Healer of Carthage, The Carthage Chronicles, Book 1 by Lynne Gentry

About Book

A twenty-first-century doctor. A third-century plague. A love out of time.

First-year resident Dr. Lisbeth Hastings is too busy to take her father’s bizarre summons seriously. But when a tragic mistake puts her career in jeopardy, answering her father’s call seems her only hope of redeeming the devastating failure that her life has become. 

While exploring the haunting cave at her father’s archaeological dig, Lisbeth falls through a hidden hole, awakening to find herself the object of a slave auction and the ruins of Roman Carthage inexplicably restored to a thriving metropolis. Is it possible that she’s traveled back in time, and, if so, how can she find her way back home? 

Cyprian Thascius believes God called him to rescue the mysterious woman from the slave trader’s cell. What he doesn’t understand is why saving the church of his newfound faith requires him to love a woman whose peculiar ways could get him killed. But who is he to question God? 

As their different worlds collide, it sparks an intense attraction that unites Lisbeth and Cyprian in a battle against a deadly epidemic. Even as they confront persecution, uncover buried secrets, and ignite the beginnings of a medical revolution, Roman wrath threatens to separate them forever. Can they find their way to each other through all these obstacles? Or are the eighteen hundred years between them too far of a leap? 

Read an Excerpt here.

Howard Books |  416 pages | ISBN 9781476746333 | March 2014 - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Healer-of-Carthage/Lynne-Gentry/The-Carthage-Chronicles/9781476746333#sthash.cBnEMm3V.dpuf

Where to purchase: Amazon, Barnes&Noble

About Author

Lynne Gentry was a finalist in Westbow’s 2010 fiction contest. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and three of her novels have been selected as finalists for the ACFW Genesis contest. Lynne is a pastor’s wife and the mother of two grown children. 

See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lynne-Gentry/412732530#sthash.Pidtkp2y.dpuf


My Thoughts

Dr. Lisbeth Hastings while on a suspended leave is summoned by her father to an archaeological dig. While exploring ancient cave drawings Lisbeth finds the ground literally disappearing from under her feet. When she regains consciousness she finds herself being sold as a slave to Cyprian Thascius. Angry and fighting for her life Cyprian drags her away to his home.  He tries to calm her but she was beyond calming.  God called upon Cyprian to save Lisbeth from being sold to an evil man. He finds himself draw not only by God to this woman but also by  his heart.

Lisbeth is forced into a situation to use her medical skills when two boys are brought into Cyprian's home during a Christian gathering. The Romans are out to destroy any of the followers of Jesus. How and why did she manage to be in Roman Carthage eighteen hundred years in the past?

This story gave me goosebumps when the ground fell out from under Lisbeth. I wish to tell you so much about the story but then that would spoil the story for you. The author started with a contemporary novel jumping into a historical romance novel. I found interest in the conditions, knowledge and medicines healers eighteen hundred years ago had to work with.  

If you are interested in time travel and biblical fiction this is the book for you.

I rated this book a 4 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Howard Book/SimonSchuster for an honest review.

Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming by Miralee Ferrell

About Book

Angel Ramirez is tired of living a lie. But can she live like a lady?

On the run from a dangerous outlaw, Angel works her way across several states disguised as a boy and working as a varmint tracker and horse wrangler. After taking a job on a Wyoming ranch owned by a bachelor and his widowed sister, she finally reveals her true identity and must fight to prove her worth as a ranch hand while somehow discovering her role as woman.

Hiring a woman doesn’t sit well with Travis Morgan, and the dark-haired beauty is causing a ruckus among his cowboys. Just as Angel decides she’ll never be able to please her boss, an unexpected surprise arrives from across the ocean and makes trouble on the ranch. Will Angel leave with the person who’s come so far to claim her?


Genre: Fiction/General/Romance
Historical
320 Pages/Paperback
ISBN 978-1-60936-277-5
Published by Summerside Press
Available August 2011

Buy the book on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, ChristianBook.com

About Author

Miralee and her husband Allen have been married almost 40 yrs. They live on 11 acres in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington State, where they love to garden, play with their dogs, take walks, and go sailing. Miralee also rides her horse on the wooded trails near their home with her grown daughter who lives nearby. She’s an avid reader and has a large collection of first edition Zane Grey books, which inspired her desire to write fiction set in the Old West. When she started writing fiction Miralee believed that she’d always stay with women’s contemporary, but has since branched out to historical romance. Her first two books were women’s contemporary with Kregel Publications, The Other Daughter, and Finding Jeena.

Miralee serves as president of the Portland, Oregon, chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and belongs to a number of writer’s groups. She speaks at women’s groups, libraries, and churches about her writing journey, and has taught a both writers and library conferences.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/miralee
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/MiraleeFerrell
Blog: www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com


My Thoughts

1887, Texas

Angel Ramirez has been raised and protected by her uncle since the death of her parents when she was a small child.  But now since she has become a young woman he is not able to protect her.  Her uncle runs with cattle rustlers and there is a bad mad man that is determined to make Angel his property.  Angel leaves her uncle protection to get away from this mad man and she takes on a new identity, that of a man.  She now is Angelo De Luca and she is a tracker and ranch hand with a good reputation for the work she does.  Angel aka Angelo moves from ranch to ranch as a tracker and no one suspects she is a woman.

