WE've MOVED!

Half way there...

So how are you doing in your challenge? Have you checked out the new community website yet? Christian Historical Fiction @ CreativeMadnessMama.com I just redid some things and I think it looks so much better!! Head on over and let me know what you think.

http://chf.creativemadnessmama.com

As far as I know here we have about 32 people signed up to participate in the challenge (although anyone can join at any time). For my first challenge, I think that's a great number, but hopefully there will be more people in the future. I love reading historicals and I'll bet there are other people out there that are fulfilling the challenge without even realizing it. I know that some people have already completed the challenge, including myself... 

Here's my read list so far:

1. The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
2. Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot
3. Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot
4. Winter's Awakening by Shelley Shepard Gray (Amish)
5. The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey
6. The Promise of Morning by Ann Shorey
7. The Raven Saint by M.L. Tyndall
8. A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin
9. Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs
10. A Kiss for Cade by Lori Copeland
11. One True Love by Lori Copeland
12. Three Times Blessed by Lori Copeland
13. A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
14. Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy
15. The Rose Legacy (reprint) by Kristen Heitzmann
16. Liberty's Promise (omnibus) by Amber Miller Stockton
17. Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico by Lena Nelson Dooley
18. Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon by Miralee Ferrell 
19. Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James
20. Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus
21. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
22. The Courteous Cad by Catherine Palmer
23. The Duke's Redemption by Carla Capshaw
24. A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley
25. The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough
26. Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers
27. When the Heavens Fall by Gilbert Morris
28. This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson
29. Becoming Lucy* by Martha Rogers 
30. Faithful Heart* by Al Lacy
31. Maid to Match* by Deeanne Gist
32. A Love of Her Own* by Maggie Brendan
33. Touching the Clouds* by Bonnie Leon
34. A Woman Called Sage* by DiAnn Mills

*Have here to read/have started to read.
You can find all of my reviews on goodreads and at CreativeMadnessMama.com 

GIVEAWAY - The Silent Governess

Visit Sherrinda's blog for a chance to win!

No more Ning for CHF

It's official, I've moved our group from ning over to my domain. Come on and check it out. I think there is a lot of potential here for our group. :) http://chf.creativemadnessmama.com That's "CHF" for Christian Historical Fiction in case you're wondering. :)

Sign Up!

1. The goal is to read and promote Christian Historical Fiction by reading at least 24 titles. That is two per month, but anyone who wants to commit to more or less is welcome to join in on the fun. Anyone can join. You do not need a blog to participate. I have started a CHF Ning to promote discussions as well. 

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, and other formats are all allowed. As long as the book can by purchased it counts. 

3. Feel free to list a proposed lists of TBR (to-be-reads) but you can also list them as you go. 

4. Duplicates from other reading challenges can also count. 

5. Challenge begins January 3rd through December 31st. Books started before count. *wink*

Sign up here!! 



*Edited to add* The linkies I put up stopped working, so now I've added MckLinky instead sorry for the confusion!!

New Button Code

Something happened to my flickr account and I had lost all my pictures. That caused the challenge button code to go crazy and it will not relink. So I apologize, but here is the new (WORKING!) code:

<a href="http://christianhistoricalfiction.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4242230522_b65313e12b_o.jpg"
/></a>

GIVEAWAY - The Anonymous Bride

Visit Renee's blog for a chance to win!

Blog Buttons and Addresses

I wanted to let you know that my personal blog has moved.  You can now find me at www.creativemadnessmama.com

If you are a reviewer and want me to add your blog button to the sidebar here. Just let me know!!

Texas: The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough

The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough

Check yourself into the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series by Vickie McDonough, where you’ll meet Luke Davis, marshal of Flat Rock, Texas, who flippantly tells friends he’d get married if the right woman ever came along. When three mail-order brides are delivered to Luke a month later, he’s in an uncomfortable predicament. How will he ever choose his mate? Rachel Hamilton’s long-time admiration for Luke recently turned to love. So when three mail-order brides appear, she panics. Will she find the courage to tell Luke that she loves him? Or take an anonymous part in the contest for his hand?

