A Mysterious Light In A Land Defiled by Arlen Davidian

It’s been awhile since I have posted and for all my followers, I apologize for the lapse in reviews. I have been busy working and pursuing my masters degree in Forensics but I hope to be able to get back to posting very soon. But I have still been reading and I hope you have too!

Back in December of 2011 I posted a review of Tales from the Hills and Hollers by Arlen Davidian.  Well he has written a new novel and that is what I would like to tell you about! The new book is called A Mysterious Light in A Land Defiled.   Through a series of events throughout this book the main characters must risk life and limb to protect and preserve their land.  The book follows a small family just doing their best to get by and live a happy life on their land.  They are minding their own business when they discover someone has taken residence in an abandoned cabin on their property.  Then what starts out as no big deal branches out into this one family facing down practically everyone including the local government just to keep what is rightfully theirs.  This is definitely a story about standing your ground in the face of adversity and trusting God to make everything turn out for the good.  I think the summary says it the best. “In the quiet remote forests of Arkansas, Austin and Gayle Milo cleared their land and built a prime herd of cattle raised on the land they had claimed from the encroaching grasp of Mother Nature. Into this quiet place, dangerous and desperate men and women planted themselves saying they came in peace, but they defiled the land.” You'll have to read it to see how it turns out.

Hope you enjoy! Happy Reading! 

You can purchase this book by clicking here. 

Threads of Grace by Kelly Long

Well fellow readers, its good to be back.  I know it’s been awhile since I have posted anything here.  I recently finished reading an excellent book by Kelly Long entitled, “Threads of Grace.”  It is a book about overcoming your past and understanding that God’s grace is enough to overcome anything that may have happened in the past.  When this grace is fully understood, nothing can stop the great things that God has planned for your future.  See the summary below. 

Grace’s beauty almost cost her everything. This new start is all she has left.

When Grace Beiler was only a girl, she was married off to an older Amish man in order to save her family’s farm. Years later, she finds herself newly widowed and a mother to a young son. She has finally fled her sad past and plans to settle into a quiet life in Pennsylvania.

As soon as she arrives, she captures the attention of Seth Wyse, the most eligible bachelor in Pine Creek. Seth is candid about his feelings for her, and for her son Abel, but Grace is determined to protect her heart. Her determination falters when her brother-in-law reveals the troubling contents of her late husband’s will.

Seth offers Grace his hand in marriage, and thus a means of escape. But despite his having saved her from another loveless marriage, Grace is slow to trust her new husband. And as the months wear on, Seth wonders if he has made a mistake. But God is quietly at work in their hearts, and Seth and Grace soon discover that threads of grace bind them together in a tapestry rich in hope and love.

For more information click here. 

An Angel By Her Side by Ruth Reid

Its been awhile since I read this book so I wanted to go ahead and give you my thoughts while they were still somewhat fresh in my mind. 

As I have written in the past, I really enjoy reading books about the Amish and this was no exception.  I enjoyed the plot and storyline although at times, I did find it a little confusing when the writing would switch over into what the angelic realm. 

Read the summary of the book below and then give it a try! Overall, I really think this is a good book. It is actually book #3 in the Heaven on Earth novels by Ruth Reid.  If you do enjoy it, I recommend getting the whole set.  

Katie has lived through tragedy and heartache. But with the angel Elias by her side, the best years of her life are just ahead.

When Katie Bender’s fiancé died in a tragic accident, so did her hope of finding love. Though heartbroken, Katie is also practical. In the years since the accident she has discovered her gift for teaching. But when a tornado destroys her small Amish settlement, including the schoolhouse, Katie doesn’t know how she will provide for herself.

Seth Stutzman arrived in Hope Falls days before the storm. And when he helps usher Katie and the children to safety, sparks fly. But Seth is only in town to help his brother, Amos, get back on his feet following the death of his wife. He can’t afford to have feelings for Katie.

Rebuilding the community is a huge task, and soon, Katie and Seth are working side by side. As they privately wrestle with their feelings for each other, another silent—and ultimate—battle for their hearts rages unseen.

Sworn to protect what God has ordained, the mighty angel Elias appears to them as a mysterious visitor. And with his guidance, Katie and Seth find the courage to take the first small steps toward the life, and love, they were destined for.

Enjoy the book and Happy Reading!! 

You can find out more here. 

Silent Night by Colleen Coble

Merry Christmas fellow readers!  I hope you have had a wonderful holiday with your families.  I felt that this time of year a book set around Christmas would be appropriate.  When I looked at the BookSneeze site, Colleen Coble’s book called Silent Night was available. 

