The Bright Empires ~ Series Review

The Bright Empires series

By Stephen R. Lawhead

Read by Simon Bubb

In a change of pace, I'm doing a look back at one of my favorite series. This time instead of reading the books I went the audiobook route, which I borrowed from my local library. 

(And you have to read the books in order to fully enjoy and understand everything!) 

The Universe is vast- more vast than most people can possibly fathom.  There are billions of galaxies in our Universe alone.  In addition there an unknown number of dimensions as equally vast as our own Universe.  If you don't believe me just ask Kit Livingstone (if you can find him, that is!)



The Bright Empire series by Stephen R Lawhead opens with The Skin Map.  In this we are introduced to Cosimo "Kit" Christopher Livingstone who is about to begin the adventure of a lifetime.  Kit is about to follow his great-grandfather Cosimo Livingstone on a search for the Skin Map, a search that will span centuries and dimensions.  A search that could destroy everything in the omniverse if they accidentally change history in just one dimension.

But what is this Skin Map and why is it so sought after?  The skin map was created by Arthur Flinders-Petrie as a series of various symbols tattooed upon his body that were turned into parchment upon his death.  The greatest of his various mapped symbols leads to the greatest of treasures - the Well of Souls.

But nothing is ever easy and Kit, his great-grandfather and the Questors are not the only ones seeking the map.  Burley and his men are seeking it too and he plans to use the power he would gain in untold evil.

But due to his inexperience Kit, Cosimo and Sir Henry have a secondary quest, to rescue Kit's girlfriend Wilhelmina "Mina" from whatever time/dimension she was pulled into.  But nothing ever goes as planned and the three are separated.  The Skin Map is filled with unexpected twists and turns up until the very end so that you are left wondering what comes next in The Bone House book 2.

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The Bright Empire series by Stephen R Lawhead continues with The Bone House.  

With the unexpected deaths of Cosimo Livingstone and Sir Henry at the hands of Archelaeus Burleigh, Kit  must rely on the Ley traveling skills that Mina has developed since she was transported to 17th century Prague.

But with time/dimensional travel there are a variety of trips covered in The Bone House including Kit's visit to Egypt in 1822 where he meets up with Doctor Thomas Young who are both on a mission that was brought about by Mina. While Kit is in Egypt with Dr. Young, Mina and Giles are with Dr. Young in Edinburgh.

Arthur Flinders-Petrie's life is further revealed as are the exploits of his great-grandson Douglas Flinders-Petrie to obtain the Skin Map that Arthur created.

When Mina, Kit, and Giles finally arrive at Mina's new home in Prague, they are shocked to discover the one man that they are trying to avoid is there!  Burleigh is in Prague and all too soon discovers that Kit and Giles did not die in the Egyptian tomb they were imprisoned in.  In their attempt to escape Burleigh, Giles is injured and Kit manages to make it to the Ley line that Mina had directed them to.  But Kit finds himself in the Stone Age where he makes a discovery he was not expecting the Bone House.

 The Bone House is filled with trips that span the centuries and the globe will leave you anticipating what will come next in The Spirit Well book 3.

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The Bright Empire series by Stephen R Lawhead continues with The Spirit Well.  

The Bone House left us with Kit having discovered what he believes to be the Spirit Well, a conclusion he came to after observing Arthur Flinders-Petrie enter a deep water-filled environment with a dead woman who is restored to life.

Mina, after being warned by Haven of Burleigh's suspicions, has left Prague in the hopes of somehow locating Kit.  When she can find no sign of him, Mina goes to Spain in the hopes that Brother Lazarus can help her in her quest.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Cassandra Clarke who, while on a dig in Arizona, discovers by accident the Ghost Walk.  But when she determines to study this phenomenon she jumps to other places and becomes lost to her time and place, ending up in 1950s Damascus.  There she finds the Zetetic Society who are seeking to achieve God's purpose for His creation - unity and harmony as the Creator intended and to be fully realized at "the end of time and the beginning of eternity.

In the Spirit Well we discover the circumstances that resulted in the creation of the Skin Map and its separation as well as Burleigh's discovery of the ley lines.

The Zetetic Society is searching for Sir Henry, Cosimo, and Kit who have disappeared along with Sir Henry's portion of the map.  The society feels that discovering them is of the highest priority and assign this task to Cassandra.

Treachery and betrayals abound as many search for the greatest discovery of Arthur Flinders-Petrie.  A discovery that Kit has discovered, but can he find his way back?

As is often mentioned by various characters throughout the series There are no coincidences.  There is a purpose behind everything that happens in our lives though we may not be able to ascertain it at the time.

The Spirit Well is filled with trips that span the centuries and the globe will leave you anticipating what will come next in book 4 The Shadow Lamp.

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The Bright Empire series by Stephen R Lawhead continues with The Shadow Lamp.

Ley travel is imprecise, but it can be done to within a few days of when one wants to arrive unless something goes wrong.  And as is often the case something does go wrong for several of our ley travelers.  But this is all part of the journey.  The journey to reach the Spirit Well that Kit discovered by accident when he was misdirected into the Stone Age.  But the Bone House is no longer accessible and a large tree is in its place.  And the gargantuan yew is channeling an enormous amount of energy from the ley in which it is growing.

