Anneliese Dalaba's Blog, page 7
February 18, 2020
Check Out These Christian Book Deals!
My award-winning novel is included in this promotional on Christian Book Finds. Browse through the other books that are listed also.
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Click HERE to find some great reads!
February 14, 2020
First Line Friday #93
I am currently sitting in my daughter’s living room in Connecticut listening to the cooing of my precious new granddaughter. My husband and I arrived here on Saturday evening, on the first of February, and my daughter went into labor on Sunday evening, the second of February. The timing was perfect! On Monday morning, we saw our beautiful, healthy granddaughter for the first time. God has been so good to our family once again.
The novel I’m sharing with you today is Mountain Storms by Janice Cole Hopkins. I actually listened to this one on audible. It provided hours of clean and wholesome entertainment while I exercised on my treadmill, worked around the house, drove in the car, or rested. I love reading, but I love audibles too.
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First Line:
Ian MacGregor stumbled into his cabin.
My Review:
Aileas is heading west with her three stepbrothers and her stepfather. Unfortunately, one of her stepbrothers wants her to become his wife. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. When her situation becomes impossible, she runs away, up into the mountains, and tries her best to hide her tracks. A winter storm arises and a loveable dog leads her to a cabin and to his feverish master, Ian.
Ian received a terrible scar on his face in the war. When he returned home to his fianceé, she was too horrified by his appearance to go through with the marriage. Ian takes his sister with him and heads west into the mountains where he has now lived for several years in a remote cabin. When his sister turns 17, she abandons him to return to their aunt. Due to so much abandonment from the people he loved, he doesn’t believe any woman can ever see passed his scar to the man within. Aileas nurses him back to health and stays to cook and clean for him. But he knows one day she will leave too. It’s inevitable.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There are plenty of tense moments and suspense to keep you from putting the book down. Aileas’ stepbrother is not one to give up easily, nor take no for an answer. The author does a beautiful job of developing the romance. Ian cannot imagine such a lovely lady wanting him as a husband, so he tries not to read anything into her kindness to him. Aileas would love nothing more than to be cared for and loved by an honorable man like Ian. Unfortunately, she knows his scar is a barrier between them representing the love he lost. He must love his fianceé still. Aileas barely notices the scar for she sees the whole man who is worthy of her trust. The scar does not hide how truly handsome he is. But since he hasn’t asked her to stay, he must be looking forward to her leaving. Will these two find the courage to breakdown the walls standing between them?
Your Turn:
First Line Friday is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. If you’d like, check out the books other readers have featured on their blogs by clicking on the Hoarding Books link at the end of this post.
January 31, 2020
First Line Friday #92
I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my last First Line Friday. Christmas was wonderful with all our children and our grandson home with us. Since then, we were blessed with a second grandson on January 17th. And we are heading to Connecticut this weekend to be there when our daughter blesses us with our first granddaughter. Aging isn’t so bad when grandchildren are the reward.
You may not remember, but I mentioned before that I’ve never read an Amish novel. Well, I finally decided to give one a try. I loved it! Today, I am featuring Winter’s Awakening by Shelley Shepard Gray.
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First Line:
“The weather’s getting a fair sight colder, wouldn’t you say?” Gretta Hershberger asked Joshua as they rode along the black-topped winding roads just south of Sugar Creek.
From the Back Cover:
Joshua Graber knows his future is set. He’s expected to work at his family business, the Graber Country Store. He’s expected to marry Gretta Hershberger, who he’s been courting for several years. But when a new English family moves next door and their lovely teenage daughter, Lilly Allen, catches his eye, Joshua wonders if all the plans for his future are too set in stone. Gretta doesn’t know what’s going on with Joshua. When they argue and later stew in silence, it feels a lot like the frosty atmosphere at her home. After promising herself to never have a marriage like her parents, she wonders if perhaps another man might be a better match. A man such as Roland Schrock. He’s steady and kind and somewhat boring. If she marries him, she won’t ever have to worry about loving him and getting hurt. Meanwhile, Lilly is enamored with the Amish way of life, and especially her handsome neighbor Joshua. But despite being drawn to him, she has a secret that will only drive him away. Her family moved to Sugarcreek to hide her pregnancy from their community back home. Once she’s had the baby, they plan to send her off to college without anyone from their old neighborhood knowing the truth. But as Lilly becomes wrapped up in the simplicity and graciousness of the Amish people, she begins to question what’s expected of her, and whether giving up her baby, and leaving Sugarcreek, is what she truly wants. As the coldest winter on record blows into Sugarcreek, these three young people must struggle to determine the path of their futures.
