A Sweethaven Homecoming

An autumn surprise brings an old friend back to Sweethaven… The Sweethaven Circle is back—and so is the friend they thought they’d never see again! Country music star Meghan Rhodes has moved on with her life, leaving Sweethaven and its painful memories in the past. But when she is confronted on national television with her ex-husband’s plan to file for sole custody of their twins, Meghan takes the first flight home, back to the charming lakeside town full of regrets and relationships that need mending. As Meghan searches for forgiveness—as well as the ability to forgive—she is overcome with the need to make things right with her children, her ex-husband, her mother and even the friends she’d convinced herself she no longer needed. But is she too late? The Sweethaven Circle is together again as Meghan works with Campbell, Jane, Lila, and Adele to begin a new scrapbook for memories yet to be made. A new chapter in the Sweethaven series, A Sweethaven Homecoming explores the strong bonds of friendship, the power of forgiveness and the importance of unconditional love.

COURTNEY WALSH is the author of A Sweethaven Summer and two books about scrapbooking. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three children.

My Review

Let me start out by saying I read Courtney's first book  A Sweethaven Summer and I loved it. I read it in three hours. Well I could not wait to get A Sweethaven Homecoming I knew it was going to be great. I read it straight thru I could not put it down and  I just cant say enough about this book. If you love books about forgiveness and stories of wonderful friendships then you will love this book as much as I did. I felt like I was part of The Circle, I love the friendships and the love that pours out in this book. Courtney writes with heart and soul. I am however a little sad I have to wait until October for the next book A Sweethaven Christmas. I was thinking when I read page 324 which by the way is the last page, I should give her 4 stars for making me wait for the next book. I just can't do that this is a 5 star book I will reread this book again. I read this book a few days ago and I can't stop thinking about all of the friends in this book. If you only read two books this year make sure they are the Sweethaven books!

Kate's Song

Kate Weaver was raised in an Amish home and has always been expected to choose baptism and strict observance of the Ordnung. But Kate is blessed with a beautiful singing voice, and when another path leads her to the academy for vocal training, she struggles to understand God’s will for her life. She returns to Apple Lake, haunted by a violent encounter with a fellow student, and finds herself drawn to the peace and devotion of her Amish home. But can she give up her dreams? Or will her calling forever separate her from the people and the way of life she holds so dear?

Nathaniel King has never wavered in his commitment to the community and the Old Order Amish Church into which he is baptized. He has been in love with Kate for as long as he can remember, and he is devastated when she leaves Apple Lake to attend the academy. When Kate returns, will she make his most profound hopes a reality—or will she break his heart all over again?

About the Author

Jennifer Beckstrand has a degree in mathematics and a background in editing. After six children, Jennifer decided to pursue a career in writing. One of her manuscripts, Rachel’s Angel, won first place in two writing contests. Jennifer is a member of the RWA and coordinates the Utah RWA Great Beginnings Contest. She lives in Utah.

My Review

This is Jennifer Beckstrand's first book, and I was not sure what to expect  a lot of the new Amish authors;  just write the same stuff that has already been written, but not Jennifer. This was a very well written book and a new story worth reading. I enjoyed it. I got very upset at one point in the book but it all turned out okay. I loved the ending. This was a very easy read. I cannot wait to read book two!

Inescapable Book Review and Giveaway!

Page-Turning Romantic Suspense Set Against the Backdrop of a Small Mennonite Town

Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, her family, and her faith with plans never to return. Five years later, Lizzie finds she'll have to run again. False accusations at her job, a stalker, and a string of anonymous threatening letters have left her with no other options. This time, however, her escape is back to Kingdom, her hometown.

As Lizzie becomes reacquainted with Kingdom, she realizes she may not have left her Mennonite roots and her faith as firmly in the past as she thought. She draws on the support of Noah Housler, an old friend, as she hides out and attempts to plan her next steps.

When it becomes painfully clear that the danger has followed Lizzie to Kingdom, suspicions and tensions run high, and she no longer knows who to trust. With her life and the lives of those she loves at risk, Lizzie will have to run one last time--to a Father whose love is inescapable.

About the Author

Nancy Mehl, the author of 12 books, received an ACFW Carol Award in 2009 for her novel For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.