Cassandra points out an amazing coincidence to Kit in that the yew tree is a symbol of immortality and eternity and in a sense that is what they are searching for in the Spirit Well. But little does Kit know that he may hold the answer to saving the Omniverse, the known and unknown, from complete and total annihilation!

Time from the first moments of Creation is at stake if the event that caused the imbalance is not found. The ever-expanding universe is beginning to retract upon itself and time is growing short.  An act of Arthur Flinders-Petrie may destroy everything, and we will be alive to witness our own obliteration!

The Shadow Lamp will span centuries and dimensions and if you are very observant you just may see the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning in book 5 The Fatal Tree.

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The Bright Empire series by Stephen R Lawhead concludes with The Fatal Tree.

It starts with odd little wrinkles in reality and when the anomalies accumulate to a level that a dimension can no longer sustain - that dimension along with all those living in it will be extinguished as if they had never existed... THE END OF EVERYTHING is here and we are about to slip over a cosmic cliff.

Our questors have been separated by both time and space.  The ley lines have become unreliable as the anomalies increase.  And the physical side effects are increasing with each jump making each trip increasingly dangerous.  But the Spirit Well must be reached and they have to discover a way around the Fatal Tree which now guards that which they seek.

One man may have the knowledge they seek, but can they trust the man who has sought to destroy them?  And what ulterior motives could Archelaeus Burleigh be hiding?  Kit knows that the man responsible for his great grandfather's death can't be trusted but Mina, Cass, and Gianni feel that the preservation of the Omniverse is worth the risk.

In this the final book we revisit scenes from the previous books but from the viewpoint of other characters who were part of the original scene.  A true merging of past, present, and future. 

Get ready to go on an adventure that will test your ability to adapt and prepare to grow your mind! Paradoxes, Time loops, and Quantum mechanics, oh my!  The unknown is greater than you ever imagined and one misstep or decision can destroy it all! 

Born of Persuasion ~ Review

Born of Persuasion
Price of Privilege #1
By Jessica Dotta

Julia Elliston has just lost her mother and finds herself at the mercy of an unknown guardian who seems determined to hide her away as a servant in Scotland.  But Julia has one chance to secure her own future when she is allowed a short visit with her dearest friend.

But Julia's plans of escape are dashed when she discovers that a marriage with Edward is no longer an option.  Julia attempts to take matters into her own hands, but soon finds herself caught up in a world of which she has no understanding.

Can Julia extract herself from the web in which she has unwittingly trapped herself?  And what about Edward, has she truly lost him forever?

This is the first in a trilogy by Jessica Dotta that explores a world in which so many are currently fascinated.

About the Book:

The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.

With two months to devise a better plan, Julia’s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother’s mysterious past. Before she knows what’s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country’s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.

The Long Awakening ~ Review

The Long Awakening
                 a memoir
By Lindsey O'Connor

Imagine your life if you lost a part of it.  You couldn't remember you were excited to welcome a newborn child into your life.  Worse yet the first month and a half of your child's life would be something you would never experience.  How do you recover from something like that and what's more how do you recapture what should have been?

On August 30, 2002, Lindsey gave birth to her daughter.   But what should have been a time of joy and celebration soon becomes an long and lingering battle.  Complications from pregnancy send Lindsey into a 47 day long coma.

But awakening from the coma was not the end of her ordeal - she needed to relearn basic functions.  What you or I would take for granted was lost.  And worst of all Lindsey seemed to have a detachment from her emotions.  This is Lindsey's journey to recovering what she had lost and to reconnect with her family as both wife and mother.

When one hears about someone in a coma waking-up one doesn't necessary realize what the recovery after awakening is like.  Lindsey can't even breathe on her own.  I think when she compares having a bit of a memory arise being similar to coming to the end of a chapter in a book and not beimg able to continue on an interesting comparison.

Take a journey of awakening when you read The Long Awakening.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and as a result of this the publisher Revell has provided me with a copy of this book in exchange with my honest review. 

About The Long Awakening

The riveting true story of a life-threatening coma, a miraculous awakening, and the long quest to regain what was lost.
The day our baby came into the world was the day I left. A day that began all smiles and excitement and anticipation and joy ended with running and panic and blood and tears. And then coma.

I lay suspended in the deep, my newborn unknown. Nothingness. Layers where dark pulled from below, light called from above, and me, trapped in between, longing to break the surface. 

To live.

Forty-seven days later when I first saw my husband's face leaning close to me, I knew where, and who, I was. But other things took much longer to know. Learning to restitch life--and love--when everything's changed, and finding who we are afterward, can be the longest journey of all.

I'm Lindsey O'Connor, and this is the story of my long awakening.

Rich in Years ~ Review

Rich in Years
By Johann Christoph Arnold

Finding Peace and Purpose in a Long Life

Often we suffer under the delusion that age will imprison us, causing us to be forgotten just as we forget.  But life doesn't need to lose its purpose just because we age.

Life and its length are a blessing from God.  And if you doubt this look to the Bible - the child of promise was given to a couple hitting the century mark.  But they weren't alone in being up there in age and yet fulfilling God's promises.

