Diana Flowers Reviews A Bride's Rogue in Roma, Texas by Darlene Franklin

A Bride's Rogue In Roma, Texas

 

 

A Bride's Rogue In Roma, Texas

By Darlene Franklin

Barbour Publishing, 2012

 

Reviewed by Diana Flowers

4.5 stars****

 

A Heartwarming Summer Read!

 

In A Bride's Rogue in Roma, Texas, author Darlene Franklin has penned a heartwarming story of healing, redemption, and reconciliation---that sweeps the reader from the sedate town of Roma to the magnolia, citrus, and burning coal scents of the Rio Grande River.

 

The straight-laced Blanche Lamar feels all alone in the world...having recently lost her mother to death, and her father many years ago to life on the river. J.O. Lamar, Blanche's father and captain of the steamboat, Cordelia, had started running it up and down the Rio Grande before she was ever born. After her mother's death, Blanche receives a summons from her father via handsome Ike Gallagher, stipulating that she must spend time aboard the Cordelia before she can inherit it.

 

Thus begins the adventure of a lifetime as the sheltered Blanche learns how to steer the great riverboat under the tutelage of the delightful and crusty Old Obie, and butts heads with the gambling rogue, Ike, over how the Cordelia should be run. Will she learn to love life on the river?...even as dangers of the heart and the calamities of the Rio Grande threaten to engulf her? Is her father still alive...and if so, where is he and why did he desert Blanche and her mother all those many years ago? And is her relationship with Ike doomed from the start since he is not a believer?

 

This is the first book I have read from this author and it was a delight! Full of adventure, wonderful main and secondary characters (I loved Old Obie!), and interspersed with the message of salvation and redemption, this one is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings. This is a light, well-written, clean read that even your teenage daughters would love! Nicely done, Ms. Franklin!

 

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

 

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Giveaway: Winner's choice of any of Darlene's books in paperback or ebook as available (ebook only for international winner.) If you are an OWG follower put OWG for an extra entry. **Please remember to leave your email address.**

 

 

Question: Blanche had to leave her comfort zone and experience life on a riverboat. Have you ever had to leave your comfort zone for awhile...and if so, did you enjoy it?



Interview with Darlene Franklin - Surviving Disability and Suicide of a Loved One

Darlene Franklin

Powerful Interview with Darlene Franklin

By Carrie Fancett Pagels

Darlene Franklin is the author of Golden Dreams (now on preorder, releasing September 1^st) and of more than 20 titles, including the three books in her current series, Maple Notch Dreams.

Darlene, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help? (transparency appreciated!)

I have had a lifetime of difficult things, including growing up with a mother with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and then raising a daughter with the same diagnosis. And yes, I have wondered if I also suffer from it, but I’ve never been told so. Right now is another difficult time. I’ve had to move into a nursing home, which has meant giving up 90% of things I’ve accumulated throughout my life. I’m in daily (hourly?) pain. I have had to accept limitations.

But by far the hardest event I’ve had to overcome was my daughter’s suicide, five years ago. In fact, I have theorized that earlier difficulties made me strong enough to survive the worst parent’s fear.

So I guess that was the first step in overcoming: toughening up my faith muscles through career disappointment, an abusive stepfather, a broken marriage, my son’s troubled teen years, and so on. Everything served to give me a rock solid confidence that God loved me. Period. That He loved my daughter. Period. And everything else, all the grief and anger and numbness, couldn’t drag me under that foundation.

How appropriate that I am writing about overcoming today. Because just this evening, I wrote a devotional about overcoming, based on Romans 8:35-37.  The New Living Translation saw we have overwhelming victory despite all the terrible things that happen. How does suicide equal to victory, let alone stomping on the enemy?

Well, of course, it doesn’t. If someone had dared to suggest that five years ago, I would have exploded.

Perhaps the victory comes in how we respond. How did I survive?

Nothing new, but only magnified coping strategies already in place. I struggled with sleep. I dreamed and awoke to the reality of the empty bunk above my own. I read, nonfiction now instead of my usual mysteries. books.  Joni Woelfel’s book, Meditations for Survivors of Suicide, made a huge difference. I have since had a piece about my daughter published in the book Too Soon to Say Goodbye. People who had suffered a similar loss reached out to me. I’m a writer, so I wrote; my blog grew out of that experience. I let music flow through me and over me, singing with the choir when I could, even if it meant crying in front of the congregation.

