Charmed by the past: Review of Gone South by Meg Moseley

I don’t usually judge a book–for good or bad–by its cover. I’m more interested in the story summary. But let me tell you, the cover of Meg Moseley’s Gone South grabbed me before I had a chance to read an excerpt. The girl on the cover looks like she’s playing dress up, and in a way, her story is one of self-discovery.

On a whim, Tish McComb visits her family’s ancestral home in Noble, Alabama, after moving her mother to Florida. The house is for sale and Tish makes an impulsive decision to buy the place and move from Michigan with no job prospects or friends. Named after the woman whose husband built the house in the Civil War era, Tish expects to reconnect with her past in the town tied to her heritage. But she soon discovers that the name “McComb” won’t win her any friends. She adds to her ostracization by befriending Melanie Hamilton, a young girl with a troubled past whose family won’t let her back into their lives or their home. Together Tish and Mel, along with the help of local antiques dealer George Zorbas, work to prove themselves to the community and do right in the present, even if they can’t change the past.

I was almost 100 pages into this book before I realized I’d read that much. It’s charming like the South itself, and the kind of story that keeps you turning the pages to find out how it’s all going to work out. Tish, Mel and George are all likeable characters with realistic problems and reactions to life’s problems.

This was the first book of Moseley’s I’ve read and it won’t be the last.

Click here to read chapter one.

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In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of Gone South from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group through the Blogging for Books program.

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Setting sells this story: A review of The Guardian by Beverly Lewis

I swore off Amish novels after I moved to Amish country, and slowly, I’ve been building some back into my reading collection. I was intrigued by the premise of Beverly Lewis’ latest, The Guardian, so I thought I’d give it a try.

In The Guardian, an Amish widow loses one of her children off the back of the buggy one night on their way home. A frantic search by the community yields no trace of little Sarah, until an English woman (the Amish description of those outside of their community) shows up with the girl. Jodi, the English woman, is house-sitting in Lancaster County. She’s a teacher and engaged but she and her fiancé are having a disagreement on their future–whether or not they’ll have children. Jodi is grieving the loss of her only sister to leukemia and doesn’t want to bring a child into a world where she might lose a child. As she spends time with her new Amish friends–the little girl is enamored of Jodi and calls her an angel–she begins to open herself up to God again and finds herself in the surprising position of substitute teacher in the Amish school.

I have enjoyed Lewis’ novels in the past. She writes compelling conflict and characters set in Amish and Mennonite families, and I tend to trust her assessments of Amish life. I based much of what I knew of the Amish when I moved here to what I read in her books.

That said, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. The characters seemed flat and the plot was predictable. And while I think we can learn some valuable lessons from the Amish way of life, I’m uncomfortable with the idea that being among the Amish can cause a change of heart so radically. Maybe that’s a personal pet peeve.

I do love that I recognize places and road names in Lewis’ books. I feel like I could drive to Hickory Hollow and encounter these characters. Her books, as are many in the Amish genre, are popular and Lancaster County draws busloads of tourists every season. I admit I’m still fascinated by the culture and community, but seeing Amish buggies and Amish people becomes commonplace after a while. Maybe it’s harder to become engrossed in the story when you live in the same region as the setting.

I’m not saying no one will like this book, but it was one that didn’t meet my expectations.

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In exchange for my review, I received a free digital copy of The Guardian from Bethany House Publishers.

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Jewel of the Old West: Review of All in Good Time by Maureen Lang

I can’t resist a historical romance set in the Old West, and Maureen Lang’s latest, All in Good Time, set in 1880s Denver, Colorado, doesn’t disappoint.  (Also I really love the cover. She means business!)

Dessa Caldwell is on a mission to open a home for women who want to leave a life of prostitution behind. To fulfill her dream, she needs a bank to approve her loan application, and so far, no bank will take a chance on a charitable organization’s success. Hawkins National Bank is her final hope for a loan. An initial meeting with bank clerk Tobias Ridgeway gives Dessa hope that her loan might be approved, but it’s the bank’s owner Henry Hawkins who must give final approval.

