Running Around (and Such)

Lizzie Searches for Love, Book 1

by Linda Byler

Contemporary / Amish

Release Date: May 2010

Publisher’s Description:

CAN LIZZIE FIND HAPPINESS IN HER AMISH COMMUNITY OR WILL SHE HAVE TO SETTLE FOR SOMETHING LESS THAN HER DREAMS?
     Lizzie Glick longs to fit into her quiet Amish community. Her sisters, Emma and Mandy, are ready to get married and settle into the traditional rhythm of having children and keeping house. But Lizzie isn’t sure that’s what she wants for her future. It isn’t that Lizzie doesn’t want to stay Amish. It’s just that there’s so much to figure out!
     Stephen, her quiet, gentle friend, hints that he might be interested in a relationship deeper than friendship, but Lizzie is also drawn to the charming Amos who seems to have eyes for everyone but her.
     She has certainly attracted the attention of the egg-truck driver. A thrill runs through her every time the worldly man comes to pick up an order, each time extending his stay a little longer. How long will she keep this a secret from Emma — and Mam and Datt?
     What will become of Lizzie? She has too hot a temper. She hates housework and dislikes babies. She loves driving fast horses but is petrified of going away from home for a week to work as a maud (maid). Is she too spirited, too innocent, and almost too uninhibited for a young Amish woman? 

My Thoughts:

For a book that’s subtitled ‘Lizzie Searches for Love’, you’d think that there’d be… well… more of a search for love involved.

On the contrary, Lizzie doesn’t actually ‘search for love’ until three quarters of the way through the book, and even then, it isn’t much of a search. More like a few sideways glances at this boy or that man.

So, why would this be the case?

Well, here’s one clue: the main character is fifteen. Yes, that’s right. This is a novel packaged like an adult book, with a fifteen-year-old main character and language that reflects an even younger voice. Now, it’s not entirely unusual to have a young female main character in an adult novel, however, the rest of the book needs to rise to the occasion and present the story in such a way that a mature reader’s interest is sustained.

But from the juvenile sentence structure, all the way to the overwhelming SHOWING and not TELLING manner in which the story is presented, this isn’t a book that lives up to the  expectations of readers of Amish-themed fiction.

I wanted to love this book. I wanted it to restore my faith in what has lately become a cookie-cutter genre full of rehashed plots and characters. The problem is, the writing just isn’t there, and the story doesn’t deliver on what it promised (in the back cover copy or title).

I could detail all the specifics concerning what exactly irked me and provide you with examples of the clunky, flat narrative, but I think I’ve done my job here.

In one sentence: The book couldn’t figure out who its audience was.

Maybe if you’re a die-hard fan of Amish fiction, you’ll find something to like here. Otherwise, leave this one on the shelf.

About the Author

Linda Byler grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today. Growing up, Linda loved to read and write. In fact, she still does. She is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper. Linda and her husband, their children, and grandchildren live in central Pennsylvania.

I received this book from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review.

And…now for the FINAL book in the blog tour this month! Yep, after this we’ll go back to our regularly scheduled writing tips and… oh, who am I kidding. I don’t regularly schedule anything. But get you know what I mean.

Okay, book #3!

In Every Heartbeat

by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Historical Fiction/Inspirational

Release Date: September 2010

Back Cover Copy:

Three best friends, three cherished dreams, three searching hearts…

As three friends who grew up in the same orphanage head off to college together, they each harbor a special plan for the future. Libby Conley hopes to become a famous journalist. Pete Leidig believes God has called him to study to become a minister. And Bennett Martin plans to pledge a fraternity, find a place to belong, and have as much fun as possible. But as tensions rise around the world on the brink of World War I, the friends’ differing aspirations and opinions begin to divide them, as well.

When Libby makes a shocking discovery about Pete’s family, will it drive a final wedge between the friends or bond them in ways they never anticipated?

My Thoughts:

You know… this isn’t a bad book at all. It’s readable, the characters are decent (albeit a little bit cardboard at times), and the plot—while it’s nothing particularly new or innovative—follows the traditions of ‘strong-headed woman and the man who loves her’ in a way that isn’t too cliché or overbearing.

I’ll be honest—I didn’t love it, and I’m not sure I’d even say I liked it. It kinda just ‘was’, for me. But I think fans of inspirational historical fiction will find a place in their hearts for this one. It had a little too much on the ‘Christian’ side of Christian fiction for my liking (I’ve preferred Bethany House’s other offerings lately) but I’m sure that many patrons of church libraries will enjoy it. And I’m not being demeaning when I say that, so don’t take it the wrong way!