I love this book. In the way that I absolutely adore the writing of Christian Historical Romantic Comedy Author Mary Connealy, I now feel the same about Vickie McDonough. This book had me gasp and inwardly scream. I laughed out loud and snickered to myself. I turned the pages without abandon and I am so eagerly excited for the next book in the series Second Chance Brides that I forget about the pile of to-be-read books waiting for my attentions.

There are many books and authors that I like, but you have to be something really special for me to absolutely love it. And I love it. I recommend this book without fail. Read it, love it, and escape within the pages to a humorous situation in a historical time that will leave you laughing, giggling and sighing with satisfaction of a wonderful read.

*Thanks to Vickie McDonough and Angie Brillhart for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

You might also be interested to know that you can win a copy off goodreads through April 15th!!

The Anonymous Bride (Texas Boarding House Brides)
by Vickie McDonough

Release date: Apr 01, 2010

Check yourself into the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series by Vickie McDonough, where you’ll meet Luke Davis, marshal of Lookout, Texas, who flippant…more

[close] Check yourself into the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series by Vickie McDonough, where you’ll meet Luke Davis, marshal of Lookout, Texas, who flippantly tells his cousin he’d get married if the right woman ever came along. When three mail-order brides are delivered to Luke a month later, he’s in an uncomfortable predicament. How will he ever choose his mate? Rachel Hamilton’s long-time love for Luke is reignited with his return to town. So when three mail-order brides appear, she panics. Will she find the courage to tell Luke that she loves him? Or take an anonymous part in the contest for his hand? [close]

Enter to win

Giveaway dates: Apr 01-Apr 15, 2010
35 copies available, 129 people requesting
Countries available: US

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

Healer's Apprentice from Magnus Creative on Vimeo.

A book trailer for Zondervan Publishing Group. All video was shot on the 7D. This was a fun challenge of shooting in the beautiful but very dark location of Shove Chapel.

1846 Illinois: The Promise of Morning by Ann Shorey

The Promise of Morning by Ann Shorey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Someone may have told you how the first book in this series The Edge of Light was depressing. It was and in starting The Promise of Morning you would think this would be depressing through out as well, but that is not the case. This novel starts with a heart breaking fact of life and continues into a scenario where with modern day medical knowledge we know what is happening, but ignorance hurts. Yet the story continues on. By the book blurb it looks like this is a story about Ellie, and it is, but even more so this is a story about Matthew.

Through both Ellie and Matthew a story is told that is very real, raw, and emotional and something to growth with and from and continue on. In the situations that take place my own mind says I would just give up, but watching the characters and watching how life does continue and seeing how God orchestrates things for the end all is incredible to imagine. This is a book that tells a story about grief, but offers so much healing as well. I highly recommend this book. Though it is the second in a series, you could very well read this one alone. Now, eagerly I look forward to the next novel to come from author Ann Shorey.

*Thanks to Donna Hausler of Revell Books for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

1838 Missouri/Illinois: The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey

The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey

It is the summer of 1838 in St. Lawrenceville, Missouri, and Molly McGarvie's life is about to change forever. When her beloved Samuel succumbs to cholera, Molly is heartbroken but determined to take care of herself and her children. But when Samuel's unscrupulous brother takes over the family business and leaves Molly to fend for herself, she knows she must head out on her own. It is a dangerous journey and Molly has to leave her old life behind. Somehow she must find a way to make a living, keep her family together, and fend off some over-eager suitors. Book one in the At Home in Beldon Grove series, The Edge of Light will captivate readers with the true-to-life emotions of one woman's struggle to survive. 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Much in the same way as Siri Mitchell write Regency novels that are incredibly depressing, but historically accurate and visual new novelist Ann Shorey does the same on the American Frontier. Through out my experience in reading this novel I was sad and heartbroken with the characters as one thing happened after another. It reminded me of childhood playing of the game Oregon Trail as you could do nothing but let life take things away. At first I was curious what could possibly happen that would be good and cause my heart to smile and there were a few things here and there.

Ann's writing is incredibly good and the details of weaving were vivid and educational. I would definitely recommend her books and I look forward to reading The Promise of Morning. But I would warn you that this is not a light hearted romance, but a heavy one. I think it is realistic, but difficult not to be pessimistic. One thing I had real trouble with was that the mother hardly paid any attention to her older daughter always pushing her out of the way and telling her to just be still and quiet. Overall, the book was an interesting experience.