Hawkins is skeptical about Dessa’s potential for success but he’s drawn to her passion to live and work in the city’s roughest neighborhood. As their paths continue to cross, both Dessa and Henry must decide if the secrets they are keeping about their respective pasts will keep them from their futures.

This was my first read from Lang, and I was most interested in the main character’s ministry to women leaving prostitution. The story developed a little more slowly than I usually like, and I had almost no interest in Henry Hawkins at the beginning. He’s a recluse because of the secret he keeps and comes off older than he is. I couldn’t picture him as the hero or love interest in this story, especially since I liked Dessa so much. She’s a strong woman with drive and determination, as well as a compassionate spirit.

But as the story progressed, I grew to like the direction it was heading, although the pace never did accelerate. But that doesn’t mean it was a boring book. Far from it. I’ve heard good things about Lang, and I have another of her books awaiting me in my to-read pile. I wouldn’t say this was the best book I’ve ever read, but I liked it enough to read more from this author in the future.

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In exchange for my review, I received a copy of All in Good Time from Tyndale House Publishers.

 

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For when you need a Downton Abbey style fix: Review of The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd

I won’t lie: I’m having Downton Abbey withdrawal.

Which makes great timing for the release of Sarah Ladd’s debut novel, The Heiress of Winterwood.

Ladd’s novel takes place a century earlier than the Downton series but it had the same ability to sweep me away to another time and place.

Here’s the gist of the story:

Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett gave her word. Keeping it could cost her everything.

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s baby. She’ll risk everything to keep her word-even to the point of proposing to the child’s father-a sea captain she’s never met.

When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting at her whereabouts, Amelia and Graham are driven to test the boundaries of their love for this little one.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she’s forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride.

Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect.

Both must learn to have faith and relinquish control so they can embrace the future ahead of them.

I loved the love and loyalty Amelia Barrett displayed in keeping her friend’s promise and raising a baby that wasn’t her own. She was willing to risk everything–her inheritance, her reputation, her engagement, her family–to keep the child. It’s a position few of us would have the guts to take, and I admired her boldness at proposing marriage to a man she’d never met for the benefit of his daughter.

Ladd creates a believable conflict between the characters and provides enough suspense at just the right time to keep the pages turning. My only regret when I read these sorts of stories is that they’re over too soon because I couldn’t put them down.

There were a couple of scenes from Captain Sterling’s point of view that I found unrealistic. I doubted a sea captain would notice the fabric of the drapes or the style of clothes a lady was wearing. But it was a minor hiccup and didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.

The setting is enchanting, and I look forward to reading more in this series.

For more about the author, click here.

Now for the goodies:

Sarah Ladd is celebrating the release of The Heiress of Winterwood with a Downton Abbey Kindle Prize Pack Giveaway!

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Downton Abbey, seasons 1-3

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 30th. Winner will be announced on 5/2/13 {HERE}.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

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In exchange for my review, I received a free digital copy of The Heiress of Winterwood from the publisher through Litfuse Publicity Group.

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If you give me a book by Jody Hedlund …

If you give me a book by Jody Hedlund, I will want to start reading it right away.

If I start reading it right away, I will let the children play anywhere in the house.

If I let the children play anywhere in the house, the house will get messy.

I will feel guilty and want to clean.

I will help them pick up,

Make them dinner,

And put them in bed as early as possible so I can get back to my book.

If the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, I will keep reading.

I will stay up too late.

In the morning, I will need extra coffee to start my day.

If I’m drinking coffee, I will need a book to read.

So I’ll continue reading the new  Jody Hedlund book.

One cup of coffee will turn to two.

And soon it’s midmorning and I haven’t washed a dish or folded a piece of laundry.

I will Tweet the author to tell her my house is being ignored because her book is so good.

