Nicole Baart's After the Leaves Fall ~ Reviewed

After the Leaves Fall
By Nicole Baart
Published by Tyndale

October, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4143-1622-2

Description:
For anyone who's ever wanted to start over ...

Julia Bakker's life had been marked by loss. After her mother leaves and her father dies when she's just sixteen, Julia is determined to escape the confines of her gossipy, conservative Christian town.

When her best friend and first love, Thomas, breaks her heart, Julia leaves for college—the perfect place to reinvent herself. But one wrong decision changes her forever, and she returns to her grandmother's farm, weary and defeated.

Yet hope takes root in unexpected places, and Julia discovers that starting over looks nothing like she imagined.

Review:
I loved this book. From page one, Baart's distinctive style engrossed me. After the Leaves Fall is a beautiful portrait of a young girl struggling with life, love and decisions. Julia wants to be someone else, or at least not who she is. Life hasn't been kind to her. She grew up with a mother who didn't want to be a mother. She preferred Julia call her by her first name instead of mom. The only bright spot in her life was her father, who loved her unconditionally.

Julia wasn't bothered much when her mother left one day and never returned, but when her father dies, she's devastated. Baart skillfully and beautifully exposes Julia's grief, raw and multi-layered. She's left with wounds so deep, she doesn't like to talk about her parents to anyone.

I don't often read such complex emotions written with such credibility. I believed every word. After the Leaves Fall is the kind of book that leaves you wanting more. I'm glad there's a sequel, and Baart is an author to watch. Her debut novel is highly recommended by this reviewer.

Reviewed by Ane Mulligan
www.anemulligan.com

Wendy Alec's The Fall of Lucifer ~ Reviewed

The Fall of Lucifer
By Wendy Alec
Published by Realms
ISBN: 1591858143

Three Archangels…three brothers…one turned renegade

For eons the love and kinship of three royal angelic brothers—Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer—have echoed through the hallowed halls of the first heaven.

Lucifer, prince regent and eldest brother. Yohovah’s viceroy. Imperial. Brilliant. Passionate. Most adored of heaven. Michael, the warrior—commander of the angelic host. Valiant. Wise and steadfast. Gabriel—the youngest prince. Newly inaugurated. The revelator.

Throughout eternity Lucifer has been heaven’s favored prince. Gifted. Ardent. Devoted. His throne second only to the Most High—until the fateful moment when he is informed about Yehovah’s new innovation. The creation of a new race that is not angelic in nature. A race created of a three-hundred-billion-base DNA sequence that will constitute the human genome code.

A sweeping epic of origins and mysteries, The Fall of Lucifer tells a tale older than the universe itself. Set in opulent palaces and frightening hell worlds, this is a timeless saga of doubt, of demons and angelic warriors, of obsessive love and treason, and of an ancient evil that know no bounds.

Soon the universe itself will be rocked by war…
A war between three angelic brothers…
A war fought for the greatest prize in the universe…
The war for the race of men.

In this first book in The Chronicles of Brothers Series, author Wendy Alec has taken on one very ambitious task—to tell the tale of Lucifer’s fall, starting with the relationship he had with God and his brothers before his treason, and taking us through a partial history of mankind and the workings of angels (good and evil) in its midst. Her descriptions of what she calls “The first heaven” where God and all of the angelic hosts reside are fantastical and it was a whole lot of fun to get inside an angelic perspective.

In the beginning, the realistic, conservative Baptist part of me had a hard time getting into the book, because I kept stopping to mentally question things. For example, I’d wonder why Xacheriel, one of heaven’s twenty-four ancient kings, needed a monocle. After all, a monocle would suggest impaired vision—something I wouldn’t think anyone would suffer from in heaven. However, once I was able to remind myself that this was a fun, fiction book and not doctrine, I was able to enjoy the lovable bearded elder, who nods off during worship, drops his monocle in his soup and frequently declares, “Oh drat and bumble,” in frustration.

I think anyone who enjoys a good Fantasy or even Science Fiction book would like The Fall of Lucifer. And when the book leaves you hanging at the end, you’ll want to read Book 2, Messiah.