My Thoughts:
I’m not sure what my hesitation was about reading an Amish romance. I supposed I didn’t want to imagine having to live such a restricted life. I love modern technology and conveniences. I certainly would not want to have to give up my smartphone (yikes!). On the other hand, I understand that the Amish like the way they live, so I didn’t want to see that diminished by an author in any way. Whatever my reason may have been, I’m so glad Winter’s Awakening was my first experience in this genre. The author handled the two cultures perfectly, in my opinion. She showed the beauty, practicality, inconvenience, and love that can be found in the Amish community. At the same time, she showed the same thing in Englisher culture. The reader will experience both cultures in a realistic manner.
As far as the romance, I don’t want to give anything away. But I loved how the realization of love slowly evolves in this story. The characters are well developed and I could understand their frustrations, disappointments, questions, and vulnerabilities. As you see their lives unfold on the pages of this novel, you can’t help but hope for a happy ending for Joshua, Lilly, and Gretta. The ending was all I was hoping for. And I learned some things about Amish culture in the process. I loved this book. And, yes, I will be reading more Amish novels in the future.
You’re Turn:
First Line Friday is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. If you’d like, check out the books other readers have featured on their blogs by clicking on the Hoarding Books link at the end of this post.
January 30, 2020
Red the Cow
Book Description:
The book is about Ricky, a 6-year old farm boy, who is given a gentle, older cow to milk by hand. This true story journeys back to the 1950s and 60s when farming was a family endeavor. Learn how Ricky dealt with the inevitable death of Red the Cow and found a way to be true to his friend.
My Thoughts:
This is a unique children’s book because it’s great for preschoolers as well as for school-age children. Even adults will enjoy it. I actually learned some things I didn’t know before reading it. The book is written in ABC’s. A is for Awakening…, B is for Brothers…, and so on. This makes it easy to read to preschoolers. However, this children’s book is so much more. On the sidebar of each page, children will discover what life on a farm was like as the author tells the story. The book also deals with the trauma of losing a much-loved animal. Even though it handles a difficult issue realistically, the story ends in a delightful way. It shows the love and understanding of Ricky’s family, and that life goes on and broken hearts do heal. The illustrations are colorful and draw the reader in. Your child will become engrossed in the pictures as you read each page. Red the Cow is a beautifully written and illustrated book children will love to read over and over again.
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Meet the Author:
New author, Rick Harr, just wrote a book about his childhood experience of growing up on a dairy farm in the small rural community of Westphalia, Michigan.
Contact:
You can follow the author’s Facebook page to keep up to date with all the exciting events to come—book signings, farm & craft shows, library and school readings—and to help promote this beautiful and moving new book!
Click on the website link below to ORDER your copy of this book.
January 19, 2020
Grandparents Again!
I am thrilled to let all my readers know that our son, Brendon, and his wife, Kelsey, have blessed us with another grandchild (Lukas) born on Friday, January 17th.
Due to a flu epidemic in our area in Michigan, each patient is given only two wristbands to be worn by the only two guests that are permitted to enter the hospital during their stay. Daddy is considered Guest #1, so, of course, it was only fair that the mother of the new mommy is Guest #2. In the meantime, I had the privilege of babysitting my first grandson while his parents were in the hospital.
They came home today, so my husband and I finally got to meet our precious new grandson. We are absolutely in love with this little boy.
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[image error]The brothers meet for the first time.
January 6, 2020
Last Chance
I was recently in conversation with a long-time friend who is now in her 90s. She was an active member of our church and especially reached out to new visitors, making them feel welcome. She never married, but never lacked for friendship in all the years I have known her. A smile always graced her face, no criticism passed her lips, and she was a joy to be around.
“How do you like your new home?” I asked her. Due to failing health, she had recently moved into a nursing home, hence giving up many of her freedoms. She was always very independent, so I expected her to mourn her loss.
“Oh, I love it!” came her quick reply. Her eyes alight with joy. “I have so many opportunities to tell people about Jesus in my new home.”
I hadn’t expected that. What a beautiful attitude! It was so like the person I knew her to be. Moving to a nursing home could not take away her joy.
It was then that I realized she was reaching out to people who may very well be facing their last chance to accept Jesus as their Saviour and surrender their hearts to Him before taking their last breath and having to face eternity. When I mentioned that to her, she surprised me once again.
“And it’s my last chance to tell people about Jesus,” she said.