Dear @jodyhedlund, the dishes need washing, the laundry needs folded, and I need to bake bread. Instead I am finishing A Noble Groom.

— Lisa Bartelt (@lmbartelt) March 23, 2013

She will have no sympathy and tell me I can clean later.

I will turn on cartoons so the kids will leave me alone to finish the book.

I will set the book down a dozen times near the end to wait on them.

When I read the last word, I will close the book,

And sigh.

I will plunge my hands in the dishwater and feel a sense of loss.

Because if I finish a Jody Hedlund book,

chances are,

I’ll want to read another one.

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I received a copy of A Noble Groom from the author in exchange for my review, which you can find here on Goodreads or here on Amazon.

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Post written with admiration for Laura Numeroff’s brilliant “If You Give a …” series of books.

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When who we are is hiding in plain sight: Review of Invisible by Ginny Yttrup

Years ago I watched a movie starring Barbara Streisand called The Mirror Has Two Faces. I can’t remember much about the movie except that Bryan Adams sang on the soundtrack (and I was practically in love with Bryan Adams) and the female lead was not confident about her appearance or her attractiveness to men.

I could relate.

When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like what I saw, and I didn’t believe anyone else who said they saw something different.

Almost 20 years later, the struggle isn’t as intense, but it’s still a battle. And it’s this image battle that novelist Ginny Yttrup writes about in her new book Invisible.

Ellyn is the owner and head chef of a restaurant in Mendocino, California. She’s also overweight, has never had a relationship with a man and she’s skeptical when a widowed doctor, Miles, shows interest in her. She hears a voice in her head (she calls him “Earl”) that constantly puts her down. She loves butter. (Who doesn’t?)

Twila works at a shop owned by her mom. They specialize in herbal medicines, organic foods, and natural products. Twila bears a tattoo of thorns on her face, a mark of solidarity with those who suffer. She is thin and recovering from an eating disorder (she calls it “Ed”) and re-establishing a healthy relationship with food.

Sabina has come to Mendocino to escape. She’s a therapist carrying a suitcase stuffed with guilt and battling depression. She’s on a break from her practice, her family and God. Each day is a struggle to get out of bed.

Ellyn befriends Twila and Sabina and as the three of them get to know each other and their “issues,” they realize they aren’t as different as they might seem on the outside. Each of them, with the help of the others, is on a journey to discover who they are and why they’ve hidden behind food, an eating disorder and professional success.

I don’t know how she does it, but Yttrup creates characters that could walk off the page and into your living room. Invisible is an honest look at what happens in the female mind, and how distorted our view of ourselves can be. I found myself able to identify with each woman for a different reason.

This quote is one of my favorites from the book:

And if you like the writings of Christian saints, you’ll appreciate Yttrup’s inclusion of quotes from St. Augustine at the start of each chapter. A quote from his writings plays a major role in the theme of the book. (Yttrup did this with Madame Guyon in her last book, Lost and Found. I appreciate the ancient-modern connection.)

Yttrup has a unique style. Each chapter is written from the first-person perspective of one of the characters. Sometimes I had to go back and remind myself who was talking, but the chapters are short and the movement of the characters toward wholeness is fluid and hard to step away from.

I enjoyed reading this book on my own but think it would be even more meaningful in a discussion group with other women. So, if you’re looking for a book club read or you have a group of girlfriends who like to read and talk, I’d put this one on the list.

Read more about the author’s personal experience with the issues she writes about here.

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In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of Invisible from Handlebar Marketing.

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How a question led to a story: Review of You Don’t Know Me by Susan May Warren

Imagine you’re sitting on a plane and the woman sitting next to you is visibly upset. You’re naturally curious and compassionate, so you ask a question or two: How are you? and Why are you on this flight? The woman says she’s on the way to see her daughter, who is going into a federal witness protection program. She’s saying “good-bye.” Forever.

That happened to author Susan May Warren, and she turned the experience into a book, You Don’t Know Me, the sixth novel set in the fictional Minnesota town of Deep Haven.

