Book Review: Patchwork Dreams

Patchwork Dreams by Laura V. Hilton

The Amish of Seymour

c. 2011

Whitaker House

ISBN 9781603742559

Romance

When an Amish girl gets more than a taste for the outside world during her rumschpringe year, will only her family and anyone desperate for even a ruined woman accept her?

Becky Troyer had no intention of leaving her Plain world in Missouri when she used her chance to taste the larger world before committing to join the church, and finding it more than she wanted to chew. Once, she wanted to be a teacher; now she has a child of her own to care for, and no husband. Jacob Miller, a young man from Pennsylvania, also has some hard choices to make when his father sends him to Missouri for some time away from his worldly girlfriend. When Jacob meets Becky, his mission to make her smile and find a husband for her turns into a personal quest that rocks both their worlds.

I loved Hilton's portrait of the strong silent Amish men, who could also handle an infant with aplomb. Hilton mentions in her acknowledgements that she visited with an Amish family, which I appreciated. Having Amish neighbors, I read parts of the book to my husband, and was amused to pass an Amish family playing volleyball just when I got to that part in Hilton's story.

A couple of typos distracted only slightly from my reading enjoyment. Although the conclusion was foregone, I enjoyed the pacing and predicament of the young couple, from Becky's dilemma over whether to accept the hand of another man who'd already buried two wives, to Jacob's quasi-Amish girlfriend showing up at the Troyers'. Some repetition with the characters' "do I or don't I love him/her" slowed the story in some parts, but overall, but those who enjoy Amish fiction will find a fresh twist in Patchwork Dreams.

I received a copy of this book from Kathy Carlton Willis Communications for tour and review purposes.

Patchwork Dreams - the Tour!

I will be posting my review on Wednesday - come back to comment for another chance to enter the drawing.

Book Summary Becky Troyer has committed the ultimate sin, and finds herself on the edge of her Amish community. Jacob Miller believes he was sent to the Old Order Community in Missouri to help out a distant cousin. Instead, he discovers he was part of an arranged swap—sending men from his Pennsylvania district to the Missouri district to bring new blood into the Amish community. Becky dreams of marriage, but doesn't dare hope that anyone would choose her—not with her history. Can God use the lies that have affected Becky and Jacob to bring them together? Or will Jacob rebel and head home to his first love? Author Bio Laura Hilton graduated with a business degree from Ozarka Technical College in Melbourne, Arkansas. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, she is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with more than a thousand reviews published on the Web. Prior to Patchwork Dreams, she published two novels with Treble Heart Books: Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past, as well as several devotionals. Laura and her husband, Steve, have five children, whom Laura homeschools. The family makes their home in Arkansas. To learn more about Laura, read her reviews, and find out about her upcoming releases, visit her blog at http://lighthouse–academy.blogspot.com/. An Interview With Laura: How has being published changed your life? Well there’s a lot of administrative stuff that I didn’t know about beforehand. And a lot of things that take me out of my comfort zone. I’m naturally a shy quiet and private person, and suddenly I have to be more willing to talk about what I’m doing. What is your current work in progress? I am starting the third book in the Amish of Seymour series, which will be Becky’s friend, Annie’s story. What would be your dream vacation? Oh, well, I would love to spend a month or two in Michigan (our whole family loves Michigan and we missed it when we moved away) and just poke around the lighthouses, waterfalls, etc. that make the state great. Also, if I ever have a chance to go overseas, I would love to see Big Ben and visit some of the European castles. Also, I’d love an extended stay at an Amish bed and breakfast. How do you choose your settings for each book? Well, most Amish books are set in Ohio and Pennsylvania because that is where the largest communities are. I chose to set mine in Seymour, Missouri, because there is an Amish community there. Missouri is an untapped setting for Amish stories, and it was close enough for me to drive up there for research. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Oh, Beverly Lewis. When I grow up I want to write like her. I’d love to talk writing with her. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? My most difficult obstacle was trying to write in the living room with five children! I’ve gotten pretty good at blocking out noises though. Unless the children are fighting or crying I can work through it. Comment on this post and be entered in the drawing for:

Amish Gift Set $50 Value Grand Prize Giveaway: * 1 apple mug * 1 apple scented candle in decorative tin * 1 small packet of Starbucks coffee * Amish made rose petal soap * Beverly Lewis' Amish Cookbook * Simple Joys of the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark * $5.00 McDonald's Gift Card * Amish Popcorn * Autographed copy of Patchwork Dreams

When culture and history meet

I was excited to read this book because of the Reformed theological connections, because I'd once met a missionary to the US from India, which I found odd, and because I hoped to discover something about how other cultures see the faith of US believers.

The author set up his view of the world from his experiences as a child, which were helpful for me to understand where he developed his worldview.  I was a but stunned when Mangalwadi began the book with significant reference to dead rocker Kurt Cobain and his beautiful wife, but again, understood that both Mangalwadi and his American audience needed a reference point in which to begin a discussion on culture – where we began and how the cultures merged. What made the western world ripe for the Bible. With chapters than span global history, like "The Seeds of Western Culture" to the intriguing "What Made the West the Best" with segments that discuss if and how the US culture (mostly) rose above practices, like bribery, that seem natural in other cultures, the reader can't help but be drawn to the pages of the book.

I found it intriguing that, although the Word of God originated in what our American country calls the Middle East, the Bible has had the greatest influence for the better on later modern western culture. The nature of secularism vs. humanism seems to keep the debate open in our society; something that other faith-based cultures don't allow.

I love the fact that Mangalwadi tackled the tough questions to end his philosophical study of how the Bible influenced our society. How can God allow bad things to happen to good people (allow sin); can scientific people accept resurrection; what is true life?

For those who enjoy mulit-cultural philosophical topics and in-depth study of how history affect not only today but the future, The Book That Made Your World will be a valuable resource.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

John 3:16 Marketing Network Facebook EventTuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST

The e- books listed below will be available for download ONLY on Tuesday, May, 21, 12:01am to 11:59pm EST, for those who submit an application to the John 3:16 Marketing Network at http://www.lorilynroberts.com/john_3_16_marketing_network.html.

Requirements are: You believe in John 3:16 and you have a blog/website.

The final day to submit an application for membership will be Friday, 11:59pm EST, May. 27th. I will be closing membership until I finish my Masters in Creative Writing program early next year. This particular offer will not be repeated.

The ebooks are: Mr. Shipley's Governess, by Joanne Troppello; Spur of the Moment, by Marcia Laycock; Children of Dreams, by Lorilyn Roberts; Writing in the Spirit,, by Ken Kuhlken; Rainn on my Parade, by Loree Perry; Fire and Ash, by Anne Patrick; and an excerpt from Heal the Wounded, by Lynn Dove.


You will be able to win a copy of the following books during the Facebook Event if you are the first person to answer a question that will come from the John 3:16 Blog Tour that is under way. The first four of six postings can be re-viewed now at http://john316mn.blogspot.com. Articles five and six will be posted on Monday and Tuesday at the host websites (and added to the John 3:16 Blog on Tuesday afternoon).

The books to be given away include: Sal and Sally, by Jay Miller; The Magic Word, by Sherrill Cannon; Innerkinetics, by Dr. Ray W. Lincoln; Paradise is Where You Find It, by Dr. Robert McGinnis; The Road to Deer Run, by Elaine Cooper; Shoot the Wounded (excerpt), by Lynn Dove; Children of Dreams, by Lorilyn Roberts; Mission Possible, by Deborah McCarragher, and Janoose the Goose, by JD Holiday.

During the Facebook Event we will be offering tutorials on the following:


1. How to upload a .jpeg to Facebook/blog
2. How to resize a .jpeg and load it to Facebook/blog
3. How to copy and paste widgets on websites
4. How to set up a twitter account.


This event will not be repeated, so please spread the word and come and participate. Again, the event will take place on the John 3:16 Marketing Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/lW13Vo, Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST. Feel free to post any questions on the wall between now and then and we will address them during the EVENT! See you then.

