PENNSYLVANIA PATCHWORK by KATE LLOYD ~ Litfuse Tour & Amish Quilt Giveaway

About Book

Seattle native Holly Fisher is smitten by Lancaster County, its simplicity and her long lost relatives. In the sequel to bestselling Leaving Lancaster, Holly embraces the Amish culture, learning to slow down to see what --- and who --- really matters.

Meeting the family that her mother had kept hidden from her, Holly comes face to face with her real life and blood legacy. She also falls for the charming Zach, a handsome Mennonite veterinarian who is everything she's ever wanted in a husband: confident, kind, successful, and authentic. And Zach proposes marriage. Is this too soon? Is this the right choice? Mother and Amish grandmother think she's rushing into too much of a lifestyle change. Holly is in love with Zach and that precludes everything. Until she meets an attractive Amish man. And an old suitor shows up.

Pennyslvania Patchwork is the moving, richly told story of one woman's heart, her faith and trust, and the choices she makes. Never easy, but one choice can change your destiny.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/lG7GU

Landing page: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/KLloyd

  

Meet Kate: 

Author Kate Lloyd is a passionate observer of human relationships. A native of Baltimore, Kate spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, PA, the inspiration for her novels. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. Kate and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest. Kate studied painting and sculpture in college. She's worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur.

Learn more about Kate at http://www.katelloyd.net


Kate Lloyd is celebrating the release of book two in her Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy, Pennsylvania Patchwork, by giving away an authentic Amish-made quilt!

 
One "grand" winner receive:

• An authentic Amish-made Quilt
• Pennsylvania Patchwork and Leaving Lancaster by Kate Lloyd

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced on July 1st at Kate's blog.

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

My Thoughts

Holly Fisher lives under the same roof with her mother who is soon to be baptized Amish and her grandmother whom she was just recently united with due to the fact Holly was told her   grandmother was not alive. 

In their home the drama level is at a very high level.

Holly is trying to decide if she still wants to marry a Zach, the Mennonite veterinarian or convert to Amish and marry an Amish man.  But wait!  There is also an Englischer friend that has decided he wants to be more than friends with Holly and presents with a proposition he thinks she will not resist.  

It appears Holly has enough drama just by herself but then her mother, Esther was suppose to be getting married to Nathaniel and now the Bishop has come up with a very good reason why she may not get to marry Nathaniel.

Holly's grandmother, Anna is having health problems and showing signs of dementia needing more care than a toddler.  Her cooking and dropping off to sleep at any given time is proof her memory and health are failing.  

I was under the impression that life among the Amish was plain and peaceful.  Evidently not! The author's imagination must have been working on triple time.  Having raised several daughters I know how drama can build.

I tried to think of who was my favorite character in this story and I have to say Anna the feisty grandmother.  She may have been in bad health but the author gave her a big personality.  Anna was one sneaky, persistent and sometime sweet old lady.  

What really got on my nerves was the constant friction between Holly's so called suitors.  They bickered so much I wanted to bop them upside their head.  The story could have done with less of their bickering.

I suggest you read book one to really appreciate book two. All said, I do recommend this book. 

Considering the positive over the negative of this story I have rated the book a 4 out of 5.

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

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

THE GUARDIAN, Home to Hickory Hollow Series, Book 3 by BEVERLY LEWIS

About Book

Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis's celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

When Jodi Winfield comes to Lancaster to house-sit, the last thing she expects to find is a disheveled little girl alone on the side of the road. The young teacher is mystified when she learns there have been no reports of a missing child, and the girl herself is no help, since she can't speak English. It's as if the child appeared out of nowhere.

Then Jodi turns her attention to Hickory Hollow--and the cloistered world of the Old Order Amish--in search of answers.

• ISBN-13: 9780764209796
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Publication date: 3/26/2013
• Series: Home to Hickory Hollow Series , #3
• Pages: 352

Where to Purchase: Baker Retail, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com

About Author

Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is the New York Times bestselling author of more than ninety books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has inspired Beverly to write many Amish-related novels, beginning with The Shunning, which has sold more than one million copies and was recently made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. In 2007 The Brethren was honored with a Christy Award. She has been interviewed by both national and international media, including Time magazine, the Associated Press, and the BBC. Beverly lives with her husband, David, in Colorado.

