Friday, October 29, 2021

picture of hope

About the Book

Book: A Picture of Hope

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: October, 2021

9781636090191 (1) A Photojournalist Risks Her Life to Save Children

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

Journalist Nellie Wilkerson has spent the bulk of the war in London, photographing pilots taking off and landing—and she’s bored. She jumps at the chance to go to France, where the Allied forces recently landed. She enlists Jean-Paul Breslau of the French underground to take her to the frontlines. On the journey, they come upon an orphanage where nuns shelter children with disabilities. Can they help save them before the Nazis come to liquidate it?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. Please visit her website at www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.

More from Liz

Why Another WWII Novel Set in France

You may well read the back cover of my latest release, A Picture of Hope, and wonder why on earth we need another WWII novel set in France. After all, Kristy Cambron just had one. Melanie Dobson and Sarah Sundin will be coming out with theirs in 2022. So why did I feel the need to write my novel with the same setting?

First of all, I’m a Francophile. I love all things French. It started when I took French in high school. Everyone else was learning Spanish, but I wasn’t into being part of the crowd. There were only a few of us in the class, and it was great fun. We had a wonderful teacher. Being able to pull out some of that French, refine it a bit, and use it in the book was a blast. But I also love French food (who doesn’t?) and everything else.

Secondly, I hadn’t written about France before. When I wrote this proposal at least five or six years ago, I didn’t know France would be so hot. God did, and the book came about in His perfect timing. I’d explored the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Philippines. Such a shame that I was leaving out France, so I set about to write a novel located in that country.

Thirdly, there was so much good material to pull from. The French resistance, while small, did good work and sacrificed a great deal to get Jews out of the country and into Switzerland or Spain. The books that Kristy, Melanie, Sarah, and I write are all so different. Only the setting is the same. And when I found out that the famous mime Marcel Marceau was part of the resistance, I couldn’t help but giving him a cameo. Be on the lookout!

Along the way, I discovered some truly heartrending incidents that took place in France. They also compelled me to write this book. I long for the world to remember what happened so that we will never forget. And so that the atrocities committed there will never be repeated.

Fourthly, this was originally the third book in a series. Don’t worry – it’s a stand-alone. Maybe someday I’ll get to publish the other two. The women in the series are all American journalists in Europe. One is a reporter, the other is a broadcaster, and so I decided to make Nellie, the heroine in A Picture of Hope, a photojournalist. And where better to take pictures than on Omaha Beach soon after D-day. How she gets there is based on a very interesting true story, so be sure to read to the end for that one.

There are so many stories about WWII to be told and so many countries that participated in the conflict in one way or the other. The ground is so rich that we aren’t plowing the same parcel. You’ll find all of these books to be very different from each other, each with its own message, its own voice, and its own plot.

The focus in my book is on children with Down syndrome. I have a background in special education, and my husband and I adopted a child from the Philippines with an intellectual disability, so I’ve always had a heart for people with special needs. My daughter brings us so much joy that I wanted to share a glimpse into what these remarkable people are truly capable of.

So that is why I wrote a WWII novel set in France. Make yourself a cup of café au lait, butter up a croissant, and enjoy A Picture of Hope!

MY REVIEW

I love stories about WWII and this one is especially good. The way the author describes the hardships that people went through is very detailed and easy to feel like you are there with them. I’m sure we may never know the full picture of what took place but this story gives readers a glimpse of how important hope is.

Nellie was very hard to like . She took her job so serious that at times it seemed to overtake her every thought. She has a problem with taking direction and has a tendency to want to be in control. Nellie will learn a few lessons along the way such as learning to trust. She is determined to get pictures that will be seen by many in the news. I liked how she wanted the world to see the war in a clear way without being censored. The world had no idea what horrible things were being done by Hitler. It you weren’t perfect in his eyes, he wanted you gone. Such power this man had and Nellie wanted to expose him to the world. It amazed me how many risks she took and at times it bothered me. I kept thinking she wanted to prove something.