Lorilyn Roberts
John 3:16 Marketing Network

Mounting a Best-Selling Author Campaign

Here's the first of six articles by Lorilyn Roberts of the John 316 Marketing Network.

Are There Secret Formulas or Short Cuts for Making the Best-Seller List on Amazon?

Are There Secret Formulas or Short Cuts for Making the Best-Seller List on Amazon?

John 3:16 Marketing Network

Part One of Six

 

? + ? = ?

 

By Lorilyn Roberts

 

If I knew of a secret formula, I would be a millionaire—and so would you, because secrets promising success don’t remain secrets for long.

 

There is one sure road to the best-seller list, provided you have a good book, and that is hard work and networking. I don’t know of any other way to do it. What I have discovered, however, is many authors spend a lot of time and money in less productive ways, thus coming away feeling discouraged and defeated.

 

Examples of comments I have heard include: “I can’t get anyone to review my book,” “my sales are non-existent,” “I don’t know where to begin,” “I spent money doing ‘this thing’ and got no results.”

 

You also have heard this if you have been marketing for a while. I could tell some fabulous tales of “drain holes” I thought would work and didn’t.

 

One of the reasons I made becoming a member of the John 3:16 Marketing Network free is so people would not feel like they paid for something and got less than their money’s worth; and most authors don’t have a lot of extra money (like me).

 

I also didn’t start the John 3:16 Marketing Network to become a marketing guru. God gave me the vision, but He gave me the passion to write. But without a way to promote my writing, I knew nobody would read my books because nobody would know they existed.

 

I will share a short story about my first book, The Donkey and the King, which I published using a Print on Demand publishing company. When my book arrived, I was ecstatic. I could at last say I was an “author.”

But, sadly, I didn’t know any other authors to share my excitement with and I did nothing to market it. I made no announcement and told nobody about my new book, except my closest friends and family. I did nothing to promote it, not even with people in my church. ZILCH! NADA!

I am sure you are wondering how many copies I sold—maybe ten copies. Yep, I probably made the Guinness Book of World Records for the “worst-selling” book that year. Why didn’t I do something to promote it? First, I didn’t know how; and second, I was too shy to talk about my own book.

A couple of years later, I went on Amazon to see if The Donkey and the King was listed since as I had never checked. Sure enough, it was there. I had one review by someone I didn’t know with a rating of five stars. That was the first time it occurred to me that somebody out there might like to read my book besides my closest friends and family.

I have gone from that day to this—because God put it on my heart to start the John 3:16 Marketing Network.

The John 3:16 Marketing Network is based on John 3:16 from the New Testament in the Bible: “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

To become a member of the John 3:16 Marketing Network requires only two things:

1. You believe in John 3:16.
2. You have an active blog/website.
   

Over the next six days, several of our John 3:16 Marketing Network authors are hosting a guest blog of different authors as part of our twice a year membership launch. Each day I will share a marketing article, and the guest author for that day will share something about herself and her writing career.

Before we are authors, we are people uniquely gifted and loved by God. Once we look beyond what someone does and see him as we see ourselves—a human being with needs, wants, struggles, hopes, and dreams, we can relate to him better and discover things we have in common.

 

That brings me back to the question and the title of this piece, Are There Secret Formulas or Short Cuts for Making the Best-Seller List on Amazon?

 

The short answer is no, there are no secret formulas, but yes, they are short cuts to make marketing easier. I will share some of my thoughts and what we do in the John 3:16 Marketing Network to help Christian authors launch their books.

 

From Wednesday, May 18^th through Tuesday, May 24^th, we are hosting a membership launch featuring some of our members in a blog tour. Our Facebook party will include many events which you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendar—Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, when you will have an opportunity to win eight free books. During that hour, we will have members online to answer your questions, and we will be offering tutorials on how to do some technical operations for internet marketing. These tutorials/tips will include:

1. How to upload a .jpeg to Facebook/blog

2. How to resize a .jpeg and load it Facebook/blog

3. How to copy and paste widgets on websites

4. How to set up a twitter account.

The information will be useful whether you apply to the John 3:16 Marketing Network or not.

