A New Story, A New Beginning

A New Story, A New Beginning

So I got an idea for a story almost a year ago & I put it on the back burner saying I'll get to it sometime. Feeling as if it wasn't quite time to begin the process of this book. Recently the idea has been weighing heavily on me the last few days. And today I go to @charismamag and see a story. That story sparked something in me about this idea I've had for so long. I opened my LibreOffice Writer and began to brainstorm this idea more fully and put some possible details down. As I began to brainstorm all these wonderful ideas were coming to me, even as I write this blog post I keep getting ideas and going back and forth from Blogger to LibreOffice to get these ideas down. This story idea, (which I will share more fully at a later date), is something that comes straight from recent headlines. Something that is now happening in our world. And there will be a Gospel presentation somehow weaved through this story. It has to be there or else there would almost be no point in writing this story. So please be praying that this important story flows through me and onto my computer screen.

Love Ya'll

BLOG TOUR: Love's Fortune by Laura Frantz

BLOG TOUR: Love's Fortune by Laura Frantz

{About the Book}

Sheltered since birth at her Kentucky home, Rowena Ballantyne has heard only whispered rumors of her grandfather Silas's vast fortune and grand manor in Pennsylvania. When her father receives a rare letter summoning him to New Hope, Rowena makes the journey with him and quickly finds herself in a whole new world--filled with family members she's never met, dances she's never learned, and a new side to the father she thought she knew. As she struggles to fit in during their extended stay, she finds a friend in James Sackett, the most valued steamship pilot of the Ballantynes' shipping line. Even with his help, Rowena feels she may never be comfortable in high society. Will she go her own way . . . to her peril?

With her signature attention to historical detail, Laura Frantz brings 1850s Pennsylvania alive with a tender story of loss, love, and loyalty. Fans will cheer for this final installment of the Ballatyne saga.



{My Review}

I have so many people telling me this series is so amazing and I have to try it. Well, as an avid fan of Historical Romance I thought to give it a shot. It was an okay read at best. The writing was good to a point and odd at other times. This isn't a series I'll be continuing.

BLOG TOUR: The Desire by Dan Walsh

BLOG TOUR: The Desire by Dan Walsh

{About the Book}


For two years, Allan and Michele have been trying to have a baby. The emotional ride has been taking a toll on their hearts--and their relationship. Michele is obsessed with researching fertility treatments while Allan seems content to spend his time--and their money--on supporting displaced children in Africa. Something's got to give. But they both hope it's not their marriage.

Still, God has a plan for Allan and Michele that they could never have imagined. And all it takes to set it in motion is a change of heart . . 



{My Review}

The Desire was not for me. The prose was beautiful and it flowed so very well, but it just wasn't for me. Maybe I should try it again at a later date to see if I like it any better.

BLOG TOUR: be Rebellious by Megan Clinton

BLOG TOUR: be Rebellious by Megan Clinton

{About the Book}

Why are we trying so hard to fit in when God created us to stand out?

Many of us have been tricked into believing that life is all about starving yourself into a size 0, wearing sexy clothes, and snagging a hot guy. We measure our worth by the number of our followers on social media or “likes” on our digitally enhanced selfies.

We shape our lives around these lies, unaware that we’re on a pathway to brokenness and destruction: Eating disorders. Depression. Addiction. Abuse.

We may think we are “rebelling” by breaking the rules of our parents’ generation—but the reality is, we’re anything but rebellious. Instead, we’re slaves to our culture, desperate to fit in.

But we don’t have to live this way. We have a choice.

Do you want to make a difference and change the world? Then take your heart and life back from a culture that doesn’t care about you! Grab hold of the truth that your value isn’t based on your relationship status or dress size—it’s based on who you are.

In Be Rebellious, Megan Clinton shows you inspiring and practical ways to be the woman God created you to be. Through her own experiences and biblical teaching, she encourages you to embrace your true beauty and to run toward God.

It’s time to for this generation to rebel against modern-day culture . . . and live free!

{My Review}

Rating: 5 stars!!

In be Rebllious, Megan Clinton challenges us to rebel against the culture and stop letting the culture define who we are. This is MUST READ for every Christian woman. Through out the book there are stories of young women, such as Gabby Douglas and Katie Davis, who rebelled against our current culture to do what God has called them to do. And early in the book there is one heartbreaking and tragic story. Megan is very open about the emptiness sex before marriage leaves you, she is very staunch in what she believes and isn't afraid to tell it like it is.

REVIEW: Palace of Darkness by T.L. Higley

REVIEW: Palace of Darkness  by T.L. Higley

{About the Book}

Previously released as "Petra."

She believed the city in stone could protect her from the past--until it threatened to destroy her future.

