A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander (Bethany House)

A Beauty So Rare, A Belmont Mansion Novel Book #2
(Bethany House Publishers)

5 stars *****
By Carrie Fancett Pagels

Another Belmont Hit!

What a wonderful read! A Beauty So Rare starts out a little bit slow but have no worries, Tamera Alexander soon takes off with a story wonderfully woven. I was tickled pink over heroine, Eleanor's reaction to certain colors of clothing, which I enjoy. Mr. Geoffries, a German archduke, and is a wonderful hero. Eleanor is strong and capable and learns to trust her heart, over the course of the story. Loved the secondary characters, with the widowed ladies and their children receiving help through the hero's and heroine's efforts. Some terrific antagonists, with great characterization.

This is the second book in the Belmont series and I can't wait to read the next book when it releases! The reader can settle in on A Beauty So Rare for a nice long read, though--as it comes in just under 500 pages!!!

SPOILER ALERT!!!
Bibliotherapy: Eleanor's father has Alzheimer's and must be placed in an institution. Tamera does a great job in showing how irascible and even dangerous someone can become with dementia. Having had several loved ones with this disorder I've seen how someone with Alzheimer's can turn on the very ones they love the most--the paranoia that sets in can be terrifying. Beautiful and tasteful showing of both the sweet and the awful moments of coping with a parent in these later stages of deterioration.

Also, although it isn't dwelt upon, Eleanor begins the story in a combat field hospital with a dying man. So we have a 26-year-old woman experiencing the horrors of war (I could have done without some of those scenes) and so the reader can assume she has some PTSD issues.  With Eleanor now 30, in the story, she is also struggling with singleness and being "an old maid." She feels abandoned by her father and it is her intense loneliness at Aunt Adelicia's home that helps cement her relationship with "the gardener" who isn't a gardener at all! Having been almost 30 when I married my husband, I know it is worth the wait, as it is for the heroine!

Superlatives: This book will be on my best of 2014 list here on the Overcoming With God. We OWG reviewers publish these "Best of" lists the end of December. The book will also be entered in the Bibliotherapy category as well.

Highly recommend--don't miss this!

Disclosure: I purchased this book as a paperback through Amazon but I also received a Kindle copy through NetGalley and am under no compulsion to post a positive review. The reviewers on the OWG blog love Tamera's books so much that we made sure everyone got a copy of this new release, in paperback, for the gorgeous cover, too. I also ordered the audio copy of the book. Unfortunately, the narrator on the book doesn't do the story justice--so I'd recommend that you read on Kindle, setting the font to large, if you have difficulty reading long books with your eyes, like I do.

Giveaways: We are giving away several items this week, including copies of the book and my surprise pink giveaway and a $10 Starbuck gift card.

Diana Flowers Reviews Aloha Rose By Lisa Carter

Aloha Rose

Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

Abingdon Press, Nov. 2013

Reviewed by Diana Flowers

5 stars*****
(No Spoilers!)

Romance Hawaiian Style!

In her lovely descriptive prose, Lisa Carter awakens our senses to a wonderful Hawaiian adventure…laden with the fragrant aroma of exotic jasmine, ginger, and birds-of-paradise, cascading waterfalls, colorful rainbows, and emerald green valleys. However, amidst the alluring beauty of Hawaii lie long buried secrets, deep seated emotional pain…and hearts that need healing.

Laney Carrigan reluctantly arrives in Hawaii to reunite with her biological family at the dying request of her adoptive mother. Left on a doorstep many years ago wrapped in a lovely Hawaiian quilt, Laney becomes acquainted with her new family and learns the significance of the quilt and the heartbreaking demise of her birth mother. Living in the old plantation manager's ranch house close by is the handsome Kai Barnes, a cowboy and former Army pilot who flew SAR medevacs.

Amidst the mysterious beauty of this exotic island, Kai and Laney's attraction begins to grow stronger, although it seems as if every negative force comes against them to sabotage their newfound romance. Laney learns of a web of deceit surrounding her that only seeks to add to her feelings of rejection, and Kai withdraws from her because of long buried secrets and major issues with PTSD. Will both accept God's healing for their broken lives?…and will Laney find the love of family she so desperately craves? Does she finally learn the true meaning of the word "Aloha?"

This is the first book I have read by this author, but I can assure you it won't be my last. Lisa Carter is an expert at descriptive imagery and I felt like I was actually seeing the magnificent isle of Hawaii for the first time right alongside Laney! The characters were very realistic and fleshed out, with serious problems such as Alzheimers and PTSD that were not sugar-coated, but portrayed with beauty, compassion, and dignity to the sufferers. With a lot of twists and turns, a strong spiritual thread throughout, and a very climactic conclusion make sure to put "Aloha Rose" at the top of your wishlist! ALOHA!

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Thanks to Net Galley and Abingdon Press for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book may be purchased through Amazon, CBD, and your local bookstore.

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GIVEAWAY: OWG is giving away readers choice of either of Lisa's two 2013 releases, including Aloha Rose or Carolina Reckoning in choice of format. (Outside of USA ebook only.) 

