Carol Moncado

Review week continues! And to go along with today’s “Bible story inspired” book review, catch Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings – free TODAY ONLY! [also free on Nook etc, but that’s an Amazon link] Loved that book!

Ms. Aiken’s book Priced to Move is also currently free on Kindle.

Now… on to today’s review!

Drought has forced farmers around the small town of Bountiful in the Hope region of Oregon to mortgage their property. Then word comes of plans for a spur line to run through the area and join the railroad in nearby Milton. Folks with money see an opportunity to fill their coffers by buying farmland cheap then selling to the railroad for a profit. The Bank of Bountiful, owned by Eli Whitman, appears to be doing that, as well.

Widowed two years earlier, Eli, with a son and daughter to raise, sought a hard-working, educated Christian woman to care for them and his home. Olivia Moore filled the bill, and as soon as Eli recognized her as an excellent investment, he offered her first employment then a marriage of convenience.

While Olivia is an excellent choice, her large family gives Eli pause. He knows about the problems posed by in-laws, so he will do whatever it takes to avoid a repeat of his earlier experiences.

When Papa tells Olivia the Moore family must move according to Eli’s terms for the new railroad line, she fears for their safety, since they’ll be homeless during winter. Where will they go? How will they survive?

It is up to Olivia to convince her husband to renege on his demands, though she swore before their marriage she would stay out of his business.

I love stories based on Bible stories. I also love Biblical fiction [and I’ve yet to read a good one about Esther [which this book is based on] or Ruth [which Sixty Acres up there uses as a basis] so all my Biblical fiction writing friends… get crackin’! Or let me know what I’ve missed… :D].

Er, right. This book.

When Ms. Aiken put out a call for influencers, I knew I had to answer it and I’m so very glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love the story of Esther [One Night with the King was a decent movie version, iirc].

Ms. Aiken’s book doesn’t follow the story line of Esther exactly [there’s no scepter or threat of death for merely looking at the king when he doesn’t want you to], but it’s pretty close. She’s crafted well-rounded characters who you root for and groan at when they do something undeniably stupid. Because we’re all like that.

I especially adored Eli’s children. They were obnoxious and disliked but good kids at heart. I also liked that she kept us guessing who the “Haman” was [at least I was kept guessing – I kept changing my mind about who it was ;)].

For Such a Time as This  is going on the keeper shelf [yeah, like I have just ONE shelf of keepers… ;)] and I’ll be looking forward to Ms. Aiken’s next book!

Overall Rating: 8.25 out of 10

Thanks to Ms. Aiken and the publisher for a free influencer copy of this book.

[Edit: Jewel of Persia by Rosanna White is an excellent book with Esther as a strong secondary character.]

 

Hey look! More review week! Coming up later this week… Dee Henderson’s long awaited Full Disclosure and a couple others you’ll have to wait to find out ;).

Could it be that the life Daphne’s always wanted is right under her nose?

Daphne Sweeten left Paris—and a job she loved—to marry the man of her dreams in the U.S. But when he stands her up on their wedding day, she’s left reeling and senseless. Literally. She’s been trained as a perfume creator and now her sense of smell has disappeared along with her fiancé.

She has to figure out why her nose isn’t working, fix it, and get back to Paris. Meanwhile, she’ll rely on her chemistry skills and just hope her new boss at Gibraltar Products, Jesse, doesn’t notice her failing senses. They’ll be working together on household fragrances, not posh perfumes. How hard can it be?

As Daphne and Jesse work on a signature scent for their new line, she feels God at work as never before. And the promise of what’s possible is as fresh as the scent of rain.

I’ve read one or two of Billerbeck’s books before [I particularly enjoyed A Billion Reasons Why] and jumped at the chance to review this one.

I love the smell of rain. Whenever I buy candles for myself, they’re almost always some variety of water. If I can’t get “rain fresh”, I get Waterfall or Brookside or some other variation on a fresh water scent. /sigh/ Love.

I loved both of the main characters. I identified with parts of both of them though I didn’t always fully understand the intricacies of the scent business. It was fairly easy to take Ms. Billerbeck’s word for it and move on ;). Plus I did learn something.

The romance went at just the right pace as did the plot about Daphne’s ex trying to steal her perfume. The end seemed a tad rushed to me [but a lot of romance endings do – I always want *more*].

In the end, Ms. Billerbeck creates flawed, human characters who do their best in difficult circumstances, who learn to trust God and have that trust rewarded by an ever-faithful Father.

I look forward to Ms. Billerbeck’s next offering and just may keep an eye out for a paper copy of this one for my keeper shelf.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

 

So it’s been a while since I posted… More on that another day but in the meantime… it’s REVIEW WEEK!