Visit her Web site at www.beverlylewis.com for more information.

My Thoughts

Jodi Winfield is a teacher taking a little break while house sitting.  She finds the  area beautiful and she is looking forward to an early morning jog.  It is dawn as she sets out and to her shock she finds a little girl curled up asleep under a tree off the side of the road. The child is dirty and and under dressed.  She is not really sure what she should do first. 

Jodi finds herself in the middle of an Amish Community.  It was as if she had been taken back to a different time.   The local Amish were welcoming to her and their lifestyle intriguing.  She just can't seem to get enough of their company.  She finds even more appealing to her is their trust, hope and faith in God which started a peaceful healing in herself.

I found this story so moving.  It has been some time since I have had to keep a box of tissue by me while reading a book.  The author has a way of reaching deep into your heart stirring your emotions.  One of my favorite characters was Maryanna Esh it seemed the author had given her a strength that could only come from God.   She also had an abundance of patience!  I found that waiting on book three had been well worth the wait. Looking forward to reading book four of Home to Hickory Hollow, THE SECRET KEEPER.

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/Baker Publishing Group for review.  I as in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.

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

Interview with DIANNE K. SALERNI Author of THE CAGED GRAVES

THE CAGED GRAVES

A Junior Library Guild Selection

In Catawissa, the dead don't always stay where you put them...

17-year-old Verity Boone expects a warm homecoming when she returns to Catawissa, Pennsylvania in 1867, pledged to marry a young man she's never met. Instead, she finds a father she barely knows and a future husband with whom she apparently has nothing in common. And a truly horrifying surprise awaits her: the graves of her mother and aunt are enclosed in iron cages outside the local cemetery. Nobody in town will explain why, but Verity hears rumors of buried treasure and witchcraft. Perhaps the cages were built to keep grave robbers out . . . or to keep the women in. Determined to understand, Verity finds  herself in a life-and-death struggle with people she thought she could trust.

 Inspired by a pair of real caged graves in present-day Catawissa, this historical YA novel weaves mystery, romance, and action into a suspenseful drama with human greed and passion at its core.

• ISBN-13: 9780547868530
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 5/14/2013
• Pages: 336
• Young Adult/Middle Grade

Where to buy:  Amazon, Barnes&Noble 

Interview with Dianne K. Salerni

Caged Graves and the Origin of a Story

I first saw the photograph in a random article on the internet: a lonely cemetery with worn and tilted tombstones – and one grave with an iron cage around it.

I couldn’t get the photo out of my mind, so my husband used the clues in the article and Google Earth to identify the graveyard as the Old Mt. Zion Cemetery outside Catawissa, Pennsylvania. It wasn’t that far from home, so we decided to take a drive to see it in person. I wasn’t even sure the grave would really be there, but we received a shock when we pulled the car up beside the abandoned graveyard and saw two caged graves! Two?!

The graves belonged to Asenath Thomas and Sarah Ann Boone. They were clearly related in some way, since Sarah was a Thomas by birth and Asenath was a Thomas by marriage. Both women died in 1852, within a few days of one another.

Why would anyone erect iron cages around their graves? The original article I read claimed Sarah Ann’s family believed she’d been bitten by a vampire – or maybe a werewolf. But legends of vampires and werewolves weren’t popular in the U.S. in the 1850’s, and besides, the writer of the article hadn’t even been to the cemetery or he would’ve mentioned the other grave.

I found a more respectable article written by the local historian who suggested the cages were erected to keep out grave robbers. In the mid-19^th century, fresh corpses were in demand by medical schools. This was a logical (although still creepy) explanation for the cages -- but why build something permanent when the danger of grave robbing would pass within a few weeks? And why were only these two graves protected? What made these women potential targets – who they were, or what they died from?