Gradually I returned to a normal routine. I worked reduced hours, thanks to an understanding boss. My mother and I dined out, one by one returning to the places we had visited with Jolene. We buried her ashes. We learned to laugh again.

And to top it all off? God gave me an amazing, life-affirming gift: my granddaughter Jordan was conceived at the time my daughter died. She was and is life from life.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?  (Thank you – we offer this information to our readers with difficulty reading books in regular print format.)

Unfortunately, I don’t have any audio books. I do have one book in large print: Beacon of Life.

Golden Dreams by Darlene Franklin

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

My hero in Golden Dreams won the U.S. National Figure Skating championships and was headed for the 1928 Olympics—until he had a career-ending injury. Physical disabilities often lead to emotional distress. Losing your dreams for the future is a horrible experience.  Believe me, I am struggling with that right now, as I’ve lost a lot of independence. I put most of my characters through the wringer. They lose parents or children. (One of them was even lynched.) They lose their homes or a way of life. I have a number of heroes who fought in various wars, and returned home with internal and external scars. I find their internal struggles more motivating then external problems.

Two books deliberately take characters through a deep grieving process to an acceptance: Romanian Rhapsody, where the hero loses wife and child in childbirth; and A Ranger’s Trail, where the heroine’s husband was lynched, and the murderers never brought to account.

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

Darlene's Blogs: 

http://mydailynibble.blogspot.com/

http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/

Sales links:

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Christian Book Distributors 

Family Fiction

Giveaway: Winner's choice of any of Darlene's books in paperback or ebook as available (ebook only for international winner.)  If you are an OWG follower put OWG.  Answer this question: Do you know of anyone who has been affected by suicide in their family or attempted suicide? Do you have any questions for Darlene about going through this tragedy?

Three Reasons to Listen to The Lesson (audiobook) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Lesson
Stoney Ridge Seasons #3
By Suzanne Woods Fisher

Reviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

The audiobook CD by Brilliance Audio only recently released (August 6) for this novel which was published by Revell in January 2013.  I pre-ordered mine. Unfortunately I got mixed up and listened to The Letters before I listened to The Lesson.  I'd advise you to listen to The Lesson first.

Reasons to listen to this audiobook:
1) Characterization and a favorite character finally gets her "man."
I have loved Mary Kate or M.K. Lapp ever since I first "met" her when she was a child in Suzanne's stories. So it is great reading a story where she is now grown up and thrown into the situation of being a teacher. And I LOVED her elderly mentor--what a wonderful character.  I wish Suzanne would give us a few more stories with her in it.

2) Bibliotherapy elements are deep and powerful. (And even affected me!) Have you read a Christian book where a big part of the story line is about the effects of Meth-amphetamine usage? I sure haven't.

Chris Yoder is a wonderful hero--he's a young man carrying the weight of the world.  Chris and Jenny, his younger sister, have a mother in prison who is a meth addict. Mom is really a piece of work and Suzanne portrays her so well I almost wonder if she, like myself, has one of these sad people in her family.  I listened to the audiotape and I had to turn it off during the part where Jenny has been suckered into a situation with her mother where I knew what was going to happen but Jenny did not.  Turned it off.  Thought what a hard core user like this who is so messed up would do. And that night I discovered my own family member was arrested on drug charges and is faces his own possible prison time.  So I got my own bit of bibliotherapy through this audiobook, which was interesting.  I thought--this person (Suzanne) knows what the family is going through. They really get it.  And that is one of the points of bibliotherapy--reading something that speaks to your own issue. And I am very glad Suzanne didn't try to sugar coat or pull a miracle out of her bonnet. I think if she had done that she'd have disappointed a lot of people who know it truly does take a miracle to pull someone out of this addiction. Great job of showing how co-dependency affects the family, too.

Interesting how one of the characters who is so powerful isn't even alive--"Old Deborah" who is still impacting the lives of Chris, Jenny, and others, by the way she gave to others in trouble. Great example of how a humble and simple life can be so meaningful!

3) The audiobook has a lovely narrator and what a great thing to do while you are washing dishes, folding clothes, and doing other "quiet" cleaning. You can read while doing housekeeping!

