QUILTS OF LOVE - MAYBELLE IN STITCHES by JOYCE MAGNIN

About Quilts of Love: 

Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. TheQuilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.

About the book: 

Maybelle Kazinzki can't sew. She was after all, the only girl in the seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of the A-Line dress they were supposed to make. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother's house she gets the crazy idea to finish it---somehow, come heck or high water. She thinks it will help fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden, is serving overseas during World War II.

Her recently departed mother's quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother's childhood, her grandmother's childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden's stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle's faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful---no matter what. And it'll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that.

Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website.

Tour Schedule: here

About the Author: 

Joyce Magnin is the author of the Bright's Pond novels, including the award-winning The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. A member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship, Joyce is a frequent workshop leader and the organizer of the StoryCrafters fiction group. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Learn more about Joyce at: http://joycemagnin.blogspot.com

Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Maybelle in Stitches, by Joyce Magnin. Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it.

Joyce is celebrating the release with a $200 Modcloth giveaway. Enter today for a chance to spruce up your spring wardrobe!

  One winner will receive:

• A $200 ModCloth.com gift card
• Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
• A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
• Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced on April 21st on the Quilts of Love blog!

Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER.

My Thoughts

Maybelle couldn't believe she was going to attempt to finish a quilt her mother had started. Her dear friend Doris said it was a memory crazy quilt since it had pieces of fabric from Maybelle's heritage.  After great contemplation they decided to add more than her childhood scraps to the quilt she would add pieces of memory of her husband and others whom were enduring this Second World War. The fact that her husband was missing in action makes finishing the quilt more important than ever.

There is one big problem Maybelle can't sew and needed help. She had several women workers from the shipyard renting rooms in her home.  She too worked at the shipyard as a welder building ships which was her contribution to the war. Some of the women staying in her home and a couple of other she worked with was interested in helping her with the quilt even adding some of their own memories to the quilt and at the same time they would teach Maybelle to sew.  

I found the character Maybelle to be pessimistic in many ways. For instance her lack of faith in God to keep her husband safe or to get her through life's everyday trials and tribulations. She did not think she was capable of  learning to cook or sew in other words most things women were expect to know by her age. She had no faith in herself or God. She came off at times as being self-centered.  Especially when there others were worried about their husbands being missing or becoming casualties of war.  

I loved the story line of the shipyard women workers, but the rest of the reading was slow.  The reading seemed repetitive at times about the characters daily lives.  But the story line kept me reading and waiting for something interesting to happen which it did occasionally through the story.   

My own father was in the Navy during WWII.  He died from Leukemia in 1955 when I was four years old.  I have no memory of him.  A memory quilt would have been nice.

I do recommend this book. 

I rated this book a 4 out of  5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group/Abingdon Press for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.

Win a NEW Spring Wardrobe from @TheQuiltsofLove | “Maybelle in Stitches” Giveaway! 4/11

Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Maybelle in Stitches, by Joyce Magnin. Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it.

Joyce is celebrating the release with a $200 Modcloth giveaway. Enter today for a chance to spruce up your spring wardrobe!

  One winner will receive:

• A $200 ModCloth.com gift card
• Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
• A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
• Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced on April 21st on the Quilts of Love blog!

Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER.

Quilts of Love | A SKY WITHOUT STARS by Linda S. Clare – Kindle HDX Giveaway & “Spring Fling” Facebook Party!

About Book

A Sky Without Stars | A Quilts of Love Book

In 1951, Frankie Chasing Bear is a Lakota caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she knows he will need to become as a white man to succeed. After his father’s killed in a barroom brawl, Harold and Frankie move to Arizona, where she begins a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn and prayed into it.

She distrusts Christians, as her own parents were forced to convert at an Indian School, until she meets BIA agent Nick Vandergriff, a half-Lakota who’s also caught between cultures. Nick must convince Frankie that white men and Christians aren’t all bad as he tries to win her heart in order to put the stars back into her sky.

Purchase a copy and learn more at the Quilts of Love website.