By now, I knew I had a novel-worthy premise. I started digging around in the history of that region and discovered a little known battle of the Revolutionary War had taken place nearby – about 75 years prior. When the Americans lost, captured Continental soldiers were brutally massacred by British and Indian forces. Then the countryside was razed by the victors, driving settlers to flee into a vast marsh. Most of them died of exposure in what would eventually become known as the Shades of Death swamp, but a few stragglers made it out and took refuge in Catawissa -- the town with the mysterious cemetery.

Tying these elements together became the heart of my story and a three-pronged mystery. How did Sarah Ann and Asenath die? Why were their graves caged? And how are they connected to events in the Shades of Death 75 years earlier?

My novel The Caged Graves is fictional, of course. The real story behind these graves remains a mystery.

About Author

Author Dianne K. Salerni of WE HEAR THE DEAD (Sourcebooks 2010), THE CAGED GRAVES (Clarion 2013), and THE EIGHTH DAY (a forthcoming series from HarperCollins). She is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, Inc.

Visit Dianne's website: http://diannesalerni.blogspot.com/p/the-caged-graves.html

My Thoughts

Verity Boone at age two years, was taken from her father, shortly after her mothers  unforeseen death, in order to have the chance to have a normal life while being raised with her cousins in her Aunt's home.  Now Verity is 17 years old and has promised to marry a respectable young man from her home town of Catawissa, Pennsylvania.  When she arrives at her father's home nothing is familiar to her. She did not receive a very warm welcome from anyone including her father. Something was not right, maybe she was being ill treated because people were jealous that she was to marry the most sought after bachelor in Catawissa.  But then as time goes by it is apparent it was more of the fact she was her mother's daughter. Stories of witchcraft was whisper behind her back.  There are many secrets leading up to her mother's death and even at this time in her life when she should be enjoying the preparations for her wedding she is forced to face a life and death situation with no one to turn to for help. 

If this had been a movie, which I think it should be, you would be sitting on the edge of your seat and would not dare to go to the restroom or to get popcorn. Yep, it is that good.  I did not want to put the book down I took it everywhere with me. Yes even to the restroom.  

The author has done a bang up job on this book. You will find high anxiety, greed, action, mystery, romance and redemption all through this book. What a creative imagination this author has put to work in her writing.  I hope to be reading more of her books soon.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Netgalley for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.

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

ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF FREE by Jessica McCann

About Jessica

I write. I live in the metro Phoenix area with my husband, two children and two dogs. And I write.

All Different Kinds of Free, my award-winning historical debut novel, was published April 2011 by Bell Bridge Books.

My reporting and creative nonfiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Business Week, The Writer, Phoenix, Raising Arizona Kids and ASU Research to name a few. Many corporations, universities and nonprofit organizations also tap me to write and edit dynamic communications materials.

About Book

A free black woman in the 1830s, Margaret Morgan lived a life full of promise. 

 One frigid night in Pennsylvania, that changed forever. They tore her family apart. 

 They put her in chains. They never expected her to fight back. 

All Different Kinds of Free was inspired by a true story. It is about Margaret Morgan, who was kidnapped in 1837, along with her free children, and sold into slavery. Although she fought hard to regain her freedom, Margaret endured tremendous loss and hardship. Her ordeal led to one of the most important yet least-known Supreme Court cases of the era, Prigg v. Pennsylvania.

Text books will have you believe the story of Prigg v. Pennsylvania is important because it ended in controversy and fanned the early embers of the Civil War. This book will have you believe the story is important because it began with Margaret.

"All Different Kinds of Free draws on an obscure 1842 Supreme Court decision for a gripping story of a free black woman abducted into the horrors of bondage. Jessica McCann adds flesh and blood to dry history to recreate the savagery and sometimes even the humanity of slavery. This book tears at your heart." ~ Sandra Dallas, New York Times best-selling author of Prayers for Sale and Whiter Than Snow

"A terrific, historical novel -- well executed, emotionally engaging, illuminating an important Supreme Court case and the heart of an heroic woman." ~ Jewell Parker Rhodes, American Book Award winner and author of Douglass' Women

Visit the official website for links to research, reviews, book club discussion questions and more!

www.AllDifferentKindsofFree.com

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or an Independent Bookseller near you.

