Friday, March 13, 2020

About the Book

Book: Forks in the Road

Author: Tamera Lynn Kraft

Genre: Christian Western

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Orphans, Outlaws, and Redemption in the Old West!

(Looking for a prairie romance? Don’t look here!)

A classic Western tale of Joshua and Jonathan Jackson, brothers orphaned during the Civil War. They needed someone to give them a chance, but the war-torn countryside and people had little to spare.

After the war, the teen brothers headed West to find their fortunes and escape their past. Instead, they found a hard land and nobody willing to lend a hand. At every fork in the road, fear, grief, or pain prompted them to choose the wrong path.

By the time they were grown men, they had traveled so far into trouble, there was no way out except prison or death. They had one chance for redemption. Would they take it?

If you’ve read LOST IN THE STORM, you met Jed Jackson – this is the story of what happened to Jed and his brothers.

Click here to get your copy!

MY REVIEW

One of the best things about the author is the way she tells a story that makes you feel like you are a part of it. The writing style is perfect for the time period and the struggles are realistic and believable. I loved meeting Joshua and Johnathan and how determined they were to stick together. Being orphaned had to be so hard for them at a young age.

When a family takes them in for a bit I was struck by the obvious lack of faith in the family taking care of them. As they are sitting down to eat Jonathan asks if the are going to pray . Mrs Greer says, “I put this food on the table, not God.” Well that sure shook me up to hear so plainly what someone thinks about God. I didn’t like Mr. Greer at all. He was a mean man who hit his wife and barked orders. His treatment of the boys was horrible and I wanted to scream at them to run away.

The story is filled with adventure as the boy’s go out on their own. They see their share of violence and I could even understand why Joshua was angry at people and God. He feels like God has abandoned him and his brother. Will temptation overtake the boys? Will they fall away from their faith? There are so many wonderful lessons in the story that relate to the Bible.

The title is perfect for this story because when facing a difficult decision, one wrong turn can lead you into sin. The story spans several years and introduces Jeb, the oldest brother. He has become a preacher and is determined to find his brothers. You can sense the grief he feels knowing his brothers have gone astray. There is one very subtle but funny part in the story. When the brothers encounter a sheriff in town who they want on their side his last name is Fife. If you are familiar with shows you will understand the reference to that name. I just love it when an author puts in a little humor in a story that is mostly serious. This story is a wonderful look at praying, having faith and never giving up. I can’t wait for readers to get to know Joshua and Jonathan as they follow them on a journey to forgiveness and a great example of God’s mercy and grace.

“If you ever stray from the right road, God is merciful. Turn to Him , and He’ll direct your paths.”

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Award winning author Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. Alice’s Notions, Red Sky Over America, Lost in the Storm, Resurrection of Hope, and Soldier’s Heart are among her published works.

Tamera been married for 40 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and three grandchildren. She has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

More from Tamera

I have always loved westerns. As a child, I remember watching shows on television like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Maverick, Big Valley, Alias Smith and Jones, and many others. I also loved the great western movies such as High Noon, The Quaker and the Bad Man, Three Godfathers, and Stagecoach. My favorite were the stories with an element of redemption in them. There is no better redemptive story than a man’s man out on the trail realizing he needs God.

Three Godfathers with John Wayne is my favorite movie. I first watched it when I came home from the hospital after giving birth to my first child. John Wayne plays an outlaw who, with his two friends, robs a bank and escapes into the desert. The outlaws happen on a wagon where a woman is giving birth. She dies shortly after. They have a choice. Either they risk their lives and freedom saving the child, or they leave the child to die and get away with the loot. I highly recommend it.

When I decided to write Forks in the Road, I wanted to capture that redemptive spirit in many western novels. Joshua and Jonathan are brothers who were orphaned at the ages of 10 and 12 when Quantrill’s raiders ravaged Lawrence, Kansas. They headed west to make it on their own, but at every fork in the road, they made wrong choices. They grew up and became outlaws, but they never became hardened or callous toward others. Even so, God had a plan of redemption for them. Would they take it?