New Release - The Story Keeper - Lisa Wingate

Dear Readers,

I love Lisa Wingate's books.  She seems to write about issues that drawn you into the story and makes you a part of them.  The Story Keeper is her newest release and takes us into the life of Jen Gibbs.

Jen is an editor that is at the top of her game.  She works for Vida House Publishing and is one of the best.  A manuscript from an old slush file shows up on her desk and Jen settles into read it.  She is drawn quickly into the story and decides to track down the author.  The only problem is, the trail leads back to a place that she never thought she would go back to.

Lisa weaves a story of a heroine that uses her scars as a means to survive.  One that you will be ready to cheer on and want to hug.  A character that will stay with you long after you close the covers of the book.

                                             Happy Reading,

Tessa Afshar

Dear Readers,

Tessa Afshar leapt to the top of the Biblical fiction genre a few short years ago with Pearl in the Sand.  Plain and simply I was drawn to that book because of who the main character was, Rahab.  Since then I have enjoyed Tessa’s other books that have been releasing.  She has a way of writing a story based on a Biblical character that makes the whole story come to life.   Ones that I have read or heard about for years, but for some reason when I get done reading Tessa’s book it feels like they are now friends and their story has become so familiar it was like a friend had shared it.

In the Field of Grace Tessa bring the story of Ruth and Naomi to life.  Ruth has followed her mother-in-law to Naomi’s homeland.  It's a place with unfamiliar people and customs to Ruth. They have no men to take care of them, no money and no family, what will the two women do?  They return to Naomi’s home to rebuild and to hopefully eek out a living gathering the leftovers from a distant relative's fields.   

Being a foreigner and a woman to boot, Ruth finds herself the subject of ridicule from the others, that is until she catches the eye of the owner and he demands that the others leave her alone.  Who is this person and why is he suddenly interested in her?  Boaz knows better, but his heart tells him otherwise.

This story that is one that most people know by heart.  The story of a woman who sacrifices it all to go live with her mother-in-law, a woman that Ruth owes nothing to, because she is young enough to marry again and really has no reason to take care of her dead husband's mother.  She has no tradition that tells her to take care of Naomi and yet she does.

I know as a kid hearing Ruth’s story, I thought she must have been perfect and how happy and content she was to do all the things she did.  Tessa makes the point of not writing Ruth as perfect, but a woman who is doing what she feels is correct for a woman she has come to love.  It doesn’t mean she isn't frightened or that everything goes smoothly, but she continues on ahead and find the desires of her heart. 

Tessa does a great job of making Ruth a person who is human, not the perfect person that is sometimes written about in other fictional stories.  She's someone you would like to meet at a local coffee shop and get to know better.

 

Happy Reading, 

New Release - A Cry from the Dust - Carrie Stuart

Dear Readers,

How can something that happened in the 19th century lead to a murder case in the 21st century.  Gwen Marcey is about to find out.  She agrees to work on reconstructing the faces of the victims of the Mountain Meadow Massacre. 

1857 a wagon train in Utah is set upon by a group of militant Mormons and slaughtered.  Unarmed men, women and children were murdered and the controversial remains still today. 

As Gwen works she finds evidence that leads her to a more recent murder, a murder that looks like a ritualistic killing.  She finds herself  at odds with a secret society that is bent on keeping her quiet.

Murder and mayhem, what a great way to spend an afternoon, finding the killer.  I love that we are getting new writers in the mystery genre and Carrie Stuart Parks joins the ranks with A Cry From the Dust of interesting reads.  Ones that are probably best not read while sitting alone in the dark.

Happy Reading,

New Release - The Desire - Dan Walsh/Gary Smalley

Dear Readers,

Two gentlemen I greatly admire teamed up a couple years ago and started a series with marriage as the focus.  Gary Smalley's ministry is to couples and Dan Walsh writes heart touching fiction, that combination has produced a beautiful series.

In The Dance they tackled the issue what a wife really needs from her husband and in return what a husband needs.  The Promise took on the loss of a job and secrets that husbands and wives keep from each other.  The third book in the Restoration series is the Desire and infertility is at the forefront.

Allan and Michele have been trying to have a baby, she is ready to do anything to make that happen.  It has become an obsession for her.  Allan on the other hand is ready to put all the heartache behind them and support the displaced children in Africa.  Something is going to have to give and it might be their marriage.

