The End of an Era

It's official.  A week or so late but official.  This is the last post to be written AND published at this site.  The site will remain.  The words will remain.  They will actually be part of some weird cool dual life thing.  All posts are here...and there.  Of course if you are reading this there then WELCOME!  Today's the day that the new site officially launches.


I can't wait for you to check it out!  Please join me as I continue bringing you random bits of Fizziness, more reviews than seem humanly possible and eventually the relaunch of my shop (the entire reason this all began). 

fizzypopcollection.com

It felt like there was a million years when I took the first step of this journey (beyond months of talking about it) back on July 1st.  There was all the time in the world.  Heck I even took Jammication and still had all the time in the world.  Then all the sudden there was a week left, a day left, and then just over a week later it's finally coming to fruition.  Life was happening in all those intervening days.  My life, my partner in crime Kristin's life, your life.  All life.  It's still a work in progress.  There's almost 200 'old' posts from the intervening years to update and correct to the new format.  Pardon Our Mess as the saying goes.  However, I can't wait to share the next step on this journey with you, my readers and friends.

Fizzy~

BOOK REVIEW: The Divide by Jolina Petersheim

In this gripping conclusion to The Alliance, nearly six months have passed since Leora Ebersole's Old Order Mennonite community fled to the mountains for refuge after an attack destroyed the power grid and altered life as they knew it. Since then, Leora has watched and waited for news of Moses Hughes, the young Englischer pilot who held off invading looters long enough for everyone to escape. Unsure Moses even survived, Leora has begun to warm to the affections of Jabil Snyder, who has courted her patiently. But she struggles to see herself as the bishop's wife, especially when she learns that Moses is alive and has now joined a local militia.

An unexpected encounter in the woods deepens Leora's crisis, as does a terrifying new threat that brings Moses' militia into the community's shaky alliance with the few Englischers left among them. When long-held beliefs are once again put to the test, Leora wrestles with the divide between having faith and taking action. Just how much will her shifting landscape change her?


I was so ready to jump into this story.  The first book, 'The Alliance' crept in and hooked me.  I need to find out more. Back with the Old Order Mennonite Community from Mt. Hebron as they are settling into their new camp up the mountain.  I'm sad that this is set to be the conclusion of this short series and am wondering how I can finagle the idea that it can, and should, continue.  I know luck is most likely on my side but ya know, a girl can dream.  Forget the end of the world as we know it (that song totally ran through my head as I typed it).  Could you survive without electricity?  Or the internet?  Or coffee?  I mean, Leora and her community do just fine without the first two but the last...

OK, enough about my plea for another installment, let's talk about the book.  I'm gonna start, as always, with the eh moments.  There's a lot that happens in this story.  A LOT.  With those things there were opportunities to bring depth to the situations and characters that was missing.  Depth of emotion and feeling.  Depth of even spiritual conflict when it comes down to making choices that involve the tenants of personal faith.  The love triangle shaded into rather annoying as well.  They are hard to write successfully and hard to love (at least for me).  This one got petty and I didn't love it.  Finally, and literally finally, the ending was just too neat.

But, there was so much good as well.  Leora truly grew as a person.  And Seth.  And Charlie (yes even that cranky Englisher grew - in my opinion).  And Moses.  And Jabil.  They evolved due to their situation, their faith, and the idea of what the future may hold.  I have to wonder, for Leora, what her crisis of conviction regarding the tenants of her faith will lead her.  It's not completely addressed in this story but you can't make the hard choices she made (in a split second mind you) and not have long term ramifications on your convictions.  I grew to love this community and these characters.  I'd love to see them again.  I'd love to see how the end, or the beginning depending on how you look at it, plays out.  I still don't know the extent of the EMP.  I'm telling ya, there's so much more here to explore...

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review. 

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The Divide (The Alliance #2)

About Jolina Petersheim 
Jolina Petersheim is the bestselling author of The Alliance, The Divide, The Midwife, and The Outcast, which Library Journal called “outstanding . . . fresh and inspirational” in a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013. That book also became an ECPA, CBA, and Amazon bestseller and was featured in Huffington Post’s Fall Picks, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and the Tennessean. CBA Retailers + Resources called her second book, The Midwife, “an excellent read [that] will be hard to put down,” and Booklist selected The Alliance as one of their Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Titles for 2016. Jolina’s nonfiction writing has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Writer’s Digest, Proverbs 31 Ministries, and Today’s Christian Woman. She and her husband share the same unique Amish and Mennonite heritage that originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but they now live in the mountains of Tennessee with their young daughters.

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BOOK REVIEW: Her Brother's Keeper by Beth Wiseman

Charlotte Dolinsky is not above playing dress-up and telling a few lies to find out what happened to her only brother. In fact, that is exactly what she’s come to Lancaster County to do. Now, calling herself Mary and slipping on a kapp, Charlotte will lie her way into the confidence of anyone who knows why Ethan had to die. Unless she gets found out first.
But when Charlotte befriends a quiet Amish man named Isaac Miller, she begins to rethink her motives. And with a little help from a friend back home, Charlotte might find out that love comes packaged in ways she couldn’t have foreseen.
Isaac’s been caring for his cancer-stricken father and sympathizing with his frustrated mother for three difficult years. And that means he hasn’t been dating. He believes Hannah King is the woman for him, but Hannah is still grieving the loss of her fiancé, and Isaac has all he can handle on the farm. When Hannah’s family plays host to a woman named Mary, their new cousin shakes things up for all of them.
As Charlotte digs deeper into the mystery of Ethan’s death, she finds more than she’d bargained for in the community he once called home. But will she ever learn the truth? And what will the community—and her new family—do if they learn the truth about her?

