Tag: Wiseman Beth

Writing About the Amish + Giveaway

Why does every Beth Wiseman book include a red suitcase?

This is one of the many questions answered by an author who has sold over two million books. Beth has penned more than forty books about the Plain People in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Indiana. In this collection of essays, Beth gives readers a glimpse into her personal life and shares experiences she’s had while writing about the Amish.

Includes photos, Amish recipes, and a ‘bonus’ short story.

My Review:

I have Lucy to thank for recommending this little gem — love, love, love bookish friend reading referrals!

‘Writing About the Amish’ is a short but highly informative glimpse into the author’s research of various Amish communities. If you want to read realistic Amish fiction by an author who does her homework, Beth Wiseman’s book are definitely for you.

Bottom line: Each Amish community is unique with variations that make it hard to say, “The Amish would never…” The author includes actual ‘critiques’ of elements in her stories (even one from an Amish couple) and cover art and she answers them all with grace and humour. Interesting to note that the objection the Amish couple made was actually allowed in the community the book in question was set in, which totally stunned them! So even the Amish can get confused about what is and what isn’t allowed. 🙂

There are photos and recipes and some nifty insights into a writer’s life which I so appreciated as well. And the short story packs an emotional wallop: two childless couples, one Amish, one English and an orphaned child who needs a home. ‘Nuf said…but have a hanky handy when you read this one.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Writing About the Amish , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday January 13 2024.

The Messenger + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

Walter was eighty-two when he died–the first time. His visit to Heaven was glorious as he reunited with his wife, daughter, and other family and friends, relationships that a full life had nourished. But God tells Walter that he can’t stay in Heaven, that Walter has more to do on Earth before he returns Home for good. Leaving those he loves, as well as the love of God, seems unbearable.

The Lord tells Walter that he will return to his earthly existence right away with renewed health and pain-free. God explains to Walter that He will relay messages to him, words that he might not understand but that are intended for the betterment of the recipient.

Walter awakens in his hospital bed feeling like a man of twenty but wondering if he’d dreamed the entire ordeal. When he begins to hear God’s messages for others, he follows through, although his own doubts and fears lead him to worry whether he is handling the callings correctly. As a series of events unfold, Walter is happy when things come together for the strangers he seems to have helped, but he starts to become bitter. The two most important people in his life are hurting, and God isn’t helping either one of them.

As Walter’s faith is tested, will his own bitterness block the voice of God that carries with it a special message for Walter’s loved ones?

My Review:

published in 2022

A hidden gem. And really hard to review because it’s a novella and I don’t want to give anything away. What I can say is that The Messenger is very different from Beth Wiseman’s typical stories and, truthfully, I wasn’t sure if it would appeal to me. Not the kind of read I gravitate too but, we’re talking Beth Wiseman here and I was intrigued enough to venture out of my comfort zone. Am I ever glad I did!

Inspiring and goosebumping — I devoured this little beauty in one sitting because I became so wrapped up in Walter’s story, I just couldn’t put it down. And what I’m taking away is a renewed testimony of the way God works in our lives through messengers here on earth. Everyday, ordinary people who tune into the Spirit and follow His promptings. And how He can weave the most disparate situations into a cohesive whole that is beyond our imagining.

Short and simple, yet powerfully uplifting.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Texas Ranch Target, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 9, 2023.