Showing posts with label Kelly Long. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kelly Long. Show all posts

Monday, 16 April 2012

Arms of Love by Kelly Long

Synopsis:~

The year is 1777. America is in turmoil.  And Amish life is far different than today.

Pennsylvania in the late 18th century, once called William Penn's Woods, was an assortment of different faiths living together for the first time in American history. Included in this tapestry was a small and struggling population called Amish. 

Surrounding this peaceful people were unavoidable threats: both Patriots and the British were pillaging land and goods for the sake of the war, young Amishmen were leaving the faith to take up arms and defend freedom. A simple walk in the untamed forests could result in death, if not from bullet or arrow, then from an encounter with a wild animal. 

Amid this time of tumult, Adam Wyse is fighting a personal battle. To possibly join the war efforts and leave his faith, which would mean walking away from the only woman he's ever loved: Lena Yoder. But for that love he's made a promise that may keep them apart permanently.

When Adam withdraws from Lena, she's forced to turn to his brother, Isaac, for support. Must Lena deny her heart's desire to save Adam's soul? And will life in this feral and primitive New World be more than this peace-keeping people can withstand?

My take:~

If you have spent more than a few minutes browsing my blog, you will notice a dearth of reviews of Amish novels.  As a genre, it simply doesn't appeal to me and I genuinely struggle to understand why these novels flood the Christian fiction market. Now, before anyone runs me over with a buggy, this is not a criticism of the many talented authors who write these stories, it just explains my lack of interest.  So, it goes without saying that an author who can write an Amish novel that I am willing to read is special!  Kelly Long is one such author and she did not disappoint me with Arms of Love, the first book in her Amish Beginnings series and another 'out of the box' Amish novel.  A unique time period, authentic characters and an unrequited love make Arms of Love captivating and emotive.  Adam Wyse, Lena Yoder and Ruth Stone leap from the pages with authenticity as they wrestle sorrow, loss and injustice.  Kelly is not afraid to tackle topics they are rarely found in Amish stories, adding depth and emotion to an intriguing tale.  I had expected the military conflict to have featured more prominently given the synopsis but Kelly included plenty of relational conflict and historical detail, making the journey all the more fascinating.  I can highly recommend Arms of Love and any Kelly Long novel as her talent surpasses any hesitation I feel delving into a genre outside my comfort zone!

With thanks to Thomas Nelson for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras
Visit Kelly's website and blog
Buy Kelly's books at Amazon or Koorong

Sunday, 18 March 2012

Coming in late 2012 from Thomas Nelson

Looks like readers are in for a treat with these late 2012 releases from Thomas Nelson (check out their new look website).

I can't wait to read Jim Rubart's book and William Sirls' sounds fascinating.  Always love Denise's books although the cover is disappointing.  

The covers for The Reason, Soul's Gate, The Spirit Well and If We Survive are terrific ~ I just wish we would see something different for the books aimed at women.  I certainly in the demographic for those books but I'm one who would like a little cover variety!!  That said, I love the winter aspect of Dorothy's cover.

What are your thoughts on the cover art below?


The Reason by William Sirls

In a small town in Michigan, lightning strikes the cross outside a church and a brilliant young doctor, Macey Lewis, wants to help. When she recruits a volunteer carpenter, strange things start to happen.

Dr. Lewis's colleague, Dr. Zachary Norman, is a staunch atheist trying to understand how the carpenter repaired the cross so quickly. But the only explanation goes against everything he ever believed.

Four-year-old Alex Thomas is diagnosed with leukemia, and his mother has been told she must do only one thing for her son to be made well.

James Lindy, a blind minister, leads this motley crew in their struggle to see by faith—and to discover if the carpenter is the reason these strange things are happening.

September, 2012





Who can unlock the mystery of a map that spans history and alternate realities?


Kit Livingstone stumbled upon a powerful ley line inside the Bone House that transported him to an almost magical place: the Well of Souls. While there, he witnessed Arthur Flinders-Petrie, the Man Who Is Map, carry his dead wife into a pool of light and emerge with her alive again. Could the location of this place be the secret so jealously guarded by the Skin Map?


Archaeologist Cassandra Clarke is suddenly transported from a deserted canyon in Arizona to a busy street in Damacus, circa 1950. Through circumstances too precise to be coincidental she arrives at the door of the Zetetic Society—the Seekers—and is asked to join their quest to track down Cosimo Livingstone and his grandson Kit. But joining their cause is the last thing Cass plans to do.


