Revell Books New Releases May 2010

 

It Had to Be You by Janice Thompson (Wedding by Bella, #3)

 

This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson

Easily both of these are on my Wishlist!!

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the past, you may have read my opinions of Siri Mitchell and seen that I enjoy the writing, but that the story was imperceptibly depressing. I was shocked and appauled with the lack of soul in Constant Heart, A yet the historical elements were incredible and the writing so true. It was in reading Love's Pursuit that each page was not able to turn fast enough and I was truly stumped until the end but still taken aback and frustrated with the circumstances and sadness of the situation. Yet She Walks in Beauty is a delight, a breath of fresh air, and quite the heart titillating beat within a prose of words met by the ear as poetry.

I loved this novel. Each page was another treasure. Every time I had to leave the novel and come back to the story it was as if I were returning to a friend. In years passed I have always wanted to read a tale about the Golden Age in New York City and this novel was not one to disappoint. Yes it had the historical details and some harsh facts which I have come to know Siri's books for. Yet this one has a heart and a soul with tons of personality that laced through the pages and made the next chapter more than just a little something worth coming back for.

Clara Carter is a debutante, and this is her story. It is a suspense, it is a hard life and facts historical, it is a romance, and it is a tragedy. I highly recommend it.

*Thanks to CFBA and Bethany House for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

CFBA: She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


She Walks in BeautyBethany House (April 2010)by


Siri Mitchell





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.



But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.



Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.







ABOUT THE BOOK

For a young society woman seeking a favorable marriage, so much depends on her social season debut. Clara Carter has been given one goal: secure the affections of the city's most eligible bachelor.



Debuting means plenty of work--there are corsets to be fitted, dances to master, manners to perfect. Her training soon pays off, however, as celebrity's spotlight turns Clara into a society-page darling.



Yet Clara soon wonders if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she learns her best friend has also set her sights on Franklin De Vries.



When a man appears who seems to love her simply for who she is and gossip backlash turns ugly, Clara realizes it's not just her marriage at stake--the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.



If you would like to read the first chapter of She Walks in Beauty, go HERE.

CFBA: Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

This week, the



Christian Fiction Blog Alliance



is introducing



Sixteen Brides



Bethany House (April 2010)



by



Stephanie Grace Whitson





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A native of southern Illinois, Stephanie Grace Whitson has lived in Nebraska since 1975. She began what she calls "playing with imaginary friends" (writing fiction) when, as a result of teaching her four home schooled children Nebraska history.



She was personally encouraged and challenged by the lives of pioneer women in the West. Since her first book, Walks the Fire, was published in 1995, Stephanie's fiction titles have appeared on the ECPA bestseller list numerous times and been finalists for the Christy Award, the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year.



Her first nonfiction work, How to Help a Grieving Friend, was released in 2005. In addition to serving in her local church and keeping up with two married children, two college students, and a high school senior, Stephanie enjoys motorcycle trips with her family and church friends.



Her passionate interests in pioneer women's history, antique quilts, and French, Italian, and Hawaiian language and culture provide endless story-telling possibilities.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1872, sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community."



Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledgling community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival! Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them.



These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Sixteen Brides, go HERE.

My Other reviews of Stephanie Grace Whitson titles. (This will be my first historical). 

A Garden in Paris
A Hilltop in Tuscany (sequel)

Bethany House New Releases April 2010

 

No Distance too Far by Lauraine Snelling (Home to Blessing, #2)

 

A Promise for Tomorrow by Judith Pella and Tracie Peterson (Ribbons of Steel, #3)

 

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

 

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson  

 

The Telling by Beverly Lewis (Seasons of Grace, #3)

Homeschooling for the Rest of Us by Sonya Haskins

Homeschooling for the Rest of Us: How Your One-of-a-Kind Family Can Make Homeschooling and Real Life Work by Sonya Haskins

