Showing posts with label inspirational fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspirational fiction. Show all posts

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Shadows of Hope by Georgiana Daniels


 
A story of hope in the aftermath of inconceivable betrayal and broken dreams

 What if. . .
. . .you struggled with infertility but unknowingly befriended your husband’s pregnant mistress?

What if. . .
. . .the woman you were seeing behind your wife’s back gets pregnant, threatening your job and marriage?

What if. . .
. . .your boyfriend never told you he was married and you discover you’re pregnant?
Crisis pregnancy worker Marissa Moreau suspects her husband is cheating, but little does she know how close to home her husband’s infidelity hits. College student Kaitlyn Farrows is floundering after a relationship with her professor leaves her pregnant. Soon she lands a job and a support system at the local pregnancy resource center and things seem to be turning around. But when Marissa and Kaitlyn become friends, neither one knows they share a connection—Colin, Marissa’s husband and Kaitlyn’s former professor. When their private lives collide, the two women must face the ultimate test of their faith and choose how to move forward as they live in the shadows of hope.


This story had me clinging to my tablet—a real page turner. The emotion packed into each character oozed right off the page. Amid such turmoil, there remains hope throughout. The author gives food for thought, allowing us to see room for forgiveness in this heartbreaking dilemma. The MC, Marissa, holds tightly to her faith as she looks for answers to how—or if—her marriage can be saved.

Shadows of Hope is ideal for a book club. as there are questions following the story to guide your discussion.

The story is told from the POV of each of the three main characters: the infertile wife, the cheating husband, and the pregnant girlfriend. This book is well edited. The pace is wonderful. I will gladly read more from this author.

I thought about giving it four stars because I would have liked a few more twists and turns, and I felt the tiniest bit unsatisfied with the ending. But I went with five since I really loved the story so much I couldn’t put it down!

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

A Loyal Heart (An Uncertain Choice #4)


     In An Uncertain Choice, Jody Hedlund took us back to medieval times and introduced us to three knights in shining armor and a strong woman that catches their eye.

     A Loyal Heart continues Hedlund's YA series with characters introduced in the previous books. This newest release is filled with the same magnificence of the previous releases: Chivalrous knights in battle, a virtuous and strong Lady, romance—all in captivating medieval settings.

      Lady Olivia will do anything for family loyalty, rationalizing her actions to fit her faith. And she will risk her life to protect her younger sister. Lady Olivia is skilled with her sword, though still unable to keep herself and her sister from capture.

     Sir Aldric has walked away from his birthright, punishing himself for his past mistakes. He is now the captain of Lord Pitt’s army, and has been sent to capture an enemy’s daughters to use as leverage. Will holding them hostage persuade their father to succumb to the King’s leadership and stop his rebellion?

     This story holds a strong lesson about family loyalty versus morality. A promise versus virtue.  I especially love this series for young readers, as it gives a beautiful example of what true romance is when it comes to a wholesome relationship. In other words, how you would want a young man to treat your own daughter. The YA genre seems to be lacking in this area today. I’m so glad Hedlund has decided to fill the void.
     
     Hedlund uses two POVs—one from Sir Aldric's perspective, and the other in first person from Lady Olivia's.


     As I stated in my review of her previous YA release, I particularly love the way this author paints women as capable rather than powerless. Even though this leading lady is on more than one occasion a damsel in distress, needing rescue from a knight in shining armor, Hedlund still portrays her as a woman of strong character—courageous in the face of danger. And in this installment, Lady Olivia becomes the rescuer!

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     As with all her other books in this series, Hedlund paints vivid descriptions. She’s also done her homework on the technical aspects of the medieval period. Well edited, this story has a great pace. You won’t want to put it down.
   
     Even though this series is listed as Young Adult, it is enjoyable for all ages. I’ve read them all, and I highly recommend you do, too. Knights in shining armor—what’s not to love! 

     If you'd like to read the entire series, the Noble Knights Collection is available for Kindle as well as most other e-readers. It contains the first four books of the series.

     The prequel to this series is only available in e-book format, while the others are available in paperback, hardback and audio formats.

         Prequel to An Uncertain Choice

Books available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbooks.com

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Review of With You Always by Jody Hedlund



With You Always is book #1
in the new Orphan Train series
by Jody Hedlund,
kicked off with the e-novella
An Awakened Heart.

 New York 1850s: A financial crisis has left widows and children begging in the streets. Some women have even turned to prostitution as a last resort to feed their starving children. Luckily, for the Neumann sisters, a mission has provided the eldest with a seamstress job to provide for her famil.

In the throes of a gang war on the streets, Elise depends on the wealthy Thornton Quincy to help her rescue a blind beggar. The young Quincy abandons his urgent business to assist in securing the safety of the women sheltering at the mission. He is given a quick view of life on the other side of the tracks, vowing financial support for the mission. Unfortunately, he goes on with life and forgets about his vow.

Eventually, the financial crisis hits home again for Elise—the sewing work that had provided an income for so many at the mission came to an end. She is forced to look for another means to support her family.

Elise Neumann only sees one way to save her family—leave the others in the care of the mission’s founder and board an “orphan train” to the Midwest, hoping to land a good job as a seamstress and send money home for her sisters. Her goal is to someday reunite her family.

