Salvation as Fundamental Plus 2 Links to "Fairer Than Morning" Posts

Rosslyn Eliott shared in her interview on Tuesday that her most difficult trial was walking in unbelief. On this blog, we focus on how God has help us overcome (or is helping us now to overcome!) Fundamental to that process is being in relationship with Christ and accepting Him as Lord. Having turned my back on my faith, I too experienced the desolation that comes from living apart from God. I am so grateful He never abandoned me. Yet I brought much misery upon myself during that time. Like Rosslyn, I see that as one of the toughest things I have gone through, yet it was of my own making!  I could have run to my Father's arms and found hope.

John 3:16 KJV For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, will you do so today?  And if you have turned from God, will you return your life to His care?

Here is a great post at Christian Bookmobile that has an interview with Laurel-award winning author Rosslyn Elliott, our guest this week (click here.)  And there are excerpts from BOTH books.  After reading them, I HAVE to read Rosslyn's books, because the samples were AWESOME!!!  Love her voice!

Diana reviewed Fairer Than Morning on our blog earlier (click here.) I always love Diana's reviews and she makes me want to buy EVERY book she recommends.  I bought it but couldn't find it on my Kindle.  Finally went in and it has been sent to my newest Kindle (my first one blew its screen, then we got a Kindle Fire for our son, and Amazon replaced my broken Kindle so it is officially Kindle3 in my profile!).  With the combo Teresa-Diana attack I also went to NetGalley and have a copy of Sweeter than Birdsong and both ready to read.

Giveaway:  Our giveaway will be announced here.

Teresa Mathews' Review of Rosslyn Elliott's Sweeter Than Birdsong

Review of Rosslyn Elliott's Sweeter Than Birdsong

by Teresa Mathews
(Thomas Nelson, 2012)

4.5 Stars~

In this amazing story based on the life of Ben Hanby and Kate Winter, Rosslyn Elliott takes us back to 1855 Ohio. A time in the history of America where the horrors of slavery were beginning to come to light and people were choosing sides.

Kate Winter, a young lady known for her outstanding beauty, but so painfully shy she has panic attacks at the thought of standing before a crowd. If Kate cannot overcome her shyness, she may not obtain her goal of being the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College. Kate has to give a required speech and when it’s her turn, she flees in fear. When she sees that Ben is going to have a musicale she asks the President of the college if she could possibly sing instead of giving a speech. Just as Kate is about to step up to sing, something happens that may forever keep her from expressing herself. Will Kate ever be free from her fears?

Benjamin Hanby is an incredibly musically talented young man finishing up college at Otterbein. Ben knows he has a calling on his life to be a minister to show people the way of the cross and   to free them from bondage, both spiritually and physically. Most of his life his family had been involved with the Underground Railway and as a child Ben witnessed firsthand the sorrow of seeing a runaway slave die before he completed his journey to freedom. Before he died he gave them the name of the love of his life, and asks them to please try to find her. Ben has been haunted with their story for years. Will he finally find a way to express his feelings through song and will anyone care?

When Kate shows up for the musicale audition, Ben is blown away by Kate’s beautiful voice. He so hopes she will be able to overcome her fear and be able to share her voice with others. When Ben, his mother and some friends have to travel to Columbus, they invite Kate to travel with them. During this time Kate and Ben become closer, and Kate is unintentionally drawn into the dangers of the Underground Railway. 


Will Kate return home unchanged or will this be the start of her obtaining the freedom she has longed for? Will Kate finally find her voice?

There were a lot of twists and turns and I really loved how Rosslyn put this all together. I applaud her for all the research that went into it. I especially enjoyed reading about The Underground Railroad and how selfless people like the Hanby family risked their lives to liberate others. 


Job well done Rosslyn!
You can purchase Rosslyn Elliott's books in bookstores or online, e.g., at Christian Book Distributors and even pre-order her November, 2012, release at Amazon. 

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

Diana's Corner - Book Review of Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliot

Fairer Than Morning 
by Rosslyn Elliot
May 2011 from Thomas Nelson Publishers

4 1/2 stars~

From The Darkness Into His Marvelous Light!

In Fairer Than Morning, debut author Rosslyn Elliot takes us away to Ohio in the early 1800s, an era of indentured servants and runaway slaves; a time of gross darkness and light, prosperity and poverty. Our heroine, Ann Miller, lives with her father, a master saddler, and a good Christian man who helps lead runaway slaves to the underground railroad. As he travels on a business trip to Pittsburgh, Ann, nursing a broken heart from her sweetheart, Eli, decides to go with her father.There she meets Will Hanby, a saddler's apprentice.

Will has indentured himself to Master Good to learn the fine art of saddle making, not realizing that he is a cruel man, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will is tormented, beaten, and broken in spirit when he meets the lovely Ann, and her kind father, and when they return to Ohio he vows to run away and find them at any cost. In his despair, loneliness, and need for love, Will reaches out to an impoverished young lady, Emmie, and compromises her. Feeling tremendous regret and shame, Will is determined to learn the saddle trade and come back for Emmie, and make things right by marrying her and taking her to live at the Miller's home.

Once there, under the tutelage of Mr. Miller, Will learns more than just saddle making. He learns of God's love that reaches down into his dark, love-starved soul, and of forgiveness, and immediately begins to seek God's will for his once broken life. What are God's plans, and what happens when Will decides to return to his ex-master with Mr. Miller to make things right? When Emmie accepts his marriage proposal, what's to become of Will's attraction for the lovely, kindhearted Ann? And when Ann's ex-sweetheart proposes, what is to become of her overwhelming feelings for Will?

Rosslyn Elliot's debut novel is powerful, realistic, and heartwrenching at times. Her research of this fiction novel based on factual people and events is impressive, and is truly a page-turner! Although there is romance in this book it isn't oozing with it, and it is actually more of a historical tale, than a lighthearted romance novel. With a strong spiritual thread throughout, I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next in the series!

This book was sent to me by the author and I was not required to give a favorable opinion. Available for purchase through CBD and through Amazon as well as other retailers.


Giveaway:  Leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win a copy of Fairer than Morning!