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Hutterite Diaries

By Linda Maendel

What would it be like to share all your possessions and live in Christian community?

In Hutterite Diaries, Linda Maendel offers a rare glimpse into the daily routines and communal faith of her people, the Hutterian Brethren. From stories of working together to bring in the fall potato harvest to laugh-out-loud tales of sisterly love laced with revenge, Maendel invites readers into her Bruderhof, or colony, nestled on the prairie of western Canada. Here children and adults work, play, eat, and worship together, crafting a community of goods and living out an alternative to the individualism and consumerism of mainstream society.

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living.

ISLAND BREEZES

The only thing I knew about the Hutterites before I read this book is that they are a Plain People.

The stories shared by Ms Maendel have taught me a great deal and enlarged my understanding of life in a Hutterite community.

This small book is very easy to read. Even though it’s non-fiction it’s not dull and dry. It reads more like fiction.

Thank you, Ms Maendel, for sharing your life with us.

***A special thank you to litfuse for providing a review copy.***

Linda Maendel is a Hutterite author, blogger, and educator who lives in Elm River Colony outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

As Waters Gone By

By Cynthia Ruchti

How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?

Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.

Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she’s ready for Max’s release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?

ISLAND BREEZES

Emmalyn had to escape from a life she could no longer afford. She needed to make a new life for herself, so she sold her house and move to Madeline Island to a hunting cottage she and her husband owned. It was a good thing she planned to spend her first night on the island at Wild Iris Inn.

The cottage was a mess – starting with the large hole in the roof. She ended up spending more than one night at the inn while trying to get the cottage even halfway inhabitable. She also met a bunch of the islands odd balls during the rehab process of her cottage.

As the cottage is being repaired, her heart and spirit are slowly being healed. That bunch of odd balls are becoming friends- some almost like family. Emmalyn is also starting to forgive her husband and thinking about reconciling with him when his five year prison term is up. What’s going to happen to them then?

Thank you, Ms Ruchti, for this book. It makes me want to move to Madelyn and among the characters you’ve created. I certainly hope you have plans to follow up with more about these very interesting people.

***A special thank you to litfuse for providing a review copy.***

Speaker and award-winning author, Cynthia Ruchti draws from 33 years experience writing and producing a daily radio broadcast to tell stories hemmed in Hope through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction. She serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Cynthia and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin.

Find the author online here.

Fatal Trauma

By Richard L. Mabry, M.D,

Hang on to your seats! Richard Mabry’s latest medical thriler , Fatal Trauma, will have you reading long into the night!

A gunman who has nothing to lose faces a doctor who could lose it all to prove his innocence.

When Dr. Mark Baker and Nurse Kelly Atkinson are held at the mercy of a dangerous gunman, the lives of every emergency room patient are at stake. At the end of the evening three men are dead. One of them is a police officer who couldn’t be saved despite Mark’s best efforts. The other two are members of the feared Zeta drug cartel.

Though the standoff is over, the killing is not, because when the drug cartel loses its members, revenge is not far behind. Facing an adversary whose desires are dark and efforts are ruthless, Mark finds himself under suspicion as a killer, yet still a potential victim. When he turns to his high school sweetheart, attorney Gwen Woodruff, for help, Kelly helplessly looks on, as she hides her own feelings for the good doctor.

At the height of the conflict, three questions remain: Who is the shooter? Who will the next victim be? And can Mark prove his innocence before the gun turns on him?

ISLAND BREEZES

What a position to be in! Both a victim and a suspect. Dr. Mark Baker’s and Nurse Kelly’s lives are at stake. First when they are held hostage, and then later as the Zeta drug cartel is out for revenge.

These two are caught in the middle between law enforcement and the cartel. As my grandmother would say, especially regarding Mark, “They are up a creek without a paddle.”

Mark manages to come up with an attorney he trusts, but she is not a criminal attorney. On top of everything Kelly is developing romantic feelings for Mark, and also, is jealous of his attorney. What a tangled up mess it all is!

I thought I had definitely figured out who the shooter was. Surprise. I was wrong.

This book grabbed me and pulled me in like all Dr. Mabry’s books do. This is one to start reading early in the morning on a day you expect few interruptions. You’re not going to want to put this book down until you are finished with it. Forget meals and sleep.

You’ll find a teaser at the back of the book. I read it and am waiting very impatiently for Dr. Mabry’s next book, Miracle Drug.

***A special thank you to litfuse for providing a review copy.***

A retired physician, Dr. Richard Mabry is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels of medical suspense. His previous works have been finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times Reader’s Choice Award, and have won the Selah Award. He is a past Vice-President of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the International Thriller Writers. He and his wife live in North Texas.

