A time-travel pirate fantasy with an adventure at every turn!
The last thing Ricky Bradshaw remembered was being baptized in the river. The next minute he’s on a pirate ship, rowing with unbathed pirates to beat a storm. He figures his most recent epileptic absence seizure has landed him in real danger. It’s also taken him from his mom, who suffers from cancer.
The storm is an epic one and the pirates are looking for someone to toss overboard. The only paying passenger, Jonah, confesses to running away from God and ends up overboard. Ricky isn’t far behind him.
From there, things go from bad to worse in a series of misfortunes that will keep readers turning pages.
I love that pirates are not romanticized, as they often are in books written for teen boys. Consequences of our own actions and the punishment awaiting those who don’t accept Christ’s forgiveness is vividly portrayed.
I must also add that there were moments of gross punishments I skimmed over. All in all, the author has written a pirate adventure that shares truth few reveal. It’s a powerful story.
Parents, I suggest reading the book before passing it along to your teenager. There is a note to parents/readers on Amazon that I’d like to share:
Down To Davy Jones is a fictional retelling of past pirate escapades based on future events.
Parents can trust the Caribbean Chronicles Series. There is no sexual dialogue or situations, excessive violence, or strong language, only a wee little bit of humor. 🙂 Down to Davy Jones deals with the afterlife and the consequences of taking our own life. Reader discretion is advised.
I was given a copy of the book by the author. A positive review was not required. The opinions expressed are my own.
Marriage between a Bontrager and a Ebersol is cursed, or so nearly all of Eliza Bontrager’s Amish community believes. Yet she loves Jesse Ebersol and accepts his marriage proposal anyway.
On their wedding day, one of her aunts gives her an old quilt with magical powers. It can be used to change one event. She’s advised to use it wisely. Distracted by wedding events, Eliza dismisses the somewhat creepy conversation from her mind. She’ll remember it after a heart-wrenching loss.
This is a strange story involving time travel. Eliza wished to erase her grief by changing a key event. Its ripple effect creates a gripping story that held me spellbound.
It didn’t take long for the story to rivet my attention. Because the quilt was prayed over by many of Eliza’s ancestors as they stitched, it was said to hold power. There was no going back once it was done.
What a riveting story! The pain of so many characters tugged at my heart. Surprising twists throughout the story kept me flipping pages.
This book was a page-turner for me!
Highly recommended for readers of Amish romances!
I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. A positive review was not required. The opinions expressed are my own.
Bridget Nicholson is only working as a nurse at Camp True North Springs for a month. She reminds herself that it’s all temporary, especially when she learns her ex-boyfriend, Carson Todd, works there. Her father, who had warned her away from Carson years before, doesn’t like the camp for families who grieve lost loved ones nor does he want Bridget there. She can’t understand his attitude.
Carson had been heartbroken when they broke up the first time. Those old feelings stir to life when they meet again. Bridget, recovering from a recent breakup, only wants to be friends. Can he accept that?
A mission to search for potential bone marrow donors for a little boy at camp keeps Bridget busy as she also struggles to mend her relationship with her father.
But not everything is as it seems.
I was drawn into the story by likeable characters. My sympathy was aroused early for grieving families, yet the story moved slowly for me at first.
Surprising twists catapulted me into the story. Characters acted in believable ways. I read the book in one afternoon.
It’s Book 3 of the series yet the story also works as a standalone.
Recommended for readers of inspirational contemporary romances.
Recover your life, renew your energy, restore your sanity
I purchased this book after hearing Dr. Dalton-Smith speak about rest. I realized after listening to her that most of us are living a burned-out life. Everyone needs rest but there are many types of exhaustion.
Discussed in the book are physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest, spiritual rest, social rest, sensory rest, and creative rest. What you must do to achieve each type of rest differs.
It amazed me how much there is to learn about each type. For example, physical rest can’t restore mental rest. The author offers suggestions for readers to begin the process for each one.
What an amazing, helpful book! I just finished it and have already promised to lend it out to two others.
I also suggested it to my Sunday School class as an optional study.
Recommended for exhausted, weary readers searching for rest.
Finding Intimacy with God on the Path of Questioning
What a wonderful, thought-provoking book!
The author has dug deeply into her faith and the Bible to write this book that naturally draws readers closer to God.
Each chapter digs into a story from the Bible, flawed people who make mistakes just as we all do. There is a Path of Silence, Path of Memory, Path of Questioning, and a Path of Prayer in each chapter that invites readers to pray.
Interesting. Probing. Inspiring. Well done!
I will reread this book when I can take time to absorb it more fully.
Dog Groomer Bria Willis doesn’t trust men. The former model has plenty of reasons to maintain her distance from Marc Graham but it’s her job to train new owners to care for their dogs. Aaron, her brother and co-owner of their dog grooming business, will be near if Marc crosses a line.
After the death of his estranged wife, Marc’s priority is helping his son Tyler recover from her death. He’d been in the same car accident that killed his mother and his counselor suggested getting a dog to help Tyler. Having Brownie around has helped his son, but the pet didn’t obey Marc. He needed Bria’s help.
Believable characters recovering from lingering wounds from past relationships put up obstacles and even threaten their friendship.
I enjoyed this contemporary romance intertwined with plenty of doggie challenges to make pet lovers swoon! Tyler tugged at my heart as much as Bria and Marc. The story moves quickly.
Plenty of cute doggie moments and challenges to thrill pet lovers!
I was given a copy of the book by the author. A review was not required. The thoughts expressed are my own.