My review

Do you love reading suspense  books? Well then this is the book for you. I could not hardly wait to get my copy of this 5 star book. I read Nancy's  Harmony Trilogy and I loved all three of them so I knew this was going to be a great read. Nancy knows how to suck you in from page one and you will not put the book down until you finish the very last page. My favorite character was Charity, I just loved her obsession with the nice "indoor potties. I know that Charity will be your favorite also. I can't wait to get my hands on book two in the Road to Kingdom series.

 

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

Review of Reunion by Lauraine Snelling

Keira Johnson, a 50-year-old mother of two grown sons, believes she lives a good Christian life without secrets-- until she discovers a life-jarring fact her late mother kept hidden all her life. Kiera was born out of wedlock, and the man she had always known as her father had adopted her as an infant. Meanwhile, Keira's beloved 17-year-old niece, Kirsten, has just discovered an unwanted pregnancy. Her boyfriend, Jose, is bound for college and Kirsten does not know what to do. As the family comes together for a reunion, Keira and Kirsten struggle with their fractured pasts and jumbled present. Will truth and honesty be the catalysts that allow the entire family to find peace? Inspired by events in Lauraine Snelling's own life, REUNION is the author's finest novel to date.   Lauraine Snelling has been writing since 1980, with over 65 books published, both fiction and non-fiction, historical and contemporary, for adults and young readers. Her books consistently appear on CBA bestseller lists, and have been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German. A hallmark of her style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a watchdog Bassett named Chewy. My Review What an emotional read. This is the first book that I have read by Lauraine Snelling and I am very happy that I picked it up. She weaves a bunch of plots together and you can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. As you are reading this book you feel as if you are right there part of the family and all of the issues that they are facing. I really liked how everything turned out in the end! I highly recommend this book!

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Review of Terror by Night

In one evening, Terry Caffey lost everything. In one year’s time, God would restore it all.  His wife, Penny, and his sons, Matthew and Tyler, were brutally murdered; his home was burned to the ground, and his sixteen-year-old daughter, Erin, was in jail, charged with three counts of capital murder.

At 3:00 a.m. on March 1, 2008, Terry Caffey awoke to find his daughter’s former boyfriend standing in his bedroom with a gun. An instant later the teen opened fire, killing Terry’s wife, his two sons, and wounding him 12 times, before setting the house ablaze. Terry knew it was too late to save his family, but he had one thing to do before he died. He fought to stay awake and escaped the burning house through a bathroom window. As Terry stumbled and crawled four hundred yards through pitch darkness, he asked God to keep him alive long enough to identify the killer, and then to let him die. God allowed Terry to identify the murderer, but He didn’t let Terry die.

Terry fell into deep depression and planned to kill himself, but God intervened. What happened next is nothing short of miraculous. Upon visiting his burned-out property, Terry noticed a scorched scrap of paper from one of his wife’s books leaning against a tree trunk.  The page read: “God, I couldn’t understand why You would take my family and leave me behind to struggle along without them. And I guess I still don’t totally understand that part of it. But I do believe that You’re sovereign; You’re in control.” That page was like a direct message from God, and it turned Terry’s life around. Now, one year later, Terry is remarried, the adoptive father of two young sons, and working to rebuild his relationship with his 17-year-old daughter, who is currently serving two life sentences in a Texas state penitentiary for her involvement in the crimes.

Terror by Night tells the compelling story of how Terry Caffey found peace after his wife and sons were brutally murdered and his teenage daughter implicated in the crime. Sharing never-before-told details about the night of the crime and subsequent murder trial, it explains how Terry was able to forgive the men who murdered his family, and how he even interceded with the prosecutors on their behalf. A powerful example of how the power of forgiveness can bring healing after tragedy and great loss, it shows how God can bring good out of even the darkest tragedies.

MY REVIEW

Wow, I cried and was so hurt for this father. I really think that everyone should read this book. Is there someone. in your life that you need to forgive? This father forgave and went on to tell everyone the LORD loves us no matter what and is right there carrying us through the storm. I could not put this book down! I read it in a few hours and it really has touched me. I plan to read it again whenever I wonder where the LORD is when I need him most! A super book about forgiveness and strong faith!

Review of Something Blue

Life is going well for Megan. She’s always wanted to marry a missionary and now she’s working with Chance, a charming and daring missionary pilot. Then Micah Zimmerman moves into her parent’s home as a pastoral candidate for their Conservative Mennonite church—and he doesn’t look anything like the gawky young man who had a crush on her in college. As Megan struggles with her own personal identity and faith, she begins to see the true difference between Chance and Micah. Will her insight come too late, or is there still time to find the hero of her dreams?

