WoW #34 : Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

WaterBrook January 2014

About
Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed.

 When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.  

 Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

Why I want to read it

Historical fiction, hidden identities, fighting for the helpless, romance. Sounds like a good mix to me!

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

The Hidden White House by Robert Klara

The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America's Most Famous Residence by Robert Klara. Thomas Dunne Books, 2013. 384p. (9781250000279)

This book caught my eye on NetGalley and I’m so glad I was given a chance to review it. What a fascinating account about a little known aspect of history. I was shocked at the White House’s state of disrepair and what had been done to the load bearing walls and supports! I knew that the White House had undergone some major renovations but I never knew the extent until I read this very well researched and fascinating account.  

Goodreads Summary:

Critically acclaimed author Robert Klara leads readers through an unmatched tale of political ambition and technical skill: the Truman administration’s controversial rebuilding of the White House.

In 1948, President Harry Truman, enjoying a bath on the White House’s second floor, almost plunged through the ceiling of the Blue Room into a tea party for the Daughters of the American Revolution. A handpicked team of the country’s top architects conducted a secret inspection of the troubled mansion and, after discovering it was in imminent danger of collapse, insisted that the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed would be the most historically significant and politically complex home-improvement job in American history. While the Trumans camped across the street at Blair House, Congress debated whether to bulldoze the White House completely, and the Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb, starting the Cold War.

Workmen digging the sub-basement in the demolished White House in 1950
(White House - Abbie Rowe)

Indefatigable researcher Robert Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America’s most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today’s White House. Leaving only the mansion’s facade untouched, workmen gutted everything within, replacing it with a steel frame and a complex labyrinth deep below ground that soon came to include a top-secret nuclear fallout shelter,

The story of Truman’s rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed the centerpiece of the country’s national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable—and, until now, all but forgotten.

My Review:

As stated above Robert Klara has done an excellent job researching and writing an engaging account of a house renovation. It also gives a great picture of the dysfunction of political committees. And it makes me appreciate Harry Truman quite a bit more. Imagine being president and having to live in a cramped little house.

The review copy I received was an ebook version and 25% of the book is taken up by the acknowledgment and endnotes. Very good proof that this book is thoroughly researched with ample citations. The many quotes served to make this a very engaging book on what could have easily been a dry topic.

At the beginning of each chapter is a photograph that relates to the chapter. I’ve included two pictures from whitehousemuseum.org that give you an idea of what a massive undertaking the reconstruction this was.

Workmen digging the basement under the North Portico in 1950
(White House - Abbie Rowe)

I learned a lot about the White House, Harry Truman, and life in Washington during the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in history and particularly those topics.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from Barnes and Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Ran out of time to get this put together last week and didn't want to do this week's topic.

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On

1. Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (book 6!)

2. Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (book 7 announcement here)

3. Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Sequel to The Healer's Apprentice and The Fairest Beauty

4. Next book in the Queen's Thief series - after all the author can't just leave the threat of the Medes hanging over everyone unresolved, that's been building since the first book. Though it's taken Megan Whalen Turner 4-6 years to write each book and #4 was published in 2010 so I guess it'll be late 2014 or sometime in 2016 before we get book 5 and then it'll be another long wait for book 6. Sigh.

5. Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

Sequel to Once Upon a Prince 

6. Caught in the Middle by Regina Jennings

Sequel to Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance

7. Next book in the Castle Glower series by Jessica Day George coming sometime in the spring of 2014 

8. Next book in the Those Karlsson Boys series by Kimberly Rae Jordan

9. Captain Sunan's story, we get to know him in Goddess Tithe though he is first introduced in Veiled Rose, but there are so many teasers about his past! Anne Elisabeth is he in Golden Daughter? If not please write another novella soon!

10.What sequels are you eagerly awaiting?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley

Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley. Thomas Nelson, 2013. 327p. (9781595549723) Series: The Brides of Last Chance Ranch, #3

I featured this book on a Waiting for Wednesday post. The cover is what caught my eye first. How many ladies pour tea while holding a revolver behind their back?  This is the third book in a series and I haven’t read the first two, though they are on my TBR list. I didn’t have any trouble reading this as a standalone book.

Goodreads Summary:

In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.

When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom – an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.

But she isn’t the only one there with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggert is working the scene undercover as well. And although their true identities are a secret, it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the spark that flares between them.

But neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn’t removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they come to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets – and no one on the ranch is safe.

But neither are their hearts – the longer Miranda and Jeremy spends working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers – and their lives – depend on solving this case. Love will have to wait.

My Review:

I enjoyed this story but as evidence by the fact that I finished the book probably a month ago and am just now getting around to writing the review, I didn’t completely love it. Problem is I don’t know why.

The plot moved along at a good pace and certainly started off exciting. A dead person gets shot during his memorial service. The excitement continues with a train robbery and a very feisty old lady. Not to mention the mystery that Miranda is trying to solve.

The characters are fun. Especially Miss Walker. I hope she’s in the first two books because I’d love to get to know her better! The interactions between Miranda and Jeremy were very enjoyable and I certainly laughed several times. The few people we got to know in town were also well written. Again, I hope some of them are in the first two books.

The plot is good, the mystery keeps you turning the pages and the characters are fun. As of my writing this the book has a 4.43 star average from 58 ratings on Goodreads so plenty of people have loved this book, but it didn’t quite capture my interest. Though I’ll still read the other books in this series at some point.