We need to remember that the seen is temporary and unseen is eternal, yet we seek to stay time holding onto a youth that cannot be recaptured.  Our culture tells us to push back the clock, to deny that we are aging.  But aging is a blessing in that we gain wisdom and knowledge that we can share with the younger generations.

The biggest reason aging is feared is because aging is associated with death.  We fear losing those around us and fear giving up this life.  But we need to realize that there is something more and death is our doorway into another world and it leads us into the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus!

Aging is a preparatory step to make us willing to leave this life stage for the next - next stop Eternity.  When God calls us to step through the doorway that He is holding open for us we are willing and ready to be made anew.

Rich in Years is a book that will open your eyes to the untruths we have been lead to believe about aging and life in general.  This is one book you will want to share!

I was provided a copy of this book through Handlebar Central by the publisher The Plough in exchange for my honest review and my participation in this blog tour event.

 Why shouldn 't growing older be rewarding? 

Johann Christoph Arnold, whose books have helped over a million readers through life's challenges, wants us to rediscover the spiritual riches that age has to offer. Now in his seventies, Arnold finds himself personally facing the trials that come with aging. But he knows, from decades of pastoral experience, what older people and their caregivers can do to make the most of the journey. In this book, he shares stories of people who, in growing older, have found both peace and purpose. 

Unassuming yet outstanding, this is the best book I know on the godly ripeness that aging can bring in a Christian's life. Elderly folk will find the warmth that it radiates wonderfully invigorating. --J.I. Packer, professor of theology, Regent College 

On these pages are wonderful words of hope. Savor them. As I sing in a recent song, What we do now, you and me, will affect eternity - God's counting on me, God's counting on you. --Pete Seeger, musician. 

The Author: Johann Christoph Arnold is a writer known for making crucial spiritual issues accessible to both religious and non-religious readers.  A pastor with an uncommon wealth of experiences and personal insights.  He has counseled thousands of individuals over the last forty years, including married couples, children, and teens; addicts, prison inmates, and law enforcement officers; educators, students, and the terminally ill. 

Elusive Hope ~ Review

Elusive Hope
Escape to Paradise - Book 2
By MaryLu Tyndall

The colonists from the South are settling into their new colony.  But Hayden is determined to track down his father - the man he blames for ruining his life when he abandoned his mother.  And Magnolia is determined to find a way back to Charlestown and her fiance Samuel.

But to get what they both want they are willing to use the other to achieve their heart's desires.  But what they want isn't what God has planned for them and they are about to be confronted about the truth of who they really are.

But something sinister has been awakened and the colonists of New Hope are about to come face-to-face with the shame and sins of their past.  A darkness and evil has been thwarting their every move since they left Charlestown and its presence is even stronger in the jungle.

Elusive Hope is an interesting and enjoyable reading experience.  This is more than a search for a new life while recapturing what was lost during the War Between the States.  There is a spiritual aspect to the story that is, in my opinion, the heart of the book.  The cover really does do justice to the story - Magnolia and her obsession with her appearance (note the mirror she's holding).  Until one sees one's true self and not the persona we present to the world we all are seeking an Elusive Hope - a hope that we can only see through God's eyes.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Barbour and TBCN/BookFun.org in exchange for my honest review.

In a colony named New Hope, while their friends are seeking a Southern utopia. . . .

Hayden is seeking revenge. Relentlessly.

After years of all but selling his soul to track down his scoundrel of a father, Hayden Gale discovers his search must continue in South America, where his father is reported to be helping colonize Brazil. Hayden has nothing more to lose, certainly not a good reputation, and vows to keep pursuing--at any cost--the vile man who he believes killed his mother. 

Magnolia is seeking a way out. Desperately.

She’s in the jungles of Brazil against her will, but what choice does Magnolia Scott have? Her father insisted on uprooting their family to escape the uncertainty of Southern life after the Civil War. But how will she survive without all she holds dear—wealthy suitors, beautiful clothes, summer balls, and slaves waiting on her every whim? She vows to find a way to get back home—and attaches herself to handsome Hayden Gale.

As they journey toward Rio de Janeiro, they both seek to use the other for their own purposes. Deceptively. Falling in love was never part of their plans. . . .

Saturday's Child ~ Review

Saturday's Child 

by Clare Revell 

Aaron Field is facing a deadline and an evil unlike anything he's prepared to fight until Meaghan Knight enters his world.  But the evil that Aaron is facing has been slowly choking him and all he holds dear.

When it comes to evil step-mothers Tanis Field has got to take the prize. She's the epitome of evil and she has slowly been tearing her family apart over the years and Aaron is last one who can stop her and with Meggie's help he may find the courage to turn to God again.  

Saturday's Child is a fight not only in the physical world but in the spiritual.  And without the prayers and support of know those who know them Aaron and Meggie may not survive the coming battle for their souls.

Saturday's Child takes a look at the dangerous power that is the occult and its effect on those who are exposed to its seductive deceptions.  Without a strong faith and an even stronger relationship with God one cannot hope to withstand the onslaught of demonic evil. 

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Pelican Books and TBCN/BookFun.org in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Aaron Field is a farmer. He’s sworn off parties and bonfires, and being more concerned with losing his farm than anything else, he has little time for church. When his field is hired by the church for a Guy Fawkes night bonfire, Aaron is ill prepared for the feisty Welsh woman who steps onto his land and into his heart.