Chloe McCorkle doesn’t want to go to summer camp but has no choice. Her parents are going on a cruise and Chloe needs someplace to go. Chloe just wants to make enough money during the summer to buy a new bike to ride to school in the fall. She dreams up a scheme contingent on taking the baking course at camp.
She immediately meets a new friend, Pogo, and is happy to see a couple of school friends at camp. One of them is her secret crush.
Victoria, one of the girls in Chloe’s cabin, is constantly getting her in trouble.
Add to the that a very troublesome goat and you’ve got the makings for a fun novel geared to children 9 – 13.
Definitely recommend this chapter book for children!
Welcome to writer Julie Dearyan, who is here to share a pie recipe with us. Welcome to Historical Nibbles, Julie!
By Julie Dearyan
Pie is the quintessential, special occasion (or any occasion) dessert in rural Ohio. We love every kind of pie. Since we live in Amish country, we are the lucky recipients of Amish baking prowess.
At an Amish style banquet, a triangular shaped piece is parked at each plate topped with real (no skimping here) whipped cream. A variety of luscious fillings peek from beneath their cloudlike blankets. Peanut butter (always a winner), coconut (yum!), blueberry (more of a jelly filling than the ones my mom made growing up), raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, black raspberry, and more. The golden, flaky crust provides the perfect crunch.
Early on, some smart Ohioans showed us a rite of passage when entering an Amish restaurant or banquet. Check out the pieces of pies at each place first. Decide if you like that kind or quickly swap it out before the next diner comes. Neal and I are extremely grateful to those teachers. I always go for coconut or peanut butter. Down below, I share a recipe for Amish style peanut butter cream pie that I think you’ll enjoy. Your guests will love it too.
1 pie crust 9-inch, baked and cooled or make your own crust. Marty (the best cook I know) tells me there is no shame in buying a Pillsbury pie crust. Since she is the best cook I know, I agree with her. Peanut Butter Crumbles · ½ cup powdered sugar · ¼ cup creamy peanut butter Peanut Butter Filling · 1 3.4 ounce box of instant Jell-O vanilla pudding mix · 1 ½ cups milk · ½ cup peanut butter · 1 cup whipped cream Whipped Topping On Top of Pie · 2 cups whipped cream Using mixer, whip together on medium-high 1 cup of whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar to get whipped cream texture. 1 cup of whipping cream makes 2 cups when whipped. Using an electric mixer, in a medium bowl, add powdered sugar and peanut butter. Mix on medium speed until small peanut butter crumbles start to come together. If mixture is too powdery, simply add a few drops of water to the and larger nuggets will form. Add half the peanut butter nuggets to the bottom of the pie shell. Using a mixer, mix together the dry vanilla instant pudding mix, milk and peanut butter together for 2 minutes. Add in the whipped cream (make sure it’s already whipped) and mix in lightly. Pour pudding into pie crust on top of the peanut butter crumbles. Top with whipped cream. Add the remaining peanut butter crumbles to the top of the whipped cream. Let the pie cool in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours to set up before cutting.
This is the story of Joseph just before his release from prison—for a crime he didn’t commit—and up through the famine.
It’s a beautifully written story told in multiple viewpoints. The author’s attention to historical detail and tradition amazed me. I’ve read the Biblical account that is the background for this story many times and the historical and cultural insights brought me a whole new perspective.
Those familiar sections of Joseph’s Biblical story were the parts that gripped me most in this novel. Characters are well-developed and believably true to the times. The setting is a turbulent period in history that moves quickly. Well done!
Welcome Susan G. Mathis, fellow author at Wild Heart Books, back to Historical Nibbles! Susan shares some historical background for her latest release, A Summer at Thousand Island House. Welcome back, Susan!
More than 1800 islands, known as The Thousand Islands, lay between New York state and Ontario, Canada, where Lake Ontario narrows and becomes the St. Lawrence River. Here the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River intersect to become the world’s largest inland navigation system. Huge freighters pass by tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes!
In 1872, George M. Pullman invited President Ulysses S. Grant to visit his small island during the reelection campaign, as well as several Civil War heroes including General Sheridan. When President Grant and his entourage came, the Thousand Islands became a national event. The press touted the Thousand Islands as THE place to summer for the rich and famous and common man alike.
In so doing—and thanks to excited journalists—he launched The Thousand Islands Gilded Age season of the rich and famous buying islands and lots along the mainland and building castles, mansions, and magnificent summer homes. Those islands, those homes have delightful, intriguing, and often poignant stories to tell. And I aim to tell a lot of those stories, including Katelyn’s Choice that tells the Pullman Island story and now, ten other stories including my latest, A Summer at Thousand Island House.
From 1872 until 1914 the Thousand Islands Gilded Age brought tens of thousands of visitors to the enchanting summer resort. Grand hotels popped up. The rich scooped up islands and built fancy mansions and castles they called cottages and hunting lodges. The middle class bought small parcels of land along the mainland and built simple cottages.
And tourism took off.
The railroad expanded to bring in tourists and landowners. Large side-paddle steamboats toured passengers around the islands, and distinguished visitors made it the summer resort to visit. They came from New York City, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and many other places.
Several of the amazing castles and beautiful summer homes you can still tour today including Boldt Castle and “The Towers” on Dark Island (now called Singer Castle) which is the setting for Devyn’s Dilemma, and many others.
About A Summer at Thousand Island House
By Susan G Mathis
She came to work with the children, not fall in love.
Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to spend her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.
But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?
ABOUT SUSAN:
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion,Mary’s Moment andA Summer at Thousand Island House.Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.
Sandra Merville Hart 