The Letters

19 Aug

The Letters

The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Rose Schrock is a plain woman with a simple plan. Determined to find a way to support her family and pay off her late husband’s debts, she sets to work to convert the basement of her Amish farmhouse into an inn. While her family, especially her cranky mother-in-law, is unhappy with Rose’s big idea, her friend and neighbor, Galen King, supports the decision and he helps with the conversion. As Rose finalizes preparations for visitors, she prays. She asks God to bless each guest who stays at the Inn at Eagle Hill. As the first guest arrives and settles in, Rose is surprised to discover that her entire family is the one who receives the blessings, in the most unexpected ways. And she’s even more surprised when that guest decides to play matchmaker for Galen King.

With her signature plot twists combined with gentle Amish romance, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge for fresh stories of simple pleasures despite the complexity of life. Fisher’s tale of God’s providence and provision will delight her fans and create many new ones. Welcome to the Inn at Eagle Hill.

Thoughts:

The Letters is a wonderfully written story of love and loss, hurt and healing.  As you read, you will fall in love with the delightful Schrock family and the people who come into their lives in the most unexpected ways.  Blessings abound in Stoney Ridge at The Inn at Eagle Hill. 

This was my first visit to Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Stoney Ridge, but it certainly won’t be my last.  The Letters is the first book in The Inn at Eagle Hill series.  The second book of the series, The Calling, will be released in January 2014.

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When Mountains Move

16 Aug

When Mountains Move

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell

When Mountains Move is the sequel to Julie Cantrell’s award-winning debut novel, Into The Free. If you haven’t read, Into The Free, you simply must!

My thoughts of Into The Free can be found here: https://buzzingaboutbooks.com/2013/07/19/into-the-free/ 

 

It is the spring of 1943. With a wedding and a cross-country move, Millie’s world is about to change forever.

If only her past could change with it.

Soon after the break of day, Bump will become Millie’s husband. And then, if all goes as planned, they will leave the rain-soaked fields of Mississippi and head for the wilds of the Colorado Rockies. As Millie tries to forget a dark secret, she hasn’t yet realized how drastically those past experiences will impact the coming days.

For most of Millie’s life, being free felt about as unlikely as the mountains moving. But she’s about to discover that sometimes in life, we are given second chances, and that the only thing bigger than her past … is her future.

Thoughts:

The majestic mountains of Colorado offer a fresh start for Millie Reynolds, even though secrets from her past remain. As Millie and Bump work together to establish a ranch, they are faced with many challenges. Millie continues to persevere and gradually begins to laugh and love and trust again. Slowly, she comes to the realization that she is loved, not only by those closest to her, but also by God himself. As this book so eloquently illustrates, love and forgiveness can certainly move mountains!

When Mountains Move is a beautifully woven story of human resilience that lingers, in the mind and on the heart, even after the last page has been turned. I have no doubt that Julie Cantrell has written another award-winning novel and I look forward to reading more from this wonderful author!

 

To read the first two chapters of When Mountains Move, please visit:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/159164923/When-Mountains-Move

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The Inheritance

14 Aug

The Inheritance

The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander

“THE INHERITANCE, the novel that grew from a prayer God placed on my heart to pray for my family and for myself 20+ years ago.”   -Tamera Alexander 

Determined to tame her younger brother’s rebellious streak, McKenna Ashford accepts her cousin’s invitation to move west, and to begin again.  But she quickly discovers that life in Copper Creek, Colorado, is far from what she expected. Shouldering burdens beyond her years, McKenna tries to be the parent Robert needs, instead of the older sister he resents.  But an “untimely inheritance” challenges her resolve at every turn, while also offering a second chance to restore her sense of trust–and perhaps even her heart.  
 
U.S. Marshal Wyatt Caradon is dedicated to bringing fugitives to justice, yet years of living on the trail have taken their toll. When his path intersects with that of McKenna, he comes face-to-face with a past he never wanted to relive–and the one woman who can help him find the future he’s been longing for.

As McKenna struggles to let go of her independence and Wyatt considers opening his heart again, they discover an inheritance beyond imagination.  But it will come at a price.

 

Goodreads in giving away 5 copies of The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander.  If you are a Goodreads member, enter today!