All very timely issues and this series has been a great way to remember that marriage is work.  It is not something that happens naturally to us.  But Dan and Gary remind us that we can make it through lots of things with love, forgiveness and most of all God.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - August 18 - 23

Dear Readers,

If you are one of the lucky families that skipped town this week, enjoy the last hours of summer.  Hopefully you have a great book to take along, if not here are a few more great suggestions.

Happy Reading,

The Desire - Dan Walsh/Gary Smalley - #3 the Restoration series - A marriage hangs in the balance.  Michele has become obsessed with having a baby, while Allan is content to support orphaned and displaced kids in Africa.  Something has to give and it might be their marriage.

The StoryKeeper - Lisa Wingate - Jen is drawn into a manuscript that was hiding in the slush file on her desk.  As she starts researching where it comes from it starts to bring her back to a place she thought she would never return to.

An Unexpected Match - Gayle Roper - Rachel's life was all planned, a wonderful match and a good life as an Amish wife and mother.  When Aaron is killed, Rachel once again yearns to learn more.  She enrolls at a local college and starts a double life.  Will her learning lead to a bann from the church?

A Cry from the Dust - Carrie Stuart Parks - What Gwen thinks is going to be a an interesting gig and a break from her hectic schedule turns into a cover-up that goes back through the history of the Mormon church.  She finds herself suddenly in the cross-hairs of a society that is trying to fulfill a prophecy. 

New Release - Tried and True - Mary Connealy

Dear Readers,

One week to the Labor Day weekend and the one question I get asked more this time of year than any other is, "Do you have a fun, light read for the beach?"  Families are leaving town in droves to enjoy one last week of vacation before the school year starts and moms are looking for something to fill the time spent sitting on the beach.

Tried and True by Mary Connealy will fit perfectly.  It is  about cowboys, cowgirls and horses.  Throw in a wonderful sense of humor by the author and you have a book that will find you falling in love with the wild west.

This is the start of a new series for Mary titled Wild at Heart.  In book #1 we meet the Wilde sisters who have just returned from the Civil War, where they fought dressed as "boys."  They are homesteading on land the earned and need to continue their deception.  But Kylie is sick of it and starts to grow her hair back out and wears skirts as often as she can. 

It is all working out well until one day when Kylie's hat falls off in front of Aaron Masterson, the local land agent.  Even though he is interested in her, can he in good conscience not tell the U.S. government of the fraud that happened?

Like I said the perfect book for relaxing and enjoying that last few hours of summer.

Happy Reading,

Robert Whitlow

Dear Readers,

There is nothing better than sinking into a wonderfully written mystery.  It is my favorite genre by far and the one that, if given a choice, would be the only one I would read.  The trick is to find the good ones, you usually have to wade through a few bad ones before you find the next one you will want to talk about to everyone who asks and a few who don’t ask.  The Confession by Robert Whitlow fits in the category of a book you will want to tell you friends to read, just so you get a chance to compare notes with each other. 

Holt and Trish start investigating a cold case and it gets them both in a huge amount of trouble both in their personal lives and in their work environment.   When the wealthiest man in town is found dead of a gunshot wound to the chest, it is ruled a suicide, but as Holt and Trish dig into it more and more, there are things that just don’t fit together.  Will they find the answers before they are forced to stop looking into it?

 

I love that it takes me a while to figure out Robert’s mysteries.  He is very good about laying out the little clues you need to see, but he is also good at a few deceptive clues that will lead you down a path that has nothing to do with the answers to the puzzle.  I have found the best way to read a book by Robert is with as few as possible distractions, that way maybe I will know who the killer is before I get to the final pages.

I find it exciting that there are so many readers that now come into the store asking for Robert's newest book.  I have enjoyed his books for years now and am so glad to see that readers are finding him and coming in for more.

Happy Reading,

New Release - The Taste of Many Mountains - Bruce Wydick

Dear Readers,

The Taste of Many Mountains by Bruce Wydick is based on an actual research project on the fair trade of coffee.  Which makes a little different for a fiction book. 