This is the first time I've reviewed Beth Wiseman.  I've read her work before but never reviewed it.  And as we all remember the great hiatus where I missed out on so many books coming out.  I came across the latest book in this series on NetGalley and requested it praying that I'd be approved.  As soon as the approval came through I was requesting the first two books at the library.  Obviously, they are all going to end up on my need to own list.  Before I get too deep into this however, I have to advise you that the synopsis on Goodreads does not any anyway match the book.  Sometimes you have to step out that a book is just that good and worth reading without necessarily basing everything on one synopsis on one website.  Trust me, this book is worth stepping out for.

The author steps up and tackles tough subjects.  You don't read much about mental illness in the Amish communities.  You don't read a lot about a lot difficult life things that are not respecters of faith or lifestyle or gender or anything.  Bad stuff happens to anyone anywhere.  Charlotte needs to know what happened to her brother.  Raised English, raised in the shadow of all the bad things, he converted to Amish for the love of his life.  And there, before they even joined their lives, took his own life.  Charlotte, his sister, needs answers.  She needs to know who to blame.  She's not getting any answers from calls and letters and she's convinced the fiancee did something.  No answers?  No problem!  Just go get your own.  What's a few lies right?  What she didn't expect was to find the family she never had.  And to really like the fiancee.  And her own Amish man.  

I felt like the story moved so very slowly for about the first half.  It was building the plot and characters and nothing there was unnecessary and I read it quickly but it just felt slow.  The last part picked up a bit and questions were answered.  Though Nicholas on the plane was by far one of the most endearing things in the entire book.  I'm interested to know where the author takes these characters from here. 

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Her Brother's Keeper (Amish Secrets, #1)


About Beth Wiseman
Beth has a deep affection for the Amish and their simpler way of life, and while she plans to continue writing Amish love stories, she is also branching out into other areas. Her first non-Amish, contemporary—Need You Now—released in April 2012 and landed on the CBA Bestseller List. She enjoyed writing the story based in a town near where she lives, and she chose another small Texas town for her next non-Amish contemporary—The House that Love Built—which is based in Smithville, the same quaint town where movies such as Hope Floats and Tree of Life were filmed. Beth continued to spread her wings when she released The Promise in October 2014. Inspired by actual events, The Promise follows Beth’s characters all the way to Pakistan. Beth was involved in the real-life rescue when her friend was held captive in Pakistan. Beth is currently working on book #2 in her new Amish Secrets series, tentatively titled Jacob’s Ladder. Book #1—Her Brother’s Keeper—recently released and was chosen as a Top Pick by RT Reviews Magazine.
Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying the country life in Texas with three dogs and a rooster. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel, paint, and enjoy time with friends and family.
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BOOK REVIEW: Will Not See by Chautona Havig

When Vikki Jeffries wakes up in a Rockland hotel with no idea of who she is and why she can’t remember… well, anything, the Rockland medical community begins to take a closer look at what may have happened to cause a second case of inexplicable amnesia.

But for Vikki, this is more than a medical anomaly–it’s her life. What is she doing in Rockland, thousands of miles away from her home in Apache Junction, Arizona? Who is she? Why is no one looking for her? Or are they?

The secrets of a past she's discovering she doesn't want to know lay locked away in a memory that refuses to acknowledge their existence.

When Brandon Marana finds his neighbor struggling to open her front door, his quiet life becomes a race to protect Vikki and himself from people who are determined to find her.

He's falling in love with her--but he shouldn't. He's a Christian. She's not. But the more she depends on him to know who she is and learn why these things keep happening to her, the stronger those ties become.

Will Not See: Sometimes, the past needs to stay there.


I was super excited when this book came up for review with Celebrate Lit.  Remember, the first book None So Blind is what shot this author to the top of my favorites list.  It left me wanting so much more and I was NEEDING this followup to provide all that and some.  Again, I was not left disappointed.  And while some questions were answered it spun so many more.  We get to pick back up with Ella as she steps to to try to help the next victim of whatever this thing is.  I didn't quite bond with Victoria (Tori now Vickki) as I did with Ella.  Her story in and of itself drew me in and made me ache for who she had been but also who she could become.  But she wasn't Ella.  She didn't have her backbone, her strength, and her indomitable spirit.  I mean, I guess she did but it was softer.  She'd survived so much and still came out ahead.  

I'm not as taken of guard with the loss of memory as I was with Ella.  Vikki's situation brought answers to previous questions and even more questions.  What frustrated me was the seeming lack of ability for law enforcement to actually get their hands on information.  Birth certificates?  Criminal background?  Those things are seemingly easy to get your hands on with a simple internet search.  I know it's really not that simple but...  I'm still waiting for resolution on the money!  And now the drugs.  And the hospital.  And Rockland.  How did Vikki end up there anyway?  And... So many questions.  I know that there's another book coming but I can't wait!

