Novella Review: Love in Store by Vannetta Chapman

I just finished reading Vannetta Chapman's delightful story, "Love in Store" that is featured in An Amish Market. Two unlikely people are drawn together when mysterious happenings threaten the Old Amish Mill.

David Stoltzfus is a happy, peaceful man who always seems to have a smile on his face. This aggravates his co-worker, Stella Schrock, who has become lonely and bitter over how her life has turned out. When strange occurrences at the Old Amish Mill cause a stir that might lead to its closing, Stella and David team up to get to the bottom of the mystery. The more time they spend together, Stella begins to imagine a life for herself she was certain she left behind long ago. Perhaps God has more in store for the both of them.

This is a wonderful story from beginning to end. It combines two of my favorite things: engaging characters and a mystery to solve. This is just another fine example of why Chapman is such a popular author. She knows her genre well and continues to deliver superb stories for her fans. I look forward to reading the rest of the novellas in this collection to see if I find other authors in this genre to enjoy.

I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Mailbox Monday - February 29

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Leap Day! If you want to learn the surprising history behind Leap Year, you can find it here.

It was a busy week around here. I've got a house under contract, and with the nice weather buyers are out looking. My open house went really well Sunday, so hopefully that house will be under contract soon too.

Nothing new as far as books in my mailbox this week--I have a few bills I'll be glad to share with you if you like. :)

Hope you enjoy your week.

Mailbox Monday - Feb 22

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

How is it possible that February is coming to a close? Not much in the way of snow this year. We had a couple of snow days this month, but it's been a non-eventful winter overall.

The children were on vacation this past week, so I took some time off from real estate to spend with them. We didn't go far, but at least we were together.

As far as books goes, it was slow around here. I am thankful for that, as I am just beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel for books I promised to read and review.

The following book I pre-ordered from Amazon because I'm totally hooked on the PBS series, Mercy Street. This is my favorite time period to read about and I've actually taken a college course that studied the American Civil War. The show is a bit gory for my tastes, but I never miss it.

The true stories of the real nurses on the PBS show Mercy Street

The nurses of the Civil War ushered in a new era for medicine in the midst of tremendous hardship. While the country was at war, these women not only learned to advocate and care for patients in hostile settings, saved countless lives, and changed the profession forever, they regularly fell ill with no one to nurse them in return, seethed in anger at the indifference and inefficiency that left wounded men on the battlefield without care, and all too often mourned for those they could not rescue.

Heroines of Mercy Street tells the true stories of the nurses at Mansion House, the Alexandria, Virginia, hotel turned wartime hospital and setting for the PBS show Mercy Street. Women like Dorothea Dix, Mary Phinney, Anne Reading, and more rushed to be of service to their country during the war, meeting challenges that would discourage less determined souls every step of the way. They saw casualties on a scale Americans had never seen before; diseases like typhoid and dysentery were rampant; and working conditions-both physically and emotionally--were abysmal.

Drawing on the diaries, letters, and books written by these nursing pioneers, Pamela D. Toler, PhD, has written a fascinating portrait of true heroines, shining a light on their personal contributions during one of our country's most turbulent periods.

What do you receive last week?

CFBA: Robin by Julane Hiebert

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRobinWings of Hope Publishing Group (November 15, 2015)byJulane Hiebert



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julane is first of all a child of God. She is also a wife to Bob, mother to two living sons, Kip and Rob, two daughters in heaven, two wonderful daughters-in-law, Becky and Tami, and grandmother to six perfectly wonderful grands, as well as an additional three ‘other grands’. She lives with her husband in a wee cottage by a small lake nestled in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas.

Though encouraged by many to pen the story of raising two daughters with an incurable disease, she has chosen to incorporate the lessons learned into the lives of her not-too-perfect characters. Her passion is to present the promises and hope found in God’s Word in down-to-earth, everyday experiences through her stories.

Julane loves reading, decorating, junking, antiques, and chocolate! No particular order, but one would be safe to insert chocolate between all other interests.


ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1877 the Wenghold sisters inherited an overwhelming debt with their father’s passing. An uncle they’ve never met offers a solution—come help on his Kansas cattle ranch. The oldest sister, Robin, agrees to go.

Ty Morgan has suffered through a year of misery after being jilted by the town beauty a few months before their wedding. But a tornado whirls an unexpected breath of hope into his heart when he rescues Robin, his neighbor’s newly arrived niece, and a small boy who was orphaned by the storm.

Robin’s crippled leg prevents her from being a real help to Uncle John, but she seems to be exactly who Ty needs to heal his broken heart. Until his former fiancée returns and a mysterious, elusive stranger casts worry over the entire community.


A woman determined to honor her obligations, a man entangled in a long ago-made commitment, an orphaned child in need of security . . . Can God guide these three souls to peace and fulfillment together?


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

Healthy Recipe Ideas

Part of the challenge of eating better is meal preparation. Honestly, that's probably the hardest part for me. I want to eat right, but I have limited time during the week. On the weekends, when many people I know are preparing their meals, I am working.

Thanks to Pinterest and the Facebook group I belong to, I've discovered some healthy recipes to try. Below are links to some that I plan to make.

Blender Banana Oatmeal Muffins - no refined sugars or added fat.

Oatmeal Energy Bites (no bake)

Burrito Bowls

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

Do you have any recipes to share? Feel free to add links in the comments section.

CFBA: Pharaoh's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingPharaoh's DaughterWaterBrook Press (March 17, 2015)byMesu Andrews



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mesu Andrews’ deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for her readers. She and her husband, Roy, enjoyed fourteen years of pastoral ministry before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where Roy now serves as Academic Dean at Multnomah Biblical Seminary. Mesu writes full-time, snuggled in her recliner beside a cozy fire on rainy Northwest days. The Andrews’ enjoy visiting their two married daughters and a growing tribe of grandkids. Mesu loves movies, football, waterfalls, and travel.

