Book Review: Swept Away by Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy’s newest release, Swept Away, is a gem! If you’ve read any of her other books, you know you’ll find “romantic comedy with cowboys” within the pages, but with this new book, the author goes a step further.

When Ruthy MacNeil is swept away by a flash flood that separates her from the family who raised her, she is rescued by Luke Stone…but Luke is on a mission of his own and has no time for a helpless woman. Luke soon finds out Ruthy is anything but helpless and welcomes her help as he fights to reclaim his land.

The book is filled with romance, danger, shooting, comedy and hard riding cowboys. What more can a reader want? I don’t want to give away the ending, but I know you’ll love it.

What pleases me most is to see Mary Connealy’s writing get better with every story. I’ve loved her writing from her very first book, but Swept Away holds a promise of wonderful things to come. Her stories remind me of some of my favorite great western writers of the past, Louis L’amour and Zane Grey.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the “Trouble in Texas” series, Fired Up, releasing September, 2013.

The publisher provided a free copy of this book for my unbiased review.

Book Review: Brush of Angel's Wings by Ruth Reid

In Brush of Angel’s Wings, Ruth Reid’s second book in her “Heaven on Earth” series, we are treated to the story of Rachel Hartzler, a young Amish woman who doesn’t fit comfortably into her Michigan Amish community’s expectations. She meets a young man, Jordan Engles, who is only planning to stay with his Amish uncle for a short time to fulfill a promise made to his dying mother before he rejoins the English world. 

When Rachel’s father hires Jordan to help out on the farm, Rachel has to face feelings ranging from jealousy because this newcomer is taking her place working beside her father to renewed grief as Jordan’s presence reminds her of her brother who recently died. Jordan, in turn, is dealing with his own grief and finds himself searching for a connection to his mother through her Amish roots. In spite of this, Jordan and Rachel are attracted to each other, and as they learn to work together, they become friends.

The reader is also witness to the workings of an angel, named Nathaniel, and a demon named Tangus, both trying to affect Rachel and Jordan’s lives – Nathaniel to protect them, and Tangus to lead them away from God. The angel’s and demon’s interactions are woven into the story throughout the book.

I enjoyed this story and was caught up in the developing relationship between Rachel and Jordan, especially when a tragedy seems to force them apart. I wasn’t as interested in the angel’s part of the story - it could have been left out without affecting the story in any way. Even so, I’m interested in reading Ruth Reid’s other books, including The Promise of an Angel, the first “Heaven on Earth” book, and Angel at Her Side, the third book in the series, available January 2013.

I received a free copy of this book for my unbiased review.

Book Review: Beyond Hope's Valley by Trisha Goyer

The third in Trisha Goyer’s Big Sky Trilogy, Beyond Hope’s Valley doesn’t disappoint the reader who is looking for the continuation of Marianna Sommer’s story. At the end of the previous book, we knew Marianna would be returning to her Indiana home, leaving her parents and younger siblings in Kootenai, Montana, and her future seemed set. But when she arrives in Shipshewana, she realizes her time in Montana has changed her, and she sees her home community through new eyes.

As Marianna and Aaron make plans for their future, questions continue to arise, leaving Marianna unsettled and unsure. Will she live the life she had planned, or will a new future open up for her beyond this valley?

I enjoy Trisha Goyer’s books very much, but this one was disappointing. The conflict between Marianna and Aaron seemed shallow and rushed, and her portrayal of the Shipshewana Amish community didn’t ring true – one of the pitfalls of using a real place for a setting in a fictional work.

Don’t let that dissuade you from reading this book, however – the end of Marianna’s story is a sweet conclusion to this trilogy.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for my unbiased review.

Debra Dixon's GMC

I love reading craft books for writing.

What can I say? I love studying.

Currently, I’m on my second time through Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict.

This is a book that is written in such a straight-forward way it’s easy to understand.  Basically, the author maintains that each character in your story should have concrete goals (what they want), motivation (why they want it) and conflict (what’s keeping them from getting it). She uses well-known movies to illustrate her points, and it’s worthwhile to watch those movies (she encourages you to do so in her introduction).

 

I initially read this book a year ago when I was developing the characters for my first book. Even in the early drafts I was getting comments like “these aren’t cardboard characters,” and I know it’s because I used Debra Dixon’s GMC chart to develop all of my characters, not just the main, point-of-view characters.

So tell us, what are your favorite craft books?

You can buy Debra Dixon’s GMC here. You’ll find a much better price than on Amazon.

Book Review AND Author Interview! The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

In this hauntingly beautiful retelling of the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, Melanie Dickerson takes the reader to 14^th century England where we meet Annabel Chapman. At seventeen years old, Annabel is of the age to marry, but her one desire – to read the Bible – can only be fulfilled by entering a convent. However, her father’s death and the family’s bankruptcy three years earlier have made that dream impossible. 

