Category: Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday - September 10th, 2020

9/10/2020

Life was perfect, Devora thought. Assisting her Uncle Barnabas with his patients was exhilarating, and the thought of marriage to her beau, Edward, filled her heart with joy. Then the Countess of Radburn made a life-changing announcement: Devora must marry a Spanish don. In her desperate search for Edward, Devora encounters a mysterious stranger with a small, but lethal, dagger . . . From perilous intrigue at court to battles between Spanish conquerors and English pirates, Captive Heart takes you on a romantic adventure in a time when love, honor, and faith forged a sacred trust.

ISBN-13: 9781565077553

My Thoughts

Did you know there is such a thing as Christian pirate stories? I didn't before picking up Captive Heart at the library. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that author Linda Chaikin had two series that were definitely about pirates. I fell in love with the book, the series, and the author. I now have all of her books but one. This book and series also introduced me to how each book in a trilogy can its own conclusion while still unveiling the overarching story in a natural way. If you are looking for adventure and romance this swashbuckling tale has it all and isn't to be missed...

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Throwback Thursday - August 13th, 2020

8/13/2020

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Barbara Covington has one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction, by staging an intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug treatment—and her interventionist is found dead at the airport—Barbara enters her darkest nightmare of all. Barbara and her son set out to find Emily before Detective Kent Harlan arrests her for a crime he is sure she committed. Fearing for Emily’s life, Barbara maintains her daughter’s innocence. But does she really know her anymore? Meanwhile, Kent has questions of his own. His gut tells him that this is a case of an addict killing for drugs, but as he gets to know Barbara, he begins to hope he’s wrong about Emily. The panic level rises as the mysteries intensify: Did Emily’s obsession with drugs lead her to commit murder—or is she another victim of a cold-blooded killer?

ISBN-13: 9780310250654

My Thoughts

Intervention was not my first Terri Blackstock book, not by any means, but it's one of my favorites. The author dared to bare some of her own experiences as a Christian dealing with a child suffering from addiction. I'm sure it couldn't have been easy for her to put that pen to paper but I greatly admire her for going through with it. Another plus is that the heroine isn't a brilliant career woman in her twenties, something we see too much of in fiction, but is a little more mature with two teenage kids. In addition to the realistic emotional aspect of the story is the suspense angle which I also enjoyed. Intervention, and the rest of the books in the series, are ones that I would highly recommend reading.

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Throwback Thursday - July 9th, 2020

7/9/2020

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Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

ISBN-13: 9780310721437

My Thoughts

When I was of the YA age bracket there wasn't a lot of Christian YA books, tons of juvenile fiction, but little if your reading level was over about age 12. Of course, mine was. I've actually read a lot more Christian YA books as an adult than I ever did as a kid and that is because of books like The Healer's Apprentice. While it is not exactly my top favorite book in either of Melanie Dickerson's fairytale retelling series it did spark a new appreciation for both YA books and fairytale retellings. Since reading this first book I've devoured all of her Fairy Tale Romances and Medieval Fairy Tales. They are all just THAT A good! And each one gets better than the last. The Healer's Apprentice is the start of it all, the block on which the rest are built, and is a good story whether you are 14 or 44 or 64. If you loved the tale of Sleeping Beauty you should check out this lovely retelling set in medieval Germany...

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Throwback Thursday - June 11th, 2020

6/11/2020

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In the quiet Amish community of Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania, time has stood still while cherished traditions and heartfelt beliefs have flourished. But a secret lies buried that could shatter the tranquility it's inhabitants have grown to love. When Katie Lapp stumbles upon a satin infant gown in the dusty leather trunk of her parents' attic, she knows it holds a story she must discover. Why else would her Amish mother, a plain and simple woman who embraces the Old Order laws, hide the beautiful baby dress in the attic? On the eve of Katie's wedding to Bishop John, her anguished parents reveal a startling secret, and nothing prepares Katie for the devastation their confession brings. Feeling betrayed, Katie watches as the only life she has ever known begins to unravel, leaving in its wake a furrow of pain...and a future of hope.

ISBN-13: 9780764224737

My Thoughts

The Shunning was another first for me. This book introduced me to the world of Amish fiction. Has the market since become over saturated? Probably. Are the stories mostly similar. Probably. But it never hurts to go back to where it started, to enjoy a little simpler time for Christian fiction, to remember what caused us to fall in love with certain authors or genres. It's been so long ago that I read this book that I honestly don't remember what made me pick it up, probably the publisher, Bethany House. Back when I was a tween and early teen I scoured my local library shelves both the telltale blue sticker with the white cross on it (Christian) and for Bethany House's distinctive covers. To this day I will pick up a book just because it is a Bethany House title, I know I can trust them, and this is one of the books that started it...

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Throwback Thursday - May 14th, 2020

5/14/2020

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Marty and Clem set out for the pioneer West full of hopes and dreams. They would stake a claim of their own on the new frontier, and build a home for themselves and their family.

But just after they'd arrived and Clem had chosen the perfect setting for their new home, an accident took his life...leaving Marty alone and pregnant. Then, on the day of his funeral, Clark Davis came along...and asked Marty to marry him!

Marty was infuriated -- but with no money, no shelter, and a baby on the way, what choice did she have? Besides, Clark said he only wanted her to be a mama to his baby girl, Missie. If Marty was still unhappy come spring, he would pay for her ticket back East.

Determined not to be a burden to Clark, and intending only to earn her keep. Marty threw herself into her new role of "Mama." But she had never been anyone's mama before, and she didn't even know how to keep a house! If only she could do right by this lonely man and his daughter just long enough to earn her train fare back home...