I love how Havig took something so intense and difficult and personal and makes it open without saying a word.  Vikki's background, what she could piece together, was not the thing of fairy-tales.  It wasn't even just a 'bad' childhood.  The author handled that with grace and compassion without being overt and heavy handed.  The more I read about Vikki the more I bonded with her.  The more I cared.  I was invested in her faith, or lack thereof.  I was even invested in her love triangle.  I honestly can't say who would even wish for her to be with at the end.  What I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt is I need the next book sooner rather than later.  I need to know how this all plays out.  There are so many mysteries and balls in the air and I'm not even in the ballpark to be able to figure out where they will drop.  Oh gravy, did I just use a sports-y reference?!?  Now that's worth writing about!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by CelebrateLit.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review. 

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Will Not See (Sight Unseen #2)

About Chautona Havig 
 I am fortunate enough to live in the great state of California (in the Mojave Desert) with my husband Kevin and five of my nine children. My eldest is married with five children, so I have the fun of a son-in-law and grandbabies to enjoy. I’ve graduated six out of my nine children from our home school, and they’re all doing quite well in their lives. My younger children keep me from getting too selfish, and someday I’ll be fully retired as their teacher. I have to say, I’m lookin’ forward to it. Teaching about gerunds was fun the first time… not so much anymore. I salute all of those in the education field. You are my heroes.

When I’m not writing (which I admit isn’t often) I enjoy blogging (a totally different kind of writing, trust me), paper crafts, sewing, smocking, photo editing, and old music. No, really, I like OLD stuff… the Beatles are too newfangled for me. Yeah,I know they’re before my time… but I like stuff before my PARENTS time.


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Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren's Page Turners. To take part, you simply choose a random book from your TBR and show it off. Don’t forget to check out her blog and link back to Lauren’s Page Turners.



I'm so very blessed to have friends who enable my book addiction.  A friend who recently moved away (but has since moved back) recently hit up the library sale in her new town and brought me bags (yes with an S) of books!  This was one of them.  Crichton is known for amazing stories and I can't wait to have time to immerse myself into this one!
 In Paris, a physicist dies after performing a laboratory experiment for a beautiful visitor.

In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation technology, built to his specifications.

In Vancouver, a small research submarine is leased for use in the waters off New Guinea.

And in Tokyo, an intelligence agent tries to understand what it all means.

Thus begins Michael Crichton's exciting and provocative technothriller, State of Fear. Only Michael Crichton's unique ability to blend science fact and pulse-pounding fiction could bring such disparate elements to a heart-stopping conclusion.

This is Michael Crichton's most wide-ranging thriller. State of Fear takes the reader from the glaciers of Iceland to the volcanoes of Antarctica, from the Arizona desert to the deadly jungles of the Solomon Islands, from the streets of Paris to the beaches of Los Angeles. The novel races forward, taking the reader on a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear. Gripping and thought-provoking, State of Fear is Michael Crichton at his very best.

State of Fear

Give it up, what's a big best seller that you haven't read yet?  Share in the comments!

BOOK REVIEW: The Beloved Christmas Quilt by Wanda E Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, and Richelle Brunstetter

One Quilt Binds Three Generations of Amish Women

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Psalm 31:3
The scripture embroidered on the back of a beloved quilt brings hope to three generations of Pennsylvania Amish women at Christmastime.

Luella’s Promise
By Wanda E. Brunstetter
Luella Ebersol has been caregiver for a dying woman and her young son. When Dena Lapp gives Luella her favorite quilt, she makes Luella promise to pass it down to her daughter. But Luella isn’t sure she will ever marry if she can’t find someone with maturity and faith like Dena’s husband Atlee Zook.

Karen’s Gift
By Jean Brunstetter
Karen Allgyer and her husband moved to a slow-paced village to raise their children, but Karen longs for the closeness of family to help her through the challenges of managing three girls with one on the way. When life’s pressures rise, will Karen cave to her fears?

Roseanna’s Groom
By Richelle Lynn Brunstetter
When the unexpected happens on the day of her wedding, Roseanna Allgyer can’t help blaming herself, despite not understanding why. Then an old friend returns to town, and she battles feeling for him—afraid of being hurt again.


I was really excited when I first heard about this book.  I mean, symbolically, what better than three generations of women writing about three generations of women?  Three generations of love and faith.  I think I've reached a situation where anticipation clouded reality.  I liked this book but I didn't fall in love with it.  I fell in love with the story, the characters, and the promise of love for generations.  There were some elements that I felt lacking and missing though, and that kinda breaks my heart.  This review is so hard to write for many different reasons.

Let's break the three stories down.  In the first story I fell in love with Louella and Atlee.  It took me a touch off guard when I realized that the quilt originated with Atlee's first wife, a dear friend of Louella.  I feel, however, that this story missed opportunities to build conflict.  Both internal conflict within the characters but also the resolution of those conflicts through faith.  This book set an amazing stage for the following two stories but it just wasn't a bulls-eye.  Jean's story of Karen and Seth was rich with conflict that was handled really well.  So much of the conflict set the stage for the following story but also showed the reality of working through the process when a child has a handicap.  However, there was so much 'filler' that didn't do much to progress the story along but felt more to fill space.  The story also jumped through time awkwardly without filling in enough of the gaps.  I feel like the biggest missed opportunity for this story was the passing of the quilt. The quilt was it's own role, it's own character really, but there was opportunity for the quilt to find it's home that was missed.   Richelle's story embraced the theme of this book in ways the other two weren't in a position to do so.  First, before I even go there, I LOVED the story of the runaway groom!  You don't see that portrayed in books or movies much, it's always the stereotypical runaway bride.  Richelle built and developed characters with depth and flaws and pulled in the reliance of faith that is very reminiscent of her grandmother's earlier work.  This story flowed so easily with developed story-line and even depth of conflict and resolution that is hard to pull off in a novella length story.  This story held the promise of the quilt.  This story held the promise of faith and love and family and future and God.  There was one little thing I noticed that I was shocked when Kristin and I were comparing notes that she didn't catch.  When John went to talk with Roseanna about why he ran there was the big set up that despite the cold and snow he chose to walk.  After their conversation he walked back to his buggy?!?  Sometimes it's the little things and I usually miss those.  That little story edit glitch did not however affect my rating of this book.