Thornton Quincy, son to one of New York’s wealthiest businessmen, crosses paths with Elise a second time when he finds her aboard a train taking him to a new town he is developing in Illinois.
Elise and Thornton are from two very different worlds. Can they work together to make things better for the workers in Quincy, Illinois? Will Elise find a way to reunite her family before it’s too late?

~



Introduced in the free novella An Awakened Heart, Elise Neumann is a strong young woman of high character who faces life’s hardest challenges with courage and determination. Although, her faith in a God who cares is waning, and she’s running quite short on hope.

Set in the 1850s, With You Always highlights women involved with the effort to resettle orphaned children from the harsh conditions in the city—where many learn to turn to crime as a means of survival—to a Christian home in the Midwest. Unfortunately, the reality wasn’t always as it was supposed to be.

This storyline follows a few young women escaping the hardships of New York for a better life in Illinois. The New York Children’s Aid Society has offered jobs to some of the young women with marketable skills, in the growing towns along the railways of the Midwest, particularly one being developed by Thornton Quincy.

Jody Hedlund never disappoints, and this series promises to be as intriguing as any of her others. Hedlund breathes life into her characters, painting a clear picture of their day to day struggles. You will fall in love with Elise and cheer for Thornton in this wonderfully written novel.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Review of Never Forget by Jody Hedlund

I had the pleasure of previewing Jody Hedlund's latest release--Never Forget. The setting for this final installment in the Beacons of Hope series is set at Rose Island Lighthouse, Rhode Island, in the late 1800s.

Abbie Watson’s grandfather is the acting keeper of Rose Island Lighthouse. The only problem is Gramps is senile. Flipping from present day to somewhere in his long-ago past, Gramps is unable to carry out his duties as acting keeper. Luckily, Abbie is more than capable of tending the light and caring for her grandfather. If only she could make the superintendent realize it. If only Abbie’s husband hadn’t been a drunkard. Now that he is deceased, how will she ever convince anyone that she and Gramps should remain at Rose Island? Abbie will do anything to help Gramps remain at the only place he knows and loves.

Following at severe storm, Abbie discovers a man washed ashore. He has no memory of how he got there, or even who he is! Before she can figure out what to tell Gramps, he assumes the stranger is his former assistant one moment, and Abbie’s late husband the next.

Unintentionally, the strange man is led to believe that he is in fact Abbie’s husband. Guilt plagues her, but she allows the charade to continue, hoping it allows a little time for her to figure out how to keep Gramps on Rose Island.

I love the characters in this story. Abbie is proud, strong and loyal—the perfect heroine, even though she is tripped up by many imperfections—one being her ability to avoid the truth. She is easy to like. Nathaniel is giving, kind, tender, but has a tortured soul. He desperately wants to make up for the sins of his past life.

The added detail of dealing with a loved one suffering from dementia adds a bittersweet tone to this story. It's easy to understand how those rare moments of clarity are priceless to Abbie and her sister. What wouldn't we do to have those treasured moments?

The pace is very good from start to finish. I was immediate hooked into the story. The twist and turns were surprising. Just when you think things are coming together, Hedlund throws a curveball. This might just be my favorite in the Beacons of Hope series. 

As usual for Hedlund, the writing, editing, all the details are impeccable. A really good read.

Read in order, this series follows the journey of a wooden cross as it is passed along from one person to another. The individual stories are unique, so the books work quite well as stand-alones.

Never Forget is available for pre-order at Amazon for $4.99.  I highly recommend this one!

Monday, September 26, 2016

An Interview with Jody Hedlund



Congratulations, Jody, on the release of your 2nd historical, Newton & Polly: A Novel of Amazing Grace. I not only enjoyed the story, but I learned so much about the man who penned that treasured hymn! I was amazed that you could weave so many facts into such a rich and lovely story.

With a story based on true people and events, how do you 
balance fact with fiction?


It’s important to remain true to the facts. However, if that’s all a fiction writer did the book would turn into a biography. The challenge then is to take the facts and craft them into a riveting tale that readers can’t put down. In order to do that, writers often have to add additional plot lines and characters. Since history doesn’t record everything and we weren’t there to see what really happened, writers have the liberty of interpreting the gaps and adding in things that could have occurred.


I always write with this motto: Build the framework with true facts, but then fill in the unknown and decorate the house with enough color and drama to make a good story.

You always do an enormous amount of research for each of your historicals. What was your research process like for Newton and Polly?



The first part of my research process for Newton and Polly involved reading as many biographies about John Newton that I could find. The one I found to be the most accurate and helpful was called, John Newton From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken.



Another book I found especially helpful was John Newton’s autobiography, Out of the Depths. His accounts are both insightful and inspiring.



After learning as much as I could about both Newton and Polly including their backgrounds and personalities, I then researched the historical context of the story—the political and social climate, the war with France, the slavery issues, pirating, smuggling, impressment, and all the other issues common to the mid-1700’s. 


What was the hardest part about the research?


