Love’s Thankful Heart Blog Tour & Giveaway

My Review:

If you are looking for a great read then I highly recommend Love’s Thankful Heart an Amish Thanksgiving Novel. Consisting of three novellas written by three wonderful artists who love writing Amish fiction: Laura V. Hilton, Rachel Good and Thomas Nye.

Gingerbread Wishes, Thanksgiving Strangers, and The Thanksgiving Frolic are three great novellas that I wish never ended. Each novella tells a thanksgiving story that will truly warm your heart. From love, to heartbreak, to forgiveness, to finding God. Each one will leave you wanting more. I don’t want to give too much away so for a brief description of each novella, please scroll down and read the about the book section!! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of my post!!

I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

I received a copy of this book for free, a favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed here are my own.

About the Book

Author: Laura V. Hilton, Rachel J. good, Thomas Nye

Genre: Amish Thanksgiving Collection

Release Date: November 1, 2017

Gingerbread Wishes

As Thanksgiving approaches, Becca Troyer finds herself overwhelmed with an abundance of winter squash and pumpkins that she isn’t a bit thankful for. Desperately trying to sell them at a farmer’s market so she won’t have mountains to can, she’s surprised when a mime drops to his knee in front of her and proposes marriage.

Yost Miller is helping the volunteer firefighter raise funds at the city park when he notices his long-time crush Becca selling vegetables. Drawn across the grass, he spontaneously proposes marriage. But afterward, Yost isn’t sure how to proceed to show her that his feelings are real.

Just as he begins to find solid footing, confidence is yanked away, leaving him floundering. Will he lose Becca to another man? Or will this Thanksgiving be a season of blessings and wishes come true?

Thanksgiving Strangers

Faithe Beiler believes God wants her to feed the poor at her family’s restaurant, but when she mistakes Crist Petersheim for a homeless man and gives him a free breakfast, he’s offended. Yet he can’t help being intrigued by this pretty waitress with a giving heart.

Crist blames God for the tragedies in his life, so the last thing he wants is to get involved with an Amish girl, who trusts God in all circumstances. He fears for Faithe’s safety, though, when she invites every homeless person in the neighborhood, including drug dealers and criminals, to a free Thanksgiving dinner. Street savvy, Crist risks his life to protect her from danger.

As Crist’s heart softens toward God, Faithe finds herself falling him. Then she discovers his deception, and her world is shattered. Can she ever trust him again?

The Thanksgiving Frolic

Monroe has the prettiest girl and the fastest horse— but pride goes before a fall.

Monroe’s girlfriend, Rosemary, and her family organize the Thanksgiving Frolic, a service project to help Amish folks who have fallen on hard times. Monroe wants to go along but his dad won’t let him. Furthermore, Monroe’s dad thinks Rosemary’s family should clean up their own messy farm before they try to help others. Will the contrast between Monroe’s and Rosemary’s families end their relationship for good? Rosemary’s grandpa tries to offer words of wisdom, but people don’t take him seriously. The Thanksgiving Frolic heats up to a fever pitch, before a moment of silence changes everything.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Authors

Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with almost twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write and Putting on the New.

Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.

When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.

Rachel J. Good grew up near Lancaster, PA, the setting for many of her Amish novels. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends special time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family events. Rachel is the author of several Amish series, including Sisters & Friends (Charisma), Love & Promises (Grand Central), and two books in the Hearts of Amish Country series (Annie’s Book Club). In addition, she has two Amish Quilts Coloring Books as well as stories in several anthologies, including Springs of Love (CelebrateLit).

 

 

Thomas Nye writes novels about horses and Amish life, with a touch of romance, and a foundation of faith in Christ. He and his wife, Shari, live on her family farm where they raised five children. Their six grandchildren love to visit Karma and Karla, a team of draft horses which Thomas purchased from an Amish friend. Walking a mail route for the U.S. Postal Service keeps Thomas close to nature and affords him many quiet hours which he uses to dream up novels. Over three decades of friendships with Amish neighbors has revealed a simple wisdom that he weaves into his writing. To find out more, visit: amishhorses.blogspot.com

