CFBA - Swept Away by Laura V. Hilton & Cindy Loven

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Swept Away
Abingdon Press (November 18, 2014)
by

Laura V. Hilton

and
Cindy Loven

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Award winning author Laura V. Hilton has penned many novels, including the Amish of Seymour series, the Amish of Webster County series, and the forthcoming Amish of Jamesport series. A member of ACFW, Laura is also a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites. A pastor’s wife, stay-at-home mom, and home school teacher, Laura and her family make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas.

A lifelong reader, Cindy Loven is an active church wife of a minister and mother to one son who is a home school graduate. Cindy and her family reside in Conway, Arkansas.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sara Jane Morgan is trying to balance teaching with caring for her ailing, stubborn grandmother. When school lets out for the summer, the plans are for Grandma to teach Sara Jane to quilt as they finish up the Appalachian Ballad quilt Grandma started as a teenager. But things don’t always go as planned. 

Andrew Stevenson is hiding from his past—and his future. He works as a handyman to pay the bills, but also as an artisan, designing homemade brooms. When Sara Jane’s grandmother hires him to renovate her home, sparks fly between him and his new employer’s granddaughter. 

Still, it doesn’t take Sara Jane long to see Drew isn’t what he seems. Questions arise, and she starts online researching him. What she discovers could change her life—and her heart—forever.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Swept Away, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS:

Out of all the books I have read in the Quilts of Love series, Swept Away is definitely my favorite. The characters are well developed and I fell in love with Sari, otherwise known as Grandma. She is the grandmother of Sara Jane, the heroine. and I guarantee you she will rope your heart and pull you into her story and her plans for her granddaughter and Andrew, her handyman.

One thing I found interesting in this book is they introduce the reader to the Ballad Quilt. It is a quilt made based on a song ballad. Quite interesting. One day I would love to see one of these quilts.

On a 5-Star Scale - 5 BIG Stars!!!!! I loved this book.

I would like to thank Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Abingdon Fiction for my copy of Sept Away. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

 

CFBA - Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Quilted by Christmas

Abingdon Press (October 21, 2014)

by

Jodie Bailey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

A note from the Author: Well, I’m a regular ol’ person. Who just happens to write. A lot. Probably more than I should. I firmly believe that God created me to be a writer. From the time I learned how to string letters together into words I’ve been making up stories. Believe me… I have a very rich imagination. I used to think I was weird; now I know God just put me together that way. I can’t even watch commercials without expanding them into stories in my head. I am humbled and honored all at the same time that God looked down from heaven on me and said, “Jodie, do what you love.” Wow… how awesome is that?

I have always loved to write. I have stories that I wrote when I was in first grade. I used to sit at my grandmother’s yellow electric typewriter for hours, banging out my own little stories. When I was eleven, she bought me a typewriter of my own (It was 1984, okay?) and I would write and write on it. I wrote stories out by hand, and they ran to hundreds of pages. I got my first computer when I was eighteen, and the first thing I did was write a story on it. I wrote for school. I wrote for fun. I wrote for my friends. I’d get them on the phone and make up stories for them. (I earned the nickname “Dreamweaver” for that one. Nobody calls me that anymore, but it still stands as the coolest nickname I ever had.)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Taryn McKenna believes she’s easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree—something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches. When Taryn’s grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project—an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Quilted by Christmas, go
HERE.

My Thoughts:

I have always been a huge fan of books set during Christmas and I really love the Quilts of Love series. I just wish I could say I loved this book but I didn't. I liked it but I just couldn't get into the characters. 

The plot was well thought out and the characters were likable enough, but I just couldn't connect with them. I wanted to, but it never happened. That rarely happens for me when reading a book and I always feel so disappointed and sad because I know the author poured themselves into the pages.

If you like books about Christmas and the Quilts of Love series you may find this book a great read.

On a 5-Star Scale = 3 1/2 Stars.

I would like to thank Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Abingdon Fiction for my copy of Quilted by Christmas. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

CFBA - Finding Mercy by Michael Landon Jr. & Cindy Kelley

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Finding Mercy

David C. Cook (October 1, 2014)

by

Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Michael Landon Jr., son of television legend Michael Landon, is an award-winning storyteller, first in television and film, and now in books. His print works include One More Sunrise co-written with Tracie Peterson. 