Meaghan Knight is a farmer’s daughter. It’s her job to make sure the church’s bonfire party runs smoothly, and if that means ironing out the kinks in surly Farmer Field then that’s what she’ll do. When she finds out what’s really behind his attitude, she feels ill prepared to face his history, his family, and the danger.

As Aaron and Meghan join forces, they discover an evil so demonic it threatens not only the farm, but their lives, as well. Meghan knows God can prevail, but first she has to convince Aaron not to give up.

Seams Unlikely ~ Review

Seams Unlikely
By Nancy Zieman
with Marjorie L. Russell

 The Inspiring True Life Story of 

Nancy Zieman

Have you ever watched Sewing with Nancy?  Have you ever wondered about the woman behind this informative and enjoyable show?  Well, with Seams Unlikely you are offered a rare glimpse into the life of this inspiring woman who overcame challenges to get to where she is today. 

Learn about Nancy's childhood in rural Wisconsin and how family played an important role in who she became as she struggled to overcome health challenges.  Her upbringing helped her find the strength and determination to become the woman America loves to watch sew!

"...If something is worthwhile you have to work for it," was a philosophy that Nancy learned early in life and has stayed with her and it is quite evident that she applied it well.  This is one work ethic that we all would do well to remember!

There are glimpses into Nancy's world from her family, friends, and employees that add an extra touch to Seams Unlikely.  This isn't your normal autobiography - it is a story of inspiration and triumph. There are even a couple of well-loved family recipes thrown in that I have to admit I'm looking forward to trying out.   

This is a book that will appeal to fans of Sewing with Nancy and Wisconsinites!  Learn about rural Midwest living in the 1950's - 1970's.  This is one book that will appeal on many levels.

I was provided a copy of this book by Glass Road Media & Management in conjunction with this Blog Tour and in exchange for my honest review.

About Seams Unlikely

In an age when hard-working women don't know if we should lean in, lean out, or lean on someone, Nancy Zieman's voice of calm, experienced authority is welcome. The lessons she shares are ones every businesswoman should take to heart.

In Seams Unlikely, Nancy: 

* Shares her life story for the first time
*Gives details of the onset of Bell's Palsy and how it played a part during school
*Reveals the intricate involvement of 4-H in her development
*Tells, step-by-step, how she grew Nancy's Notions from a basement in her home into a multi-million dollar business
*Includes behind-the-scenes information on the growth of Sewing with Nancy from filming in her living room to a long-term partnership with Wisconsin Public Television
*Shows pictures of the people, buildings, and places that played key roles along the path of her life

Reading of the growth of Nancy's family (she is a married mother of two, one son by birth, one by adoption) alongside the growth of her show and business is both familiar and instructive to working moms. Nancy created solutions in both the workplace and at home, to carve a niche uniquely suited to her situation and talents. It's a goal to which many of us aspire. And Nancy Zieman's story gives us key insight.

About Nancy Zieman
 

Nancy Zieman is host of Sewing with Nancy, TV's longest-running sewing show, which she co-produces with Wisconsin Public Television. It has been on-air since 1982. She is the author of over 40 books, which have sold millions of copies and instructed numerous individuals on the finer points of sewing everything from clothing to quilts to home décor.

Nancy has been married to Richard Zieman for 36 years and they have two sons, Ted and Tom. She continues to host Sewing with Nancy,which her fans loyally tune in to public television to watch. Learn more at SeamsUnlikely.com. 

Amanda Weds a Good Man ~ Review and First Chapter Reveal

Amanda Weds a Good Man
One Big Happy Family #1
By Naomi King

Amanda Lambright and Wyman Brubaker are about to combine their two families into one.  But two Amish families becoming one isn't as easy as it should be.  After all Amanda, her 3 daughters, and her mother-in-law are leaving what they have known for the last four years behind.  And Wyman Brubaker, his 2 daughters, and 3 sons are making room in their home for Amanda's family.

But Clearwater is not a welcoming place to Amanda, Jemima, Lizzie, Cora, and Dora.  The women criticise their clothes.  The colors are too bright.  Their dresses too short.  Their prayer kapps are to far back.  Too much hair shows on their heads.  And then there is Amanda's pottery... In the eyes of Amanda and her family the women here a cruel and uncaring.  No one makes an effort to befriend them or offers them a helping hand.

For years Amanda's pottery provided for her family, but in Clearwater her art is too showy.  And in the eyes of Bishop Uriah Schmucker her pottery is a sign of her fallen sinful nature.  Can Amanda keep creating the pottery that she feels is her God-given gift?  Or will she have to cut out a piece of who she is to keep the peace?  And will Wyman ever understand how much this new life is costing his new wife?  Or will she suffer in silence beneath the bishop's condemnation?

Blending families is never easy and the community of Clearwater is anything but helpful in helping the new Lambright/Brubaker clan.  When a crisis occurs the future of this family's hangs in the balance - can Amanda and Wyman come up with a solution that won't destroy them all and one that will bring them joy?