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/60507-the-inheritance

 

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Moon Over Edisto

12 Aug

MoonOverEdisto

Moon Over Edisto by Beth Webb Hart

Synopsis:

Edisto Island was where it all came apart. Can the Bennett girls ever be whole again?

Once, they were the happiest family under the sun, crabbing and fishing and painting on beautiful Edisto Island in South Carolina’s lowcountry. Then everything went wrong, and twenty years later the Bennett family is still in pieces. Mary Ellen still struggles to understand why her picture-perfect marriage came apart. Daughter Meg keeps a death grip on her own family, controlling her relationships at a distance. And eldest daughter, Julia, left it all behind years ago, forging a whole new life as an artist and academic in Manhattan. She’s engaged to an art dealer and has no intentions of returning to Edisto. Ever.

Then an emergency forces Julia back to Edisto to care for her three young half-siblings. She grudgingly agrees to stay a week. But there’s something about Edisto that changes people. Can Julia and her fractured family somehow manage to come together again under that low-hanging Edisto moon?

The past has come knocking on Julia’s door. Can she summon the courage to answer betrayal with love?

Thoughts:

As I began reading Moon Over Edisto, I was quickly swept away to South Carolina.  Beth Webb Hart does a wonderful job capturing the sights and sounds of the Lowcountry.  The novel is different from most, in that it is written from the perspectives of the individual characters in the story.  Reading from this perspective allows you, as the reader, to more readily identify the complexity of each of the characters and better understand the thoughts and feelings of each individual.  Julia and the Bennett family must let go of the hurt that has gripped them for so long and move forward in different directions. 

Moon Over Edisto is a touching and heartwarming story of a family’s journey toward healing and forgiveness.  As you close the book, you will continue to think about the lives you have become so immersed in and envision where their journeys take them.  Moon Over Edisto is a beautifully written novel and I highly recommend it!

 

Beth Webb Hart, a South Carolina native, is a best-selling author.  With a B.A. in English Literature from Hollins University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, Hart serves as an inspirational speaker and creative writing instructor at conferences, retreats, schools, libraries and churches across the country, and she is the recipient of two national teaching awards from Scholastic, Inc. and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.  She lives with her husband, composer Edward Hart, and their family in Charleston.

For more information about Beth Webb Hart and her novels, visit: www.bethwebbhart.com. 

She also blogs every Tuesday at www.southernbelleviewdaily.com. 

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Wingate Week Wrap-Up

9 Aug

Food & Fun

Sisters

 

Yesterday, as part of Sisterhood #12, my mother and I reunited our copy of The Prayer Box with author, Lisa Wingate.  This special book came full circle and what a joyous reunion it was!

We had so much fun with Lisa, her mother, Sharon, and the ladies of Gourmet Gallery.  We attended an event called, Cooking the Books.  Dishes were prepared that were mentioned in The Prayer Box.  Delectable crab cakes, sausage balls, and banana beignets were served.  The food certainly wasn’t the only thing that was scrumptious!

Listening to Lisa relate stories of the book, from inception to culmination, was simply delightful!  As she read passages from The Prayer Box, she breathed life into the written words and transported us all to the Outer Banks and into the lives of the citizens of Fairhope. 

Don’t miss your chance to take this incredible journey. 
Pre-order your copy of Lisa Wingate’s, The Prayer Box, today!

 

Banana Beignets

In honor of Iola Poole and The Prayer Box, I have included Emeril’s version of Banana Beignets.  Enjoy!

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large ripe banana (about 6 ounces), sliced lengthwise in half and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the banana, flour, milk, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and whisk well to make a smooth batter.  Pour enough oil to come halfway up the sides into a large deep pot or electric deep fryer and heat over high heat to 360°F.  In batches, without crowding, drop heaping tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil (you can do 6 or 7 beignets at a time) and fry, turning them to brown evenly, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.  Sift the confectioner’s sugar through a sieve onto the beignets and serve warm.

Yield: 18 to 24 beignets

 

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Wingate Week Continues

7 Aug

What An Adventure!