This collection of intertwined stories of generations of love is one that I will gladly re-read and am happy that I own as part of my collection.  It's a great book for anyone who cherishes family, love, and a life built in faith through the easy and the difficult.  It is not just a holiday read and while centered on Christmas is a book that can bring heartwarming and joy at any time of year.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Books and NetGalley.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.

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The Beloved Christmas Quilt: Three Stories of Family, Romance, and Amish Faith

About Wanda, Jean and Richelle Brunstetter
 Meet Wanda E. Brunstetter
 New York Times bestselling author, Wanda E. Brunstetter became
fascinated  with the Amish way of life when she first visited her husband's
Mennonite  relatives living in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband, Richard,
live in  Washington State but take every opportunity to visit Amish settlements
throughout the States, where they have many Amish friends.

Meet Jean Brunstetter
Jean Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish when she first went to Pennsylvania to visit her father-in-law’s family. Since that time, Jean has become friends with several Amish families and enjoys writing about their way of life. She also likes to put some of the simple practices followed by the Amish into her daily routine. Jean lives in Washington State with her husband, Richard Jr. and their three children, but takes every opportunity to visit Amish communities in several states.  In addition to writing, Jean enjoys boating, gardening, and spending time on the beach.   

Meet Richelle Brunstetter
Richelle Brunstetter lives in the Pacific Northwest and developed a desire to write when she took creative writing in high school. After enrolling in college classes, her overall experience enticed her to become a writer, and she wants to implement what she’s learned into her stories. Just starting her writing career, her first published story appears in The Beloved Christmas Quilt beside her grandmother, Wanda E. Brunstetter, and her mother, Jean. Richelle enjoys traveling to different places, her favorite being Kauai, Hawaii.

BOOK REVIEW: Just Sayin' by Dandi Daley Mackall

Just Sayin' tells the story of an almost-blended family that almost falls apart before it even begins. 11 year-old Cassie Callahan is staying with her grandmother while her mom, Jennifer, recovers from a difficult breakup from her fiance, Trent. Cassie, along with Trent's kids, Nick and Julie, are trying to figure out why their parents' relationship ended so abruptly and searching for a way to bring them back together. Meanwhile, the kids get caught up in a game show that encourages the "art" of insults, and learn along the way that our words have much more power than they think.

In a way that only Dandi can accomplish, this story weaves together, in a contemporary way, an old-time game show, letter writing, outstanding vocabulary, and reminders from God's word that taming our tongue is both difficult and important!


There was something about the idea of this book that reached out to me when I exploring options on the Tyndale site.  It looked interesting and different.  I'd peg this more to a middle grade reader than a young adult reader.  Though as a grown up I really enjoyed it!  It is a fun story about Cassie and Nick and their experiences as their parents don't marry and they finagle their way through the idea of insults and game shows and Cassie's aversion to the phone.  Cassie also spends a little more time at church, a built in approved way to avoid her Moms phone calls, and picks up a few tidbits of helpful knowledge.  And curbs her insult career a tad.

I didn't get the opportunity to read this with the Minions of Mischief but I really really think that both Moo and Munch would enjoy it for vastly different reasons.  It's a little mature, as far as the actual words, for Moo but she would enjoy the relationships cheesiness of the characters.  Munch, on the other hand, would devour it in an afternoon and I think would bury into the insults and the interplay and would greater grasp the 'power of words' thread more so than his younger sister.  Although some of the 'handwriting' in the book was difficult to read (Gram and Ma had such thin tight writing) but I have to wonder if the kids would struggle with that as well since it's cursive.  I know there's been this whole hoopla about cursive and school and whatnot.  My Minions are learning it so that won't be an issue.  But it's something to think about on a larger scale.  And also something to consider as far as limiting accessibility to this book to older middle grade readers who have been exposed to cursive.

The entire story was fanciful and partly so over the top that while it was not realistically believable it was embracing and endearing.  The idea of a famous person writing a couple of kids back?  Or Gram becoming besties with said celebrity?  Or two kids winning spots on a national game show?  Or? Or? ... There were lots of that will never happen moments.  And a beautiful massive red bow tied all around the ending.  It didn't bother me one bit.  I know, I am shocked too!  The author managed to build solid characters with a multilayered story line with letters.  Plain, old, post office delivered, letters.  And she managed to encompass faith for a young person that made sense without feeling preachy or fake or awkward.  The letter to God felt so real.  I highly recommend this book to any middle grade reader, young adult reader, adult reader, senior reader, just a reader.  It's quirky and entertaining and insightful and just there ya go...

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Tyndale.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.