About Author

Linda S. Clare is an award-winning coauthor of three books, including "Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them" (with Melody Carlson and Heather Kopp), "Revealed: Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World," and "Making Peace with a Dangerous God" (with Kristen Johnson Ingram). She is also the author of "The Fence My Father Built." She has taught college-level creative writing classes for seven years, and edits and mentors writers. She also is a frequent writing conference presenter and church retreat leader. She and her husband of thirty-one years have four grown children, including a set of twins. They live in Eugene, Oregon, with their five wayward cats: Oliver, Xena the Warrior Kitty, Paladine, Melchior, and Mamma Mia!

Don't miss this month's Quilts of Love book, A Star Without Stars, by Linda S. Clare. Linda is celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway and joining her fellow Quilts of Love authors, Barbara Cameron and Joyce Magnin, for a Facebook "Spring Fling" party on April 1st.

  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
• A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
• Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 1st. Winner will be announced at the "Spring Fling" Facebook Party on April 1st. RSVP today and connect with the authors from the Quilts of Love series, Barbara Cameron, Linda S. Clare, and Joyce Magnin, for an evening of book chat, quilt trivia, prizes, and an exclusive look at the next Quilts of Love book!

So grab your copies of Scraps of Evidence, A Sky Without Stars, and Maybelle in Stitches and join Barbara, Linda, and Joyce on the evening of April 1st for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on April 1st!

My Thoughts

In 1951, Frankie Chasing Bear is determined to give her son Harold a better chance at life. Frankie convinces the Navajo School Board to allow her to earn her school diploma.  Her son is also enrolled in the same school to continue his education.  She becomes aware of prejudice against the Indians especially from Mrs.Green. Then school is robbed and Frankie is not comfortable at all the finger pointing. 

Harold at age ten becomes restless about their move and is anxious about his Lakota heritage needing to be near his deceased father and wanting to seek his rights to manhood.  Frankie is very aware of her son's desire to go back to his Lakota home. 

On several occasions when she was having problems with her son a Federal Agent Nick Parker for the reservation comes to their rescue. His shadowing her is appreciated but she will never trust another man especial not one that is only part Lakota and a Christian. 

Frankie Chasing Bear refuses to trust the white man's God her grandmother so wanted Frankie to know was her only hope.  Frankie had promised her grandmother she would make her son a Lakota Star pattern quilt which would reveal a great secret for life. As she worked on the quilt she could feel the wisdom of her Grandmother coming through to her.

I read this book in one night.  I did not want to put it down.  This was a new look into the lives of  American Indians in the nineteen-fifties.  I was very aware of my anger at the prejudice they were faced with in the guise of their best interest.  

Then there was the misplaced and misunderstood person that was not full blood Indian.  They were often looked down upon causing them not to know which world they belonged. 

The author created some unforgettable characters which I would love to revisit their lives.  

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5+ out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group/Abingdon Press for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.

DANCING WITH FIREFLIES || RSVP for April 10th Facebook Party and enter to win a Kindle HDX from @DeniseAHunter!

Don't miss Denise Hunter's latest Chapel Springs Romance, Dancing with Fireflies. Reviewers have already labeled Dancing with Fireflies "swoon-worthy" and "the perfect love story." 

Join Denise in celebrating the release of her new book by entering her Kindle HDX giveaway and RSVPing for her April 10th Facebook party.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HDX
• Dancing with Fireflies and Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 10th. Winner will be announced at the Dancing with Fireflies Facebook Party on April 10th. Connect with Denise for an evening of prizes, book chat, and an exclusive look at the next book in the series.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 10th!

Blog Touring Schedule 3/24 – 4/10: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/dhunter

A Miracle of Hope, Amish Wonders Series, Book 1 by Ruth Reid

About the book: 

Book One in the Amish Wonders series.

How far can God's mercy reach?

Lindie Wyse is pregnant out of wedlock and thinks an arranged marriage is the only way to preserve her future. Josiah Plank is certain he'll never love again, but he needs someone to care for his eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. The two take on their arrangement tentatively at first but soon realize they are each in for more than they imagined.

Lindie experiences a breakthrough with Hannah when she recognizes Hannah's special gifts, but a risky pregnancy and serious health issues threaten to demolish the foundation Josiah and Lindie are building. Will their growing love survive despite their struggles, or will their hearts become as cold as the northern winter?

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/sABNg


About the author: 

Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who resides in Florida with her husband and three children.

