How could I have missed this author and why didn’t I find him sooner!!!!   Oh how I enjoyed this book!  Talk about being transported back into time!  It is so unusual to find historical fiction books written about the 1300’s.  The setting is Medieval England, 1367.  Hugh de Singleton is a surgeon and a bailiff for Lord Talbot.  You might say he was a Dr. Quincy, doctor/detective of the time, but his sleuthing depended upon keen observation, intelligence, and quick thinking.  There was no internet, forensic medicine, or criminal records to aid him.

The story opens with him being called to the chapel to care for a man the priest had found badly beaten.  Before he dies, he utters the words, “They didn’t get me coin”. In preparing the victim for burial, Hugh finds an ancient Roman coin in his mouth.  It is now his duty to find the murderers and bring them to justice.   His search is not a simple one and leads him into many perilous situations, endangering his family, and one almost costing him his life.  The further he investigates the more tangled the mystery becomes and the more problem’s Hugh becomes personally involved in and feels responsible to resolve.

The character’s dialogs are written in the same manner that people would have spoken during that time.  For me this added to the realism of the period and drew me into the story as a participant.

In addition to being extremely entertaining, the book was a veritable treasure of history lessons in many aspects.  I learned so many new facts!  Day to day living, especially with the peasants, was severe and uncompromising. Even the poorest of poor today live better than these did.  While nobles and upper-class citizens such as Hugh fared better than the average citizen, their lives were grossly lacking in comparison to ours today.  Social classes had clearly drawn lines between them and they were strictly observed.

Hugh’s interaction with the people he meets sheds great light also on what foods were eaten, how it was prepared, superstitions, homes, traditional festivals, and religious ceremonies of that age.

I love anything to do with the medical field and was awestruck by the detailed information about the practice of medicine.   The use of herbs was extremely interesting.  Who knew crushed lettuce seeds could help pain?  A stark reminder of how little they had to work with.   Surgery without anesthesia seemed a bit barbaric, but pain was accepted as there was no other remedy.  I must admit that I cringed with the patients as I read some of the treatments.  Though no extensive medical training as we know today was available, I saw the surgeons definitely had impressive skills.  What really stood out was that recovery depended upon food, rest, and allowing the body repair itself.  You had to be tough to live during those times!

The author’s detailed research in all these areas not only dispelled my vague ideas of medieval life but also stripped me of many of the modern conveniences and perks I take for granted today.

How Mr. Starr combined, history, mystery, suspense, and humor into one novel is nothing short of amazing, but he did so, and with great skill!  This was a book I didn’t want to end.  I was thrilled to find out there are 4 previous books in the series and another on the way.  I look forward to reading ALL of them and any others Mr. Starr might write.

I received this book free from Kregel Publications. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I don’t think anyone hasn’t had a time they prayed or longed or a miracle in their lives.  I believe many have experienced them, but don’t recognize what happened because they just chalk it up to luck or chance. Often times we miss them because we are moving at such a fast pace and fail to see God’s touch.   In the life of a child of God, there is no such thing as coincidence.  He is very actively involved in our lives and needs.

This book was so uplifting!   I myself had witnessed many miracles in my time and they have been left a deep imprint on my life.  Some brought about enormous changes; others met a momentary need in a supernatural way.

I could relate because the accounts were of people just like me that find themselves in what seem to be impossible situations with only 1 outcome – BAD.   Some experiencing them probably thought these are things that “only happen to other people”.    I heard a saying many years ago that stuck with me and I love: “God loves impossible situations to show Himself strong.”  Then we KNOW without a doubt the help cold have only come from Him and He can receive all the glory.  That is exactly what these stories are about.   If God has done it for others, He can do it for us too!

I liked that these were so varied from the filling of small momentary needs to nothing short of extraordinary events of healing and protection.  They certainly gave me a fresh reminder of hope for some of the circumstances my family is facing right now.  It was refreshing to read something positive after all the negative stories and reports we see daily in the news.

No, God does not always “fix” all our problems, but even should He say “No child, this is my will for you”, this book gave me great comfort at seeing testimonies of His power.  I would love more books by the authors like this, and would also like to contribute stories of my own “real life” miracles!  I am going to keep it and read it when I a booster shot of faith!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Always being interested in learning more about my future home, Heaven, I thought I would give this book a try.  When sharing with a friend that I was going to read it, they said, “What can it really say.  We don’t know that much about Heaven even from God’s Word.”

Their comment made think, “What more could this book say?”  Well it had a lot to say!   No, the author didn’t reveal anything I didn’t’ already know about Heaven but he did do something much more important.  He opened my mind to applying what I do know to my life right now here on earth.  Page after page I wanted to highlight comments and truths that made me think, “Wow, I never looked at it that way!”

Heaven isn’t just something that will affect me “someday”.  As a born again Christian, it has an impact on my life right now!

