Through The Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Blogging for Books Giveaway

About Book

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all 

Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn’t old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ’s love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

Read Excerpt Chapter One here.

See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD


About Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print. She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their ten granddarlings.

See more at: http://kimvogelsawyer.com/about/


My Review from April 2014

Dinah was not only born in a brothel but was raised there until she turned seventeen.  The cook at the brothel told her about advertisements for Harvey Girl waitresses in hopes of getting her out of the brothel before she became like the others.  To her disappointment she would have to be eighteen to be a waitress but to her great surprise they would hire her as a housekeeper at the hotel.  She will finally be able to put the stigma behind her of being shunned by the community as being tainted.  

She is determined to stay to herself and work hard at Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas so she can move on to becoming a Harvey Girl when she turns eighteen.  She catches the interest and admiration of a Florence local chicken farmer, Amos Ackerman.  She is flattered by the attention but stays in fear of someone finding out about being the daughter of a prostitute.  She avoids making friends with the girls she works with but takes up their invitation to join them in going to church.  She is shown nothing but love and respect from everyone.  She wondered why anyone, much less God, would care about the illegitimate daughter of a prostitute?  

The author has written a sad tale of an illegitimate girl searching to find respectability.  More so she yearned for unconditional love.  The character Dinah had little confidence in mankind and for good cause. She was shown little more love than an unwanted rodent.  This story reveals God had other plans for Dinah beyond anything she could ever have imaged.  It was a heart-wrenching tale turned by redemption and reconciliation. Then there is sweet tender love growing in the heart of a most unexpected young man for this lovely lost girl. 

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/WATERBROOK PRESS for an honest review.

Blogging for Books Giveaway

The contest starts on July 31, 2014 at 6:00am EST and ends on August 20th, 2014 at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random on August 21st, 2014 and will be alerted by email. For a complete listing of the rules, please see below.

If you can not read the the details above you can click here for the rules.

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ A Blogging for Books Review

About Book

Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. 
 

When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.   

Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

About Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print. She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their ten granddarlings. 

• Author's Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

My Thoughts

Caroline Lang is a private investigator assigned to investigate suspicions of murder and illegal child labor among other crimes at chocolate factory. In order do so she goes undercover as a worker.   Unbeknownst to her Ollie Moore the janitor at the factory is also doing some undercover on his own. He is actually Oliver Dinsmore the son and heir of the factory.  As things start coming to light they decide to combine their efforts to uncover the deceit and illegal goings on in the factory.

Caroline had never given much thought to having a husband much less children until she met Ollie Moore and felt she could trust him with her life and her heart. 

The author has written a who done it mystery that will have your skin crawling and have you  watching over your shoulder while you read this book.  It may not be hard to guess who the villian is in the story,  it was getting the proof to convict the guilty party. 

I found it surprising anyone could find romance under such circumstances. The author shows us how God works miracles with the gift of love. This book will be a keeper for my personal library. 

I highly recommend this book. 

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah/Blogging for Books for an honest review.

Through the Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About Book

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all 

Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn’t old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ’s love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

Read Excerpt Chapter One here.

See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD



About Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print. She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their ten granddarlings.

See more at: http://kimvogelsawyer.com/about/


My Thoughts

Dinah was not only born in a brothel but was raised there until she turned seventeen.  The cook at the brothel told her about advertisements for Harvey Girl waitresses in hopes of getting her out of the brothel before she became like the others.  To her disappointment she would have to be eighteen to be a waitress but to her great surprise they would hire her as a housekeeper at the hotel.  She will finally be able to put the stigma behind her of being shunned by the community as being tainted.  

She is determined to stay to herself and work hard at Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas so she can move on to becoming a Harvey Girl when she turns eighteen.  She catches the interest and admiration of a Florence local chicken farmer, Amos Ackerman.  She is flattered by the attention but stays in fear of someone finding out about being the daughter of a prostitute.  She avoids making friends with the girls she works with but takes up their invitation to join them in going to church.  She is shown nothing but love and respect from everyone.  She wondered why anyone, much less God, would care about the illegitimate daughter of a prostitute?  