Find out more about Ruth at: http://ruthreid.comhoughts



My Thoughts

Eli Wyse has made arrangements with his widower friend Joshiah  to marry Eli's sister Lindie.  Lindie is pregnant and is not given a choice in the matter . When Josiah meets Lindie he offers her a way out even though he is in dire need of a helpmate.  His daughter Hannah is deaf and needs constant supervision because she tends to wander off into the woods.  He also makes it clear to Lindie he will not share his love with her.  So they decide to live together yet apart.

Lindie becomes very attached to Hannah. The child appears to be gifted by God. With all that needs to be done as a new wife and mother she begins having complications with her pregnancy.

As time goes by they can't stop their growing feelings from tuning into love and respect for each other.

Such heartache is evident within the these newly weds.  God works miracles in this family as they work through their trials and tribulations.  The author has written a heart wrenching tale building up the spirits of these characters having them learn to have faith and trust in each other through the intercession of God.  Yes it began as a heart wrenching tale and then turned into a heartwarming tale. It is not a fairy tale but a fictional account of a family given a chance for a new beginning.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group/Thomas Nelson for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.

The Calling, Inn at Eagle Hill series, book 2 by Suzanne Woods Fisher - Litfuse Publicity Group Tour

About the book: 

Book Two in the Inn at Eagle Hill series.

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher delivers her trademark twists, turns, and tender romance in this delightful and exciting visit to the deceptively quiet community of Stoney Ridge.

Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime's accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher---and he seems bent on irritating her to no end.

When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves---and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/stlG8

Read an excerpt: http://ow.ly/stlIM

Landing page and Tour Schedule: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/sfisher

Meet the author: 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Inn at Eagle Hill series, Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. 

Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your mobile device! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/10Tygyi

Learn more about Suzanne at:http://suzannewoodsfisher.com

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating her newest book, The Calling, by giving away TWO iPads, TWO Kindles, and TWO Nooks!

 

Two grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• The Letters and The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Four second place winners will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX or a Nook HD—winner's choice!
• The Letters and The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 8th. All winners will be announced February 10th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 10th to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

My Thoughts

Bethany Shrock still suffers from the betrayal of a man she thought was meant to become her intended.  So she keeps herself busy helping at home which is also the Inn at Eagle Hill.  Her family is trying to put their lives back together after the unexpected death of her father and the disappearance of her brother.

Bethany is been offered a job which becomes a task much bigger than she could ever have imaged. She has agreed to clear the clutter from the  home of the elderly Amish Sisters so they can take their turn in having church in their home. But that many take a very long time.

Jimmy Fisher has been coming around to visit Bethany trying to draw her into conversation.  She has no use for any man. The last man in her life broke her heart.  Besides she has always found Jimmy very annoying even if he was handsome.  She had other things to do like help with the guest at the Inn and helping the elder sisters with all of their projects which includes a soup kitchen.

I have been anxious to read book two of this series.You see, I became very attached to this family and their community.  The author's Shrock family characters, were held together by together by four determined women, each withholding secrets. This made for a suspenseful story and more than one blooming romance.

God must have been guiding the author's heart as she wrote this book. I actually read this book in one day. Now I am ready to read her next book.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Revell/Litfuse Group Tours for an honest review.

Robin Lee Hatcher’s A PROMISE KEPT Kindle HDX Giveaway and Facebook Party!

Don't miss Robin Lee Hatcher's stunning new novel, A Promise Kept. Robin is celebrating with a fun giveaway and an encouraging Facebook Author Chat Party.

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 6th. Winner will be announced at the "A Promise Kept" Facebook Author Chat Party on the 6th. Connect with Robin and friends for an evening of encouraging book chat, prizes, and an exclusive look at Robin's next book!

So grab your copy of A Promise Kept and join Robin on the evening of February 6th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on 2/6!

Ruth Reid’s A MIRACLE OF HOPE Kindle HDX Giveaway and Facebook Party!

A Miracle of Hope is the first book in Ruth Reid's new series, Amish Wonders, and she is celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX Giveaway and an Author Chat Facebook Party!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• A Miracle of Hope by Ruth Reid

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 11th. Winner will be announced at the A Miracle of Hope Facebook Party on February 11th. Connect with Ruth for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, prizes, and more!

So grab your copy of A Miracle of Hope and join Ruth and friends on the evening of February 11th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!