Overview:
While a man possesses a unique God-given motivational propensity for exercising a strong will in life, a woman conversely possesses a unique God-given propensity for discerning the appropriate way of
life. Through ups and downs, these magnetic tensions have helped
husband and wife writing team, Robert and Pamela Crosby, learn to balance, bend, and blend in their marriage--to appreciate the balance their differences bring, to bend more appropriately in response to each other, and to move toward a more joyous blend that can only emerge out of two quite different ways somehow turned into one. Simply put, where there's a WILL, there's a WAY. The Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman invites you and your spouse to harness the magnetic draw of your differences and blend better in life and love.
They contain magnets with opposing poles. When you try to push them
together, they repel one another and snap apart. The harder you push the
stronger the repulsion.
Argue and defend self? I'm so busy. So many responsibilities and expectations on me!
Attack? What about you? Remember when you...? It drives me nuts whenever you...?
But none of these "lines" would ever restore anything.
--The Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman, 29.
Magnetic push and pull.
It seemed that just a few years earlier in our relationship all we could think or talk about were the things we had in common. Now the differences we saw and felt in our relationship were almost all we could see.
--Ibid., 30.
Robert and Pamela share their early marriage and unmet expectations ~ silent expectations, not voiced. Using their own experiences, they are able to walk through to change and what really works when we follow God's design and His Love instruction. Wholeness. Oneness. Grace. Communication––talk and listen––teamwork. Connection––a beautiful balance––flow.
This book would be good as a couple study to study together. It has reflective questions after each chapter. I would suggest husband and wife have their own book to highlight what stands out individually. There are memories shared by both Robert and Pamela from their viewpoints. Not a how-to, but a shared way.
The differences God exactly planned. His divine way ~ under His divine will.
Enjoy learning and applying skills that will enlighten and eliminate conflict unnecessary to come to a determination of going His way, individually: Jeremiah 29:11. Wonderful examples from God's Word.
God chose to call out their obedience and surrender to His will and His plan individually. In separate moments, He called out the will of a man and also drew out the way of a woman, uniting them to do His will His way.
--Ibid., 242.
***Thank you to Shiloh Run Press, an Imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., for sending a copy for review. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Teaming Life Initiatives
Pamela & Robert Crosby, Lakeland, FL
They are asking for fans to upload any videos they may have of them surprising loved ones for the holidays to social media. Readers may post these to socials using the hashtag #TNChristmasSurprise! Those chosen will be part of a compilation video that Amy herself will share on her large social media outlets!
Giveaway CD to one commenter!
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Giveaways for this promotion are only for residentsof the continental U.S.
Comment here at Lane Hill House with your email[at]address[dot]com for winner to be notified. Drawing will be on December 1, 2016. CD will be mailed from Propeller/FlyBy in time for Christmas gift giving.
I was so excited to begin reading this story... I did not look at the cover or read about it ~ I went right to Chapter 1. How surprised I was, absorbed to the finish, to see Part 2 and a new story. Obviously, If... I hadn't gone directly to the Chapter 1 heading, I would have seen it said Part 1. Some stories will have a Chapter 1 preview of the next book... This is complete. Read on to find the connection between them!
So well written, Part 1 tells the story of a Patriot nurse tending the wounded King's Army soldiers. She got on-the-job training as she was a local young woman pressed into service with her hidden alliance and introduced as Mrs. Gillingham, as unmarrieds were not accepted as caregivers. Fortunate for the injured, Abigail was the daughter of a doctor and had skills with his medicinals.
Revolutionary War of 1777 ~ Colonists vs British ~ two Battles of Saratoga
The characters portrayed in this time period were lively and visual. The author was extremely attentive to accuracy and detail. As I was reading, I was unaware the emotions and reasoning were directed at repair ~ readying to re-enter battle a second time following their injuries. The hospital tent was a place of constant change and rapid decisions keeping tasks anew for each patient as they entered. Although not there on her own accord, Abigail is valuable and resourceful for both staff and wounded under her care. Dedicated and dependable, she is trusted by the matron of nurses. She is watched out for and favored upon observation of her visible compassion. The throngs of war, without and within.
The 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga
Abby Carpenter and her brother are preparing to leave for Saratoga Springs to attend the bicentennial celebration in the place of their father. Surgery recovery keeps Scott from going, and a mix up at the arrival terminal keeps Abby from renting a car. Fortunately, three other people in line are going to the same ceremony, and Abby shares a car with one of them. A Brit, and an ancestral story begins.
In Part 2, letters written following the Battle of Saratoga are handed down through the generations. Interesting the similarity of turmoil and questioning carried forward through misunderstandings and supposed blame. Regrets become promises of good. I liked the descriptions and travels of the characters as trust was built. I enjoyed reading this follow-up story to Part 1 together, and read it straight through!
***Thank you, author Elaine Marie Cooper for sharing a copy of Saratoga Letters with me. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Award winning author Elaine Marie
Cooper is the author of Saratoga Letters, Fields of the Fatherless,
Bethany’s Calendar and the historical trilogy called the Deer Run
Saga. She has been captivated by the history of the American
Revolution since she was young. She grew up in Massachusetts, the
setting for many of her historical novels.
Her upcoming release is Legacy of Deer
Run (CrossRiver Media, December 2016), Book 3 in the Deer Run Saga.
Life can change in an instant when you least expect it.
Secrets on Sterling Street ~ Book 3
Things have changed since Ruby has come to right a wrong, several wrongs. Repaying what has been deprived of others, Ruby hopes to heal her heart and memories she would like to be different. Will she be believed or questionable motives be suspected? Going by her mother's maiden name, Ruby's travels bring her to a small town named Fairplay, of all things. Certainly, this will right itself!
~*~
To right a wrong. Forgiveness. Not carrying another's offenses making them your own. Delivered from the penalty of sin by choosing Christ to be your forerunner, your Deliverer. For He will.
As Ruby seeks to replace pain caused by another, her heart is replaced by longing to be freed from the crushing weight ~ of regret, of sorrow, of loss. Love is hidden beneath supposed strength, a weakness that obliviated all that could have been. Can it be recouped, restored? Refreshed ~ a loss brought forward to be replaced by a Love never before aware nor received. I am here for you. Always. I walk alongside you. You are not alone nor forgotten. You are whole in Me. Receive all that I have for you and do not fear. My love covers a multitude of sin and neglect. Rebuilding that only can be new and fresh, not stirred up in remembrance of what once was.
Sheriff Rex Truett has tried hard to keep the town of Fairplay in Colorado a safe place for the residents, and for his heart... keeping it intact, while sheltering it from added storms. Losing his father at a young age, he has wanted to explore loving with open hands ~ free to give and to receive. He and his aunt have taken in two children to keep them from harm. When Ruby and her mother arrive in town, he has difficulty trusting their intent. Repairs to buildings, service to those nearby, silently has misgivings to him as to motive. Why would strangers want to help those in need in Fairplay?
In the process of rendering aid, Ruby and her mother find healing in their hearts and worth. Secrets revealed free them from disaster and injured hearts and lives. There comes a stopping off place, a place to accept who they truly are ~ loved and whole.
On the healing tour, heavy hearts are lightened by truth. Back cover: When Ruby McCoy and her mother arrive in Fairplay and promptly move
into the biggest mansion around, they are the talk of the town. But
while Mrs. McCoy worries about ribbons, trunks, and wallpaper, Ruby
rolls up her sleeves. Since the hanging of her notorious gangster father
five years ago, Ruby, hiding under an assumed name, is on a mission to
right her father’s wrongs. She is determined to spend every penny of her
inherited “blood money” helping those who paid the price for her
father’s crimes. But she didn’t plan on falling in love. Sheriff Rex Truett doesn’t trust Ruby and doesn’t care who knows it.
The keeper of Fairplay’s law and order makes it his business to find out
why a stranger—especially a beautiful, rich, female stranger—would set
up businesses, donate to schools, hire workmen to rebuild houses, and
provide access to the best medical care. But when a cholera epidemic
sweeps through the city, he is forced to reconsider. Will Ruby have the courage to tell Rex her family secret? And will love or justice win in Rex’s heart?
***Thank you author Loree Lough and to Celebrate Lit for sending me a review copy of Healing of the Heart during this blog tour. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
A prolific writer, Loree Lough has 108 books, 68 short stories, and
more than 2,500 articles in print. Her novels have earned dozens of
industry and Reader’s Choice awards. A frequent guest speaker for
writers’ organizations, book clubs, private and government institutions,
corporations, and college and high school writing programs, Loree and
her husband, Larry, divide their time between a home in the Baltimore
suburbs and a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains.
Her books have over 3700 ratings on Goodreads with the first two books in The Secrets of Sterling Street series, Currency of the Heart and Guardians of the Heart receiving multiple four and five star reviews on book review and retail sites.
Giveaway
In honor of her tour, Loree is giving
away her books: Secrets on Sterling Street series, Prevailing Love (3 in
1), Pricilla Hires a Husband, Lone Wolf, and Emma’s Orphans, a KJVER
Study Bible, and an Abba pillar candle in a wicker basket! Click the
link below to enter; be sure to comment on this post to claim your nine
bonus entries for this giveaway! https://promosimple.com/ps/a81c
~ Leaving your comment below with your email[at]address[dot]com ~
A restorer's job was never to enhance, simply reveal.
--A Portrait of Emily Price, 22.
My review:
A new town, a new project, my same tools ~ trustworthy in my hands. A life uncovered to restore. Drawn in, I am enhanced. My ready impression of Emily; alive, aware, feeling, quietly and astutely studying all about her. After a fire, restoration begins ahead of her arrival ~ the barebone basics ready for her fine touch and renewal with lives revealed in the gatherings.
Helping another, and finding yourself.
...restoration work was like a sophisticated paint-by-number exercise. Great skill meant you stayed in the lines and matched your colors, textures, and viscosity to perfection.
--Ibid., 53.
Life happens as you continue at what you know. Filled in lines with happiness and joy from succession forward.
I like how Emily is able to space her time ~ knowing when to stop to go to the next cycle of grace. She is beyond what appears and sees into the heart of another ~ their memories, and their goals to hold on to what they have known to be able to advance to where the next step takes them. Life. Forward.
Benchmark places. Recording now to a place in the future you will look back on. I succeeded there and can go forward here. So beautiful to see Brooke with eyes of hope ~ the young girl within.
~ restoration ~ It was a field based on the finite nature of any work––a work already in existence.
--Ibid., 91.
A dream and a melody. Ben and Joseph, brothers so different yet so near, yearning for respect and care from each other though many hours apart. Dreams in action, formidable to touch without an interloper willing to stand between to interpret their visions into actions.
Emily has a trip ahead of her, and in turn, may find more of herself exposed, revealing a discovery closest to her heart.
***Thank you, author Katherine Reay for a special story and Thomas Nelson for sending a review copy. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Nine Historical Women Win More than a Blue Ribbon at the Fair
by Jennifer L. AlLee, Angela Breidenbach, Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Tiffany Amber Stockton, Niki Turner, Gina Welborn, Becca Whitham
Meet nine men and women whose competitive goals take them to state and county fairs between 1889 and 1930. From baking pie to polishing pigs, from sculpting butter to stitching quilts, everyone has something to prove to themselves and their communities. But in going for the blue ribbon, will nine women miss the greatest prize of all—the devoted heart of a godly man?
There is excitement in the air for County, State, and World's Fair ~ for all ages; the youth tending their animals all year, the ladies preparing their entries, the men hoping for the best price for their season of hope ~ Come One, Come All ~ it's Fair time to be enjoyed by all generations through the decades!
~*~
Thank you, author Carrie Fancett Pagels for sharing a copy of The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection with me! EnJ*O*Y her opening story, "Requilted with Love."
Michigan State Fair, 1889
Home Arts Pavilion
With the bustle of people coming and going at the train station, the conductor calls out to a man to help a lady with her baggage and show her to her destination. Startled, Grant Bentley ushers Sarah Richmond on her way. With the Michigan State Fair patch on his pocket, what more could have been determined? By appearances...and mistaken identity.
"If you're going to wear the state fair uniform,
they may expect labor from you." Requilted with Love, 26.
Directed at Grant's friend, Lee Hudgins, he too was decidedly assigned. Assumptions. How then, do you reveal yourself when you didn't know you were hidden?
Sarah happily finds that she and Denise Drefs are to share a table together. They met at a previous fair. With quilts brought for display in the Home Arts Pavilion, they are hopeful of winning a State Fair prize ribbon.
There is more to win at a fair than ribbons ~ renewed acquaintances far and near, neighboring friends and relatives meeting together, excited for what lies before them. And... there are the competitors, not always so friendly. I like how Sarah knows what true value is, avoiding vain conflict and being true to what she knows is right.
Busily occupied with event and afternoons serving refreshments in the pavilion, Sarah is provided a basket each day filled with her aunt's blue ribbon cooking; more than enough to share.
Trust overshadows misgivings promoted by Sarah's past fears. For a shadow to appear, light exposes it. God's direction is right on time for Sarah's protection, with her unaware.
This story is so well written with the characters interweaving effortlessly! A beautiful example of respect and honoring one another. I liked the humor bantering between Lee and Grant showing the camaraderie they held for each other. (And they were representing northern and southern heritage, lol.)
You will enjoy reading other stories written of adventurous and fun characters by author Carrie Fancett Pagels.
***This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
My Review:
We bring with us who we are. As Christopher Hostettler enters the Bird-in-Hand Harness Shop, his recent encounters come with him. Emily Fisher greets him and he is sullen. Certain it is her, she strives to bring him in as welcome and is met with unawareness. Recouping his long travel from Ohio to Pennsylvania, she suspects, he has arrived to work with his uncle Hank and Emily's father in the shop they co-own. Used to people responding to her, she is perplexed. How often do we take it on ourself when we don't know what the other person is going through? First impressions, first reactions?
Relationship building takes time, thought, and mentally going back over what has been spoken before to keep it close in memory and heart.
Wilmer Hochstetler experiences a beautiful freeing reversal in his life. From guilt and grief to love and acceptance. A healing only God can open a heart to receive.
John Lantz. A heart of a child; carefree, open, unhampered. You will love John, continuing from the previous story! He is a stress-breaker, for sure.
Basket lunches. You will want to take a peek and a whiff to see what today's special is. Such a freind-building experience!
At the last page, you will be wanting to open up the fourth and final book in this series, The Beloved Hope Chest, and continue the journey of these families. So rich in experience and love guided by the One who loves us most.
Learn more about The Cherished Quilt story from author Amy Clipston:
Overview:
When Christopher Hostettler comes from Ohio to work at his uncle’s shop in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, he gets off on the wrong foot with Emily Fisher. But when he finally opens up to her about his tragic reasons for leaving home, her heart begins to change.
When Christopher compliments an old quilt, Emily decides to make a similar quilt for Christopher as a gesture of friendship. Emily knows she must guard her heart, as Christopher is not a baptized member of the church, but she’s suddenly found someone with whom she can imagine sharing a future. When a family emergency calls Christopher back home to Ohio, Emily decides to finish the quilt, in spite of her pain, and send it to him for Christmas. But when Christopher receives it, will he have the courage to truly follow his heart?
Preorder your copy of The Cherished Quilt ~ release date is November 29, 2016.
For further treasures, be sure to visit Amy at her website.
***Thank you author Amy Clipston for sending me an Advance Reader's Copy for review, as part of her street team. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Amish Heirloom, Book 1
Amish Heirloom, Book 2
Book four in Amy Clipston's Amish Heirloom Series releases in the Spring of 2017 ~ watch for The Beloved Hope Chest, the final book in this series.
Calder Springs, Texas ~ 1875
A morning like any other morning, Mae Stafford begins the day at her dress shop, creating ordered garments with her fine stitches. A new customer enters requesting a next-size-up wardrobe for his little daughter, LillyAnn. Her papa, Johannes Mueller, is the new school teacher. This session, LillyAnn will be old enough to be a student!
I loved how Mae envisions making LillyAnn's clothes special just for her by adding embroidery and lace to set them apart. Mae becomes endeared to this little girl whose mama and baby brother passed away.
LillyAnn has plans of her own and involves her papa in her dreams. How unassuming she is and is glad to proclaim her hopes and heartfelt longings. She is a delight to new friends she makes.
Come visit Calder Springs and join in the community activities. You'll want to glean the freshness of open hearts, little by little, as Johannes overhears tenderness he misses.
author Jodie Wolfe
***Thank you author Jodie Wolfe and to Celebrate Lit for sending a review copy for the Love in the Seams blog tour. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
I’m so excited to be a part of a Celebrate Lit tour. Thank you for the opportunity to give a small peek into my world. 🙂 Love in the Seams is book two in my Twins & Needles series. Mae Stafford’s journey to believe and have hope that God will give her the desires of her heart echo the ups and downs of my writing adventure.
I wrote my first novel as a teen quite a number of years ago. Ahem. We won’t say how many years that have passed since then. 🙂 Let’s just say it’s quite a few. My next novel didn’t get written until my early twenties…and then soon after I had children. Fiction writing took a back seat as I raised my sons and home schooled them all the way through high school.
Over seven years ago I felt God nudging me back to writing. I still had a son at home, so the progress was a little slow at first. Since then I’ve written four novels, three novellas, and have pitched a half dozen other ideas at various conferences or through my amazing agent.
God dropped my agent, Linda S. Glaz of Hartline Literary Agency, into my lap when I least expected it, but that’s a different story. I’ve had quite a number of rejections over the past few years as she’s tried to drum up interest for my books. We’ve had some nibbles and times when an editor or two was interested, but things didn’t progress any further than that.
I’ve entered contests and have experienced mixed results. I semi-finaled in American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest a few years ago, and this past summer I found out I’m a finalist in three different contests. But there also have been quite a few where the responses weren’t so great.
Earlier this year I decided to put out a novella independently and Hearts Tightly Knit was the result. It told the tale of Mae’s twin sister, Ellie, and their pact to always stay together and never marry. When Ellie ended up with her happily-ever-after, I knew that Mae needed one too. The only thing is Mae isn’t sure if her hopes for a family will ever come to fruition.
Highs and lows are part of a writer’s life. Well, actually for all of us. 🙂 Sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down in the negatives, the ‘rejections’ and not be able to see past them. Believe me, at times I wallow there for a little bit, but my aim is to write books that share about the hope we have in Christ. How can I convey that if I don’t believe and experience it myself?
One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) which says, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” One of the things I have hoped for many years was a writing contract. That finally happened in September when I signed for a novelette with Celebrate Lit that will be coming out in the spring. In the process of waiting, I’ve found God has refined and honed me in this journey of hope.
My prayer is that my books will touch your heart and give you a glimmer of the hope we have in Christ. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity into your world.
~*~
G*I*V*E*A*W*A*Y
In honor of her tour, Jodie is giving away a wooden decorated basket, a 24 thread spools with needles and threader, a pack of 30 needles, a tape measure, a tomato pin cushion, embroidery scissors, a thimble, 15 piece sewing kit, and a $10 Amazon gift card!
Click the link below to enter; be sure to comment on this post to claim your nine bonus entries for this giveaway! Comment at the other blog posts above for added entries!
The clouds covered the moon, and the only exterior light came from the intermittent lightning. And the occasional sweep of the lighthouse's beam across the water. Where Two Hearts Meet, 211.
Comfortable in your own world, doing what you know to do, all is well until your employer asks you to be a tour guide for one of the B&B summer visitors.
Return to Rose's Red Door Inn on Prince Edward Island and share more dreams the islanders didn't know they had. Expansion of ideas to include more guests and activities honed just for them, finding out strengths that have always been there but not exposed because they weren't stirred alive.
I liked how Seth and Marie Sloane trusted their chef, Caden Holt, as part of their team, encouraging her to take on more than she saw in herself. She develops an added incentive, however, uncertain how she is going to follow through.
Two guests shine in encouragement ~ Esther and Levi Eisenberg. I hope they will return each summer! What a bright spot they are. Their character and silence in contentment are so rich and their love and understanding of each other so vibrant.
Adam Jacobs arrives in an unusual way ~ entering through the kitchen sanctum. Marie is certain she doesn't have a reservation for him today, nor an empty guest room. The whiff of cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven draws him. Caden's domain.
So much to enjoy and learn about trust and confidence, this summer is going to be different for Caden as she realizes her strengths and solid continuance. Her skills are far reaching as she offers guidance with depth and importance that will be lasting.
Author Liz Johnson writes with a flair that is heartwarming and certain to draw you into Caden's kitchen too. Where Two Hearts Meet may be read as a stand-alone novel, but you won't want to miss any of the books in this series ~ book 1, The Red Door Inn, and On Love's Gentle Shore, book 3, to follow ~ coming summer 2017.
Her characters become family as they appear and bloom on the page. So enjoyable to meet them again.
***Thank you to Revell Reads for inviting me to be part of the book tour for Where Two Hearts Meet, and for sending a review copy. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Enjoy an excerpt from Where Two Hearts Meet ~ Chapter 1
Teaming Life Initiatives
***Thank you author Loree Lough and to Celebrate Lit for sending me a review copy of Healing of the Heart during this blog tour. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Prince Edward Island Dreams, Book 1