Blog Stops

Blossoms and Blessings, November 4

Quiet Quilter, November 4

Avid Reader Book Reviews, November 5

Carpe Diem, November 5

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 6

Karen Sue Hadley, November 6

Pursuing Stacie, November 7

Mommynificent, November 8

The Fizzy Pop Collection, November 9

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 10

Blogging With Carol, November 10

Bibliophile Reviews, November 11

Splashes of Joy, November 11

proud to be an autism mom, November 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

A Baker’s Perspective, November 13

Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 13

Texas Book-aholic, November 14

Mary Hake, November 14

Bigreadersite, November 15

A Greater Yes, November 15

Vicky Sluiter, November 16

Pink Granny’s Journey, November 16

Janices book reviews, November 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 17

Giveaway

To celebrate the tour, Celebrate Lit Publishing is giving away a Kindle Unlimited 6 month Subscription!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c403

Advertisement

Buried Secrets Blog Tour and Giveaway

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review:

Buried Secrets is not your typical Amish Fiction novel. Rachel Good has outdone herself with this one. Book two in her Sisters and Friends series, Buried Secrets will have staying up all night to finish and then leave will leave you wanting more!!

It’s been three years since Emma Esh was in an accident that she almost didn’t make it out of alive. She has recovered physically but has suffered memory loss, in fact she has no recollection of the year before her accident. This is hard on Emma so she decides to move to a new community to help her sister and brother-in-law prepare for the birth of twins.

Emma meets Lydia’s neighbor Samuel, it isn’t long before Emma is falling in love. Things will begin to unravel: the twins are born prematurely, the sudden return of Emma’s memory along with a visit from the Englischer Emma once dated. All of Emma’s secrets from her past will be revealed. Will the love Emma and Samuel have be able to make it? Will love overcome the obstacles of life?

I received a copy of this book for free, a favorable review was not required of me. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book

Book: Buried Secrets

Author: Rachel J. Good

Genre: Amish Romance

Release Date: March 7, 2017

Overcome the past and any other obstacles that stand in the way of the future God has planned for you.

Three years after the accident that almost claimed her life, Emma Esh has recovered physically but has no memory of the year before the accident. When she moves to a new community to help her sister Lydia and brother-in-law, Caleb, prepare for the birth of twins, she falls for their neighbor Samuel.

But the twins’ premature birth, a visit from the Englischer Emma once dated, and the sudden return of her memory threaten Emma’s romance. After the secrets of her past are revealed, will love be able to overcome all obstacles?

About the Author

Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of several Amish series in print or forthcoming – Sisters & Friends series, Love & Promises series, and two books in the Hearts of Amish Country series – as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Books and the contemporary novella, Angels Unaware, part of the Hope Chapel series. Rachel also juggles freelance editing and illustration careers. She loves reading (of course!), traveling, and spending time with her five children and three grandchildren. Visit her at her website, Facebook, author page, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. You also can sign up for her quarterly newsletter here.

Guest Post from Rachel J. Good

Readers who have read Change of Heart, the first book in the Sisters & Friends series, will remember Emma as the wild teen who defied her family. Her older sister, Lydia, tried to prevent Emma from making mistakes during Rumschpringe, the Amish running-around time. Throughout most of the story, Lydia and Emma were at odds with each other, but in the end, the family needed to forgive Emma and show her God’s love.

In Book 2, Buried Secrets, Emma has no memory of her rebellion, so she’s devastated when she finally does remember. Then she must confront her past, learn to forgive herself, and also ask for and accept God’s forgiveness. Sometimes when we’ve done things we’re ashamed of, we struggle to believe that God can forgive what we’ve done. But God’s mercy has no limits. Emma needs to open her heart to that truth. As she does, she discovers an important lesson: Some mistakes in the past can never be undone, but God can forgive anything.

Authors often write about themes that are close to their hearts, and I’m no exception. Many times, after I write a novel, I look back and see how God directed me to tell a story containing lessons I needed to learn. In Change of Heart, Lydia discovers that judging other people or suggesting ways they can improve their lives can be a form of self-righteousness. God used my young daughter to point that out to me, but it’s a lesson that bears repeating. And as I finished the novel, I clearly saw it as a reminder not only to Lydia, but also to me.

