Diana's 2013 Favorites!

 Here's a list of my favorite 2013 books in no particular order! It was very difficult to choose as you authors totally outdid yourselves this year!

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Love's Awakening by Laura Frantz 

A beautifully written novel laden with secrecy, deceit, betrayal, and hidden passions. Laura Frantz is a master storyteller!

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Return To Shirley Plantation by Carrie Fancett Pagels

 This is a riveting, historical read you won't want to miss. Truly a memorable story of hope and obedience!

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Captured By Moonlight By Christine Lindsay

Christine Lindsay sweeps us away to the exotic, hauntingly beautiful land of India in this exciting story of romance, faith, and intrigue!  

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Forsaken Dreams By MaryLu Tyndall

A riveting novel that sweeps us away on a riveting, seafaring journey -- beginning in the ravaged, post civil war torn South to the lush beauty of Brazil!

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The Governess Of Highland Hall By Carrie Turansky

A wonderful Edwardian era novel set in England; replete with dashing lords and ladies, secrets, pain, and hidden passions! A must read!

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Heaven Is Not Far By Marian Baay

An emotive, soul-stirring short story of a love that transcends time, distance, and even the Civil War! Heartwarming debut!

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Love At Any Cost By Julie Lessman

A passion-filled, heartwarming journey to beautiful San Francisco...with its lush lawns of the very wealthy on Nob Hill to the poverty stricken streets of the Barbary Coast! One not to miss!

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Beyond The Valley By Rita Gerlach

A powerful, heartrending historical read, full of excitement and romance! You simply must put this one at the top of your TBR stack!

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Whispers Of A New Dawn By Murray Pura

A powerful story of love and healing on the turbulent road to the bombing of Pearl Harbor!

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My Hope Is Found By Joanne Bischof

A lovely, heartrending tale of sin's consequences, redemption, and unrequited love, that will keep you flipping those pages well into the night! I loved this entire series!

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Burning Sky By Lori Benton

A hauntingly beautiful, heartrending tale of a kidnapped white woman caught not only between two very different worlds, but also two handsome men from diverse cultures!





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            Unforeseeable and Unbreakable by Nancy Mehl

Exciting, suspense-filled sequels to Inescapable---set in the quaint, homey Mennonite town of Kingdom!  

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The Captive Maiden By Melanie Dickerson

An enchanting, captivating story of knights, castles, and romance; reminscent of the classic tale, Cinderella!

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The Painted Sky Volumes 1-8 by Murray Pura 

 An exciting story of adventure and romance on the sweltering, rugged plains of New Mexico! Will be released as a paperback soon and you may recognize some of the characters from OWG!

 

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A Highlander For Christmas by Jamie Carie

 

I loved this breathtaking Christmas novella set in the beautiful Scottish highlands...of castles set against the backdrop of misty, verdant hills---of kilts and colorful tartans, and the seemingly ill-fated romance between a brave clan chieftain and an English lady!



**Thank you to all of the wonderful Christian authors who provided me and so many others with hours of reading pleasure in 2013! See you next year!**

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Click on to book title to purchase any of these great novels!

 

Name a couple of your favorite books from 2013! Have you read any of the books on my list?

Teresa's Mathews Reviews Jamie Carie's A Duke's Promise

A Duke's Promise
By Jamie Carie 
(B and H Publishing, September 2012)

5 Stars ***** 
Reviewed by Teresa Mathews

In this third book in “A Forgotten Castles” Series Jamie Carie once again sweeps us away to magnificent places that the Duke of St. Easton, (Gabriel) and now the Duchess of St. Easton, (Alexander) travel to in search of Alexander’s parents. Gabriel finally found Alex and was able to rescue her from the clutches of her deranged fiancé and took her home to London where they married.
                                                                                                            Gabriel has promised Alex he would help her search for her parents so he plans a magnificent honeymoon to Paris. The prince regent doesn’t trust them so he sends some of his men along to keep an eye on them. While in Paris, Gabriel has to figure out a way to outsmart the regent’s guards so they can make their way to Italy, which is the last place her parents were reportedly seen. After meeting with an old friend in Paris who helps them devise a wonderful scheme they are finally free of the guards.

Alex was so excited when Gabriel took her to see the famous aeronaut Sophie Blanchard, balloonist for the king. While watching her performance Gabriel begins to believe she is the answer to his prayers. When they meet with Sophie she agrees to fly them to Italy. The journey is both exciting and dangerous, will they get to Italy as fast as they had hoped or will the dangers be too great? Will Gabriel’s affliction come back even worse than before?

When Gabriel and Alex finally arrive in the Italy, Gabriel saves the life of an Italian Duke. If they had known then who he was and what he had done perhaps they would have let him die. When Alex looks him in the eye she can feel how evil he is, and is tempted to kill him. Could he be the one who knows where her mom and dad are? Will Alex and Gabriel be able to reach her parents in time to save them? 
  