The author has written a sad tale of an illegitimate girl searching to find respectability.  More so she yearned for unconditional love.  The character Dinah had little confidence in mankind and for good cause. She was shown little more love than an unwanted rodent.  This story reveals God had other plans for Dinah beyond anything she could ever have imaged.  It was a heart-wrenching tale turned by redemption and reconciliation. Then there is sweet tender love growing in the heart of a most unexpected young man for this lovely lost girl. 

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/WATERBROOK PRESS for an honest review.

What Once Was Lost by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About This Book

A woman meant to serve, a child in the dark, a man standing apart—can these three souls embrace a God with new plans for them?

On a small Kansas farm, Christina Willems lovingly shepherds a group of poor and displaced individuals who count on her leadership and have come to see the Brambleville Asylum for the Poor as their home. But when a fire breaks out in the kitchen leaving the house uninhabitable, she must scramble to find shelter for all in her care, scattering her dear “family.”

With no other options, Christina is forced to approach Levi Jonnson, a reclusive mill owner, to take in a young blind boy named Tommy Kilgore. Levi agrees with reluctance but finds himself surprised by the bond that quickly grows between him and Tommy. As obstacles to repairing the farm pile up against Christina, she begins to question her leadership ability and wonders if she can fulfill the mission to which she's dedicated her life. And when an old adversary challenges Christina, will she find an unlikely ally—or more—in the aloof Levi? Can Levi reconcile with the rejection that led to his hermit-like existence and open his heart and life to something more, especially a relationship with a loving God?

See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=221537#sthash.WVhnm19G.dpuf

About Author:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are in print and have garnered awards including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in Kansas, where she and her retired military husband, Don, run a bed-and-breakfast inn with the help of their four feline companions. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and nine grandchildren.   

See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=162648#sthash.oXneAdLR.dpuf

My Thoughts 

Christina has a mission to help the down and out the misplaced and homeless including orphaned children. Just when things seem to be going well on the Poor Farm the house catches fire leaving even Christina homeless. She finds places for everyone to stay until the house can be repaired except for Tommy a blind child.  She convinces the mill owner and recluse Levi Johnson to temporarily take in Tommy until she can make other arrangements.  There did not seem to be anyone sympathetic to this young boys needs. Levi tried not to bond with the boy but his heart continued to soften for the lad even though Levi did  not want to open his heart to anyone.  

Christina leans on Levi more and more while trying to get the house repaired.  This was not setting well with Levi.  He is suspicious of how the fire was started that damaged the Poor Farm.  Will they ever be able to return to the farm or will they be homeless again? Where will they go from here?

I found this to be a heartwarming tale that I did not want to put down.  I had never heard of a Poor Farm and found ite b a wonderful concept. Growing their own food and raising farm animals.  Homeless adults caring for orphaned children. This farm was almost totally self sufficient. God had a plan one that was not expected.  When we lead it makes it hard when God wants us to follow his path.  The author has a tender heart and a great vision that she is able to bring forth in her writings.  

I highly recommend this book.  

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I receiving a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/WATERBROOK PRESS for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.

MY HOPE is Found, THE CADENCE OF GRACE, # 3 by Joanne Bischof ~ BloggingForBooks Review

My Hope Is Found by Joanne Bischof (Sneak Peek) by WaterBrook Multnomah

About the Book:

Gideon O’Riley has been given another chance at a life with Lonnie. But will the fight for her heart risk it all over again?

After finally finding love with his sweet bride Lonnie, Gideon’s heart was torn when a woman from his past claimed to be his true and rightful wife, forcing him away from his family. God’s merciful hand saw Gideon through the heartache, and with Cassie’s blessing, he is able to return home. Though his journey back through the Blue Ridge Mountains will hold a trial he never anticipated.

Meanwhile, Lonnie determines to seal off her heart from Gideon, convinced he is lost to her forever. Strengthening her resolve to move on is the fondness she has for the handsome Scotsman, Toby McKee the young reverend she has come to care deeply for. His proposal of marriage offers a bright future for her and her young son.

Yearning to allow joy back into her life, Lonnie must put aside the broken pieces of her heart that still love Gideon. When he returns to find her betrothed to another, he has to place his hope in God, trusting that the One who redeemed their love once can do it again. 

