Archive | May, 2015

Review: The Heart of the Amish

6 May

The Heart of the Amish

The Heart of the Amish by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Purchase Links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | DeeperShopping

Everyone has been hurt. Everyone experiences conflict, great and small. Everyone has someone to forgive. But sometimes we just can’t bring ourselves to forgive someone who has wronged us or we don’t take the need to forgive seriously–not like the Amish do. Forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. To the Amish way of thinking, “You can’t love the stream without knowing the source. ” We must forgive others, they believe, because God forgave us.

The Heart of the Amish invites readers into the world of a people renowned for their ability to forgive. Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher illustrates how they are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. Readers will learn how to invite God into their stories, apply lessons from the Amish to their own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.

 

Thoughts:

“Forgiveness can straighten what failures have made crooked.”
~ Amish Proverb

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a talented author and I always love her books, both fiction and non-fiction.  In her latest non-fiction release, The Heart of the Amish, Suzanne shares her personal research and insight of the Amish community and their choice to offer forgiveness to others.  “Forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith.”

Divided into two parts, Everyday Friction and Turning Points, this inspiring book shares true stories of forgiveness, along with questions for reflection and application, and truths about the Amish community.  We all experience the need for forgiveness and can benefit from the heartfelt lessons offered in this book! 

The Heart of the Amish is a wonderful book with a powerful message! 

“The truth about forgiveness is that it all flows from God.  It is not in our nature to forgive.  It is God’s nature, His business, and it is only by God’s equipping that we can forgive others. 
Only God.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and appreciate the opportunity to share my honest opinion.

 

Suzanne Woods FisherIn no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook…the latter two with sporadic results.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

 

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The winner is…

5 May

CROSSROADSBonnie Roof

Congratulations, Bonnie!  You’ve won a copy of Crossroads! 

Thank you all so much for visiting and participating in this giveaway!  I appreciate you! 

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Review: A Love Like Ours

4 May

A Love Like Ours

A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

Purchase Links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | DeeperShopping

 Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

 

My thoughts:

A Love Like Ours is a heartwarming romance!  This is the third book in the popular Porter Family series, with each novel sharing the story of one of the Porter siblings.  Having not read the two previous books, I found this story read easily and enjoyably as a stand-alone novel.   

Jake Porter is a wounded warrior bearing physical, mental, and emotional scars.  My heart ached for him as fear and guilt plagued him and caused him to close himself off from those around him.  When his childhood friend Lyndie James returns to Holley, Texas, their relationship is much different than the one they left behind years ago. 

I loved Lyndie’s vivacious personality and her determination to help Jake find healing, hope, and happiness once again.  I also enjoyed the family dynamics of the Porter Family and the James Family and each of their special members.  The horse training and racing was another delightful aspect of this touching story.  I enjoyed A Love Like Ours and look forward to reading more of the Porter Family series!

A complimentary copy of A Love Like Ours was provided to me through the Bethany House Blogger Reviewer program.  I appreciate the opportunity to read this story and share my honest opinion.

 

A Love Like Ours FB Party

Join Becky Wade TOMORROW night at a Facebook party celebrating the release of her new book, A Love Like Ours.

And when you purchase the book before May 17th, a portion of the proceeds will support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

 

Becky WadeDuring her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky’s passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances with Avon Books, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her kids, then recently returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She felt led to move to the genre of contemporary Christian romance and couldn’t be more thrilled with it.

These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.  Visit her website at  http://www.beckywade.com/home.html. 

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Review: Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto

3 May

Franklin Barbecue

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay

A complete meat- and brisket-cooking education from the country’s most celebrated pitmaster and owner of the wildly popular Austin restaurant Franklin Barbecue–winner of Texas Monthly’s coveted Best Barbecue Joint in Texas award.

When Aaron Franklin and his wife, Stacy, opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas, interstate in 2009, they had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into. Today, Franklin Barbecue has grown into the most popular, critically lauded, and obsessed-over barbecue joint in the country (if not the world)—and Franklin is the winner of every major barbecue award there is.
 
In this much-anticipated debut, Franklin and coauthor Jordan Mackay unlock the secrets behind truly great barbecue, and share years’ worth of hard-won knowledge. Franklin Barbecue is a definitive resource for the backyard pitmaster, with chapters dedicated to building or customizing your own smoker; finding and curing the right wood; creating and tending perfect fires; sourcing top-quality meat; and of course, cooking mind-blowing, ridiculously delicious barbecue, better than you ever thought possible.

My thoughts:

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto is an excellent meat-smoking resource! 

Aaron Franklin, an award-winning pitmaster, shares his knowledge and secrets of success in this meat-smoking manifesto.  His love and enthusiasm for Central Texas barbecue is evident and he shares his passion in these pages. 

