Though My Heart is Torn by Joanne Bischof
Posted by jlsgrant in Book & Product Reviews on November 15, 2016
11/15/1016: Update – Now On Sale! 🙂
Admittedly, I was a little disappointed when I received this book to review and discovered it was Book 2, in a three book series. I was worried I would be totally lost. But after reading the first few chapters, I was totally drawn into the story and got caught up in the characters. (The author does such a great job developing likable AND no-so-likable characters.) Even though I hadn’t read the first story, there were enough hints that things hadn’t started out very well for Gideon and Lonnie, that it was clear theirs has been a long road to redemption and mutual affection.
Things were really proceeding along nicely, when [insert sound of screeching tires]…
Let me just share a little of my inner dialogue:
What? No, this is not happening! (Several antagonists leap onto the pages…getting in the way of my happy place!)
Then after some time and healing, I start to get comfy again…
What? NO!! Are you kidding me?? There are a couple of different ways this can go….but now I have to wait for the third book!
Life certainly brings lots of twists and turns! And this story is no different. Though My Heart is Torn is truly a story of forgiveness and redemption and shows how good can come from even the worst of circumstances. This is the first book I’ve read by Joanne Bischof, but I’m anxious to find out what happens next with Gideon and Lonnie, and even for Cassie Allen. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until October 15, 2013 to find out in My Hope is Found. So for now, I’m heading over to get the first book in the series, Be Still My Soul. I’m excited to see where this relationship started and learn how they ended up with the Bennetts and so far away from their families.
Not sure about this one yet? You can read Chapter One over at WaterBrook Multnomah. If you aren’t familiar with Joanne Bischof, there is an author bio available there too.
Author’s Website:
This book is set in the Appalachian Mountains at the turn of the 20th Century. If you enjoy historical fiction, Though My Heart is Torn, is sure to be a favorite.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review, no other compensation of any kind has been received. To read more reviews on this book or others, or rate this review, you can head over to the Blogging for Books website, but clicking the icon.
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Forest Child: Vikings of the New World Saga, Book 2
Posted by jlsgrant in Writing & Authors on October 30, 2016
Hey all! I just wanted to introduce you to this amazing story, hot off the press on November 1, 2016. I have been waiting for this one for a while! After reading, and loving, God’s Daughter, book one in the Vikings of the New World Saga, I was intrigued by this forest child named Freydis.
Here’s the synopsis straight from the Author’s mouth:
“Viking warrior. Dauntless leader. Protective mother.
Determined to rise above her rank as the illegitimate “forest child” of Eirik the Red, Freydis launches a second voyage to Vinland to solidify her power and to demand the respect she deserves. She will return home with enough plunder to force her brother, Leif, to sell her the family farm in Greenland.
But nothing can prepare her for the horrors she must confront in Vinland…and nothing can stand in her way when her family is threatened.
In her race to outrun the truths that might destroy her, Freydis ultimately collides with the only enemy she cannot silence—her own heart.
Historically based on the Icelandic Sagas, Forest Child brings the memorable, conflicted persona of Freydis Eiriksdottir to life. This immersive tale is Book Two in the bestselling Vikings of the New World Saga.”
Forest Child is a definite page turner! Freydis is probably one of the most complex characters I have ever read! Since the book is written in first person, it really allows the reader to get inside her complicated head. Several times I found myself shouting, in my mind of course, “no, Freydis, no! Don’t do it, Freydis!” But you guessed it, she does it anyway! True to the Viking stories of old, there is a fair amount of violence and mayhem! None of it is sugar coated, but that’s the reality of the time! Is there room for redemption, even for someone like Freydis? You’ll have to read it to find out!
I would give Forest Child a definite five star rating….but because this blog is primarily about biology and in memory of the berserkers of this time period, I’ll opt for a Five+ Mushroom Rating!
You can read other testimonials from Author readers on Heather’s website.
HEATHER DAY GILBERT, a Grace Award winner and bestselling author, writes novels that capture life in all its messy, bittersweet, hope-filled glory. Born and raised in the West Virginia mountains, generational story-telling runs in her blood. Heather is a graduate of Bob Jones University and is married to her college sweetheart. Having recently returned to her roots, she and her husband are raising their three children in the same home in which Heather grew up.
Heather’s Viking historical novel, God’s Daughter, is an Amazon Norse Bestseller. She is also the author of the bestselling A Murder in the Mountains mystery series. Her mystery, Trial by Twelve, was the 2015 Grace Award winner for Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense. Heather also authored the Indie Publishing Handbook: Four Key Elements for the Self-Publisher.
You can find Heather online here:
Disclaimer: I was given an advanced reader copy of Forest Child in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation of any kind has been received.
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