Cassia, a destitute young widow, seeks refuge for herself and her young son, Alexander, in Petra, the home of his late father's estranged family. The capital of the flourishing Arabian empire, a city carved in rock and still free of Roman control, Petra is hidden away among towering sandstone cliffs. Cassia hopes to secure a future here with Alexander's relatives and enjoy the family life she's never known.

But Alexander's father was not the man Cassia thought. He kept a great secret from her--a secret that leads an evil queen to steal Alexander from his mother and plan his destruction.

As the plot against her son unfolds, Cassia finds unexpected allies in her new friend, Julian, and the mysterious followers of The Way. These strangers sacrifice everything to help Cassia rescue her son from the dark palace and the pagan queen. And they offer Cassia the love and security of a family--asking for nothing in return.

With Roman soldiers poised to invade the city, Cassia learns that it will take more than her new friends to save her son's life. It will take a strength and a power beyond any Cassia has ever known--if she is willing to surrender and trust in the One True God.

{My Review}

Rating: 3.5 stars!

Palace of Darkness was previously released in 2010 as Petra. I never read Petra, so this was a new story for me. While I usually really enjoy biblical fiction/historical fiction, however, Palace of Darkness didn't satisfy my craving for biblical fiction. I  found the writing style odd for my taste. I didn't flow for me and I couldn't get into the characters.

REVIEW: When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

REVIEW: When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

{About the Book}

Returning to the home she fled in disgrace, will Hannah find healing for the wounds of the past?

After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood. 

Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, she finally has settled into a satisfying role in the Englischer world. She also has found love and a new family with the wealthy Martin Palmer and the children she is helping him raise. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her, including her headstrong father, reopens old wounds.

As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah’s mental health, hidden truths surface about events during Hannah’s absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life–and perhaps to her first love? 

When the Soul Mends is the third and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series.

{My Review}

Rating: 3 stars!

Requesting this novel was an opportunity for me to give Amish fiction another chance, because lately Amish fiction has been "meh" for me. Unless it's Beverly Lewis of course. And after I finished When the Soul Mends it sealed the deal that if I am to read any more Amish fiction it will be from only Beverly Lewis. I just could not get into this story and could not feel these characters.

REVIEW: Tried and True by Mary Connealy

REVIEW: Tried and True by Mary Connealy

{About the Book}

Saddle up for a wildly fun ride with the Wilde sisters!

Kylie Wilde is the youngest sister—and the most civilized. Her older sisters might be happy dressing in trousers and posing as men, but Kylie has grown her hair long and wears skirts every chance she gets. It’s a risk—they are homesteading using the special exemptions they earned serving in the Civil War as “boys”—but Kylie plans to make the most of the years before she can sell her property and return to the luxuries of life back East.

Local land agent Aaron Masterson is fascinated with Kylie from the moment her long hair falls from her cap. But now that he knows her secret, can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government? And when someone tries to force Kylie off her land, does he have any hope of convincing her that marrying him and settling on the frontier is the better option for her future?

{My Review}


Tried and True by Mary Connealy is the first book in the Wild at Heart trilogy, which focuses on the Wilde sisters. Tried and True tells the story of Kylie Wilde, the youngest of the three sisters. Kylie is homesteading...as a man! However, she is tired of hiding her true self. She finds any chance she can to wear dresses and hopes to eventually move on to the East for "civilization" as Kylie calls it. That dream comes to a hold when Aaron Masterson , a land agent steps foots on her homestead. Not to mention there is someone who wants Kylie gone!

To be perfectly honest, I have only read one of Mary's books before. I enjoyed that book very much, but haven't read any others until this one became available for review. I jumped on the chance since it's set during the Wild West and it has a hot cowboy. I really loved this book. Mary truly is a masterful writer. The romance was perfect and very accurate to the time period. Which is something I see a few others not enjoying. That the marriage was too quick, and more about need/practicality. This was actually quite common place during this period. The mystery was good, I wish it had been expanded on a little more, but I'm not going to lower the rating, because it really didn't bother me that much. I loved this book and definitley recommend it for those who enjoy a sweet Wild West romance. This book has made it onto my list of Top Books read in 2014!

Language: None.
Spiritual: Lot's of talk about God & forgiveness.
Sexual: Kissing, talk of kissing, after Kylie & Aaron marry there is talk of their wedding night and sex is implied a few times while on their honeymoon.

REVIEW: Nowhere to Turn

REVIEW: Nowhere to Turn

{About the Book}

The day Danielle Harding takes her 11-year-old son, Simon, and flees from her abusive husband, is the same day Kurt Harding dies. A relieved Dani believes she and her son are finally safe--but in reality, the danger has just begun. When Kurt was alive, he took something important to a mysterious person. That person wants the item back and believes Dani now has it. As she and her son run for their lives, they have nowhere to turn, until she hires Adam Buchanan of Operation Refuge and goes into hiding. Unfortunately, she won't be able to hide for long . . .

