Thursday, February 9, 2017

Two Suitors for Anna review and giveaway


 


Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book





Book: Two Suitors for Anna

 



Author: Molly Jebber

 



Genre: Amish Historical Romance

 



Release Date: January 31, 2017

 



In 1903 Ohio, a young Amish woman must choose between the life she has long planned for and a new, very different future…



Since Anna Plank moved to Berlin, Ohio, with her widowed mamm and two schweschders, she’s found a real sense of belonging. As soon as her beloved Noah Schwartz proposes, they’ll begin a new chapter here together. But Noah has a surprise for Anna: once they’re married, he wants them to travel and live in other communities. Anna, who loves her home and her job at the quilt shop, is distraught when he takes her hesitation as rejection—and leaves.



Daniel Bontrager’s arrival adds to Anna’s confusion. Since taking over his late brother’s farm, the handsome roofer has offered friendship and gentle attentions. Yet the pull of first love is strong and deep, especially when Noah returns. Through each revelation, Anna must search her faith for guidance, knowing she is choosing not just a husband, but a life to nurture and to share…

 

My thoughts: This story was a delightful, charming tale of a young woman trying to figure out who to spend the rest of her life with. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters, as well as some of the secondary characters, since Molly does a wonderful job of bringing them all to life. This is a sweet tale!
I received this book from Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.



Praise for Molly Jebber’s Change of Heart



“Endearing characters and a delightful story make this a keeper for fans of Amish romance.” –Emma Miller



“This is a wonderfully written historical romance with Amish and Englisch characters who are loveable and considerate of others. The storyline is believable and heartwarming. Jebber is a talented author.” –RT Book Reviews

 


About the Author





Molly Jebber’s books have been featured in Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today’s HEA, and Romantic Times has given them a near excellent rating. She’s on RWA’s Honor Roll. She’s a speaker for Women’s Christian Connection, and she offers presentations on writing, publishing, Amish lifestyle and traditions. She has received widespread media coverage, including live interviews, across the United States for her books and speaking engagements.



She’s just signed a new contract for four more Amish books! She loves interacting with her readers. She loves God, her husband, family and friends. She has a hard time saying no to cupcakes, swimming, nine holes of golf, and walks on the beach. Coconut, oatmeal, and onions, on the other hand, are not hard to say no to!



Guest Post from Molly Jebber


What prompted Two Suitors for Anna?

Have you had to choose between two men you love? Or maybe a friend? I gave Anna this dilemma and added to her turmoil by throwing in a bundle of twists and turns to the story.


Noah proposes to Anna, and he takes her rejection as hesitation and leaves town. Daniel moves to Berlin and offers her friendship which is blossoming into something more, when Noah returns and asks her forgiveness and another chance. I hope you enjoy it!

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February 3: Just Commonly
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Giveaway


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Wednesday, February 8, 2017

The Chilbury Ladies Choir


Through letters and journals, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir unfolds the struggles, affairs, deceptions, and triumphs of a village choir during World War II

As England becomes enmeshed in the early days of World War II and the men are away fighting, the women of Chilbury village forge an uncommon bond. They defy the Vicar’s stuffy edict to close the choir and instead “carry on singing,” resurrecting themselves as the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. We come to know the home-front struggles of five unforgettable choir members: a timid widow devastated when her only son goes to fight; the older daughter of a local scion drawn to a mysterious artist; her younger sister pining over an impossible crush; a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia hiding a family secret; and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past.

An enchanting ensemble story that shuttles from village intrigue to romance to the heartbreaking matters of life and death, Jennifer Ryan’s debut novel thrillingly illuminates the true strength of the women on the home front in a village of indomitable spirit.

My thoughts: I was really looking forward to this book, since I was hopeful that it would be along the lines of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's not. I was shocked at how crass this book is and that there wasn't much redeeming about it, when it could of been a really wonderful story. I would of loved to read A good, wholesome story about the war, but this was not what I was expecting. I only give it one star out of five.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

The Newcomer


Book: The Newcomer

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Historical; Amish

Release Date: January 31

In 1737, Anna Konig and her fellow church members stagger off a small wooden ship after ten weeks at sea, eager to start a new life in the vibrant but raw Pennsylvania frontier. On the docks of Port Philadelphia waits bishop Jacob Bauer, founder of the settlement and father to ship carpenter Bairn. It’s a time of new beginnings for the reunited Bauer family, and for Anna and Bairn’s shipboard romance to blossom.