Meanwhile, Douglas Flinders-Petrie—great-grandson of Arthur—ruthlessly pursues the map. Livid that his father withheld it from him, he is determined to find and keep whatever treasure the map holds for himself.


From the Stone Age to the Well of Souls, from medieval Oxford to modern-day Spain, from the pyramids of Egypt to an ancient shrine in China, the race continues for a prize beyond all imagining.


September, 2012






An unplanned pregnancy. An absent father. Does love really endure all things?

Danielle Kent is 18, pregnant, and hopeful that the child’s father—Aaron Lapp—will want to marry her and provide the life she’s always dreamed of. Even though Aaron is Old Order Amish, Danielle knows that he wants to leave his community for a life outside of the district. But then
Aaron tells Danielle that he doesn’t love her—that a wife and baby don’t fit into his plans.

Levi Detweiler has enjoyed an unlikely friendship with Danielle for nearly a year, though they have little in common. He’s Amish, and she won’t even discuss God. When Danielle becomes pregnant with Aaron’s child, Levi is sure that Aaron will do the right thing and marry Danielle. When that doesn’t happen, God calls on Levi to marry her. It doesn’t make sense, and it means that Levi will have to leave his home in the Old Order community to make a life for himself, Danielle, and the baby. Levi seeks God's will in a situation that seems impossible—knowing that only by faith are all things are possible.

October, 2012





Annie refuses to fall for a sweet-talking cowboy. But when her boss throws her a curveball, there's only one person who can help.

Annie Stevens is the premier horse trainer in Moose Creek, Montana, and writes a horse advice column to help put her little sister through college and to support her young nephew. Money's tight, so when the vexing Dylan Dawson needs assistance with a blinded horse, it's not easy to turn down the extra cash. But turn it down she must, for her own sanity.

Then Annie's editor tells her she must change her column to a lovelorn column. Annie—who's never been in love—knows she needs help fast. And no one is more qualified for the job, unfortunately, than the smooth-talking, lady-charming Dylan Dawson.

Tension builds as they work together on both projects. As Annie's life begins falling apart around her, she realizes she needs to let God have control, and she fights to put aside her prejudice toward cowboys—no easy task with Dylan's unwavering attention. The last thing she needs is to fall for a man who would only break her heart. And she knows he will because that is the trouble with cowboys.

October, 2012




Darkness Rising by Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson

The evil that's in East Salem is no longer content to hide in the shadows. The stakes—and the darkness—are rising.

Dani Harris thought there wasn't much left that could surprise her after serving as a forensic psychiatrist in East Salem. And Tommy Gunderson has faced few challenges in his life that he couldn't overcome by either physical strength or his celebrity status. But as they race to uncover what's really happening behind the high walls of St. Adrian's Academy, it becomes clear that supernatural forces have been at work here for generations. And now their focus is on making sure Dani and Tommy don't interfere.

When the unseen becomes seen, faith is the only weapon strong enough to fight in a battle involving not only murder and betrayal—but angels and demons.
Hope remains, but the darkness is rising.

October, 2012






When her nieces and nephews fall victim to their alcoholic father's mistakes, Susanna Hanby vows to rescue them.

In 1875, Susanna Hanby travels to her sister’s Ohio farm—but no one is there. Her sister’s alcoholic husband claims that she has run off and dumped their six children at the county orphanage, and he doesn’t care. Desperate to keep the family together, Susanna seeks help from
her uncle Will in Westerville.

Johann Giere is heir to a thriving German-American brewery in Columbus. When he helps a saloon owner take beer to Westerville, Johann expects a fight between the new saloon and the driest town in America. He doesn’t expect to meet Susanna, a pretty temperance crusader who wins his sympathy. The small town erupts in gunpowder and fire, but Johann vows to help
Susanna rescue her nieces and nephews. Susanna grows to admire him even as she detests his business. He finds her lovelier with every passing day, until they both face an impossible choice between passion and principle.

Lovelier than Daylight is a novel of faith and grace inspired by the real Hanby family of Ohio and
their role in the Westerville Whiskey Wars.

November, 2012





Well Spring is a place where God is seen more clearly. But how will the newest visitors respond?

Reece Roth has done astonishing things through God's power. He's seen visions. Walked through walls. Been instantly transported thousands of miles across the country. And battled for the freedom of others' souls.

But that was thirty years ago. Before his wife and daughter were destroyed by the enemy. Before he
locked his calling in the basement of his soul and melted down the key. Now Reece must step out of the shadows because the time of the prophecy has come. A prophecy about four who will change the world, about four Reece has been chosen to train--before his time on Earth runs out.

At Well Spring Ranch, Reece tries to lead each of them into the destiny God has planned and show them the spiritual world around them with stunning clarity. And they'll try to learn how to step into the supernatural as powerfully as anyone in the Bible did--and find freedom as the darkest wounds of their souls are healed.

But the evil one has a destiny for these four as well and he'll stop at nothing to keep them from
being set from and from setting others on the path to true freedom.

November, 2012





What do you do when a mission trip suddenly leaves you caught in the middle of a revolution?

Will Peterson is part of a mission team that has traveled to Costa Verde to rebuild the wall of a school. It's been a great trip—until a revolution breaks out just before they board their plane to go home.

But then it becomes a desperate race to escape: from a firing squad, from savage animals in the depths of the jungle, from prison cells and revolutionaries with machine guns.

One of the girls is showing Will amazing things about what it means to be truly fearless. And one of the guys has the makings of a real hero. None of them will go home the same. If they only survive.

November, 2012







Sophie has spent a lifetime guarding her heart and a long-held secret. It will take all of her courage to speak the truth and embrace the future God has planned for her.

The year is 1886, and Sophie Robillard returns to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, after living in Texas for 15 years as the ward of Ada and Wyatt Caldwell. Now that the town's population has exploded, her intention is to reopen the long-defunct newspaper office that so captivated her when she was still an orphan. The rejection she experienced as a child because of her mixed parentage has left deep scars that she hopes can be healed by succeeding in this new venture.

Ethan Heyward was uprooted from his home as a boy following an unspeakable tragedy. Horace Blakely, a millionaire businessman, took Ethan under his wing and eventually put him in charge of the construction and opening of Blue Smoke resort in Hickory Ridge.

They meet when Sophie arrives at Blue Smoke to interview Ethan for her newspaper. As their
attraction deepens, each hides a secret that, if revealed, could end their relationship.

December, 2012





What does it mean for a middle-class church to offer the broken, the hungry, and the wounded an invitation to come to the table?

Kat has found a way to channel her enthusiasm for radical Christianity in a practical way: starting a food pantry at the church.

But as Kat watches the way Edesa Baxter relates to the wider needs of those seeking assistance—spiritual as well as physical and practical—she begins to see that the people coming to the food pantry are hungry and thirsty for more than just food and drink. She's beginning to see
the deep significance of inviting people to come to the table as a community of God's people. But when the church asks someone else to run the food pantry—Kat's pet project!—and that same someone also seems to have her heart set on the same guy who has captured Kat's attention, she must begin to ask herself some serious questions. What does God require of her when it comes to fellowship and sacrifice?

December, 2012





A Recipe for Hope—Eve Bender and her family are forced to move in with her parents for two months while the house is being repaired. Not an easy task—loading up husband and three teenage boys in their rumschpringe to grandma and grandpa’s house. Eve and Benjamin have been raising their children according to the Ordnung, but they’ve also allowed some liberties that Eve is certain will create some friction. Can peace reside in this house of old and new?

A Spoonful of Love—Hannah King is determined to prove that she can run the Paradise Inn Bed & Breakfast and take care of her parents without anyone else’s help. But when Stephen Esh, a bachelor from Sugarcreek, Ohio, comes to stay, can Hannah see past her stubbornness to find true love brewing in her kitchen?

A Taste of Grace— Amish herbalist, Deborah "Fern" Zook knows that life began in a garden; she just wishes God would plant a suitable man in her life. When the handsome and brooding Abram Fisher arrives at her door with a sick child in his arms, it seems as though Fern has gotten her wish, but how do two different personalities entwine to grow a faithful love?

December, 2012





How do you find your place in the world?

Tired of watching her father flit from one wife to another and having formed a true bond with her most recent stepmother, Natalia decides to move with her from Spain to Florida when the divorce papers are finalized.

There are a couple things Natalia knows for sure: 1) She's being groomed to take over her father's international business. Success is expected. 2) There is no such thing as true love. Just look at her father. 3) Her stepmother's faith is real. And Natalia wants more of it.

Being in a new place, though, has a way of challenging one's preconceived notions. Natalia is still searching but before it's over, she hopes to discover right where she belongs.