And isn’t the cover beautiful?

I know this review isn’t as thorough as my other ones, but I didn’t find anything that sparked anger or that I particularly disliked, and there wasn’t really anything I loved. So… hey, if you like this kind of historical, go for it. If historical fiction with a heavier Christian slant isn’t your thing, this one isn’t for you.

If you have a mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister who likes this kind of historical fiction, this would be a safe choice for a gift in the future.

About the Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer is the author of fifteen novels, including several CBA and ECPA bestsellers. Her books have won the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is active in her church, where she leads women’s fellowship and participates in both voice and bell choirs. In her spare time, she enjoys drama, quilting, and calligraphy. Kim and her husband, Don, reside in central Kansas, and have three daughters and six grandchildren. She invites you to visit her Web site atwww.kimvogelsawyer.com for more information.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Yes, yes… two more books to go on the September Blog Tour which is actually happening in October, which I am well aware of, and no I don’t particularly care, and yes that means you’ll be getting two book tours this month. But until then, let’s get on with this one!

Choosing to SEE

by Mary-Beth Chapman (with Ellen Vaughn)

Memoir/Inspirational

Release Date: September 2010

Promo Synopsis:

"Every now and then a book comes along that is not only great–it’s a gift. An extravagant gift. This is one of those books."–Beth Moore

From the beginning, Mary Beth Chapman’s life was not how she planned. All she wanted was a calm, peaceful life of stability and control. Instead, God gave her an award-winning singer/songwriter husband, crazy schedules, and a houseful of creatively rambunctious children. Most difficult of all, God’s plans for her also included tragedy.

In Choosing to SEE, Mary Beth unveils her struggle to allow God to write the story of her life, both the happy chapters and the tragic ones. And as the story unfolds, she’s been forced to wrestle with some of life’s biggest questions: Where is God when things fall apart? Why does God allow terrible things to happen? How can I survive hard times?

No matter where you find yourself in your own life story, you will treasure the way Mary Beth shows that even in the hard times, there is hope if you choose to SEE.

*** Here’s the book trailer for this book… there are some spoilers in it, but only if you come to the book not knowing who the Chapmans are and what happened that inspired the writing of this book. I guess you could call “Spoiler Alert” on everything in this review from here on out, but everything I’ll mention was in the news at some point, so decide for yourself whether you want to keep reading or not ***

If you’re a parent, this is going to be a really difficult book to read. I’ll warn you that right up front. Even if you’re not a parent, it’s going to be tough going in places.

For those of you who don’t know, or who may have forgotten, Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Award-Winning Gospel singer/songwriter Stephen Curtis Chapman. Several years ago, tragedy struck their family when one of their young daughters was struck and killed in the driveway by a truck, driven by their son. The event made headline news, and Stephen Curtis didn’t release any new music for awhile afterward.

This book is Mary Beth’s story of a life she never asked for and never wanted. She married a man who would become a superstar, their family grew and grew, and they had times of blessing and times of disaster (she mentions some of that in the book trailer above).

What I found most intriguing was Mary Beth’s honesty about her struggles with anxiety and depression. Here was this woman who seemed to have it all – a beautiful home, children, and a husband whose success provided for their needs and more – and yet she felt like she was dying inside. She took medications, visited doctors, and learned how to cope…

And then, the worst tragedy of all… the death of a child. I’m so glad the book didn’t dwell on that, but instead focused on her life, her faith in God, her personal struggles, and how the family put themselves back together after being shattered into a million pieces.

Mary Beth’s book is a blatant testimony of faith; an incredible display of God’s power to bring light into the darkest places.

This book won’t be for everyone. For others, it may be too difficult to read. Still, I’m glad that Mary Beth told her story, because it affirmed for me that no one is perfect. Everyone is human. No matter how put-together someone appears on the outside, we all struggle with doubt, anxiety, and fear (some of us more than others). And that in the end, God is so much bigger than all that.