This is a book that even those who don't normally read Amish fiction should enjoy.  It is an honest look at blended families and all the extra effort that goes into making this new family work.  Old ways don't work and it is a give-and-take and compromise of wills and personalities.  Old guilt and independences must be left behind to allow the love that is there to grow and bind them together as a family.  The book just has an Amish setting that gives it a little added flavor.  

Go ahead kick-back and settle in for a good reading experience with the first book in the One Big Happy Family series from Naomi King.

I was provided a copy of this book in conjunction with this Pump Up Your Book - Blog Tour for the express purpose of reviewing this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Amanda Weds a Good Man

One Big Happy Family: Book 1

By Naomi King

Chapter 1 Reveal

Amanda Lambright paused outside the Cedar Creek Mercantile, clutching her basket of pottery samples and prayed that Sam would carry her handmade items in his store. She had also come to share some exciting news: she stood on the threshold of a brand new life in a brand new family, and the prospect thrilled her. But it frightened her, too. 

When Amanda stepped inside, the bell tinkled above the door. As her eyes adjusted to the soft dimness of the store, she saw her teenage daughter Lizzie and the four-year-old twins making a beeline to the craft department while her mother-in-law Jemima ambled behind her cart in the grocery aisle. Several shoppers, English and Amish alike, lingered over their choices of cheese, locally-grown apples, and other household and hardware necessities, but she was in luck: the bearded, bespectacled man at the check-out counter didn’t have any customers right now. She approached him with a smile.

“And how are you on this fine September day, Sam?”

When Sam Lambright looked up from the order form he was filling out, his face lit up. “Amanda! How gut to see you. Things are going well at your farm, I hope?”

Amanda gripped the handle of her basket. Should she break her big news first? Or make her request? “The work never ends, that’s for sure. The last hay’s ready to cut, the garden’s gone to weeds, and Jerome’s training several new mules.” Jerome was her nephew by marriage, the boy she and her late husband Atlee had raised after his parents died in a fire.

“Your girls are growing up, too. I had to look twice to realize it was Lizzie, Cora, and Dora waving at me.”

“They change by the day, it seems. And, well . . . I’m making a few changes myself.”

Sam gazed at her in that patient, expectant way he had. He was Atlee’s cousin, and his expression, his manner, reminded her so much of Atlee that at times she’d not shopped here because she couldn’t deal with the resemblance. But that sadness is behind me now . . . and nobody will be happier than Sam, she reminded herself. “Wyman Brubaker has asked me to marry him. And I said jah.”

Sam’s smile lit the whole store. “That’s wonderful! Abby—” He gazed up toward the upper level, hailing his sister as she sat at her sewing machine by the railing. “Abby, you’ll want to come down and get the latest from Amanda. She’s getting hitched!”

“That’s so exciting,” Abby called out. “Don’t say another word until I get down there.”

Amanda noticed several folks in the store glancing her way, enjoying this exchange. It made her upcoming marriage seem even more real now that it had been announced so publically. She and Wyman had kept their courtship quiet, because they wanted to be very sure that a marriage blending two households and eight children was a wise decision.

“Months ago I suggested to Wyman that it was time he found another gut woman,” Sam said, “and I’m so glad he’s chosen you, Amanda. I can’t think of two finer folks with so much in common.”

“Well, we hope so. It’ll be . . . different, raisin eight kids instead of just my three girls,” she replied quietly. “But Wyman’s a gut man.”

“And with his grain elevator doing so well, it means you won’t have to worry about money anymore,” Sam replied quietly. “You haven’t let on—haven’t let me help you much—but even with Jerome’s income, it couldn’t have been easy to keep that farm afloat after Atlee passed.”

As Abby Lambright rushed down the wooden stairway to hug her, Amanda forgot about her four long years of scraping by. She felt lifted up by the love and happiness this maidel radiated. Rain or shine, Abby gave her best and brought that out in everyone around her, too.

“What a wonderful-gut thing, to know you’ve found another love,” Abby gushed. “And who’s the lucky man?”

“Wyman Brubaker.”

“You don’t say!” Abby replied. “I couldn’t have matched up a more perfect pair myself—and as I recall, his Vera and your Lizzie first met while both families were shopping here. And that started the ball rolling.”

“Jah, as matchmakers go they were pretty insistent,” Amanda replied with a chuckle.

“And when’s the big day?”

“We haven’t decided, but it’ll be sooner than I can possibly be ready,” Amanda admitted. “What with Lizzie still in school, I’ve hardly packed any boxes—not that I know where to stack them if the wedding’s at my house,” she added in a rush. “And with Jerome training a team of mules now, we can’t clear out the barn for the ceremony. And I can’t see me driving back and forth, cleaning Wyman’s house in Clearwater—”

“Or keeping it wedding-ready until the big day. His Vera’s a responsible girl, but looking after her three brothers and Alice Ann is all she can handle,” Abby remarked in a thoughtful tone. She looked at her older brother. “Sam, what would you say to having Amanda’s wedding at our house? What with preparing for Matt and Rosemary’s ceremony next week, and then for Phoebe and Owen’s that first Thursday of October—”

“Oh, no!” Amanda protested. “I didn’t mean to go on and on about—”

“That would be just fine.” Sam gazed steadily at Amanda. “We’re setting up the tables for the meals in mamm’s greenhouse—leaving them up between the two weddings, anyway. So if you pick a date in the first few weeks of October, it would be very easy to host your ceremony, Amanda. And I would feel like I’d finally given you some real help when you needed it.”

