This book about the early history of confectioners in Cincinnati is a fun and easy read.
Readers may recognize early candy makers like Goelitz and Mullane. I’m uncertain how to spell the Doscher’s family name—Doscher’s Candies is painted on its storefront and a photo of an invoice says A.&J. Doescher, Wholesale Confectioners.
Regardless, there’s lots of fun historical tidbits about the candy industry in Cincinnati—even the surprising role the city’s candy makers played in Sweetest Day.
I read this book during my research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor. My heroine works in a soda and candy store where the shop is set up in a similar manner to Mullane’s.
Recommended for readers who love sweet treats and those who love the history of Ohio.
This is the first book I’ve read of this cozy mystery series. Three sisters share ownership of a Victorian home and a business called Secondhand Blessings.
Elizabeth, who took care of her aging parents until they died, shuns changes, of which there are plenty in this story.
Recently-divorced Mary paints beautiful ornaments that sell the next day and must be replenished.
Martha, a widow coping with the recent loss of her husband, maintains the store’s books and sells baked goods.
It’s Martha’s baked goods that capture the eye of Martine Fontaine, star of It’s Always a Party with Marti, who decides she must tape her Christmas baking show in the sisters’ home.
From there, chaos ensues. Too many accidents that nearly kill Martine have Martha, an amateur sleuth, trying to discover who is behind them before the star of the show is killed.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery and found myself trying to figure out the culprit along with the sisters. I especially love that the story is set at Christmas. Conflicts with Mary’s children and Martha’s children seem real and enhance the story.
A satisfying read. Recommended for those who enjoy cozy mysteries.
What a very different set of novellas! The main thing that each story shares is a connection with the school in Mapleview, Michigan, and the main story is set in that town. The titles from the Christmas hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” fit all the stories. They all end at Christmas.
In Hopes and Fears by Amanda Wen, Frederick has always loved Emma, even when they were fiercely competitive as children. Past mistakes prevent him from accepting the love Emma has for him. This 1912 story grabbed my attention right away and is a wonderful, feel-good, historical read.
While Mortals Sleep by Janyre Tromp takes place during World War II. Though historical, it deals with murder, danger, and long-held bitterness giving it a very different feel from the first story. It’s suspenseful and kept me turning pages because I feared our heroine would make the wrong ultimate choices.
The Wondrous Gift by Deborah Raney begins in February with the staff of a Christian school in Mapleview learning the school will close in two weeks. This doesn’t allow much time for planning and that urgency draws our hero and heroine together. Both Rachel and Caleb make new plans that don’t involve working at a school, but clash when their dreams settle on the same property. This contemporary story also held my attention.
I like to read Christmas stories during the holidays and each romance—one historical, one historical suspense, and one contemporary—is well-written with hidden clues to tie them together.
It’s 1887, and Flora Brimm must get a fiancé to live long enough to marry her and produce an heir to her grandfather’s Natchez home, where her crippled sister resides. If not, her cousin stands to inherit it and he will sell the estate.
Unfortunately, four men have died before their intended wedding day, earning her the nickname “Fatal Flora.” The fifth man she agrees to marry must make it to the altar. She doesn’t love Will Tucker, but time is running out. They must marry.
Lucas McMinn, a Pinkerton agent with personal reasons for arresting Will Tucker, has his hands full when taking on the task of protecting Flora from her fiancé.
There’s a lot of action and adventure in this story. The characters are believable and likeable. There was plenty of suspense and danger as well. Romantic scenes often happened in the midst of danger and had the effect of lessening the suspense for me.
Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Sandra Merville Hart 