Homeschooling parents are under great pressure. Besides trying to balance teaching responsibilities and family life, they often face unrealistic expectations from relatives, churches, other homeschoolers, and society at large. Even parents considering homeschooling sense the need to be perfect. Sonya Haskins doesn't want any more families to give up on homeschooling. In this book she shares affirming stories and practical ideas from dozens of everyday families who successfully deal with cluttered schedules, academic struggles, sibling squabbles, and other real-life issues. Instead of learning a one-size-fits-all approach, readers will discover how to evaluate their own family's strengths and weaknesses and set their own goals for success.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book might be little, but it is a plethora and wealth of interesting information. In the case of someone like myself considering homeschooling, but still unsure this book is fabulous. Even if you already know you plan to homeschool or you are currently homeschooling this little book will have plenty of information to help you along the way. From realistic routines to messy homes and living with a budget Sonya Haskins, author, homeschooling mother extraordinaire provides pages upon pages of tips and advice. I strongly suggest this book for anyone involved in homeschooling. It's great! 

*Thanks to Jim Hart of Bethany House for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann -- Review

The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann

If he wants her, let him come and prove it•.

Fleeing her idyllic home in Sonoma, California, Carina Maria DiGratia journeys to the mining town of Crystal, Colorado. Clinging to hopes of a new life, she finds reality has a harsh welcome for her. Overrun with men seeking their fortune and women bound by circumstance, the town hosts both dreams and nightmares, with little surety for tomorrow. But at least here Carina is far from the betrayal that still pierces her heart.

Early on, two men vie for her trust, but neither is what he seems. Will Carina discern the truth and confront the turmoil hidden in her own heart in time to prevent tragedy?

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My introduction to Kristen Heitzmann was through her most recent contemporary romantic suspense novel The Edge of Recall and I loved it. When I found out that she also had previously written a series in my favorite genre of Christian Historical Fiction I added it to my TBR list. Then I discovered that Bethany House was going to re-release the series with beautiful new covers and I could not wait to get my hands on the series! After reading the first novel, I am glad that I did. Originally published in 2000, now being re-released in 2010.

Carina Maria DiGratia is a high class Italian transplanted with her family to Sonoma, California. After her heart is broken, she runs away to make someone work for her love. It is after she gets to her destination that she starts a journey of learning that maybe it is God's will but for different reasons than her own. Through this story we get to know Carina and also a less likely character of Quillan. Getting to know his history explains some of her own and God is definitely working in Carina's life in mysterious ways.

This is a story of romance, redemption, vengeance and love. It ends with a string that causes a reader to have to get the next book (ordered my from PaperBackSwap thank you very much) and on the edge of your seat you want to know what comes next. I recommend this story, and I'm certain will recommend the series.

*Thanks to Jim Hart of Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

Buy it: 

Amazon 

CBD

The Rose Legacy, Diamond of the Rockies Series #1 (rpkgd) By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany House Driven by hope and vengeance Carina Maria DeGarcia, an Italian heiress, sets out for a new life in a Colorado mining town. But she soon finds out the "dream house" she purchased through the mail is already inhabited and the town called the "diamond of the Rockies" is anything but luxurious. Two men vie for her trust, but neither is what he seems. Will Carina learn the truth--and confront the deep secrets hidden in her heart--in time to prevent tragedy?

Sweet Boundless, Diamond of the Rockies Series #2 By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany House Awakening to a new landscape, Carina DiGratia Shepard is as transformed as the home she has embraced. The mining town of Crystal, Colorado, has lost its evil stranglehold, its surface cleansed by a devastating flood, its people both shattered and revitalized.Carina, too, now strolls its boardwalks a different woman. Married, though in title only. The habits of her rogue husband's solitary life still reign--Quillan Shepard has left without word of his return, haunted by the parents who'd given him a name he despises and a heart unable to love.

The Tender Vine, Diamond of the Rockies Series #3 (rpkgd) By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany House Carina DiGratia Shephard longs to leave behind the painful memories represented by the town of Crystal, Colorado, and start anew in the California vineyards of her youth. With Quillan bent on proving his devotion, Carina dares to open her heart to this rogue husband who has brought both pain and passion--and together they attempt to resurrect the tattered remains of their relationship and create a marriage where love truly reigns. Yet the journey itself and their arrival at the DiGratia estate are not what they expect. Rocked by a confrontation with the past and shunned by the entire family, Quillan faces yet more rejection in his life. But his determination to prove his worth will be tested beyond what any of them had imagined....