed and breakfast in Lancaster County for a weekend away. But her best-laid plans leave her in a near collision with a bishop’s buggy and in the home of a mysterious Amish woman named Lizzie. Lizzie introduces her to a different perspective on life, a charming farmhand named Armin— and opens a Pandora’s box that will forever change Sally’s life.

 

The latest book in the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.

Pick up your copy here

Forever Amish: A Novel (Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy)

Author Kate Lloyd is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, PA, the inspiration for her best selling novels Leaving Lancaster and Pennsylvania Patchwork. Forever Amish, the third novel in the Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy, will release June 1, 2014.

Kate is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, the setting for Kate's first novel, A Portrait of Marguerite. Kate studied art and art history in college. She's worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur.

Find out more about Kate Lloyd at her
Website: www.katelloyd.net
Blog: http://katelloyd.net/blog/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/katelloydbooks
Twitter: @KateLloydAuthor
Pinterest: @KateLloydAuthor

Kate loves hearing from readers!

 

Forgiveness and love that's what this book is about. Those two things are enough to make you want to read this book but that's not all. Fantastic characters and very well written are just two more reasons to pick up a copy.

Lloyd has done it again just when you thought that the Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy couldn't get any better she writes the last book in the trilogy and it's a keeper.

Sally has so many struggles and she has a whole lot to learn. You are going to love going on this journey with Sally, you are going to want to find out how it all turns out. I was very pleased with the ending. 

This book will stay on my shelf.

I gave this book 5 stars. I recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and a copy of it by Wynn Wynn media as well.

The Bridge Tender By MaryBeth Whalen

Emily must realize that her dreams didn’t have to die with her first love. When Emily Shaw, a young widow, learns that her late husband's last surprise for her involves returning to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to realize an old dream of theirs, she reluctantly embarks on a summer of discovery in the midst of grief. There, in the oasis of the beach community, she meets a host of townspeople with their own broken dreams and unexpected situations. As the island citizens divide over the fate of a nostalgic bridge, Emily happens upon a man who just may be the one to restore her faith in dreams, hope, and possibly love.

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Tender-Sunset-Beach-Novel/dp/0310338409/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399582030&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Bridge+Tender

Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. The family lives outside Charlotte, NC. Marybeth is the author of the novels "The Mailbox," "She Makes It Look Easy," "The Guest Book" and "The Wishing Tree." She also serves as director of She Reads, an online book club focused on spotlighting the best in women's fiction. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She's always at work on her next novel. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.

Hats off to one of the Queens of Women's Fiction (Chick Lit) for this fantastic book.

I fell in love with the story one because I live in North Carolina and I have been to Sunset beach and I LOVE it. Two because it hooked  me right way, the story line, the well developed characters that felt like family to me.

I was hooked from the first chapter. Emily is a caring soul that took on a troubled girl and when your reading the ending you are going to melt. It is a fantastic book. All that Emily had been though and she still wanted to take on someone who was all alone. I just can't stop thinking about this book!

I gave this book 5 stars two times. It is a Binge book, for sure.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Murder, Simply Stitched By Isabella Alan

When Angela Braddock enters her quilts in an Amish auction, she never expects one of her neighbors to end up going, going, gone....                            Angie is finding her niche as the new owner of her late aunt’s Amish quilt shop, Running Stitch. But as the summer is winding down, so is business. To bolster support for the shop, Angie decides to sell her quilts in the Rolling Brook Amish Auction, including some of her aunt’s most prized works.   The quilts promise to be a hit—but the gavel comes down on the lively event when Angie stumbles upon the body of township trustee Wanda Hunt behind a canning shed. The cause of death: a poisoned blueberry fry pie from Rachel Miller’s bakery table. Now Angie’s closest friend is a murder suspect. With Angie taking the lead, she and the other women of her aunt’s quilting circle set out to patch together the clues and stop a killer set on shredding the simple peace of Rolling Brook.   Includes Quilting Tips!

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Simply-Stitched-Amish-Mystery/dp/0451413644/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_mas?ie=UTF8&qid=1402059368&sr=8-1&keywords=murder+simply+stitched+by+isabella+alan

Isabella Alan is the pseudonym for Amanda Flower. Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she'd found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland.

Are you all ready for the number one cozy mystery of the year so far? This is your book then.

I fell in love with the characters. You must get to know Angie.

No other author can write a suspense book like Alan she can make you wander on one page and laugh out loud with her words.

Get ready to spend an evening reading because you will not be able to put this book down once you crack it open.