Reviewed by Janet Rubin

Andrea Boeshaar's A Thousand Shall Fall ~ Reviewed

A THOUSAND SHALL FALL
Andrea Boeshaar
Series: Shenandoah Valley Saga
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (November 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825443814

Description: 


Nineteen-year-old Carrie Ann Bell is independent and spirited. The only thing she really fears are the Union soldiers fighting against her Confederate friends. When her youngest sister runs away from home, brave Carrie Ann is determined to find her and bring her back. Disguised as a soldier, she sets off--only to find she's fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Her childhood friend Confederate Major Joshua Blevins has warned her against these Yankees: they're all devils, ready to inflict evil on unsuspecting young women. When Colonel Peyton Collier arrests her for her impersonation of an officer, it seems to confirm all her fears.

Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel. He rescued her, protected her, and has been every inch the gentleman. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally--and more than that, someone she could love. But the arrival of Joshua in the Union camp as a spy will test her loyalties. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, A Thousand Shall Fall is framed around compelling characters and a very romantic setting in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Andrea Boeshaar’s extensive research guarantees historical accuracy and romance genre enthusiasts and Civil War buffs alike will enjoy the Christian perspectives on actual historical events.

Review:


A Thousand Shall Fall tales place in the autumn of 1864 during the Civil War. A young woman named Carrie Ann Bell, leaves a difficult family situation disguised as a Union Soldier, looking for her runaway sister. Instead of finding her sister, she finds herself in the middle of a battle, and is captured by the Union soldiers, mistaking her for a deserter. When it's discovered that she is really a woman, Colonel Peyton Collier of the Union cavalry takes her under his wing. As time progresses, they begin to care for each other. Peyton decides to send Carrie Ann to his Aunt Ruth's house for protection. In the meantime, Carrie Ann is in contact with a childhood friend who is fighting with the Confederates, and the secrets she's promised to keep could cause more problems then she realizes.

I say every time how much I enjoy these period books, and this one is no exception. To see what people had to go through during that time, and the fact that families and friends were fighting each other is just heartbreaking. I admired Carrie Ann's willingness to do what she could, not only to find her sister, but to care for wounded men after battles, no matter what side they were on. This was a great book and I can't wait to read the second one!

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Lisa T. Bergren's Breathe ~ Reviewed

Breathe
By Lisa T. Bergren
Published by David C. Cook
ISBN#978-1-4347-6708-1
400 Pages


Back Cover: To make a new life, she’ll have to learn how to breathe again…

By the time Dominic and Moira St. Clair get their ailing sister, Odessa, to Colorado Springs in the winter of 1883, she is nearly dead. Odessa has been seriously ailing for the past year from consumption, an illness that claimed the lives of four of her younger brothers, prompting her father to send his only surviving children west to chase the cure.

Several days after her arrival, Odessa witnesses what she fears is the murder of miner Sam O’Toole, friend and neighbor to the charming Bryce McAllan. What’s more, Sam leaves her a poem containing clues that seem to direct her to his mine, which is purported to carry a fantastic vein of silver. But if she is ever to rise from her bed again, she must first concentrate on conquering the giant that threatens her-consumption. Indeed, she must learn to breathe again-daring to embrace her life, her future, and hope in her God.

Read the first chapter HERE.

REVIEW:

I was drawn to the characters and this time period from the very first sentence. “Odessa tried to shove back the wave of fear as the slow suffocation began.” I found myself aware of my own breathing as I read how Odessa struggle with hers. I was amazed at the fight she had in her to battled with a disease that had wiped out most of her family.

Lisa does a great job of making you quickly care for the St. Clare family. Dominic St. Clare, Odessa’s brother and Moira St. Clare, Odessa’s sister are the only siblings left in their family. The St. Clare’s father has sent them away from their home for the sole purpose of bringing their ailing sister, Odessa, to the sanitarium in Colorado Springs to be cured of the disease consumption. They are all willing to do whatever it takes to fight the curse brought to attack their family.

Odessa says this to another patient and then asks a question, “… When one recognizes death, she certainly also knows life better as well….Is this a part of finding out what it means to live, to breathe? Can I find this tiny glimmer of hope and hold on to it?”

