Monday, June 29, 2015

Summer's List by Anita Higman


Summer's List (River North, June 2015)

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman's life.

Life hadn't been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness---caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother's bookstore---she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love . . . didn't turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something---or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer's past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1GKqprL




 About the author:
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.

Find Anita online: website, Twitter, Facebook








 
My Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I loved the idea of giving a young adult a pre-bucket list of things for them to do, I loved Summer's name, Summer Snow, it was a fun name. When Summer's granny tells her that she is dying from congestive heart failure she gives Summer a list of things to accomplish. As Summer works through this list she finds her childhood friend Martin, and herself.
I am a Gramma and this book has given me an idea for my grandchildren. I am going to give them a list to work through after they graduate from high school. This was a perfect Summer book and I highly recommend it!



Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Ticket by Debra Jeter

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Ticket
Firefly Southern Fiction (May 20, 2015)
by
Debra Jeter


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Vanderbilt University professor, Debra Coleman Jeter has published fiction and nonfiction in popular magazines, including Working Woman, New Woman, Self, Home Life, Savvy, Christian Woman, and American Baby. Her story, "Recovery," won first prize in a Christian Woman short story competition, and her nonfiction book "Pshaw, It's Me Grandson": Tales of a Young Actor was a finalist in the 2007 USA Book News Awards. She is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival, screened at nearly forty film festivals around the world, and captured several international awards. She lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with her husband. She is currently working on a novel based on the life of her grandmother, Effie Shultz McClain (1900 to 1985).

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tray Dunaway longs to be part of the popular set at school but, she's growing too fast and her clothes no longer fit. The only person who understands Tray's need for acceptance is her grandmother, but when Tray wears Gram's hand-sewn clothes to school, the kids make fun of her tall, boney appearance. Tray's luck improves when Pee Wee Johnson, a down-and-out friend of her father's, buys two lottery tickets and gives one to Mr. Dunaway as a thank-you for driving him to Hazard, Illinois. When her father's ticket turns out to be the winner, Johnson demands his cut of the proceeds, but Tray's dad refuses. What seems like a stroke of good fortune suddenly becomes a disturbing turn of events as Johnson threatens to cause problems for the family and Tray.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of The Ticket, go HERE.





Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Midwife's Tale by Delia Parr

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Midwife’s Tale
Bethany House Publishers (June 2, 2015)
by
Delia Parr


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Delia Parr is the author of sixteen historical and inspirational historical romance novels, including Hearts Awakening, Love's First Bloom, and Hidden Affections. The mother of three grown children, she was a long-time high school teacher in southern New Jersey before retiring to Florida.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Martha Cade comes from a long line of midwives who have served the families of Trinity, Pennsylvania, for generations. A widow with two grown children, she's hopeful that her daughter will follow in her footsteps, but when Victoria runs off, Martha's world is shattered.

Worse, a new doctor has arrived in town, threatening her job, and she can't remember a time when her faith has been tested more. Still determined to do the work she knows God intended for her, Martha is unprepared for all that waits ahead. Whether it's trying to stop a town scandal, mending broken relationships, or feeling the first whispers of an unexpected romance, she faces every trial and every opportunity with hope and faith.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Midwife’s Tale, go HERE.



Justified by Varina Denman, Plus an Interview with Varina

In a small Texas town ruled by gossip, Fawn Blaylock believes others are justified in condemning her untimely pregnancy. Stifled by guilt, she yearns for grace while the local football coach treats her with gentle respect.

Justified perfectly captures the rhythm and romance of life in a small town, telling the unforgettable story of a woman searching for renewal, a man looking beyond what others see, and a community torn between judgment and love. It is the unforgettable story of broken dreams, second chances, and relentless hope.


Varina Denman
Author of the Mended Hearts series, Jaded, Justified, and Jilted.


Did you always know you wanted to write?

Not at all. In fact, as a child, I dreaded writing assignments. Most of the writing I did in school consisted of research papers and essays, and I only recall one creative writing assignment which was way back in seventh grade. It wasn’t until I grew-up and started reading novels like a maniac that I began to appreciate the nuances that writers used in their writing, and I wondered if I might enjoy writing as much as I enjoyed reading.
Did your series come out of personal pain?

