Fiction Review: The Peasant's Dream by Melanie Dickerson

Book Description:

In this reverse Cinderella story, a poor farmer’s son, who dreams of using his talent as a woodcarver to make a better life for himself, falls in love with a duke’s daughter and must fight for a chance to win her heart.

Adela is the youngest daughter of Duke Wilhelm of Hagenheim and is never allowed outside of the castle walls. She loves her family, but she sneaks away one day to the market in the town center. There she meets a handsome young man and wonders what it might be like to fall in love with a poor farmer with a kind heart instead of marrying the man her family is suggesting for her.

Frederick earns the income for his family and defends his mother from his father’s drunken rages. He also uses his talent and creativity to carve figures, animals, and scenes into wood, and he's asked to carve these scenes into cathedral doors when his talent is noticed. Frederick is inspired by the sweet and beautiful Adela, but he has no knowledge of her true identity. When he gets swept up into a plan to kidnap the duke’s daughter, both are shaken by what they learn about the other.

With the heartbroken Adela resigned to an arranged marriage with her noble suitor, Frederick must decide what he’s willing to risk for love.

My Review:
Be ready to swoon. Dickerson has created a beautiful fairy tale featuring a kind-hearted young man who wants nothing more than to provide a better life for his mother and sisters. Then he meets Adela, the lovely daughter of a duke. With elements from the Cinderella story, she's woven a delightful tale filled with adventure, chance meetings, deception, and of course love. The Peasant's Dream is book 11 of the Fairy Tale Romance series. I loved the setting and the story. This book made me smile, laugh and fret. If you enjoy fairy tales, or beautiful love stories, pick up a copy of The Peasant's Dream and drift off to another world and time. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An Interview With Author Jackie Layton

I love cozy mysteries. Often set in small towns with quirky characters, the stories offer an escape and a bit of fun detective work. Last month I came across a cozy I loved, Dog-Gone Dead by Jackie Layton. The author's name sounded familiar. She and I had met on Instagram several years back. I was so excited to see her published!

I invited Jackie to tell us about her writing journey:

Hi Penny, 

Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog! 

I began my writing journey while my youngest son was in high school. I took online classes and attended conferences to learn more about the craft of writing. I worked full time and went to tennis matches and all the other things mothers do.

From the beginning, my husband has been very supportive. I appreciate him more than you know. I started out writing romances and romantic suspense stories. I did well in contests, but whatever I pitched to publishers was never the right fit for what they were looking for that year.

I’m a member of ACFW, and the last conference I attended was a huge turning point in my writing. I met with an editor looking for authors interested in writing cozy mysteries. As we chatted, a peace fell over me. I have always loved reading cozies, but at conferences romantic suspense was the thing everybody wanted. Very few authors were writing mysteries.

After that meeting, I prayed about my conversation with the editor. I began writing my first cozy mystery. I often learn by doing. It’s probably not the most efficient way to write, but it’s what works for me. I visited cozy mystery websites and studied the craft of mystery writing.

One of the most special aspects of cozies to me is the characters. I love that so many cozies are written as series. It allows each character to grow throughout the series.

I keep my notes in Scrivener, and I have secret Pinterest boards to help me keep up with details. I also have public boards so readers can get to know my characters and setting better. 

I’ve always loved the beach, and I set my first series on the coast of South Carolina. Heyward Beach is a fictional town with some of my favorite elements from various coastal towns. It’s got the small-town vibe, and I hope readers enjoy visiting Heyward Beach.

Thank you, Jackie. I love how God worked in your writing and gave you a sense of peace as you pursued the cozy mystery genre. I'll be reading Bite the Dust: A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery, your first book in this delightful series. Read more about Jackie on her website.

Trusting a Swing

Psalm 9:9-10

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

God has called me on an adventure of faith and trust.

When Hannah worked at Camp Lookup, I spent a week with her exploring the beautiful setting and experiencing an adventure. I hiked around the lake, met a little snake while I relaxed in the gazebo, and took photos of all the beautiful azaleas. Then the adventure happened. The camp has this huge swing that holds two people. Hannah and I climbed on the double seat and latched our harnesses (that's enough to scare a person.) A camp worker grabbed the rope and launched us into the sky. And yes, I screamed like a baby. But I had fun and trusted the swing to hold in place. As we sailed through the air, I believed I would be safely pulled back to the ground.