About the Author

Dianne Christner lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Her Mennonite background brings authenticity to her new contemporary series about the plain people. Before this, she had several historical fictions published. Dianne is a member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers of the West, and National Association of Professional Women. She invites you to visit her website and blog.

MY REVIEW

After a very looooooooong wait, I finally got book three in the Plain City Bridemaids series. It was so worth the wait. I really enjoyed catching up with all of the characters from the first two books. This is a book where you are reading and you really think you are right there in the middle of the story. Just wait until you get to the end of the book! It turns out perfect! I LOVED this final book of the Plain City Bridesmaids series. I give this book FIVE STARS. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Dianne Christner.

Her website:http://diannechristner.net/

Interview and Book Giveaway of The Amish Knitting Circle

Why did you choose this Genre?

Well, I feel this genre chose me. I’ve lived among the Amish for so long, when I started to write a novel, it was natural. I was going through a hard time a few years back, and imagined if I lived across the street from my Amish friend, Lydia, what would it be like? We live a half-hour away, but what if we were neighbors? Lydia was experiencing grief, losing a sister-in-law to a heart attack, and I’d just lost my mom and two cousins. So, for therapy, I started writing Knit Together: An Amish Knitting Novel, calling Lydia “Katie” and me, “Ginny”.  It’s very semi-autobiographical. When I was 15,000 words into the novel, I met my agent, Joyce Hart, as a bookstore just gabbing about Amish fiction. I told her I was writing an Amish novel and after a few months of talking, she took me on as a client. I was floored, and as I wrote the rest of the novel, it was very therapeutic.  

What is your favorite Bible verse?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me      to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted      and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1 (NLT2)

This verse is just full of hope. I first started meditating on it when my dad passed away, on Christmas Day, sixteen years ago. I was brokenhearted and clung to this scripture. At first I focused on He came to comfort the brokenhearted and then I started to see how Christ wants to set captives free. So, my husband and I started getting involved with poverty ministry. We’ve been volunteer advocates for Compassion International for thirteen years now. Third world poverty is cruel, especially to children, and we hope to make a difference…to see these children set free through knowing Christ’s love and meeting their basic needs. 

Besides entertainment, what do you hope readers will take away from your books?

My greatest hope for my book though is people will realize you don’t have to be Amish to be happy. I have a town full of people, half Amish and half English, similar to the town I lived in in Upstate NY. We saw people wanting to turn Amish, and Amish wanting to be English.

I came to realize that peace is found in Christ alone. But lately, the Amish have been bombarded by folks who ask, “How can I become Amish?” Here’s advice one Amish man put in the Budget, an Amish newspaper:

“If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself. “

I put this quote in Knit Together, and show how Ginny and James Rowland change their life radically after following this advice. So I show a family who doesn’t turn Amish, but gleans a lot from them. I hope readers can do the same.

What sparked your decision to journey down the adventurous path of writing?

My seventh grade teacher, Mrs. Polk, had me come to the front of the class and read my poem, “Spring”. I was hooked after that. I started writing songs, playing them as I strummed my guitar at Christian coffeehouses in the 80’s and at church. I still enjoy writing poems…

What are your hobbies other than writing?

Music’s always been a big part of my life. I play the flute, guitar and got a mandolin that I don’t have time right now to learn how to play. But living rural, my husband and I enjoy having family and friends over for bonfires and picnics. I love to knit and crochet, too. I’ll be a granny soon, so I’m crocheting a baby blanket. But I just can’t seem to write enough. It’s so much fun!

Are you writing anything right now? Can you tell us about that?

Well, I write continuing shorts. They’re novelette size, being 35-40 pages. Amish Friends Knitting Circle is out every three weeks, and it’s about Granny Weaver’s knitting circle made up of Amish and their English friends. I’m also writing a series of stand-alone Amish Knitting Novels. Knit Together and The Amish Doll are done, and I’m working on a novel about a female Amish herbalist. I write from experiences, and an Amish friend of mine is an herbalist. In the novel, Anna will knit shawls for terminally ill patients who come into the shop she shares with her father…but of course, it’ll be a love story too. 

Tell the readers where they can keep up with you, your website or blog.

You can reach me at www.karenannavogel.com or my blog Amish Crossings at www.karenannavogel.blogspot.com Karen Anna Vogel-Amish Knitting Circle on Facebook as well.