Whispers In The Wind by Lauraine Snelling, Book review

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
ISBN-13: 978-0764204166

Synopsis:
 

Book Two in Lauraine Snelling's Exciting Wild West Wind Series

After fleeing North Dakota and the now defunct Wild West Show, Cassie Lockwood and her companions have finally found the hidden valley in South Dakota where her father had dreamed of putting down roots. But to her dismay, she discovers a ranch already built on her land.

Cassie's arrival surprises Mavis Engstrom and forces her to reveal secrets she's kept hidden for years. Her son Ransom is suspicious of Cassie and questions the validity of her claim to the valley. But Lucas Engstrom decides from the start that he is in love with her and wants to marry her.

Will Cassie be able to build a home on the Bar E Ranch and fulfill her father's dream of raising horses, or will she be forced to return to the itinerant life of her past?

My thoughts:

After reading only the first chapter I knew I should emphazise 'Read the books in order!'. Live and learn!

Anyone who has read Book 1, might enjoy following 'the rest of the story' in 'Whispers In The Wind'. For once, this author however did not meet my expectations.

The title was enticing but I struggled with the characters, some clearer than others and those were the sub characters! The actual plot was difficult to grasp despite a few 'recalled' memories and at times throughly confusing if not right down sluggish.  
As the main character Cassie just does not grab the reader. There is plenty of action and a few interesting factors overall in the novel though (albeit I could have done without the step by step skinning/curing of an Elk for i.e.).

As confusing as Cassie's feelings (should she?, should she not?), I found the whole story lacking 'a little je ne sais quoi'. As to any possible romantic attachment hinted at... No sparks there! (at least so far, but at the rate this story develops, it might take a few more books to find out what happens next...sigh...)

Far from being the good Western I expected, I can only say you must be a fan of Lauraine Snelling's writing or wish to read the continuation of this story in the next installment (and the next...). I do not like loose ends but there was nothing in Book 2 that would entice me to read the rest ( I do not plan to hunt a Elk or stuff sausages anytime soon!).

3 Stars!

About the Author:

Lauraine Snelling, an award-winning author of fifty-plus books with sales of over 2 million copies, also writes for a wide range of magazines and teaches at writers' conferences across the country.
Visit her website (here) for more information! 

 

I received this book free from BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Life with Lily by M.A. Kinsinger and S. Woods Fisher, Book review

Publisher: Revell 

ISBN-13: 978-0800721329

Synopsis:
 

For a child, every day is a thing of wonder. And for six-year-old Lily Lapp, every day is a new opportunity for blessings, laughter, family, and a touch of mischief. As she explores her world, goes to school, spends time with her family, and gets into a bit of trouble with her friends, Lily learns what it means to be Amish and what it means to grow up. From getting a new teacher to welcoming a new sibling, Lily's life is always full of adventure.

The first of four charming novels that chronicle the gentle way of the Amish through the eyes of a young girl, Life with Lily gives children ages 8-12 a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Amish--and lots of fun and laughter along the way. It combines the real-life stories of growing up Amish from Mary Ann Kinsinger and the bestselling writing of Amish fiction and nonfiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher. With charming illustrations throughout, this series is sure to capture the hearts of readers young and old.

 

My thoughts:

 

Absolutely delightful! 'Life with Lily', Book 1 in 'The Adventures of Lily Lapp' should have been written years ago! Mary Ann and Suzanne have come up with a wonderful little gem!

Written primarily with younger children (ages 8-12) these are none the less stories which grown ups and children alike will love to discover!  There is nothing better than reading out loud to a child and share a precious moment!

There is an amazing amount of information betwixt these pages and I can't wait to share it with young friends. Seen through the eyes of lovely (and sometimes mischievous) 5 year old Lily, it has a fresh appeal for avid readers of Amish tales such as myself! 

 

We have learned much about the Amish world through wonderful stories told by such authors as Suzanne Woods Fisher herself but 'The Adventures of Lily Lapp' is destined to be a favourite and best of all, one you can share with everyone!

Each chapter involves a new adventure in Lily's life involving family, friends, neighbours, livestock, school and so on...One look at the little face featured on the cover (for once, the cover is right on!) and your heart will be won over! 

 

There are of course lessons to be learned throughout it all! After all, Lily and other Amish children are in no way different from Englisher and yes, things can and will happen...I don't know if the 'cat' with the bushy tail found by Lily in the barn (priceless!) or her brother's Joseph attempt to fly will be your favourites but it certainly were mine! 

I whole heartily applaud this new series and I give  it 5 stars!

I am looking forward to Book 2!

 

About the Authors:

 

 

Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. 

 

 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, The Keeper, and The Haven, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award nominee and is the host of an Internet radio show called Amish Wisdom.  

 

Be sure to check out Suzanne Woods Fisher website (here) for related Giveaway and if you have not done so, sign up for her newsletter!