But this perfect moment cannot last. As Bairn grasps the reality of what it means to be Amish in the New World–isolated, rigid with expectations, under the thumb of his domineering father–his enthusiasm evaporates. When a sea captain offers the chance to cross the ocean one more time, Bairn grabs it. Just one more crossing, he promises Anna. But will she wait for him?

When Henrik Newman joins the church just as it makes its way to the frontier, Anna is torn. He seems to be everything Bairn is not–bold, devoted, and delighted to vie for her heart. And the most dramatic difference? He is here; Bairn is not.

Far from the frontier, an unexpected turn of events weaves together the lives of Bairn, Anna, and Henrik. When a secret is revealed, which true love will emerge?

My thoughts: I read the first book about the start of Anna's journey in "Anna's Crossing", which was an interesting historical read. I was thrilled to pick this one up and continue the story of Anna, Bairn, and the rest of the group who has now found themselves in the new world. This is a fascinating book about the Amish settling in the New World. I can imagine that it was a hard life, though it was nice to have religious freedom. I highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoy Amish fiction, though it has a lot of interesting history details in it!
I received this book through Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.


About the Author
Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including Anna’s Crossing, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.
Guest Post from Suzanne Woods Fisher

Pennsylvania of 1737, the setting for The Newcomer, is like a foreign country. Parts of it might seem familiar—the same hills and creeks and blue sky, but we’d hardly recognize the settlers. People like Anna, or Bairn, or the mysterious Newcomer. We wouldn’t be able to understand their language, their customs and traditions. Their world was that different from our modern one.

The first group of Amish immigrants (first written about in Anna’s Crossing and followed up in The Newcomer) settled northwest of Philadelphia, then a vast wilderness, and relied on each other for safety, security, building projects, and church. In nearby Germantown, settlers were tradesmen, so they clustered houses together in small knots. The Amish farmers took out land warrants for sizeable properties and lived considerable distances from each other.

In The Newcomer, Anna cooked food in a cauldron over a large hearth. One-pot meals can trace their beginnings to open-hearth cooking when ingredients for a meal went into a large kettle suspended over the fire. Traditional dishes—ham and beans, pork and sauerkraut—used sturdy, available, and simple ingredients that improved with long, slow cooking. The dishes could be easily expanded when the need arose to set a few more places at the table. And it did, often. Large families and unannounced company inspired Amish cooks to find ways to “stretch the stew.”

Noodles (including dumplings and rivvels) could be tossed into a simmering broth to make a meal stretch. Most farms had a flock of chickens, so eggs were easily at hand. Today, homemade noodles are still a favorite dish.

Another “stew stretcher” was cornmeal mush, originally eaten as a bread substitute. Early German settlers who made their home in eastern Pennsylvania roasted the yellow field corn in a bake oven before it was shelled and ground at the mill. The roasting process gave a nutty rich flavor to the cornmeal. Mush is still part of the diet the Old Order Amish—cooked and fried, baked, added into scrapple, smothered in ketchup. Dress it up and you’ve got polenta.

Now here’s one thing we do have in common with 1737 Pennsylvania immigrants…a love of good food and a shortage of time! Here’s one of my favorite one-pot recipes—probably not the kind of stew Anna might have made for ship carpenter Bairn or the mysterious Newcomer (ah, which man one stole her heart?)…but definitely delicious. Enjoy!

Lentil Chili

Here’s one of my favorite “stew stretchers.” You can expand it even more by serving over rice.

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced
10 c. water
1 lb. dry lentils
1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt (season to your taste)

½ tsp. pepper
2 c. salsa (your favorite variety)
29 oz. canned tomatoes, crushed

February 7: cherylbbookblog
February 8: Just Commonly
February 9: A Reader’s Brain
February 9: Genesis 5020
February 10: Lane Hill House
February 10: Blogging With Carol
February 11: Quiet Quilter
February 11: Daysong Reflections
February 13: Karen Sue Hadley
February 14: Rhonda’s Doings
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February 16: Book by Book
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February 17: A Holland Reads
February 18: A Greater Yes
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Giveaway


[Insert Giveaway Picture Here]


To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away a Kindle! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
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Monday, February 6, 2017

Take ten: books I wish had more world building


While these books are all excellent, they were so good that I wanted more about the world around the characters.;)
1. Unblemished by Sara Ella

I have the hope that I will get my wish on this one, since there will be a sequel.;)

2. One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul

In all fairness, I do need to read the third book.;)

3. The Safe Lands Series by Jill Williamson


4. The Giftsnatcher by Charity Bishop

Okay, so more about the world comes out with each book, but I want more, since I keep feeling like I am missing something about it.;)

5. Aspen Everlasting by Kathryn Cooper

I would love more stories about the Evermortals!