Emma’s story also blessed me by reminding me how deep and wide God’s love is for each of us. No matter how we’ve failed, He never stops loving us, and His forgiveness is only a prayer away.

I also hope to remind readers that “all things work together for good for those that love God.” So often we expect hardship when we do God’s will, but He has promised to give us the desires of our hearts. Lydia learned in Change of Heart that God’s will was so much better than anything she could have planned, and Emma, too, comes to realize that, by trusting God to direct her life, she is blessed many times over.

Has God ever given you a desire of your heart? To enter the giveaway, share one of God’s blessings in your life. And let’s rejoice together at the many wonderful things He has done for each of us.

Book Excerpt

Emma concentrated on the plants beside her. Gardening soothed her, made her feel whole again. The spring sunshine warmed the ground and sent comforting rays through her cloak as she bent over the soft, moist earth. She lifted a seedling from its pot and inhaled the savory tomato-y aroma. Then she pinched off the lower leaves, set it in the hole, and gently bent the stem before covering it with soil.

Whoosh. A heavy weight slammed her backwards, smashing her head against the ground. Gasping, desperate to suck some air into her crushed lungs, Emma opened her eyes to find a furry face inches from her own. A huge mouth opened, revealing pointy white teeth. Then a wet pink tongue scraped across her cheek.

“Bolt,” a deep male voice commanded. “Off.”

A handsome stranger, black bangs hanging in front of his eyes, bent over her, his hand outstretched. “Ach, I’m so sorry. She slipped out the door again.” He clamped his other hand on the Irish setter’s collar and pulled the dog off Emma, leaving muddy paw prints across her skirt.

Still dazed, Emma lay where she’d fallen, gazing up at him, unsure whether the rapid pattering of her pulse was from her recent fright or from looking into the greenest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Are you all right?” Worry crinkled his brow.

“I–I’ll be fine.” Ignoring the hand he’d extended, she tried to sit.

The stranger dropped to one knee beside her. “Don’t get up if you’re hurt. Is there someone I can fetch?”

“I don’t need help.” Heat flooded Emma’s cheeks when her words came out sharply. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Please forgive me.” Then pinching her lips together, she steeled herself to sit without assistance.

“There’s nothing to forgive. I’m the one who let my dog escape.” The words were barely out of his mouth when the Irish setter twisted free and bounded off, crushing the rows of seedlings Emma had just planted.

“Oh, no!” The stranger dashed off after the dog, swerving to avoid the tomato plants the setter had crushed. Gasping for air, he made a desperate tackle, landing a few feet beyond the garden, the dog wriggling under him. With a firm grip on the Irish setter’s collar, he stood, the front of his shirt, galluses, and black pants splattered with dog hair and dirt.

Emma suppressed the urge to giggle at his sheepish expression, the clod of mud clinging to his forehead, and the panting dog struggling to jerk free of his hold.

He pinched his lips together as he studied the mess. “I’m so sorry. Let me put Bolt in the house. Then I’ll help clean up.”

“Bolt?” Had he called the dog that earlier? Emma had been too distracted to pay attention. Now she couldn’t hold in her mirth.

Rather than taking offense, the stranger glanced down with a rueful expression, then joined in her laughter. “Jah,” he said between hearty chuckles. “Short for Lightning Bolt. She zigs and zags so fast I can’t catch her sometimes.” He waved a hand toward the disaster in the garden. “Like she did here. And now look at me.”

Emma did, and her laughter ended in a sharp intake of breath. And then his eyes met hers, and she stopped breathing altogether.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading Buried Secrets as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Rachel

Blog Stops

March 9: autism mom

March 9: A Baker’s Perspective

March 10: Inklings and notions

March 11: Reading Is My SuperPower

March 12: Blossoms and Blessings

March 13: Bigreadersite

March 13: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

March 14: Bibliophile Reviews

March 15: Carpe Diem

March 16: Blogging With Carol

March 16: Splashes of Joy

March 17: Chas Ray’ s Book Nerd Corner

March 18: Connie’s History Classroom

March 18: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

March 19: Moments Dipped in Ink

March 19: Just the Write Escape

March 20: A Greater Yes

March 20: Christian Bookaholic

March 21: His Grace Is Sufficient

March 22: Rhonda’s Doings

March 22: Karen Sue Hadley

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a full box of Whoopie Pies freshly baked for you from a bakery in Amish country, along with copies of Angels Unaware, the brand new Amish Words and Proverbs Coloring Book and Amish Quilts Coloring Book #1 (Large Print Edition), an autographed copy of Change of Heart, and an Amish cookbook!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b160

Change of Heart

To purchase your own copy, click here.