Find Richard online here.

Love’s Rescue

By Christine Johnson

Can a girl enamored with the adventurous seas ever be content with the tame life of a Southern belle?

When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be. But nothing goes according to plan. Her brother resents her, the servants do not obey her, and Rourke O’Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart. Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the man he appears to be.

As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to perform her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate.

From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws you into a world of impossible choices, hidden desires, and heart-melting romance in the steamy South.

ISLAND BREEZES

Elizabeth returns home to Key West after her mother dies so that she can take care of her disabled brother. But things started out bad and then went downhill. The ship she and Aunt Virginia were sailing on from Charleston was wrecked by a storm.

Their rescuer just happened to be the man she’s loved for years. He’s also looked down upon by her family because of his manner of earning a living.

Then there’s the house servants who choose not to obey her orders, and Aunt Virginia’s meddling. Her brother wants nothing to do with her because of her involvement the day he almost died. Oh, yes. We can’t forget her father’s secrets and his employee, Mr. Finch, who has designs on her.

Elizabeth wants nothing to do with him and is determined to pursue Captain Rourke O’Malley.

This is the first book of Ms Johnson’s that I have read, and I’m really looking forward to her next one.

***A special thank you to Lanette Haskins for providing a review copy.***

Christine Johnson is the author of several books for Steeple Hill and Love Inspired and has been twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award. When not writing, she loves to hike and explore God’s majestic creation. She and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys. Learn more at www.christineelizabethjohnson.com.

A Flying Affair

By Carla Stewart

Ever since Mittie Humphreys agreed to join dashing barnstorming pilot Ames for a joyride in his airplane, her lifelong love of horses has been surpassed by one thing–a longing for the skies. It seems she’s not the only one–with Charles Lindbergh making his victory tour in the Spirit of St. Louis, aviation fever is spreading across the country. Mittie knows flying is the perfect focus for the soaring ambition and taste for adventure within her, and whenever she can slip away from her duties on her family’s prosperous Kentucky horse farm, she heads to the airfield.

Considering their shared passion, it’s no surprise that Ames begins to vie for Mittie’s time. But when handsome British aviator Bobby York offers her flying lessons, he is equally surprised-and beguiled-by Mittie’s grit and talent. Driven to succeed, Mittie will do whatever it takes to compete in the Women’s National Air Derby alongside Amelia Earhart. But when Calista “Peach” Gilson, a charming Southern belle, becomes her rival both professionally and in love, Mittie must learn how to navigate her heart’s romantic longings as well as the skies.

ISLAND BREEZES

Women can have many loves and passions. Mittie’s love was flying. Aviation was mostly a man’s world in 1927, but when Ames, a barnstormer, took her up for a ride in his plane, her horses started moving into second place in her heart.

It was no surprise when she began taking flying lessons from Bobby York. I imagine you can guess what comes next. No, not that. It was a determination to have her own plane.

Along the way she meets “Peaches” Gilson and all of a sudden her love life is complicated by a triangle – or is it a rectangle? Well, that might be a complication, but not a deterrent. Mittie is determined to fly in the Women’s National Air Derby. It’s not going to be easy. Neither is trying to figure out her love life.

Thank you, Ms Stewart, for teaching me more about early aviation and packaging it in such a good read.

***A special thank you to Katie Connors for providing a review copy.***

Carla Stewart is an award-winning author of six novels. With a passion for times gone by, it is her desire to take readers back to that warm, familiar place in their hearts called “home.” Carla’s novels from FaithWords include Chasing Lilacs, for which she won the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis Award, Broken Wings, Stardust, Sweet Dreams, and her most recent work, The Hatmaker’s Heart. Learn more at CarlaStewart.com.

In Firefly Valley

By Amanda Cabot

She’s lost her dream job–but has she found the man of her dreams?

Devastated by a downsizing, Marisa St. George has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it means a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow’s End resort. The only silver lining: Blake Kendall, a new guest who might make her believe in love at first sight. But will Marisa’s dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers Blake’s real identity?

This warm and witty story of dreams deferred and mistaken identity will have you believing in second chances.

ISLAND BREEZES

They always say you can’t go back home. Actually, you can, but it can be a big let down. Especially if you’ve been living a very different life. Times change as well as people, places and situations.

Marissa ends up managing a small resort where her mother cooks and lives. As for her father, he disappeared a long time ago. As Marissa struggles to adjust, a silver lining pops up – handsome new guest Blake Kendall.

Maybe Marissa’s dreams havent all vanished after all. Well, maybe and maybe not after Marissa discovers Blake’s big secret.

Will she ever be able to trust him again? It’s not going to be easy for her to trust any man again.