Do not get me wrong, it is a good book, just depressing a bit. But it does en-capture "the edge of light" where you can hold on to hope and not let go.

*Thanks to Revell Books for providing a copy for review.*

Network with Ann Shorey:

www.annshorey.com

Ann Shorey's Blog 

Ann Shorey's Author Page on Goodreads

Friend Ann Shorey on Facebook

View all my reviews >>

My review of Siri Mitchell's novels:

A Constant Heart

Love's Pursuit

I look forward to reading She Walks in Beauty 

One True Love by Lori Copeland

One True Love by Lori Copeland

Copper is overjoyed that her friends Willow and Audrey found love and fulfillment after the war. The only remaining spinster, Copper vows to pour herself into her new teaching job. But tragedy strikes during her very first week. The schoolhouse catches fire and Copper suffers a serious injury while ushering her students to safety. Suddenly she's on a wagon train bound for Colorado to see the only doctor who can help her walk again.
Ever since the wagon train pulled into town, Copper butted heads with wagon master Josh Redlin—and now she must depend on him for her very life. But as Copper is forced to count on others for life's basic needs, she starts to surrender...and let her guard down around the one man whom she's despised for so long. Could it be that the very person that drives her crazy is the one she truly needs?

ISBN: 9780061364945; ISBN10: 0061364940; Imprint: Avon Inspire ; On Sale: 3/2/2010; Format: Trade PB; Trimsize: 5 5/16 x 8; Pages: 256; $12.99; Ages: 18 and Up 

Rita® Award winner and Christy Award finalist Lori Copeland delivers the third and final book in her popular Belles of Timber Creek series. One True Love is a heart-lifting story of love, faith, and courage from the author of Three Times Blessed and Twice Loved. Readers of Lori Wick, Beverly Lewis, and Tracey Bateman will be enchanted by One True Love—indeed, anyone who loves beautifully written, inspirational Christian romance will be thrilled to accompany one of its most accomplished authors to the American West for an eventful and unforgettable adventure of the heart and spirit.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The entire Belles of Timber Creek series was fun to read. Following along the journey of three quirky, but lovable, opinionated and adventurous friends. This book is the final book coming after Twice Loved and then Three Times Blessed and it was a great way to fully get to know Copper. From the first chapter of the first book I knew that Copper was my favorite and was eager to hear her story. Now that I have, I'm glad to have read this series as it was a great time in a triple romance.

This book has so much more than the rest of the series in a way of Biblical lessons for me. Learning to let go and let God as well as true forgiveness of one's self are true hard lessons. In this story they are shared in a very vivid light. I highly recommend the entire series as well as other series and books from author Lori Copeland.

*Thanks to Kendra of HarperCollins for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

My review:
Twice Loved 
Three Times Blessed
A Kiss for Cade (The Western Sky Series)
I'm currently reading Outlaw's Bride (The Western Sky Series)

Texas: Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot

Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston and heads for Texas, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks will leave her badly injured and her parents dead. Priscilla is determined to rebuild her life and make a home for herself in the beautiful Hill Country. But the bandits who took her parents' lives also destroyed her hope for the future.

Ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows what the future holds for him, and it's not a woman like Priscilla. She deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who's haunted by memories of his mistakes. The best thing he can do is leave her alone.

When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life that, like the scattered petals of her childhood, is filled with promise. But then the past intrudes, threatening their very existence.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a beautiful cover this book has, and an appropriate one at that with beauty and sadness of expression. Scattered Petals is the sequel and second book in a trilogy starting with Paper Roses, yet could easily be appreciated on it's own merit as a stand alone. Bringing together two very different yet painful pasts God uses different characters to allow healing and hope for a future. This story gives a great deal of visual insight into the mind of a madman as well as a hint of depression and pain. Through out the pages healing is found in ways unexpected and love and happiness is entirely possible.

This is a truly heart rending novel and every page fills you with the good and bad of life, all encompassing the will of God through out and especially in the end. I do recommend it. I look forward for the end of the trilogy in the spring of 2011 as well as other titles from author Amanda Cabot to come.

*Thanks to Donna Hausler of Revell Books for providing a copy for review.*

View all my reviews >>

Go back to read my review of Texas Dreams, book #1 Paper Roses (click here).