 

 

 

I received this book free from BAKER/REVELL as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

 

A Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman, Book review

Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN-13: 978-0310330448

Synopsis:

There's more to the quaint northern Indiana town of Shipshewana than handcrafted quilts, Amish-made furniture, immaculate farms and close-knit families. When a dead girl is found floating in a local pond, murder is also afoot. And Reuben Fisher is in jail as the suspect! Reuben refuses to divulge any information, even to clear himself of a crime Deborah is certain he didn't commit. So, with her English friend, Callie---fellow sleuth and owner of Daisy's Quilt Shop---Deborah sets out to uncover the truth. 

But the mystery deepens when an elderly man seeks Callie's help in finding his long-lost daughter, missing since the days of the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes. An old man who has lost his past. A young man who may lose his future. 

Once again Deborah and Callie find themselves trying to piece together a crazy quilt of lives and events---one that can bring unexpected touches of God's grace and resolve the tragedy that has shaken this quiet Amish community.

My thoughts:

After reading 'A Perfect Square', second book in the Shipshewana Amish Mysteries I am perfectly willing to find a special spot for any Vannetta Chapman's tomes on my bookshelves (or add another one...somewhere!)!  
With Beth Wiseman's recommendation for this novel I knew I was in for a treat! I always like to hear an author praising another fellow writer, don't you?

I discovered long ago the appeal of Amish genre literature but this was the first 'whodunit' for me and this one is truly a page turner! Not content with one single plot of 'whom, what , where, how and why', Vannetta Chapman blends two mysteries decades apart and links them to the present.

With a lovely quilt shoppe tucked in the scenic background, we find Englisher and Amish living  blessed lives in Shipshewana, Indiana to be as near to perfection as possible until that is, a body is found floating in a nearby pond...There is no clue to the young girl's identity.

Callie is the owner of Daisy's Quilt, a shoppe inherited from her aunt and with canine Max is a recent transplant from Houston, Texas. Amish and Mennonite lifestyles still holds many mysteries for Callie but Amish friends Deborah, Esther and Melinda help her to adapted to her new life whilst teaching her a thing or two about quilting. With Max at her side (sporting a bandana matched to her clothing colour), Callie is definitively looking forward to her first winter in Indiana. 

When Reuben the owner of the pond is arrested for the murder by the local Chief of Police, Callie and her sleuth friends steps in to help out Reuben. 
Meanwhile, an elderly Amish who suffers from dementia finds his way to Callie's shoppe and begs her to find his daughter who disappeared in 1965.
As the story develops, you find yourself experiencing many emotions as with unmistakable talent, Vannetta Chapman hones her writing skills in this novel. 

Praying Reuben's innocence will come to light despite his unwillingness to make a statement, his family and friends search for any clue to help the Amish farmer regain his freedom. 

Alternating mystery and emotional drama, and with just the slightest hint of romance in the air (including a few hilarious situations), this is a  compelling book you will have a hard time to put down as each well written chapter gets better and better! 
Vanetta's inspirational plots draws you in and reminds us that with God anything is possible! You just have to believe!

With its excellent glossary and group questions for discussion, this makes an engaging novel to read, tucked in your favourite chair by the fireplace whilst sipping a cuppa!

5 Stars (and checking right now for additional titles by this author!)

About the Author:

'Vannetta Chapman has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania.'

For more on this charming author, please visit her website (here) and be sure to sign for her newsletter!

I received this book free from ZONDERVAN as part of their blogger review program.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

That Lovely Button...

Someone mentioned Christmas is only 82 days away! Oh dear! Really? Have I lost track of the time (yet again)?
It seems like yesterday Summer was here...Autumn only just started! 
The way we live on 'island time' - truly, no watch/no clock observed here - we depend on Mother Nature to tell us what season it is or the antlers on the bucks!
Watches are only used for ferry time! (If we miss it, it is a long wait - last one is at 7pm!)

But back to the upcoming Holidays...Visions of shopping for family and friends, food and posting parcels and greeting cards suddenly loom ahead and I have yet to store sundresses and flip flops away! Outch!

The very idea of trudging in Malls for that special gift gives me chills! Masses of hurried people all rushing to purchase something (which most likely will never be used or possibly even returned) for their families and friends just seem so cold!
The only exception I make is shopping for the Troops!!

But now if all computers came with that little button...
It would be so easy to find that special gift!
For once, electronics have a little more appeal!

I am just as adverse to shopping in (large) grocery stores if you must know! I procrastinate, I sigh and then I rush through, often forgetting one thing or another (a real hazard when you live on an island!).

Instead I prefer the old ways..
Take a basket for a start...

And if you don't have one or need a new one...
Oh yes, I LOVE baskets! You cannot have too many of these, they are so handy!

Shopping for me includes...

Top of my list is stopping for a few blooms of course!

This sign of course would guarantee a stop...(and a return!)

And whatever else, this shoppe is sure to see me coming back (again and again!)
All else is quickly forgotten...

So Holidays shopping is still faraway in my daily planning...

Since Dry Dock is coming to an end (next week?), I guess I better start a list however...Fresh fruits and vegetables are coming to an end!

There is shopping and then shopping I guess! being much of a dreamer, I will never claim to be practical...

So do you like shopping?

Sunday...

Sunday...