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Just Sayin'

About Dandi Daley Mackall 
Dandi Daley Mackall is the award-winning author of over 450 books for children and adults. She visits countless schools, conducts writing assemblies and workshops across the United States, and presents keynote addresses at conferences and young author events. She is also a frequent guest on radio talk shows and has made dozens of appearances on TV. She has won several awards for her writing, including the Helen Keating Ott Award for Contributions to Children’s Literature, the Edgar Award, and a two-time Mom’s Choice Award winner. Dandi writes from rural Ohio, where she lives with her husband, Joe, their three children, and their horses, dogs, and cats.s.

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SPOTLIGHT: Will Not See by Chautona Havig


Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book title: Will Not See
Author: Chautona Havig   
Release date: August 29, 2017
Genre: Christian Fiction / contemporary / suspense (light)

When Vikki Jeffries wakes up in a Rockland hotel with no idea of who she is and why she can’t remember… well, anything, the Rockland medical community begins to take a closer look at what may have happened to cause a second case of inexplicable amnesia.

But for Vikki, this is more than a medical anomaly–it’s her life. What is she doing in Rockland, thousands of miles away from her home in Apache Junction, Arizona? Who is she? Why is no one looking for her? Or are they?

Will Not See: Not everything is as it seems.

About the Author

Author of the Amazon bestselling Aggie and Past Forward Series, Chautona Havig lives and writes in California’s Mojave Desert. With dozens of books to her name, Chautona spends most of her time writing, but when she takes the rare break, she can be found reading, sewing, paper crafting, or sleeping and dreaming of finishing the dozens of books swirling in her overly-active imagination at any given moment


 

 

Guest Post from Chautona Havig

The circle of death swirls on the screen and it shifts. The bank balance appears, and with it, my heart sinks. It’s been a tough few months, financially. The bottom line proves it.

My reaction? Inhale. Exhale. “Okay, now we know the worst. We can do something about it.”

My husband, on the other hand, suffers a definite blow. Kevin might not sleep that night. Instead, he’ll mull over what we could have done differently, how we can make changes, if he’s a failure at this thing called life. He’ll pray—for hours.

They say ignorance is bliss. And sometimes, that’s true. It’s also a personality thing, I think. I tend to be a “let me have your worst” kind of gal. But when the negative arrives, I also tend to want to shield Kevin from it all. I don’t know how he can worry so much. He can’t fathom how I can turn it off.

But sometimes those personality things go deeper—into what can be serious faults. It has been said,

“There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know.”

Or, in the words of Jeremiah,

“Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.”

What does this have to do with not seeing?

As I work on the Sight Unseen series, one recurring theme happens, of course. Memory loss—the removal of all insight into one’s past. You can hear who you were, be informed of what you did and why others think you did it, but you can’t know your own self the way you once did. It’s a fresh slate, and it can be a good thing in some respects.

Those around you can now see the difference between habits and personality traits—true dislikes and those conditioned by life. What might have been a fear once could be gone if the cause of that fear is blotted out.

But even for these fictional characters, truth doesn’t change. In None So Blind, Ella takes her memory loss and uses it as an opportunity to reinvent herself, if you will. And you know what? If you asked her family about it, they’d tell you that it fits her personality. That take-charge, gotta get ’er done attitude Dani may have used in different ways, but both “manifestations” of the woman had those qualities. Sure, Ella’s was tempered by recent experience, but not much.

Vikki Jeffries, is almost the antithesis of Ella in that respect.

The past is in the past. It scares her. Is it because she doesn’t know it? Because she’s frightened by the unknown? We don’t know. But what we do know is anything associated with that past, even the few very personal items she finds, she rejects. It’s as if ignorance of them will protect her from them. Where Ella runs to face her problems, Vikki runs from them.

But despite those differences, I find it interesting that both women did the same thing, basically—just at different times.

Before her “episode,” Ella chose to blind herself to her faults. She knew them. Lived with them daily, but couldn’t face or address them. So, she “refused to see.”

Vikki—we don’t know. But I think the story shows that she couldn’t blind herself to truth before her episode. As much as she might have ached to, she just couldn’t. Now that the opportunity is here, however, she grasps it and if she insists on squeezing her eyes shut indefinitely, it may cost her everything—her life. Her soul.

Philippians 4:8, “…whatever is true.”

They say ignorance is bliss. Well, “they” also say, “Truth hurts.” And sometimes it does. But so do the consequences of that ignorance. I guess the next time the bank balance dips low, I won’t be handling the fallout alone. Then again, one can always pray that it doesn’t dip low! I think we’ll start there.

Blog Stops

August 29: Just Jo’Anne | Carpe Diem
August 30: Seasons of Opportunities | Blogging With Carol | Lots of Helpers
August 31: Genesis 5020 | Reading Is My SuperPower
September 1: Quiet Quilter | Back Porch Reads
September 2: Fiction Aficionado | Book Bites, Bee Sting, & Butterfly Kisses
September 3: A Reader’s Brain | Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
September 4: Bigreadersite | The Scribbler
September 5: The Fizzy Pop Collection | Mommynificent
September 6: Christian Bookaholic | Moments Dipped in Ink | Margaret Kazmierczak
September 7: History, Mystery & Faith | Southern Gal Loves to Read
September 8: Pause for Tales | Avid Reader Book Reviews
September 9: Blossoms and Blessings | Reflections from my Bookshelves
September 10: A Baker’s Perspective | Pursuing Stacie
September 11: His Grace is Sufficient | Reader’s cozy corner

Giveaway

 

BOOK REVIEW: The Duke's Dilemma by Elaine Manders

Edward Dalton, the new Duke of Langsdale, must soon take a wife to ensure the hereditary line. A young war widow seems the perfect choice. She is charming, well respected with impeccable character, and her connections to the Ton’s most important people is an asset he can’t ignore. But Edward is intrigued by another widow. The mysterious, hauntingly beautiful Lady Wayte.