Jean -Paul is an incredible character with a heart so full of compassion. First he helps Nellie get to a safe place. Next we see him at a convent where children are hidden because they are considered “not perfect.” I have to say that the mention of children with disabilities really opened my eyes. I never thought about how they were seen through the eyes of Hitler. Jean -Paul wants to protect them as well as the nuns and Nellie. I was a little unsure if he would succeed. He has taken a great risk to do this and I worried that it would be too much for him. The author wrote this character so well that I actually began to worry for his safety. He seemed so real and his sacrifice to stay away from the convent put his life in danger. Would the Germans discover who he was?

The author gives us lots of action and intrigue as a plan is in place to get everyone to safety. I loved the twists in the story and tried to read as quickly as I could. I could feel tension rise as it became clear that escaping was going to be a treacherous chore. Would the children be quiet when they needed to be? The big question was who could be trusted? With faith centered in the story hope became a word they each held on to.

The author has captured an account of history that was hard to read but important for the world to know the truth. I loved how Nellie and Jean -Paul never gave up hope that they would be able to overcome obstacles that tried to take their freedom away. It is important to read the author’s notes at the end of the book. She has included details of the time period as well as people who were instrumental in helping children and others escape from the Germans. The title of the book is perfect because it reminds me of the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” That one picture is a symbol of hope and freedom for thousands.

“This suffering is meant to make our souls long for heaven.”

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

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, October 28

Life of Literature, October 28

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 28

Genesis 5020, October 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 29

The Book Chic Blog, October 29

Blogging With Carol, October 29

Texas Book-aholic, October 30

Sodbuster Living, October 30

Spoken from the Heart, October 30

Elly Gilbert, October 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 31

Inklings and notions, October 31

Labor Not in Vain, October 31

CarpeDiem, October 31

Splashes of Joy, November 1

Reviewingbooksplusmore, November 1

Life, love, writing, November 1

For Him and My Family, November 1

deb’s Book Review, November 2

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, November 2

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 3

Betti Mace, November 3

Worthy2Read, November 3

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 3

Daysong Reflections, November 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 4

Vicky Sluiter, November 4

Southern Gal Loves to Read, November 4

Older & Smarter?, November 5

By the Book, November 5

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 5

Connie’s History Classroom, November 6

For the Love of Literature, November 6

Bigreadersite, November 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 6

Rebecca Tews, November 7

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 7

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, November 7

She Lives To Read, November 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 8

Where Faith and Books Meet, November 8

Pause for Tales, November 9

Christian Bookaholic, November 9

Through the Fire Blogs, November 9

To Everything There Is A Season , November 9

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, November 10

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 10

Mary Hake, November 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and copy of A Picture of Hope!!

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/12b83/a-picture-of-hope-celebration-tour-giveaway

A Season on the Wind

About the Book

Book: A Season on the Wind

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Amish Fiction

Release date: October 5, 2021

Fisher_SeasonOnWind_3D Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he’d stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird–until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge.

Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah’s farm, planning to “bag the bird” and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah’s sister, Penny. One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That eagle became his spark bird–the one that inspired his lifelong love.

Ben. He was Penny’s spark bird. That was when she knew true love. She’d always hoped Ben would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

suzanne With over one million copies sold, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award winning author of over 30 books, ranging from novels to children’s books to non-fiction. She is a Christy Award finalist, a Carol and Selah award winner, and a two-time finalist for ECPA Book of the Year. She writes stories that take you to places you’ve never visited—one with characters that seem like old friends. But most of all, her books give you something to think about long after you’ve finished reading it. Suzanne lives with her very big family in northern California.

More from Suzanne

Did You Know? 8 Facts about the Christmas Bird Count

1) The year 2021 marks the 122nd National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which, ironically, wasn’t always about counting live birds.

2) In 1900, the first CBC was launched as an alternative to the traditional Christmas “side hunt.” This holiday tradition encouraged people to go out into the woods on Christmas Day, choose “sides” to team up with and then, in the words of Frank Chapman, “kill everything in fur or feathers that crossed their path – if they could.” The winner was the “side” with the largest pile of dead birds. (Ugh!)