About the Author(s):

Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Grammy and Dove Award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Together they began Show Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the world’s most vulnerable children by providing financial assistance to families wishing to adopt, as well as increasing awareness of the orphan crisis and funneling resources to orphans domestically and internationally. Mary Beth serves as president of Show Hope and is a speaker for Women of Faith 2010 with her husband. She is also coauthor with Steven of the Shaoey and Dot series of children’s picture books. Mary Beth and Steven have six children: Emily, Caleb, Will Franklin, and adopted daughters Shaohannah Hope, Stevey Joy, and Maria Sue, who is now with Jesus. The Chapmans live in Tennessee. (www.MaryBethChapman.com)

Ellen Vaughn is a bestselling author and inspirational speaker. Her recent books include It’s All About Him with Denise Jackson (wife of Alan Jackson), which debuted at #1 on the New York Timesnonfiction list. She is also coauthor with Chuck Colson of Being the Body. In addition to her nonfiction work, Vaughn is an award-winning novelist. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband, Lee.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Guten Thanksgivenen…nen… er… okay, so I don’t speak German and I live in Canada. But it IS Oktoberfest, so that’s my excuse! Hah!

And now that you’re quite sure all the pumpkin pie has gone to my head (I’d rather it go there than anywhere else, if you know what I’m saying, ladies), I’ll get to the point.

The point is… it’s time for the September Blog Tour!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

Yes, I know it’s October. But the books arrived a little late, so we had some extra time to read them & get our reviews up, so let’s just pretend it’s still September and that I’m not on a ridiculous sugar high, m’kay?

Here we go!

Have a New You by Friday 

by Dr. Kevin Leman

Self-Help/Inspirational

Release Date: September 2010

Back Cover Copy:

You can change your life–in just 5 days!

How many times have you tried to change your own habits, only to find that changing yourself is even harder than trying to change someone else?

Now, what the bestselling Have a New Kid by Friday has done for families and Have a New Husband by Friday has done for couples,Have a New You by Friday will do for you. With his signature wit and commonsense psychology, Dr. Kevin Leman walks you through your own personal five-day action plan. You will come to

• Accept the truth about yourself
• Boost your confidence by identifying the lies you’re telling yourself . . . and putting them to rest for good
• Change your life by concentrating on becoming who you really want to be

I’ll admit it: I love Dr. Leman’s books. I’ve read nearly all his books about birth order, marriage, sex, and childhood memories. I’ve read his book on women who struggle with perfectionism, and I have his book dedicated to First Borns sitting next to me just begging to be read.

So, I come to this book with a bit of a bias. I love Dr. Leman’s easygoing writing style, his funny anecdotes, his sense of humor (self-deprecation is something I can definitely appreciate)… I think in some ways, Dr. Leman reminds me of my Dad. That might sound weird, but my Dad is pretty great (*waves* Hi Dad! I don’t know if you read my blog…) so I think that’s a good thing. Also, they’re both Last Borns, so that’s probably where I’m seeing some similarities in personality.

Anyway, parental reflections aside, if you’ve never read anything by Dr. Leman and you like self-help books that challenge you, here’s a great place to start. (Okay, one more plug, he also has tons of resources for parents, so if you have kids I highly recommend his books.)

This book is designed to force you to think and challenge yourself: What is it about your life that you want to change? Why haven’t your attempts at change worked before? What can you do differently, and what are the lies you’ve been telling yourself that have stopped you from changing in the past?

We all know that changing ourselves is much harder than changing others… we’re our own worst critics, and we all have these little “truths” we’ve carried around for our whole lives, whether we know it or not. Dr. Leman looks at these lies we tell ourselves, and challenges us to change our thought patterns. He looks at things like:

• Birth Order
• Love Languages
• Childhood Memories
• Your Real Personality

Now, here’s the thing – because I’ve read all of Dr. Leman’s books on birth order and childhood memories before (and Gary Chapman’s Love Languages book, which Leman references), this book in particular didn’t contain anything new for me. It was a bit of a re-treading in familiar territory, so I didn’t find it all that exciting or helpful.

However, if you’ve never read his stuff before, this is a great synthesis of the material he’s known for. If you’re looking for real change in your life that lasts, Dr. Leman’s methods are an excellent place to start!

About the Author: Dr. Kevin Leman is an internationally known psychologist, radio and television personality, and speaker who has taught and entertained audiences worldwide with his wit and commonsense psychology. He has made house calls for hundreds of radio and television programs, including The View,Today, Oprah, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’sAmerican Morning, and LIFE Today with James Robison. He has also served as a contributing family psychologist to Good Morning America.

A bestselling and award-winning author, Dr. Leman has written more than 30 books about marriage and family issues, including The Birth Order Book, Sheet Music, Making Children Mind without Losing Yours, and Have a New Kid by Friday. He is coauthor, with his son Kevin Leman II, of a series of illustrated children’s books for each child in the family. He is also featured on 6 video series on marriage, parenting, blended families, and single parenting.