In the close-knit town, Annalise Decker is a devoted wife, supportive mother and community activist. Her husband is running for mayor, and life, from the outside, looks perfect. Then a federal agent shows up with news that could wreck her world: the man she testified against 20 years ago is out of jail and seeking revenge. And Annalise’s carefully guarded secret, that her real name is Deidre O’Reilly and she’s in the Witness Security Program, is in danger of being made known. She has to decide if she’ll give up the life she’s built on a lie to protect her family or entrust herself to the grace and love of her family and the protection of God.

I picked this book up on sale for Kindle before Christmas last year. I’ve read one other Deep Haven book and a novella, both of which made me eager to pick up another one in the series. Though they all take place in Deep Haven, you don’t have to read all of them or have read them in order. I’m not even sure which ones I’ve missed, but each time I’ve taken the trip to Deep Haven through Warren’s novels, I’ve not been disappointed.

Warren blends suspense, humor, romance and inspiration like a perfectly seasoned soup. Her stories are warm, comforting, hearty and keep you coming back for more.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to say good-bye to your family forever, start a new life and then have that life threatened. Annalise’s choices are not easy and Warren makes her struggle real to the rest of us, who probably will never have to face that kind of choice.

I appreciated, too, that this story was borne out of something that really happened to someone through an encounter the author had in real life. As a writer, that inspires me, because I see stories everywhere. Warren’s tale is encouraging in so many ways. It’s not fluff; it’s tough.

And more often than not, I’m loving books that aren’t afraid to go deep.

Check out the first chapter and see if a trip to Deep Haven is in order.

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What Gone With the Wind would be like on a ship: Review of Forsaken Dreams by MaryLu Tyndall

I’m a big fan of Gone with the Wind, and Scarlett O’Hara, love her or hate her, is a complex and well-written character. (If your only reference to GWTW is the movie, then I tell you now, READ THE BOOK!)

And if you’re a fan of the Civil War-era stories and strong leading ladies, then MaryLu Tyndall has a new book you’ll want to add to your to-be-read pile.

Forsaken Dreams, the first in her new series Escape to Paradise, introduces a group of Southerners, just after the Civil War has ended, who are looking to start over. They all pay for passage on a ship headed for Brazil to start a new colony. Among the passengers is Eliza Crawford, Southern-born widow of a Union general, and Colonel Blake Wallace, wanted for war crimes and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Eliza and Blake are the central characters in this book. In subsequent books, other characters will take center stage.

The story takes us along on their journey from Charleston, South Carolina, through the Caribbean and Atlantic waters to Brazil. Of course, nothing is easy, and the tension that unfolds from the beginning of the story until its end is gut-wrenching and soul-piercing. Tyndall crafts an action-packed story from the first page and it doesn’t let up until the end. Even as I neared the final pages, I wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out.

The characters in this story are well-developed and realistic. I especially liked Eliza. She had me at this line: “I fear I’ve always been too adventurous for my own good.” I wouldn’t say those words about myself, necessarily, but they stir something in me. Eliza is no wilting Southern flower. She is strong and capable and steps forward where others step back. She’s described this way by Blake:

War has a way of stealing one’s innocence. As well as strengthening their character. However, in your case, this pluck of yours seems more something you were born with than something acquired.

And Blake is a flawed hero–the best kind, really. He’s not perfect. He often reacts with his instincts and his PTSD episodes are painful and frighteningly real. Eliza describes her attraction to him this way:

Yet something about him tugged on her, drawing her thoughts and heart like the needle of a compass to true north. And as with a compass, there seemed to be naught she could do to change its direction.

Perhaps my favorite part of the whole story is that it’s based in history. An unknown number of Southerners migrated to Brazil after the war to create what they hoped would be a utopian society after the devastation of the Civil War. This is a piece of  history I’ve never heard before. It makes for a compelling tale.

As Blake says to a fellow passenger, “Brazil is the last hope for many of us.”