Now, Marty must learn wholeness and love through patience and faith

ISBN-13: 9780764226496

My Thoughts

Love Comes Softly was the book that started it all for me, both my love of historical romance and my love of Christian fiction. When I was a very young child, about 3-4, I started listening to the hour long children's programming on the Christian radio station. One of those programs was called The Bookshelf and it featured audio adaptations of Christian books such as The Sugar Creek Gang series, Patricia M. St. John's books, and several of the Love Comes Softly books. So, yes, my introduction to adult Christian fiction came around the time I was starting to learn to read. I got my first print copy of Love Comes Softly when I was 9 and read it around that age. Yes, the writing is a bit simplistic. Yes, it's easy to guess that Marty and Clark will fall in love and stay together. But this story is wonderful in its simplicity and there are many faith and life lessons within the pages. There is a reason that this book founded Bethany House's fiction department. There is a reason that this book has entertained at least 3 generations. There is a reason that the Hallmark channel chose to make this one of their earlier Christian fiction adaptations into the movie format. And hey, you wouldn't believe how happy and excited I was when I found out that I share a birthday with one of the mothers of Christian fiction, Janette Oke.

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Throwback Thursday - April 9th, 2020

4/9/2020

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FBI agent Dave Richman from Danger in the Shadows is back -- and about to meet Kate O'Malley. A hostage negotiator in Chicago, Kate is a legend on the force, willing to walk into any situation. Dave is a Christian, but Kate isn't. Their relationship is going to be a challenge. Kate's family, the seven O'Malleys, were orphaned or abandoned as children; they chose to become their own family. But an airline bombing, tragic family news, and the appearance of a brother Kate didn't know she had will change her family's life -- and her own -- forever.

ISBN-13: 9780739421437

My Thoughts

As a kid I read every Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Boxcar Children, book that I could get my hands on. By the time I was 11-12 I had pretty much read them all and I was ready for adult fiction. The Negotiator was one of, if not THE, first adult romantic suspense books that I read. It was the book that introduced me to the genre that 20 years later would still be my favorite. This is the book that I would probably recommend to someone who has never read the genre, it's a great place to start. While it may not be quite as complex as today's plots The Negotiator is still a great book. And one of the great things is that Dee Henderson is still entertaining readers all these years later with her older titles like this one and with new releases as well.

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Throwback Thursday - March 12th, 2020

3/12/2020

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All that matters for Cadi Forbes is finding the one man who can set her free from the sin that plagues her, the sin that has stolen her mother's love from her and made her wish she could flee life and its terrible injustice. But Cadi doesn't know that the “sin eater” is seeking as well. Before their journeys are over, Cadi and the sin eater must face themselves, each other, and the One who will demand everything from them in exchange for the answers they seek. A captivating tale of suffering, seeking, and redemption. 1999 Gold Medallion Award winner!

ISBN-13: 9781868524235

My Thoughts

The Last Sin Eater is another old favorite. This is one of the few, and magic, books that each time I've read it God has brought a different aspect of the story to my attention. There is a lot in this story, much more than I could ever mention in a few sentences. The Last Sin Eater is moving, poignant, sad, but is also filled with hope, faith, and love. It's a story of loss and pain but it is ultimately a story of redemption. Seriously, if you have never read this book I can't recommend it highly enough. If I were to make a list of all-time favorite books this is one would certainly be on it. It's wonderful!

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Throwback Thursday - February 13th, 2020

2/13/2020

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Afton Burns is in a foreign land surrounded by movie stars. Yet she finds herself intrigued by a quiet man who will play more of a role in her life than either of them expects.

ISBN-13: 9781581341072

My Thoughts

I read a lot of Gilbert Morris books when I was a teen. And by a lot I mean A LOT. But of the dozens that I read All That Glitters was my favorite, and the only one I read again, 3 times to be exact. It's different than any of his other books and something about really appealed to me. To this day, at least 15 years later, I still jokingly refer to emus as 'eemahs' as one of the characters did. The look into the 1990s movie business, in all of its garish fake glory, is interesting. Buuut, it was the characters I fell in love with, especially, pun intended, sweet Afton. If you are a Gilbert Morris fan but haven't read All That Glitters it's one I would definitely tell you to keep an eye out for in used book stores/sales.

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Throwback Thursday - January 9th, 2020

1/9/2020

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Welcome to Throwback Thursday! A new monthly post from where we will spotlight Christian fiction books that are personal old favorites, each book must be at least 10 years old, and I'll be adding a few short thoughts on each one.

Christy Huddleston left home at 19 to teach school in the Smoky Mountains. There she came to know and love the wild mountain people with their fierce pride, their dark superstitions, their terrible poverty, their yearning for beauty and truth. Christy found her faith severely challenged in these primitive surroundings; and confronted with two young men of unique strengths and needs, she found her own growing yearnings challenged by love.

ISBN-13: 9780380440320

My Thoughts

I haven't actually read this book in a long but time but it was one of the books that I credit with founding my love for Christian historical fiction. Christy was probably one of the earliest adult fiction books that I read, I must have been about 10, maybe 11 the first time I read it. I honestly can't remember how many times I did read it, I know that it must have been at least 3 times. I had an old beat-up paperback that I drug around with me as I immersed myself in the struggles, the joys, the pain, and the love of the people of Cutter Gap. In a way I kinda grew up with Christy, even though it took her a lot longer to 'live' her experiences in the book than it did for me to read them. Touching, poignant, sad, and beautiful, this is one book that I would gladly read again. If your experience with Christy is only that of the TV show, good as it was, you are sadly missing out, the book is the cake and the show the mere crumbs....

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Throwback Thursday - September 10th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - August 13th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - July 9th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - June 11th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - May 14th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - April 9th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - March 12th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - February 13th, 2020

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Throwback Thursday - January 9th, 2020

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