About the Book
Book: Song of Grace
Author: The Mosaic Collection
Genre: Christian Contemporary
Release date: July 7, 2021
How amazing is grace? Eight short stories trace the path of grace through the lines of a well-known hymn that was birthed in tragedy.
These characters each desperately seek a variety of prizes: relationships, hope, fame and fortune, security, eternal youth. All of them struggle through trials and troubles to stumble upon the same amazing answer.
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About the Authors
Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides(Tyndale), is a CBA bestseller. She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the executive board of Serious Writer, Inc., co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Johnnie lives in Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon.
Eleanor Bertin
In a fit of optimism at age eleven, ELEANOR BERTIN began her first novel by numbering a stack of 100 pages. Two of them got filled with words. Lifelines, her first completed novel, was published in 2016, followed by Pall of Silence in 2017, a memoir about her late son Paul.
Eleanor grew up on a Manitoba farm, spent 20 years in cities and towns, and in the past 16 years has come full circle to embrace country life again. She lives with her husband and youngest son, Timothy, amidst the ongoing renovation of a century home in central Alberta where she reads, writes, sweeps up construction rubble and blogs about a sometimes elusive contentment at jewelofcontentment.wordpress.com.
Sara Davison is the author of three romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians, and The Rose Tattoo Trilogy. She has been a finalist for ten national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, a Selah, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to. Get to know Sara better at www.saradavison.org and @sarajdavison.
Deb Elkink
Author of the bestselling Aggie and Past Forward series, Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Lifesprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
Angela D. Meyer
ANGELA D. MEYER writes fiction that showcases God’s ability to redeem and restore the brokenness in our lives. She is the author of This Side of Yesterday, The Jukebox Cafe (a part of Hope is Born: A Mosaic Christmas Anthology) and the Applewood Hill series. Angela is a member of American Christian Fiction Authors and has served on the leadership team of her local writers’ group, Wordsowers. Angela currently lives in NE with her husband. They have two children, both of whom they homeschooled and graduated. Lucy, a green eyed, orange tabby who loves popcorn rounds out their family. Angela enjoys sunrises and sunsets, the ocean when she gets a chance to visit, and hopes to ride in a hot air balloon someday.
Stacy Monson is the award-winning author of The Chain of Lakes series, including Shattered Image, Dance of Grace, and The Color of Truth, as well as Open Circle. Her stories reveal an extraordinary God at work in ordinary life. Residing in the Twin Cities, she is the wife of a newly-retired juggling, unicycling physical education teacher, a proud mom, and doting grandma.
Candace West
Candace West was born in the Mississippi delta but grew up in small-town Arkansas. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Ever since the age of twelve, she dreamed of writing inspirational fiction. Over the years, she has published short stories as well as poems in various magazines. By weaving entertaining, page-turning stories, she hopes to share the Gospel and encourage her readers.
More from The Mosaic Authors
It’s Never Too Late for a Heart Transformation… and Great Books
He stood at the pulpit, chains hanging from his wrists, one fist raised to the heavens, a pottery jug in the other hand. With his teeth, he uncorked the jug (still don’t know how he did that) and took a swig of the “alcohol” within, allowing it to slosh over his mouth and onto the floor. Watching as he shouted his defiance to Almighty God, my thirteen-year-old self scooted back a little further in the pew, certain. Skit or no skit… Pastor Phillips was about to get struck by lightning.
In his characteristic style, he burst out laughing, wiped his brow, and stowed the jug under the pulpit. A grin plastered to his face, he wiped that brow again. “Almost felt the sizzle of lightning or something.”
See, I thought to myself. I’m not so crazy after all.
And from there, our beloved pastor went on to tell the story of John Newton’s conversion and how he eventually, after more years in the slave trade, renounced it for the vile nastiness that it is and worked to end it before he died. But one more beautiful thing came out of all of that ugliness—perhaps the most beloved hymn of all time. “Amazing Grace.”
The Mosaic Collection authors have joined for a summer anthology celebrating the joy and beauty found in God’s “Amazing Grace.” Each story in this collection was inspired by a stanza of that grand old hymn.