In addition to an opportunity to win eight free books, on Tuesday, May 24^th, if you submit an application to join the John 3:16 Marketing Network , you will be able to download free e-gifts

For more information on the John 3:16 Marketing Network and to submit an application, please visit my website at Lorilyn Roberts.

Again, Tuesday, May 24, will be the membership launch day. If you summit your application on Tuesday, May 24th, you will be able to download free e-gifts offered by some of our authors.

Today on our Blog Tour we will meet two authors Jay Miller and Sherrill Cannon.

The Author Jeopardy Question to win Jay Miller’s children’s picture book, Sal and Sally, during the Facebook Party on Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, will come from our discussion below:

Question: Can you tell us a little about yourself.

Jay Miller: I am a retired Electrical Engineer and now spend time writing children’s books. I have been married thirty-three years; have seven children, and 13 grandchildren.

God gives me the opportunity now to bring Him into the lives of young children so they will learn to love Him in fun ways that they can understand. These books will also teach them to have fun reading, while learning to love and respect everyone else and all the Critters that God has placed upon this earth.

Question: Ten percent of the proceeds from your books go to the Grace for Children Foundation. Can you tell us a little bit about what the organization does?

Jay Miller: The Grace Centre project is an integrated, holistic Christian approach to meeting the needs of a broad range of children. Children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds will be accepted, based only upon the recognized genuine need of the family.

Over the past 40 years the families of Ethiopia have suffered drought, famine, civil war and more recently the AIDS epidemic. Families have been stripped of their wage earners, and traditional multi-generational support. Infant mortality is high (16.5%) and literacy low (less than 30%).

Overall, Grace Children’s Centre aims to work together with families to provide a means of improving the lives of their children. This means the children will be given the opportunity to grow up into people who can change their world in a positive way with a hope and vision for the future.

Sal and Sally: ISBN 9781935028130 (ages 3-8)
Book Trailer

Two little fish learn to blow colorful bubbles in the sea. Soon all the other sea critters are learning to blow them, too. Nasty Nick, a hungry long nose cowboy shark, wearing a red cowboy hat, swims up and tries to break up the party, but he is unable to pop the bubbles. He soon tires and decides to head back to Texas, but they convince him to stay and blow tiny bubbles through his long nose. Soon, everyone is blowing bubbles and singing songs of praise to Jesus.

The Author Jeopardy Question to win Sherrill Cannon’s children’s picture book, The Magic Word during the Facebook Party on Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, will come from our discussion below:

Question: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 

Sherrill Cannon: I am the mother of four and a grandmother of nine. All of my books are in rhyme and all teach something like good manners and caring for others. My husband and I just celebrated our 50^th wedding anniversary last June! We travel in our RV from the East Coast to the West Coast each year to visit our children and grandchildren... sharing my books along the way!

 

Question: Was there a particular experience that motivated you to be a writer?

 

Sherrill Cannon: After I read the story of the Nativity to my granddaughter, she looked at me and asked, "But where's Santa?" That night the entire story came to me in a dream, and when I sat down to write, the words just flowed—with ideas I hadn't even thought of. I thank God every night for allowing me to write Santa’s Birthday Gift.

Don’t forget, during our Author Jeopardy Game, you will have an opportunity to win The Magic Word and Sal and Sally, Tuesday night, May 24, 8-9pm EST during our Facebook party at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Book-Launches-John-316-Marketing-Network/145412252147289

Thursday we will be featuring What it Takes to Have a Winning Team, Part Two of Six, from the John 3:16 Marketing Network. Our guest author will be Dr. Ray W. Lincoln, hosted by Paulette Harper (on her website).

STOP BUGGING ME
Buggy Fun for  Summer

By Sharen Pearson
Much to the dismay of their mothers, toddlers hold a relentless fascination for bugs. They follow, squish, catch and even eat them! Perhaps the novelty lies in the never--‐ending variety of creepy crawlers or that bugs are smaller than these little ones. Here are some simple buggy activities that will enchant your children this summer.