In Hebrews 11:1 the writer tells us, "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hannah had assured me the swing was safe or they couldn't use it for campers. Made sense. If I could trust something so simple as a swing, how could I not trust the God of the universe. 

The "hall of faith" in Chapter 11 lists many Old Testament warriors who had faith in God, even as they lived in uncertainty.

We are living in chaotic times. Anger, hate, and judgment mixed with opinions, sickness, and financial burdens cause faith to slip. Trust rings hollow. Yet, God remains the same. He's still there for me to depend on. He's still there for me to run to. I'm confident in the hope I have in Jesus. I trust him to see me through the hard times and celebrate with me in the great times. God hasn't gone anywhere. He's still my refuge.

Have faith in the one who loves you more than you know.

Speculative Fiction Review: These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker

Book Description:

Before Dan opened his door to find a wounded woman who had escaped from the tormentors in the mountain, his life had become rather quiet. He and the eight other people in the mostly abandoned town had become friends. They spent peaceful evenings around the campfire and even made vague plans to journey east one day and leave the ominous mountain behind.

But the woman's arrival changes everything.
Who is she? How does she know so much about Dan's brother, who is still held captive in the mountain? Why are long-forgotten memories rising to the surface? And why does Dan feel so compelled to keep her presence in his house a secret?

My Review:
I occasionally like to read outside my usual genres. I chose These Nameless Things because it looked intriguing. And it is. This book, written with the characteristics of an allegory left me pondering. Thinking about the handhold guilt has on a person. Dan is trying to do the right thing, while making poor choices all for the brother he loves. Smucker writes about wisdom, temptation, sacrifice, and fear like a master storyteller. He takes the reader on a journey that opens the eyes to the agony of guilt and the hope of deliverance. If you enjoy speculative fiction, you'll want to read These Nameless Things. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

His Unfailing Love

Cozy Mystery Book Review: Dog-Gone Dead: A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery (2) by Jackie Layton

Book Description:

Who’d have thought mulch could cause such a stink?

Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott is happy to score some free mulch from one of her brother’s landscaping jobs—until she discovers the dead body buried beneath the bark.

Worse, her brother’s landscaping tools were used to commit the murder. Once the police arrest her brother and seem happy to have “caught their man,” Andi Grace has no choice but to track down the real killer. She’ll risk everything to prove her brother’s innocence. Even if it means turning over every rock in town.

If you love small-town coastal life, dogs, and strong heroines, you’ll love Dog-Gone Dead.

My Review:
I love cozy mysteries. Dog-Gone Dead is one of the best I've read. Andi Grace is a delightful, determined young woman who wants her brother freed. She snoops in all the wrong places and gets herself in trouble with the local police. As she solves this murder mystery she and her sweet dog will endear themselves to you. Just as they did me. And you just might find a bit of romance. I love the setting. Makes me want to head to the beach. I haven't read book one of the series, but I have it downloaded on my Kindle and ready to be read. If you enjoy clean, cozy mysteries, you'll love this book. Take this one on vacation! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

Splashed with Joy

Psalm 28:6-7

Praise be to the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

I have the joy, joy, joy...down in my heart.

I remember singing that chorus at church camp, my favorite place in the summers of my youth. Surrounded by friends who believed in Jesus, exploring nature, meeting together at the campfire to sing and pray, filled our souls with joy. Not happiness—but pure joy, the deep satisfying feeling that everything is going to be okay. And it bubbled over. The joy I discovered overflowed and tumbled onto other people. And their joy splashed all over me. When I came home, the delight I tucked into my heart carried me through my days. No matter what happened at school, or wherever I was, Jesus' joy bubbled. 

As an adult, I'm more conscientious of the joy I find in Jesus. Sometimes rejoicing is a struggle. On those days, I tap into his word and cry out in prayer to reassure myself everything will be okay. It's hard to experience joy when the world is so out of whack. But Jesus always comes through. As I trust in him for wisdom and mercy, he splashes me with joy. I love Jesus and he loves me back. I sing that same little chorus today that I sang at camp. I have Jesus' joy down in my heart, and I praise him because that joy carries me through the hard stuff, the frustrating things, the opinions, the anger, and the unkindness we are seeing in the world.

Even on days when my joy is more like a grain of sand that a solid rock, I'm thankful I have a glimmer of hope.

Let the joy of Jesus overflow like a fountain of love.