****

Cindy Kelley is the co-author of the novel The Silent Gift, and Traces of Mercy. Her career as a screenwriter with long-time writing partner, Michael Landon, Jr., began with the adaptation of Margery Williams’ classic story, The Velveteen Rabbit, which had a theatrical release. Several television movies followed, most notably Love Comes Softly, (based on Janette Oke’s novel) which won a CAMIE Award and the Epiphany Prize for Movie Guide’s most inspirational television movie of 2003. Cindy and her husband, Jim, make their home in the Southwest; have three adorable grandchildren and four big dogs who rule the house. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Mercy abandons Captain Elijah Hale to search for her true identity, he goes after her. With the threat that bounty hunters might be hot on her trail, Mercy does all she can to stay ahead of the danger, frustrating both the bad men who are after her—and Captain Hale who wants to find her and escort her safely home. But when she stumbles upon clues that help her learn who she is and where she's from, the danger escalates and she has to learn to keep her friends close and her enemies even closer—if she can determine which is which!

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Finding Mercy, go HERE.

My Thoughts:

After reading Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon Jr. & Cindy Kelley (read my review here). I couldn't pass up the second book in the "The Medallion Trilogy", Finding Mercy. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series I absolutely loved the second in the series.

Set during the post Civil War period, Finding Mercy is the story of Mercy, a young woman with amnesia, and Army Captain Elijah Hale. I met these two wonderful characters in the first book of the series and I liked them. But I have to say that the authors revealed so much more of their characters in this book that they came to life for me and I hated to let them go. But since the series is a trilogy I can only hope that they will return in the third book.

Finding Mercy is a story of discovery, old secrets, the war torn South, forgiveness, faith and love. There was so much packed into this book that I could hardly wait to find out what happened next. I will say, in my humble opinion, this book would make a wonderful movie.

If you enjoy reading historical novels, especially set during the post Civil War period, you will love this book. It is packed with history of the issues people faced in the South following the Civil War. 

On a 5-Star Scale = 5 HUGE Stars!!!!!

I would like to thank Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and David C. Cook publishers for my copy of Finding Mercy. I received my copy for free in order to read and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

CFBA -Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Hidden in the Stars

Abingdon Press (September 16, 2014)

by

Robin Caroll

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage—two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books.

When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty-plus years, her 3 beautiful daughters, 2 precious grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else? 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Following an attack that killed her mother and stole her ability to speak, 21-year-old Sophia Montgomery has no choice but to accept her estranged grandmother’s offer to return to their family home. Although detective Julian Frazier is working hard on the case, Sophia unknowingly frustrates him because her inability to speak thwarts her eyewitness evidence. The fact that Julian is undeniably attracted to Sophia doesn’t help either, so Julian hides his feelings as concern for a trauma victim and focuses instead on finding the killer.

Little do they know, the clues to solving the case may be right in front of them, displayed in Sophia’s mother’s “special” quilt design. Who will realize the secret Sophia’s unwittingly been hiding in plain sight? When the truth comes to light, will Sophia find her voice again? Or will the murderer—still at large—silence her forever? 

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hidden in the Stars, go HERE.

My Thoughts:

I haven't read anything by Robin Caroll for awhile but reading Hidden in the Stars reminded me of how much I love her work. 

This book is the story of a young woman, Sophia Montgomery, who is brutally attacked and loses her ability to speak. During the attack her mother is also killed. This all sets the story up for a great suspenseful journey. Detective Julian Frazier takes on the case and from the first moment they appear together on the written page, a chemistry develops.

This was a book that was difficult for me to put down. I loved Ms. Caroll's characters and the Christian thread in the book. The fact that she used some Russian words throughout intrigued me as I love languages and learning a few words here and there is fun for me.

I would highly recommend Hidden in the Stars to anyone who enjoys a good clean suspense novel.

On a 5-Star Scale - 5 Stars!!!!!  

I would like to thank Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my copy of Hidden in the Stars. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,