Review

Make Your Creative Dreams Real by SARK

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Subtitle: A plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People who would really rather Sleep All Day

I bought this book at a writers’ conference several years and was inspired by the creative way the author put the book together.

The font changes a few times on a single page. Sentences vary in size on the same page. There are fun sketches throughout. A quote runs down the side of a page.

And pearls of wisdom abound.

There are chapters on “The Land of No,” “The World of Yes,” and “Making Creative Dreams Real with MicroMOVEments.” The book is packed with practical advice, ideas, and inspiration.

I love the phrase “Great Big Dream Flapping Wings” where the word “Dream” has wings. It’s an example of what you’ll find throughout the book.

Another thing I like is that I can pick it up and read a section and set it down with my imagination fueled.

Recommended for writers, painters, actors, artists, quilters, designers—anyone working in a creative field. If you are looking for your creative dream or fear pursuing your dream, this book may inspire you.

Amazon

Ripley Ohio Underground Railroad Sites by Dewey Scott

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

A Self-Guiding Automobile Tour Book

I spent several hours in Ripley, Ohio, recently with some author friends. We were drawn to the area by the rich history of the Underground Railroad activities that went on there. It was dangerous for all involved.

The author has arranged this guide book for Underground Railroad sites with the love of someone who knows the area well. This book gives some historical background of the Underground Railroad’s activities as it touched various locations in the city.

I found this book informative and well-organized. I loved that some historical photos were included with current day photos.  

My friends and I had a wonderful tour of the Rankin House where we learned much that can’t be found in history books. Then we went to the museum at the John P. Parker House where we all listened to a fascinating talk about John P. Parker, who had been born into slavery in 1827.

That talk was given by author of this book, Dewey Scott. What we learned from him was so riveting that several of us purchased his guidebook that day, including me.

The Underground Railroad is a topic in Byway to Danger, Book 3 in my “Spies of the Civil War” series.

Recommended for those desiring to learn more about the history of slavery.

**The book is available for purchase at the John P. Parker House in Ripley, Ohio.

All Through the Night by Tara Johnson

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

It’s 1861 and the Civil War begins in the first chapter of this book.

Cadence Piper has been told for years that she’ll never amount to much because of her slow speech. Her father won’t even allow her to work in his toy store. Cadence fears he’s ashamed of her. She wants to help with nursing duties for the sick and wounded soldiers at the hospitals but even this is denied her. Yet everyone is enchanted by her singing.

Dr. Joshua Ivy believes Cadence is too young and lovely to be of any use in a hospital and he sets out to frighten her away, partly because he fears of losing his heart to her. As an abolitionist, he’s involved in dangerous activities that can turn deadly for those he loves.

Both have a heart for the sick and wounded soldiers but danger reaches out and threatens to envelope both of them.

The characters in this book drew me into their story quickly. I didn’t like Joshua at first because of his harshness. The author reveals the reason for his harsh words bit by bit. The only time Cadence never stammers is when she sings, which she often does to soothe sick and dying soldiers.

The further I got into the story, the harder it was to put it down. The author does a great job of tugging at readers’ emotions. Descriptions of scenes grounded me to the story. I learned quite a bit about a secret organization that infiltrated high levels of government with its evil deeds.

A story of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Recommend for readers of inspirational historical romance.

Christianbook.com

2022 Angel Book Awards Results

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The Faith and Fellowship Book Festival announced the winners of the 2022 Angel Book Awards on Friday, November 4, 2022.

Nonfiction category

1st place – Springtime for Your Spirit by Michelle Medlock Adams & Andy Clapp

2nd place – So You Have A Disease by Beth Praed

3rd place – Beauty Beyond the Thorn by Darci J. Steiner

Honorable Mention – Dwelling by Donna L. Lane

Children’s 2-8 category

1st place – You’re More Than a Sprout by Jill Roman Lord, Illustrated by Sarah Demonteverde

2nd place – Dream Big, My Precious One by Jill Roman Lord, Illustrated by Brittany E. Lakin

3rd place – How High is Heaven? by Linsey Davis, Illustrated by Lucy Fleming

Honorable Mention – Twas the Night Before Jesus by Donna Wyland, Illustrated by Courtney Smith

Children’s 8-12/Young Adult Category

1st place – Yosemite Trail Discovered, Book 2 of the Whitcomb Discoveries by Marie Sontag

2nd place – Collapse: Collapse Series Book One by Angela D. Shelton

3rd place – I Want a Water Buffalo for Christmas by Judy DuCharme, Illustrated by Julie L. House

Historical Fiction category

1st place – Mercy’s Legacy by Sarah Hanks

2nd place – Crown of Thorns, Book 1: Son of Mary by R.S. Ingermanson

3rd place – For the Love of Emma, Book 1 of Dream Beyond Tomorrow by Starr Ayers

Mystery/Suspence category

1st place – Woman in Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks

2nd place – Bitter Truth, Book 3 in A Green Dory In Mystery Series, by Janet Sketchley

3rd place – Hunt for a Hometown Killer by Mary Dodge Allen

Contemporary category

1st place – Every Window Filled with Light, Book 1 of A Weldon Novel by Shelia Stovall

2nd place – Mercy’s Song by Sarah Hanks

3rd place – Sweet Rivalry by Terri Gillespie

Honorable Mention – Falling Apart, Falling For You, Book 1 in Next Act Series, by Chris Posti

Congratulations to all our winners!

Thanks to all the authors who submitted to Angel Book Awards.

If you have a book that released or will release in 2022, please read our guidelines and consider submitting it to Angel Book Awards when it opens next year.