My Thoughts

In 1830, Pennsylvania, a free family of color, Margaret Morgan, her husband Jerry and their three children were seen as an asset to there community .  Jerry employed at a local business and Margaret had her a very successful seamstress business .  Then her freedom and that of her children's were taken away.  Her former boss claiming she was a runaway slave.  They were kidnapped and sold at auction to the highest bidders. The kidnapper was charged for the crime of kidnapping but an appeal at a higher court overturned the verdict before anyone could find Margaret and her children.  This all sewed seeds of discontent which a lot of people believed eventually brought our country to Civil War. 

It was unthinkable the treatment Margaret and other slaves had to live through.  I cried over the injustice and cruelty the slaves and freed slaves had to endure.  They got less care and respect than their owner gave his livestock.  Granted not all slave owners were cruel but they still condoned slavery. 

Margaret never gave up hope that she would once again be free.

If you think you can handle the truth think again. 

You must read what the author writes about  the truth of what happened To Margaret Morgan and her family and so many other people back then !!!!! 

I abhor the fact that there are still people with such prejudice still in this world.  Will we ever be free of this ignorance of racism?  I pray to God we will!

The Holy Bible: King James Version. 2000. 

The Psalms 23

 The LORD Is My Shepherd A Psalm of David. 

 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: 

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

 thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: 

 and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 

 Published by The American Bible Society

I highly recommend this book!!!

I rate this book a 5+ out of 5.

Disclosure: 
I received of free copy of this book from the Author/Bell Bridge Books for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

Litfuse Tour: MY STUBBORN HEART by Becky Wade and Giveaway

About Becky: 

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She's been a fan of all things romantic ever since. 

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky's passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances with Avon Books, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her kids, then recently returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She felt led to move to the genre of contemporary Christian romance and couldn't be more thrilled with it. 

These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.

Learn more at:  www.BeckyWade.com

About the book:

My Stubborn Heart 
by Becky Wade 

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not. 

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed? 

Published May 1st 2012 by Bethany House
ISBN: 0764209744
ISBN-13: 9780764209741

Where to buy? 
Christianbook.com 
Barnes&Noble
Amazon 

 Win a Nook Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™! Enter Today - 5/7-5/24!

  Becky Wade's My Stubborn Heart Giveaway and RSVP for FB Party {5/24}!

  Celebrate with Becky by entering her My Stubborn Heart Giveaway

 and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 5/24!

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Brand New Nook Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™
• A $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate
• A copy of My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on May 24th. Winner will be announced at the "My Stubborn Heart" Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/24. Becky will be hosting an book chat, testing your trivia skills and giving away some great prizes!

So grab your copy of My Stubborn Heart and join Becky on the evening of the May 24th for a chance to meet Becky 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 and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 24th!

Schedule for Blog Tour of My Stubborn Heart:   http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13491775/beckywade


My Thoughts:


Kate Donovan has taken a well needed reprieve from her job in order to travel to Rosebud, Pennsylvania.  Her Grandmother asked for her help in restoring the house where her grandmother grew up.  They will be getting much needed help from Matt Jarreau, a contractor that specializes in restoration of old homes.  Everyone sees much more in this handsome man than just a contractor.  He  definitely looks as if he carries a great burden on his heart that even show in his eyes. Kate has a soft heart for burdened souls.  Has God brought her to Rosebud to help this man heal his broken heart and soul?

Reading this book was like wrapping up in a warm blanket.  The characters became very familiar to me like old friends. My heart especially ached for the pain Matt endured.  Kate's character was so in tune to the needs of others to the point of neglecting her own needs.

Kate's grandmother had some eccentric and very comical friends. They helped to loosen up Matt and pull him out of his recluse like state.

I highly recommend this book.

I have rated this book a 5 out of 5.

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