3) Frank Chapman was a prominent ornithologist, conservationist, and writer/editor who published Bird Lore magazine. He led the charge to end to this senseless slaughter and invited his readers to begin a new holiday tradition of counting, rather than shooting, birds.

4) Twenty-seven people participated in 25 counts that first year (in 1900). They counted 90 species of birds.

5) The idea caught on. Big time.

6) During December and January of each year, thousands of Christmas Bird Counts take place across the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. The purpose of the CBC is a scientific census—to assess the health of bird populations and help guide conservation action.

7) Each CBC has an established 15-mile diameter circular count area. On a pre-arranged date, registered teams go out (with an assigned volunteer observer) and count the number of birds of each species they can identify within their assigned area. Each count has a volunteer compiler who sums up all of the lists and inputs the total numbers for each species into Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count database.

8) The CBC is the longest-running citizen science project and wildlife survey in the world. In fact, the CBC is considered the gold standard in citizen science.

And you don’t have to be an experienced birdwatcher to participate in the CBC! Bird lovers of all skills are welcomed. Even me! I’m a very enthusiastic amateur.

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, or to find a survey near you, go tohttps://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count

To learn more about Suzanne and the story about the Christmas Bird Count featured in A Season on the Wind, go to www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

MY REVIEW

This story is much more than just an Amish story filled with family, relationships and faith. I was pleasantly surprised to read that this beautiful story highlights birds. There is nothing more serene that watching a bird soar in the air, or perch on a branch in all their regal glory. God’s creation is seen in the different brilliance of colors and types of birds. I appreciate the very in-depth information about different birds. There were quite a few that I have not heard of but now I want to buy a book about birds and do sone bird watching myself.

One of the things I liked about the book was how the author gives us a realistic look at the Amish. They are Plain people who definitely don’t like to draw attention to theirselves. I didn’t realize that drawing or painting was considered prideful. One character in the book begins to like the simple lifestyle the Amish have and says that “they seem to have such a gentle faith.” If only we all had that gentle spirit within us, we would be happy and content.

Penny was this sweet woman who had the biggest heart for others. She was excited to see an old friend again but something was off with Ben. Why is he acting like he doesn’t know her? That was going to be intriguing to find out and I knew this book must be read in one sitting. Nothing was going to get in my way of joining Penny, Micah, Ben and his cousin Natalie on their adventure. Ben may be there to see this mysterious elusive bird he has heard about, but I know there was something he was holding back. I wonder if he knows that Penny is caring for his father by bringing him meals and cleaning for him?

It was a treat to read the notes between chapters about the different birds that had been spotted. It was very detailed and I enjoyed getting more familiar with each species. Micah is very thorough with his entries in the journal and I loved how smart he was about birds so much that people sought him out to give then guided tours to find specific birds. He seems to come out of his shell when talking about birds and gives him confidence in himself.

When the story comes to the part about Ben’s past, I began to cry. Such a tragedy that Ben witnessed during a time when he and his brother were so close. I will warn readers that there is mention of suicide and depression in this section of the story that may trigger some. It is not very detailed but has a powerful lesson about forgiveness. Now I understand the distance between Ben and his father. Will Ben be able to talk to his father before it is to late? Penny gives Ben sound advice when she tells him, “Forgiving your father will set you free as well.”

At the end of the book the author has a section where there are questions that can be used in a book club or for personal use. She points out about the different themes in the book. I now understand the significance of what the birds in the story represent and . The author allows us to see one character choose to forgive while another recognized the choices they have made in their life kept being repeated. Through it all I walked away with learning to find happiness, forgive and reconcile with those you have turned your back on. This book is going on my list of all time favorites for 2021.