The second installment of this series releases in November, which seems a long time from now. I’ll be waiting anxiously for the continuing story and a chance to journey further with this group. They feel like friends already.

In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of the book from the author.

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When Bible stories live and breathe: Review of So Shines the Night by Tracy Higley

Anytime Tracy Higley weaves a tale rooted in a biblical story, I’m on board. And her latest release, So Shines the Night, might be her best offering to the biblical fiction genre yet.

So Shines the Night, set in 57 A.D., tells the story of Daria, a widowed teacher who escapes the island of Rhodes with the help of a wealthy merchant, Lucas, who is headed to the bustling city of Ephesus. He hires Daria as a tutor, but it isn’t long before Daria becomes frustrated with a mysterious quest that consumes Lucas’ mind and time. She begins to fear that the evil she has sought to escape in her past has found her in Ephesus, and she pleads with Lucas to keep away from the sorcery that is gaining a hold on the city. In the midst of her mission to save Lucas and avoid evil, she meets followers of The Way, including Paul and Timothy, who help Daria when her questions put her in danger and when Lucas is imprisoned for a brutal crime. A spiritual battle for power follows, and Daria must decide if the One True God of Paul and Timothy is powerful enough to overcome evil.

Check out this video, on location in Ephesus, for another look at the story.

The story is taken from events in Acts 19, and Higley’s writing is so vivid and well-researched that I could see the characters’ actions as I read. Her fiction breathes life into the words of Scripture that sometimes become so familiar we forgot about the feelings and actions of the story’s participants.

I love how Higley’s characters feel and have internal struggles and change over time. And I love the glimpse into first-century Christianity. I don’t often think about how dangerous and joyous and life-changing it was.

If you want to read your Bible with more depth, feeling and imagination, this book is a good place to start.

And because today is LAUNCH DAY for the book, you could win more books, or at least the money to buy more books. Tracy is giving away a $50 gift card to celebrate the book’s release. To enter, click here or on the graphic.

Want to see the inside of a writer’s mind? (Don’t answer that!) Read on for a quick three questions with Tracy Higley.

What’s one thing you learned about Ephesus and its importance to Christians that you found surprising/interesting/challenging?

I had never realized or noticed until studying this time in Paul’s life, how much time he spent there (nearly three years). I always pictured him hopping around from place to place fairly quickly. I was challenged by the time that he invested in people’s lives, the relationships and bonds he formed. Later, when the Ephesian elders said goodbye to him, the book of Acts tells us that they were literally weeping. It’s easy for me to minister to people “from afar” but I was really challenged by Paul’s relational approach to sharing Christ.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

Keep writing.  If you haven’t finished anything, keep writing. If you’ve finished something and are trying to submit and sell it somewhere, don’t wait for an answer, keep writing. If you’ve gotten some interest and it’s moving through the process, keep writing. The publishing industry can move very slowly, and the best way to be ready for your “big break” is to keep improving through practice, practice, practice.

What’s one thing on your bucket list (even if i you don’t have an official “list”)?

I think I might like to skydive someday. I’ve never admitted that before! (And now I’m terrified.)

In exchange for my review, I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson through the Booksneeze program.

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Letting go and moving on: Review of Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert

Late last year, I read an interview with debut author Katie Ganshert on a friend’s blog. Her down-to-earth Midwestness caught me and I snagged a copy of her novel Wildflowers from Winter. I. Loved. It.

The follow-up, Wishing on Willows, releases this month, and it’s another not-to-miss story. Before I tell you more about the story, check this out: If you pre-order Wishing on Willows, you’ll get a bonus 7 devotionals written by the author and based on the book. What a neat extra! Click here to sign up for the bonus.

Now, back to the story.