Travis Morgan has a ranch in Sundance, Wyoming and is in need of a good tracker to track down wolves that are killing off his calves. He heard about a tracker that works for a local rancher.  Angelo Ramirez comes highly recommend with a good reputation as a tracker.  Travis has sent word to the Ramirez offering him a job on his ranch.  But when the tracker arrives it is a beautiful woman, Angel Deluca Ramirez claiming to be Angelo Ramirez.

Angela argues her case that just because she is a woman doesn't mean she can't do the same job she has been doing as Angelo the man.  Travis agrees to let her prove she can do the job.

Where will she bunk? Can Travis really expect this beautiful woman to do a man's job?

I admired Angel's tenacity.  She let pride get in the way of God's plan.  This is a woman that has taken care of herself for so long it's hard for her to trust anyone even God.  The author gave this woman courage to be herself and to persevere. If she can only trust God.

The author has written a wonderful story full of intrigue, deception, forgiveness, and romance.   Most importantly trust and faith in God.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5

Disclosure
I received this book as a gift.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

If you found this review helpful please vote yes or no here.

In too Deep (The Kincaid Brides #2) by Mary Connealy

About Mary

I wrote for ten years before I got my first book published. When I did get my first contract I had twenty finished books on my computer at home. I had just enough encouragement through those ten long years to keep me going.

I was a stay-at-home mom when I started but during those years my children grew up and I got a job. I've worked forty hours a week, teaching GED, for the last five years.

Somewhere in about the third year of my writing, I sent a manuscript into Silhouette Romance and they requested a full manuscript. From the time I sent the three chapters in, then their request for a whole manuscript, then finally their rejection, it took a full year. So I'm starting to see just how slow the publishing world is. I sent that book in as a result of placing third in a writer's contest and I did pretty well in them.

I learned a lot from the critiques. Also when I'd final, I got judged by editors and agents.

There came a time when I expected to final in any contest I entered. The two years before I got published I was a finalist in eleven contests with five different books. And all the while I'm entering these contests, I kept writing.

I discovered ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and entered my manuscript Petticoat Ranch in their unpublished contest. I was a double finalist in 2004, another book of mine, Montana Rose, was in the running, too. (Montana Rose released in July).

I won The Noble Theme contest and got a lot of requests to send in my book. I also got a really simple request from Cathy Marie Hake. She asked me to send her my first three chapters. Cathy read what I sent her and said she thought I was 'ready'. By this time, I had so many rejections I had a hide like a rhino, so submitting work didn't even phase me. Okay, well maybe I crawled under my computer desk and sucked my thumb for a day or two every time I got one but other than that I was fine.

Just before the next year's conference, Cathy Marie Hake told me she wanted to pitch my name to write a book as part of a three book series set in historical Alaska.

Every year at the conference the acquiring editor for Heartsong Presents gives a contract to an unpublished author. I was so hopeful! I knew there was a chance it could be me. The Heartsong editor, Tracie Peterson, said someone else's name, so okay, I've been rejected before. I kind of expect it. And then she said, 'And this year we're giving two contracts to first time authors. We're offering a contract to Mary Connealy. I get chills saying that! It was a wonderful, thrilling shocking moment. I had to go up and get the contract, in front of 350 other writers, all clapping. A great, great moment in my life.

Find Mary online at:
 Seekerville 
 Petticoats & Pistols
 My Blog 
 My Website

 

History, Romance, Humor--and Cowboys!—from Bestselling Author Mary Connealy

 In 1866 Colorado, Ethan Kincaid agrees to a marriage of convenience with the same casual disregard he gives every decision. Audra Gilliland, young mother of two, accepts his proposal because she wants to stop being a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.

And suddenly both of them are in far deeper than they'd planned.

Ethan doesn't expect Audra to affect him so profoundly, and when she begins to, he's terrified of the pain he's felt before when someone he loved was seriously injured on his watch. He's determined that his new wife will do as he says so he can keep her safe from the dangers that lurk on their ranch.

Audra has been cared for all her life by one man or another--and they've done a poor job of it. Now she's planning to stand up for herself. And her new husband had better agree or get out of her way!

What will it take to transform two wayward hearts fearful of getting in too deep into two trusting hearts ready to risk falling deeply in love?

Where to buy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book.com


My Thoughts

This is the second book in this series and is a great compliment to book one.

In 1866, Colorado Audra Gilliand agrees to marry Ethan Kincaid because she feels like she has become a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.

Ethan has become attached to Audra's two small children and is so afraid he will not be able to protect her and the children.  Plus he is confused about the feelings he has developed for Audra.

Audra is not wanting to be dependent  on anyone. She wants to be able to stand on her own to feet and not be treated like a fragile little china doll.

The author picks Audra up out of the rubble of her past giving her faith in God to protect her and her children.  In the character Ethan shows a yearning to be a father to Audra's children.  As a family unit I believe Audra and Ethan will bring out the best in each other and the children showing that God has mad a blessed union.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:
I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion.