Tender Vow by Sharlene MacLaren with Aussie Giveaway

Synopsis:~

Michigan-born brothers John and Jason Evans took a ski trip in the Rockies, but only one came home alive-John was tragically killed on a daring descent down Devil's Run, an infamously dangerous slope.

In an attempt to soothe his guilt and grief, Jason sets out to make amends with his widowed sister-in-law, Rachel, by offering to help with her two small children, doing odd jobs around her house, and trying to ease her own heavy burden of grief. A new Christian, he is bent on growing his faith and helping Rachel see her way through the fog of pain and confusion.

Left to raise her three-year-old daughter and newborn son on her own, Rachel Evans is anything but willing to become her brother-in-law's charity case, particularly since they have a history she'd rather forget. She's determined to make it on her own but soon finds that God has other plans for her-and for Jason. Can she accept the Lord's leading and still honor her late husband's memory?

My take:~

Sharlene MacLaren is well known for her historical romances but I have discovered she is just as comfortable writing a contemporary novel. Tender Vow is the story of a woman battling grief and guilt over her husband's death while struggling with loneliness and the overwhelming responsibilities of raising her two small children. Rachel's brother in law Jason is also grieving and determined to honour his brother's memory by ensuring his niece and nephew are provided for. Sharlene draws out their emotions well especially as feelings long forgotten reemerge. Added conflict arises as it becomes apparent that Jason's father blames him for his brother's death. While I felt the story wrapped up a bit too neatly for me given the emotional trauma the family had suffered, Tender Vow is an engaging story with plenty of emotional spark and a nice way to spend an afternoon.

I purchased my own copy of this book

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Hannah Grace & Maggie Rose

Interview with Sharlene

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong

Coming soon from Whitaker House

Whitaker House author, Sharlene MacLaren has long been a favourite author of mine so it is great to see she has a new contemporary novel releasing in September, 2010. Whitaker is obviously extending its fiction line with Vanessa and Penny's September releases also.

Click on the links and enjoy:~

Tender Vow by Sharlene MacLaren

Michigan-born brothers John and Jason Evans took a ski trip in the Rockies, but only one came home alive-John was tragically killed on a daring descent down Devil's Run, an infamously dangerous slope.

In an attempt to soothe his guilt and grief, Jason sets out to make amends with his widowed sister-in-law, Rachel, by offering to help with her two small children, doing odd jobs around her house, and trying to ease her own heavy burden of grief. A new Christian, he is bent on growing his faith and helping Rachel see her way through the fog of pain and confusion.

Left to raise her three-year-old daughter and newborn son on her own, Rachel Evans is anything but willing to become her brother-in-law's charity case, particularly since they have a history she'd rather forget. She's determined to make it on her own but soon finds that God has other plans for her-and for Jason. Can she accept the Lord's leading and still honor her late husband's memory?





A Love for Tomorrow by Vanessa Miller

When Christian talk show host Serenity Williams's fiancé calls off their wedding because he can't deal with her popularity, she determines that she will never fall in love with another pride-filled, ego-driven pastor. Then, Serenity's producer asks her to interview the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight, who has recently gone through a divorce. Serenity feels that this is her chance to expose the arrogance of ego-filled pastors to the world. But Pastor Phillip is broken and humbled from his experiences, and the surprising humility of this man causes Serenity to want to un-break his heart. However, Serenity will need the Lord to fix her heart and change her mind about male preachers before she and Phillip can become all they were meant to be to each other.






McKenzie by Penny Zeller

"Desperate times call for desperate measures" is the reasoning that prompts McKenzie Worthington, a young lady of Boston's high society, to respond to an ad for a mail-order bride for a man in the Montana Territory. McKenzie is desperate, after all, to save her beloved younger sister, Kaydie, from her evil, abusive husband, who robs banks for a living. And so, it is with reckless determination that McKenzie runs away from the comforts of home and hearth to head West and meet her new husband-whom she'll divorce, of course, after she rescues her sister.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures" is the reasoning that also prompts Zachary Sawyer, a rugged rancher after God's own heart, to post an ad for a mail-order bride in various newspapers across the country. Managing a ranch and caring for his adoptive son, Davey, has become more than one man can handle alone, and Zach prays for God to send him a wife with whom to build a life and share his dreams.

When McKenzie arrives at Zach's ranch, she immediately puts her plan in motion, searching for her sister and doing all she can to keep her new husband from forming an attachment. But his persistent kindness and significant self-sacrifices begin to change her heart-and ruin her plans. God has a way of working things out to the good of those who love Him, though, as McKenzie and Kaydie will soon see.

Maggie Rose by Sharlene MacLaren

Synopsis:~

In the summer of 1904, Maggie Rose Kane, Jacob's spunky, independent middle daughter accepts God's call to leave her beloved hometown of Sandy Shores, Michigan to work as 'house mother' at New York City's Sheltering Arms Refuge, a home for displaced and orphaned waifs. There she meets the cynical, hard-nosed Luke Madison, a 27-year-old news reporter from the New York World who's been thrust upon the orphanage for a three-month period with an order to research the city's problem of "Street Arabs", the name pinned to these impoverished children. Sparks fly as Maggie and Luke come to terms with their growing attraction.

Will Maggie win the struggle to remain attuned to God's direction for her life, staving off her foolish, romantic notions-or does the Lord have a greater purpose than she ever imagined for leading her to New York?

My take:~

Sharlene MacLaren has the great ability to write a fresh story in a genre that can often feel like you have read it all before! Sharlene includes all the expected requisites for an historical romance ~ a devoted young woman, a man with a painful past and a sweet romance that slowly blossoms ~ and then adds her own stamp to the tale intertwining her plot with the real life 1904 tragedy of the SS General Slocum steamship fire and the plight of young girls sold to bordellos. Tender and intriguing, Maggie Rose is a fascinating read and a great addition to the Daughters of Jacob Kane series. I eagerly await the release of Abbie Ann in 2010.

Thanks to Whitaker House for kindly providing my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Hannah Grace

Interview with Sharlene

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong

Sharlene MacLaren ~ What's Cooking?

Sharlene MacLaren

Here's my favorite "pork chop" recipe. It's easy-peasy, and DELICIOUS! Makes for fall-off-the-bone chops every time!

Shar

Tender, Tasty Pork Chops


Ingredients

Six Pork Chops (your favorite cut)
Large, yellow onion
Brown Sugar
Ketchup
Orange juice

Instructions

Lay chops side by side in large oven pan
Place a thin onion layer on each chop
On the onion, place one Tablespoon of brown sugar
and one Tablespoon of ketchup
Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of orange juice around pan, so that
each chop gets saturated.

Place uncovered in 350-degree F. oven for approx. 1 hour,
or until chops are tender.

My hubby is going to love these, Shar ~ thank you!


Sharlene's Books

Hannah Grace ~ Maggie Rose ~ Abbie Ann (2010)
Through Every Storm ~ Long Journey Home
Loving Liza Jane ~ Sarah, My Beloved ~ Courting Emma

Relz Reviewz Extras

All things MacLaren @ Relz Reviewz

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong

Coming in July from Whitaker House

Sharlene MacLaren writes tender historical fiction and I have loved everyone of her books and I am always on the lookout for new authors so I am hoping Tammy's book is as good as it sounds!

Enjoy the sneak peek as these Whitaker House releases, even though you have probably seen Maggie Rose here once already - LOL! Click on the links for more.


Love's Rescue by Tammy Barley

A Dividing Conflict

In 1863, the War Between the States is dividing more than just a nation. To escape the conflict, Jessica Hale and her family flee their Kentucky homestead and head for the Nevada Territory. Her brother, Ambrose, committed to the Confederates, rejoins the Kentucky militia and is disowned by his father. But the worst is yet to come.

The Heroic Kidnapper

When Unionists presume the family to be Confederate sympathizers, they set a devastating fire to their home. All alone and then "kidnapped" by cattleman Jake Bennett, Jessica is taken to a ranch deep in the Sierra Nevada wilderness. But, can Jessica overcome her resentment toward Jake for failing to save her family?

The Depths of Love

When Jake launches a plan to help Jessica's brother escape from prison camp, she sees him for the honest, good-hearted Christian man that he is and now knows the depth of his love for her. Through the lingering smoke and smoldering ashes from her ruined home and murdered family, will Jessica see a future with Jake?

Watch the book trailer for Love's Rescue



Maggie Rose by Sharlene MacLaren

A Pursuit of a Calling

The year is 1904, and Maggie Rose, the spunky, friendly, twenty-year-old middle daughter of Michigan resident Jacob Kane, feels compelled to leave her beloved hometown of Sandy Shores to pursue what she feels in her heart are God's plans for her life-in New York City.

A Heart for the Homeless

Maggie Rose adjusts to her new life at Sheltering Arms Refuge, an orphanage that also transports homeless children to towns across the United States to match them with compatible families. Most of the children have painful pasts that make Maggie aghast, but she marvels at their resiliency. As she gets to know each child, her heart blossoms with new depths of love and compassion.

An Unexpected Attraction

When a newspaper reporter comes to stay at the orphanage in order to gather research for an article, Maggie is struck by his handsome face-and concerned by his lack of faith. She can't deny their mutual affections, though. Will she win the struggle to maintain her focus on God and remain attuned to His guidance?

Hannah Grace by Sharlene MacLaren

Hannah Grace Kane likes the way her life is turning out until Gabriel Devlin comes to town as the new Sheriff of Sandy Shores, Michigan.

Satisfied with the way her courtship with Dr Ralston Van Huff is progressing, Hannah thinks she knows how her life will pan out. Little does she anticipate how the handsome sheriff, his sincere faith and the little orphan boy he has taken under his wing, will undermine her best laid plans and create havoc in her heart and home.

Lovers of historical romance need look no further than Hannah Grace for an afternoon of sweet romance complete with a dashing hero, determined heroine and the engaging story of a little boy desperate for love. Sharlene MacLaren knows how to engage her readers with a lively faith filled story, well drawn, multi layered characters and sparkling dialogue. The first in her Daughters of Kane series, Hannah Grace is an excellent follow up to her popular Little Hickman Creek series and will keep her readers wanting more.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Long Journey Home, Loving Liza Jane, Sarah, My Beloved and Courting Emma

Interview with Sharlene

Visit Sharlene's website and blog

Buy Sharlene's books from Amazon and Koorong

Long Journey Home by Sharlene MacLaren

Callie May is working hard to create a safe environment for her baby after fleeing her abusive husband. Determined not to make the same poor choices again, Callie is putting her trust in God, not men.

Shattered by the loss of his wife and baby daughter, Dan Mattson is running away as fast as he can from God and his life as a pastor. Moving to Oakdale and taking a job in construction, Dan needs no reminders of all he has lost.

Bitterness, pain and fear collide when Callie and Dan meet for the first time in the hallway between their apartments, but the two hurting souls strike up a tentative friendship which is thrown in to turmoil when Callie's former husband returns to stake his claim.

Long Journey Home is Sharlene MacLaren's latest contemporary novel after the success of her Little Hickman Creek historical series. It is an easy to read romantic tale that took a few chapters to grab me for some unknown reason. As Callie and Dan's friendship progressed, Sharlene's talent beckoned me closer to Dan's pain and Callie's fear and their need to overcome their past in order to move forward. Sharlene imbues her story with more substance by way of back story and character depth which lifts it beyond a simple romance and had me completely engaged by the story's end.

Available now from Whitaker House

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Loving Liza Jane, Sarah, My Beloved and Courting Emma

Interview with Sharlene

Visit Sharlene's website

Buy Sharlene's books at Amazon or Koorong

Coming in 2009 from Sharlene MacLaren and Whitaker House

Sharlene MacLaren is one of my few must read historical authors. In January, 2009, the first in her Daughters of Jacob Kane series will release from Whitaker House, Hannah Grace.

Check it out!

And drop by tomorrow for my review of her newly released contemporary novel, Long Journey Home

Growing up in the west Michigan resort town of Sandy Shores in the early 1900s, Hannah Grace, the eldest of Jacob Kane's three daughters, is feisty and strong-willed, yet practical. Between working at her father's general store and courting the town's physician, Ralston Van Huff, Hannah has her life planned out in an orderly, meaningful way. Or so she thinks.

Hannah's world turns upside down when the new sheriff comes to town. Gabriel Devlin is strong, outspoken, and a Christian, to boot-but he's sworn off women, having met ones mostly interested in money and apathetic about God.

Determined to ignore the newcomer's handsome looks, Hannah is drawn to him nonetheless by a shy, runaway orphan boy named Jesse. While Hannah works to befriend the shy vagabond, who's living with Gabriel until other arrangements can be made, God works in her heart. What plans does He have in store for this young woman who thought she had it all together?

Courting Emma by Sharlene MacLaren & Giveaway

Emma Browning has deterred men for years from acting on their interest in her with mild scorn and asserting her fierce independence. Content with managing her boardinghouse and distancing herself from her disreputable father, no one has come close to breaching her defenses, until a childhood friend returns to Little Hickman and is not easily dissuaded.

Fresh from his theological training, Jon Atkins takes up the pastorate at Little Hickman, and his friendly and compassionate ways endear him to the small community. Jon's genuine ways and practical approach to those in need being to break down Emma's skepticism about Jon's intentions and the God he follows. Jon soon discovers that But it will take more than a charming smile and faithful friendship to change Emma's mind about faith and family.

I have been anticipating Jon and Emma's story since Sharlene MacLaren first introduced them in Loving Liza Jane, the first in the Little Hickman Creek series. Emma is such an appealing character, protective of her lonely heart yet reaching out to her rough around the edges boarders. In Jon and Emma, Sharlene illustrates the different outcomes of a broken childhood, when God's healing is embraced and when it is not. Courting Emma is a charming historical romance which provides a wonderful romantic escape and a gentle reminder of the healing power of God's grace and forgiveness.

Available now from Whitaker House.

Read my reviews of Sharlene's other Little Hickman books and our interview:~

Loving Liza Jane

Sarah, My Beloved

Interview

As an added bonus, publisher Whitaker House, is kindly offering two copies of this lovely story to give away. This time it's easy - leave a comment before midnight Sunday 13th April and you will be entered into the draw. Be sure to leave an email or blog addy so I can contact you if you win. Open to ALL my readers!