Dr. Leman and his wife, Sande, live in Tucson, Arizona. They have 5 children and 2 grandchildren.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Oops… almost forgot to post this today! *facepalm*

Nothing technically came in my mailbox this week… but we purchased two books last week before heading out for vacation, so I’ll include those here. I finished one on the plane, and my husband finished the other one yesterday… seriously, the Sanderson tome is so HUGE that he actually got a pinched nerve from carrying it around all day. No joke. Crazy!!!

FYI: In my mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren to showcase books you’ve received for review, bought, borrowed, or swapped. Anyone can participate, and it’s a great way to showcase new books and encourage blogger/commenter interaction!

Blameless

(Parasol Protectorate, Book 3)

by Gail Carriger

The Way of Kings

(Stormlight

Archive, Book 1)

by Brandon Sanderson

What came in your mailbox this week?

Whoo-hoo! Ten official IMM posts so far… I should have started this a long time ago! This week will only showcase what I received for the first half of the week, since I’m AFK at the moment and wrote this earlier in the week. So… here we go!

FYI: In my mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren to showcase books you’ve received for review, bought, borrowed, or swapped. Anyone can participate, and it’s a great way to showcase new books and encourage blogger/commenter interaction!

Review Copy of

Running Around
(And Such)

by Linda Byler

It looks adorable! I haven’t read any ‘bonnet fiction’ in a long, long time, since the genre seemed to become so saturated with repetitive tales and mediocre writing… but this one was written by an active member of the Amish community, and is based on her true experiences. I’m excited to find out what it’s like!

How about you… what came in your mailbox this week?

Book two along the tour of this month’s new releases from Baker Publishing Group is a suspense / thriller with a historical twist. Or at least, it was supposed to be a suspense / thriller… hrmm… *purses lips* …

The Constantine Conspiracy – Gary E. Parker

The innocent don’t run–unless their lives depend on it.

When international playboy Rick Carson stumbles onto a murder in his Montana home, he knows his life will never be the same. But he certainly doesn’t expect to be the prime suspect. And he doesn’t expect to find himself in the middle of a 1700-year-old conspiracy with tentacles reaching into the very highest levels of the government.

Park ranger Shannon Bridge is the first responding law enforcement agent on the scene. She seems legitimate, but is there more to her than meets the eye? Why is she willing to help Rick elude the law?

With unanswered questions and the law closing in, Shannon and Rick must find some way to exonerate him–and expose the truth before it’s too late. In a place where no one is who they say they are and danger lurks around every corner, can they even trust each other?

Get swept up in this thrilling tale of international intrigue, conspiracy, and the power of truth.

My Thoughts:

This is a book that tries to be heavy on action but ends up weak on plot, character development, and logic.

Here’s the thing: an international conspiracy that’s been ongoing since “ancient times” is a plot that’s been done to death by now, and there are only so many ways an author can re-do this as something believable. How many people have read The DaVinci Code? You didn’t have to like it, but the book was huge and had a similar concept. In the same way, how many people are writing about boy wizards going to a school of magic right now? Unless you have something absolutely unique and fresh to offer, rehashing a recently popular plot device is a tough sell.

In The Constantine Conspiracy, rather than having an ancient society that will kill to keep a secret, we have an ancient society that’s been working to undermine Christianity since the days of Constantine. Honestly, in the end I wasn’t entirely sure how Constantine had anything to do with what happened (the connection was tenuous at best), but I can set that aside.

The problem is, having an ancient society whose aim is to eradicate Christianity from the face of the globe, starting with the United States, is a ridiculous premise to begin with. If this group was so determined, why wouldn’t it focus its efforts on other nations where there are growing segments of Christians (ie. certain African countries) before those groups became too big to deal with? And for that matter, why were they only trying to get rid of Christianity and not other religious groups?

I wonder if that question was addressed in the book and I didn’t pick it up… the explanation would have had to be short and vague, which doesn’t help the premise. There are also several occasions in the novel where the female main character, Shannon, pauses to explain things to the main character, Rick. He asks the right questions and the story stops for several pages while the READER learns information along with the character – in a very obvious, “I’m going to explain things now” kind of way. It interrupts the flow of the book, and I wonder why the information wasn’t simply given along the course of the story.

But that’s another problem I had with this book – it begins as a case of people not talking to each other, not telling each other what they need to know. It’s one of those “if these people would only just HAVE A DECENT CONVERSATION at the beginning of the book, we could avoid all this trouble” kind of situations. That frustrates me, and is a contrived way of creating conflict.

