Robyn Echols's Blog

While cleaning out emails that missed my notice during the busy days of late winter and early spring, I came across this request to feature a new children's book. The publisher claimed the author thought my blog would be a good match. I am familiar with Heidi Poelman by name. However, to say her children's books are anywhere near the same genre for which I write under my pen name -- American historical sweet romance -- is a stretch. 

I did look at the author's website and was intrigued by her books. They are offered in board book (print) format as well as in ebook. Although geared for the youngest of the young reading or listening audience, they appear to cover topics of worth to people of all ages. For those of us with children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, they are definitely worth considering as additions to a child's library. 

Perhaps I should research some of these great people featured in Ms. Poelman's books and consider working them into some of my adult historical romance fiction.

Although I was asked to feature Women in Science Who Changed the World, I felt impressed to provide the links to a few more of her books:

 

Women inScience Who Changed the World

Author: Heidi Poelman

Illustrator: Angie Alape

Fromthe innovations of Janaki Ammal to the careful observations of Jane Goodall, Womenin Science Who Changed the World is a young child’s first introduction tothe diverse, extraordinary women who used their brilliant minds to change theworld of science forever. Simple text and adorable illustrations tell thecontributions of eight scientists: Maria Sibylla Merian, Wang Zhenyi, MaryAnning, Marie Curie, Janaki Ammal, Katherine Johnson, Jane C. Wright, and JaneGoodall. A quote from each scientist is included on each spread along withcolorful, delightful artwork.

Readingage 2-4, Pre-school and up

Boardbook: Please CLICK HERE

eBook:Please CLICK HERE

Inventors Who Changed the World(People Who Changed the World)

Author: Heidi Poelman

Illustrator: Kyle Kershner

Readingage 3-8, pre-school to third grade

PleaseCLICK HERE

 

Courageous People Who Changed the World(Volume 1)

Author: Heidi Poelman

Illustrator: Kyle Kershner

Readingage 2-5 years, through Kindergarten

PleaseCLICK HERE

 

Courageous First Ladies Who Changed the World(People Who Changed the World)

Author: Heidi Poelman

Illustrator: Giovana Medeiros

Ages 2-5

PleaseCLICK HERE

 

And this last book caught my interest to the point I decided to share the full book description. Amazing how some animals have made such large contributions to benefit mankind.

Amazing Animals Who Changed the World(People Who Changed the World)

Author: Heidi Poelman

Illustrator: Kyle Kershner

Ages3-8, pre-school to third grade

Fromthe courage of Stubby the war dog to the empathy of Koko the gorilla, AmazingAnimals Who Changed the World is a young child's first introduction to theincredible animals who taught us that you don't have to be big (or human) tomake a difference. Simple text and adorable illustrations tell the contributionsof nine animals who went down in history as interspecies heroes:

Blossomthe vaccine cow

Stubbythe war dog

CherAmi the carrier pigeon

Winniethe friendly bear

Simonthe seacat

Togothe sled dog

Ableand Baker the space monkeys

Kokothe signing gorilla

PleaseCLICK HERE

 

FindHeidi on her website: https://www.heidipoelman.com/

 

 

 

  Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.




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After her father uproots the family to the northern duchy of Brackenhurst, Grace Eldon and her four younger sisters struggle with a new life of hardship. Desperate to keep a roof over their heads amid mounting debts, she and her youngest sister seek employment in the Duke of Brackenhurst’s household despite fearsome rumors.
Scarred and maimed from a terrible fire Silas Isling, Duke of Brackenhurst, buries himself in his work to avoid the stares of pity and fear. When one of the new maids shows no fear at his appearance, he is intrigued. That is until his meddling steward gives her the task of cleaning Silas’ bookroom. It is a most unwelcome disruption since he prefers to be alone.
While a thief plagues his castle, an old nemesis reappears, and enemies invade in the guise of guests. Amidst the distractions and chaos, Grace brings some unexpected order. Once convinced his scars had stolen all hope for love, Silas finds his life forever changed by the quiet maid. Could she love a scarred Duke?
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This fantasy with its medieval feel to it, Grace Under Contract is an interesting romance full of intrigue and suspense.