We here in America sit in our cafe's and drink our $4.00 and up cups of coffee.  Do we ever give any thought into how that coffee got to our hand and who gains the most from the beans that are used?  4 college students embark on a journey to Guatemala for a summer research project.   What they find is a place where two very different worlds collide. 


One of the students, Angela, is given a challenge by her professor, "Follow a bag of coffee beans from peasant coffee growers in Guatemala to the coffee drinker in the United States." As her professor says, coffee growing countries are still third world countries while the coffee conglomerates' profits have never been higher. 

With a chance to see into the darker side of international trade, The Taste of Many Mountains will take you a journey in to a beautiful land full of people just trying to survive while other make millions off their hard work.

Happy Reading,

New Release - A Light in the Wilderness - Jane Kirkpatrick

Dear Readers,

Jane Kirkpatrick is another author that look forward to see what she is doing next.  She bases her books on little know facts or people in America's history and develops a story that makes history come alive.  A Light in the Wilderness is the story of three very different woman who embark on a wagon train headed to Oregon territory and this is their story.

Letitia holds the papers that say she is no longer a slave.  Papers she is so very proud of even if she can't read them.  She has begun to trust Davey Carson who has asked her to join him.

Nancy is in love with her husband and will follow him anywhere even on a wagon train west, no matter the cost.


Betsy is one of the last of the Willamette tribe.  She tries to teach her grandson the wisdom and ways of her people.  Soon she may have someone else to teach.

Each woman has a different reason for being on the Oregon Trail, each one has a reason for distrusting the others and each one is going to need the others.  Will they be able to learn to trust soon enough to survive.

Jane is a wordsmith and weaves a story that leaves you thinking you have traveled along side the women on the Oregon Trail.  As you read more of the story, the spirit of human nature comes out, it amazes me that any survived the wagon rides west.  Better attacks, disease, hunger and a million other things that could go wrong, I feel like no one should have made it. 

Enjoy stepping into history with Jane and the women that help settle the west.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - August 11- 16

Dear Readers,

Another exciting list this week.  Titles keep coming that sound so good and look like will be a fun read.  What is a reader to do?  Maybe someone will pay me to stay home and read books.  Hmmm...

Happy Reading,

A Bride in Store - Melissa Jagears - Mail-order bride Eliza is excited to get started in sharing Axel grow his general store.  When her train get robbed, her plans begin to change and then when Axel doesn't meet her at the train station, what is she to do?

Light in the Wilderness - Jane Kirkpatrick - (from the backcover) - 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...

Nowhere to Turn - Lynette Eason - Hidden Identity series - Just when Danielle thought her and her son were safe, a mysterious stranger believes she is hiding the item stolen from him and he wants it back.  Where can Danielle and her son turn for safety?

Tried and True - Mary Connealy - Wild at Heart #1 - Kylie and her sisters earned the land they live on fighting as "boys" in the Civil War.  They have to keep their secret and Kylie's sisters are fine dressing as men and taking care of their land, but not her and when her hair falls out of her hat in front of the government land agent will everything be discovered?

New Release - Feels like Heaven - Vanessa Miller

Dear Readers,

I discovered Vanessa Miller a few years ago when I read her "Rain" series and enjoyed reading them.  I have over time read a few others of her books when I can get my hands on copies.  She has been writing for years not only fiction but also as a playwright.  So reading all her books is going to take a while.  Feels like Heaven is the start of a new series for Vanessa, so the list isn't going to get any shorter.

Solomon Harris' life is going along just fine, he is an attorney to the Stars of Hollywood, he makes a decent living and has no reason to wonder about the father he has never met.  Until his father, a high profile pastor in Charlotte, NC, summons Solomon to his death bed.  What could this man who never had time for Solomon as a child want with him now?

Solomon is surprised to find out his father wants Solomon to represent him in a court of law.  Will the new found love of good woman and his father be able to help Solomon to get past the bitterness he has carried with him all his life?

I think that is what I like about Vanessa's books.  They have situations in them that I have never experienced and yet they draw me in so that I feel as if I can understand some of what it is like to have lived them.  It isn't the same, but maybe I can learn a little and help someone along the way. 

This is book #1 in the My Soul to Keep series, so we get to look forward to several more books by Vanessa.