Oh, to have such a servant heart. To desire so desperately to work for our Master, Jehovah, God Almighty. I would think if anyone had an excuse to rest from their labor, a 90-year-old would stand first in line. Yet as long as she had breath, she longed to follow the command Jesus gave her (and us) to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15 NASB)
Love through me, Love of God
Love through me, Love of God;
There is no love in me.
O Fire of love, light Thou the love
That burns perpetually.
Flow through me, Peace of God;
Calm River, flow until
No wind can blow, no current stir
A ripple of self-will.
Shine through me, Joy of God;
Make me like Thy clear air
That Thou dost pour Thy colors through,
As though it were not there
O blessed Love of God,
That all may taste and see
How good Thou art, once more I pray:
Love through me—even me.
~ Amy Carmichael
December 19, 2019
First Line Friday #91
I just finished listening to the audible of the book I’m featuring this week. It was such a sweet and wonderful story. This is the third book I’ve read by Janice Cole Hopkins and I’ve liked them all. I’m featuring Mountain Mishap this week. It’s an entertaining and spiritually uplifting Christian Historical Romance.
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First Line:
Western Wilkes County, July 4, 1851
Levi West stopped his horse and dismounted.
Book Description on Amazon:
Anna Allen grew up in the Charleston Orphan House, but at eighteen, she must now leave. Her best option is to wed, and when a man from the Appalachian Mountains comes looking for a wife, she hesitantly agrees to marry him. However life with Elbert Ramsey and his father turns out to be miles from her dreams.
In 1851, Levi West decides to go stay with his brother in the Appalachian Mountains. His parents had died, leaving the farm in debt, and a brazen woman had caused a rift between him and his best friend. Although his sister-in-law’s younger sister acts almost as bad, Levi finds he loves the rugged mountains. When a hunting accident endangers his life, help comes from an unexpected source. Dare he hope for a family of his own or will another woman just disappoint him again?
My Thoughts:
Anna grew up in an orphanage, but now it’s time to leave. The only option available to her is to get married. When Elbert Ramsey chooses her because she’s so pretty, Anna accepts his proposal. She hopes they might fall in love. Although Elbert treats her well enough, it’s a far cry from what she had hoped for. Through a series of events, Anna finds herself alone with a baby on an isolated farm in the middle of nowhere. How will she and Ellie survive? Anna prays God will help her.
Levi longs to find a godly woman he can fall in love with. That’s the only kind of woman he wants to marry. He is a handsome man, so brazen women have thrown themselves in his path wanting to become Mrs. Levi West. But Levi has never felt an interest in those types of women. In the midst of difficult circumstances, Levi and Anna’s paths cross. Before long, Levi realizes that Anna is nothing like the women he had met so far. Instead, she is all he could ever hope for. But she has a child. Wouldn’t it just be his luck, when he finds a woman who stirs his heart, she already belongs to another man?
This was the third book I’ve read by Janice Cole Hopkins, and it will definitely not be the last. She is a great story-teller. This novel moves along nicely and is a page-turner. Levi is definitely a hero-worthy main character. After all of Anna’s disappointments, is it any wonder she is reluctant to remarry? But Levi is patient and willing to obey God in order to win Anna’s heart. Although there is chemistry between the two main characters almost from the start, the relationship develops at a slow and believable pace. The story moves along nicely. This book grabs the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go until the last word is read. I thoroughly enjoyed Levi and Anna’s love story.
You’re Turn:
Now it’s your turn. First Line Friday is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. If you’d like, check out the books other readers have featured on their blogs by clicking on the Hoarding Books link at the end of this post.
December 14, 2019
Historical Christian Romance Receives Readers’ Favorites’ Silver Medal
My husband and I flew to Miami, Florida in November to attend the 2019 Awards Ceremony for Readers’ Favorites where my novel, Reluctant to Wed, won a silver medal.
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It was exciting to be around hundreds of authors from around the world and to have the opportunity to rub shoulders with them. We got to hear former medal winners tell about what they have accomplished since winning their award from Readers’ Favorites and how they went about achieving their goals. My mind was stimulated and encouraged to think of all the possibilities.
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We got to attend the Miami Book Fair. I have never been to a book fair before and I have to say, it is quite impressive. Booth after booth lined along four blocked-off roads displayed the works of talented writers. It was crowded with people who had paid the entry fee to walk the crowded streets and browse through all the booths.
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But there was more. There were workshops throughout the Miami Dade College campus where the book fair was held. You just look at the schedule and choose the workshop you wish to attend. This was my favorite part of the book fair. The speakers were excellent and fascinating to listen to.
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The 2019 Readers’ Favorites Award Ceremony was the closing event. Hundreds of authors received awards that night for a wide range of genre’s. I was so happy to be counted amongst the Christian authors who received awards on the stage that night.