Moira St. Clair has a bent toward theatre/stage, she says; “It’s difficult at times, being a woman. She wished she had the freedoms that men held so easily in their hands or simply the freedom to decide when and where she would spend her days. How was it that she had to now report to not one, but three men in her life? Her brother. Her beau. Her director.”

Author Lisa Bergren takes you to the 1880’s in a very real way. Through the pages of this book she reveals a time when the country was growing in the wild, wild, west. It was an eye opener to read how towns were run and how they tried to cure people back then. We’ve come a long way baby.

Lisa has given me a whole new perspective on a valued gift I often times take for granted. The gift of being able to breathe in deeply and fill my lungs with precious clean air, I also have a new view of just breathing in a beautiful landscape God has created. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the other two stories in this series. Sing, is out in the summer of 2010, and continues the story of the St. Clair family. I can’t wait.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
Book Club Servant Leader

Bonus Review:

Breathe exhales drama, adventure and the lives of three siblings as their locations and situations rise and fall within the tight four-hundred pages. A silver mine mystery, a tense, suspenseful chase, spiritual changes and growth, occupation and location changes, love and life-threatening situations abound in this page-turner.

Lisa Bergren writes a solid story and multi-dimensional characters. The scenery she paints is vivid and nearly breathtaking. History and the details of the cure for consumption in Colorado Springs are fascinating. This is the beginning of a series and it is sure to be loaded as the unfinished tales are rich for the mining.

Fans of family sagas and historicals set in the wilds of Colorado need to check this novel out.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Karl Bacon's An Eye for Glory ~ Reviewed

An Eye for Glory
Karl Bacon
Historical Christian Fiction
Paperback, 368 pages
Publisher: Zondervan, April 2011
ISBN: 978-0-310-32203-3

Back Cover Description:

Hatred of the enemy consumes Michael during a long and dusty march to Gettysburg. Michael's only desire is to kill as many of the enemy as he can so he can go home. He coldly counts off the rebels that fall to his bullets until he is brought up short by a dying man holding up his Bible. He was a brother in Christ, Michael realizes after the man dies, and "I hated him with 'cruel hatred.'"

When Michael returns home from the war, his wife , Jessie Anne sees a man still and lost in the horrors of battle, and plagued by doubt and fear. Where is the man she once knew? And where is the faith he once lived by?

In the spring of 1869, Michael leaves home once more, this time to return the Bible to the man's widow. This simple journey changes Michael in ways he could have never imagined.

Review:

This book portrayed a different point of view on the Civil War than I've read in a historical novel and I really enjoyed it. As opposed to being told in the voice of the beloved wife, fiance, or sister left at home, this story was told by a soldier in the Union Army named Michael Palmer. Though a more raw, gory, and dark view on the many battles, both lost and won, this book was refreshingly real. Michael struggles with missing his family, obeying superiors, and keeping his faith in God. The historical detail given in the book and it's format, switching between letters between Michael and his wife and a journal style of writing add to it's authentic feel. Most valuable though, were the spiritual truths that are woven through the story and the very forthright presentations of the Gospel message. I highly recommend this book; a tale of the struggle of brother against brother, life and death, love and hate, hope and despair.

Reviewed by: Rachael Schnitker

Mike Dellosso's Darlington Woods ~ Reviewed

Darlington Woods
Mike Dellosso
Paperback: 281 pages
Publisher: Realms; 1 edition (May 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599799189


Description:

After losing his wife and son, Jimmy, Rob Shields heads to Mayfield, Maryland, to live in a house he inherited. Eerie things begin to happen, including a dream where he sees Jimmy in a place called Darlington. Is his son alive? Can he possibly find him---in a town that doesn't appear on any map?


Review:

“There was no light in Darlington. Maybe there was at one time, but that time had long passed. Darkness ruled here now. All kinds of darkness.” p 63

Rob Shields is a man who has suffered great loss. His wife and child were ripped from his life, and now, hope against hope, it seems his son has found a way to call to him from that dark place to which he has vanished. Desperate to find and rescue his son, Rob sets out upon a journey – a journey to leave this life and join his wife and child. What Rob could never have imagined is that he would find himself amid a town and a people that were ruled by a horror and loss far greater than his own. When he meets a dark-eyed stranger in the local restaurant, Rob finds his spirit called to a place he’s never heard of before - Darlington.