Happy Reading,

Sarah Loudin Thomas

Dear Readers,

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas reminded me of the folks I met in West Virginia a couple years ago.  I have spent very little time in West Virginia, I have driven through it quite a few times, but haven’t stopped often.  Once I spent time there because our car broke down. We were very well taken care of.  The other time was when our youth group did a mission trip to West Virginia.  I spent 10 days getting to know one family in particular, but also their church family and so in a small way reading this book was like going to visit that little town all over again.

Using Wise, West Virginia in 1954, Sarah writes a simple story that touches your heart and makes you wish that you had a chance to go meet the town folks.  None of them are perfect and yet they are willing to help each other through a dry season.

When a drought strikes, people begin to play the blame game.  Whose fault is it?  Pastor Longbourne is sure it is Perla Long.  She just came to town with a daughter but no husband.  She has sinned and he is sure that God has turned his face against the town because of this.  Casewell isn’t so sure.  Yes, he judged Perla when he first learned her story, but as he has gotten to know Perla and her daughter Sadie, he knows that is not true.  Not only is she not the reason for the drought, she is working hard to make sure families survive.  Who will the town’s people believe?

This book has a certain Walton’s-ish feel to it. It is set in the 50’s instead of the 30’s, but it still had that feel.  An honest group of people trying to do what was right while loving their families and trying to take care of them during a difficult time.  It is a story that won’t set the house on fire, but it is one that you will want to continue reading and maybe even find yourself wishing you were neighbors with the good folk of Wise.

Happy Reading,

New Release - The Confession - Robert Whitlow

Dear Readers,

Murder and mayhem, there is nothing better for a day of reading.  Robert Whitlow is a master at writing a book that keeps you engaged from cover to cover.  The Confession promises to be another of his great legal thrillers. 

Holt Douglas is the assistant DA and has made it his thing to get confessions from criminals with a guilty plea to follow shortly after.  He prides himself on the number of confessions he has gotten, it makes him both loved and hated by people, but he harbors a secret, a secret that he has long kept buried in the grave of a friend. 

Holt decides to reopen a cold case that looked like suicide.  He believes that the town's wealthiest citizen didn't kill himself but was murdered.  But as Holt digs more and more in to the evidence, it starts to open him up to his own guilty conscience.  With everything on the line he is skirting between truth and lies and needs to figure out how to survive.

I am always glad to see a new mystery come in and when it is from a favorite author, all the better.  Mysteries is the one genre I could not live without.  I love a good mystery and one that keeps me guessing all the way to the end, all the better.

Happy Reading,

New Release - Driftwood Tides - Gina Holmes

Dear Readers,

Oh Man the new Gina Holmes book is here and I am in the middle of a couple other ones and I have two waiting that have to be read before the end of this month.  *Sigh*  Oh well I will have to squeeze this one in somewhere, Driftwood Tides.

When Holton lost his wife, he retreated from society and anything and everything to do with it.  He works on his driftwood sculptures and drinks his gin, and just drifts along by himself. 


That is until Libby shows up on his doorstep and turns his world upside down.  She is the illegitimate daughter of Holton's sainted wife.  A fact that he didn't know and now everything he believed about his wife is wrong.

Gina has a way of writing everyday ordinary people into situations that most of us will never experience, but for some reason we find ourselves relating to the characters completely.  If you have never read Gina, start with Driftwood Tides, but don't forget to read her backlist also.

Happy Reading,

New Releases - August 4 - 9

Dear Readers,

Ah August, the month that slows the world down, well those of us in the Northern reaches of this planet.  The humidity goes up, we fight against having to go back to school, we long for the summer months to stretch a few more months.  But of course the seasons change and move forward we must, but until the cooler weather sets in, here are some really good end of summer reads.

Happy Reading,

Prelude for a Lord - Camille Elliot - Alethea is a lady, maybe one a bit past her prime for landing a husband, but still a lady.  She is also a musician, but of an instrument that is considered inappropriate for a woman to play, the violin.  When a thief becomes interested in her violin, things become dangerous for her and her family.

Feels like Heaven - Vanessa Miller - Solomon Harris never met his father.  It has never mattered to him either.  He is the lawyer to the stars in Hollywood.  When his father summons Solomon to his death bed, Solomon has to decide if he actually wants to meet the man who has denied him for almost three decades.

