Saturday, February 29, 2020

Like Flames in The Night by Connilyn Cossette

I love this series.  There are not enough words to say how well this book was written.  The research that must have gone into this book must be intense!  And to have such a knowledge of biblical events and history are without comparison.

The storyline was realistic, the characters incredibly believable.  You feel as though you have been carried back to another time and world.  It is such a good book and so very hard to put down.

You will love brave, courageous Tirzah.  She is amazing and yet humble.  If you want a great historical read, this is the book for you!

I received a copy from the author.  All thoughts are my own.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Like Flames in the Night Author Q & A with Connilyn Cossette


So happy to share some Q & A's from an amazing historical author, Connilyn Cossette.  Her latest book will be releasing on March 3rd!  Click here to see where you can find out more about this intriguing book.  I can tell you that I have been reading the series and have loved every single book.  They are so captivating and life-like, makes you wish you could be there to see all that was taking place.

So here is a little about Connilyn Cossette!

Q. Do you seek out a spiritual theme for each book before you draft, crafting the plot around it? Or does it come to you later as you edit and weave in a theme?

A.  That really is different with every book. There are times when I know going in exactly what the spiritual theme is going to be; like with Until the Mountains Fall which was about a prodigal daughter. But there are times when it takes me almost the entire writing of the book to really figure out what it is the characters are trying to say and what it is the Lord is weaving into my story. And there are times when I may know the spiritual journey of one of the main characters but not the other and it untangles itself as I learn who the characters are together, what their wounds are, what their goals are, etc. There have actually been times when I thought it was one spiritual theme and then it completely surprised me by turning into another by the time I was done.

Q. What do you want your readers to know about you?



A. That I am just a simple girl who loves Jesus and loves to write stories and is absolutely delighted that anyone would want to get to know her imaginary friends. I am beyond blessed to get to hang out in my pajamas and make up stories all day long and somehow people out there want to read them. I am still pinching myself that this is my life! 

Q. How does it feel saying goodbye to characters you’ve been with for so long?

A. It is really so bittersweet because I feel like these people are part of my family and I know them inside and out. So it kind of feels like I’m abandoning them in some way. But they’re always there waiting for me and maybe someday I’ll have a chance to come back and revisit them. And then again I’m also really excited to find new characters and discover their journeys and now that I’m writing this new series I’m having a great time creating a whole new set of people, discovering what makes them tick, and finding all sorts of disastrous and dangerous situations to put them into peril and complicated situations to mess with their heads. I’m kinda evil like that ;) 

Q. If you could travel back in time to personally experience a Bible story, which one would it be and why?

A.  That’s a pretty simple answer for me; other than the resurrection, I would be there for the crossing of the Red Sea because what bigger miracle—other than Jesus rising from the dead in a blaze of pure light—could there be? I sure hope the Lord has that one on video when I get to heaven. Who knows if the way I imagined it was anywhere close to the real thing (because I’m pretty sure Hollywood didn’t get it right) but however it happened it had to have been a mind-blowing thing to witness.


Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award and Carol Award winning author whose books have been found on both ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in their twenty-plus years of marriage, they currently call a little town south of Dallas, Texas their home. Connect with her at ConnilynCossette.com

Sunday, February 23, 2020

An Amish Picnic by Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, Vannetta Chapman

It was really enjoyable to read the four novellas written by four great Amish romance writers!
Each story was entertaining, sweet, and fun to read.  I liked the picnic them that the stories shared and the fun story topics as each was different and revolved around different characters.

I really enjoyed this summer read, especially since it's still pretty cold and I look forward to enjoying a fun picnic!  I think you will enjoy this steady paced and well written set of stories. 

I received a complimentary book and was under no obligation to post a review.  All thoughts are my own.

Friday, February 21, 2020

The Crow's Call by Wanda Brunstetter

This was a really different book by this author.  After the deaths of three family members, surviving family members show their grief in different ways as they try to work through the ordeal that they have experienced.  This book is the start of Amish Greenhouse Mystery series and visits some of the characters from the Prayer Jars Series.  So it was fun to see characters that become friends throughout these books.

After the death of three family members the family greenhouse business is taken over by Belinda, Amy, Sylvia and Henry.  Each showing their grief in different ways and showing how their feelings affect the lives of everyone near to them.  We all experience grief at times in our lives and this book shows we are not alone in this and there are no right or wrong ways to grieve.

A good book with lots of feelings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Light Shines on Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

Light Shines on Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

This book was a continuation of a very interesting series of books regarding Promise Lodge.  There are four other books that I have read in this series.  My absolute first thought was how striking and beautiful this cover was!  The colors and picture itself are amazing.  That alone makes me want to grab this book right off the shelf.

The book was a wonderful read.  There was a little romance, some captivating mystery, and characters that were familiar from earlier Promise Lodge books.  The story line was excellent!  It seems like a very current  and realistic life problem situation.  One that we see more and more of everyday, in fact.