But back to the overall book--again we have the lovely Suzanne voice, characterization, and taut storyline. Although we start out with a suspected murder we end up discovering another crime that occurred years earlier.  

Giveaway: Gently used CD (not MP3 - can be played on a regular CD player.)  Here's what you have to do to be entered.  Check out the Deeper Shopping website and put "DS" on your comment to count twice.  If you are a Follower of our blog put OWG. We are TWO away from out 300th Follower.  That person will receive a special prize and if that person is you, email me at overcomingwithGod@aol.com!   Leave your email addy if we don't know you well.

Diana Flowers Reviews Katie's Choice By Amy Lillard

Katie's Choice

Katie's Choice by Amy Lillard 

B&H Publishing, 2013

Reviewed by Diana Flowers

~5 stars*****

  

Heartwarming Amish Fiction!

In this heartwarming Amish tale, author Amy Lillard takes us on a special journey—where two people from very different worlds find new hope, faith, and healing for their broken lives.

Zane Carson, a war correspondent, has received a strange assignment and certainly not the one he was hoping for. Having his heart set on going to Juarez, Mexico to cover the war on drugs, he receives the news that he is to travel to the Amish country of Oklahoma instead. Before he leaves he asks his beautiful girlfriend, Monica, to marry him when he gets back from his three month assignment there.

Katie Rose has given up on her dream of being an Amish wife and mother of a houseful of children. After the love of her life, Samuel Beachy, leaves the Amish and joins the Englisch world six years prior, a heartbroken Katie Rose feels it is God's call on her life to take care of her widowed brother's children and teach school. Neither Katie nor Zane can stop the undeniable attraction between them, but both know nothing can become of it. Zane is "almost" engaged and Katie is Amish and never the twain shall meet. Especially when Samuel Beachy returns to the community wanting Katie Rose back and Monica says "yes"...

This is my first novel by Amy Lillard, but certainly not my last. She covers some tough issues such as breast cancer, PTSD, and Down Syndrome with finesse, and I found myself alternating between tears and laughter at the trials and antics of the main and secondary characters. Yes, the conclusion was rather predictable as I have read so many Amish books, but the journey there was superb!

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A copy of this book was provided by Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. 

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

GIVEAWAY: Amy Lillard has generously offered a copy of Katie's Choice to one blessed commenter -- winners choice of ebook or paperback! Please remember to leave your email address. 

Suzanne Wood's Fisher's "The Letters" - new Audiobook

The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne Woods Fisher possesses something no one else has--her voice. That certain Suzanne voice that defies description and when I've tried I've mangled it.  And the narrator of this book does a superb job of capturing the Suzanneness that I love. I purchased mine on audible.com and I've also got a CD MP3 audiobook as a giveaway for one lucky reader!

In "The Letters" you're introduced to a household of characters and some from nearby and some from out of the area.  But even with all the cast of characters each one has his or her own voice and  unique traits.  

Even if the listener doesn't agree with the choice the doctor's wife makes (or choices) by the end of the story you'll find yourself accepting them and seeing how it could work.  This secondary plot line was extremely well done.

Rose Schrock is a special heroine and Galen King a subdued but persuasive hero for the story. Loved how Suzanne had this one twist with the step-daughters "boyfriend." And the plot line with the underlying medical condition. 

Bibliotherapy Aspects:

Spoiler alert

One of the characters undergoes brain surgery.  The manifested symptoms of the disease prior to the proper diagnosis would be important to someone dealing with a brain tumor or someone who wonders if a family member may have dementia or another cognitive disorder.

A crime was committed during the story--theft. And crime had been committed before the start of the story.  The aftermath of dealing with crime committed by a love one is covered well in this book.

Death of a spouse, possible suicide. Death of a parent are aspects of this novel.  Both are woven tightly through the plot.

My recommendation:

Listen and ENJOY!!!

Giveaway:  A CD/MP3 audiobook of "The Letters."  You must have capability to play the CD which will not play on a normal CD player.  Although a computer can play it I do not recommend that.  Many new car sound systems will have CD/MP3.  I purchased a CD/MP3 player after I bought one of these by accident and had to listen on my computer (the problem for me was starting and stopping it, which didn't work out well on my old PC which was only a year old at the time.) This is a brand new, unopened CD/MP3. Answer the following question: Have you used Deeper Shopping yet to order any of your Christian books or materials?  If so, why or why not?  Leave your email address, too, unless you are well known by us.