My Review: 

Change of Heart is Book One in the Sisters and Friends series by author Rachel J. Good. Ms. Good is a great author that writes Amish Fiction, her books are perfect for anyone that loves Christian Fiction, Christian Amish Fiction.

Change of Heart is the story of Emma, Lydia Esh’s youngest sister, who is constantly causing the family heartaches. Lydia risks her job, reputation and her courtship with Jakob Zook just so she can keep an eye on her sister.

Emma begins seeing Kyle, an Englischer and now Lydia teams up with his brother, Caleb, to try and keep the two apart. Before long, Lydia falls in love with Caleb and Caleb falls for her. As Caleb confesses how he feels about Lydia, she admits her attraction to him but has made her decision, to stay with Jakob even though her heart tells her differently.

Will Lydia have a change of heart?

Filled with romance, heartbreak, and lessons, there is definitely something we all can take from this book!

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and to Celebrate Lit for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

About the Book

 

Lydia Esh’s younger sister Emma is running wild during Rumschpringe, causing the family major heartaches. Although it means risking her reputation, her job as a schoolteacher, and her courtship with Jakob Zook, Lydia attends parties to watch over Emma and protect her sister’s virtue.

When Emma begins a relationship with Kyle, an Englischer, Lydia teams up with Kyle’s older brother, Caleb, to keep the couple apart. As Lydia and Caleb spend time together keeping an eye on their siblings, Lydia falls for this forbidden love. Will she stay true to her faith even if it means giving up the man she loves?

About the Author

Rachel J. Good, inspirational author, writes life-changing, heartfelt novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of Amish romances in the Sisters & Friends series. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her novels. A former teacher and librarian, she completed her MA from Vermont College while raising five children. She is presently an MFA student in Writing and Illustration at Hollins University. In addition to having more than 2200 articles and 30 books in print or forthcoming under several pseudonyms, she also juggles freelance editing and illustration careers. To buy the Amish Quilts Coloring Book: http://amzn.to/1T35q5p Visit Rachel at:

Website: www.racheljgood.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racheljgoodnovels/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelJGood1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661177.Rachel_J_Good

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/racheljgood1/

Guest Post from Rachel J. Good

Hi, I’m Rachel J. Good, inspirational author of heartfelt tales of faith, hope, and forgiveness.

I’m excited to launch the first book in my Sisters & Friends Amish series, Change of Heart. Although I’ve been writing for many years and have about 30 books out now, this is my first inspirational novel. I’m busy editing book 2, Buried Secrets, and writing book 3, Gift from Above. And I’m planning the next three books in the series.

I’ve been asked how I came to write Amish novels. For that, I have to credit my agent Mary Sue Seymour, who suggested it to me. I loved the idea because I’d lived near Lancaster, PA, and had always been interested in the Amish. Although Mary Sue went to heaven a few months ago, just before the book launched, I feel her presence in my life as I write. She believed in me as a writer and encouraged me to work on this novel, which she quickly sold.

Lydia’s story in Change of Heart has several connections with my real life. The first is that I’m the oldest in my family and have two sisters, and so does Lydia. We both feel responsible our younger sisters. Lydia’s younger sister, Emma, gets in trouble during Rumschpringe. (And no, her wild sister doesn’t resemble either of my two younger sisters.)

The second connection with my life is the spiritual lesson Lydia learns in the book. I wanted Lydia’s journey to be not only a struggle between faith and love, but also a personal inner journey from self-righteousness to seeing with God’s loving eyes.

Oftentimes, goodness and spirituality can be a source of pride, and it can also be used to justify being judgmental. Lydia’s sister Emma points this out to her, but in my case, it was my young daughter who piped up, when I was complaining about someone at church, and said, “She sounds just like you, Mommy.” Ouch!