Providence introduces Rob to someone else in the local diner, someone who knows about Darlington and someone who has been directed by God to intercede for Rob. Juli is a young waitress at the diner, and she exudes a peace and grace that immediately appeals to Rob. She also harbors an unnatural dislike for the stranger with the dark eyes. When Rob decides to go to Darlington, no matter the cost, no matter the danger, Juli is right there by his side. Neither of them are certain why they must face the coming battle together, but as they journey into the ever darkening woods of Darlington, it becomes abundantly clear that they are searching for the Light that dispels all darkness. As Juli intercedes, Rob must fight for his life as never before. Will either of them survive?

Approaching this book, knowing it was written during Mike Delloso’s battle with cancer, set my mind upon an analogous journey. Each sentence seemed to take on a double meaning, and the more I read, the more I felt like I was living inside the author’s heart and mind as he battled for his life throughout cancer surgery and treatment. Perhaps that was intended. Perhaps it was simply the outcome of his emotional and physical trauma that year. Whatever the reason…Darlington Woods was an unforgettable, terrifying ride into the darkest places of the human heart and mind…the place where fear lives.

The twists and turns of this story take the reader on a heart-pounding ride through the dark woods of Darlington. It feels kind of like a cross between walking through a house of horror during the Fall Festival and watching a very scary movie. I’m just very glad I didn’t read it at night or at bedtime! I wouldn’t suggest doing so either! Mike Delloso delivers a powerful message though a fast-paced, very scary story, and it will resonate in the hearts of everyone who has faced their darkest fears and lived to tell the tale.

Reviewed by: Kim Ford

Bonus Review:

I don’t normally read scary books like this one because I’m a chicken at heart! This book is ACFW’S Book Club pick for February 2011. I’m in the ACFW book club and leading the discussion so I’m committed to reading this book. I’m thankful for the review copy of this book from the author.

I’m so glad I read the author notes before I started reading the first chapter of this book. It gave me a glimpse into the author’s heart when he said, “Let’s talk about monsters, shall we? Let’s just sit-down and spend a little time in conversation about things that go bump in the night and images that haunt us while we sleep peacefully in our beds…I believe in monsters. I’ve seen them, even battled them. And no, I assure you, I’m not crazy.

The monsters of which I speak are around us every day and come in varying forms. They are called cancer…Parkinson’s juvenile arthritis. Monsters’ called abuse, murder and neglect…the web they spin, the wounds they carve, the hatchet they swing all go by the same name: fear.

Mikes words drew me in and gave me a clue that I was about to read something heartfelt, unnerving, and unusual about fear and what it looks like? I was right, here’s what Rob says, “When fear rules you, when it calls the shots, tells you what you can and can not do, when it paralyzes you for days on end and robs you of the freedom others enjoy so carelessly; that’s crazy.”

Mike wrote in several points of view which made the story move along. The pov’s were Rob, Julie, Mary Jane, Jimmy and Waxman. This helped to create quite a suspenseful, creepy tale of how fear got a strong hold of the minds, emotions and lives of a whole town. Switching pov’s helped me be able to read this scary story. I have to say that had this author stayed in Jimmy’s point of view the whole book I wouldn’t have made it past chapter one. It would have just been too creepy and horrific to read a whole book through little Jimmy’s eyes.

Rob Shields is a man on the edge. His wife was murdered three months ago and his son Jimmy is missing. Rob is convinced that his son is in the town of Darlington. Rob starts to question his own sanity as he struggles with knowing the difference between nightmares and real life. It’s getting hard for him to know when the nightmare stops and reality begins.

Rob stops at a restaurant and asks for directions to Darlington; people get fearful and nobody wants to talk. Then a mysterious man leaves a note with directions on Rob's table. Julie, his waitress, says she’d like to help him find his son. This seemed odd, but everything about this town and adventure was odd. I did enjoy Julie’s character and the comic relief she provided with lines like this, “This is a problem I don’t think duct tape could solve.”