Amanda Cabot's website

Read an Excerpt of Paper Roses

Read an Excerpt of Scattered Petals

Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names and a popular speaker. The author of Paper Roses, she is also a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the co-founder of its New Jersey chapter, a member of the ACFW, and an avid traveler.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life. They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

“Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Buy from CBD:

Paper Roses, Texas Dreams Series #1 By Amanda Cabot / Revell Mail-order bride Sarah Dobbs arrives in Texas in 1850, only to learn that her future husband, Austin Canfield, is dead! Seeking refuge with his family, she tries to reconcile herself to an uncertain future. Will Austin's stubborn brother, Clay, spoil her happiness? Or is he the man she was looking for all along? 416 pages, softcover from Revell.

Scattered Petals, Texas Dreams Series #2 By Amanda Cabot / Revell Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston and heads for Texas, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks will leave her badly injured and her parents dead. Priscilla is determined to rebuild her life and make a home for herself in the beautiful Hill Country. But the bandits who took her parents' lives also destroyed her hope for the future.Ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows what the future holds for him, and it's not a woman like Priscilla. She deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who's haunted by memories of his mistakes. The best thing he can do is leave her alone.

18th Century Scotland: Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Here Burns My Candle
by Liz Curtis Higgs

It’s been 4 years since Liz Curtis Higgs’s last novel, and she’s made good  use of that time studying Scottish history and the Scriptures. And now she offers a retelling of the beloved Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi set in 18^th Century Scotland. Visit the Lowlands in Here Burns My Candle. 

Summary:

A mother who cannot face her future.

A daughter who cannot escape her past.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her.

    Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips. 

    His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.

    One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown. 

    A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liz Curtis Higgs was my introduction to Christian Historical Fiction many years ago with her first Lowland Series of a retelling in the Scottish Lowlands of the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau, Jacob's wives, and later Dinah. The time in between waiting for the next novel was torture and thus I turned to other authors to bide my time and hence my current obsession with so many authors and stories today. It seems that it has been a long time in waiting for a new novel from Liz and I was eager to grab this one up. In starting this story, a retelling in Scotland's Edinburgh of the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi I had some preconceptions for what would happen and was shocked at how slow things seemed to transpire at first, but the story did pick up and sucked me in with it.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage it is her story and that of her mother-in-law Lady Marjory Kerr in which the pages are brought to life. Following along as they watch from the recessed side lines of battle between King George of England and Scotland's own Bonny Prince Charlie causes quite a stir of emotions. Learning with them through their own trials as some old ways are forgotten and God makes a difference in their lives is refreshing and eye opening showing his presence in the best of moments and well as the worst.

Knowing that this story was loosely of Ruth and knowing most of the Biblical story by heart, I ended at a point surprised having expected a different part. This just went to show me that I did not know all of the story, just the last part and causes me to have a newly increased thirst to go back and read the scriptures in full to delve into the first eighteen verses which it seems I hardly know at all. With all that said, I am entirely too eager to anticipate the next installment and sequel in Mine is the Night to come in 2011.

View all my reviews >>

Author Bio:

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS is the author of twenty-seven books with three million copies in print, including: her best-selling historical novels, Thorn in My Heart, Fair Is the Rose, Christy Award-winner Whence Came a Prince, and Grace in Thine Eyes, a Christy Award finalist; My Heart’s in the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland, an armchair travel guide to Galloway; and her contemporary novels, Mixed Signals, a Rita Award finalist, and Bookends, a Christy Award finalist. Visit the author’s extensive website at www.lizcurtishiggs.com.

Check out the book on the WaterBrook Multnomah website. 

*This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.*

Network with Liz and WaterBrook Multnomah: 

http://lizcurtishiggs.com/

Liz Curtis Higgs Facebook Fan Page 

WaterBrook Multnomah Press Facebook Fan Page

Twitter @WaterBrookPress
Twitter @LizCurtisHiggs

Buy it: 

Available at any major bookstore as well as from the WM link above, if your favorite store does not have it, ask for it! Or buy from Amazon or ChristianBook.com. 

Win it!!
http://cherryblossommj.blogspot.com/2010/03/here-burns-my-candle-by-liz-curtis.html