That day I came face to face with the truth that often what I criticize most in another person is often a flaw or a sin I’m overlooking in myself. As Matthew 7:3 (NIV) says: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” I wanted Lydia’s story to reflect that truth.

The Amish try to avoid the sin of hochmut (pride), but Lydia, without realizing it, is secretly proud of her own spirituality. It often saddens me that, as Christians, we spend more time criticizing others outside the faith or with different lifestyles or beliefs, but very little time examining our own unloving and judgmental behavior. I’d like to see us become more like Jesus, who ate with the “publicans and sinners,” and showed love to everyone, instead of condemning them.

Lydia is also forced to choose between staying in her faith or leaving it for love. I, too, faced a similar challenge many years ago, so I wrote those scenes from my heart. I hope Lydia’s story touches hearts, and that readers come away reassured that although we can’t always see the larger picture, God can, and He’s working out a wonderful plan for us. Our present circumstances might seem dark, but He knows the final results. We need to trust Him even during the challenging times, because “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Blog Stops

July 14: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

July 15: Bigreadersite

July 16: Blossoms and Blessings

July 17: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

July 18: Bukwurmzzz

July 19: Christian Bookaholic

July 20: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner

July 21: Singing Librarian Books

July 22: Quiet Quilter

July 23: Texas Book-aholic

July 24: A Greater Yes

July 24: Carpe Diem

July 25: Red Headed Book Lady

July 25: Cassandra M’s Place

July 26: His Grace is Sufficient

July 27: cherylbbookblog

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away lots of fun prizes, including copies of her books and even a box of Whoopie Pies from Bird-in-Hand Bakery. Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/9ed1

Amish Quilts Coloring Book Tour

Purchase your copy here.

My Review:  

I really enjoyed the two pages we were given for the purpose of this review. They do have some small lines but that didn’t bother me. It was very relaxing coloring these two quilt pages. I used color pencils and gel pens as my choices to use. You can use markers also but I don’t recommend using crayons. I want to thank the Author, the Publisher, and Celebrate Lit for providing me with these two pages for the purpose of this review.

 

About the book

Feeling stressed? Why not relax with an adult coloring book? Rachel J. Good’s Amish Quilts Coloring Book takes you back to a time and place that’s calm. Immerse yourself in a world of peace as you color the 25 different quilts.

Inspired by quilts seen in Amish country, many of these designs are based on traditional patterns, but some have been reimagined or repeated multiple times to create more intricate designs to color. Each quilt is printed on only one side of the page; facing pages contain inspirational Amish proverbs. To make the quilts even more colorful and interesting, sketch fabric designs – plaids, checks, paisleys, flowers, or abstract shapes – into the larger quilt blocks, use pattern stamps, or even collage fabric scraps to the pages. And if the designs inspire you to make quilts of your own, the pages can be used as templates for quilt-making.

About the Author

Rachel J. Good, inspirational author, writes life-changing, heartfelt novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of Amish romances in the Sisters & Friends series. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her novels. A former teacher and librarian, she completed her MA from Vermont College while raising five children. She is presently an MFA student in Writing and Illustration at Hollins University. In addition to having more than 2200 articles and 30 books in print or forthcoming under several pseudonyms, she also juggles freelance editing and illustration careers. To buy the Amish Quilts Coloring Book: http://amzn.to/1VmIOUi. Visit Rachel at:

Website: www.racheljgood.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racheljgoodnovels/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelJGood1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661177.Rachel_J_Good

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/racheljgood1/

Blog Stops

May 4: Bookworm Mama

May 5: Smiling Book Reviews

May 5: Cassandra M’s Place

May 6: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner

May 6: Simple Harvest Reads

May 7: Blossoms and Blessings

May 7: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

May 8: Tell Tale Book Reviews

May 9: Karen’s Krayons

May 9: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

May 10: Texas Book-aholic

May 11: Singing Librarian Books

May 12: Through the Open Window

May 12: Petra’s Hope

May 13: Lighthouse Academy

May 13: Reader’s Cozy Corner

May 14: A Greater Yes

May 14: Artistic Nobody

May 15: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses

May 15: Books! Books! Books!

May 15: Raining Butterfly Kisses

May 15: Quiet Quilter

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away two autographed copies of her Amish Quilts Coloring Book! Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/986f