Grace’s father, after pulling some shenanigans that put his family in a bad situation, moves his five daughters in the hovel of a home with their grandmother. Instead of working the farm to provide for his family and pay the taxes on the grandmother’s property, he spends most of his income at the local pub. He befriends and becomes beholden to Sir Webb who is after one of the daughters named Beauty. She is beautiful, but not overly intelligent. To cover the tax shortfall, Grace convinces Duke Silas’s steward to agree to a contract of indenture for both her and Beauty—her to cover the debt; Beauty to keep her out of the clutches of Sir Webb.

I enjoyed the growing relationship between Grace and Silas with his scars and disability. Never a dull moment with the vindictive housekeeper, the neighboring duke with political ambitions who wishes to cement a treaty with Silas through marriage with one of his daughters, and the spy who somehow breeches the castle’s defenses to steal food and weaken the duchy from within.

The tension was high, the action was engaging, the romance was sweet, and there were some surprises at the end that made this a must-read story.

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Donna Hatch is the author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The Golden Quill and the International Digital Award. A hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her husband). A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.

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Margaret, the eldest of the misbegotten Amesbury family, is accused of murdering her jerk of a husband and then fleeing. Conner Jackson, a Bow Stree Runner, is hunting her down to bring her to justice. Or so he thinks.

This romantic story of loss and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption, and strangers marrying, will leave you laughing, crying, and swooning. Sprinkled liberally with suspense, mystery, and heart-melting kisses, this is not your ordinary historical tale of an arranged marriage nor of redeeming the rakes. Fans of Victorian and Regency Eras as well as those seeking clean and wholesome romance with plenty of chemistry will love this story!


The Rogue Hearts Series:
The Stranger She Married 
The Guise of a Gentleman
A Perfect Secret
The Suspect's Daughter
Not a Fine Gentleman

Praise for Donna Hatch:
“Donna Hatch is one of the masters of clean romance with electric tension and smokin’ hot kisses.” ~ Reading is My Super Power Reviews


“Written with heart and depth, Donna Hatch’s books are absolute must-reads for any fan of swoon-worthy historical romance.”  ~ Sarah M. Eden, USA Today best-selling historical romance author


And now for the Cover  *************************** *



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Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the children are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. 

Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.




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The royal wedding approaches and the country is alive with anticipation. 

 Among the craftsmen traveling to the capital is Constance Rendare and her family. An artist, a widow of an unhappy marriage, and the mother of a young son, she dreams of escaping the cruel servitude of her father’s household. 

 Wilard Naron serves the Earl of Dentin. He returns to the capital, his childhood home, to collect his earnings and finally free himself from his father’s reputation. 

 Kidnappings, bandits, and a plot against the king complicate the journey. The conflicts throw Constance and Wilard together as their circumstances grow steadily worse. The more the pair uncovers, the direr the future looks for the country and for them.

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The following are my book reviews of the three Novels of Rhynan:
Duty           This book reads like a medieval romance although it has a hypothetical setting, and the names for the kings, castles, and deity are not historical. It starts with a conquered land and the ruling general, Lord Irvaine, being required to marry the noblewoman of the defeated landholding, Lady Brielle. With the men dead, the marriageable women are require to marry soldiers who will stay and work the land as well as provide a defensive force from foreign invaders. Lady Brielle’s cousin offered her up as guarantee for his change in loyalty to the new king, but she knows he cares nothing for her or her people. Although this union formed as a matter of duty to the new king, the question is whether or not it grows into a true romance, especially as this couple face challenges from inside and outside their rule.           The author did an excellent job of world-building. She also created relatable characters. Written in first person, I found it easy to identify with Brielle—her concerns and her feelings for her family and her people. Plenty of conflict in this plot kept the story interesting and moving at a good pace. It was hard to put down and I hated to see this sweet romance end.
Honor           Although written as a stand-alone, Honor seamlessly follows Duty as a fantasy set in a medieval-style world. Lord Dentin is mentioned briefly during the end of the first novel as a person who is driven and not given to feeling. He plays the starring role in this story as the reader discovers the reasons why he has developed the outward persona of being ruthless and uncaring. That gradually begins to change as he meets and interacts with Elsa, the last unmarried daughter of Lord Reeve. With an irresponsible brother pushing her family to ruin and an overbearing, demanding mother insisting she marry well to save them, she fights back to keep from being the forced pawn of others.           The story is full of conflicts, dangers to be overcome, and enough action to keep the story interesting and moving at a good pace. I enjoyed the characters, especially seeing them exhibit their negative traits along with their strengths. Written in first person, the point of view alternated between Lord Dentin and Elsa. I enjoyed this story and can recommend it. Although not necessary in order to follow this story without feeling like gaps are missing, I do suggest reading the three stories in the Rhynan series in order.
Mercy           This story follows Honor, although it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. I recognized Lord Dentin and his wife Elsa, minor characters in this book, from the previous book. I also eventually recognized the hero of this book, Wilard, as one of the minor characters in Honor.          Unlike the primary characters in the first two books, Wilard and Constance are not nobility. They are craftspeople, both with difficult families that add to the conflict of the story. They start out working together to discover what happened to Constance’s father after he was abducted, which led to them helping Lord Dentin discover a plot against the king. Written in first person, the point of view alternates between Constance and Wilard. This story, along with plenty of action, involved an interesting cast of characters that added depth and interest to this sweet romance. I can recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading either fantasy or historical romances.




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Chloe Richardson had just landed the biggest client of her career. A promotion was in her future, or so she thought until the handsome Jason Mitchell walked into her office with his gorgeous smile and searing blue eyes—and took her job.

Losing her job so close to Christmas, Chloe’s only choice was to go back home to Aubrey Heights, where the Christmas spirit is celebrated in a tourist loving, wonderland. Perhaps she can pull herself together before the new year—before her new career search.

However, Jason follows her to Aubrey Heights—with a mission of his own. First he stole her job—now he wants to steal her heart.

Is the spirit of Christmas alive enough in her to let that happen?

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Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty-five books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it because she lives it.

When not immersed in the writing/publishing world, Bernadette Marie and her husband are shuffling their five hockey playing boys around town to practices and games as well as running their family business. She is a lover of a good stout craft beer and might be slightly addicted to chocolate.

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  Author Interview
Book: Corporate ChristmasAuthor: Bernadette Marie
1- When did you start writing, and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become an author? My writing journey, like many authors, began at the age of 12-13. I had been asked to write a second story for an essay exam, because mine had ranked highly. Then, that same year, I fell in love with the mini-series. Thorn Birds had replayed that year, and suddenly I was swept away by it. As was If Tomorrow Comes, by Sidney Sheldon, and that one sucked me in! I decided I wanted to be an actress in a mini-series, but locked in Colorado, the only way I could do that was to write it. But, I could write the book and they’d turn it into a mini-series. As you can see, I fell in love with that book process. 2- How many books do you have out, and do you have a favorite? I currently have out 36 titles. My favorite has always been A Second Chance. The story revolves around a mother and her children, and I resonate with that as I have five children. But I do have to say that my paranormals are inching their way as my favorites too. The Last Goodbye helped me deal with my father’s death, and that was very healing for me.3- How do you come up with character names? Sometimes I use name generators until I come up with one. Other times I’ll scroll through Facebook and take this first name and this last name. Names don’t just come to me, which I think is pretty funny.4- Do you have a favorite author? Nora Roberts has always been my go to, but I do like her contemporary more than the suspense. 5- What is some of your favorite or memorable books that you’ve read? In recent years, it has been Karen White’s Tradd Street Series. I love them all!!! But If Tomorrow Comes will always be my favorite, I think because it was the book that made me fall in love with reading after years of struggling but wanting to be that girl with my nose in a book.6- What is one piece of advice you could give to a new author that you wish someone had passed to you? There is no one right path to publication, so keep writing while you find it. The thing that sells a book is another book, so you have to always be writing no matter what process of publishing you’re at.7- Do you have any pets? We inherited a guinea pig named Princess Peach when my son, who was told he couldn’t have a pet, bought one with his girlfriend and then she was allergic. We convinced him, when my husband began working from home, that she’d be more comfortable up with the family than in his teenage room. When he moved out, we refused to let Princess Peach go. She lives with us now, but he pays for her stay :)8- What do you do in your spare time when you’re not writing? I own other businesses, aside from my writing and my publishing business, so I tend to those. I’m a Beach Body Coach, so I enjoy working out, doing yoga, and walking with friends. You’ll very often find me at a hockey rink as all my boys play hockey. Only in the last year, I’ve learned the art of vegging on the couch with my husband. We each have our own “section” on the couch, and I think we look like Archie and Edith after 7pm.9- What is the best vacation you ever went on? This one is sooo hard! Disneyland is my go to vacation spot! My birthday is July 4th and I found that Disneyland is the best place in the world to celebrate your birthday. (And it’s not as busy as you’d think it would be on the 4th.) My twins’ birthday is the 5th, so they’re pretty spoiled too. We’ve celebrated there for years. This year my mom and sister joined us. I’ve also been to Ireland and Italy with my boys’ high school music department. Seeing your kids marching in Saint Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland or signing at the Vatican in Rome make for some amazing vacations.10- Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us anything about it `? In the works is book ten of the Walker Family series, and then there will be one more to finish up that series. Before that one is done, I’m sure I’ll have a slew of others in the works. I plan to do more Christmas story releases next year, and I begin writing those in January.


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With Laci and Mitch anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new baby, they are surrounded by the turmoil of discovering Mama's illness while their two sons fight over the love of a woman.
A white Christmas brings a moment of joy, but Laci’s faith is tested again when their baby clings to life. 
Together the Young family must lean on each other and the only One who can truly give them strength.
Will they find the faith they need…even through the snow?" 


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Sandy lives in her hometown of Mt. Vernon, IL enjoying life with her two youngest kids, and works full time for a local hospital as a health consultant. Most mornings she can be found at her local bookstore-coffee shop among friends, looking for inspiration and writing her next novel.






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This book started out a little rough for me. At first, the characters came off a little too snarky for my tastes, and I was prepared to dislike them. As the story continued, I realized the author wrote several of the characters to be quippy and outgoing. I felt the characters matured and settled down as the story progressed and they faced the challenges that arose. By the end, I enjoyed reading about these same characters
There was the romance of the mature parents of a blended family who were expecting their first child together. Another romance, including a bit of a love triangle, also developed with some of the adult children of this couple. Although there were several instances of suggestive bedroom talk, this was a sweet romance with no explicit bedroom scenes. As the story progressed, the overriding themes that developed were the strength found in loving families supporting each other through difficulties, and the importance of faith in God.
There was plenty of action in this story—challenges this family faced which captivated and held my interest. It also became apparent to me that the author herself, or someone close to her, had personal experience with two of the health challenges that became part of the plot. Those particular scenes were very well written. She not only brought out the emotional impact on those who suffered the conditions as well as the characters who loved them, but she described the illnesses in terms the reader could understand. It helped me appreciate the difficulties experienced by people with those health conditions. In that respect, I found the book educational as well as fascinating.
The more I read, the more I enjoyed this story. The last several chapters completely held my interest as I waited to see how things worked out for this family. This book is well worth reading.


Excerpt 3.
At first, she thought she was just seeing things. Another appeared, and then another. Laci looked up and smiled, then closed her eyes and tilted her head back so she could catch them in her mouth as they fell. She felt like a little
kid and wanted to spin around but knew her body wasn’t really up for that. 
The flakes grew larger, falling faster and faster and her face was now wet from the melted snow. When she opened her eyes however, the few soft snowflakes had turned into flurries, a veritable snowstorm in a few short minutes. She gasped with delight. “Let it snow!” She yelled with joy, holding out her hands and walking around in circles. It reminded her of a day, not long ago, when she had danced in the rain and asked God to heal her cancer.

“It’s snowing!” Travis yelled, running to the window. “Can I go outside with mom?” He asked.

Mitch raised his eyebrow. “What are you talking abou—?”

Mitch turned to the window and saw Laci standing in the snow. “What in the world is that woman doing?” Immediately, he tore out the back door. “Laci Jean!” He shouted as he ran down the deck stairs toward her.

“It’s snowing, Mitch! It’s really snowing!” She shouted with excitement and turned toward him, but as she did her foot slipped on the snow-covered grass. Her legs gave way.

“LACI!”


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Tallie Brown’s life has never made sense. Raised in isolation by her mother, Julia, Tallie was dragged suddenly and without explanation from one third-world outpost to another until life normalized seven years ago when Julia took a position on a mountaintop in the Pacific northwest. But when Julia unexpectedly dies, Tallie uncovers clues suggesting that Julia had a secret life. 

Journalistic phenom Jackson James is still recovering from the devastating mistake that flatlined his promising career. Now he’s paying the price, working as the editor of a syrupy community rag in a posh D.C. suburb. But when the very man who destroyed him drops a tantalizing lead about a potential D.C. scandal, the reporter sees his chance for redemption and sets off to chase the story. 

Jackson’s investigation leads him to Cutler’s Ridge, a dying Virginia coal town, and directly into the path of the mysterious and beautiful Tallie. As these two mistrustful loners follow their leads, their stories begin to intertwine until they reach an alarming conclusion – something terrible happened in Cutler’s Ridge. As they doggedly pursue the story, the town’s cold reception spirals into threats and danger, proving that there are those who will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden forever –because secrets never die.

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Laurie (L.C.) Lewis will always be a Marylander at heart—a weather-whining lover of crabs, American history, and the sea. She admits to being craft-challenged, particularly lethal with a glue gun, and a devotee of sappy movies. Secrets Never Die is Laurie’s twelfth published novel.
Her women’s fiction/romance novels include Love on the Line, (2019), Awakening Avery, (2018), Love on a Limb, (2017), Sweet Water, (2017), The Dragons of Alsace Farm (2016), and Unspoken (2004), written as Laurie Lewis. Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, she wrote the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical romance series, set against the backdrop of the War of 1812: Dark Sky at Dawn (2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming
(2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).

Laurie Lewis is a RONE Award Winner (The Dragons of Alsace Farm) and was twice named a New Apple Literary Award winner in 2017 (The Dragons of Alsace Farm), and in 2018, winning Best New Fiction (Love on a Limb.) She is also a BRAGG Medallion honoree, and she was twice named a Whitney Awards and USA Best Books Awards finalist.

Laurie loves to hear from readers, and she invites you to join her VIP Readers’ Club, or contact her at any of these locations.


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He stood and helped her stand. Her fingers closed around his and she looked into his face,
her own face alight with want, as if this simple touch had stirred a deep longing to be close to someone, to be loved by someone. Jackson had known that hunger many times over the past seven years, and it boiled within in again. He had never felt so vulnerable and responsible at the same time. The man in him wanted to pull her close and answer her need, but thankfully, the friend in him, the better man in him, remembered how an anguished soul seeks solace in human touch. Loving her would be easy. Loving her as she deserved required more than either of them now had to give.

He was grateful he was the one standing before her, looking into those eyes filled with
pleading to belong to someone, not because he was a great prize, but because his parents had infused him with the values that should be tied to that want—enduring love, permanence, marriage, family, and home. He had never been as grateful for those teachings as he now was, standing before a lonely, beautiful, loving woman with no such background. It was all on him.

He forced himself to step back, freeing one of his hands from hers to brush a stray wisp
of hair into place. A wave of confusion clouded her face at the shift in the mood. Jackson knew the moment deserved a word or two, but he doubted his resolve if he lingered too long. He smiled at her. “Never think you’re not worthy of being loved. It’s not true, Tallie. You’re easy to love. So very easy.”



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Today's Wednesday Wonders features  The Faith of a Wife  by L. A. Pattillo

About The Faith of a Wife:
Is what they will gain, worth the cost?

A Prophet of the Lord.
A God calling for repentance.
A Danger they never knew existed.

After being thrown in prison for preaching of God in the town square, Amulek must rely on his new found faith that his family will be spared the evil running rampant through the city. Little does he know that this is only the beginning of his family's trials.

Tabitha flees with her children in order to save their lives, leaving her husband at the mercy of the courts. Not knowing if she will ever see Amulek again and with no possessions to her name, she fears they will never find a place to settle or call their own.

Are there other believers with whom they can find refuge? Or will they be forced to wander from city to city seeking for a peace that doesn't exist?

“The Faith of a Wife” is a Christian Historical Fiction Romance. These stories bring life to the men in the scriptures and the families who supported them during their God-given duties in the Ancient Americas. Each book is a stand-alone story and can be read in any order.
The Women of Faith Series
The Faith of a Bride (get the ebook for FREE by signing up for my newsletter)
The Faith of a Wife
The Faith of a Queen Sept. 2019
The Faith of a Servant TBD

Excerpt:
Amulek jolted to a stop. Again, the same words flowed through his head as he stared at the stranger. Instead of feeling anxious or worried about allowing the stranger into his home, Amulek felt strangely calm and peaceful.
Slowly, cautiously, he stepped again towards the man. Each step closer brought increased strength to his spirit. Truly this is meant to be.
Amulek paused before the man and raised a hand. “Who are you?” he whispered.
Slowly, the man raised his head. His skin was dark and from many hours in the sun. His beard and hair were long and unkempt with strains of gray intermingled with the dark hair, but his eyes were kind and held a deep wisdom. A small played on his lips as he addressed Amulek.
“I am Alma, the prophet of the Lord, and I am and hungered.”
Amulek’s eyes jolted wide open as he suddenly awoke in his bed and he sucked in a deep breath. For several moments his chest heaved as he took in the cool air of the night. A stirring to his left drew his attention and caused Amulek to turn his head.
“Are you all right, my husband?” Tabitha's sweet voice drifted on the evening breeze and helped calm his erratic heartbeat.
“Yes,” he croaked out. “Yes, Tabitha. I am well.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms, finding comfort as her head rested in the crook of his shoulder. “It was a dream, only a dream.” 

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My Book Review:
I am familiar with the account of Amulek and his encounter with Alma. What I enjoyed about this story is the personal touch. Instead of family members being relegated to the impersonal designations of wife and children, the author brought this account to life in a family setting with well-developed characters. This helped broaden the impact of what it meant to this man to answer the prompting given to him in his dreams. He set aside his own business and reputation to follow the difficult path of supporting a prophet unpopular with the people of his city. He not only put himself, but also his family, at risk.
This story was well-paced, full of action and challenges as well as faith. Although leaving his family to serve the Lord created difficulties for his family and strained some relationships, this novel was also a lovely story of the power of family love. An inspirational must-read.

About L. A. Pattillo:
L.A. Pattillo is the mother of 5 busy children and wife to 1 fantastic husband by day and avid reader and writer by night. She loves her father in heaven and is active in her church. She graduated from BYU with a degree in Creative Writing and now resides with her family in the Pacific Northwest.


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Today's Wednesday Wonders features  Hot Corner Magic  by Carol Malone 
About Hot Corner Magic: For the Love of the Game...
For the love of game!
Think The Natural meets The Bad News Bears...
During the hot ’49 summer baseball season, the Sox’s hot corner – third baseman – Ruby Fleming, fouls out, and slides into the bottle, landing himself in a minor league team in Texas.

Can a bull-headed, tough-talking manager and a dark-haired angel named, Rebecca, coach Rudy to swing for the fences to save his career, his life, and get the magic back at hot corner?

Excerpt:
Rudy, still woozy from a night of celebratory drinking, held the bat with trembling hands and stared down at a blurry, weaving Bearden. "Whatcha got, Traveler? Lemme see yer best."
"Big cheese, ain't ya?" Jim Hegan, crouched behind the plate grumbled. "Well, Harvard, you're just a cucumber whose pickled himself too many times."
Rudy spun around, bat raised, ready to pound Hegan into oatmeal mush. "Take that back."
The umpire stepped between both players. "Stop bustin' Fleming's chops, Hegan. You take your stance, Fleming. Play ball."
Seething, Rudy faced forward again, swinging the bat around then took his batting stance.
Bearden reared back, threw heat, a fastball down and away, Rudy managed to hold up.
"Ball," the ump boomed.
Bells clanged in Rudy's head. He held up his hand and called for time. Stepping out of the batter's box, he glanced down at the third base coach who relayed a signal from the manager.
Bunt.
Not a chance in hell. He wouldn't do it. This was his time to be a hero--the champ he'd been while playing ball four years at Harvard, while earning his mechanical engineering degree.
Rudy stepped back in the batter's box, whirled his bat, hooking it above his shoulder. The crowd of 33,000 surged to their feet, their shouts deafening.
Williams took his lead off first.
Staring down at Bearden, Rudy's eyes flew in and out of focus, his tongue felt numb, his hands shuddered. He had to stop hitting the sauce--right after the Sox won the Series.
Bearden wound up, his foot kicking high, his long arm behind him. Whoosh. 
More heat.
Rudy swung with every ounce of muscle and sinew. The horrible pop of the ball smacking leather reverberated throughout the stadium. The entire crowd went silent. The only other sound was the umpire calling, "Strike threeeee. You're ooooout!"

My Book Review:
This was a great story of redemption. I really enjoyed reading about this young man full of himself to the point he refuses to recognize his self-destructive behavior. He is given a wake-up call when he is sent back to the minors to work under the tutelage of a grizzled old coach, Buzz, who takes no nonsense. He works Rudy to death, but will not let him play until Rudy decides for himself to stop drinking. That "kick-in-the-backside" encouragement, along with the love of the coach's granddaughter provides incentive.
I loved the folksy language of the story, typical, I understand, of pulp fiction. I felt it added immensely to the flavor of the story. The author wrote excellent, believable characters, and the story had a great plot. This is a delightful story, no matter your usual reading genre.

About Carol Malone
Carol & husband-L.A. Dodgers fansAn award winning novelist, Carol Malone writes new-pulp-fiction suspense kissed with romance that rockets readers into the past. In her novels, she encourages women (and men) to overcome doubts and fears. If not hammering out new tales, Carol is reading, watching the Dodgers, (sob!) and Hallmark on TV. Her sci-fi author husband can't understand how Carol can read and watch TV at the same time. She loves to talk sports and romance and invites all to chat with her on her website.

Be sure to read the short introduction on Carol’s website that explains how she got her start writing pulp fiction romances. 

Connect with Carol:Website | Facebook | Twitter 
Carol's Other Books:
Fight Card Romance: Ladies Night
Fight Card Romance: Ladies Night Christmas

  

Today's Wednesday Wonder features  The Flight of a Butterfly  by Rachel Ward

About The Flight of a Butterfly
Lucy Simpson just survived the worst day of her life. Rather than stick around to deal with the fallout of losing her accounting job and the betrayal of her longtime boyfriend, she makes a split-second decision to pull up roots and move to Hawaii.

She arrives with a suitcase, a reservation at a cheap hotel, and a whole lot of hope. Relieved to be an ocean away from her overbearing father, Lucy creates a list of experiences to help her explore what she really wants from life. Her new friends from the singles ward become her cheerleaders and help her cross items off the list one by one. As she does, she learns a little bit more about herself, about life and about love. But when a family emergency calls her home, will she be forced to choose between her old life and a new love?


My Book Review of The Flight of a Butterfly
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of self-discovery. Several things go really wrong, but Lucy soon figures out her problems began when she followed the path others had set up for her life which was not leading to her happiness. I enjoyed reading how she developed a new plan for her life and began to work it with the support of the friends she picked up along the way.  The challenge came when a crisis called her back home. Would she return to what she had before, and would her perspective have changed?
I enjoyed the characters. They felt real. Some of the attitudes were so true to life all I could do was smile and shake my head.
This story had a sweet romance ... more than one, actually ... and it was interesting to read how it played out, especially with the quirks some of the characters needed to resolve. This is a must-read.
CLICK HERE to purchase The Flight of a Butterfly on Amazon.


About Rachel Ward
Rachel grew up reading every book she could get her hands on and spending time with her cat. At least, that was the report in every annual Christmas letter. The humiliation was enough to spur her into action, and she began writing. And she never stopped. Rachel studied English at Brigham Young University-Idaho and then wrote and blogged in between the births of her six children. She currently lives in West Jordan with her family, and while she no longer has a cat, she still reads every book she can get her hands on.  

Connect with Rachel:
Website  |  Facebook  | Twitter