Biblical fiction is her favorite genre to read and write. Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011), tells the story of Job and won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author.


ABOUT THE BOOK

“Fear is the most fertile ground for faith.”


“You will be called Anippe, daughter of the Nile. Do you like it?” Without waiting for a reply, she pulls me into her squishy, round tummy for a hug.

I’m trying not to cry. Pharaoh’s daughters don’t cry.

When we make our way down the tiled hall, I try to stop at ummi Kiya’s chamber. I know her spirit has flown yet I long for one more moment. Amenia pushes me past so I keep walking and don’t look back.

Like the waters of the Nile, I will flow.


Anippe has grown up in the shadows of Egypt’s good god Pharaoh, aware that Anubis, god of the afterlife, may take her or her siblings at any moment. She watched him snatch her mother and infant brother during childbirth, a moment which awakens in her a terrible dread of ever bearing a child. Now she is to be become the bride of Sebak, a kind but quick-tempered Captain of Pharaoh Tut’s army. In order to provide Sebak the heir he deserves and yet protect herself from the underworld gods, Anippe must launch a series of deceptions, even involving the Hebrew midwives—women ordered by Tut to drown the sons of their own people in the Nile.

When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.

As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan—for them all?


If you would like to read the first chapter of Pharaoh's Daughter, go HERE.

Mailbox Monday - Feb 15

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a nice weekend. We had family visit on Saturday and Sunday was a work day for me. The girls are away for a couple of days, so the hubby and I went out to dinner last night.

I'm so excited that the book I was waiting for arrived. I love the work of Vannetta Chapman and am thrilled to be part of her street team this year.

Joshua Kline travels from his farm in Oklahoma to offer aid to an Englisch town on the gulf coast of Texas after a category 4 hurricane has ravaged the area. He brings his brother with him, who needs a change of environment. The last thing he wants for Alton is another brush with the law. He is pleasantly surprised when he hears that Becca Troyer, the bishop’s granddaughter, plans on joining their team.


What will Joshua find when he arrives in Texas? A lack of electricity, certainly, which poses little problem for the Amish volunteers as they help restore order from destruction. But a budding romance? A call from God? And a possible healing of his relationship with Alton?


Joshua’s Mission is a story of love, forgiveness, and the grace of God that carries us through even the worst situations.

I picked up these two Kindle freebies this week:

The last person Detective Sergeant Kate Redman wants to see while she's doing her Christmas shopping is habitual petty thief and homeless alcoholic Charlie Petworth. While she knows that Charlie steals small things in part to get a warm bed for the night, it's still annoying, particularly in the season of good will.

Then a far more serious crime occurs and Kate realises that Charlie might well be involved. But why would he go from stealing a packet of flower seeds to stealing a little toddler? And is there more to this case than at first meets the eye?

A short story written especially for fans of the Kate Redman Mysteries, this short, seasonal mystery is from crime writer Celina Grace, author of the Kate Redman Mysteries, The Asharton Manor Mysteries and the upcoming historical mystery series, Miss Hart and Miss Hunter Investigate.

On the first day of her new job in the West Country, Detective Sergeant Kate Redman finds herself investigating the kidnapping of Charlie Fullman, the newborn son of a wealthy entrepreneur and his trophy wife. It seems a straightforward case... but as Kate and her fellow officer Mark Olbeck delve deeper, they uncover murky secrets and multiple motives for the crime.

Kate finds the case bringing up painful memories of her own past secrets. As she confronts the truth about herself, her increasing emotional instability threatens both her hard-won career success and the possibility that they will ever find Charlie Fullman alive...

I am listening to this audio book I borrowed from the library:

In the first novel of a spellbinding new trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Shaara returns to the Civil War terrain he knows best. A Blaze of Glory takes us to the action-packed Western Theater for a vivid re-creation of one of the war’s bloodiest and most iconic engagements—the Battle of Shiloh.

It’s the spring of 1862. The Confederate Army in the West teeters on the brink of collapse following the catastrophic loss of Fort Donelson. Commanding general Albert Sidney Johnston is forced to pull up stakes, abandon the critical city of Nashville, and rally his troops in defense of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Hot on Johnston’s trail are two of the Union’s best generals: the relentless Ulysses Grant, fresh off his career-making victory at Fort Donelson, and Don Carlos Buell. If their combined forces can crush Johnston’s army and capture the railroad, the war in the West likely will be over. There’s just one problem: Johnston knows of the Union plans, and is poised to launch an audacious surprise attack on Grant’s encampment—a small settlement in southwestern Tennessee anchored by a humble church named Shiloh.

With stunning you-are-there immediacy, Shaara takes us inside the maelstrom of Shiloh as no novelist has before. Drawing on meticulous research, he dramatizes the key actions and decisions of the commanders on both sides: Johnston, Grant, Sherman, Beauregard, and the illustrious Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest. Here too are the thoughts and voices of the junior officers, conscripts, and enlisted men who gave their all for the cause, among them Confederate cavalry lieutenant James Seeley and Private Fritz “Dutchie” Bauer of the 16th Wisconsin Regiment—brave participants in a pitched back-and-forth battle whose casualty count would far surpass anything the American public had yet seen in this war. By the end of the first day of fighting, as Grant’s bedraggled forces regroup for could be their last stand, two major events—both totally unexpected—will turn the tide of the battle and perhaps the war itself.

Anything good in your mailbox last week?