COTT {Clash of the Titles} Winner!

And the Win Goes to...

Restored 

by Tanya Eavenson

 "A powerful story of love and faith. It is one of the most memorable books
 I've read in the last ten years.” ~ reader review

PURCHASE

Amazon

B&N

iTunes

About Restored:

Dr. Steven Moore is known nationally for saving lives. If only he could save his own. Unable to deal with his cancer prognosis, he retreats to a happier time in his past—to the woman who once stole his heart. 

Four years after the death of her beloved husband, bookstore owner Elizabeth Roberts still struggles to sustain her faith and joy in the Lord as she raises her two sons. She strives to find a way through her family's grief, never suspecting a man from her past might offer hope for her future. 

But how can there be a future when he's only come to kiss her and says good-bye?

What COTT Voters Had to Say:

--Enjoy your books so much Tanya! Please continue writing. Such an inspiration!
--I love the way God unfolded this story for you, Tanya Eavenson. You are already a winner for sharing His message through your writing.
--What a great storyline, Tanya! Hope you win!
--"Restored" by Tanya Eavenson, is an uplifting and inspiring story that can be appreciated by everyone, especially when facing a challenge or struggle in life.
--Love you Tanya!!
--Tanya, enjoyed your first book and Looking forward to reading "Restored".
--I am enjoying your book, "Restored", very much. Tanya Eavenson is a very inspiring and creative writer. I look forward to reading more of her books.
--Wonderful story Tanya
--Tanya Eavenson. You are the bomb! Love you!
--Your book is on my must read list Tanya Eavenson!
--All of these covers were beautiful. The premise behind Tanya Eavenson's novel is intriguing!
--Can't wait to dig in to Tanya Eavenson's newest!

Q&A with Tanya:

Q. Why do you feel inspired to write inspirational Christian fiction?

A. I believe the Lord called me to write stories for Him. Several years ago I was diagnosed with cancer and it was a defining moment, not only dealing with my cancer prognosis, but asking the Lord if He truly called me to write as I thought or was I mistaken. But through the fears and searching for God’s direction, I learned He did indeed place this desire to write on my heart and no matter what I was facing in my life, that didn’t diminish His call. I’m inspired by the Lord to write inspirational Christian fiction so people may know the love of Christ. To know the depth He will go to have a relationship with us. And though we struggle, He uses us, He uses people like me, the ordinary, to do out of the ordinary things. Unexpected things—like writing.

Q. What do you hope readers will take away from your story?

A. I hope readers will take away the fact that God is our hope, our comfort, and our fortress. He is faithful--when those tough times come, and they will, He will never leave us. He is the One who gives us hope, a future, and a peace that transcends all understanding.

I dedicated RESTORED to those whose faith is shaken. To anyone who is searching. To anyone who needs to believe in the impossible. For as Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

About the Tanya:

Tanya Eavenson enjoys spending time with her husband, and their three children. Her favorite 

pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. Tanya is a 

member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Word Weavers International, and writes for 

Christ to the World Ministries. You can find her at her website http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/ 

on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google, or on Amazon.

An Unbroken Heart (An Amish of Birch Creek Novel) by Kathleen Fuller

Book Description:  An argument. A crash. In an instant, Joanna’s world is changed forever.

One minute, Joanna Schrock was arguing with her parents, and the next, her parents’ lives were claimed in a hit-and-run buggy accident. Her body is broken, but her heart is in even deeper pain— after all, how do you cope with your parents’ deaths when your last words were spoken in anger?

After an extended stint in a physical rehabilitation center, Joanna re-enters her Amish life. But nothing is the same—not even her feelings for Andrew Beiler.

My Thoughts:   I was so excited to receive a book authored by Kathleen Fuller. I love Kathleen's writing...and somehow missed the fact that she wrote a brand new Amish novel.  

This is a story of longings....longing to undo said words, longing to go back to the way it was before, the longing to heal.

As I read this story my heart broke for Joanna.  She and her parents were arguing, well, Joanna was arguing and then CRASH!  A buggy accident that killed both her parents and left Joanna wounded.  

It seems that when the accident happened, something also happened to Joanna.  She no longer cared.

Before she loved Andrew Beiler but now she just doesn't care.  

Joanna learns life lessons and lessons of faith.  Of course, she is human (and Kathleen writes this so well) and she comes to a place where she must make a "trust" decision. 

Love, forgiveness, and forgiving make this one great read. 

Oh, and Joanna is Amish.  

Loved this story!

*This book was provided for review by The Fiction Guild*

• Series: An Amish of Birch Creek Novel
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 15, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718033183
• ISBN-13: 978-0718033187

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday} A New Favorite!

I'd like to share a new small business on the web.  Honey Farms!  Homemade granola, baked in small batches with quality ingredients, in six wonderful  flavors. 

Original Blend Granola, Peanut Butter Granola, Gluten Free Granola, Original Blend with Fruit Granola, Pecan Praline Granola, and Organic Granola

 It's the most wonderful granola.  

You may want to check out it out, too.  

Some of the best homemade, wonderful tasting granola!

Click on this link to order: Honey Farms Granola

(I'm not an affiliate and receive no compensation)

A Dream of Home (Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel) by Amy Clipston

Book Description:  When she moves to Amish country to find peace and healing, Madeleine finds a special community—and a special man—who pull her out of her solitude into a new life.