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

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, October 23

Lighthouse-Academy, October 23

She Lives To Read, October 24

lakesidelivingsite, October 24

Southern Gal Loves to Read, October 24

Artistic Nobody, October 25 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

For Him and My Family, October 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 26

CarpeDiem, October 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 26

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 27

Inklings and notions, October 27

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 28

Blogging With Carol, October 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 29

Texas Book-aholic, October 29

deb’s Book Review, October 30

Simple Harvest Reads, October 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 31

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 1

SusanLovesBooks, November 1

Mary Hake, November 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 2

Blossoms and Blessings, November 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 3

Splashes of Joy, November 3

Pause for Tales, November 3

By The Book, November 4

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 4

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, November 5

Spoken from the Heart, November 5

Vicky Sluiter, November 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

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/126b3/a-season-on-the-wind-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Christmas Grace

About the Book

Book: Christmas Grace

Author: Mindy Steele

Genre: Amish Romance

Release date: October 26, 2021

ChristmasGrace_1600 Second chances and the Christmas spirit abound in Mindy Steele’s heartwarming novel, one of faith, love, and the power of community.

Grace Miller believed herself in love with the charming Englischer who eventually broke her heart. Now alone except for the secret life growing inside her, she arrives in the unfamiliar small village of Walnut Ridge, Kentucky, to hide and hopefully gain forgiveness. She is pleasantly surprised, however, to find a tight-knit, welcoming group who help her heart grow right alongside her belly. And with the holidays around the corner, there’s plenty of preparations to occupy her mind. Also occupying her mind? Her strong, protective neighbor, Cullen Graber, the town’s blacksmith, who seems intent on not allowing her to ever suffer alone.

Cullen Graber gave up on love after too many losses early in life. He planned to live out his days focusing on his smithy business, yet the beautiful and mysterious Grace refuses to leave his thoughts. But can they open their hearts to God’s grace and create a new family together before Grace must return home?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mindy Steele pic Mindy Steele writes sweet Amish fiction as well as romantic suspense. She is an author of 7 novels. The Miller’s Creek Amish series, Christmas Grace, Christmas in Cranberry, His Amish Wife’s Hidden past, and An Amish Flower Farm, releasing 2021. If not gardening or visiting her Amish neighbors, she is on the family farm writing her newest inspiration.

More from Mindy

Behind the scenes with Christmas Grace:

Many are fascinated with the Amish. Their lifestyle, their faith and family. They are talented craftsman, extraordinary bakers, and wonderful stewards of the land. For me, it was their community as a whole. The Amish are some of the best examples of community. How they tend to one another and work alongside each other even without the need of a disaster or tragedy to occur. I didn’t even realize until a close friend who reads my manuscripts pointed it out, but every book I have written thus far has been mostly centered around community. ( I thought that was cool) Walnut Ridge was the first community I ever fictionalized and I still find myself wanting to go back and writing more about the wonderful people who live there.
As an avid reader of Amish fiction I wanted to write a story that wasn’t so…perfect, because none of us are. Grace Miller made a mistake, and finds herself having to face the consequences of that. I think we all can relate somewhat to her. Getting to know the three local communities near me, I find myself drawn more to the imperfect and how they carry on more than the upright and grounded. There is a scene where a group of women share their imperfections with Grace. It became a turning point in her life.
Walnut Ridge, Kentucky is completely fictional, as are all of my book settings currently. I have a love for setting a stage, building a place from the ground up. Although my hero, Cullen Graber was born and raised in Walnut Ridge, Grace Miller was not. Getting to know a character like Grace was a pleasure, but required a lot of research. Although I have seen much of our great country I live less than a half an hour from my birthplace.
Many books and films paint a picture on the meaning of shunning, but it doesn’t happen as often as you think or to the severity portrayed. I met a woman the year this book was wrote and learned a lot from her own personal plight. She had been shunned from her community and never returned, but still speaks to her mother and siblings, often. Grace was shunned for a time in her community, but even after confessing her sin, asking forgiveness and receiving it from her church and community members, her father sent her away from his house out of shame. As a parent to five, there are few times in those teenaged years I wanted to bann a kid or two, but my heart went out to Grace here.
I love creating characters who are realistic and relatable, but also swoon worthy and Cullen Graber is one I have had in my back pocket for a while. The gentle giant, slow to speak, fast to listen, and has a past too. I hope you come to find him as stoic yet imperfect as I wrote him.
There is a scene in the book where Grace finds herself completely alone and facing monsters. (No, I’m not giving out a spoiler here) I have found myself in such a place a time or two as I imagine many have. That moment when fear and bravery collide. This scene was actually inspired by a horrible nightmare while writing Christmas Grace. After reading, I bet you can guess what I’m afraid of.
I am a panster, not a plotter, but even I was shocked that I wrote this book in three weeks while working full time. I have tried my hand at plotting, but find once my characters start to reveal themselves, I have no more control over the story than I did my children’s choice in careers. My process is scary actually, according to Mr. Steele that is. (wink wink) I get an idea, start drafting out characters, setting, and pace or walk for two days while my head figures it all out. Then its pen and paper until that first draft is complete.
When you hear the word Amish, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Yep, food. I happen to be a food lover and an expert on the subject. Grace found herself unable to work at the job her aunt had set up for her but found she had a purpose, and a place to fit in. We all have a purpose, and a place in our community.
When I first signed with my amazing agent, Julie Gwinn, we both had hopes for the first book I wrote. She had planned on pitching it two months later so there was time to polish it until it shined. Then she called me up and asked me how quick I could write a second book to pitch too, not wanting to simply go in with one book I assume, but I know nothing about the stresses of a agents work. My mother insist this is who I am, the one who best performs under pressure, without time to prep, think. I tend to disagree. But in three weeks Christmas Grace was finished and ready for editing. I have wrote two contemporaries in short time spans, but Grace’s book, my first contracted book, will always be that one I always remember. Mostly because of I ran out of coffee twice, forgot to shower and eat a few days and learned it’s alright to talk to yourself if you really need someone to hear your thoughts. Oh, and the publisher bought a second book too. I can’t wait to share A Cranberry Christmas with you.

Much love, Mindy

MY REVIEW

I have always had a hard time understanding how the Amish shun someone when they believe that person has done something that goes against their rules. My heart instantly went out to Grace as she steps inside the little cabin she has been sent to stay as part of her punishment. Her father has turned his back on his daughter and I could feel the despair Grace felt. Now she must face the consequences of her actions alone. The author describes the place Grace now calls home as a lonely, deserted falling apart little forgotten about dwelling. Well that is what I describe it as. Perhaps it is exactly how Grace feels. Now what will she do as she ponders over her situation? Grace will face a bumpy road like no other as she is an unwed mother to be in a community that she is a stranger to.

Cullen is oh my what can I say about him. He is kind, giving, handsome and has a big heart. He can’t believe Grace is going to live in that rundown shack. Maybe he will have to look in on her to make sure she has provisions. Cullen is upset that Grace’s family has left her in that horrible shack with no one to help her. I could feel his anger at the thought of Grace being shunned. The scene that Cullen comes up on at the shack is heartbreaking. Now he knows that Grace needs help and the town will have to step up and welcome her.

Grace’s aunt seems to be a stern uncaring woman but soon a secret is discovered. It helped me understand Tessie more and I saw within her a woman who has suffered so much in her life. I think she was my favorite character because she is like many who suffer in silence. She had me crying as she finally stood up to the person who had hurt her. In that moment she said, “I forgive you.” It is a lesson we can all learn from. The pain we endure from someone only God can heal. With His guidance we are able to forgive. I applaud the author for a character who many can relate to.

The story is beautifully written where a community opens their hearts to a woman who feels rejected. Their compassion for Grace is heartfelt and shows Grace what family means. I liked the surprises in the story and the healing of the heart that several characters experience. The faith element in the story is written well and delivers a message that God all supplies our needs and gives us hope.

“It is what we learn from our mistakes, what we do to right our wrongs, that matter.”

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