Bug Catcher
Save the net from your fresh produce.
Lace a chenille wire around the top to support the sides. The net makes a tiny bug catcher for your child. Always help identify any bugs that might be dangerous.
Catch, observe and release.

Butterfly or Dragonfly
Attach colored tissue paper wings to a toilet tissue or paper towel tube for wings. Slip a hair band over the tube and place on toddler’s wrist to Flap and Fly.
For more advanced work, drop food color onto a wet coffee filter.
Allow to dry and use for wings.

Two filters for dragonfly and one for butterfly.

Big Bug
Fashion antennae with chenille wire and attach to your child’s head with clips.
Gather a sheet of tissue paper at the center. Duct tape to the back of the shirt for butterfly
wings.
Fly away little butterfly!

Tot Cocoon
Give your toddler the end piece of a roll of toilet tissue.
Have him gently spin to wrap the paper around and around forming a cocoon.
If the paper breaks, just tuck the loose end in and begin again. Continue as your child is comfortable (most won’t let you cover the face). Count 1, 2, 3 and have your butterfly “hatch out” and fly away.

Lady Bug
Make a tiny ladybug from the cup of an egg carton.
Cut the section. Paint red and add black dots. Tape twisted bits of paper on for antennae. For a counting activity: make five bugs and draw 1 spot, 2 spots etc. on the five bugs. Count the spots and the bugs.

Caterpillar
Cut a six--‐section length from an egg carton. Your toddler can glue cotton balls on each section for “fuzz.” Draw a face on one end of the section and add chenille or paper antennae.
Punch a hole in the front and tie a string on to “Talk your bug.”
For more advanced work, paint each section of the caterpillar yellow or even a rainbow.

Bug Collage
Draw (or print from a website) several bugs on paper.
Make a simple paste of flour and water. Your tot can glue on dry rice, macaroni, bits of colored  paper and/or cake sprinkles to decorate the bugs.

Bugs in a tub
Pour 6 cups of dry rice into a large flat container. Add toy plastic bugs (or your ladybugs), measuring cups, recycled plastic containers, paper tubes and play as in a sand box. To protect the floor and give your activity a boundary, place the tub in the center of a sheet or shower curtain. Your child will play for hours.

Sharen Pearson’s Goof & Giggle classes and materials continue to provide a quality Mom/Tot
interaction. Widely popular, Goof & Giggle’s child-focused play plans are offered in various
Arizona communities. She’s also created a variety of Goof Juice DVDs and filmed episodes of
Baby D.I.Y. and written workbooks for BabyFirstTV. Arizona Midday (NBC) tapes monthly
segments with Sharen to provide their audience with a variety of original and creative “easy to
do” activities for babies and preschoolers. Sharen’s creativity reaches a combined audience
over 200 million viewers worldwide. Goof & Giggle classes and products encourage green
living, repurposing materials from around the house into affordable objects for play and
learning. Learn more at:
http://sharenpearson.com/
This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications.
You are welcome to place this article on your site or in your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its entirety,
2) the full bio is used, 3) you previously request permission through KCWC at
russ@kathycarltonwillis.com.
All other standard copyrights apply.

Memorial Day contest from Cathy West

Cathy West, author of Yesterday's Tomorrow, a wonderful debut novel from OakTara set during the Vietnam War, is sponsoring a contest of sorts - she wants to hear your stories about the war era. A reader poll will choose the most touching and the winner will receive an autographed copy of her book. Please visit her web site for more information.

The skinny from Cathy:

I would love to hear your stories - do you have a soldier in your family? Are you a Veteran or do you know one? Have you been affected by war in any way? If you can't say yes to those questions, write a short story that honors veterans. Fiction or poetry, whatever you like.

Send me your stories (do try to keep them short, we're not after the Pulitzer) and photographs too! I will publish them all on my blog and we'll vote for the winner. So if you want your story to win, you'll need to send people here to vote!!

The winner will receive an autographed copy of Yesterday's Tomorrow, and something special from Bermuda!

Can't wait to hear from you!