Amanda nearly dropped her basket of pottery. “My stars. That would solve a lot of my problems . . .”

“And with Wyman living in Clearwater and your house being on the far side of Bloomingdale, Cedar Creek would be a more central location for your guests,” Sam reasoned.

“And it’ll be gut practice for Sam, delivering another wedding sermon,” Abby added mischievously. “Right after he was ordained as our new preacher last spring, Rosemary asked him to preach and then Phoebe insisted on him, too. So he should be pretty gut at it by the time you and Wyman tie the knot!”

Sam flushed. “Jah, but if you want the preachers from your district to—”

“It would be an honor to have you and Vernon Gingerich officiate for us.” Amanda squeezed Sam’s arm, her excitement mounting. “Wyman will be so glad you’ve settled our dilemma, because if we choose one preacher and one bishop from our own districts, we’ll still be leaving out the other bishop and three preachers.”

“And you don’t want them all to speak! Six sermons would make for a very long day,” Abby added wryly.

As their laughter rose toward the high ceiling of the mercantile, Amanda relaxed. Wasn’t it just like these cousins to offer their home when she would never have asked another family to host her wedding? What a relief, to concentrate on moving her three daughters, Atlee’s mamm, and herself into Wyman’s home rather than also having to prepare for a couple hundred wedding guests.

Abby leaned closer to Amanda, watching Lizzie and the twins fingering bolts of fabric. “So how are your girls taking the news? And what of Jemima?” she asked quietly.

Amanda smiled. “Truth be told, it was Lizzie and Wyman’s Vera who got Wyman and me to the same places at the same time,” she confessed. “And bless him, Wyman said from the first that he had a room for Atlee’s mamm. It won’t be easy for her, living in a home other than her son’s. But we’ll all be together.”

“One big happy family!” Abby proclaimed as she hugged Amanda’s shoulders again.

“And what of Jerome?” Sam inquired. “He’s lived with you since he was a boy, but he’s what? Twenty-two now?”

“Twenty-four,” Amanda corrected. “And with him being so established with his mule breeding and training, I’ve asked him to stay there on the home place. It’s what Atlee would’ve wanted for his nephew.”

“A gut decision,” the storekeeper agreed. “One of these days he’ll be finding a wife, and a whole new generation of Lambrights can live there.”

Amanda nodded, feeling a flicker of sadness. Her Atlee had passed on before they knew she was carrying the twins . . . but cogitating over the other children they might have had together—or which ones might have taken over the Lambright farm—wasn’t a useful way to spend her time. A little gasp brought her out of her woolgathering.

“What’s this in your basket?” Abby asked as she reached for the handle. “My stars, these are such pretty colors for pie pans and cream pitchers and—” Her brown eyes widened. “Did you paint these, Amanda?”

Amanda’s cheeks prickled. “I make the pottery pieces on my wheel and then I glaze them, jah,” she said quietly. “I was hoping that—rather than packing away my finished pieces—you might want to sell them here.”

“These are pieces any woman could use,” Abby interrupted excitedly. She was carefully setting items from the basket on the counter so Sam could get a better look at them. “A pitcher . . . a deep-dish pie plate . . . oh, and look at this round piece painted like a sunflower!”

“That’s a disk you heat in the oven and then put in your basket to keep your bread warm,” Amanda said. “I sell a lot of those at the dry goods stores north of home. Seems English tourists like some little souvenir when they visit Plain communities.”

“I can see why,” Sam remarked. He was turning the pitcher this way and that in his large hands. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen kitchen pieces with such bold colors. And if you make them, Amanda, I’d be happy to take them on consignment. Folks hereabouts would snap these up.”

“You’ve got several pieces with you, I hope?” Abby asked.

“This is such a blessing,” Amanda replied quietly. “I’ve got three boxes of this stuff in my wagon, along with an inventory list. I figured that if you didn’t want it, I’d stash it all in Wyman’s basement until we get moved in.”

“Don’t go hiding these in the basement!” Abby insisted. “We’ll set up a big display down here, and I’ll arrange the rest of them up in the loft.”

Sam started for the door. “I’ll help you carry in your boxes, Amanda. You can decide which items might sell better over at the greenhouse and work that out with Mamm.”

“Jah, I will. Denki so much, you two. Let me show you what I’ve brought.” Amanda’s heart skipped happily as the bell above the door tinkled. This trip to Cedar Creek was going even better than she’d dreamed, and she was eager to set her wedding date with Wyman now that they had such a wonderful place to hold their ceremony.

As they stepped outside, however, an ominous crash rang out, followed by a yelp and another crash.

“Simon! Get your dog out of that wagon!”

Amanda’s face fell. Oh, but she recognized that authoritative voice. And there could be only one Simon with a pet who had stirred up such a ruckus . . . and only one wagon full of pottery with its end gate down.

As she rounded the corner of the store with Sam and Abby, the scene in the parking lot confirmed Amanda’s worst fears: the Brubaker family was gathered around her wagon, coaxing Simon’s German shepherd out of it while Wyman lifted his youngest son onto its bed. When the five-year-old boy grabbed his basketball from the only box of her pottery left standing, the picture became dismally clear.