*Please remember to leave email for contact purposes.*

QUESTION: There is a character in Aloha Rose with Alzheimers and another with PTSD...both of whom you will love. Have you a friend or family member dealing with either of these issues and how have you handled it?

Review by Marian Baay of Broken Wings by Carla Stewart

Broken Wings
by Carla Stewart
(FaithWords, 2011)

5 stars *****


Reviewed by Marian Baay


When Mitzi was a child her mother took the childeren and ran away from an abusive husband. Now Mitzi is in her 80s and over 60 years married to Gabe. Gabe is an Alzheimer patient and Mitzi visits him daily at his care centre. When she's not there she works as a volunteer in a hospital. There she meets Brooke, a young woman who was beaten by her fiancée. Mitzi wants to help Brooke to regain control of her life again and asks if Brooke will stay with her for a while.


Brooke breaks her engagement and moves in with Mitzi. But her ex-fiancée is not giving up on Brooke so easily. Soon a young man named Drew also comes to stay with Mitzi a couple of days for Christmas. Mitzi shares stories about her life with Brooke and Drew. The stories show a strong will to survive and encourage Brooke to make a new start.


I really loved this book! I loved the tales of Mitzi's younger life as much as the story in the present time. They were very nicely woven together.


This story shows us what anger can do. But also that there's hope for a new life with new love and faith.

Carla Stewart's books can be purchased through CBD, Amazon, and other book stores.

GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of this author’s books, choice of format.

Carrie Fancett Pagels Interviews Carla Stewart

Carla Stewart is the author of Chasing Lilacs, Broken Wings, and Stardust, just released in May, 2012.  

I met Carla through some online groups, including My Book Therapy, ACFW, and our mutual friend, Marian Baay.  

Carla, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help.  Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your character’s has had to get past?

I'm not sure I've had a single life experience to overcome, but I have always struggled with trying to fix others - I'm a first-born, choleric with a soft spot for hurting people. I became a nurse. What I've had to learn in my personal life is surrendering control in tough situations - my oldest son's depression/drug and alcohol use/dropping out of school at age 16 (a six-year saga - thankfully with a happy outcome). My mother's battle with cancer and attending her the last two months of her life. My mother-in-law's Alzheimer's. My writing career. All are areas where I've had to surrender myself and those I love to God and his plans. And I've drawn from my life experiences in my writing as I've strived to bring messages of hope to those who are hurting or dealt a tough hand.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

Micah 6:8.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
   and to walk humbly with your God.

I love that God has given us all of scripture, but this verse sums it up for me. What a blueprint for life!  I stand in awe every day at God’s mercy bestowed on me.

Disability friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?

 All of my books are (or will be) available in e-formats – Kindle and others. Both Chasing Lilacs and Broken Wings are available in large print with a hardback library binding. Broken Wings is available as an unabridged audio book both as a download or on CDs.

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

The first thing I hope readers will find is a cast of characters they will come to care about. I love the nostalgic eras and try to recapture those days for readers. This is especially true in Chasing Lilacs and my next book, Stardust, but Broken Wings has a historical thread, also, that parallels the story. In all of my books, I deliver hope for the future. My hope is that readers will sigh in satisfaction when the last page is read. Although I tie up most threads, I also like to leave enough mystery so that readers will wonder how the characters are doing. Sort of the same way we do with good friends.

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

I already had a folder of material on Alzheimer’s so I reviewed it, researched current articles, and relied on my past experience as a nurse to bring the character to life. The Alzheimer’s research became very personal when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer’s less than a month after Broken Wings was contracted. She’s a beautiful lady, and it’s been sad to see her spiral deeper into the tangles of this dreadful disease.

But the most challenging part of the research was learning about abuse which, thankfully, didn’t come from such a personal connection. I studied the personality types of victims and abusers and read a lot of personal stories and case studies.

I came to the writing knowing it would be a struggle, but I also knew that, for me, abuse is intolerable. What I didn’t expect, though, was learning that abuse is much more common than I ever imagined. Often there are warning signs that begin before actual abuse takes center stage—irrational behavior, disdain for authorities, getting hot tempered over trivial things, blaming others for their behavior, wanting to be in control of the relationship. The most alarming statistic that I read was that 40% of teens age 14-17 had either been abused or knew someone who had while in a dating relationship. If anything, I hope Broken Wings gives courage to women who are in abusive relationships, that they will realize that it’s not their fault nor their responsibility to stay with an abuser because he “needs” her. Victims, too, have a choice. Help is available.  

Readers, we are posting a Saturday recap.  Carla includes resources at the end of the book, which is wonderful!  As outlined above, she has a great many topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading her books.

Thank you, Carla, for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

Thank you. It’s been a pleasure. Blessings to you and your readers here! 


Carla Stewart's books can be purchased through CBD, Amazon, and other book stores.

GIVEAWAY:  A copy of one of Carla's books!