I love the way Jamie described the various areas Gabriel and Alex traveled to, she made everything come to life in living color. There were a lot of twists and turns and a lot of dangerous villains; all in all, the entire story was beautiful and the adventures they had were exciting. The ending was so amazing but alas, I'll not put in a spoiler here. I promise after all the cliffhangers in the past two books all will be forgiven by the beautiful ending. Once again Jamie has done a wonderful job creating a beautiful story that I am going to remember for a long time.

Content Alert: In the first two chapters there is some content that might be a little too graphic for some ages. The reason I added this is I have noticed on our blog there are some moms that said they are reading this series with their daughters and since I wasn't sure of their ages I thought the moms might want to read this part first.

I was given an ARC from the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jamie Carie's books can be found on Amazon, CBD, Barnes and Noble, Lifeway, 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 Jamie’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.


EXTRA GIVEAWAYS - "The Guardian Duke" a total of 11 copies will be given out this week in Kindle ebook format!!! 

Diana Flowers Reviews The Forgiven Duke by Jamie Carie

The Forgiven Duke  Book 2 in The Forgotten Castles series 
by Jamie Carie

(B and H Publishing House,  2012)
5 stars~*****

Forgiven But Not Forgotten!

This is the second book in The Forgotten Castles series; sweeping us away from the rolling gray green hills of Ireland, to the beautiful land of Iceland...the land of fire and ice. Our heroine, Alexandria, has reason to believe her parents are alive and follows their trail to Iceland, along with her fiance, John Lemon. However, memories of Gabriel, the Duke of Easton, standing at the shoreline as her ship sails away still haunts her, and she questions her hasty decision to marry John. Together her and John encounter many dangers amongst the Black Castles of Iceland, as many other evil people are also after the treasure her parents are searching for.

As Gabriel continues to follow Alex, he is kidnapped, beaten, and imprisoned on a Spanish ship. Will he ever be reunited with the woman he has seen but only once; the beautiful lady who has stolen his heart forever? One nightmarish night with John Lemon turns Alex's life upside down, and she wonders if her future will ever be the same again, for surely the duke would never have her now...and perhaps he never wanted her to start with. As plans are underway to marry John, will the duke's plan work to get off the prison ship and continue his search for Alex? Can the guardian duke save her from treacherous people and from herself as well? Are Alexandria's parents dead or alive? Will the duke regain his hearing and will Alex learn to trust God's plans for her life? 


Jamie Carie just "wows" me with her writing. There is never a dull moment in this series filled with twists and turns. I love the way the characters have evolved from the first book. I see a change in the duke's perspective concerning his affliction, and in Alexandria, who had alot of growing up to do! As always, Jamie's writing is superb---I love her use of imagery, and I could see in my mind's eye so clearly, every country they visited. I know she did extensive research on this series and I applaud her! Nicely done!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and was not required to write a positive review.

GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Jamie’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.

Diana Flowers Reviews The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie

The Guardian Duke 
by Jamie Carie
(B and H Publishing Group, 2012)


5 stars~ *****


A Delightful Cliffhanger!


Jamie Carie has spun a delightful yarn, that takes us on a journey to England; replete with crumbling, old English castles, dukes, and masquerade balls, to the beautiful purple heather-filled rolling hills of Ireland. 


Our heroine, Alexandria, receives word that her parents are presumed dead, while on a high profile treasure hunt, and Gabriel, the Duke of Easton, is ordered by the king to be her guardian. All of her life, Alexandria's parents have left her alone to pursue their treasure hunts, and she feels compelled to find them at any cost (refusing to believe they are dead), and ignores the duke's missives to come and let him watch over her.


Gabriel begins to have strange, unexplicable attacks of deafness and nausea, and finds strange comfort in Alexandria's return letters. As he realizes she has gone to Ireland to find her parents, he feels he must find her, only to be met with disappointment as she eludes him at every turn. Not only has Gabriel received orders from the king to protect Alex, but what else is driving him to seek out this woman whom he has only "met" through letters?


Will Alex find her parents?...and will Gabriel find her? And as he
unknowingly closes in on her, what happens at a masked ball that left my heart palpitating wildly? :) What is causing Gabriel's strange attacks of deafness and will he find healing...for his physical being and his heart?


I can honestly tell you that some of the above questions are not answered in this book (major frustration!), for Ms. Carie has left us with a wonderful cliffhanger, leaving the reader wanting more! And in Book Two, The Forgiven Duke, I'm sure we will get some answers. I love Jamie Carie's books, and this was no exception. I was actually covered in goose bumps at the conclusion, with tears in my eyes, and feeling frustration at the same time. What a mixture of emotions! Wow, does Jamie ever know how to tell a story! Jamie's characters wrapped themselves around my heart, and I found the duke particularly endearing, and I was so moved by the emotions he displayed in his affliction, for I have been there and done that. Well, my Kindle awaits me with The Forgiven Duke...I must get off this cliff I'm hanging on!


I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and was not required to write a positive review.



Jamie Carie's books can be found on Amazon, CBD, Barnes and Noble, Lifeway, 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 Jamie’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.

