Hi Reader Friends,
It’s a beautiful day in Kentucky and I cannot wait to spend time with my family tomorrow for Easter. Yesterday, my husband and I attended a Good Friday service at our church, and our choir blessed us with a special music presentation.
Several wonderful books are coming out in April, and I was blessed to receive an ARC of These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas. This is a book to be savored.
What I loved most about These Tangled Threads is the resilience displayed by the main characters despite facing significant challenges. The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of three characters, each with distinct and well-developed voices that make the storyline easy to follow. Among them, Arthur, a woodcarver, stands out as a non-traditional hero who embodies kindness, gentleness, and patience in his pursuit of Lorna. I asked Sarah if she kept a board of photos of her characters for inspiration and
she sent me this picture and said, “Arthur is very loosely based on my great uncle Willis who was one of the kindest, gentlest people I’ve ever known. He was also incredibly handy and had a calming presence. Here’s the photo I used for inspiration. No idea who this actually is!
In the story, Lorna, a weaver, suffers a great loss, and my heart ached for her when, in a moment of desperation, she makes a poor choice. Lastly, Gentry, a spirited mountain girl on a quest to find her mother, adds depth and intrigue to the tale. Each character is in pursuit of something, and it kept me engaged and eager to discover more.
The setting of Biltmore Village in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the perfect backdrop to this captivating story. I enjoyed learning about the Vanderbilt family’s support of Biltmore Industries, which developed craft education programs to help the people of Appalachia. The author’s attention to detail made me wonder if she’s a weaver. Sarah said, “I am NOT a weaver! But I know several including two who teach classes at the Hudson Arts Center where The Mitford Museum is located. I watched weaving videos on YouTube and had several loom schematics I referred to. It’s fascinating although I still have to check to make sure I have woof and warp correct.”
Sarah worked in public relations for Biltmore Estate for six years, and I asked Sarah if she had a favorite Biltmore memory. She said, “A favorite memory of Biltmore is getting to go up the spiral staircase in the library to peruse the shelves lining the balcony. I had to keep my hands clasped behind my back to resist the urge to reach for and flip through all those beautiful books!”
Take your time while reading These Tangled Threads. Sarah may not be a weaver of homespun material, but she is a masterful weaver of words. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
See below other excellent books being released in April.
Happy Easter,
Shelia
Love in Tandem by Becca Kinzer — She’s perfectly content leading a quiet life in her small hometown. He’s an adventurer with unquenchable wanderlust. The two couldn’t be any more opposite if they tried. But a tandem bicycle and a 500-mile road trip just might change all that. (Contemporary Romance from Tyndale House)
Playing For Keeps by Deborah Raney — The love story of Art and Maddie continues in Playing for Keeps. But their fledgling marriage faces challenges when expectations collide. When Maddie is offered a chance to take a research trip to Paris, it appears a short separation might help them both figure out what happily-ever-after looks like for them. Yet even the beautiful City of Lights is lonely without the man she loves with all her heart. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Safe Haven Ranch by Louise M Gouge — It should be easy for widow Olivia Ortiz to despise Will Mattson, the man keeping her from buying the ranchland she needs for herself and her daughter, Emily. But when Emily becomes instant friends with Will’s nephew, Jemmy, Olivia and Will find themselves growing closer as well. And as Olivia’s feelings for the handsome cowboy shift, competing for the property could be the start of something more… (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
General Contemporary and Women’s Fiction:
Cookies & Eggnog from Welcombe Bay by Kate Darroch — The prequel to the first novel in the Sweets By the Sea series, “Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay.” In this Christmas novella we learn that Lily met her former husband Gary on her 18th birthday, and we see how Gary establishes his ascendancy over her. We watch God’s love operating in her life through the actions of her grandparents and her vicar’s wife, and learn why that ultimately leads Lily to a moment of truth when she must seek to reclaim her wavering faith. (General Contemporary, Independently Published [Ad Astra Press, Inc.])
Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey — Tyrus Cal, TC for short, had no plans to leave his party boy life, but when he met Ginny at an outdoor music festival, he fell. Hard. When their budding relationship ends abruptly, TC moves on, assuming he won’t get a second chance with the captivating Ginny. But then he does. Just not in the way he expected. (General Contemporary, Mascot Books)
Why the Mountains Stand by Ashlyn McKayla Ohm — When skating coach Addisyn Miles becomes responsible for Kenzie, a turbulent new student, she’s blindsided by the girl’s troubling link to her own past. But when Kenzie rediscovers a local legend, more is at stake than either of them realized. Now, Addisyn must choose between allowing the secrets to destroy them both…or finally finding the purpose behind their shared pain. (Contemporary, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
General Historical:
Secrets of the Wildflowers by Sarah Talbert — After a tragic event involving the sacrifice of her brother, Miu escapes the stifling gods and patriarchal norms of ancient Ur, embarking on a transformative quest for freedom, like wildflowers in bloom; she grapples with control issues and learns to trust in Abraham’s personal god, Yahweh, finding a community where she can live as she was created to be. (General Historical, Eternal Threads Publishing)
Historical Romance:
Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust by Misty M Beller — Naomi Wyatt has finally given up on the man who once promised to love her for the rest of his life—then disappeared with no way to contact him. She’s now a single mother with a beautiful baby girl to provide for. When Jonah Coulter asks for her hand in marriage, she knows she would be hard-pressed to find a better husband and father. But when her first love rides onto the ranch property saying he’d been searching for her for months, her heart is shredded once again. Before she has time to catch her breath though, a new threat appears on the horizon. This time she has far more at stake than her heart, and only a Divine hand can turn this disaster for their good. (Historical Romance, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep — As co-owner of The Blackfriars Lane Enquiry Agency, Kit Forge fearlessly takes on a missing child case, only to find herself and her husband, Chief Inspector Jackson Forge, risking everything to save their own baby from the dangerous criminals involved. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
A Spring at The Greenbrier by Sandra Merville Hart — Marilla has resigned herself to spinsterhood in order to help care for her sister but more than that obstacle stands in the way of courting the wealthy brother of her sister’s best friend. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
Dreams for Courage by Shanna Hatfield — When a private investigator’s trail leads her to an aloof rancher, will love give them the courage they need to face his past and dream of a future together? (Historical Romance from Wholesome Hearts Publishing)
Even in Death by Rebecca Hemlock — Private Detective Trix Fredson wants her husband’s murder solved, and the couple responsible live in her old home. Her husband’s best friend, Ted Mcallister pulled some strings to get Trix the job at the detective agency. He promised to help her solve Ron’s murder, which would be difficult. But how can he do that and keep himself from revealing his true feelings for her? That was going to be even harder. (Historical Romance from Bluecap Publishing)
The Garden Girls by Jessica R Patch — On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past. (Contemporary Psychological Suspense Thriller from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen — This K-9 team is trained to eliminate threats. This threat could eliminate them. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
One Good Time by Luana Ehrlich — CIA covert operative Titus Ray is asked to do the unthinkable and allow a terrorist to enter the country illegally in order to stop an attack on the U. S., but as he tracks the terrorist to his destination, he suffers a devastating loss that threatens to derail the mission. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Grave Consequences by Elle E. Kay — Cate Garrison is working as a wildlife biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission and crosses paths with a mysterious park ranger whose dangerous past has caught up with him. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Yukon Wilderness Evidence by Darlene L. Turner — When skeletal remains are uncovered in the Yukon forest, forensic botanist Keeley Ash is called to the crime scene—and ends up abducted. She never expects her ex, paramedic Brett Ryerson, to come to her rescue, or her gathered evidence to be linked to a cold case. And when their son—who Brett never knew existed—is kidnapped, they’ll stop at nothing to save him and outrun the hunters determined to silence Keeley. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Speculative Fiction:
Never Forget the Truth by F.D. Adkins — When the forces of darkness masquerade in the light, is your sword sharpened in TRUTH and wielded to fight? (Speculative Fiction, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])
Split-Time:
Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks — Stella Lindy is supposed to be soaking up the sunshine with her bridesmaids on a bachelorette cruise to Hawaii. But when she hits the wrong button on the elevator, the glamorous luxury of the modern ship is replaced with the Missouri River steamboat Arabia filled with strangers—and a mysterious doctor informs her it is 1856. Communicating through an antique mailbox, her friends on the cruise try to guide her back home before the steamboat sinks, but Stella finds herself caught in a tangled web between pro-slavery Border Ruffians and anti-slavery Jayhawkers. Standing up for what’s right in the face of peril and uncertainty might mean never making it home. (General/Split-Time, Independently Published [SonFlower Books])
Young Adult:
Protector by Megan Schaulis — Nanotech, royal romance, and biblical themes combine in this YA dystopian retelling of Esther—perfect for fans of The Selection or The Hunger Games. (Young Adult from WhiteCrown Publishing)
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy — When an aimless wanderer and fearless female determined to find a city of gold are forced to work together and set out to find the treasure, trouble is hot on their trail. (Historical (Western) Romance)
His Unexpected Grandchild by Myra Johnson — This toddler will steal his heart…Just in time to open it… (Contemporary Romance)
An Unlikely Arrangement by Cindy Patterson — Abigail stands to lose all if Garrett Barringer sees past her physical beauty and uncovers the ugliness of her imperfect past. Will Abigail continue on the condemned path she’s fashioned for herself, or trust that God wants a future for her she never believed possible? (Historical Romance)
Phooey Kerflooey by Kristen Joy Wilks — Through a raucous tornado of personal growth, the boys and Phooey work together to save the day. But when the dust (and squirrel poo) settles, can they convince Dad and Mom to let them keep their puppy princess? (Middle-grade Chapter book)
