The Guardian

I received a copy of THE GUARDIAN by Beverly Lewis from Bethany House.  It is the third book in Home to Hickory Hollow series.  I have not read the others, but I will definitely look for them now.  I have read multiple other titles by Beverly Lewis and enjoyed each one, so I knew THE GUARDIAN would be a treat.  Her down-to-Earth Amish books transport you to a simpler, pleasant lifestyle.  She also shows us new glimpses into the Amish lifestyle.  For example, I had not realized Amish men and women participated in running marathons. 

This story takes place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  My mother loves the tranquility there and insists we spend a week each summer in Bird-and-Hand, a town actually featured in THE GUARDIAN.  I cannot wait to have my mother read this story after me! 

In the novel, Jodi Winfield recently lost her sister to cancer and is spending a time in Lancaster County to housesit.  While out on her jog, she notices an infant alongside the road.  She takes the little girl home and helps her find her Amish family in Hickory Hollow.  Jodi and the Amish community come to terms with each other, and each grows in his or her own way.  It is a beautiful, sweet story.   I recommend THE GUARDIAN to fans of Amish fiction.  

Another Awesome Auhor!

It’s time for AAA – Another Awesome Author.  This time, I would like to introduce you to my dear friend and amazing critique partner, Eliza Tilton.  He’s prepared a very special treat for you guys.  Please, see below, and have a fun journey!

***

If you’ve landed here during your adventure, skip all this and go below.

If you’re wondering what’s going on, go here to start your own adventure!

And may The Creator bless you on your journey.

Your story:

You follow the stream north, keeping your hand on your weapon. The night is cold, and each careful step leads you closer to the dangerous creatures. Winter wolves are vicious, and you pray to The Creator for protection.

The stream leads to a pool that funnels underneath the rock. The moonlight breaks through the trees shining onto the pool. Around the pool, amidst the grass, are clusters of black flowers.

And lying on the grass are two winter wolves.

Their size is beyond what you imagined, with white fur and ears that point to the sky.

The two wolves are busy eating a large animal and haven’t noticed you, yet.

Do you . . . .

A)     Sneak past them and pluck a few flowers. Go here

B)      Run. Go here

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Book goodreads blurb:

Hopeless he'll never be more than the boy who didn't save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.

And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.

Author BIO:

Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull.

Goodreads links:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17797991-broken-forest

Author links:

Twitter https://twitter.com/ElizaTilton

Tumblr http://elizatilton.tumblr.com/

Website http://www.elizatilton.com

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/elizatilton/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eliza-Tilton-YA-Author/245765852217133

A DREAM SO BIG

I received a copy of A DREAM SO BIG: OUR UNLIKELY JOURNEY TO END THE TEARS OF HUNGER by Steve Peifer with Gregg Lewis, from Thomas Nelson via BookSneeze.  I love nonfiction books like this.  They take you to another world, one that is happening now, not a fantasy someone created from imagination (don’t get me wrong, I love those too – I have to, I write them!).  With these books, I can share them with my family, in particular my mother and my uncle.  We can discuss and brainstorm ways to help real people in these real situations.

This adventure takes you to Kenya.  Steve Peifer and his wife, Nancy, decide to work as dorm parents at a school there.  They had lost their infant son and wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere they could immerse themselves in good deeds.  You get to experience their growth as parental figures as well as saviors to the children.  You laugh and cry with them.  When I first opened the book, I turned to a middle section and read about Steve helping a child in the middle of the night deal with feeling ill.  I couldn’t help but smile at Steve’s authentic voice – it felt as if he spoke to me from the couch in my living room.  Each page came to life thanks to Steven’s compassion and sincerity.  I highly recommend this book. 

Bread & Wine

I received a copy of BREAD & WINE: A LOVE LETTER TO LIFE AROUND THE TABLE WITH RECIPES by Shauna Niequist from Zondervan.  When they say “with recipes” that’s exactly what they mean.  Each chapter is an essay focusing on an aspect of food, with a correlating recipe included at the end.  The book makes a great bedtime read – you can absorb one essay and daydream about the recipe to be made the following day.  It is a great way to ponder the information while your mouth salivates.  Shauna’s writing is catchy and familiar.  It feels as if she is sitting in the room with you sharing a glass of wine.

Her stories about food reminded me of the times my friend and I travel to different ethnic restaurants.  The essays have that gentle, friendly quality.  Next time she’s in town, I’ll share BREAD & WINE with her.  We might even have our own bread and wine party.  My mouth is watering just thinking about the descriptions of food included within the pages. 

My mother was excited to read it after me.  As a lover of food, she’s always eager for fresh recipes.  Without much time on her hands, the essays were the perfect length.  I highly recommend this to my “hungry” friends. 

ANGELGUARD: NOT ALL SPIRITS ARE GOOD

I received a copy of ANGELGUARD: NOT ALL THE SPIRITS ARE GOOD by Ian Acheson from Lion Fiction via Kregel.  It is definitely one of those books that grabs you from page one and won’t let go.  I love books that keep me reading late into the night, and then leave me with fantastical dreams, especially novels that take you into new worlds. 

Humans, angels, and demons are the main characters in the novel.  Recently I’ve been reading my critique partner’s manuscript about angels, so it was fun to continue in that genre with ANGELGUARD.  I haven’t found many novels about angels at the store, which made this more refreshing.  It also reminded me of Supernatural, one of my favorite television sitcoms.  Think of war and a business man who sold his soul.  Now think of a guy, Jack Haines, who is finding himself while he grows strong in this war of angels. 

Realistic dialogue, quirky people…fast-paced plot…smooth writing.  I really couldn’t find anything negative as I read.  The scenes never jarred me, which is a big plus. Sometimes when I read, I think, “I could have tightened that sentence by rewording…”  That didn’t happen with this book.  I’ll keep my eyes open for the next book in the Chronicles of the Angelguard series.  

COGLING Magnets

I love to do crafts – nothing is as exciting as finding a fun craft book at the store.  I decided to design crafts to go along with my steampunk novel, COGLING.  (You can read the first few chapters here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/3946391-cogling) 

I selected two of my favorite fantasy species from the story, a foxkin and a tomtar, to create the basis for magnets.  I printed off two of the images, done by illustrator Aaron Siddall, and cut them out to fit inside pickle jar lids. I pasted them inside, then cut enough ribbon to go around the outside.  I attached the ribbon using more glue, and added a bow to one.  Magnets glued to the back of the lids help you to hang them, but you could also use a ribbon loop to make them into ornaments.  

Icecutter's Daughter

I received a copy of THE ICECUTTER’S DAUGHTER by Tracie Peterson from Bethany House.  It is the first book in the Land of Shining Waters series.  As soon as I opened the package that arrived in the mail, I couldn’t wait to start reading.  The cover is addictive!  Two horses pull something heavy through the snow – I could almost feel the wind and biting snow flakes.  A young woman looks on from the top of the cover, her eyes the color of frozen water.  From her manner of dress and the fact we still use horses today for various things, I had to check to make sure it was a historical novel, which it is.  I can’t get enough of those.

Tracie Peterson is one of my favorite historical fiction authors.  Her stories always introduce me to something I don’t normally read about.  Sure, there are tons of Elizabethan and Civil War stories, but how many times have you read about ice cutters?  I hadn’t known much about them at all until I finished this book.  Tracie Paterson introduces believable characters and creates exciting adventures from everyday activities.  You feel as if you’re living in Minnesota with Merrill, the main character, and Rurik, her love interest.  I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction, riveting plots, and religious stories.