Cassandra Wayte could not be a more unsuitable match. She isn’t received by polite society, and her notorious dealings with London’s underclass is the talk of nobility from White’s patrons to the most fashionable hostesses. It’s even whispered she murdered her elderly husband. But Edward sees a different side of the tragic lady, and he determines to discover the secrets tormenting her. As he peels away the layers of her resistance, he discovers a malevolent adversary stalking Lady Wayte and exposes a level of depravity that shocks even his war-hardened sensibilities. Can he win her trust and her heart? And at what cost to the dukedom?

As Cassandra’s relentless search for her husband’s murderer exposes both her and Edward to unseen dangers, all they can rely on is their love for each other and their faith in God. 


I was a bit worried when I procrastinated a bit on getting this read and realized it was the second in a series and I didn't have time to read the first book.  I started reading and then  quickly read the synopsis of the first book and realized I was safe.  While they are part of a series they appear to be totally stand alone.  I wasn't so certain at first.  But the things I questioned that I was missing were resolved later in the story.  And oh my gravy what a story it was.  I really really liked it.  I'd not read this author before but now I'd really like to get my hands on more of her work.  Her voice is embracing, the story flows so well, and while there were things I felt I didn't understand they were addressed at just the right time in just the right way.  There was nothing much to not like about this book.

Cassandra was the epitome of annoying, trying to save and protect the world.  I loved her for that.  Women of her time weren't in a position to speak up, be knowledgeable, and having any shade in their history was worse than the pox.  But still she persevered through it all.  Even a modern, independent woman with endless opportunities still needs to take a step back from time to time and let someone else step up.  A lesson for the ages.  Edward was just about as annoying.  He was so closed to the gossip and open to every person as an opportunity but then failed to even recognize his outcast-ish neighbor until his sister jumped the wall.  Then he became her personal champion, whether she liked it or not.  

Seriously, the characters were very well developed, the story flowed amazingly well, and I just fell in love (or distaste) where intended.  The faith was spot on and even the verses that were quoted flowed with the story and didn't feel like a toss in.  I think my favorite, and probably the most relevant for any Christian was the idea of replacing negative and triggering mental images with the blood of Christ washing the bad away.  I mean seriously, how did this never come up before.  Literally visualizing Christ washing all the negative away.  Mind blown.  

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by CelebrateLit.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.

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The Duke's Dilemma (The Wolf Deceivers Book 2)

About Elaine Manders 
Elaine Manders writes wholesome Christian romance and suspense about the bold, capable women of history and the strong, dependable men who love them. She prefers stories that twist and turn and surprise, told by characters of faith. She lives in Central Georgia with a happy bichon-poodle mix. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, crafts, and spending time with her friends, daughter, and grandchildren.

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BOOK REVIEW: Out of Darkness by Erynn Newman

Bride and a widow in the same day, Elisabeth’s prayers are about to be answered . . . if the CIA, international arms dealers, and her best friend don’t stand in the way.

Elisabeth Allen gave her heart to Jesus as a little girl and to Drew Marek as a teenager. When their wedding day finally arrives, it’s the happiest day of her life—until a bomb transforms her dream come true into a living nightmare.

As Best Man at the wedding, Gabriel Di Salvo promises Drew—his best friend and CIA partner—he’ll look after Elisabeth, but he never dreams it will become necessary so soon. As Elisabeth struggles to put the pieces of her life back together without Drew, Gabe becomes her rock, and as they share their grief and begin to heal, their friendship gradually deepens into something more.

Three years later, Gabe and Elisabeth are planning a future together when he receives a shocking call from the one man who can upend his happiness: Drew. Suspecting someone at the CIA is behind his abduction, Drew refuses to come home. Instead, he asks Gabe to bring Elisabeth to him. Now Gabe just has to figure out how to let her go.

Drew and Elisabeth race across Europe, dodging international arms dealers and attempting to reclaim what was stolen from them. But years of captivity and torture have left their mark on Drew. He is no longer the same boy Elisabeth fell in love with, but he is still Elisabeth’s husband, and she is determined to build something new and not allow her relationship with Gabe to come between them.

When their enemies close in and the threat of a terrorist attack escalates, Gabe may be the only person they can trust. Drew, Elisabeth, and Gabe are thrown into a fight for their lives—one that will test their loyalties to God, country . . . and each other. 


Having read the prequel novella I was ready to jump in to this thinking I knew all the characters and had a good grasp on what was going to happen based on the synopsis.  I was wrong.  I mean, don't get me wrong I was partly right but also oh so very wrong.  The characters are all there, plus a few, but there is so much more depth than I imagined.  I did have a great grasp at the plot and even was convinced that at 48% I had it all figured out.  I was wrong.  So very very wrong.  Erynn Newman captures the entire moment of bride to widow, groom to victim, hubby's friend to boyfriend, and oh gravy he's alive.  Yeah.  All those things are huge emotional roller coasters and she owned it. 