As one of the authors in the collection, I found myself humming and singing “my verse,” during the weeks before and during writing my offering. My verse is,
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.”
All four lines of my stanza play into my story, albeit some ambiguously. From that ten thousand (dollars, not years) to the (desert) sun, to praising God for His goodness all our days, Spines & Leaves tells the story of God changing the goals and desires of three individuals, just like He changed those of John Newton.
As for how Sara used the stanza in her story, Sara says, “My portion of the hymn is the final two lines of the first stanza: I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see. In my story, I’d Like to Thank the Academy, Lizzy Cross travels to the City of Angels to seek fame and fortune. When she gets lost in L.A. and meets a blind man playing ‘Amazing Grace’ on his guitar, she realizes the song could be about them. Or is it possible that the words mean something else entirely?”
Angela says, “My stanza speaks of the joy and peace we gain in heaven, although we have them in full measure in this life. Jillian’s Refuge is about a young woman discovering these amazing gifts as she journeys through grief and finds healing in an unexpected place.”
Deb says, “In my story, aging expat Dolores, retiring alone in colonial Mexico and agitated over losing her youth, meets up for an afternoon cultural tour with her visiting granddaughter and new baby. Their mother-child vitality forces Dolores to face the fear that drove her from her family and the grace that calls her back to Christian faith.”
Join Stacy Monson, Sara Davison, Deb Elkink, Eleanor Bertin, Johnnie Alexander, Angela Meyer, Candace West Posey, and Chautona Havig as they introduce you to characters and stories that will fill your hearts with God’s grace.
MY REVIEW
I love books that feature different authors in one collection. Readers get a taste of how authors write and bring together a theme that flows from page to page. I couldn’t wait to read this interesting book and be filled with joy, hope, compassion and love. I love that each story is based on verses from my mom’s favorite hymn. As I turned each page it made me think of the one thing I admired about my mom. She loved Jesus and was a good pastor’s wife.
The Sweetest Sound by Stacy Monson
This is a beautiful story of two young people in love. They make a decision one day that changed their lives. I didn’t like Wendy’s dad at all. The words he called her were horrible and I cringed each time he shouted them out to her. A baby is a precious gift from God and Wendy and Jimmy adore their baby. I loved how the author shows us how difficult it is to do the right thing even when it hurts. The sacrifice this couple make for their child is sweet. It is a beautiful reminder how Jesus sacrificed for each of us. What a sweet sound I heard as grace was shown to a precious child.
I’d Like To Thank The Academy by Sara Davison
Have you ever dreamed of being famous? Lizzy has had that ambition all her life. Her trip to Hollywood brings more than she bargained for. I know that feeling of wanting to belong and feeling at home. You wander aimlessly through life waiting for the right place. For Lizzy she finds acceptance from a man with vision problems.
Rafe was a wonderful character with wisdom and a heart for others. He makes the story better because of his ability to see a person for who they are rather than judging them by their appearance. I loved how the friendship grew between Lizzy and Rafe. It is a great story of finding your way back to God and feeling loved.
Reconstituted by Deb Elkink
I really enjoyed this story and the emotional journey the author takes. Dolores has a bitter, angry disposition and seeing her granddaughter was not on her list of excitement for the day. The past has caused Dolores to walk away from her family and seclude herself away from everything she once knew. I thought how sad it was that because she couldn’t forgive she was missing out on living.
This is definitely a more serious story which I found was helpful with struggles I have had in the past. When you feel like someone has wronged you , you hold on to that bitterness and before you know it you years have gone pass by. I liked learning about Dolores’s past and why she had lost touch with her family. The author delivers a great lesson on forgiveness and not having regrets.
A Portion of Grace by Eleanor Bertin
Florence will definitely be a character I remember. She has lived a long life and now has memories of her children that she treasures. I loved how she embraced her new friend and started to feel like she was part of their family. There was a purpose for her to meet Jenna. This young girl was troubled and needed someone she could talk to.
Even though Florence may not remember her past well, her wisdom is enough to change a young girl’s heart. The transformation in Jenna was wonderful and I know it helped the entire family come back together. I thought the ending was sad but also a beautiful tribute to a woman who loved with her whole heart.