Katherine came home to forget her past. The last thing she expected was to find her future.

Young widow Katherine Osborne returns to her family’s rustic camp on Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. She’s determined to live a quiet life, but her socialite mother is equally determined to push her into a new marriage while she’s still young.

Andrew Townsend has known Katherine since they were children. An attorney who is successful, but not wealthy, he knows she is socially out of his reach. But he’s curious about what changed the free-spirited girl he once knew into this private, somber young woman.

Katherine has kept hidden the details of her unsuccessful marriage. When past sins come to light, she must turn to God for the courage to be honest. But how can she trust the God she feels has let her down? When she confides in Andrew, their relationship takes a dramatic turn into uncharted territory.

Amid impossible obstacles, two young people must learn to trust enough to walk the path that God has cleared for them. A path that leads to healing and restoration. A path toward love.

This is my first of Cara’s books, though I have at least one other one, but, for whatever reason, I’ve not read them.

Think they’re going on my list :D.

Ms. James [okay, I know Cara, y’all know I know a bunch of the authors I review, I just don’t think I can call her Ms. James with a straight face… way too formal for one of the first people I met at conference last year – plus she gave Ruthy [Ruth Logan Herne ]

Cara does a wonderful job of bringing us into Katherine’s world – showing us what she’s dealing with now as a woman trying to make it in a man’s world a hundred or so years ago. She also does a skillful job of showing us Katherine’s past – she’s a widow with marriage she doesn’t really want to talk about.

She also shows us Andrew and how society is likely to keep them apart.

We see more of Katherine’s family than we do Andrew’s, though Andrew’s family is there. In particular, Katherine’s great-aunt Letty. I adored her! I also loved learning about Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks as well as more about this time period.

Cara’s strength in this book is her characters and showing how they would overcome the obstacles in their path toward love.

I’ll be looking for book 2 in this series and finding my copies of Cara’s earlier books.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Thanks to BookSneeze and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Within one of the Old Testament’s most famous battles lies one of the most tender love stories.

Hidden within the battle of Jericho is the story of Rahab, a beautiful and brave young Canaanite woman who aided the Israelites by hanging a piece of scarlet cord from a window. This act of faith changed her life by placing her in the genealogy of Christ.

Rahab is the youngest daughter of a Canaanite farmer, taken to Jericho for the pagan New Year so her father can find her a wealthy spouse. Sala, the Israelite boy who had once saved her from being kidnapped, is also in Jericho. When the two young people meet again they admit their love for one another, but their different religions make marriage impossible.

Their love story plays out against the background of Jericho’s pagan rites. It is only when the One True God of Israel comes into Rahab’s life-and she realizes what He is calling her to do-that she and Sala can come together.

Witness Rahab as a young woman determined to find her destiny as she follows her heart toward true love . . . and the One True God.

This is a difficult review for me to write. I only offer to review books I anticipate enjoying and I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t :(.

There isn’t much in the Bible about Rahab, other than she saved the spies [who in turn saved her] and she later became the mother of Boaz [from the Book of Ruth] and in an ancestor of Christ, so the vast majority of this book is, by necessity made up.

I’m good with that. I love reading good Biblical fiction and I really looked forward to this one.

Rahab is a young girl here – twelve then fourteen. Sala is a few years older than she is. I enjoyed the spunkiness Rahab often showed, but despite the difference between today and life centuries ago, I just didn’t buy Rahab as old enough to marry and set up her own household. My impression is that children matured faster in many ways than they do today. Today we wouldn’t expect a fourteen year old to be ready to be a wife and mother the way Mary, mother of Jesus, would have been. Just a for instance.

But this Rahab [and Sala who was, I believe seventeen by the end of the book] seemed more like the 14 and 17 year olds of today. Relatively immature and nowhere near ready for the responsibilities of their own household. That was one of the problems I had with the book – stilted dialog in many places was another.

I thoroughly enjoyed several of the secondary characters – particularly Rahab’s sister-in-law.

Stephen King once said Stephanie Meyer wasn’t a very good writer, but was an excellent storyteller [or something to that effect]. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but I felt like that statement applied, to a lesser degree, with this book.

The story, despite the problems I had with it, was compelling enough that I kept “turning the pages” to the very end. [It was an e-book so no actual pages ;).]

I will likely pick up the next book by Ms. Wolf and give her another shot, but if you’re looking for a good story about Rahab, I’d recommend Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar instead.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it’s the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find–and punish–her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

I sat across from Jordyn at a restaurant in Denver a little over a year ago and we talked about the plot of Proof long before it sold. She even told me about who the bad guy really was and so on.

And I still sat on the virtual edge of my chair, rapt attention on the pages that flipped by both too quickly and too slowly at the same time.