• ISBN-13: 9781601424259
• Publisher: WaterBrook Multnomah
• Publication date: 10/15/2013
• Series: Cadence of Grace Series
• Pages: 352

About the Author

Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne Bischof lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home-schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. Be Still My Soul is her first novel.

Website: http://www.joannebischof.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannebischof
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2935695.Joanne_Bischof

My Thoughts

Lonnie and Gideon have a new found love for each other and their new son.  The Bennetts have become their family teaching Gideon what family really means when it is centered in Christ.  But is it the end of their trials and tribulation?  They are about to put this love and faith in each other and God because of a mistake in Gideons past.  He is married to someone else which makes his marriage to Lonnie invalid.  Will he be able to end the first marriage and make his second bound and legal.  

Is it really true out of sight out of mind? Not for Lonnie, she can not stop thinking of Lonnie and the heartache he has caused her, but she must.  She is forced to raise her son without his father.

Ever since the preacher, Toby McKee started visiting the Bennett's farm she has noticed the special bond between him and her small son.  Does she dare believe she could love again?  Her son would have a father! If it were not for the memories of her beloved Gideon and her lack of trust. God's will be done!

The author does not sugar coat life's trials and tribulations. She is putting it in your face that the past does catch-up  when you least expect it.  It is not particular who it falls upon.  Like the old saying, "you can run, but you can't hide."  There are harsh lessons to be learned in this story.  Does this story make Gideon accountable for his first marriage? You bet it does! You will be wanting to bop him upside his head for the pain he causes so many people.  Yet you will end up wanting to comfort him in his exile from Lonnie and his son.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah/Blogging For Books for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review. 

The Winnowing Season ~ Amish Vines and Orchards, Book 2, by Cindy Woodsmall

About Book

The tornado that devastated Kings’ Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel, and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community—and brave enough to face the secrets that move with them?

On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God’s leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?

• ISBN-13: 9780307730046
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press
• Publication date: 4/2/2013
• Series: Amish Vines and Orchards Series , #2
• Pages: 336
• Product dimensions: 5.62 (w) x 8.10 (h) x 0.94 (d)
• 
  

Where to buy:  Amazon, Barnes&Noble, CBD

About Author

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author who has written six novels, three novellas, and Plain Wisdom, a work of nonfiction coauthored with her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud. She’s been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life.

She is also a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.

She’s won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings’ Best Books of the Year. She’s been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn’t realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn’t allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy’s house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them—afraid that if they didn’t, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann’s because her family didn’t own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults’ disapproval and the obstacles in each other’s lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy’s family moved to another region of the US.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities—from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.

Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband, three sons, two daughters-in-law, and a new granddaughter.

Author's website: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/

My Thoughts

Rhoda Byler is ready to start over again this time right outside Unity, Maine. They are to start a new Amish community and there is so much to do before they make the move, which is in the morning.  First thing she has to do is go back to her hometown community to have a meeting with the Bishop of the church to address  accusation against a man in her church for destroying her garden which was her livelihood.  She was not even the person to accuse him to the Bishop.  She has Samuel King to thank for that.  Now there was a big chance she would not get permission to move.  It always seemed to get turned back around to being her fault.  Not many see her intuitions as a gift.

Jacob King openly loves Rhoda and Samuel King hides the feelings he has for her to himself.   If Rhoda does not get permission to move then they will have lost everything.   Both men see Rhoda as the key to the Kings' Orchard success.

They all seem to have something to hide and a lot of healing is required.  Will they turn all their worries over to God? They need to trust that God holds the blueprint for their lives.

In book two the author pulls you right back to Rhoda and her search for reconciliation and acceptance from her family and community.  The character Rhoda is given a little taste of what happiness can fill like yet realizes that it can be taken from her at anytime or place. The story compares in parts to the book of Job.

The books in Amish Vines and Orchards series have been fast reads for me mainly because I did not want to put the books down. So now I am anxious  and ready to read book three.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Press/Blogging for Books for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.

GIVEAWAY 3 copies of Pope Benedict XVI ~ The Infancy Narratives ~ JESUS of NAZARETH

Photo of Pope Benedict XVI © Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis

Synopsis|Excerpt

The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.

In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.