It is a short novella but a great read! In the past I have found it difficult to find a good Christian book that still has some element of intrigue, suspense, and drama.  This book had all of the above and a positive Christian overtone.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I hope you do too. A synopsis of the book is below! Happy Reading!

As Christmas day nears, Bree and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.

 

Bree Matthews is preparing for Christmas guests, but her heart is reeling from the recent and tender loss of her unborn child. Her sister-in-law, Lauri, suddenly turns up on the doorstep of the lighthouse home Bree shares with her husband, Kade, in Rock Harbor. Secretive and withdrawn, Lauri seems curiously intent on discovering what happened to a parachuter who disappeared in the North Woods along Lake Superior's icy shore.

As Bree and Samson, her search-and-rescue dog, plunge into the search, Bree wonders if Lauri may know more than she’s admitted about the parachuter. And then the clues lead them to the trail of a young woman whose family fears the worst about her disappearance.

Will the search on this snowy, silent night lead Bree and Samson to more than clues about the missing girl? And will Bree’s prayer for a baby ever be answered?

You can find out more here. Happy New Year!!

Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love

Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, after years away. She grew up in the local orphanage; sad, lonely, and rejected. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is now determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.

Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.

When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She’s equally intrigued but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but also their budding romance.

Ethan and Sophie long to share a future together. But the secrets they’re not sharing could tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. It had drama, romance, and mystery.  It also has the prevailing theme of forgiveness throughout. You have to forgive people that have hurt you and face it if you ever want to succeed and get anywhere in life. 

The Trouble With Cowboys by Denise Hunter

Only one pair of boots—and the cowboy wearing them—can get Annie out of the mess she’s in.

Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek’s premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for Montana Living. Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew. When Annie’s column is cancelled, she’s given first shot at a new lovelorn column—and she can’t afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie’s never been in love.

Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town’s smooth-talking ladies’ man Dylan Taylor: She’ll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he’ll help her answer the reader letters.

Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has kept her heart safe for years. And she can’t risk getting hurt now.

The more Annie tries to control things, the more they fall apart. Her feelings are spinning out of control, and her sister’s antics are making life increasingly more difficult. Annie knows she needs to turn the reins over to God, but surrender has never come easily.

When Dylan reveals his feelings for her, Annie doesn’t know what to trust—her head or her heart. The trouble with this cowboy is that he might just be exactly what she needs.

The Trouble with Cowboys by Denise Hunter is a really good read! I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through. We all battle judging others by what we see them do and their actions but in this book the author is trying to show that sometimes the way things look are not always the way things are. Another main theme I noticed throughout this book is the importance of releasing your problems and worries to God because he can take care of them and protect you.   Aside from the good things that can be learned in this book, it was also a fun, Christian, western romance book. I highly recommend! 

You can find out more here.

His Love Endures Forever by Beth Wiseman

An unplanned pregnancy. An absent father. Can love really endure all things?

Danielle Kent is anything but Amish. But as destiny would have it, she has fallen in love with an Amish man.

Now she’s 18, pregnant, and hopeful that the child’s Amish father—Matthew Lapp—will do the right thing and marry her. She knows Matthew plans to leave his Colorado settlement for a life in the English world. But that plan never included a baby.

When Matthew walks away from her and their unborn child, she has nowhere to turn. Her unlikely friendship with Levi offers some comfort—yet they have so little in common. This wasn’t the plan she had for her life, and she has never felt so alone. She doesn’t want to be pregnant. Doesn’t want to be Amish. Doesn’t want to trust God.

And yet God has plans beyond what her mind can imagine . . . loving plans to show a lost young woman that His love never fails but endures forever.

What you just read was the synopsis of a book I recently read called, His Love Endures Forever by Beth Wiseman.  When I saw this book on Book Sneeze, I was drawn to it. As you know I am a big fan of the Amish fiction and I had heard that Beth Wiseman was an excellent author.  It was all that I expected.  I was drawn in at the very beginning and could not put it down until I had finished the last sentence on the final page.  This is a story of believing in yourself as well as believing in God.  The prevailing question that Danielle keeps asking herself is does God still love and accept you when you have had rough breaks all your life and then make a big mistake that threatens the future of all those around you?  The answer to this question is yes and throughout the pages of this book Danielle slowly comes to this realization.  This is a book that is worth reading. Its a great fiction book with an excellent message.

You can find out more here.