Aside from the nonsensical premise (seriously, how has no one found out about this secret society if they’ve been murdering people and manipulating the government for centuries? …surely a journalist or two would have probed into this long before) and the unfortunate plot, I also didn’t care about the characters. Honestly, the main characters could have been shot and died and I wouldn’t have cared. I know that’s harsh, but there was nothing to connect to. They were flat, uninteresting, and difficult to relate to (ie. the main character is famous, wealthy, and a “playboy”, though we don’t actually see this, we’re just told it, so there’s no real way to gauge his development over the course of the story).

In the end, I admit there must be an audience for this book out there – I’ve never read anything else by this author, but he’s written twenty novels, so someone likes his style and storytelling. And that’s great! I’m glad he’s found his niche. I, on the other hand, will not be picking up another book by the author anytime soon.

If you’re really curious, you can read an excerpt from the novel here.

About the Author 

Gary E. Parker is the author of more than twenty books. He and his family live in the Atlanta area.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I’m going to change it up today – give you all a book review to read whilst you mull over the self-editing tips

And… instead of doing the August Blog Tour from Revell/Bethany House and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. all at once at the end of the month (like usual), I’ve decided to spread them out a bit over the next 2 weeks. So, let’s get to it!

The Reluctant Entertainer – Sandy Coughlin

Real Entertaining for Real People

True hospitality is not about being perfect, cooking a fancy meal, or spending a lot of money. Rather, it’s about an open door and an open heart. Popular blogger Sandy Coughlin offers a simple but savvy approach to help women break free of the anxieties that keep them from opening their homes. Emphasizing the forgotten goal of entertaining–connecting deeply with others–she shows how women can use the gifts and talents God gave them to reach out in love.

My Thoughts:  

My first thought when I saw this book was: Did Coughlin write this book for me? Because it’s exactly what I need. Hospitality is not my gift by any means, and I’m beyond reluctant to invite people to my house. Heck, I downright refuse to do so unless absolutely necessary.

Why? It’s probably a combination of reasons. My house is too messy. My house isn’t pretty enough inside. I don’t know how to cook, or can’t cook much beyond pre-packaged meals (I have a few recipes I can make from scratch that I use often, but those have always seemed ‘not good enough’ for company). I’m also busy. And I live far away from my friends. And… excuse, excuse, excuse.

Well, Coughlin takes all those excuses, crunches them up, and tosses them aside. She explains how we don’t need to have the perfect house or the perfect food or even the perfect moment to invite people over. Friends won’t mind if you order pizza. Friends won’t care if your living room looks lived in – you know, like normal people actually live in your house, rather than creating a false, pristine environment where guests are afraid to touch anything.

She breaks down entertaining step by step, with clear explanations from her own experiences of going from reluctant entertainer to perfectionist hostess and finally coming to the realization that hospitality is about people and relationships, not about perfection or impressing others.

Coughlin also provides some VERY easy and tasty recipes (at least they sound really good) that I want to try out. Me! Wants to cook?!? Something must be off…

But I also learned that I can invite people over. The excuses are worthless – but the relationships that get built over a meal and conversation are priceless.

If you’ve been hesitant to open your home to others, this book can and will change your perspective… and your heart. Honest!

Extras

Read a Q&A with Sandy Coughlin here: The Reluctant Entertainer Q&A (PDF)

Read an excerpt from the book here: The Reluctant Entertainer Excerpt (7 pages) (PDF)

About the Author

Sandy Coughlin loves hospitality, cooking, and opening her home to others with her husband and three growing teenagers. She’s the author of The Reluctant Entertainer and co-author (with her husband Paul) ofMarried…But Not Engaged. She’s been featured on numerous media outlets including Moody’s Midday Connection, Focus on the Family, The 700 Club, and Library Journal.You can find Sandy’s blog about simple but savvy entertaining, as well as the benefits to imperfect living, at ReluctantEntertainer.com

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

In my mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren to showcase books you’ve received for review, bought, borrowed, or swapped. Anyone can participate, and it’s a great way to showcase new books and encourage blogger/commenter interaction!

Here’s what came in my mailbox this week:

ARC of Maybe Never, Maybe Now – Kimberly Joy Peters (Releases October 1st, 2010)

(I won this in a Lobster Press Twitter contest! I’d link to their website but it seems to be down…)

What came in your mailbox this week?