The Element of Love by Mary Connealy

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Book 1 in The Lumber Baron’s Daughters series

Three beautiful sisters are running away from their stepfather’s plans to marry them off to his money-hungry friends whom they are all certain will mistreat them—possibly worse than their stepfather mistreats their mother. Their mother sends them off to find husbands and then return. She remains to face her husband’s wrath, but at least her strong, intelligent, beautiful daughters will be safe.

Laura, the youngest, meets a parson at the train station. Caleb heads a mission team heading to remote area of California. She convinces him to take her and her companions—she hides her relationship to her sisters to maintain secrecy. Then the real adventure begins.

Laura soon decides she must convince Caleb to marry her so that she can claim her third of her inheritance out of the clutches of her violent stepfather. But Caleb has secrets of his own…

This novel leaps from one dangerous adventure to the next so that I could barely put down the book. The characters are realistic and the relationship between the sisters is believable. Their mission—to choose their own husbands, take charge of their inheritance, and rescue their mother—drives the story.

Danger follows all four women, making this a page-turner.

One caution—the ending will leave you wanting to read Book 2!

Recommended!

Christianbook.com

The Story Equation by Susan May Warren

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Subtitle: How to Plot & Write a Brilliant Story from One Powerful Equation

This is a wonderful book to help authors plot and write a story that grips the emotions of reads.

The author shares practical tips for authors to use The Story Equation in creating a powerful story.

Tips for creating unforgettable characters that resonate with readers are especially helpful. If readers don’t care about the characters, they quickly lose interest. Warren devotes a whole chapter to building a sympathetic character.

Warren suggests writing the book as a Four-Act Story, which she explains in an understandable manner.

I read this book while still researching my next novel. I found the wisdom and practical tips helpful as my imagination explored the journey my characters were about to take.

Definitely recommend this book to authors!

Amazon

Buried Cold Case Secrets by Sami A. Abrams

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Melanie Hutton accepts a job as a forensic anthropologist back in her home town. Her parents have moved away—not that they supported her when she needed them most anyway. No, it’s the kidnapping she endured with her best friend that she can’t recover from, especially since Melanie escaped and Allie’s remains were never found.

Detective Jason Cooper isn’t happy to see Melanie return. She had escaped and left her best friend—his sister—at the mercy of that monster. The fact she can’t recall what happened makes matters worse. He had once imagined dating Melanie, marrying her. No longer. He couldn’t trust her. Too bad they have to work together.

But someone is trying to kill Melanie. Does it have anything to do with the kidnapping? They both must work together to discover the truth before someone else dies.

This story gripped my interest from the beginning. The characters face real danger throughout and the action builds as the story escalates.

A multi-layered story that was a page turner for me!

Recommended for readers of contemporary suspense.

Amazon

Antique Dreams by Amber Stockton

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

A young man’s dying wish grabbed my attention in reading this novel—especially as he was on a lifeboat. Aaron watched as his friend and business partner died while the Titanic sinks into frigid waters. To accomplish his friend’s request, he must visit the man’s family.

Lillian mourns the death of her brother on the Titanic and is slow to build her trust in Aaron, who was with him when he died, yet is drawn to him.

Aaron had recently been pushed out of the family business by an uncle who raised him after the death of his parents. He’s grateful that Lillian’s father gives him a job.

There are some mysteries in this story that initially grabbed my attention—not to mention the connection with the Titanic.

However, the story moved slowly. What initially snagged my interest ended up as a handful of scenes rather than the bigger part I imagined.

The characters are likeable, especially a couple of the secondary ones. It had a nice ending.

Amazon

The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The Daughters of the Mayflower series

The story opens with Eliza Gentry at 12 and Wyatt Creed at 14 on a cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail. She loves watching the stars and he watches them with her—when he can avoid a beating from his drunken father. Eliza’s own father is the trail boss and he owns the cattle being driven north to Kansas.

Something terrible happens on the cattle drive. Wyatt is there when Ben Barnhart kills Wyatt’s father. It’s Wyatt’s word against Ben’s. The trail boss’s word is law on the Chisholm Trail. It’s swift justice when a single gunshot rings out into the night.

The story picks up again nine years later and the feisty Eliza still misses Wyatt, her friend who watched stars with her on the cattle drive.

The characters in the book drew me into the story right away. I loved the western setting and the story had plenty of twists to keep me guessing the outcome.

I loved seeing Texas cities, Galveston and Austin, and New Orleans, Louisiana, through the novel’s action. A page-turner for me.

Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romances.

Christianbook.com

Every Day Filled with Hope by Shelia Stovall

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

A Weldon Novel, Book 2

I have read other books by this author set in the town of Weldon, Kentucky, and I looked forward to reading this newest release. I wasn’t disappointed, even though much of the story takes place in Niger.

Casey was a famous model for many years before returning to her home in Weldon. Shoppers travel to buy clothing from her boutique and meet her. She dreams of marrying Daniel, whom she has dated for about a year. However, she has a secret.

Daniel had planned to propose to Casey before his doctor tells him the reason for his headaches is a brain tumor. He may not survive surgery. How can he propose now? Nor can he tell her. Their church’s mission trip to Africa may be the last time he can share with her.

Casey’s past reaches out to her in this multi-layered story that kept me turning pages.

Secondary plots involving foster children drew me in as much as the main story.

There are many unexpected twists and turns in this novel that changed where I imagined it to be heading. The author grabbed and held my attention.

Recommended for readers of inspirational contemporary romances.

Amazon