From the first breathless scene, this tension-laced story will hold readers in its iron grip. Bestselling author Lynette Eason propels readers along at a breakneck pace in a race to discover the truth and a better future.

{My Review}

Rating: 4 stars.

The second installment of Lynette's Hidden Identity series was a much better read for me. As a lifelong fan of the suspense/mystery genre ever since I cracked open a Nancy Drew novel. Nowhere to Turn had the right amount of mystery and twists and turns along the way. The perfect novel for a fan of mystery.

REVIEW: A Light in the Wilderness

REVIEW: A Light in the Wilderness

{About the Book}

Letitia holds nothing more dear than the papers that prove she is no longer a slave. They may not cause white folks to treat her like a human being, but at least they show she is free. She trusts in those words she cannot read–as she is beginning to trust in Davey Carson, an Irish immigrant cattleman who wants her to come west with him.
Nancy Hawkins is loathe to leave her settled life for the treacherous journey by wagon train, but she is so deeply in love with her husband that she knows she will follow him anywhere–even when the trek exacts a terrible cost.
Betsy is a Kalapuya Indian, the last remnant of a once proud tribe in the Willamette Valley in Oregon territory. She spends her time trying to impart the wisdom and ways of her people to her grandson. But she will soon have another person to care for.
As season turns to season, suspicion turns to friendship, and fear turns to courage, three spirited women will discover what it means to be truly free in a land that makes promises it cannot fulfill.

Based on a true story.

{My Review}

Rating: 2.5 stars!

That extra half of a star was being generous. I just couldn't get into this book whatsoever. I never connected with the characters, so therefore I couldn't become invested in their stories or goals. The writing style was a bit off for me. Maybe this just isn't for me as a reader.

REVIEW: The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate

REVIEW: The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate

When successful New York editor Jen Gibbs discovers a decaying slush-pile manuscript on her desk, she has no idea that the story of Sarra, a young mixed-race woman trapped in Appalachia at the turn of the twentieth century, will both take her on a journey and change her forever. Happy with her life in the city, and at the top of her career with a new job at Vida House Publishing, Jen has left her Appalachian past and twisted family ties far behind. But the search for the rest of the manuscript, and Jen's suspicions about the identity of its unnamed author, will draw her into a mystery that leads back to the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains . . . and quite possibly through the doors she thought she had closed forever.

I gave The Story Keeper a 3.5 stars. I don't know if when I read it if it was the book itself or if I just wasn't in the mood for a read like this one. I think it's probably the latter because it was written well and held my interest most of the time except for a few spots here and there. However, don't let my mini-review turn you off from picking up this book. While it may have not been for me, it may be the perfect read for you.

10 Facts: Jane Austen Edition

10 Facts: Jane Austen Edition

1. Jane was a member of a large family of 8 children. Jane had six brothers; James, George, Edward, Henry Thomas, Francis William, and Charles John. And one sister: Cassandra.

2. Out of all her siblings, Jane was closest to Cassandra who was her lifelong companion and Henry, an Angilican clergyman & Jane's literary agent.

3. Jane was accomplished by the ripe old age of 23. By this age she had completed her versions of Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, and Pride & Prejudice.

4. Mark Twain was a critic of Austen's works. Twain even went as far to say that an ideal library is one, "that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen. Even if it contains no other book.” (Ouch)

5. When we think of Austen, we often think of Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, etc. However, these titles are not original. Pride & Prejudice was once "First Impressions", Northanger Abbey was "Susan", Sense and Sensibility was "Elinor and Marianne", and The Elliots became Persuasion.

6. Jane Austen died in 1817 at the age of 41. We do not know exactly how she died, however there is some speculation. In 1964, Dr. Vincent Cope diagnosed and listed Jane's cause of death as Addison's Disease. But more recently, Britain's Addison Disease Self Help Group wrote that Jane probably died of Bovine Tuberculosis, now commonly associated with drinking unpasteurized milk. 

7. Modern day fans of Jane's works, like myself, often refer to ourselves as Janeites.

8. In her lifetime, four of Jane's novels were published, but none of them were published under her name. Rather they were published using the pen name, By a Lady.

9. Both of Jane's brothers served in the British Royal Navy and Jane modeled the character of Captain Wentworth after them.

10. Jane spent the last eight years of her life at Chawton House, where Jane spent much of her time writing in private. She lived a quiet life while at Chawton House and rarely entertained, except for when family came to visit. Jane's niece, Anna, had described Jane's family's life:  "It was a very quiet life, according to our ideas, but they were great readers, and besides the housekeeping our aunts occupied themselves in working with the poor and in teaching some girl or boy to read or write."

The new wax figure of Jane Austen revealed in Bath, England, 2014.