[Partly because I’d forgotten for certain what she said, but mostly because it kept me that pulled in ;).]

The book is mostly a medical thriller [I think “medical” would be the descriptor there… thriller definitely applies], but it does have some romance in it.

The mystery/thriller aspect is well done. After Lilly is attacked, she works tirelessly to bring the perpetrator to justice. With her life – and the lives of those she loves – at stake, she must figure out the solution and find the Proof before time runs out.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, there were a couple of nitpicks I had, though neither affected the rating. One had to do with who ended up as the romantic partner for Lilly. There were two possibilities and, really, it could have gone either way. I just would have preferred the other way ;). I understand why Jordyn wrote it the way she did, but it’s one of those things I’ll mutter/grumble/glare over on Facebook then put a winky face next to it as I line up to be an influencer for book 2 :D. The other thing, I need to reread and then ask Jordyn about if I read it right [it was late…] but it’s too spoilery to mention here.

Now to mark my calendar for book 2…

Overall rating: 9 out of 10

Thanks to the publisher and Jordyn for an influencer copy of this book in exchange for a positive review.

When Macy Dillon was five years old her father encouraged her to draw a picture in the guestbook of a Carolina beach house. The next year, Macy returned to discover a drawing by an unidentified little boy on the facing page. Over the next eleven years the children continue to exchange drawings … until tragedy ends visits to the beach house altogether. During her final trip to Sunset, Macy asks her anonymous friend to draw her one last picture and tells him where to hide the guest book in hopes that one day she will return to find it—and him. Twenty-five years after that first picture, Macy is back at Sunset Beach—this time toting a broken family and a hurting heart. One night, alone by the ocean, Macy asks God to help her find the boy she never forgot, the one whose beautiful pictures touched something deep inside of her. Will she ever find him? And if she does, will the guestbook unite them or merely be the relic of a lost childhood?

Macy has a few too many men in her life. To start with her daughter’s father has returned bringing with him too many memories from the past. And then it’s time for vacation and with it comes three different men – all of whom have good and bad sides.

But one of them has to be the boy she exchanged drawings with for years until they stopped coming to this particular beach house for vacation. But the idea seems so odd that she can’t just come right out and ask them about it.

Which one is the right one?

Or are any of them?

Because there’s no one male protagonist, I won’t say which one – if any – is the right one. Unlike a traditional romance, any one of the male figures could be a good romantic partner for Macy, though by the time book ended, I had a clear choice in mind, but the author went a different direction. That said, I don’t think it was the *wrong* choice, just not the one I would have preferred. I’m quite sure there are plenty of readers who agreed with her choice.

That certainly won’t put me off from reading any of Ms. Whalen’s other books and I’d like to see what happens with the other guys in the love department. I do hope there is a sequel or two in the works, but either way, I’ll be happy to jump on board with whatever comes next.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a e-review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Can she solve the crime before they uncover her true identity?

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it’s the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.

Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can’t figure out who’s stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow…or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.

Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn’t safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he’s falling in love with doesn’t really exist?

Set in 1880s Arizona, Love in Disguise blends romance, humor, and mystery for a can’t-put-down read.

When I got my very first Bethany House reviewer email, there were three options: Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer [which I already had – and had read by then], a new book by Tracie Peterson [#2 in a series where I hadn’t read book 1 – and my sister had already ordered it] and Love in Disguise by Carol Cox.

So Love in Disguise was a bit of a ‘winner by default’, but I’m so glad it did!

I’d not read anything by Ms. Cox before so was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this book as much as I did.

Ellie, desperate to survive, takes a job as a Pinkerton but feels completely out of her element. Shes able to take on the disguises easily enough but the detecting part is completely new and she feels a bit like a fish out of water [in Arizona…].

She succeeds beyond the expectations [and those of her employer] and in the process, gets the guy [of course – it’s a romance!] and a potential new career outside of the theater world.

I loved both of Ellie’s characters – especially Lavinia. I also liked Steven and had a pretty good idea who the bad guy was – though his unwilling henchman caught me by surprise. I knew there would be one, but never guessed who.

One thing I would have liked would have been a bit more time at the end – after the disguises come off and Steven and Ellie begin their relationship. Not much but a couple more pages of Steven getting to know Ellie and her changed relationship with her God and Steven – including her own self-image.

I look forward to another book by Ms. Cox and hope to find one set in the same town where I can see Steven and Ellie some more :).

Overall Rating: 8.25 out of 10

Thanks to Bethany House for a review copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

When he fled Eagle Point years ago, former air force trauma surgeon Mitch Wellington left only broken dreams behind. Now he’s back with a new dream—opening a trauma center in the rural area and saving lives. He hopes to hire the quick-thinking nurse who impressed him during an emergency. But Lauren Bates lost her faith and doesn’t believe she deserves to help anyone. Mitch knows firsthand what loss feels like. And it’ll take all his devotion to show Lauren that sometimes the best medicine is a combination of faith, community—and love.