Mike’s wit, compassion and effective story-telling through the many different points of view and how they all wrestled with fear was intriguing given the fact this author went face to face with the cancer monster while writing this book. I enjoyed the twists, turns, suspense and the “aha” moments when truth was brought to life in the middle of the darkness. I rooted for Rob and Juli as they fought fear and looked it in the face, and saw there was hope of breaking the chains of fear and living free of its grip. God is always with us. When we shine our light inside the darkness (fear), that darkness has to leave. It’s not welcome anymore. I really enjoy this aspect of the story. It’s strong, powerful and oh so real! Treat yourself to something unusual that will have you look at fear and monsters in a whole new light!

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent
ACFW Book Club Coordinator

Karen Witemeyer's Head in the Clouds ~ Reviewed

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
By Karen Witemeyer
Published: Bethany House
ISBN# 978-0-7642-0756-3
366 Pages

Book Cover:

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind. When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate. When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line?

Review:

I was drawn to this book by the cover; it looked fun. It’s of a gal from Texas reading a book and twirling her hair. I anticipated the review copy because I wanted to know who this woman in yellow was on the front.. I also hadn’t read anything by Karen Witemeyer. I had heard good things about her. I couldn't wait to read Head in the Clouds and find out for myself.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside the pages of this novel. From the cover, I imagined this to be about a girl who was an avid reader and day-dreamed so much she kept her Head in the Clouds. You can tell she is not paying attention as she takes the next step, because she’s about to fall of the front porch. WOW, was I wrong about this book!! Adelaide Proctor was a dreamer of sorts, she’s a smart girl, someone who could hold her own, I was right about being an avid reader. Adelaide wasn’t afraid to speak what was on her mind. She had dreamed of having a family someday, but she wouldn’t waste her life waiting for a knight in shining armor to arrive and sweep her away. She had talents and thoughts of her own. No man was going to push her around.

Gideon Westcott was making a new life in America after leaving his privileged up bringing in England. He was thankful for his fresh start and the young girl that made the little things in life so valuable. Isabella was five-years-old and had captured his heart. He was in search of a governess to help educate his little one. He ran an ad for so long time and still hadn’t met a single suitable governess.

I was captivated by Adelaide’s spunk, determination and willingness to earnestly seek God’s will for her life. She was a strong woman who could be tender and sensitive. I immediately adored Gideon Westcott and his determination to do the right thing, the zest he had for life and the tenderness he had towards Bella. He wanted the best for her and the people that worked for him, too.

Karen Witmeyer's debut book was Taylor-Made Bride. I’ll have to check that one out for sure, since I enjoyed Head in the Clouds so much. I’m thrilled to find another author that is witty, interesting, funny and creates characters I instantly care about. This is an author to watch. I know that I will be!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

The Book Club Network

Francine Rivers's Her Mother's Hope ~ Reviewed

HER MOTHERS HOPE
By Francine Rivers
Published by Tyndale House
ISBN# 978-141-43-186-3-9
450 pages

Back Cover:

The first in an epic two-book saga by beloved author Francine Rivers, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations. Near the turn of the 20th century, fiery Marta leaves Switzerland, determined to find life on her own terms. Her journey takes her through Europe and finally lands her with children and husband in tow in the central valley of California. Marta's experiences convince her that only the strong survive. Marta wants Hildie, her oldest daughter never to doubt her love-but the challenges of life conspire against her vow. Each woman is forced to confront her faulty but well-meaning desire to help her daughter find her God-given place in the world.

Review:

I’ve read and have been deeply moved by Francine Rivers’ books, so I anxiously awaited my review copy of this epic story. Francine does an amazing job of creating complex characters which instantly grab at your heart strings.

The reader first meets Marta Schnieder as a young girl doing her best to cope with a task master father. She loves to learn and has great dreams of speaking many languages, going to college and maybe even owning a business. Marta's dream crashes when her father demands she work several jobs to make money for the family. Marta vows she will never be just a servant girl. She would prove her father’s image of her wrong.

Her mother comforts Marta saying, “Marta, listen to me…It doesn’t matter what your father plans, nor what his motives might be. God will prevail. God will use anything to His good purpose if you love and trust Him.”