“Barbecue to me is about more than just the smoke and the meat,
more than trying to cook better with more flavor and more consistency (though those things are definitely important).  Barbecue is also about a culture that I love.”

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto is a book my husband and I both use and enjoy.  From building or modifying a smoker to serving and eating, this book is brimming with detailed information and includes step-by-step instructions, beautiful pictures, and mouth-watering recipes.  This meat-smoking manifesto is exceptional, and we look forward to using it again and again!  Whether you are a beginner looking for direction or a seasoned pitmaster looking to perfect your method, Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto is the book for you! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Blogging for Books and appreciate the opportunity to offer my honest opinion. 

Click here for more information about Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto and to read an excerpt. 

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Review: To Win Her Favor | Kindle Fire Giveaway

2 May

To Win Her Favor

To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1OYbn27

A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever.

An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He’s come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he’d wagered, especially when Maggie Linden’s father makes him an offer he shouldn’t accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance—and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder—Maggie’s father, aging, yet wily as ever, makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail—Maggie must marry a man she’s never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.

 

My thoughts:

To Win Her Favor is a captivating love story!

Book Two in the Belle Meade Plantation series, To Win Her Favor reads as a stand-alone novel.  However, Book One, To Whisper Her Name, is another wonderful story and one I highly recommend.

Tamera Alexander’s writing is beautiful and vividly portrays the post-Civil War era.  Historical details and well-crafted characters also add richness and depth to this story.  As Maggie Linden and Cullen McGrath enter into a marriage of convenience, they must learn to rely on each other as they endure hurts and heartaches and cling to hopes and dreams.

Maggie and Cullen are such complex characters, and I really enjoyed their strength and determination, as well as their captivating love story.  I also enjoyed the racing aspects of the story and cheered for Bourbon Belle and her spirited rider.  Tamera Alexander once again brings Nashville and Belle Meade Plantation history to life and leaves me eager for the next book in this compelling series!

Please note:  This book contains topics of racial prejudices and injustices and marital intimacies.  For this reason, I do not recommend this book for younger readers or those who may be uncomfortable with these subjects.

I received a complimentary copy of To Win Her Favor through Litfuse Publicity.  I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and share my honest opinion.

 

Landing Page:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/talexander

Celebrate the release of To Win Her Favor with a Kindle Fire and book giveaway!

to win her favor - 400

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire HD 6
  • A copy of To Win Her Favor

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 10th. Winner will be announced May 11th on Tamera’s blog. Plus stay tuned for more opportunities to win after May 11 with a special Pinterest contest—more details coming soon!

to win her favor - enterbanner
{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

 

 

Tamera AlexanderTamera Alexander is a best-selling novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose resonate with readers. Having lived in Colorado for seventeen years, she and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with their two adult children who live near by. And don’t forget Jack, their precious—and precocious—silky terrier.

Find Tamera online: website, Facebook, Twitter

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Friday Freebies

1 May

Darcy Carter

The Ultimate Guide to Darcy Carter by Teresa Slack

Amazon

Darcy Carter is the Ultimate Guide girl. She dropped out of school at nineteen to write the Ultimate Guide to Writing a College Thesis and hasn’t come up for air since. With twenty-four Ultimate Guide books under her belt, she’s considered an expert in everything from parenting multiples to the NFL draft to online trading. Unfortunately she doubts she could guide herself out of a brown paper bag.

Her editor suggests she write a guaranteed bestseller: The Ultimate Guide to Finding Mr. Right. Darcy isn’t about to give her readers false hope of finding a man who doesn’t exist. To avoid Mr. Right, and hopefully discover where the discontentment with her life is coming from, she heads to North Carolina to research one last ultimate guidebook.

North Carolina only amplifies the questions and doubts swirling around in her head. When did she start writing for money and not for the love of the craft? Maybe she’s ready for a change. But if she’s no longer America’s Ultimate Guide Girl, who is she? Can she trust her heart to recognize Mr. Right when he’s standing in front of her, or was she right in the first place and he doesn’t exist? Who can the Ultimate Guide Girl trust to guide her? Her heavenly father who gives wisdom to those who seek it, or herself, the woman with all the answers?

 

Rasberries and Vinegar

Raspberries and Vinegar by Valerie Comer

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Sweet like Raspberries. Tart like Vinegar.

Josephine Shaw: complex, yet singleminded. A tiny woman with big ideas and, some would say, a mouth to match. But what does she really know about sustainable living as it relates to the real world? After all, she and her two friends are new to farming.

Zachary Nemesek is back only until his dad recovers enough to work his own land again. When Zach discovers three helpless females have taken up residence at the old farm next door, he expects trouble. But a mouse invasion proves Jo has everything under control. Is there anything she can’t handle? And surely there’s something sweet beneath all that tart.

 

Hazardous Duty

Hazardous Duty by Christy Barritt

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: Priceless

On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

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