Alan has included Quilting tips in this book as well. I loved it.

Keep a look out for Murder, Most Scrumptious in December 2014, I can't wait for it!

I gave the book 5 stars and I recommend it.

I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review.

Huckleberry Summer By Jennifer Beckstrand

With one of their grandchildren happily married, Anna and Felty Helmuth are ready for their next matchmaking success. Because there's nothing more rewarding than sparking unexpected love--and putting Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, on the map for romance. . .

Cautious to a fault, Lily Eicher strives to live up to her dat's high standards. She's certainly not the kind of proper Amish girl who would make time for someone as impetuous as the Helmuths' grandson, Aden--even if his lively spirit and caring ways are showing her just how wonderful following her heart can be. . .

Recklessly doing the right thing got Aden into big trouble. A fresh start at his grandparents' is just what he needs. And shy, pretty Lily is turning his world upside down and making him want to prove he can do good within the rules. But now both must find enough faith and understanding to risk pursuing their dreams--together. . .

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Huckleberry-Summer-Hill-Jennifer-Beckstrand/dp/1420133586/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1401807165&sr=8-1

http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans
Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1

I grew up with a steady diet of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. After all that literary immersion, I naturally decided to get a degree in mathematics, which came in handy when one of my six children needed help with homework. After my fourth daughter was born, I started writing. By juggling diaper changes, soccer games, music lessons, laundry, and two more children, I finished my first manuscript--a Western--in just under fourteen years. I now write Inspirational Amish Romance. My goal is to write uplifting, inspiring stories with happy endings and hopeful messages. If my books make readers want to give themselves a big hug or jump up and down for joy, I've done my job. I am a member of Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers and am represented by Mary Sue Seymour of The Seymour Agency.

The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill is my new Amish Romance series set in Wisconsin on a little hill in Amish country.

The series is about an elderly Amish couple who try to find suitable mates for their grandchildren. What could be more fun than throwing two young people together to see if sparks ignite? No one would ever suspect two octogenarian Amish folks of mischief.


I have four daughters, two sons, three sons-in-law, and two adorable grandsons. I live in the foothills of the Wasatch Front with my husband and one son still left at home.

This is book two in Beckstrand's The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill and it was fantastic!

Don't you love the cover? It makes you want to crack it open and start reading right now, but watch out you will be hooked from page one. You will not be able to put it down so plan for an afternoon of reading.

I loved the characters, Lily and Aden are super! You are going to love the matchmaking and romance in this very well written book.

I can't wait until the next book in the series!

I gave this book 5 stars of course.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Down By the River By Lin Stepp

Set against the backdrop of Tennessee's breathtaking Smoky Mountains, Lin Stepp's Down By the River is a warm-hearted novel that proves it's never too late--or too early--for a fresh start. . .

While on a visit to the Smokies, Grace Conley makes a stunning decision: she's going to walk away from her busy life in Nashville to move to tiny Townsend and open a bed and breakfast. There's a beautiful old inn for sale along the Little River that will do perfectly. Of course, Grace's family is scandalized. After all, she's a middle-aged widow! And as a career homemaker, she's always been available for babysitting, chauffeuring, and generally being the peacemaker among her grown children. Has Grace lost her mind? She begins to wonder the same thing once she finds herself attracted to the local ladies' man. But the surprises don't stop there. . .

To further complicate her move, Grace's daughter, Margaret, has grudgingly come to live with her. Having just graduated from college, remote Townsend is not where she envisions her future. Yet the handsome young minister next door is convinced he and Margaret are meant for each other. As life choices abound, soon both women will discover that the biggest decisions require confidence, a sense of humor--and a deep, abiding faith.

Pick up your copy here

http://www.amazon.com/Down-River-Smoky-Mountain-Novel/dp/1617732761/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1400893610&sr=1-1

 

I'm a native Tennessean, a businesswoman, a college faculty member, and a fictional author. I've been on faculty at Tusculum College for over 12 years and have worked in marketing, sales, production art, and regional publishing for over 22 years.

Starting in 2009, my fictional novels in the Smoky Mountain series began to come out. All these novels are contemporary romance - with a dash of suspense, a touch of inspiration, and a big dollop of Appalachian flavor. Each of the twelve novels is set in a different place around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so readers get to enjoy a visit to a the mountains along with a good, heartwarming story.

 

A good faith based book.

This was the first book I have read by Lin Stepp. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good read.

I loved the healing story between the sisters.

This was a very easy read. it would make a great beach read.

I gave this book 4 stars.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.