Marta says, “I know what I want in life, and I’m going after it. I’m not going to let things happen to me. I’m going to make things happen.”

Not only is Marta feisty, but she has a good eye for business and will fight for what is right. I was amazed at how Marta embraced modern conveniences as they were available. The first big leap was indoor plumping. What a treat for her and her family.

Since I’ve grown up having all these new gadgets I found it quite interesting to read about people discovering them for the first time. It was fascinating to see how it changed family dynamics and the way people lived life. I was intrigued by history with all its changes and how people treated one another during each phase.

I enjoyed the use of personal letters written between the characters. It was very effective in getting to know the heart of each character; it also made the story very personal. You’ll be as interested as I am to see how this family survives the war in the sequel, which is due out Fall of 2010.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
ACFW Book Club Coordinator



BONUS REVIEW:

Marta is driven by ambition and guilt. Hilde is the antithesis of her mother. Neither
knows how to communicate their heart. As powerful as Redeeming Love, Her Mother's
Hope will give every woman, who has been a mother or a daughter, hope for mending
the rifts in their relationship, no matter how deep the divide, how devastating the
mistakes, love has the power to heal. Novel Journey and I give Her Mother's Hope our
highest recommendation. It's a 5 star read.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan,
editor, Novel Journey



BONUS REVIEW:

As a fan of author Francine Rivers best selling novel Redeeming Love I was excited to learn that she was coming out with a new long book. I mean five hundred pages long. It is not often that you can find good epic novels these days and I was eager for this first book in a two book series. In reading Her Mother's Hope I was not disappointed. Very thought provoking it makes me consider my own actions in raising my daughter as well as to look back on experiences of my own childhood and memories of my mother while I was younger. Mis-communication is a powerful thing that often does not get resolved and on the off chance that things can be put to right opportunities are invaluable.

The note from the author at the end of this book tells you that this book was a journey of her own in an attempt to understand a misunderstanding between her mother and grandmother. It is fascinating to see history intertwined into the pages of fiction and bring the characters to life. Even though this is her family story brought to view, it is easy to see bits and pieces of other lives in the characters. I find this book to be very educational and eye opening. You never seem to realize how when you try so hard to do one thing you might be accomplishing another.

Full of emotions all over the spectrum Her Mother's Hope is a book that you will want to make time for as it will be hard to put down. I recommend the story, I look forward to sharing it with my mother and I am eager for the second book in the two-book series "Her Daughter's Dream".

Reviewed by: Margaret Chind

Anita Higman's A Merry Little Christmas ~ Reviewed

A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS – 
Anita Higman
Number of Pages: 256
Vendor: Summerside Press 
ISBN: 1609366883

Description

Fall in love with this cozy story about two people from different worlds. Franny Martin is an Oklahoma farm girl who's preparing to spend the holidays alone...again. Then Charlie Landau shows up one day, all wealth and polish, and offers to buy Franny's farm. Franny has no money to speak of, but she is clever and spirited, and she's more than happy to sell the farm and move to the city. As Sinatra croons from the radio and Christmas descends upon her charming farm, Franny teaches Charlie the curious and sometimes comical ways of country life. In the process, they unearth some discoveries of the heart--that sometimes love comes when you're least ready for it. Will the holidays bring their most impossible dreams within reach?

Review:
                A Merry Little Christmas begins with a young woman named Franny Martin.  She has spent several years taking care of the family farm after her parents were killed in a tornado when she was eighteen.  While she loves the farm, there is a restlessness in her.  She loves music and wants to go to the city to try to work for a radio station.  As “luck” would have it, Charlie Landau shows up.  He is a city slicker with a lot of money who wants to buy the farm to prove to his father that he can make something of it on his own.  Franny agrees right away, and also agrees to help him learn the ropes.  There is an instant connection between the two, and when Franny leaves for the big city, they both realize how much they care for each other.  When she makes it there, she is unable to find a job and has no idea what to do.  After accepting a job as a waitress, Charlie shows up and asks her to come back and help him, which she does.  They finally address their feelings for each other, but the next hurdle is getting past Charlie’s father, who never approves of anything he does.