The Prayer Box- Britney Adams

 

I was blessed to read an advance copy of Lisa Wingate’s, The Prayer Box, which releases September 1, through a wonderful book adventure known as the Sisterhood Of The Traveling Book.  Sixteen copies of The Prayer Box were sent to Sisterhoods all over the country.  Sisterhoods were formed with 4 women, 1 woman acting as the Big Sister.  The Big Sister received the book and instructions for overseeing the book’s travels around the circle.  Each sister was told to read and comment in the margins on passages that were meaningful to them in some way.  Also, the Sisters were asked to snap a few pictures to document the journey.  After a Sister has read The Prayer Box, she then mails it to the next Sister in the circle. 

I am a proud member of Sisterhood #12.  We have a very unique sisterhood and one I am so blessed to be a part of!  Our sisterhood includes my mother, the Big Sister, my grandmother, a life-long friend of my mother’s, and me!   Three generations reading the same book, sharing our thoughts, and leaving our impressions right there on the pages!  It has been a wonderful adventure!  Tomorrow, my mother and I will take our Sisterhood’s copy of The Prayer Box back to Lisa.  The book, full of comments and creases, will finally come full circle. 

Be sure and come back Friday to read about the reunion of the book, The Prayer Box, and its author, Lisa Wingate. 

It’s going to be so much fun!!!!!

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Wingate Week

5 Aug

Must Watch Monday!

The Prayer Box
The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate, releasing September 1. 

I am so excited about the opportunity to visit with Lisa Wingate on Thursday, August 8, at a book discussion and luncheon.  In honor of this event, I have declared this Wingate Week! 

We are starting things off with Must Watch Monday.  The book trailer for The Prayer Box is definitely a MUST WATCH!

BEAUTIFUL!! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvuDuh8PdDs&feature=c4-overview&list=UUeRpQGXe2yAw99CfIPBFXFw.



A young woman, an old woman, the story of a lifetime.






 




When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola’s rambling Victorian house. 






Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola’s walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola’s youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper–the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything.










 

















				
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Friday Fun

	
		2
		Aug
	

	

	

		
I heart Romance


August is National Read-A-Romance Month




Do you love romance?  


If so, head on over to:  www.readaromancemonth.com

				
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Smitten

	
		31
		Jul
	

	

	

		
Smitten


Smitten 


Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter




Don’t miss the opportunity to visit “the most romantic town on the eastern seaboard”!  You can find the ebook, Smitten, on sale right now at Amazon for only $2.51. 






Welcome to Smitten, Vermont.


With the help of four friends, it’s about to become the most romantic town in America.


The proposed closing of the lumber mill comes as unwelcome news for the citizens of Smitten. How will the town survive without its main employer? A close-knit group of women think they’ve got just the plan to save Smitten. They’ll capitalize on its name and turn it into a tourist destination for lovers—complete with sweet shops, a high-end spa, romantic music on the square, and cabins outfitted with fireplaces and hot tubs.


But is this manly town ready for an influx of romantically-minded guests?


Country music sensation Sawyer Smitten, the town’s hometown hero, wants to help by holding his own wedding there on Valentine’s Day. And little Mia’s lavender wreaths hang all over town as a reminder that faith can work miracles. Along the way, four women spearheading the town’s transformation—energetic Natalie, sophisticated Julia, graceful Shelby, and athletic Reese—get in the spirit by reviving their own love lives.


Join best-selling inspirational romance authors (and real-life BFFs) Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for an inspiring stay at the (soon-to-be) most romantic town on the eastern seaboard.


One visit . . . and you’ll be smitten too!


See it for yourself!    http://www.smittenvermont.com



				
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The Queen’s Vow

	
		29
		Jul
	

	

	

		
The Queen's Vow


The Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner


Synopsis:


No one believed I was destined for greatness.


So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World.  Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.


Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen.  There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique.  Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain.  Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.


As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished

 Spain beset by enemies.  With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus.  But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.


From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.


Thoughts:


Let me begin by saying that I do not normally read historical fiction.  However, I received The Queen’s Vow through a Random House giveaway and was eager to give it a try.  


I found The Queen’s Vow to be a beautifully written and compelling story, full of vivid descriptions and intriguing circumstances.  Isabella was a strong, fascinating woman who spent her life fighting for what she believed to be right.  She defied all circumstances and married the man she desired and united her kingdom.  Even if you are not a fan of historical fiction, I think you will find this to be a fascinating novel.  I certainly did! 


 


* I received this book through a giveaway from Random House.  All thoughts expressed are mine. 

				
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