6. Prophet By R. J. Larson

This series was excellent, and I see that I need to read Realm of the Infinite now...

7. A Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr

I was quite sad when this series ended!

8. Tales of Goldstone Wood

This series is excellent!

9. The Princesses of Westfalin



10. The Princess in the Opal Mask

I would love to have more from this author, set in the world of this set.
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Dating Never Works...Until it does: 100 lessons from 1,000 dates


Dating expert Zack Oates has experienced it all in this comical guide that will keep you happy and laughing.

Navigate through the complexities of friend zones, first dates, relationships, and breaking up all to reach the goal of love. Oates delivers practice yet lighthearted advice to assist with this lifetime adventure.

Perfect for audiences in dating situations of all kinds, these encouraging steps will help you find your final one and only.

My thoughts: Even though I am past the dating stage, and am happily married, I thought this book was a lot of fun! It is lighthearted, but also has some surprising depths to it. It would of been handy to have this book back before I got married, since it is interesting to see things from a guys perspective.
I also love the ideas for dates in the back, since there are some fun ideas for an "old married couple".;)
This is a great book to read if you are in the dating scene or have children who are in the dating scene!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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Sunday, February 5, 2017

Control Girl


Little fights with your husband and kids. Unhappiness when things don't match your version of perfect. Tension, anger, fear--it all begins with a heart that craves control. When your vision of how life should be replaces God's vision, you doom your quest for security, peace, and joy before it even starts. Thankfully, there is a better way.

Join Shannon as she shares what she has discovered about her own control struggles and about God from studying Control Girls in the Bible. Learn how you too can lay down this burden and find rest in surrendering to the One who truly is in control.

"In this funny, tender, and truth-telling book, Shannon Popkin peels back the layers of our control problem."
--Erin Davis, author, blogger, and recovering Control Girl

"In the style of Liz Curtis Higgs, Control Girl is an easy and entertaining read, yet Shannon Popkin packs a punch where we so need it if we are to be set free from the stressful habit that robs our joy and ruins our relationships!"
--Dee Brestin, author of Idol Lies

"With personal vulnerability, biblical depth, powerful personal illustrations, and pointed application questions, Shannon Popkin reveals how seven women of the Bible can teach us how to surrender our will to God's design for our future."
--Carol Kent, speaker and author of Becoming a Woman of Influence

"Control Girl is a penetrating look at how selfishness and self-protectiveness wreck lives--and why surrender and trust are God's life-giving pathways to true freedom and joy."
--Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author and Revive Our Hearts teacher and host.

My thoughts: I appreciated this book so very much, as Shannon opens her heart to readers about her life as she goes over the lives of the seven women in the Bible. This is a must read!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review .
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Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Story of Rosa Parks and The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.


The Story of Rosa Parks

This little book of only about 200 words introduces Rosa Parks, called the “mother of the civil rights movement.” Here is the story of her courageous decision to remain on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, an action that resulted in arrest and, ultimately, a victory for civil rights. The rich oil paintings by artist Steven Walker contribute to the tension of the moment and the understanding of Rosa Parks. A perfect way for the family to honor Black History Month.

The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.

This little book tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr. in a way that even very young children will understand. This simple but accurate account of his life begins with King’s childhood, making it easy for little ones to relate to his story. Children will learn that he excelled in school, became a minister, and worked to end segregation in America. This book, with only about 200 words accompanied by delicate watercolors, is a great way for parents to begin to teach their children about this inspirational historical figure.

My thoughts: With MLK day being observed across the Nation, I think that this board book is a great way to show kids why we observe it. I enjoy reading both of these board books to my children and talking about how important it is to respond to adversity like they did. They didn't lash out, but they also didn't just roll over. These books are both an excellent introduction to important people in American history.
I received this set of books from First Look in exchange for my honest review.
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