Thank you, Amanda Cabot. I’m really enjoying your Texas Crossroads books.

***A special thank you to Lanette Haskins for providing a review copy.***

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, Christmas Roses, and At Bluebonnet Lake. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming. Learn more at www.amandacabot.com.

When Grace Sings

By Kim Vogel Sawyer

When trouble roars into quiet Arborville, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target for discord and exposed secrets. Can they continue to seek the God of all grace amidst the fog of confusion?

Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas will ever fully accept her. Her family roots here aren’t what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over. The bed-and-breakfast she’s operating needs to succeed so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder not knowing his real motives for being amongst the Plain folk.

But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa’s insecurities and sets Briley on the trail to uncovering a web of hidden truths.

Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang in the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined. They must trust in a loving, heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.

ISLAND BREEZES

Alexa is trying to get her bed and breakfast up and running, so she agrees to let a big town reporter stay as a long term guest. She’s not really crazy about the idea, but needs the income.

She also agrees to let her cousin Anna-Grace stay for awhile. Alexa knows a secret that Anna-Grace doesn’t – a big secret.

But that’s not the only secret. Secrets that could wound people deeply seem to be all over the place.

I don’t feel as if I can say very much more without giving away too much. Just know that it’s a very good book. I didn’t want to leave these characters behind.

Thank you Ms Vogel Sawyer for this book. It made me want to stay in Arborville for awhile.

***A special thank you to litfuse for providing a review copy.***

Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of twenty-nine novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women’s fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and nine grandchildren.

George E. Lawson

In memory of my father and all the others who served our country to preserve the many freedoms we used to have.

Water from my Heart

By Charles Martin

Charlie Finn had to grow up fast, living alone by age sixteen. Highly intelligent, he earned a life-changing scholarship to Harvard, where he learned how to survive and thrive on the outskirts of privileged society. That skill served him well in the cutthroat business world. But when his choices produce devastating consequences, he sets out to right wrongs, traveling to Central America where he will meet those who have paid for his actions, including a woman and her young daughter. Will their fated encounter present Charlie with a way to seek the redemption he thought was impossible–and free his heart to love one woman as he never knew he could?

ISLAND BREEZES

I thought this was a strange title for a book. That was until I got to the part of the book that explained it.

Charlie Finn was not a nice guy. He could care less if his ventures were ethical or even legal. He doesn’t care if what he does tears up families until it hits closer to home.

That’s when he knows he has to do something to try to remedy the situation he unwittingly caused. Even if he has to go to Nicaragua to do it.

While in Nicaragua, he learns about more consequences of his cut throat business dealings. Will he be able to clean up his messes? Will he be able to make restitution to the locals he almost destroyed? Does he even want to?

In the middle of all this is a woman and her daughter who are stealing his heart.

This is the first book I’ve read by Mr. Martin, and I feel as if I’ve really missed out by not discovering this author sooner. I’ll be looking forward to his next book. I really hope I don’t have too long to wait.

***A special thank you to Katie Connors for providing a review copy.***

Charles Martin is a New York Times bestselling author of ten previous novels, including his most recent book A Life Intercepted. His work is available in 17 languages. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife and their three sons.

As Love Blooms by Lorna Seilstad

Young romance opens like a rose . . . but even a rose has its thorns.

Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she is not above a little benevolent deception in order to get the park superintendent to change his mind and hire her. She plans to infiltrate the world of wealthy and influential people in hopes of drumming up financial support for a world-class conservatory. But before she can put those plans into action, she meets Reese King, a handsome gardener at Como Park–and a major distraction. Still, Reese might be the key to achieving her dream. But is his goal to help her . . . or to capture her heart?

Against the lush backdrop of manicured gardens and greenhouses full of the exotic, Lorna Seilstad weaves a sweet and sassy story that is sure to delight.

ISLAND BREEZES

A woman can nearly always figure a way through or around a problem. Tessa did just that while never thinking that Reese might take credit for her work and talent.

She had to get a job at Como Park so that she wouldn’t have to tell her family why she couldn’t return to school in the fall.

Her tendency to not think things through frequently leaves her in a mess. She doesn’t realize her deceptions can put her in danger. Will Reese be the one who has to deal with all this? Will he even want to?

I really enjoyed Ms Seilstad’s stories of the Gregory sisters. This last book makes me wish there was another sister. Thank you, Ms Seilstad.

***A special thanks to Lanette Haskins for providing a review copy.***

A history buff, antique collector, and former high school English teacher, fan favorite Lorna Seilstad is the author of When Love Calls, While Love Stirs, and the Lake Manawa Summers series. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Lorna lives in Iowa with her husband. Learn more at www.lornaseilstad.com.