JOSEPH RATZINGER, Pope Benedict XVI, born in 1927 in Germany, has been head of the Roman Catholic Church since April 2005. A prolific author, theologian, and university professor, Ratzinger served as an “expert” at the Second Vatican Council, and was appointed in 1977 by Pope Paul VI to lead the German Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. In 1981, Pope John Paul II called him to Rome to head the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where he served until his papal election.

Read under News & Resources tab: POPE 101 PART 3: The Writings of Benedict XVI

Where to buy:  Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.com

~ * ~ * ~ * ~  


GIVEAWAY

3 HARDCOVER copies of JESUS OF NAZARETH

provided by 

IMAGE BOOKS/Random House/WaterBrook Multnomah/BloggingForBooks

Giveaway will be from 

November 28th - December 4th, 2012

three winners, one copy to each winner

In four separate moments:

1.  Leave a comment  with your email.

2. Follow me, if you already follow me just note it in the comment

3.Tweet about giveaway.

4. Share on Facebook .

(Mandatory) Please leave your email address in the comment

 so I can contact you if you are the winner. 

example of email:  johndoe(at)yahoo(dot)com

I can not contact you without an email.

 The winners will be announced 

on December 5th, 2012. 

Twice A Bride ~ The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series #4 by Mona Hodgson

About Book

Love lost doesn't mean love lost forever.

Can unexpected romance deliver a second chance for two deserving widows?

Full of resolve, young widow Willow Peterson decides to pursue her dreams to be an artist as she settles into a new life in the growing mountain town of Cripple Creek.  When she lands a job working as a portrait painter with handsome entrepreneur and photographer Trenton Van Der Veer, the road before Willow seems to be taking a better-than-anticipated turn.

With questions tugging at several hearts in town, including the Sinclair Sisters’ beloved Miss Hattie, change is traveling down the tracks as several unexpected visitors make their way out West.  Will the new arrivals threaten the deep family bonds of the Sinclair sisters and the roots of love that are just taking hold for Willow?  

Filled with the resonating questions that all women face, this romance awakens hope against grief, love against loss, and dreams against life’s unexpected turns.

Read Excerpt here

• ISBN-13: 9780307730329
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press
• Publication date: 10/2/2012
• Pages: 320
• Series: Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.com

About Mona

MONA HODGSON writes western, historical fiction for WaterBrook Press. She is the author of TWO BRIDES TOO MANY, TOO RICH FOR A BRIDE, THE BRIDE WORE BLUE, TWICE A BRIDE, and THE QUILTED HEART novellas (early 2013 releases). Her writing credits also include nearly thirty children’s books, contributions to eleven books for adults, and hundreds of short stories, articles, and poems in newspapers and magazines. One of Mona’s favorite things to do (besides writing or eating dark chocolate) is to speak at women's retreats and schools, and for women’s groups, librarians, and at writers’ conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Mona lives in Arizona with her husband, Bob.

Author's website:  www.monahodgson.com  

Mona's blog http://monahodgson.wordpress.com/ 

and http://www.facebook.com/author.mona.


My Thoughts

In Book 4 of the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series the young widow Willow Peterson knows what she wants to do with her life and that is to be an artist and sell her paintings in order to support herself.  Her mother doesn't seems to think being an artist as a career is practical and that she should work at the families Ice Company.  

Willow notices an add in the local paper by a photographer, Trent Van Der Veer that just opened a shop in town.  He is needing artist to paint portraits from the photographs he has taken.  She can't believe her luck. This is just the opportunity she has been hoping for her future as an artist.  

Trent receives several answers to his add and notices one applicant, Willow Peterson lives in Cripple Creek and decide to ask her to come in for an interview and bring an example of her work.  He is very impressed but not sure about hiring a woman.  But he decides to give her chance at the job. Trent finds he is attracted to Willow but he is under the impression she is married.  Just so happens Willow seems to be attracted to Trent.  

Evidently Willow and Trent are not the only couple in town that has caught the love bug and that is none other than Miss Hattie.  Miss Hattie has fallen for a new comer to Cripple Creek and it surprises not only herself but the Sinclair Sisters are ecstatic over this possible match. 

Will there be another wedding or two in Cripple Creek. Or will the two women prefer to continue there life as widows?