There's just a couple things I need to throw in the middle here, you know where I talk about the things that didn't work for me.  I'll start with a word used to refer to a small child early in the book that some might find offensive.  I still here it a lot in the neck of the woods that I live in but that doesn't make it OK.  I understand the character that used it but that still doesn't make it kosher.  It was foul or vulgar or even overtly offensive but it was there and probably most readers won't even realize it.  I'm sorta surprised I did.  Moving on to the love triangle.  I'm not a huge fan of those.  They are hard to pull off successfully, they can be done but it's rare to find a good one.  This story walked the tightrope wobbling to each side.  It didn't work really well but it also didn't fall on it's face.  


I embraced these characters into my life.  I felt their heartaches, terror and triumphs.  I felt the love and confusion.  I have to say that it seemed like it wasn't the traumatic thing I would anticipate to see someone back from the dead, but I've never been there so... I really liked this book.  I mean, come on I never saw the mastermind coming. I thought I did, remember 48%, but it was all a lie.  I didn't fall in love with the love triangle but I did fall in love with the characters.  I also didn't love the neat little red ribbon tied in a bow package of an ending.  It was too neat leaving no stone unturned.  I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone who likes action suspense with a strong faith theme.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by CelebrateLit.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.
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Out of Darkness
About Erynn Newman

Erynn Newman is a pastor’s kid, raised in churches all over the Eastern Seaboard. As a little girl, she created rich fantasy worlds and imaginary friends that followed her into adulthood, when she realized that meant she was either a crazy person or a writer—or maybe both.
Though she has never worked with the CIA, her DVR contains a veritable Who’s Who of international spies.
She lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her best friend (who is also her husband), a very busy little boy who calls her Mommy, two cats, and a ceaseless parade of characters who are all waiting for their turn to have their stories told.

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Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren's Page Turners. To take part, you simply choose a random book from your TBR and show it off. Don’t forget to check out her blog and link back to Lauren’s Page Turners.



Remember when I told you about the download spree I went on when Beth Moore had a bunch of her books on sale?  You don't, well it's been a minute.  Here's another one that I was so excited to get my hands on and then didn't quite follow through on the excitement.  That will change... Just books, so many books!

With half a million copies in print, Praying God’s Word is author Beth Moore’s best-selling release to date. A landmark book among women and men, it continues to serve readers in "tearing down strongholds by captivating our minds with the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Now, the perennial favorite is available in a convenient day-by-day reading format as Beth encourages readers to seek the mind of Christ through fervent daily prayer directly from Scripture.
Praying God's Word Day by Day

Pick a book you HAD to have but then never quite made use of it and share in the comments.

BOOK REVIEW: The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim

When Leora Ebersole sees the small plane crash in her Old Order Mennonite community, she has no idea it’s a foreshadowing of things to come. Once the young pilot, Moses Hughes, regains consciousness, they realize his instruments were destroyed by the same power outage that killed the electricity at the community store, where Englischers are stranded with dead cell phones and cars that won’t start.

Moses offers a sobering theory, but no one can know how drastically life is about to change. With the only self-sustaining food supply in the region, the Pacifist community is forced to forge an alliance with the handful of stranded Englischers in an effort to protect not only the food but their very lives.

In the weeks that follow, Leora, Moses, and the community will be tested as never before, requiring them to make decisions they never thought possible. Whom will they help and whom will they turn away? When the community receives news of a new threat, everyone must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect their beliefs and way of life.


I just have to say, no matter what I didn't love about this book, that i love the author's writing style.  I saw the sequel for this book, 'The Divide', available on NetGalley and jumped on it.  I've not read post-apocalyptic fiction from a plain life perspective and the idea intrigued me.  It was an easy hop from getting the next book to having Ma nab this one out of the library for me.  Of course, the recent Jammication, which was supposed to help get me ahead with reading didn't really work so I am still slacking on my reading schedule.  But that's ok.  'The Alliance' starts off like a good end of world book should, but without fanfare and bomb drops.  Just a plane crashing in a field.  Oh, and the few generator run tools that they use in the workshop stop working.  I have to wonder if or when, the end of the world as we know it comes will those of the plain lifestyle even notice?  I mean eventually they would have to but right away?  For this community a stranger fell from the sky, literally, and explained what he thought happened and threw them into it.  Possibly giving them a fighting chance for long-term survival.

There a few things that didn't sight right with me so let's just toss that here in the middle and end on a positive.  OK?  Stranger falls from the sky and everyone just listens to him?  What made him the expert?  They hold their meeting, throw a few rules in for good measure, and then just believe him.  Talking about meeting, the entire book we hear everything from Moses (guy from the sky) and Leora, where they both reference weird love triangle thing going on.  We'll talk about that later.  However, back to issue two, the meeting, everything that happens and decisions that are made throughout the story - I miss out on that.  I get the next hand or two version through the eyes of the main characters but it leaves me wanting so much more from the story.  Why they decided this?  How?  Alternative options considered?  I got nothing because they wouldn't let me in the meetings!  Lastly and certainly not lastly and probably the biggest eh for me is the love triangle.  I've never been a 'fan' of these and they are utterly overly horridly difficult to pull of with any sense of grace or understand-ability.  This one did not make my heart sing for anyone and actually detracted from the story.  It makes me dislike Leora greatly and the guys both come across as toad nuggets (is so a thing!).  All three are painted as petty and childish when there are so much bigger life altering things happening around them.