Robin Price lost her husband, Micah, love of her life, four years ago and found out she was pregnant with the child they’d longed for at the same time. The grief sent her spiraling into a pit, but a dream fulfilled–opening a cafe in their hometown of Peaks, Iowa–pulls her out and becomes her passion. Between the cafe, a grief support group, raising her son and a community ministry, Robin is stretched. Her cafe is barely making a profit, but Robin’s commitment to it, and the dream she and her husband shared, is unwavering.

So, when developer Ian McKay comes to town with plans to help the town build condominiums to attract new residents, plans that include tearing down the buildings including Robin’s cafe, Robin fights with all she has to hang on to the cafe, the community ministry and her memories of Micah. Ian has his own past to battle and is determined to make this deal a success to prove to his father that he’s worthwhile and to forget the personal failings of the past two years.

They can’t both get their way. The question their story seeks to answer is whether they’ll let God have His way, even if His plans differ from theirs.

Want a preview? Read the first chapter here.

I’ve loved this set of books and characters because they remind of my hometown, which is not all that far from the Iowa setting. The small-town people, businesses and get-togethers make me homesick and remind of people I know and circumstances I’ve read about and reported on as a journalist. Robin’s grief is realistic and her struggle to do it all is common to mothers whether single or married.

Ganshert’s word pictures give the story a heartbeat, and I found myself nodding “yes” along with an emotion a character was feeling.

I hope you’ll check out these books. You won’t feel out of the loop if you haven’t read Wildflowers from Winter, so don’t hesitate to read this one.

And just for you, I have TWO, yes TWO, advanced reading copies to give away. Find details about the giveaway at the end of the post.

But first, I’ve got a short interview with the author to share with you.

Here’s a fast five with Katie Ganshert.

I grew up in the Midwest and after moving to Pennsylvania, I found I missed my homeland (except for the bitter cold!). What do you love about the Midwest? And what could you do without?

I love the Midwest. I love the friendly people. I love the four seasons – even if spring and fall are too short. I love the country roads and the farmland (that is sadly becoming less and less). I could do without winter in April, although that didn’t happen last year.

What authors do you enjoy reading?

So many! One of my favorite new authors, as well as a good friend, is Becky Wade. We’re discovering that readers who read and enjoyed My Stubborn Heart also seem to enjoy my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, and vice versa. So if you haven’t checked her out yet, I highly recommend! My Stubborn Heart made me laugh and cry and I seriously could not put it down.

Who would you cast to portray the main characters in your novels?

Oh, what a fun question! I imagine Robin to resemble a slightly younger Jennifer Connelly and Ian is a taller, tanner version of Matt Czuchry, complete with that adorable squinty-eyed smile. In Wildflowers I always imagined Bethany to look like a not-so-stunning version of Kiera Knightley and Evan as a scruffier, hazel-eyed version of Chris Pine.

What story in the Bible inspires you?

Rahab. She is “that girl”. The one who seems hopelessly lost and beyond redemption. She’s a prostitute. Her reputation is scandalous. Women would most likely cross the street to avoid her. Yet God used her in a huge way. He invited her to be a part of His story and she said yes. Through her lineage, came our rescue–Jesus Christ. I can’t get over that story. It just goes to show that God can use anyone, even the most broken among us.

How do you feel when you come to the end of a novel you’ve written?

Giddy and satisfied with a tiny twinge of sadness, because it’s hard to say goodbye, even to fictional characters.

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And now for the giveaway (for US and Canada residents only).

1. Leave a comment here. You can tell me a) an experience you’ve had with grief and how you got through it or b) a dream you have/had that you would fight for no matter the cost. That’s one entry.

2. Like Katie Ganshert’s author page on Facebook, then come back here and leave a comment that you did that. That’s an extra entry.

3. Follow @katieganshert on Twitter, and tell me that you did that. Worth one extra entry.

4. Follow me @lmbartelt on Twitter. Worth another entry.

5. Share about this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Help spread the word about this book and author! Worth one total entry.

Five chances to win! I’ll pick TWO winners on Saturday, March 9.

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In exchange for my review, I was given a free ARC of Wishing on Willows from the author and Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

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