The author managed to write another heartwarming story of family ties, new babies and reconciliation with our Lord Jesus Christ.  She shows the reader that if a person would ask God into their hearts and pray asking Him to heal their suffering heart He will fill them with Peace living their lives fuller in Him.  

I love all the characters she has created in this series.  I enjoyed reading about their trials and tribulations as the Sinclair family grew in numbers and most importantly Spiritually.  

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Press/Blogging for Books for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.




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

WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER by KATIE GANSHERT

About Katie

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo.

You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.

Wildflowers from Winter: A Devotional

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

-Deuteronomy 8:15

I met a woman once who lived in Kibera, the biggest slum in subSahara Africa. She slept in a tiny shack with six kids, three of whom weren't her own. Her husband had left. She was sick with AIDS. Yet she was lit from within, beaming with the hope of Christ.

If I close my eyes right now, I can see her. And most likely, five years later, she’s no longer sick. She’s no longer living in a shack. She’s rejoicing with the One who gave her that hope.

I have a friend who struggled for three years with infertility. She and her husband were faithful and obedient to the Lord. So why wouldn’t He give them the child they yearned for? They had no idea God was using that time to lead them down a different path. A path toward adoption. A path toward their daughter.

When I think of that African woman, when I think about my friend, I picture wildflowers.

Do you know the harshest, snowiest winters produce some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the spring?

I love when truth reveals itself in nature.

Because this is truth.

God uses what the human eye sees as cold and harsh and lifeless, to bring about beautiful things. Breathtaking things.

Like a once-snowy field bursting with wildflowers.

Like an infertile woman who realizes she doesn’t have to get pregnant to be a mother.

Like a woman riddled with sickness, steeped in poverty, yet beaming with hope.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being a God who can redeem the most barren times in our lives. Thank you for being a God who brings beauty from pain. Help us to trust You, no matter our circumstance or season. Help us to trust that You are faithful and You are good.

Are you trusting God to bring water from the hard rocks in your life?

*   *   *

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

About Book

Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring.

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.

Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?

Release date: May, 8 2012
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
ISBN-10: 0307730387
ISBN-13: 978-0307730381

Where to buy: 
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My Thoughts

Bethany Quinn is a fortress until disaster strikes.  That is when the memories of her tortured soul comes creeping out.  All she wants to do is push past memories back so she can continue with her successful career in Chicago as an architect.

She is no longer the penniless, pitiful little girl of her youth.  The memories she refuses to think about are as if they were yesterday. The only pleasant memory she has is of her loving grandfather, Dan and her best friend, Robin.  She has not seen them in ten years.

While Bethany is busy at work her cell phone rings and it is her mother whom she has no desire to speak with.  But the calls become persistent and so she calls her mother back.  Her mother tells her that Robin's husband was in an accident and is in a coma.  The doctor gives little if any hope.  After fighting the old memories and debating whether or not to go be with her friend she receives another call.  A man by the name of Evan Price calls with the bad news that her grandfather has had a heat attack.  Her decision has been made, she has to be with her grandfather.  While she is there she will consider visiting her old friend.

Arriving at her grandfather's farm there is a man she assumes as Evan Price standing in the doorway.  Come to find out he has been hired to help work the farm.  He looks worn out and as if he hasn't slept in days.

As the story continues it gets more stressful for Bethany and Evan. They have been thrown together and  are not too happy about the situation.  It seems they both have their own demons to deal with.  One of them has a strong relationship with God but the other does not acknowledge God at all.

If we keep sliding away from God, He sends his disciples to help nurture the seeds that had been planted in order that we can grow toward Him and away from our the demons we created in ourselves.

I want to share this from the book.
"The rational part of Robin's brain knew better. But grief had obliterated her ability to think rationally. Grief was the royal flush in a hand of poker.  It beat everything."   
Have you been there before?  I know I have.

This is a soul searching story of reconciliation, repentance, faith, hope and love.

The first part of this book is one traumatic event after another.  It even began to traumatize me.
But you have to know it was very well written. Had to be the way it had me all worked up.   When you are reading this book just be sure to have some tissues close by, you will definitely need them.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book for review from Waterbrook Press.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.