Those drawbacks above should have dropped this story down in rating but the author's voice, her way with words, makes up for it.  She develops believable characters and engages in unique scenarios.  I wish there was opportunity to get to know them better, especially Moses and his history, but then again who has time to get that in depth during the apocalypse?  Perhaps with the next story I'll know him better?  Perhaps not, either way he's believable and likeable enough to carry me forward.  I'm very excited to get into the next installment of this series in the next couple of days.  If you are looking for something a little different in either Amish/Mennonite fiction or in something dystopian then I really do recommend this book. 

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The Alliance (The Alliance #1)

About Jolina Petersheim 
Jolina Petersheim is the bestselling author of The Alliance, The Divide, The Midwife, and The Outcast, which Library Journal called “outstanding . . . fresh and inspirational” in a starred review and named one of the best books of 2013. That book also became an ECPA, CBA, and Amazon bestseller and was featured in Huffington Post’s Fall Picks, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and the Tennessean. CBA Retailers + Resources called her second book, The Midwife, “an excellent read [that] will be hard to put down,” and Booklist selected The Alliance as one of their Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Titles for 2016. Jolina’s nonfiction writing has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Writer’s Digest, Proverbs 31 Ministries, and Today’s Christian Woman. She and her husband share the same unique Amish and Mennonite heritage that originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but they now live in the mountains of Tennessee with their young daughters.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Whispering of the Willows by Tonya Jewel Blessing

A 1920s' saga of Emerald Ashby coming of age. Set against the superstitions and old time religion in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, author Tonya Jewel Blessing tells a difficult, yet redemptive story of a blossoming young woman who is accompanied by her friends and her foes on a journey towards hope and healing. Love weaves through gut-wrenching circumstances and dismal poverty where Emerald Ashby grows strong despite grievous wrongs committed against her.

Synopsis: Eighth grade Emie is about to learn some hard lessons when a disturbed young man is thrust into her life by her abusive father and enabling mother. The folk faith of the Appalachian community becomes creative, taking a gamble against the local preacher, in their unique form of hospitality. If you like the emotive movie, Nell, or the writing of Chris Fabry's Dogwood, (a Lifetime movie) you will love The Whispering of the Willows.


Trigger Warning:  While this is an amazing story it is not necessarily appropriate for all readers.  It does contain the sexual assault of a teen girl and the aftermath of thereof.  It is dealt with in a manner of faith however that does not lessen the need to offer this warning.

Warnings out of the way lets talk nitty-gritty.

I found it interesting that the very front of the book is an editor's note regarding the idea of this to be read and discussed by mother's and young daughters.  While, in theory this is something important that children and young adults need to have the tools to deal with, I also feel that there is a massive (beyond huge) audience out there that are more at risk that do not have parents/guardians/trusted adults to have these conversations with.  I'm not sure that I personally could blanket recommend this book even though it is handled through faith.

Before I get too deep into this and talk about what I loved about this book I need to mention a couple of little 'other things'.   There were a couple of editing glitches where a much needed 'the' was left out.  Several times the term 'love aunt' was used in reference to Auntie Ada, which read awkwardly.  My final grip, (I know sorry!) was that Emerald and Emie were used  interchangeably, while not that bad but in awkward ways.  The narrator voice would switch back and forth, several paragraphs using Emie then randomly throwing out Emerald.  I can see that in conversation but it was distracting otherwise.  It wasn't like there was need to re identify her, she was the main character.  Oh, that is out of the way.

Emie (Emerald) was a likeable character.  The characters were so well developed that you loved with all your heart, you detested with all your might, and you prayed right along with them as issues and resolutions came to pass.  Naivete was the rule in the holler during this time period.  Even at 14, Emie wasn't exactly sure what was happening but she knew it was bad.  Rudy, at 14, had know since they met that he loved Emie and they were meant to be together; despite what happened.  There is so much more to this story than Emie and Rudy but an entirely community and family to embrace and weave together.  Yes, it's a pretty heavy story.  But even in the darkness there was so much light. 


I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by BookCrash.  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  I was not required to write a positive review.

UPDATE:  I have recently heard from the publisher regarding a few of the things that I mentioned above that bothered me.  The term 'love aunt' is being changed for all future books and printings.  Also the issue with Emerald/Emie in the narrator voice has been corrected in 40 different instances.  While these were minor-ish issues I appreciate the openness of the publisher and author to take feedback and make decisions to improve future printings.  So when you purchase your copy these things have already been address.  (08.28.2017)

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The Whispering of the Willows

About Tonya Jewel Blessing 
Growing up Tonya Blessing spent numerous vacations and holidays in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. Most of her adult life has been spent in full-time ministry with a focus on helping women. She has traveled nationally and internationally as a conference speaker. For a number of years, Tonya and her husband operated a retreat facility in Colorado for pastors and missionaries.
She and her husband currently live in South Africa. They are the directors of Strong Cross Ministries, a non-profit organization that assists local churches in providing humanitarian relief and spiritual reconciliation. She is currently pursuing a degree in pastoral ministries. Tonya has written a number of devotionals geared toward women in ministry. The Whispering of the Willows is her first novel.​

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