                I LOVED this book.  It was so sweet and full of an innocence that I can’t describe.  I loved the setting on the farm, and watching Charlie’s character turn from a city slicker to a farmer.  I also loved how much he enjoyed the hard work that he wasn’t used to.  This was a great book and I HIGHLY recommend it.  I had trouble putting it down!

Reviewed by:  Sarah Meyers

Susan Meissner's Widows and Orphans ~ Reviewed

Widows and Orphans
By Susan Meissner
Published by Harvest House Publishers
ISBN-10: 0736919147

At first, attorney Rachel Flynn isn't too upset with her mother's phone call. After all, this isn't the first time she's called Rachel regarding her younger brother, Joshua. He has dedicated his life to helping those in need, particularly widows and orphans. Arrest records in four Minnesota counties proves he won't hesitate to break the law to right a perceived wrong.

But when her mother chokes out that he's confessed to murder, Rachel's world tilts on its axis. She leaves Manhattan with Trace, her illustrator husband, and their baby daughter, McKenna, to return home to St. Paul, Minnesota. Deep down, Rachel knows there's no way Joshua has committed the crime he's confessed to. But he refuses to change his plea or to let Rachel represent him. Convinced Josh is taking the fall for someone else, she decides to investigate the case on her own.

She has a reluctant ally in the lead investigator, Sgt. Will Pendleton. He has his own doubts about Joshua's story, but he can't ignore Josh's confession. Sgt. Pendleton gets permission for Rachel to read the reports and visit the crime scene. As she walks around the damp basement of the Hmong grocery, she realizes the crime couldn't have happened the way Josh said. But critical pieces of evidence are also missing, and it turns into a race against time to prevent her brother from making a terrible mistake.

She enlists the help of Trace and several of his artist friends. Their sketches, based on her descriptions, move her further along in her investigation. But gaps remain. Fig, her husband's eccentric friend (and one of the best characters in the book) draws another sketch, which makes no sense to anyone involved, but may hold the key to what really happened in the basement.

Widows and Orphans is the first book in the Rachel Flynn mysteries. Susan Meissner has crafted a novel of unique characters and a plot that isn't easy to figure out. The ending is a twist, but fits in with the plot and the actions of the characters.

Cheryl Russell

www.unseenworlds.blogspot.com

Martha Alderson's The Plot Whisperer ~ Reviewed

The Plot Whisperer

Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

Martha Alderson

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: Adams Media (October 15, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1440525889

When it comes to writing bestsellers, it's all about the plot. Trouble is, plot is where most writers fall down--but you don't have to be one of them. With this book, you'll learn how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage readers--one scene at a time.

Celebrated writing teacher and author Martha Alderson has devised a plotting system that's as innovative as it is easy to implement. With her foolproof blueprint, you'll learn to devise a successful storyline for any genre. She shows how to:

• Use the power of the Universal Story

• Create plot lines and subplots that work together

• Effectively use a scene tracker for maximum impact

• Insert energetic markers at the right points in your story

• Show character transformation at the book's climax

Review:

There are a lot of good books on story structure and plotting. What works for one writer doesn't work for another. The Plot Whisperer is definitely for those who are plotters or need to be. I found it to be filled with excellent useable tools, something that some books lack.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan

Senior Editor Novel Rocket

Bonus Review:


Look on any writer's shelf and you'll discover what their weakest link is. If they can't structure a sentence to save their life, then you'll find a boatload of grammar books. Character development? You guessed it. How to bring your protags and antags to life. Come on over to my house, and you'll see quite a collection of books on plot.


So here's another one...one I just might set on a display stand.


The Plot Whisperer is chock full of hands-on, real world ideas that can shore up a sagging plot better than duct tape and two-by-fours. Really. I've dog eared and highlighted this baby until it barely resembles a book anymore. And I've taken to quoting it on my blog.


But why? Because author Martha Alderson communicates effectively how to breathe air into a lifeless plot. Throughout the book she sprinkles writing challenges (called Plot Whispers) and concise encouraging tidbits (The Writer's Way). After reading yet another plot book, this one leaves me not only encouraged but energized to plan out my next book.


If plot is your bugaboo, go get yourself this book.


Reviewed by: Michelle Griep