If you like western detective stories, especially ones involving female sleuths and the Pinkerton Detective Agency then take a look at this book.

3.5 stars

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks; Buy it from Barnes and Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Book Cover Bingo: Candle - The Merchant's Daughter

The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson. Zondervan, 2011. 272p. (9780310727613)

I reread this last week as part of the Book Cover Bingo game I’m participating in the Goodreads group Christian Fiction Bloggers. The book had to have a candle on the cover and if you look closely there are six candles on the shelf behind her.

This book is actually the first book I reviewed for this blog, you can read my first impressions here. And I obviously enjoyed it so much I decided to reread it. More particularly because Melanie’s newest book, The Captive Maiden, releases this month.

Goodreads Summary:

An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past. Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

My Review:

What new thoughts can I share about this book? Last time I was struck by all the Beauty and the Beast tie-ins. Those are obviously still there, but this time I think I simply enjoyed the story of a young woman who is trying to do the right thing despite her family’s laziness and put-on airs.

Annabel also is doing her best to avoid and discourage unwanted attention from a man old enough to be her father. In the time that this story takes place, England in 1352, women couldn’t exactly sue because of sexual harassment. Then as sadly even now people often say that the girl bears some blame if she is raped (doesn’t happen in this story!) or harassed. Which is why Annabel’s plight is so precarious and she isn’t sure whom she can or should trust.

This book is more than just a classic fairy tale retelling and an excellent one at that; it speaks to the plight of women, glories in the joy of getting a chance to read the Holy Scriptures (especially in a time when books were rare and very expensive), and draws you into life at medieval manor house under construction.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

WoW #33 : A Match Made in Texas by Witemeyer, Connealy, Jennings & Cox

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

A Match Made in Texas : a novella collection
by Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Carol Cox

Bethany House January 2014

About
In Dry Gulch, Texas, 1893, a young woman with a tender heart that longs to help those in need takes it upon herself to meddle in the affairs of three acquaintances who are in dire straits. Wanting to stay anonymous, she relies on unusual methods to hire men and women of good character who she thinks can solve the problems facing her “targets.” How was she to know that her meddling would turn into a cupid’s arrow? And what will she do when her friends turn the tables on her with a matchmaking scheme of their own?

Four novellas in one volume.

Why I want to read it

Karen Witemeyer (author of Short-Straw Bride) and Reginna Jennings (author of Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance) are both contributors! Mary Connealy (prolific author, including Montana Rose) is also a part of the project! I haven't read any of Carol Cox's books but have read good things. Sounds like a fun set of stories from some excellent authors!

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Goddess Tithe by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Goddess Tithe by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Rooglewood Press, 2013. 120p. (978-0-9894478-0-5) Series: Tales of Goldstone Wood, #2.5

(I just made up that number. How do you number a novella that takes place in the middle of a book in a series?)

I just finished reading [when I wrote this review two weeks ago] the first novella from The Tales of Goldstone Wood. It was quite good but now I really want to know if we’ll find out more about Munny. What is his real name? Who is his mother? Who was his father? And the captain. What’s his story? He wasn’t afraid of Risafeth. Why?Who is the lady in the portrait?

And yet for all the questions this book raises, it does answer some questions. All of which concern Leonard the Jester. It’s been a long time since I’ve read Veiled Rose which is the book during which this novella takes place. But I think this story shows us more about his character and some of the things he learns on his journey to Lunthea Maly.

The summary lures us in:

When a stowaway is discovered aboard the merchant ship Kulap Kanya, Munny, a cabin boy on his first voyage, knows what must be done. All stowaways are sacrificed to Risafeth, the evil goddess of the sea. Such is her right, and the Kulap Kanya's only hope to return safely home.
Yet, to the horror of his crew, Captain Sunan vows to protect the stowaway, a foreigner in clown's garb. A curse falls upon the ship and all who sail with her, for Risafeth will stop at nothing to claim her tithe.

Will Munny find the courage to trust his captain and to protect the strange clown who has become his friend?

Just like in Anne Elisabeth’s other books there are universal themes woven in that make it much richer and deeper than a mere adventure on the high seas story. In this book honor, loyalty and self-sacrifice are deftly portrayed.

In hind sight Goddess Tithe reminds me of C. S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The glassy sea, the fierce storm, the creatures below the water (though they were friendlier in Narnia’s ocean in the Silver Sea or Utter East), and of course the sea serpent.

Narnian water nymph
Image source: FXGuide.com

Since this is a novella there are fewer descriptions, but I could still picture the scenes and Anne Elisabeth’s illustrations are informative as well. If it were a full length novel I can imagine more details about life aboard the ship, a sub-plot involving other crew members and perhaps more hints about the captain’s past as well, and longer descriptions of the sea and Risafeth. But I’m not complaining. I love the idea of a Goldstone Wood novella and am thrilled Anne Elisabeth will most likely be writing some more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick trip to the world of Goldstone Wood and the voyage of the Kulap Kanya. Any fan of Anne Elisabeth’s and anyone looking for an exciting ocean adventure involving a vengeful sea monster will enjoy this novella.

Learn more about Goddess Tithe: http://goddesstithenovel.blogspot.com/

Go read it! Buy it from Amazon; 

Disclosure: I received this ebook free from the author (thank you!). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.