December, 2012


Saturday, 24 July 2010

Coming in 2011 from Thomas Nelson ~ Amish & Literary

Lovers of Amish fiction ~ save your money for March, 2011 with numerous releases from Thomas Nelson in this genre. Those with a literary bent, Nicole's book will be waiting for you in February.

I'll have cover art for Kathleen novella trilogy shortly.


The Inheritance of Beauty by Nicole Seitz

Beauty is sometimes found in the most unlikely places.

In 1929, the train brought strangers to small-town Levy, SC. There was a struggle--and a fire--and the lives of four childhood friends would never be the same. Eighty years later, George and Magnolia Jacobs are living out their remaining days in Harmony House in Charleston. When an anonymous portrait arrives of a younger Maggie, George realizes there are things he still doesn't know about his wife. And when an old stranger moves in just down the hall, their past seems to be coming full-circle. Like it or not, George must now remember things from long ago in order to set himself--and all of the childhood friends--free from what happened in Levy.

The Inheritance of Beauty is an entrancing story about beauty and age, about the blessings and curses of each, and how the true beauty of a person, like true love, never fades.

February, 2011




What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller

Together for the first time, three Amish romances from Kathleen Fuller.

"A Miracle for Miriam" from An Amish Christmas

Miriam fell for Seth, but he broke her heart. Years later, after he’s nearly killed in an accident, Miriam sees him at a Christmas party and notices something is different about him—not just how he looks, but how he acts. When Seth pursues her, she must decide whether to guard her heart or accept his love.

"A Place of His Own" from An Amish Gathering

When Josiah left Paradise the first time, he didn't even say good-bye. Now he's back, ten years later, and he's changed. Why is he so distant and bitter? Where is the boy who used to be Amanda's best friend? Amanda is learning that there are things even a capable Amish girl can't fix. But can she stand there and watch him walk away...again?

"What the Heart Sees" from An Amish Love

A tragic accident rocks a peaceful Amish community, leaving Ellie Chupp blinded and Christopher Bender's future shattered. But they find love and forgiveness in a place they least expect.

March, 2011




Treasuring Emma by Kathleen Fuller

Emma has put everyone else first in her life. Now at nearly 25, has she missed her chance at marriage?

Emma was Adam's first love but circumstances made them both choose different paths in life. Emma's heart breaks all over again when Adam returns to the Amish community of Middlefield, Ohio, years later.

For the past ten years, Emma has been raising her siblings after their parents' untimely death. She's put their needs above her own and now, with them grown, she can focus on herself and her dream of opening a yarn store in the vacant cider house on her land.

With Adam's return come feelings Emma's long buried. They're older and life hasn't turned out the way they thought it would. Adam's feelings for Emma are stronger than ever, but will he be able to convince her to put others aside and give their love a chance?

March, 2011




Plain Proposal by Beth Wiseman

Miriam Raber takes a bold stand when her Amish boyfriend considers leaving their community. "Whatever he chooses, I'm going with him."

Miriam Raber enjoys life in her Old Order Amish community, and she is hopeful that Saul Fisher will propose to her soon. But when Saul starts talking about leaving the only world either of them has ever known, Miriam imagines what her life might look like as an Englischer. One thing she knows for certain, she loves Saul and feels he’s the one God has chosen for her. But Saul’s indecision has come at an inconvenient time as Miriam is noticing advances from Jesse Dienner, a man she went to school with, who is committed to marry and live his life in the Old Order community.

Complicating matters is the arrival of Miriam’s cousin, Madison, a worldly Englisch girl sent to live with Miriam’s family following trouble back home.

Who will Miriam choose a life with, and who will choose to stay in the Old Order Amish community?

March, 2011




Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

She isn't looking for love. He's mending a broken heart. It will take divine intervention for these two to get together.

Local Amish schoolteacher Lilly Lapp is tired of weddings, afraid of horses, and immersed in caring for her depressed mother. But when Jacob Wyse, a handsome horse breeder from her small community rescues her from a dangerous accident, Lilly discovers a renewed interest in life and the possibility of love.

Yet Jacob has lost the one true love of his life to another man and doesn't care to expose himself to the vulnerabilities of loving again.

God works to bring this unlikely pair into a sweet romance to produce a pattern of faith, which leads to the creation and comfort of Lilly's Wedding Quilt.

March, 2011


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