Carrie Fancett Pagels Interviews Jamie Carie

Jamie Carie is the author of The Forgiven Duke and ten other books including The Guardian Duke and Pirate of my Heart.

Jamie, welcome to Overcoming Through Time.  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?

When I was in my twenties, I started having panic attacks. I had always struggled with fear and anxiety due to a traumatic childhood (I’m working on my memoirs now so that story is coming eventually). My husband didn’t know how to help me which made him frustrated and afraid and I wasn’t getting much help from my church. I went to the doctor and they gave me medication but it barely helped and made me feel like a walking zombie. It got so bad that I could hardly leave my house. My husband had a second job delivering newspapers from 4:00 – 6:00 am every morning. I would always wake up terrified that he was gone (back when there were no cell phones) and I would walk in a circle around my living room just trying to breathe. My hands would go numb and tingly and my heart would race. I prayed constantly but only had small reprieves from the constant terror. After months of this, I was exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually. I had two little boys to take care of and I wanted to die.

What finally helped was Joyce Meyer and her cassette tape series, The Battlefield of the Mind. I listened to it countless times and believed the scriptures that she taught. I didn’t have an instantaneous healing but over time and with some later counseling, I did get much better.

Today, I praise God that I have come so far. I would have never been able to do the traveling, speaking and socializing that I now do as an author without God pulling me out of that pit.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?

In the context of this topic I would go with I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (NIV)

Disability friendliness:

Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do you have any in large print?  Some of my books are available in audio and most of them are available in large print. All are available as an e-book.

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

That God loves them in a way that we can only attempt to imagine and that He has a plan for their lives that is perfect and is preparing them for eternity. We are as fading flowers here but will shine forever throughout eternity reflecting His glory. This life is a test, a race, a trial by fire. God is preparing each of us for our time with Him forever.

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

So many things! Here are a few:

Snow Angel – The trek across Alaska to the gold fields in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada was an extreme adventure not for the faint of heart. I couldn’t believe how many people made that treacherous journey.

The Duchess and the Dragon – The Quakers believe in following the “inner light” which reminded me of my Charismatic roots in following the “leading of the Holy Spirit.”

Wind Dancer – George Rogers Clark had no reason to believe so steadfastly that taking the northwest territory (Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio) would be so key to winning the American Revolution except that God just put a burning desire to see it through in his heart. I was amazed at how God gets His will done using fallible, wonderful people like him.

Love’s First Light – The French Revolution came right after our own American Revolution but the differences were astounding to me! While we had good, upright men to take leadership of our new country, the French had corrupt and evil men take over. I felt so thankful and blessed to have had Godly men (fallible yes, but men who loved God) lead us into our democracy.

Angel’s Den – The devastation of domestic violence and abuse is so horrible I almost couldn’t write this story. I kept praying that God would show me Emma’s way out. Some people never get that, they die in horrible circumstances and that breaks my heart.

The Snowflake – The intricate beauty of snowflakes astound me. Here’s a quote I was given permission to use in my book: “They sat that every snowflake is different. If that were true, how could the world go on? How could we ever get up off our knees? How could we ever recover from the wonder of it?” – Jeanette Winterson, The Passion, 1987

Pirate of My Heart – One person really can change the world, or at least his/her world. I learned that the fruit of Spirit is power. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23 When it says there is no law it speaks to the power of these gifts – nothing can come against them.

The Guardian Duke – I delved into how people react when devastation happens in their lives. As a writer it’s easy to have the character react as you would. Both my heroine and hero have a devastating circumstance but they react completely different. That was interesting to explore.

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

Not sure on this. I always pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to readers wherever they need it and if He chooses to bring healing through my books then I praise God for it!

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



Jamie Carie's books can be found on Amazon, CBD, Barnes and Noble, Lifeway, 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 Jamie’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.

Diana Flowers' Summer Reading List!

This week our format is different.  Carrie is the ACFW BookClub Discussion Facilitator for MaryLu Tyndall's Surrender the Dawn. Are you a member?  Put "BC" on your comment AND send a comment to the ACFW

Book Club to get counted 5 times for the drawing!  Comment here and on the Bookclub posting for the rest of the week and that gives you, well.... you do the math, lol -- lots of chances!!!

Summer Reads – Consensus

Carrie and Diana both were privileged to read advance copies of Veil of Pearls by MaryLu Tyndall (July 1, 2012) and Marian and Teresa are also reading!!!

DIANA's list: By order of release!

An Uncommon Grace by Serena Miller      (April)

Mary's Blessing by Lena Nelson Dooley is on both Carrie’s and Diana’s lists. Diana will have a review up soon.                    (May, 2012)

Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren      (June 1)

The Forgiven Duke by Jamie Carie             (July 1)

These are Diana’s reads and Carrie’s “eye” reads.  Will post my audiobook listens later in the week. 

We’re not sure if we will receive this for summer but all four of us will read Love’s Reckoning by Laura Frantz (September 1, 2012 – CBD says they have it available 8-15, though.)

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of one MaryLu Tyndall’s books! Are any of your summer reads on Diana's list?