Tired???

Are you tired of the typical books for Christian women?  Would you like to try something with a little more substance?  Check out the article entitled "5 books for Christian women who don"t like books for Christian women" by Andrea Lucado.  The five titles she reviews are: Let's all be brave by Annie Downs; Girl meets God: a memoir by Lauren Winner; Passion and purity by Elisabeth Elliot; Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay; Cold tangerines by Shauna Niequist. The URL is: http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/books/five-books-for-christian-women-who-don-t-like-books-for-christian-women.html

A bride in store by Melissa Jagears

The book begins with mail-order-bride, Eliza, getting robbed while traveling on a train west to meet her intended.  She is further dismayed to find out that her would be husband, Axel,  is out of town when she arrives and no one seems to know where he has gone or when he will return.  Without money she is forced to take a job at the store Axel owns along with his partner.  The plot goes through many twists and turns as Eliza’s dream of running her own store collides with her romantic situation which involves not one but two men in her life.  This is an enjoyable read that keeps you intrigued to the very end!

Experiencing the loss of a family member : discover the path to hope and healing by H. Norman Wright.

This book begins with a discussion on the world of grief in general and then deals with the specifics of each loss. The author dedicates one chapter to each different loss: spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend, pet.  Other chapters deal with helping children in grief and the loss of a woman and her mother as well as a man and his father. The last two chapters include navigating the questions of life and ways in which to help others deal with grief.  Each topic is supported with scripture and prayers along with suggestions for further reading in the recommended resources.  This book is a practical guide through the valleys of life as the author gives sound advice on confronting all the aspects and ramifications of death and how it affects us both physically and emotionally as well as spiritually .

Answering your kids’ toughest questions : helping them understand loss, sin, tragedies, and other hard topics by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson

Each of the ten chapters is devoted to defining a specific topic and then providing age-appropriate ways of explaining it to preschool children; ages 5 to 10; ages 11 and up.  At the conclusion of each chapter, the “In a Nutshell” section gives a bullet point summary of the subject. The book ends with an excellent list in “Recommended resources for further study” on each topic discussed.  This is a well documented, Bible-based work that would be helpful to all parents as these topics arise in life’s circumstances.

2014 Christy Award Winners

According to www.bookreporter.com
"The Christy Award is designed to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview; bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership; and provide opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status."

Book of the Year
BURNING SKY by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Contemporary
STONES FOR BREAD by Christa Parrish (Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

Contemporary/Romance/Suspense
DANGEROUS PASSAGE by Lisa Harris (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Contemporary Series
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

First Novel
BURNING SKY by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Historical
BURNING SKY by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Historical Romance
HARVEST OF GOLD by Tessa Afshar (River North, from Moody Publishing)

Suspense
OUTLAW by Ted Dekker (FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group)

Visionary
DRAGONWATCH by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)
See last year's nominees and winners: 2013 Christy Awards

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Michigan History and Romance

Captured by love by Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund begins her historical romance with the near murder of Angelique MacKenzie at the hands of a starving British soldier on the island of Michilimackinac in Michigan, 1814.  After her rescue by a mysterious and yet, a somehow familiar man, Angelique’s adventure and romance commences. Her would be rescuer turns out to be Pierre Durant, a childhood friend, who has been gone from the island for four years.  During the harsh winters of British occupation, Angelique has been helping his blind and elderly mother survive by bringing her food and ministering to her needs, In the years of his absence,   Pierre has been going through a spiritual transformation.  As he struggles to depend on God, Pierre presents a different character to Angelique.  Together two navigate the troubled times of the British and American War and their own growing interest in one another.  This book gives the reader a taste of what it must have been like on the Island during the War of 1812 and, at the same time, provides a suspenseful story of perseverance and love in times of strife.

Child of mine by David and Beverly Lewis

The story centers around Nattie who is 8 years old and the adopted child of Jack Livingston.  Jack took over the raising of Nattie when his brother and sister-in-law died suddenly in an auto accident.  Although he has the full-time help of a young Amish nanny,  Laura Mast, he realizes that Nattie needs a mother.  So he starts dating again with the help of his sister.  Interwoven in this story is Kelly Maine and her eight year search for her daughter.  Her baby was taken from her by her ex-husband and she has been searching for her ever since. Both Jack and Kelly go through a spiritual revelation as their relationship develops.  On the way to answer the question, "Is Nattie the daughter of Kelly Maine?",  the authors provide enough twists and turns to hold the reader’s interest to the very last page with a surprising outcome.