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It was especially wonderful that my husband could attend this weekend event with me. He had cheered me on throughout my writing process and encouraged me all along the way. It was only right that he should be pictured here holding my work with me. I’m so thankful for his faithful love and friendship.
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Here is the 5-star Book Review I received for Reluctant to Wed:
Reviewed By Trudi LoPreto for Readers’ Favorite
Reluctant to Wed is the story of Emma, a young girl who left her farm home in Pennsylvania to travel to England and live with a grandfather she has never met. An arranged marriage has been set up for her and she is soon to meet and wed Devon, an Earl and a handsome young man. Neither Emma nor Devon are really prepared for what their future will hold and each brings their own set of doubts, worries, and concerns. Emma is taught how to behave like a lady. Enjoying his freedom, Devon is busy still being a bachelor, free to come and go and do as he likes. The marriage takes place and there is much adjusting as Emma and Devon slowly come to understand what is expected of them and how they really feel toward each other. God plays a strong role throughout the story as they seek guidance in prayer for themselves and each other.
Reluctant to Wed (Arranged Marriage Series) is the best Christian historical romance novel I have read in a very long time. I found Reluctant to Wed very hard to put down and really enjoyed it from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Arranged Marriage Series. Anneliese Dalaba is a very talented author who brought me along on a romantic journey of two very likable characters and provided me with other characters, some of whom I strongly disliked! Reluctant to Wed is a book that all fans of historical, Christian, and romantic fiction should grab. Readers will love it and it should not be missed.
December 12, 2019
First Line Friday #90
I haven’t done one of these for the past couple weeks. Mostly because I haven’t had any spare time from holiday preparations, company visiting, and travels. But the gifts are wrapped, the stockings are stuffed, and I’m sticking close to home now.
Today, I am sharing a Christmas novel that I’ve read twice now. It’s a light-hearted and fun romance. Although this is not a Christian novel, it is a clean book that everyone can enjoy. The book is called, A Rule for Christmas and it’s written by Kate Harper.
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First Line:
“Mother, I have decided to get married.”
Description on Back Cover:
Lord Rule knows what he wants in a wife and knows that he has found it in the sweet and biddable Felicity Wexford. What he hasn’t bargained on is her cousin and chaperone, Jemima Selfridge. Miss Selfridge is everything he detests in a woman; opinionated, flippant and far too independent. There skirmishes become a thorn in his side and a major impediment to his wooing of the fair Felicity. The only way he can get to know his intended better—and advance his plans—is to invite Miss Wexford and her fiesty guardian to a house party over Christmas. Surely then he can get the girl alone. But things don’t quite go according to plan. They never do when Jemima Selfridge is involved. And somehow, he discovers that the woman that he cannot abide has become the one woman that he wants for Christmas.
Now it’s your turn. First Line Friday is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. If you’d like, check out the books other readers have featured on their blogs by clicking on the Hoarding Books link at the end of this post.
November 18, 2019
Launch Day for Hush
Hush is a brand new novel by Leanna Sain that is launching tomorrow, November 19th! Check out the book description. Do you love mystery and suspense? You will not want to miss this one.
Genre: Christian Mystery/Suspense Romance
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Book Description:
She dreams a murder before it happens. A young woman is strangled while her killer sings the words from the lullaby, “Hush, Little Baby.”
Lacey Campbell’s life is full, but not idyllic. As head chef for a chic restaurant and primary caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t have time for the nightmare and at first she tries to deny it. But the next day, she discovers it’s a disturbing reality. When she dreams the second heinous murder she knows it’s time to tell the police.
Detective Ford Jamison is called back to the little coastal town to help with the case and soon notices an alarming trend: the killer is using the lullaby as a “blueprint” to target women who resemble Lacey. This doesn’t slow the killings and now Lacey is afraid to fall asleep at night because the next face she sees in her dream might be her own.
As a hurricane churns ever closer to the little coastal town, danger and suspicion spin out of control. Time is running out. Can they stop the killer before the last verse of the lullaby?
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About the Author:
Leanna Sain, earned her BA from the University of South Carolina before moving back to the NC mountains. She calls Miracle Hill Farm home, but she lives mostly in her imagination. Her Southern suspense or “GRIT-lit,” showcases her plot-driven method that successfully rolls elements of best-selling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Jan Karon all together, making it her own. She loves leading discussion groups and book clubs. For more information or to contact her visit: www.LeannaSain.com
You can also find Leanne Sain on social media. Here are the links:
