Forgiven, Forgiving, and Free by Dan Winkler

Forgiven, Forgiving, & Free by Dan Winkler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a quick little read but is chocked full of Bible verses and Biblical examples of forgiveness. Dan Winkler is definitely qualified to write a book on this topic and I appreciate his knowledge of the Word and sharing how forgiveness is possible. I've learned that the hardest person to forgive is yourself! Since reading this book and doing a more in-depth study of the Word, I've come to a better understanding of what forgiveness is, how to give it, and how to receive it.

I purchased this book to read in anticipation of a ladies Bible class that this will be used for.


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Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson

Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this second book in the Heart of the Frontier series, we learn that Hope has survived the Whitman massacre. However, just because she survived doesn't mean that she doesn't carry very deep scars of the event. Hope is not sure she will ever trust anyone again, especially a man. After what she's endured, Hope doesn't seem to have a lot of hope for her future. She's living with her sister, Grace and her husband, Alex, as well as her younger sister, Mercy. Hope spends her day tending to their flock of lambs.

It's time for the trial of the Cayuse who caused the trauma that happened at the Whitman plantation. Hope is expected to testify against those who wronged her and many other women in the community but she's not sure she can do it.

There's a new guy in town named Lance who's working at the jail that's holding the Cayuse until they go to trial. Lance is about to get out of the military and he's contemplating returning home to New Orleans to start his law practice and continue to run his family's plantation. After a chance meeting with Hope, Lance isn't sure he wants to go back home. There's a lot of factors that go into this though, including his secret past that he's not sure he could share with someone.

In this novel, Tracie Peterson picks up where she left off in the first book of the series, Treasured Grace. I have not yet read this book but it's my next read as this one was so captivating. I had to download it immediately!! I have also learned that Cherished Mercy, the third book in this series, is set to release in Sept. 2017!! How exciting to read more about this family!

I really fell in love with this book pretty quickly. The story captivated my attention, even though there were a few moments that I was unclear on having not read the first book. For the most part, this is an easy read in terms of picking up pieces though. It is a bit of a heavy read learning of Hope's situation and all she endured while being captured by the Cayuse. For that reason, I would not recommend this book to tender aged readers. There are several "adult" issues faced in this book that might be difficult for a younger crowd.

I loved the story of Lance as well. The way that he handled the past issues he faced was done with much grace. I am not sure I could have been as forgiving as he was (or Hope either for that matter). The overarching theme of this book is forgiveness as well as hope. I felt I could identify with both Lance and Hope on some level and I appreciated the ways in which they handled their issues. My only real issue with this story is that the path to salvation was shortened by a few steps. I do believe that one must Hear the Word (Romans 10:17), Believe on the Word (Matthew 16:16, John 8:24, Acts 16:30-31), Repent of those sins (Luke 24:47, 2 Cor. 7:10, Acts 2:37-38), Confess their sins publicly (Matt. 16:16, Matt. 10:32-33; Romans 10:8-10; Acts 8:35-38), and be Baptized (immersed) (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Col. 2:12; Acts 22:16) for the forgiveness of sins. Then and only then do I believe, as the Bible points out, that one is saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). In this story, Lance was strongly encouraged to hear the Word, believe on the Word, and ask for forgiveness. He was not encouraged to follow through with baptism for the remission of his sins.

Many thanks to Bethany House publishers, as well as Tracie Peterson, for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The thoughts written here are my own and I was allowed to read this novel in exchange for my personal thoughts.

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COTT's May Clash Results

The results of the Clash are IN. Drum roll please....

And the winner is....

A Bridge Unbroken

a Miller's Creek Novel
by Cathy Bryant

Congratulations, Cathy!

And a big congrats also to our other participants. Thank you for playing!

Nancy Kimball with Chasing the Lion, Richard Mabry with Critical Condition, Sharon Srock with Pam, and Katie Ganshert with A Broken Kind of Beautiful

Read what COTT voters had to say about Cathy Bryant's newest book!

• Each one just gets better, Cathy Bryant!!
• Cathy Bryant is a wonderful author. Her books have great characters and are filled with suspense and great spiritual depth. I just read A Bridge Unbroken and it didn't disappoint.
• Cathy Bryant is fast becoming my very favorite author! Her books are so well written and keep me so engrossed in the story line, it is hard to put down. Definitely a winner!!

About the book:

Letting go to build a bridge...

Dakota Kelly wants her painful past to disappear. Her plan to start afresh is derailed when she co-inherits her late grandfather’s farm with Chance Johnson, the man responsible for the scars on her heart. But Chance isn’t the only ghost from the past. Someone else is out to get her and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will Chance and Dakota lay aside their grudges to restore the old farmhouse and bridge, or will evil forces sabotage their attempts at forgiveness?

| Print Copy Purchase | Digital Copy Purchase |

Click here to enter the Goodreads giveaway of 3 print copies of A BRIDGE UNBROKEN.

* * *

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY OF "A BRIDGE UNBROKEN"

by Cathy Bryant

  

The question I get asked most often as an author is: "What's the story behind this particular story?" For A Bridge Unbroken, a Christian romantic suspense and the latest Miller's Creek novel, the inspiration came from three very specific areas.

1. Home Renovation

My hubby and I seem to have a penchant for buying fixer-uppers. Usually I enjoy the process, but this time? Not so much.

We moved to the Santa Fe, New Mexico area in the spring of 2013 for my husband's work as a pastor of praise and worship. Since I'm a country girl at heart and like to have my critters--in this case, chickens, rabbits, and a 75-pound German Shepherd who thinks she's a Chihuahua--we found a cabin in the lovely

Sangre de Cristo mountains. To keep it short, let me just say that this house has been the fixer-upper of all fixer-uppers. While we've accomplished the most difficult tasks, like kitchen and bathroom fixes, we still have a long way to go. (You can see pics HERE.)

So when I took time off from the renovation to write A Bridge Unbroken, I knew a house renovation would be part of the storyline. In the story the heroine, a frightened runaway on the run from an abusive boyfriend, co-inherits her late-grandfather's farm and dilapidated farmhouse with a man responsible for scars on her heart. Unusual conditions are attached to the inheritance, and the two must work together to renovate the farmhouse. (You can watch the book trailer HERE and read a sample chapter HERE.)

2. Writing

I love to write--to plot out scenes, develop characters, and wrangle with words until I find just the right one. I also love interacting with reader friends. My career as a writer had hit an all-time high and my book sales followed suit...

...until we moved to our remote mountain location where it took us months to get internet service.

I made weekly trips to McDonald's to try to stay on top of things, but it wasn't enough. I watched in dismay as my book sales plummeted. To make matters worse, I had no time for writing because of the home renovation.

It was a natural leap to make Dakota (the heroine of A Bridge Unbroken) a writer. I could literally feel her angst at needing to keep her writing career afloat while renovating a broken-down heap of a farmhouse. Yeah, that was easy to write.

3. Forgiveness

When I began praying about the spiritual theme of the story, the answer that came immediately was forgiveness. Quite frankly, I wasn't elated. I often struggle with forgiving others. I've always been very sensitive, the kind who wears my heart on my sleeve. And anytime you leave your heart on your sleeve for any length of time, someone will come along who thinks it's their job to rip into it.

Then something interesting happened. Everywhere I looked I found messages of forgiveness--a devotional magazine, my scripture reading for the day, a social media post--they were everywhere! I delved into scripture, quickly reminded of things I'd known since childhood, but had chosen to overlook. Things like: forgiveness isn't an option or a suggestion, forgiveness is an act of the will, forgiveness is an act of obedience, and more.

I realized during this process that much of the world's teaching on forgiveness had crept into my belief system. And I wasn't alone! Friends had many of the same ideas, none of which were anywhere in God's Word. Worldly messages like: forgiveness is something you do for yourself, forgive and forget, and forgive if...

I'm always amazed at how much the Lord teaches me through my writing. Between penning A Bridge Unbroken and its companion Bible study, The Fragrance of Crushed Violets, God managed to get me back on track in the matter of forgiveness.

So to answer the question of the story behind this story, it all boils down to three things: home renovation, writing, and most importantly, forgiveness.