“Oh, Amanda,” Abby murmured as the three of them hurried toward the Brubakers. “This doesn’t look so gut.”

Amanda’s stomach clenched. How many days’ worth of her work had been shattered after Wags had apparently followed Simon’s ball into her wagon?

“Gut afternoon to you, Wyman,” Sam said. “We just heard your exciting news, and we’re mighty happy you and Amanda are hitching up.”

Wyman set his youngest son on the ground and extended his hand to the storekeeper. “Jah, I finally found a gal who’ll put up with me and my raft of kids. But I can’t think she’s too happy with us right this minute.”

Amanda bit back her frustration as her future husband lowered one of her boxes to the ground so she could see inside it. The other boxes had been overturned, so some of her pie plates, vases, and other items lay in pieces on the wagon bed. She had considered padding her pottery more carefully, boxing the pieces better, but who could have guessed that Simon’s energetic, oversized puppy would follow a basketball into her wagon? A little sob escaped her.

“And now, Simon, do you see why you should always check the latch on the dog’s pen when we leave?” Wyman asked sternly. “Not only was it dangerous for Wags to come running up alongside our buggy, but now he’s broken Amanda’s pottery. What do you say to her, son?”

The little boy, clutching his basketball, became the picture of contrition. Simon’s brown eyes, usually filled with five-year-old mischief, were downcast as he stood beside his father. “I . . . didn’t mean to break your stuff,” he murmured. “I bounced my ball too high and Wags had to play, too. I’m real sorry.”

Chastising this winsome boy wouldn’t put her pottery together again, would it? “Things happen,” she replied with a sigh. “I was hoping to sell my ceramics here at the mercantile, but . . . well, maybe we can salvage some of it.”

“Tie Wags to the wagon, Simon, before he causes any more trouble,” Wyman murmured.

Abby had stepped up beside Amanda to carefully lift the contents of the box onto the tailgate while Wyman set the other two boxes upright. Amanda was vaguely aware that the rest of the Brubaker kids were nearby: his teenage sons, Pete and Eddie, went on inside the mercantile while seventeen-year-old Vera came up beside her, cradling little Alice Ann against her hip.

“See there, all is not lost,” Abby remarked as she set unbroken dishes to one side of the wagon bed. “Still enough for a display, Amanda—”

“And look at these colors!” Vera said as she fingered some of the broken pieces. “Dat told me you worked on pottery, Amanda, but I had no idea it was like this! So, do you paint ready-made pieces or do you make everything from scratch?”

Amanda smiled sadly as she held up two pitchers that no longer had their handles. “I form them on my pottery wheel, and when they’ve dried I glaze them and fire them in my kiln.”

“Would you mind if I take the broken stuff?”

Amanda considered this, surprised. Vera’s eyes were lit up with interest, as though she truly loved the pottery even though it was shattered. “I don’t know what you’d do with it,” she murmured, “but it’s not like I can sell repaired plates and pitchers, either.”

“I’m sorry this has happened, Amanda. I’ll pay you for what Simon broke,” Wyman offered as he squeezed her shoulder. “At least you won’t be needing the income after we marry, jah?”

Amanda sighed. “Denki, Wyman. That’s generous of you.”

As much as she had come to love Wyman Brubaker during these past months of their courtship, a red flag went up in Amanda’s mind. He—and most men—didn’t understand that her pottery was much more than a way to earn money. It had been her salvation after Atlee had lost a leg to gangrene and then lost his will to live. . . a way to focus her mind on cheerful designs and colors instead of becoming lost in the darkness of her grief after he died.

Wyman ran the only grain elevator in the area so he was able to provide quite well for a large family. Yet as she considered mixing her Lizzie and the twins—not to mention her opinionated mother-in-law—with the three rambunctious Brubaker boys, Vera, and toddler Alice Ann, Amanda wondered what she was getting herself into. Everyone seemed amiable enough now, but what if their good intentions went by the wayside once they were all together in one household?

Would they be one big happy family, as Abby had predicted? Or had she let herself in for more major changes than she could handle by agreeing to marry Wyman Brubaker?

ABOUT AMANDA WEDS A GOOD MAN:

Amanda Lambright loves Wyman Brubaker, and after four years as a single mother, she is grateful for his support and for this new chance at happiness as his wife. She’s confident that their children will get along just fine. But once Amanda’s clan moves into Wyman’s home, the tight quarters and Wyman’s reluctance to make changes to accommodate Amanda cause friction. The older kids are squabbling. The little ones are frequently in tears. Tiny Alice Ann isn’t speaking at all. Amanda and Wyman can’t find any privacy. And Amanda wonders if she’ll ever have a chance to pursue the pottery making that means so much to her.

Amanda believes that family lies at the center of any well-lived Amish life. Can she find the wisdom to guide the reluctant members of her new extended family toward the love that will bind them together?

Purchase at:

ABOUT NAOMI KING

I’ve called Missouri home for most of my life, and most folks don’t realize that several Old Older Amish and Mennonite communities make their home here, as well. The rolling pastureland, woods, and small towns along county highways make a wonderful setting for Plain populations—and for stories about them, too! While Jamesport, Missouri is the largest Old Order Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River, other communities have also found the affordable farm land ideal for raising crops, livestock, and running the small family-owned businesses that support their families.