Once I’d gained an understanding of the bigger picture, I familiarized myself with the smaller details such as clothing, food, homes, and everything else that I could learn about Georgian England. This micro-level research is usually the hardest for me. I want to be as accurate as possible in every detail from what hairstyles the women had to the clothing the sailors wore. But it’s not always easy to locate all the information I need.

 
Editing is an important aspect of making any story better. How much editing did you have to do for Newton and Polly?


I agree. Editing is critically important for every book whether it’s a writers first book or fifteenth.  Like all my books, Newton and Polly went through a rigorous amount of editing.



The first level of editing I receive on any book is called the content or macro edits. For Newton and Polly, the macro edits were especially brutal. I had to do a lot of rewriting to make the story more focused. Although the story is inherently a romance, I’d gotten a little too carried away with the romance in the first part and had to go back and tone it down.



The second level of editing is called the line edit, which is done by a different editor so that a fresh pair of eyes can view the story. For Newton and Polly, my new editor not only gave me work line by line, but also gave me additional work to do on the content.



Of course, the book went through a couple more edits after that before being ready for publication. All in all, the editing process of Newton and Polly was very intense and took a lot of time!


Speaking of time, about how long does it take you to write a book?



My writing pace varies from project to project. My historical fiction (like Luther and Katharina and Newton and Polly) generally are much more time-consuming to write than my other books. They require weeks and weeks of concentrated research simply because they are so much more complicated. Not only does the researching take longer, but the writing does too because I have to stop and do additional research.



On average, I’d say that my historicals take me about 5 months including the research, first draft, and then self-editing. Obviously, once I'm done and turn it into my publisher, there's still a lot more work that goes into getting the book ready for publication. But my first draft process usually encompasses about five months.


Newton and Polly is your 14th published book! Has the process of writing become any easier?



On one level my writing muscles are incredibly strong, and I feel that I’m writing better now than ever.



On another level, Newton and Polly was the hardest book I’ve ever written. Not only was the unfamiliar setting and time period challenging, but the story itself posed issues, especially with the large gaps in time. I couldn’t include everything or the book would have been hundreds of pages long. So I had to decide what to leave out and then how to summarize the passing of time.



The story was also challenging on a personal level. I went through a period of spiritual rebellion during my youth, and so the story dredged up feelings regarding that. Now as a mother of a prodigal son, I found that writing about Newton’s rejection of God and his estranged relationship with his father took on a much more personal meaning.

I can really relate to that. I went through my own long period of spiritual rebellion, and now am dealing with it as a grandparent.



Newton was a prodigal son. He was estranged from his family during his rebellious years, but later made peace with his father. What hope does Newton and Polly offer to parents dealing with children who have left the faith?


As a one-time prodigal child now experiencing a rebellious child of my own, I take a great amount of comfort in Newton’s story. First, I revel in the knowledge that God can take our mistakes, turn them around, and use them for His plans and purposes. 


Second, I take comfort in Newton’s story because it reminds me that no matter how far our children stray into sin or even atheism like Newton, that they are never beyond the reach of God. We as parents need to do our job planting seeds, praying, and encouraging our children in what’s right. But ultimately God is the one who woos and wins our children to Himself.



From a human perspective, Newton looked hopelessly lost, especially as the years began to pass without any sign of change. But we as parents can find solace in knowing that through all of the pain and heartache, God has not abandoned us or our child. He’s there and His plans are at work, even when we can’t see them.



Amen! I take comfort in knowing that God is still wooing my grandchildren.

For the wanna-be-published-someday writers who read my blog, what stands out in your mind about what has made you grow the most as a writer?


If I had to narrow down one specific thing that has helped the most in my quest for publication, I’d have to say this: My careful, ongoing, and thorough study and practice of writing techniques has been the single most beneficial aspect of my writing career.

In other words, I read writing craft books, studied fiction-writing basics, and then put what I learned into practice. All the studying and writing has been the number one thing to help me in my writing career.




And what a career it's been! The Preacher’s Bride debuted in 2010, became a CBA bestseller, and won multiple awards. January 2015, you ventured into YA with the release of a prequel novella—The Vow— and followed that with two full-length novels.  And in October, you released your first historical, Luther and Katharina.

What can we look forward to next in your publication schedule?



In January of 2017, readers can look forward to the 5th and final book in my Beacons of Hope lighthouse series! Be looking for a cover reveal soon!



Then in March of 2017, my third young adult book, For Love and Honor releases. This book spotlights the third knight in the series, Sir Bennet and tells how he finds his one true love.



In June of 2017, I’ll be unveiling a brand new series published by Bethany House. More information coming soon!

My, you have been busy! I loved the Beacons of Hope series. I'm glad you decided to write one last book for that series. And I can't wait to read Sir Bennet's story! Your journey into YA has been quite enjoyable for even your "seasoned" readers. I can't wait to find out what you new series will be.

Thank you for letting your readers have a behind-the-scenes peek at your writing career.

Jody Hedlund is a best-selling and award-winning author who loves history and happily-ever-afters. She makes her home in Midland, MI with her husband and five children. When she's not writing another of her page-turning stories, you can usually find her sipping coffee, eating chocolate, and reading. 

You can connect with Jody on
and her website.