  

* * *

Cathy Bryant is the author of the popular Miller’s Creek Novels, set in the fictional back-roads country town of Miller’s Creek, Texas…where folks are friendly, the iced tea is sweet, and Mama Beth’s front porch beckons. Her passion is to tell heart-stirring stories about God’s life-changing grace. A native Texan, Cathy currently resides in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico with her minister husband of over thirty years. When she’s not spinning tales about the fine folks of Miller’s Creek, you can find her rummaging through thrift stores, hiking through the wilderness, or up to her elbows in yet another home improvement project in the mountain cabin she calls home. You can find more about Cathy and her books at CatBryant.com. Cathy also likes to interact with reader friends in the following places:

| Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Miller's Creek Readers | Christian Books |

Visit www.clashofthetitles.com for more Clashes, Contests, and Author News!

Review: Bound by Guilt by CJ Darlington

Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the most inspiring book I've read this year! CJ Darlington is a master at the craft of writing! At the age of 15, she wrote her first book Thicker than Blood. Jerry B. Jenkins noticed her talent too, especially after winning his First Novel contest!


Roxi has had a rough life. At the age of eight, the fast lane became too slow for Roxi's mom and she was sent to a foster home after an unfortunate accident left Roxi scarred for life. Bouncing from home to home, no one ever wanted Roxi long. After doing some time in Juvie, Roxi's mom's cousin Irene was located and agreed to take Roxi in. Irene, Diego (her son) and Roxi took some pretty exciting adventures around the country in their RV. They went to places Roxi had never dreamed of seeing in person! Irene was also using these kids though to help support their travels. They would seek out old, antiquated, first edition books and lift them from the hands of the bookstore owners. It wasn't until they happened upon The Book Barn that Roxi started to REALLY feel shame and guilt over her "profession". One fateful night changed it all.


Abby is still reeling over her divorce and the fact that Michael doesn't let her see Kat as much as she'd like. She's so upset about it all that she twists the mayor's wife's hands a little too much during her arrest and finds herself with a two week suspension from the police force. Now what will she do with her time?


Hunter and Christy have their whole lives ahead of them. Everything is going well with the business and their wedding plans are coming together nicely. Love is all they need to survive and they have plenty of it. The only dream being squelched right now is that Hunter's dad will hear nothing of expanding and adding in a coffee shop!


Jan and Keith are drowning themselves into their work after their son, Trae, was killed. Can they ever open their hearts again and find a way to move on? Their ranch is their life but at what cost to them?


This book weaves together the lives of all these people through a series of twists and suspenseful turns. It is a hard book to put down for any length of time! This book demonstrates unconditional love in times when it's not deserved or even possibly wanted. Forgiveness is also demonstrated in ways beyond imagine and the character of Gordon, even though small, is not insignificant in this story.


Will Roxi find peace or forever be....Bound By Guilt?


Thanks to CJ Darlington and Tyndale House Publishers for providing this review copy to read. To learn more about our author and to read other opinions, check out the post from Tuesday.


Happy reading my friends!



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Review: Angel Harp by Michael Phillips

Angel Harp: A Novel by Michael Phillips

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If Michael Phillips always writes like this, please sign me up for more! Obviously, this is the first book by him that I've read. I almost put it down, as it has a slow start. I'm so glad that I gave it a chance. It's a mesmerizing masterpiece!



Marie is a 40 year old widow out to change her life. She leaves her homeland of Alberta, Canada and sets out for Port Scarnose, Scotland with a few of her possessions, most notably, her harp. She finds a beautiful spot near the ocean and plays her harp when a beautiful 12 year old girl, Gwendolyn, comes by. She is mesmerized by her harp and before long, Marie is giving her lessons. Or is it Gwen giving the lessons? This is just the start of a beautiful friendship that will also introduce her to the curate Iain Barclay, and the Duke. Will Marie make the changes she was hoping for or is something else in the works like she'd never imagined?



So many things about this book that I love!! First of all, I have always loved harp music. The beginning of each chapter features the words to a Scottish ditty of some sort that Marie plays sometime in the book. I read this book while outside, enjoying nature and my children paying, and I believe that may have added to the beauty of the book! The story (once I got past the first few chapters) grabbed me and I read this fairly quickly. The ways the characters intertwine is mysterious and, at times, unnerving. There is suspense, romance, drama (plenty of that!), and raw emotions.



One thing that other readers such as myself may struggle with is the Scottish dialect. I finally started getting the hang of it and could read through it fairly quickly. I fear that I may have missed some of Ranald's story due to the dialect. I also wonder where he was in the end. He sorta melted into the background and I thought him to be a bit more important than that.



Warning: Kleenex needed for laughter and tears. :) I'm still a bit haunted by it all!



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