Like my heroine, Miriam Lantz, of my Seasons of the Heart series, I love to feed people—to share my hearth and home. I bake bread and goodies and I love to try new recipes. I put up jars and jars of green beans, tomatoes, beets and other veggies every summer. All my adult life, I’ve been a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and we hosted a potluck group in our home for more than twenty years.

Like Abby Lambright, heroine of my Home at Cedar Creek series, I consider it a personal mission to be a listener and a peacemaker—to heal broken hearts and wounded souls. Faith and family, farming and frugality matter to me: like Abby, I sew and enjoy fabric arts—I made my wedding dress and the one Mom wore, too, when I married into an Iowa farm family more than thirty-five years ago! When I’m not writing, I crochet and sew, and I love to travel.

I recently moved to Minnesota when my husband got a wonderful new job, so now he and I and our border collie, Ramona, are exploring our new state and making new friends.

You can visit her website at www.NaomiKingAuthor.com

A Date with Death ~ Review

A Date with Death, 
Episode One in “In the President’s Service Series”
by Ace Collins

A Date with Death is power packed story.  With a man's life in the balance Helen Meeker is short on time to prove his innocence. And the reported death of his daughter is somehow linked to it, if only Helen can find the proof that she needs.

But things get complicated when Helen is required to be seen with an English hero - all in service to the President.  As Helen and Henry Reese look for the evidence they need, someone is determined to stop them and it may cost them their very lives.

But who is trying to frame Pastor Wilbur Shellmeyer, making him confess to a crime he never committed.  And someone is lying to Helen hiding the truth the only question is who is lying and why?  Finding the truth suddenly become more difficult.  And solving the case may cost Helen dearly...

A Date with Death is an exciting page turner that will keep you guessing.

I was provided a copy of this book by TBCN/BookFun.org, Elk Lake Publishing, and Ace Collins in exchange for my honest and fair review.

About the Book:
Helen Meeker is back and has less than thirty days to stop the execution of an innocent pastor who has unbelievably confessed to being a Nazi spy. While on a case that has dynamic implications to uncovering an espionage ring operating on American and British soil, Helen defuses a hostage crisis in a bank robbery gone wrong, unearths an explosive coffin, and is introduced to a dead English hero who seems very much alive. The fate of an innocent girl and the world’s two most dynamic leaders depend upon Helen’s connecting cases before Wilbur Shellmeyer faces a firing squad, and Churchill and Roosevelt meet for a secret conference in upstate New York.

Set against the backdrop of the early days of World War II, A Date with Death combines action, adventure, mystery, and romance in a tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until they, like Helen Meeker, answer the question, “Do I save the leader of the free world or an innocent man scheduled to die to protect someone he loves?” Which life is more important?

Though the answer to this question will be revealed at the end of A Date with Death, Helen’s action and adventure will continue at a break-neck pace throughout the “In the President’s Service Series,” as she takes on new challenges and dangers.

Purchase the eBooks each month or subscribe to the monthly installments in a magazine style issue, readable on any device that will include interactive videos from the author. Enjoy a behind the scenes adventure where Ace Collins talks about researching this time period, including the cars, the music, a woman’s struggles trying to earn a place in many areas of law enforcement, the lives of world leaders. and MUCH MORE every month.

About Ace Collins:
Citing his Arkansas heritage, Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. In that capacity, Ace Collins has authored more than sixty books for twenty-five different publishers that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, as well as books on history, culture and faith. His current novel from Abingdon, Darkness Before Dawn, has earned scores of great reviews and been chosen by several different book clubs and publications as one of the top reads of 2013. It also made the most inspiring book list on iTunes in July and Hope For Women’s “Top Five Summer Reads.”

Collins’ publishing history includes the novels Farraday Road, Swope’s Ridge and Jefferson Burke and the Secret of the Lost Scroll for Zondervan, The Yellow Packard from Barbour, Reich of Passage for Bay Forest, and The Christmas Star, Darkness Before Dawn and The Cutting Edge for Abingdon. He has three more novels set for release in 2014. His fiction writing has covered everything from value-driven plots, to adventures, mysteries, historical stories, sentimental tales and comedy.

In nonfiction, Collins has scored bestsellers with The Cathedrals, Lassie A Dog’s Life, Turn Your Radio On, The Stories Behind The Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Father Does Know Best, and The Stories Behind The Great Traditions of Christmas. His work has been made into two network television specials and a CBS movie. In September, he will see his first devotional book released and Music For Your Heart is already earning rave reviews.

Beyond books, Collins has penned more than 2000 magazine features, appeared on every network morning television show, as well as CNN and Fox. He also does scores of radio interviews each year. His speaking engagements have taken him from churches and corporations to the National Archives in Washington D.C. to America’s Dog Museum in St. Louis. Collins has also penned several production shows and speaks to college class on the art of writing.

Collins’ hobbies include sports, restoring classic cars and Wurlitzer jukeboxes and running. He also does college sports play-by-play. He is married to Ouachita University education professor Kathy Chapman Collins. The couple lives in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and has two sons.