Paper Trail by Johnnie Alexander
What a very unique way to tell a story. At first I was a bit confused but as I turned the page I began to see the story unfold. Twin girls born to a family that I’m sure was exciting. Through snippets of papers, receipts and tickets we can follow these twins lives and see exactly where a tragedy happened. Oh what it must have felt like to lose a child. I can imagine the tears that were shed and soon realize that the twin left behind had changed. Her grades drop, she gets in trouble with the law and seems to break away from her parents.
Losing her twin has taken a great toil on this young girl and I can tell she is trying to find her way back to hope, grace, family and love. We can use our imagination to fill in the gaps of her life but in the end I know she found her way back home. Her journey was one of overcoming grief, forgiveness and letting go of the past. I loved how the author used this creative way to tell a story with visualization.
Jillian’s Refuge by Angela D. Meyer
What a beautiful reminder of God’s grace in this story. Jillian was a great character and I understood how much pain she was in. Losing her parents has taken a toll on her. I loved how she ended up at Kate’s place where she finds hope and love. Their relationship was special and I loved how much Kate gives to others.
The story is a journey through grief and anger. I’m sure we all have lost a loved one at one time. I remember when my brother died I was so angry at God. Like Jillian I didn’t understand why He allowed someone I loved to pass away. It was interesting to see how the bond between Kate and Jillian grew as they helped each other through heartache. I loved this story because it was an honest look at going through the grief process and finding your way back to God.
Forever Mine by Candace West
We never know what our future holds but we probably all have regrets from our past. Maybe it was a fight you had with a friend or a decision you made that didn’t turn out well that has caused you to have regrets. In this story we find a young woman that was so close to seeing her dream come true when a tragedy changed everything.
Trixie is a person who has tried so hard to fulfill her dream when a phone call has her going back to her hometown. I admired her giving up everything to take care of her mother. It would be hard to pass up an opportunity that you have worked so hard to achieve. Coming back home Trixie knew she would have to face someone who she never forgot about.
I liked how the author brought Andrew and Trixie back together to deal with their past. Andrew has many challenges ahead of him, but the most important thing he needs to do is make amends with a very special person. We never know what blessing is waiting for us when we are in the midst of a bad situation. I loved seeing how God opened doors for both Trixie and Andrew while helping them find their way to forgive each other. The story is a great example of grace and trusting God.
Spines & Leaves by Chautona Havig
I love stories about bookstores and all that goes on behind the scenes to run one. I wasn’t sure where the author was taking us as the story began, but oh my did I find myself thrilled with every word that made this a journey to finding what serving others really means. Milton may be considered odd to some but to many he is a blessing.
His stop at the crowded and overwhelming bookstore on his trip was a challenge. I could sense his heartbeat a little faster as the ideas started to fill his head. This was the place God wanted him to be. His creativity is contagious and Mercedes quickly begins to get excited about the new ideas. It’s the perfect place for Milton to develop friendships and save a business.
The story is very well written and I adored Atticus. What a smart bird and so well mannered and spoiled. I wanted to say so much more about the story but I don’t want to give anything away. I do know that within this short story the characters found hope, friendship and most of all a reminder that we have something to praise Him for each day. Don’t waste any moment you have, because one day we will have , “one less day here to sing God’s praises.”
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 26
Rebecca Tews, July 26
Inklings and notions, July 27
For Him and My Family, July 28
Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 29 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
deb’s Book Review, July 29
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, July 30 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30
CarpeDiem, July 31
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 31
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 1
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2
Mary Hake, August 2
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 3
Happily Managing a Household of Boys , August 4
Batya’s Bits, August 4
Splashes of Joy, August 5
Through the Fire Blogs, August 5
Texas Book-aholic, August 6
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 7
Pause for Tales, August 7
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 8
Giveaway
To celebrate their tour, the Mosaic Collection Authors are giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, a paperback copy of the book, and a $10 coupon to Mosaic’s brand new Etsy shop!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/11032/song-of-grace-celebration-tour-giveaway
Sounds great, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love a good author collab! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your wonderful reviews of our stories. And for sharing so many great books!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book.
ReplyDelete