The Taste of Many Mountains - Bruce Wydick - 4 grad students head to Guatemala with very different ideas about their summer research project.  They follow the coffee bean trail from Guatemalan coffee picker to the American coffee drinkers and all it teaches about poverty and globalization.

The Confession - Robert Whitlow - Holt has  secret.  One that if it comes to light will cost him everything.  But that secret is buried with Holt's best friend or is it?  When Holt starts investigating the death of a town's wealthiest citizen, he comes face to face with his own guilty conscience.

The Healing Quilt - Wanda Brunstetter - Return to the Half-Stitched Quilting Club - Lamar and Emma seek the warmth of the Florida sun and take up residence in Sarasota Florida.  Emma longs for more to do than walk the beaches and starts another quilting class.  Of course nothing is easy with her quilting classes. 

Driftwood Tides - Gina Holmes - One of the authors that I can't wait to read.  Holton lost his wife and retreated from the world.  Then Libby shows up and turns his world upside down. 

New Release - Home to Chicory Lane - Deborah Raney

Dear Readers,

I don't know if you have ever read a Deborah Raney book, but if you have not, then Home to Chicory Lane is a great place to start. The concept of the book is an empty nest couple has decided to turn their rambling farm home into a bed and breakfast.  Now I am thinking this is not a good idea for every empty nesters out there, but Deborah uses this idea for a series to bring a wonderful story line together about family and forgiveness.

After Months of planning and redoing their 5500 square foot house, Audrey and Grant are ready for opening day for their new bed and breakfast.  The house is full of laughter and love as they start their new endeavor together.  They are just not planning on a the surprise of their youngest daughter coming back home after being married for only a short time. 

Suddenly overwhelmed by family issues and a new business starting, Audrey and Grant are not sure they made the correct decision in starting the bed and breakfast. 

A normal family with maybe the not so normal house.  Issues that every family faces as each new season of their lives come about.  How do you deal with a child's marriage that seems to be falling apart so soon after starting?  How do you keep moving forward when you just feel like everything is piling up and no answers seem to be headed your way?

Deborah always seems to be able to write a book that helps give answers for those times in our lives when we feel completely and totally at a loss as to what to do next.

Happy Reading,

Josiah for President - Martha Bolton

Dear Readers,

The Blue Gate Inn in Shipshewana, IN every year puts on a play.  They have done many different ones, all of them first class.   They have done them based on Beverly Lewis books, Wanda Brunstetter books and this year they are doing a Martha Bolton's book, Josiah for President.

The book itself released back in 2012, but has continued to sell here at the store and as we once again are facing an election year, it is a timely book. 

Mark Stedman steps down from running for President.  His only choice now is to return to his home state and decide where his life is headed now.  He isn't sure what to do or what any of the answers are until he meets Josiah.  A man who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and use a little common sense.  Someone who should be leading the country. 

Mark uses his old campaign headquarters to get the ball rolling on introducing a very different candidate to the country.  But can Josiah do it?  What does he risk if he excepts the challenge of running for President?  Is the country ready for someone like Josiah?

All questions that can make for an interesting discussion and also one that make the book a good read.  Whether you are headed to the Blue Gate Inn or not, Josiah for President will make for a very interesting read.

Happy Reading,

Coming soon

Dear Readers,

I get asked often here at the store about up and coming releases, especially if a beloved author is working their way through a series.  I thought I would take a moment to talk about a few titles I am very excited about.

Emissary - Thomas Locke - A fantasy fiction with a nod to J.R.R. Tolkien.  The first of a 3 book series that allows readers to disappear on a quest against an evil mage who is determined to take over the world.  Love this one, it made for a delightful weekend read, should be longer, by about 300 pages.  - Releases in January

Esther - Royal Beauty - Angela Hunt - Angela is one of the best Biblical fiction writers out there.  Can't wait to see what she has to say about Queen Esther.  Releases in January

To See the Moon Again - Jamie Langston Turner - Love Jamie's writing style.  Fell in love with it many years ago.  I am so excited to see her writing again, can't wait to get my hands on this book. Releases in September

Checkmate - Steven James - The conclusion to the Patrick Bower series.  Who will prevail? Patrick or his arch nemesis, Basque.  Fast paced, chilling and with more twist than a roller coast and twice as scary, the Patrick Bower series has been a great ride.  - releases in December

Thing of Beauty - Lisa Samson - Lisa never lets you just enjoy her books, she is one that makes you think about what you are reading and even makes you uncomfortable with old ideas you have.  Who else would write about a former child star that needs rescuing?  - Releases in January

This is not even a drop in the bucket of titles releasing in the next few months, but these are just 5 of the ones that I will ready to start reading as soon as they get in my hands.