Carol Urton Guest Post

Carol Urton

Carol Urton Guest Post

When Carrie asked me to do a guest post on Overcoming With God about a topic in my book, I was overwhelmed. How can I pick just one topic? I decided on one area most people struggle with when dealing with hurts from their past. Numerous people tell me the thing that has a stronghold on their lives is the ability to forgive the person, or people, who hurt them.

I was abandoned at age two by my father. Shortly after, I was thrust into a life of unrelenting sexual abuse and child pornography when my mother remarried a deacon in our local church. After nine years I finally brought this dark family secret into light, only to be silenced and sent away to live with my grandparents. At age 14 I began the journey of trying to find peace among the shattered pieces of my life.

After years of running from the truth, I had to face my past.  I began to try and answer my biggest question. ”Where Was God?” But there wasn’t an easy answer to that question and the abandonment I felt from God was not easily solved.  But I knew I had to make a choice, I had to choose life and I had to make a choice to be free. And it is a choice to begin a process of recovery, not a quick fix. Through this process was the realization that in order to truly be free, I had to forgive. I had a lot to learn about forgiveness. Here are a few questions I battled with and the short version of the answers God gave me:

What if the person is not sorry? Forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation. The people in my life that hurt me never did acknowledge any harm done, nor did they ever say they were sorry.

What if I don’t feel forgiveness in my heart? Take a step and do it anyway. Feelings come and go, God tells us to forgive . . . He will take care of the rest.

What if the other person does not accept your forgiveness? After my well thought out speech I gave the person who did the most damage in my life, he simply replied, “Tough break for you kid.”

What if I still feel angry after I forgive? Forgiveness is not an instant remedy. I had to ask God to help me forgive, time after time after time.

The people I forgave are all still the same today as they were yesterday. But I am growing and I am living in the wonderful grace of God. I finally had to realize that if I didn’t forgive, if I was going to wait for the debt they owed me to be repaid, I would be tied to them forever. Once I forgave their debts, no matter how underserving they were, I cut the tie that kept us bound together. What did taking this life-changing step do for me? It set me FREE.

Carol Urton is an Author and national lecturer. She has been invited to speak at numerous conferences, workshops and retreats. She has been a featured guest on several radio and television programs. Her long awaited book, "Where is God? When Hope Hurts" was released in January 2013.

www.findinghopeministries.com

www.facebook.com/whenhopehurts

www.carolurton.wordpress.com

Giveaway:  Carol is giving away a copy of her book to one of our readers.  Please leave a comment and your email address to enter.

A GETTYSBURG VIGNETTE by Patrick E. Craig reviewed by Marian Baay

A Gettysburg Vignette

Cry of Freedom – Volume 9

A GETTYSBURG VIGNETTE

By Patrick E. Craig

Helping Hands Press, 2013

Reviewed by Marian Baay

1863 – Jack Skelly, a wounded Union soldier, wrote a letter to his sweetheart Ginnie Wade. When he was wounded in June, he gave the letter to his friend Wesley Culp—a soldier from the South. Jack made Wesley swear to deliver the letter to Ginnie in Gettysburg. Wesley took the letter with him and was sincerely hoping to deliver it to Ginnie when the battle of Gettysburg was over . . . only Wesley did not survive the battle, neither did Ginnie.

2013 – Randy Culpepper is on his way to the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. He is the great–great grandson of Wesley’s friend Jed Culpepper. He knows all about the Battle of Gettysburg from his grandfather—who told him everything there is to know on this historical event when he was growing up. He had heard of the letter Wesley Culp was supposed to deliver to Ginnie, but the letter got lost.

When Randy arrives in Gettysburg, he has a weird experience that could make him able to solve the mystery of the missing letter.

A story full historical detail – that brings the characters from the past to life – an unexpected twist and smart plot make this an enjoyable read.

Another great story in the Cry of Freedom series!

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You can buy this novella at Amazon.

And you can also find the other stories in the Cry of Freedom Series at Amazon.

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GIVEAWAY: FIVE pdf copies of this book. 
Like Patrick's author page on facebook and put PEC in a comment underneath my review to enter the contest. 
Don't forget to leave your email address as well.