To save her family from losing their home, Annabel becomes a servant of the new Lord, Ranulf le Wyse, a man whose scars and missing eye make him fertile ground for rumors and speculation. While in this potentially dangerous situation, Annabel learns that underneath Lord le Wyse’s gruff exterior lies a desperately wounded man. When Lord le Wyse asks her to read his Bible aloud to him in the evenings, they find common ground. 

One of the most intriguing parts of this story is the appearance of more than one “beast” and more than one “beauty”. Annabel’s depth of beauty is more than skin deep, and she is contrasted with another girl who appears beautiful on the surface. Lord le Wyse’s beastliness is legendary, but again, the author holds other beastly men up for the reader to compare with him. These contrasting characters give this story many complex layers to explore.

This is Melanie Dickerson’s second book, matching her first, “The Healer’s Apprentice”, in historical detail and appealing romance. Even though both stories are retellings of classic tales, they read more as richly detailed historical fiction than fairy tales. 

With her complex characters, detailed historical settings and compelling stories, Melanie Dickerson writes the kind of fiction I wish more Young Adult readers had access to.

And now you can meet the author!  

   

Hi Melanie, and welcome to my blog!

Thank you, Jan, for inviting me! I’m thrilled to be here!

First of all, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a wife and stay-at-home mom of two daughters and I live near Huntsville, Alabama. I’ve always been fascinated with the middle ages, and I love writing in that time period. I also love to cook, but I hate to clean up. It’s a classic internal conflict, but now my daughters are getting old enough to help out with the dishes, so … classic happy ending! (Just don’t tell my daughters I said that.) And we have a crazy dog, a Great Pyrenees mix who loves to escape our fenced in back yard and run wild all over our neighborhood. And that’s my life in a nutshell. Pretty boring, really.

Both of your published books are retellings of classic fairy tales – The Merchant’s Daughter is a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”, and your first book, The Healer’s Apprentice, is a retelling of “Sleeping Beauty”. What made you choose these stories?

When I started getting the idea for The Healer’s Apprentice, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as fairy tale retellings. I was watching Disney’s Sleeping Beauty movie with my daughters and it occurred to me that it would be fun to flesh out the basic story and make it more realistic. And since publishers at the time all wanted series, I thought it would be fun to do a series of books based on fairy tales. And since Beauty and the Beast was my favorite fairy tale, it was the natural choice for my second novel.

Even though your books are enjoyed by readers of all ages, they are in the “Young Adult” age group. What is your vision for writing for this audience?

I love feeling that I am writing something that shines light in the darkness. So many YA books these days seem so very dark. I have nothing against showing good versus evil, but I dislike the idea of my daughter, and other teen girls, reading books that blur the lines between what is good and what is evil. Today’s “heroes” are often anything but heroic. And I fear that many of the novels teach kids that it’s okay to do evil if one can justify it somehow. It’s okay to kill innocent people if you’re forced to do it, or vampires can be good if they don’t kill people. That bothers me, frankly. And I love it when I get emails from girls all over the world (thanks to e-books!) who say that they appreciate the Christian aspect, or the spiritual aspect, or the moral aspect of my books. The teen years are so crucial! If I can positively affect a life in that pivotal time, then I am happy and blessed.

Even though this is just your second book, you’re already developing a loyal readership. Can you tell us about your next project?

Well, it’s top secret of course, Jan (wink) but I just finished the first draft of a Snow White story involving Rose and Wilhelm’s (from The Healer’s Apprentice) second son, Gabe. He learns that his older brother’s betrothed is actually still alive and being persecuted by her evil stepmother. Since his older brother has a broken leg and can’t go rescue her, Gabe goes himself. He and Sophie escape from the duchess, but they have to battle her hired henchman, wild animals, and their own attraction for each other as they ride toward the Cottage of the Seven, the mysterious house where they’ve been told they will find safety. I’m hoping this one will be published late next year.

Thanks for stopping by, Melanie! We'll be looking forward to your next book!

I received a free galley copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a favorable review nor did I receive any incentive to do so.

Book Review: The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

The Harvest of Grace is Cindy Woodsmall’s third book in her “Ada’s House” series. In this book we meet Sylvia Fisher, a young Amish woman whose skills encompass tending and nurturing a dairy herd more than the homemaking skills that her friends excel in. A heartbreaking development sends her away from home, where she finds employment on another farm, becoming a trusted friend of the arthritic Amish farmer and his wife.

But when Aaron Blank, the farmer’s son, returns home after months in rehab, his desire to move his parents into town and an easier life clash with Sylvia’s, and his father’s, determination to bring the dairy farm back from the brink of bankruptcy.

In spite of their opposing goals, Sylvia and Aaron form a bond based on their mutual love of Aaron’s parents and find a way to work together toward a solution for them. But will love give an added blessing to their lives?

Cindy Woodsmall’s intimate knowledge of the stresses that our modern culture places on the Old Order Amish brings an authentic touch to her novels. They are always a pleasure to read!

And Ada’s House fans won’t be disappointed. The Harvest of Grace holds more than Sylvia and Aaron’s story – we’re also treated to the continuing sagas of favorite characters from the earlier books.

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press for my impartial review.