Overcoming for Christians - Aging, Illness, and Alzheimer's

Rita Gerlach week has come to an end.  We greatly enjoyed having this colonial Christian author with us. Rita shared about her father having Alzheimer's Disease at the end of his life. Her mother is in frail health now and in decline which has resulted in many decisions and changes for Rita and her extended family. From my own perspective - it is just so hard going through all that, such a heavy emotional (and sometimes physical) toll.


Rita is going through what many of us have either faced with our own parents, are going through now, or may in the future.  Some of our readers would love to have this as a concern - they lost their parents at a young age. My mother became more confused and forgetful in her last year of life but she had Type II diabetes and then had pancreatic cancer. It wasn't clear if those conditions were causing some of the memory issues, but probably so. My dear aunt is in a nursing home because of her AD, after her husband kept her at home for years (she was in good health then).  I have been blessed to get to visit with her twice in the past few years when we drove through Ohio. And I used to see my wonderful Great-Aunt Alkie, who was really more a grandmother (both of mine died long before I was born, when my parents were young). She was in nursing home care for a long time with Alzheimer's.  She always maintained her essential sweet spirit and she loved seeing my daughter, who she might have thought was me.  The hardest visit for me was the last one when she had no connection with me at all. The last thread was about to be broken. She left this earth shortly after that.


The medications for managing Alzheimer's Disease have improved in the last decade in that they seem to slow the progress early on.  It is so frustrating to see loved ones slipping further and further away from you, like a slow death. And every day seems precious. But that in and of itself is stressful because then there is no sense of normalcy in everyday activity, if you are always "on" because of your parent with AD. 


One comfort for the Christian is the knowledge that her/his parent will be perfectly healed in heaven.  As we all will be. We thank you Lord for that!


Here is Rita's link to Memory Bridge, which she recommends as an excellent site with videos about handling communication with those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. 


Giveaway winner will be announced here on Sunday after 1:00 pm EST.   LINDA!!! You are the winner!!!

Interview with Rita Gerlach

Author Rita Gerlach

RitaGerlach is the author of new release "Before the Scarlet Dawn" published by Abingdon Press.

I met Rita Gerlach through ACFW and when I was searching for colonial era books several years ago.  She was kind enough to send me copies of her works during a time when I was very ill and I was so touched by her generosity.  We are also both members of HisWriters, those who have either published or planned works with European characters. Rita is also a member of Colonial American Christian Writers and a contributor to the Colonial Quills group blog.

Rita, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help. 

Would you share either the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help, or the most tragic situation or circumstance one of your characters has had to get past?

I don’t want to give away critical moments in my newest release, Before the Scarlet Dawn, but Eliza is perhaps the one character that has faced the most tragic moments of any of my characters in the series (Daughters of the Potomac.) That is not to say that Darcy and Sarah face horrific events, but Eliza is the springboard to the series. Life was good for her after she married Hayward, but from the time he is called away to fight in the Revolution tragedy plagues her life. Like a snowball rolling downhill each builds on the other. Soon she faces the fact that the only source of getting through them is God. In order to ‘overcome’ them, she has to trust that He will take care of her and those she loves, no matter how dire the situation.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

Revelation 21:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Why? As I watched my dear father suffer over a year’s period from Alzheimer’s, his decline and passing caused me to press into my Savior for comfort and reflect on the briefly of life. This verse sums it all up. What we will be given in the end, when He finally establishes His Kingdom, is everlasting peace and joy. The loss of our loved ones is but a temporary separation. What happiness we will have when the last enemy to be destroyed is death, and that there will be no more sorrow or crying or pain. He will make all things new.

Disability Friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?

Sadly it is not. I look forward to the day when audio books will become a normal part of the publishing process. For now it is expensive for publishers to put books in audio, and they have to be extremely selective. (CFP: I believe the Kindle version will have audio capability because the PDF converted document has this function.)

Surrender the Wind cover

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?

That when everything is said and done, in the end it all turns out all right. Love is the cohesive bond that helps us face adversity. For example, the message in my novel Surrender the Wind is wrapped up in fidelity and forgiveness, and the surrendering to our Creator those winds that shove and batter us. In the Daughters of the Potomac Series my hope is readers will see circumstances that relate to their own lives.

As author Marylu Tyndall put it in her review of Before the Scarlet Dawn:

 It is about a woman who so desperately wants her husband to love her that she goes to great lengths to please him. Perhaps many women out there can relate. The story brings many questions to one's mind about marriage and commitment.  .  .

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?

This question brings me back to the new series. Most of my research I do as I am writing the novels. But before I began I read a book called ‘White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain’s White Slaves in America’ by Don Jordan and Michael Walsh, that touched me deeply about the horrific white slave trade that took place in the 18^th century, where men, women, and children were kidnapped in England and sold into indentured servitude in the Colonies.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

This is an interesting question. I’ve always believed good storytelling can have a healing effect. I see this mainly in Christian and inspirational fiction. The goal of my writing is to give readers a respite from the hectic world we live in. Sometimes immersing in a good book helps us escape the troubles we are facing and easy our anxiety.

Thank you Rita for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

Thank you, Carrie, for the privilege of this interview!


GIVEAWAY: A copy of one of Rita's books - your choice!