With this being the only life we know, we become bogged down in the details of the here and now, the problems, and just surviving day to day.  This book gave me a different focus.

The author also presented a thought I have had for a long time.  That our discontentment with this life and always looking for perfection comes from the way God created us.  We were meant to live in peace and happiness before sin came into the world.  That dissatisfaction is a yearning for what awaits us in Heaven.  This knowledge should help us let go of the unattainable in this life and accept what we have.

Mr. Schaffer also addressed some misconceptions we have about Heaven. While no one wants to go to Hell of course, some of these false ideas make us concerned about what eternity in Heaven will be like.   A common one is that Heaven will be boring.  He boldly brings out the things we can’t bring ourselves to admit and shares biblical truths that correct our false impressions.

Instead of a few rote recitations of verses about Heaven that one might expect from the title, there were many other scriptures references that help us understand how our eternal home influences us today.

At the end of the book there is a section for each chapter with very thought provoking discussion questions, and biblical passages for further study.  Sometimes Reflection and Focus exercises are included to personalize what you have read.

I learned so much from this book!  Its message was one of hope and joy expectation.  Our time on earth is so short and our focus should be on serving Christ, not bogged down in the cares of this world.   This book is definitely a keeper for my library.  I plan to read it again and use it as a Bible study.  It would also be great for study for church classes.   Trust me; you want to read this book!
I received this book free from Discovery House Publishers. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Lynn Austin is at the top of my favorite authors!   I couldn’t wait to read this book!

The Civil War is over and the lives of the wealthy northerners and their slaves are changed forever.  Those from the North don’t want to accept it and the slaves don’t know how to accept it.

The Weatherly family returns to what is left of their once grand home in Virginia.  Eugenia, the matriarch of the family and widowed by the war, plans to continue life as before.  She purposes, through sheer strength and determination, to rebuild the life they once had.  She has lost one son in the war and looks to her surviving son to return and take his father’s place.  Daniel comes home angry and shattered by his experiences in the war.  He too cannot accept the defeat and seeks revenge on anyone associated with that loss. He could care less about leading the family.

Her 16 year old daughter, Olivia, is spoiled and selfish and is more than happy to comply with her mother’s plans.  Twenty-two year old Josephine realizes that their focus must be on surviving the reality of their life now, not reconstructing the past.  Although practical in her outlook, she is angry with God for not rewarding her “goodness” and answering her prayers during the war.   She has turned away from Him.

The only slaves that remain on their plantation are Lizze and Otis and their 3 children.  They have no clue how to handle their new found freedom and realize they have no place to go.  For the first time, Josephine begins to see them as flesh and blood people with feelings and attempts to treat them as equals.  This only enrages her mother more.

Josephine and her family face hardships they have never experienced: lack of food, clothing, and money.  She begins to understand that this a small taste of the lives their slaves have always lived.   The only difference in Lizze and Otis’s life is that they know their children will never be sold or face mistreatment as they did.

I was astonished at this historical novel.  Ms. Austin was a genius not only in how she presented the historical facts about the Post Civil War era, but also in capturing the personal details and emotions that so many different groups of people faced in its aftermath.  I never dreamed of what these people actually dealt with.

In many ways the wealthy families coming back were almost as poor as the slaves, but their situations were made worse because they had no skills or knowledge to care for their daily needs and homes.  A culture shock confronted them as they were stripped of their money and lavish, snobbish lifestyles.  They were broken people with only their self-righteous pride left.

The soldiers left as strong, courageous young men only to return shattered emotionally, mentally and some physically.  Handicapped individuals then did not have all the medical help and devices to make life easier.  Many wished they had died rather than live as a cripple.  Some carried the guilt of being alive because their friends died.

Then there were the slaves who finally had freedom but had no means or knowledge to embrace it.   Their fear of their master’s abuse was replaced with fear being killed by angry ex-slave owners.  If they went away,  they had no means to support themselves nor any place to go.  In staying they are treated with the same disrespect and left with the workload of a household of slaves.  This was a very confusing time for them too.

Also there were the southerners who fought for the slave’s freedom and wanted to help them in making a new life.  They found themselves in danger and hated by the bitter white men of the north for whom they blamed for their losses.  On the other hand the slaves feared trusting them because they were white.

As if If all this wasn’t remarkable enough, Ms. Austin includes one more very important aspect.  In a crisis God is always at work whether we realize it or not.  We are either drawn closer to Him or turn away.  Not only was I a part of the character’s thoughts and emotions, but she also enabled me to experience their spiritual journey in such a tumultuous time.

I will never look at this era the same again.   She brought history and the characters alive!  This book is a masterpiece you WILL want to read!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Novellas aren’t always my favorite to read, but I really liked this one.  Each one was complete in its self and gave me 3 different Christmas/Amish fixes for the holiday!  This book would be great to read anytime of the year though.   All of the stories were very well written.