When Cheryl put out a call for influencers, I was happy to jump on the bandwagon and I’m so glad I did!

Cheryl created characters I loved, particularly Lem – Lauren’s grandfather and Mitch’s unofficially adopted grandfather. Through the trauma center and the patients there – specifically a young girl in a coma – we see God’s love through Mitch, Lauren and Lem.

Mitch has past relationship [and other] trauma to deal with. Lauren has not only relationship trauma but career [as a nurse] and relational [non-relationship] to deal with. Together, they work to overcome the pain of their pasts [and present] to discover the healing God has for them.

Like all Love Inspired books, the romance is sweet and tender, just right for a quick summer read. I look forward to book 2!

Overall rating: 8 out of 10

Thanks to Cheryl and Love Inspired for a free influencer copy of this book.

I’m breaking no new ground here, because why reinvent the wheel?

Instead, I’m compiling some links to good information about “one-sheets” you may want to take with you to a conference [such as the ACFW Conference in September].

Minds much more brilliant than mine have put together blog posts that I’ll share here. If you have additional links, I’d love to post them! Let me know!

Dineen Miller on the ACFW blog [2008, note: the link to her one sheets no longer works]

Kaye Dacus on Seekerville [2009, Can I just say how much I LOVE that picture of Kaye?! And the links to her pdf files do still work.]

Erica Vetsch on her own blog [2009 and the blog I used last year to help me the most – had several compliments and nibbles, though no big bites… yet ;)]

Suzanne Hartmann [2011, a blog with more links and an example with links to more examples, though I didn’t test them]

Jennifer Hudson Taylor on the Hartline Blog [2012 with a couple of gorgeous one sheets]

Beth K. Vogt PDF [Not sure when it’s from but the book is out now and WONDERFUL! Thanks, Mary Curry!]

Do you have any tips? Links? There’s gotta be a lot more out there! Suggestions?

Oh – and if you’re in the Springfield, MO area, the incomparable Tracey Bateman is going to be acting as our ‘agent’ or ‘editor’ at our monthly meeting in a couple weeks! Bring your one sheets [and verbal pitch if you’ve got it] with you and get advice from Tracey and thoughts from the rest of us!

July 21, 2012
2-4pm
Panera at the Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway

Edited 7/25/13:

Writer’s Alley:

One Pagers? One Sheets? Pitch Sheets? Are You Kidding Me? [Carol’s note: I think Pepper’s got her terms backwards here…]
http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-pagers-one-sheets-pitch-sheets-are.html

Design and Conquer: The One Sheet
http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2011/08/design-and-conquer-one-sheet.html

One Sheets: An Introduction to Your Creation
http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2010/08/one-sheets-introduction-to-your.html

Rachelle Gardner, Agent, Books and Such Literary Agency:

What Should I Bring to a Conference?
http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/08/what-should-i-bring-to-a-conference/

Be swept away to Charleston of 1811, a city bustling with immigrants like Adalia, who is a runaway slave so light-skinned that no one guesses her past. Terrified her secret will be discovered, she settles into a quiet life making herbal remedies for a local doctor. But when Morgan, the handsome son of a prominent family, sweeps her into his glamorous world—a world in which the truth about Adalia’s heritage would ruin them both—suspicions and petty jealousies are aroused. What will Morgan do when he discovers that the woman he has fallen in love with is a runaway slave?

The latest offering by MaryLu Tyndall is also my first book of hers. It won’t be my last.

Adalia runs away from the plantation where she’s been held for years. But she’s a quadroon* – one quarter African.

Adalia is light-skinned enough she’s not automatically presumed to be a slave. She settles into Charleston and begins making a life for herself. The complication comes in the form of Morgan – the younger son of a prominent plantation family nearby. The attraction is two-sided and Adalia tries to fit in, at least somewhat, with Morgan’s society life, while not forgetting where she came from.

Ms. Tyndall a wonderful job drawing me into the world of the South in 1811. The storyline was plausible, overall. The one thing that seemed a bit… questionable to me is whether or not Morgan and Adalia’s relationship would survive the revealing of her past. That’s one I’m still pondering…

The characters created were memorable and reacted in realistic ways to the trials thrown at them. I read it a couple weeks ago, but have thought about it often since then – a sign of a good book.

*One thing I don’t like about digital galleys or ebooks in general is you can’t flip through and find stuff. I thought I’d made a note of exactly what her ethnicity was – mulatto [half African], etc., but I can’t find the note I made and I can’t find it in the galley either…

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this title in exchange for my unbiased review.