A Gift of Grace

A Gift of Grace
By: Amy Clipston

Oops - I just realized I started this post a couple of weeks ago and never finished.

I'm going to be honest - I am always hesitant to read a book about the Amish that is not by Beverly Lewis. Thankfully, this one was REALLY good! It is similar to Beverly Lewis' Saving Sarah Cain, but the opposite situation. It was really neat to see just how teenagers today would react to being put into an Amish community. Many of us are 'wowed' by the way they live and the things they make, but this really shows what it would take for one of us to live in an Amish home. She also does a wonderful job portraying the battle women face between following their own desires while trying to submit to their husbands. Rebecca thinks her dreams have come true, but her husband is very hesitant to accept to 'Englischers' into his home. You'll have to read the book to find out how they resolve their differences.

Back of the Book:

Rebecca always dreamed of being a mother, and now she is--of two teenage girls. Somehow, it just wasn't the scenario she had planned. . .

Rebecca Kauffman longs to fulfill her quiet Old Order Amish life by giving her husband, Daniel, a child, but for years she has been unable to conceive. When her older sister, Grace, who left hte Amish community for the modern world, dies in an automobile accident, Rebecca is left custody of her two teenage nieces, Jessica and Lindsey. Now Rebecca wonders how she is going to take on this daunting task of being an Amish woman raising two English teenagers.

Rebecca struggles to give the girls the guidance they need as she tries to fulfill her duties as an Amish wife. The strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as the girls search for their identity in this new home. Caught between her husband's disapproval and her niece's unhappiness, Rebecca begins to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God. Will she be able to reconcile differences in her home--or will the clash of cultures tear her world apart?

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Teaser Tuesdays Sept. 29

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading
Anyone can participate just follow these steps:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others.)
5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers for this week:

On the other hand, Rebecca had no one else in whom to confide. She needed a friend, and Elizabeth had been all that and more ever since she'd joined the Kauffman family.

A Gift of Grace
by: Amy Clipston

Come back later this week for a review of this book. Hope to see you then!

Mohammed's Moon -

Mohamed's Moon
By: Keith Clemons

Back of the Book:

Two brothers separated at birth grow up worlds apart. Outwardly, they’re exactly alike, but inwardly, nothing’s the same – one is a devotee of fundamentalist Islam; the other, a Christian. In this modern-day Cain and Abel story, the lines are drawn not just over whose God is right, but also over the fact that they’re both in love with the same girl.

It’s a conflict with grave repercussions, little hope of resolution – and time is running out. In the background, a plan has been set in motion that will bring the United States government to its knees. Will an unexpected visitation reconcile the brothers in time to save the woman they love – and ultimately, themselves – from the coming devastation?

In his award-winning style, author Keith Clemons delivers a profound comparison between Christianity and Islam, a dichotomy of life versus death, love versus hate, and grace versus legalism. Mohamed’s Moon will plunge you into a world where hatred and heinous acts are justified. But if hatred is potent, it pales in comparison to the power of God’s love.

About the Author:

Keith Clemons, a native of Southern California, is an alumnus of California State University – Fullerton where he earned a degree in English literature. He lives with his wife, Kathryn, in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. His four previous novels, Angel in the Alley, If I should Die, These Little Ones and Above the Stars, have accumulated a total of six writing awards.

If you're interested in this book check out these other member's blogs for reviews and interviews:

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Promise Me Always

Promise Me Always
By: Christine Lynxwiler

This book has a really great storyline and great characters. I love how she describes the characters and really makes you fall in love with them or greatly dislike them. Whichever the case may be. I love how persistent Daniel is. The idea of women being wooed is quickly dying and it is refreshing to feel like you are being wooed right along with Allie. My only real complaint is the self-talk. I have so many worries of my own that I fight with daily that I don't need so much of that from a book I'm reading for relaxation. Other that, it's a great read!

Back of the Book:
Allie Richards has always dreamed of having her own landscaping company. After she loses her job, her lifelong "Pinky Promise" girlfriends convince her to enter the Beautiful Town Landscaping Competition, a prequel to the Shady Grove Centennial Celebration.

The prize? A new landscaping truck, a chunk of cash, and a one-year contract for Shady Grove's landscaping and maintenance.

But there's a hitch. Every move Allie's ragtag crew makes will be filmed and featured in the reality segment of the local TV show Wake Up, Shady Grove. And Daniel Montgomery, the man behind the camera, is after more than just a story. Will he be satisfied with anything less than Allie's heart?

Armed with a green thumb, help from her Pinky friends, and lots of determination, can Allie survive the hype, keep her fatherless kids from running amuck, maintain her faith, guard her heart - and still win the prize?

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Ransome's Honor

Ransome's Honor
By: Kaye Dacus

I personally love reading books about the Regency Era and this was no exception. My favorite type of book is when people agree to marry for some sort of duty and then fall in love. Julia Witherington is a wonderful heroine. She loves her father very much and wouldn't do anything to harm his reputation as an admiral in the Royal Navy. When her aunt and cousin try to manipulate her into marrying her cousin in order to pay off his debt with her dowry, Julia comes up with her own plan to counteract them. Unfortunately for her that means swallowing her pride and asking William Ransome, a man she has not forgiven for the last 12 years, to feign marriage for a year. With a few twists in the end this book will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to see if they go through with it. I couldn't put it down.

This book is very well written with a great plot. I look forward to reading the next 2 books as they come available.


Back of the Book:
When young Julia Witherington doesn't receive the proposal for marriage she expects from William Ransome, she determines to never forgive him. They go their separate ways - she returns to her family's Caribbean plantation, and he returns to the Royal Navy.

Now, twelve years later, Julia is about to receive a substantial inheritance, including her beloved plantation. When unscrupulous relatives try to gain the inheritance by forcing her into a marriage, she turns to the only eligible man to whom her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington, will not object - his most trusted captian and the man who broke her heart, Willam Ransome. Julia offers William her thirty-thousand-pound dowry to feign marriage for one year, but then something she could never have imagined happens: She starts to fall in love with him again.

Can two people overcome their hurt, reconcile their conflicting desires, and find a way to be happy together? Duty and honor, faith and love are intertwined in this intriguing tale from the Regency era.



Thank you for stopping by,