Book Review

Lights! Camera! Christmas! by Kathleen Y’Barbo

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Mysteries of Lancaster County series, Book 9  

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.

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Three Reasons Dicken’s A Christmas Carol Packs an Emotional Punch

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by Sandra Merville Hart

With Christmas just around the corner, I read Charles Dickens’ famous novel, A Christmas Carol, and discovered at least three reasons why his story is a beloved classic.

The first thing I noticed are the engaging descriptions that bring depth and meaning to the story. He paints vivid pictures of the settings and characters in a way that captures the reader’s imagination.

The many beautiful images made it difficult to choose an example to illustrate this point. One that made me smile was Dickens’ comments about Scrooge’s nephew:

If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooge’s nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him, too. Introduce him to me, and I’ll cultivate his acquaintance.

Simple yet vivid descriptions fill the classic tale.

Dickens also writes about realistic characters. At first glance, Scrooge comes across as a stingy boss who refuses an invitation to a family Christmas dinner and a request to give to the poor. He only grudgingly grants his clerk Christmas Day off.

The writer then tells Scrooge’s back story in a creative way. Ghostly journeys into Christmas Past reveal a boy alone in a boarding school when all his classmates go home for Christmas. The sight touches our hearts.

Dickens also includes timeless truths in his tale of a lonely, unhappy old man. Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit, maintains an optimistic outlook despite his anxiety over his son’s health. Tiny Tim’s faith and courage touches everyone around him. Scrooge’s nephew forgives his uncle for rejecting his family.       

The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge two imminent deaths if nothing changes—one deeply mourned and one barely noticed.

Dickens’ novel lives on in our hearts. Some reasons for this are his engaging descriptions, realistic characters, and timeless truths. The story vividly reminds us how one life affects another.

A timeless tale.       

O Little Town, A Romance Christmas Collection

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

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.

Christianbook.com

Flora’s Wish by Kathleen Y’Barbo

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The Secret Lives of Will Tucker, Book 1

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.

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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.

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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

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.

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