The book shows a lot of examples of kindness, forgiveness, love and understanding.  The characters grew and developed over the series and that was so fun to see.  This was a good example of how each of us grows and learns in life.

I also wanted to mention that even though this is a series, this book would be fine read alone, although it is such a good series, you wouldn't want to overlook any of the previous books.  And I really think this one was my absolute favorite.  It was so good!  It kept me guessing and turning those pages.  Yet I hoped it wouldn't end.  I am hoping that there are more books coming!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  All thoughts are my own.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Light Shines on Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

This book was a continuation of a very interesting series of books regarding Promise Lodge.  There are four other books that I have read in this series.  My absolute first thought was how striking and beautiful this cover was!  The colors and picture itself are amazing.  That alone makes me want to grab this book right off the shelf.

The book was a wonderful read.  There was a little romance, some captivating mystery, and characters that were familiar from earlier Promise Lodge books.  The story line was excellent!  It seems like a very current  and realistic life problem situation.  One that we see more and more of everyday, in fact.

The book shows a lot of examples of kindness, forgiveness, love and understanding.  The characters grew and developed over the series and that was so fun to see.  This was a good example of how each of us grows and learns in life.

I also wanted to mention that even though this is a series, this book would be fine read alone, although it is such a good series, you wouldn't want to overlook any of the previous books.  And I really think this one was my absolute favorite.  It was so good!  It kept me guessing and turning those pages.  Yet I hoped it wouldn't end.  I am hoping that there are more books coming!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  All thoughts are my own.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

A Son for the Mountain Firefighter by Melinda Curtis

This was such a good book.  I really enjoyed the characters and their interaction with one another.  I loved the concern for others and trying to fix things that needed to be changed.  Sometimes we don't know what others need in a relationship and those things are missing and need to be worked on.

This was a good story of overcoming trials and life's challenges that come into the lives of many.

I really enjoyed this story.  I think others will too.  It's clean and good reading.

I recieved an ebook from the author.  All thoughts are my own.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Sojourner Truth Women of Courage compiled by Barbour Staff

This book intrigued me, having just watched "Harriet".  I really enjoyed the biography of her life and hard times and how she was able to overcome her trials and share her testimony of Christ and God anyway she could. A strong abolitionist and defender of women's rights, even till her older years.

This non-fiction book was a good reminder of the fact we are all God's Children and he loves each of us and will answer our prayers in His time.

As she left family to spread the Word of God, she traveled and spoke about her life and brought many people to a greater understanding.  A very good read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Jessie and James by Jennifer Beckstrand

I purchased this book at a reader's luncheon and finally had some time to read it!

Although not an Amish book, as I often read from this author, a fun and quirky  book.  The author has a definite sense of humor as also seen in her Amish fiction.  I love a nice, enjoyable light read which causes no stress!

Jesse was a true individual as she protected herself with a rifle close by.  James, a great character and a true gentleman, comes for mining, not Jesse's thing by any means.  The characters are fun, kind, and interesting.  There is some excitement and action to see and lots of fun reading.

You will enjoy this fun book.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Critical Decision by Richard L. Mabry, MD

Talk about suspense!  It starts out right away and never quits.  What an enthralling book.  I never felt I could trust the good guys and was always wondering who are the bad guys?  And what lies around the next corner.  This was an excellent book.  It keeps you on your toes and wondering throughout.

Being that the author is a retired doctor turned author, the medical scenes are realistic and exceptionally well written.  I highly recommend this book for all mystery readers.  It's fantastic!

I received an ebook from the author.  All thoughts are my own.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin (Sunrise at Normandy Series. Book #3)

Did I love this book?  In a word, yes!!!!  It is the third book in the Sunrise in Normandy Series.  And I mistakenly read book 3 before book 2, which is sitting on my TBR pile!  But regardless of that, this book read well, on it's own and kept me spellbound.  None-the-less, I'll be reading book two!

The characters in this book were stunning examples of lives well lived.  Clay Paxton is working and training to be a US Army Ranger.  He meets Leah Jones, who works at the library at Camp Forrest.  They begin a sweet friendship and then tragedy strikes in the life of Leah.  This changes everything. 

Clay is there to help pick up the pieces and mend both body and spirit of beautiful Leah.  In a marriage of convenience, which is separated by Clays deployment, life for Leah is one of healing and overcoming the past. 

I loved both Leah and Clay.  They had so much to deal with, and although it's not easy, they continue on.

I loved the adoption situation in Leah's past and the search for family which ensued. 

This was a heart wrenching, moving story.  There isn't a single dull moment as both of their lives continue both at home and abroad.  And what will happen to the marriage of convenience when and "if" Clay returns?  You have to read this book.  It was that good.  If I could give it 10 stars, I definitely would!

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing.  All thoughts are my own.