Of all Psalms, this one is my favourite...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures He gives me repose.
Beside restful waters He leads me;
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths for His name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil;
for You are at my side with Your rod and Sour staff
that give me courage.
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.

(Psalm 23)

Have a beautiful Sunday!

The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells, Book review

Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN-10: 0060507829

Synopsis:

No matter where you live, or how gloomy it may be outside, Patricia Wells will brighten your kitchen with the sunny flavors of France's bountiful south with The Provence Cookbook. A French-food expert and longtime Provence resident, Patricia offers readers an intimate guide to the culinary treasures of this sun-drenched landscape and dishes that will transport you and your guests with every flavorful bite. 

The Provence Cookbook's 175 enticing recipes reflect Patricia's long and close ties with the farmers and purveyors who provide her and her neighbors in Provence with a kaleidoscope of high-quality foods. Their year-round bounty is the inspiration for these exciting, healthful Mediterranean-French dishes,which Patricia shares with home cooks everywhere. 

Over the past twenty years, it is Patricia who has often been the student, learning Provencal ways and regional recipes directly from the locals. With The Provence Cookbook, her readers benefit from this rich inheritance, as she passes along such recipes as My Vegetable Man's Asparagus Flan, or Maussane Potter's Spaghetti. 

Along side authentic and flavorful dishes for every course from hors d'oeuvre to dessert, as well as pantry staples, The Provence Cookbook features eighty-eight of Patricia's artful black-and-white photographs of Provence's farmers, shopkeepers, and delightful products. More than a cookbook, this is also a complete guide and handbook to Provencal dining, with vendor profiles, restaurant and food shop recommendations and contact information, and twelve tempting menus -- delight in An August Dinner at Sunset or perhaps A Winter Truffle Feast. 

Whether you are a home cook, a traveler, or an armchair adventurer, enjoy Provence as the locals do, with Patricia Wells and The Provence Cookbook as your guides.


My thoughts:

There are few things in life my family and I enjoy more than cooking, reading and of course traveling! Wherever the wind takes us, I have continued the tradition of having a little spot in the garden with table and chairs to enjoy a well earned repast after a hard day's work! 
The simple joy of placing a tablecloth on the table, a few cut flowers in a small vase and a plate of dates, marinated olives, a loaf of crusty french bread and an assortment of cheeses makes us happy!

I have to credit however Mr. Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe and their (endearing) rendition in 'A Good Year' for bringing to mind the unique French Provencal smells of regional cuisine, the strolls around Aix en Provence, Arles, Avignon, St Remy de Provence and so on...
It has been a few years since my last stay but I can still feel the tremendous heat reflecting off the yellow stones, hear the cicadas and remember the richness of market days right after the glorious atmosphere of the Vendange or sitting on a bench under a canopy of Mimosas!

There is little I can say about Patricia Wells' 'The Provence cookbook' that would do it full justice! Even readers who have not had the opportunity to visit that part of the world will recognize the quality of her carefully selected recipes, tried and true. 

Betwixt these pages Patricia brings a part of the world renowned for its culinary delicacies and (whilst I sometime deplore the quality of ingredients or their availability here on the Pacific NW coast)  I never tire of trying to duplicate these wonderful recipes! 
Substitutions for certain items might of course be necessary but I would think an ingenious cook will delight in finding these alternatives whilst letting his/her family sample such items as Carpentras Multiseed bread, Fougasse or Sweet Tomato, Fennel and Orange sauce to name some of our favourites!

May I suggest you start with getting rid of that little plastic jar labelled 'Grated Parmesan' and instead purchase a good wedge of Real Parmesan and use a wand grater?
Fresh herbs and spices are readily available as well as good olive oil and let's not forget there are wonderful selections of wines even here in the West!

It will be noticed right from the beginning Patricia Wells does not stop at sharing well developed recipes but gives a select guide to markets, shoppes and eatery places in the region. Whilst this might meet with some skepticism on the part of some readers, let's remember that thanks to Internet browsing with many of these places now having their own websites, it might prove to be an excellent source of information. Then there's also the possibility that you might convince your family to schedule your next holiday in these very parts!

(Photo by PBH)

 At the very least you will enjoy reading about the many flavours of the Region whilst gaining an understanding for some of the incomparable appeal of life in the slow lane...An almost forgotten art these days!

Pastis anyone?

Bon appetit!

5 Stars!!

About the Author:

Patricia Wells is a teacher, a writer and a journalist with wonderful books to her credit! For more on her versatile culinary skills including workshop, blog reviews, shoppe etc...visit her website (here)

Note to readers: I was not asked to review this book and all opinions reflected are entirely my own!

There Is Always A King...And A Joker...

The last of our warm Summer days...(One stem and all those sunflowers!)

New arrival on the island (as you can see, he loves apple peels)

Truly a King! He is absolutely magnificent!

(Hunter beware: we bar hunters from this island!!)

Such a peaceful scene...everyday life on this little corner of God's Earth...

Alex? Is that you?

Camouflage anyone?

Alex - short for Alexandre (for those of you who have not met him yet) - is just a little joker!

Have a lovely day,