A Light in the Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick A REVIEW

ABOUT A LIGHT IN THE WILDERNESS

Letitia holds nothing more dear than the papers that prove she is no longer a slave. They may not cause white folks to treat her like a human being, but at least they show she is free. She trusts in those words she cannot read--as she is beginning to trust in Davey Carson, an Irish immigrant cattleman who wants her to come west with him.

Nancy Hawkins is loathe to leave her settled life for the treacherous journey by wagon train, but she is so deeply in love with her husband that she knows she will follow him anywhere--even when the trek exacts a terrible cost.

Betsy is a Kalapuya Indian, the last remnant of a once proud tribe in the Willamette Valley in Oregon territory. She spends her time trying to impart the wisdom and ways of her people to her grandson. But she will soon have another person to care for.

As season turns to season, suspicion turns to friendship, and fear turns to courage, three spirited women will discover what it means to be truly free in a land that makes promises it cannot fulfill. This multilayered story from bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick will grip readers' hearts and minds as they travel with Letitia on the dusty and dangerous Oregon trail into the boundless American West.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Revell (September 2, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800722310
ISBN-13: 978-0800722319
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane is inter-nationally recognized for her lively presentations and well-researched stories that encourage and inspire.  Her works have appeared in more than 50 publications including  Decision, Private Pilot and Daily Guideposts.  Jane is the author of over 25 books including historical novels. Many of her titles are based on the lives of real people or incidents set authentically in the American West.  Her first novel, A Sweetness to the Soul, won the coveted Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center.  Her works have been finalists for the Christy, Spur, Oregon Book Award, WILLA Literary Award and Reader’s Choice awards.  Several of her titles have been Book of the Month and Literary Guild selections. 

MY REVIEW
  A Light in the Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick is an O.K. story. It is full of history and interesting details.
  Letitia is an Africain American and she is a freed slave. She meets and married Davey, an Irish immigrant. So starts their adventures of moving West.  Many good and bad things happen on the way West, but they keep going.
  It was a nice story, but I didn’t find it overly interesting. To me it really seems like a sad story even though good things happened. I just would have liked Letitia be have been more trusting of her husband and more joy in her life.
  If you love history and stories of westward travel you will love this book. It was a book hard for me to read. I will though recommend you read it for the interesting details.

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I received my free copy from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 

Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz* A Review

ABOUT LOVE'S RECKONING 
On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Liege Lee in York County, Pennsylvania. Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west. But because he is a fast worker and a superb craftsman, Liege endeavors to keep him in York by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master's beautiful daughters.

Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning. But are they truly who they appear to be? In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future. Which one will claim Silas's heart--and will he agree to Liege's arrangement?

In this sweeping family saga, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come. This is the Ballantyne Legacy.


Price: $14.99
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2041-4
ISBN-10: 0-8007-2041-5
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5
Number of pages: 432
Carton Quantity: 40
Publication Date: Sep. 2012
Formats: Paperback

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Frantz credits her 100-year-old grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history. Frantz's family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in 1792 and settled in Madison County, where her family still resides. Frantz is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington state with her husband and two sons.






MY REVIEW
  Another winner from Laura Frantz, but this one is her best yet.
I just love how Laura weaves history into her romantic novels.
I can’t wait for book 2 in the Ballantyne Legacy books.
 In Love’s Reckoning Eden is such a gentle spirit and tries to get along with everyone and does almost all of the work at her parents home. She doesn’t think she will ever get away unless she marries someone her father wants her to marry, but knows it won’t be a good match. So she schemes a different way to escape, but finds she yearns for something or someone else when the new blacksmith comes to do his apprenticeship. Another problem is her father wants Eden’s older sister to get married to the apprentice, because she is greatly in need of a husband.
 What will become of the two sisters? Will one sacrifice for the other or will neither of them find their true love? What is love going to cost the sisters, the family? Love’s Reckoning is full of history, romantic, secrets and lies. You have to read this book to sort them all out. Very, very good book and I would give it more than 5 stars if I could.
Another winning book for Laura Frantz. I highly recommend Love’s Reckoning.

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I received my free copy from Donna Hausler from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Lone Star Trail by Darlene Franklin*A Review

ABOUT LONE STAR TRAIL
The six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896 begins with Lone Star Trail.  Although a series, each book can be read on its own.


Judson "Jud" Morgan's father died for Texas' freedom during the war for independence. So when the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas (the Verein) attempts to colonize a New Germany in his country, he takes a stand against them.

After Wande Fleischers' fiancé marries someone else, the young fraulein determines to make a new life for herself in Texas. With the help of Jud's sister Marion, Wande learns English and becomes a trusted friend to the entire Morgan family.

As much as Jud dislikes the immigrant invasion, he can't help admiring Wande's character. She is sweet and cheerful as she serves the Lord and all those around her. Can the rancher put aside his prejudice to forge a new future?  Through Jud and Wande, we learn the powerful lessons of forgiveness and reconciliation among a diverse community of believers.

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802405835
ISBN-13: 978-0802405838
Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin has recently returned to cowboy (and cowgirl) country--Oklahoma. The move was prompted by her desire to be close to her son Jaran, daughter-in-law Shelley, three beautiful granddaughters, and a long-awaited baby boy.. Her daughter Jolene has preceded her into glory.

Darlene loves music, needlework, reading and reality tv. Talia, a Lynx point Siamese cat, proudly claims Darlene as her person.

In the two years since Darlene has been writing full time, her writing career has exploded to where now she has seventeen books published/under contract. Several of those will also be repacked (Maple Notch Brides), reprinted (Beacon of Love with Thorndike Press), and put into e-book format (Lone Star Trail).

Dressed in Scarlet (from Snowbound Colorado Christmas) and A String of Murders both finaled in the Book of the Year contest sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers.

Now that Darlene has moved away from Colorado, several books set in Colorado are coming out this year (a fact she finds amusing). All three are contemporary romances. Plainsong and Knight Music continue the story begun in her first book, Romanian Rhapsody; and First Christmas (from Christmas at Barncastle Inn) takes places in a Vermont B&B that specializes in recreating Christmases of the past.

Lone Star Trail is the first book in the Texas Trails series, written with Susan Page Davis and Vickie McDonough. Darlene is pleased to have her first "trade book" come out with Moody Publishers.


MY REVIEW
  This is the first book I’ve read by Darlene Franklin. The Lone Star Trail is book one in the Texas Trails Morgan Family series. I wanted to start at the beginning to see if I should read the rest of the series. I wasn’t that happy with Lone Star Trail. It is a fine story, but for me just lacked excitement until the very end where it got really good. I just didn’t think the story flowed together well enough. I love western books and the hardships that came with being some of the first people in the West, but this book just didn’t get it for me.
  What I did like about the book is the character that played the mother Mrs. Morgan. She was a strong woman who did the right thing and told her children just what she believed. I liked the settings and description of the area and homes also.
I don’t think I will read anymore of Darlene Franklin’s books unless she has a super good one. This is an O.K. book and you may love it.


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Thank you to Moody Publishers for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255