Moving to Pennsylvania wasn’t in Madeleine’s original plans. She should still be in California and should have married her pilot fiancé a year ago—but death has a way of changing everything. Now the former Air Force flight nurse is living alone in Paradise, Pennsylvania, and working as a maid at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. She isn’t exactly a widow . . . but she sure feels like one.

Saul Beiler isn’t exactly a widower . . . but his wife is long gone. His eleven-year-old daughter, Emma, doesn’t know that her mother fled the Amish community—and married another man—but she does know that her dat is lonely, and that a pretty young maedel just moved in next door. Madeline’s numb heart begins to thaw as she spends more time with the innocent and ever optimistic Emma. The stronger her friendship grows with the young girl, the more intrigued Madeline grows about the humble, strong, man raising her on his own.

But even as a strange attraction pulls Saul and Madeleine across a stark cultural divide, they—and everybody else—have to wonder: What could they possibly have in common besides heartache? Will love allow Madeleine to finally find the home she’s been dreaming of all along?

My Thoughts:  Amy Clipston pens another great read in A Dream of Home.  This is the third book in a series. I had read book one, A Hopeful Heart but somehow missed book two, A Mother's secret.

Madeleine has moved to Pennsylvania from California to find peace and healing since the unexpected death of her fiancee. For either an Amish or Englisch person this must be quite a culture shock . . .especially for a former Air Force flight nurse . Needless to say,life in Pennsylvania is a little slower, especially since Madeleine is now a maid at the Lancaster Grand Hotel.

Then she meets Saul, who has an eleven year old daughter....just one problem Saul is single but not a widower!  Saul's wife just up and left and married another man!

This is where it gets interesting!  Saul and Madeleine are attracted to each other and Madeleine begins to grow close to Saul's daughter, Emma, BUT Saul is "divorced" and I wasn't sure how the Amish would rationalize Saul's previous marriage.  And then to boot both Saul and Madeleine seem like to skittish colts since they were both hurt in previous relationships.

Some twists and turns because life never goes quite like we think it will.

I plan on making sure I don't miss the the fourth book, A Simple Prayer.

*This book was provided for review by BookLook*

• Series: Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (November 4, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031033585X
• ISBN-13: 978-0310335856

COTT {Clash of the Titles}

Favorite February Releases!

At Clash of the Titles we make things easy for book lovers everywhere--including handpicking new releases we know you'll love. This week, we present five of Christian fiction's hottest new titles. Surely, one of them will be the right fit for you. 

Introducing, February's New Releases clashing novels...

Will the quest for gold tear the Connor family apart?

~~~~~

He receives a diagnosis that alters the course of his life; she is an ICU nurse on the verge of burnout. Faith doesn't come easy for either.

~~~~~

When a pregnant widow returns from the mission field, family and friends rally to help. However she harbors a secret that threatens her relationship with God and may lead to her spiritual downfall.

 ~~~~~

Two women engineers race the clock to build the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft amid the backdrop of sabotage and murder, and while trying to deal with their own muddled personal lives.

~~~~

Unwilling to deal with his cancer prognosis, Dr. Steven Moore retreats to a happier time in his past—to the woman who once stole his heart, never suspecting she might offer hope for his future.

~~~~~

WOW {WarmOven Wednesday}

Love this Smoothie!  Yes .... they are SO good!

Chocolate Banana Smoothie (Makes one smoothie)

1 cup chocolate milk

1 medium, ripe banana (frozen)

small container vanilla yogurt (either 6 oz or 8oz works)

Directions:

Add all three ingredients to blender and blend away until smoothie is thick and frothy.  Pour into a glass and enjoy!  

Faith (Quaker Brides) by Lyn Cote

Book Description:  The Civil War battlefield is the last place Quakeress Faith Cathwell thought she’d find herself. But with a gift for nursing, Faith seizes this opportunity to join the fight for abolition―and to search for Shiloh, a freeborn childhood friend who was kidnapped and sold south by unscrupulous slave catchers.

Knowing it’s much too dangerous for her to search enemy territory alone, Faith enlists the help of Colonel Devlin Knight, who is indebted to her for saving his cousin’s life. A career soldier, Dev is committed to the preservation of the Union but conflicted about freeing his own slave and confidant, who plans to enlist as soon as Dev gives him manumission papers.

Blazing a trail east with the rest of Grant’s army, Dev and Faith fight their personal battles―and a growing attraction to each other. When beliefs clash and passions flare, they quickly find that the only thing more dangerous than the war surrounding them is the battle within their hearts.

My Thoughts:  I love stories by Lyn Cote!  I love the way she brings ideas to life with swords.  I'm also ready to read something a little different...so I was excited to receive, Faith.

This is book 3 in the Quaker Brides trilogy.  I missed Honor and Blessing.  Of course, I will be going back to read those two in the near future.

Faith as you may have guessed is the name of a young woman.  Faith Cathwell is a Quaker.  One of the Friends.  Even though Quakers are peace loving, Faith decides to help in the battle fray.  

Faith has a gift for nursing and she wants to help those in the Civil War battle.  But she also has another reason for going to the battlefield.  She is searching for a childhood friend, Shiloh, who was kidnapped by slave catchers and sold to southerners.

Of course, Faith will need help in this dangerous search...enter Colonel Devlin Knight. 

I loved this read....romance, intrigue and faith!  

Don't miss this wonderful stand alone historical read!

*This book was provided for review by Tyndale*

• Series: Quaker Brides (Book 3)
• Paperback: 584 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 1, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414375638
• ISBN-13: 978-1414375632