“A Perfect Secret” is the story of Rose and Luke.   They had been friends for many years.  It was more or less expected they would marry, but his proposal doesn’t bring Rose the happiness she thinks it should.   Their relationship is well, boring.  He seems almost afraid to show her affection and she wonders how could she live a life time like this?  She wants excitement and romance!   Does she really know who Luke is?  Does he really know who she is and does he care?  The community is hit with a string of thefts, something very uncommon among the Amish.  Rose becomes enthralled by the mystery and decides she will find out who the thief is.  The culprit falls into a trap she sets and she risks following the bandit into the woods.  Her discovery intrigues and shocks her, causing her simple life to suddenly become very complicated.   A surprise ending to look forward to!

“Christmas Cradles” was such a sweet story.  Midwife, Anna Stolis, covers for her aunt’s midwifery practice while she goes on a short vacation.  The weather is turning bad and forecast to grow even worse.  Samuel Mast has volunteered to drive the midwife to nighttime emergencies, but he is sick.  His son Asa is taking his place.  Three babies are due and Anna is hoping they will wait until her aunt returns.  Of course they don’t and all three mothers deliver the same night.  At 26 Anna is considered past marrying age, and somewhat buxom. She didn’t have much hope in marrying.   Asa is a great surprise when he arrives.  Tall and handsome, not to mention she was expecting a man old enough to be her father!   All through the night they go from delivery to delivery in a horrible storm.   Anna finds herself falling in love with Asa’s kind and gentle ways and thinks he might also be interested in her.   Their time together proves to be challenging in many ways more than just the deliveries and the weather. Will unexpected information about Asa’s past threaten end her hopes of marrying him?

“A Marriage of the Heart” was my favorite of the three.  Abigail’s mother died when she was very young.  She never had a mom to teach her how to take care of a household, very important in the Amish life.  Her father was distant, harsh, and unloving which made her feel even more insecure.  All she can think about it getting out from under his roof.   The only thing worthwhile she feels she has is her beauty.  Joseph who has just returned to the Amish community doesn’t give her the attention the other boys do.   In retaliation she falsely accuses him of taking advantage of her.  She is shocked when her father, in a rage, demands they marry.  Then she gets excited thinking this may be her ticket out of her home.  Her hopes come crashing down when her new husband offers for them to live with her Dad!  Now she is married to a man she doesn’t even know, still in her father’s house and now responsible for caring for 2 men when she doesn’t have a clue how. On top of being newlyweds that are married in name only, everyone is acting like they are love birds, and they struggle to keep up the pretense.  She harbors hopes that Joseph will want to go back to the English world he just returned from thus helping her escape from what she believes to be a stifling, boring life.  When she finds out Joseph had a drug addiction he still struggles with, she wonders what she has gotten herself into.  Their journey to learn about each other is humorous and touching.  Can they ever overcome this forced marriage and truly be a happily married couple?

To be perfectly honest I wish there had been a dozen more stories like this.  A book you will want to read!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com&gt; book review bloggers program. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Bible is the only book we need for any area of our life and this definitely includes raising children!  When I was raising my girls I had a book similar to this but it only had the topics and the scriptures.  This book has that and so much more!  It is so many tools rolled into one; a biblical reference for teachable moments, answering children’s questions on different topics, a personal or family devotional guide, a scripture reference for memorization, and a prayer guide.

The first part of the book has a great deal of information recognizing opportunities for teaching your children scripture and also how exactly to go about it.  I thought this was great as many parents want to do this but don’t know how.

Topics are listed from A – Z.   Under each subject is the definition of that word.  Some might think this not needed, but you would be surprised how many words we assume our children know the real meaning of when they don’t.

Next there are several scriptures to memorize pertaining to that subject, and a set of discussion questions to help look deeper into what you are studying. These could be a real springboard into a great devotional time.

This is followed by the “Take Action” section that gives suggestions to make the concept a part of daily life. Many have a parenting tip to help you guide your child in understanding and applying the truth that has been presented.  Sometimes there is a related topic listed so you can take the study even further.

At the end of the book are two more tools.  The Scripture Appendix contains the complete texts of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Love Chapter, the Fruit of the Spirit, the Armor of God, Colossians 3:12-14, and 2 Peter 1:5-9.  Assigned to each of these is a symbol.  These symbols appear when verses from these scriptures are listed under one of the topics.  This way you can reference back to these larger portions of scripture.  In addition the author lists 15 famous verses to memorize, memorization methods and how to pray scripture for your child.

As you can see this is a priceless reference and study tool not only for families but also church teachers and youth leaders.  This would also be a fantastic gift for a family, a child, or even new parents!  What is even better is so easy to use!  My only disappointment was that this did not come with scriptures from King James Version.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255