Happy Reading,

New Release - A Grand Design - Amber Stockton

Dear Readers,

If you have never had the chance to visit Mackinac Island in northern Michigan, put it on your list of places to visit.  Early Spring and/or fall is a fantastic time to go as there is not as many tourist but the flowers/colors are spectacular.  I have been several times and as I mentioned yesterday, would live there in a minute if given the chance. 

If it is not a place you will be able to go soon or if you have been and want to return, a book set on the island is almost as good.   A Grand Design by Amber Stockton, one of the Quilt of Love series, is the next best thing.  (by the way I am shocked there are not more books set on the island) Amber takes you into the houses of the people that live there which is an even better visit that just the tours that most tourist go on.

No one knows why Alyssa stopped going to her favorite place on earth.  She refuses to tell them why her annual summer visit to her grandmother's house on Mackinac Island was cancelled forever.  15 years later she finds herself back on the island with her friend Libby and they are asked by Alyssa's grandmother to help finish a quilt.  One her grandmother started many years earlier.

Alyssa find herself learning more about her grandmother and friends than she expected.  But will this task of completing the quilt also offer healing?

The Quilts of Love series that Abingdon is publishing has been a treasure to read.  The quilt is stitched into the fabric on America's history and it has been a great pleasure to read about all the different ways the quilt has united family, friends and even sometimes enemies.  Adding one about Michigan's beloved Mackinac Island just makes the series all the better.

Happy Reading.

New Releases - July 28th - August 2

Dear Readers,

The first book on the list is set on Mackinac Island in upper Michigan.  The island is between the upper and lower peninsulas and is one of my favorite places to visit.  I do not go there often enough and is one of the few places farther north of where I already live that I would be willing to move to, in spite of the colder weather and more snow. 

Reading about the island is almost as much fun as going there and a whole lot easier to do.  What are some your favorite places that you love reading about?

Happy Reading,

A Grand Design - Amber Stockton - Quilts of Love series - Alyssa has a very good reason for not going back to Mackinac Island.  She  just isn't telling anyone, she just stopped going.  When she finds herself back on the island, will she be able to let go of the past so she can find her future?

Home to Chicory Lane - Deborah Raney - Chicory Inn Novel - Audrey and Grant spent their retirement funds turning their house into a B & B.  On opening week their newly married daughter comes home, no husband.  No reason given, just moving back.  Suddenly their is more excitement that Audrey and Grant planned on. 

Herb of Grace - Adina Senft - A Healing Grace Novel -After losing her husband, Sarah is just trying to do what is best for her teenage sons.  She is told she should become a herbal healer, but is worried about spending time away from her family.  Will she and her troubled son find healing?

New Release - A Bouquet by Love - Janice Thompson

Dear Readers,

Today is the first day of August and it is the best time of year to read.  Ok I probably say that a lot as I can't think of anytime of the year that isn't a good time for reading.  But there is something special about grabbing a book, a beach blanket and some sunscreen and spending the day laying in the sun reading.

A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson is the perfect book for a day at the beach.  It is a charming little story about a girl just trying to do her job, but her loud boisterous family keeps interrupting with her plans. 


Cassia Pappas is making a go at a job she loves.  She is working for the Galveston Island floral shop, where she loves the time spent with the flowers.  She wants to help it grow into something even more so she connects with wedding coordinator Bella Neeley.  Things are looking up.

That is until her loud obnoxious family moves to the island and decides to open a family restaurant, right across the road from the Parma John's.  The iconic restaurant owned and operated by Bella's family.  It is not the best way to make business friend when your family has decided to steal all their loyal customers.  Thank goodness the delivery guy stops by every day, he is easy on the eyes...

Nothing like a warm day on the beach with a hot delivery guy.  Ok so not a real guy, but it the perfect place to read a cute love story. 

Happy Reading,