The Mended Hearts series revolves around church hurt, but I never experienced a church hurt situation—at least nothing as monumental as what I’ve dished-out to my characters. However I’ve felt little jabs over the years, and I’ve watched negative things happen to friends and family. Because of that, I can empathize with my characters, and their pain seems quite real to me as I write their story.

What do you hope readers takeaway from your books?

Since the books deal with forgiveness and redemption, I hope readers can take away the understanding that God is big enough to forgive us, no matter what we’ve done. And in the same way, we should be ready to forgive others when they sin against us.

Are you an outliner or a pantser?

I’m a fastidious outliner. Like … so bad my writer friends make fun of me. But I’m beginning to wonder if I shouldn’t change my style, because even though I do all that outlining, I end up re-writing almost the entire book. It’s crazy. Not to mention, time consuming.

Describe your writing space. 

Since my older children have left the nest, I’ve taken control of one of the upstairs bedrooms which I converted into an office. It’s fairly plain: a desk and a couch. But all I really need is my laptop and a set of earplugs, so it works out beautifully.

What is your favorite book from your childhood? What is the last book you’ve read?

Ah, my favorite book from childhood is From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. When I was in fourth grade, my teacher played the audio book (on cassette tapes) during our quiet time after lunch, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the kids in the museum. Years later, I read it with my children and fell in love all over again.
The last book I read was Behind Bars, Surviving Prison, by Jeffrey Ian Ross. Not quite as exciting as the kids in the museum, but it definitely helped with my research for book three. Now I understand a little more about the character of Clyde Felton who spent twenty years in prison.



 My Thoughts:
Justified is book two in Varina's Mended Heart Series. Varina creates characters you'd like to smack, others you want to give a great big hug to. My heart went out to Fawn, who became the center of public ridicule because she was pregnant, Tyler the father of her baby was one that I wanted to knock into the middle of next week. 
As with book one, Jaded, we see that gossip is as painful as any situation a person is going through. 

James 3:3-6
 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

This series is very encouraging and shows that our God is bigger than any situation we are going through. His forgiveness is wider and deeper than any sin.

Highly recommended!


Friday, June 12, 2015

Like a Love Song by Camille Edie

When she finally surrenders her heart, will it be too late?

Susan Quinn, social worker turned surrogate mom to foster teens, fights to save the group home she's worked hard to build. But now, she faces a dwindling staff, foreclosure, and old heartaches that won't stay buried. Her only hope lies with the last person she'd ever turn to---a brawny handyman with a guitar, a questionable past, and a God he keeps calling Father.

Like a Love Song is a romantic drama about a fiercely loyal woman, some cast-off kids, and finding the courage to believe in a love that never fails.





Camille Eide  is an award-winning author of inspirational romantic women’s fiction. She lives in the evergreen Cascade foothills near Portland, Oregon with her hero of 31 years and is mom to three brilliant, witty adults and grammy to a tiny beauty. She’s a church office manager, bassist, and fan of classic rock, tender romance, muscle cars, and Jane Austen. A cynic saved by grace, Camille sometimes remembers to share God's amazing grace with others. And either because of or in spite of that grace, she holds a PhD in Learning Stuff the Hard Way.

Camille is a member of the Oregon Christian Writers, The American Christian Fiction Writers and the Portland Chapter ACFW. She belongs to writing communities that cultivate literary excellence and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency.

When she’s not pounding out a novel on the keyboard, they let Camille play bass and sing in the worship band. She knows how to do a bunch of random things like whip up a mountain of homemade cinnamon rolls for a crowd of drooling young adults.
http://www.camilleeide.com/



 My Thoughts:
This book pulls at your heart strings from the first page. Sue and Joe are both hurting from their past as children, will they help each other heal and find the love they both deserve.
I found it slow in places, and somewhat predictable.
This book is about forgiveness, not only receiving it from our Heavenly Father, but learning to forgive yourself. 
Overall it was a good read, one perfect for summer!
Highly recommended!


First Line Friday Featuring Riot (A Breed Apart: Legacy #3) by Ronie Kendig and JJ Samie Myles

  Happy Friday!! Welcome to the weekend!!! Today I am featuring one of my favorite authors, Ronie Kendig. I loved A Breed Apart series and I...