Chapman, Vannetta. A Simple Amish Christmas.

Chapman, Vannetta. A Simple Amish Christmas. Abingdon Press, 2010. ISBN: 1426710666 Rated G – Adults and Young Adult 

Annie Weaver returns to her Amish home and roots when her father’s buggy is hit by a car. She drops everything and comes home to Mifflin County from Philadelphia, where during her rumspringa, she has secretly gotten her GED and received her RN degree.

Expecting to nurse her father back to health, she is peeved when Samuel Yoder “a farmer with a minimal knowledge regarding herbs and medicinal workings” shows her three times how to dress her father’s infected wound.

Chapman has written another warm, innocently sweet romance. Annie comes to understand God’s intent for her life along with realizing how she can use what she has learned to support not only her father, but to assist the rest of her community, and even Samuel Yoder.

“Not your average” Amish novel. Chapman incorporates not only her knowledge of all things Amish, but of human nature and love whether found in caring for young cancer patients in a modern hospital, but in a simple farm house where a difficult birth calls on bravery and gentleness.

90 Relevant Devotions for Teenaged Girls (14-19)

Hitz, Shelley, Heather Hart, and Other Collaborating Authors. Teen Devotionals … for Girls! Volume 2. Body and Soul Publishing, 2012  ISBN-13: 978-0615631622  ISBN-10:  0615631622

In this second book of short devotions, Hart, Hitz and other authors designed opportunities for teenaged girls to draw closer to God and find their true beauty in Christ. Each devotion is designed with a Biblical quotation and a brief commentary relating the scripture to the ups-and-downs, and ins-and-outs of the life of a teenaged girl. There is a question or questions for reflection or discussion, a recommended application step to implement the content of the devotion, and a short prayer honoring and petitioning God for help with the issue at hand.

The 90 devotions could be read from beginning to end or by flipping through choosing at random or by topic. These devotions cover the inner life, relationships, temptations, joys, and anguishes all of today’s teenaged girls experience. This book is designed in such a way that it could be used by an individual or with a friend.

Parents and youth leaders could also use these devotions to help ones’ teens to learn to apply God’s Word to their daily lives. The devotions in this book are already read daily by teens around the world. They are used in Bible study groups and even at events like See You At the Pole.

Heather Hart also collaborated with Shelley Hitz on Teen Devotionals … for Girls! Volumes 1 and 2.  Hart is an author, author assistant and a book marketer. She edited several other books, has done ghost writing and other freelance writing. In 2012 she also published the e-book Book Marketing 101: Marketing Your Book on a Shoestring Budget. Other collaborations include: Unshackled and Free: True Stories of Forgiveness with C. J. Hitz and Shelley Hitz (Feb 29, 2012)

Shelley Hitz and Heather Hart

Shelley Hitz has been ministering to teens since 1998. Her main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom she has found in Christ. She is an award-winning and international best-selling author. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing through her books inspire and encourage. In addition to the two volumes of Teen Devotionals, she has published:

*      Mirror Mirror...Am I Beautiful? Looking Deeper to Find Your True Beauty (2008),

*      Mirror Mirror...Am I Beautiful? Bible Study Guide for Moms: Looking Deeper to Find Your True Beauty with Michelle Neff and S'ambrosia Curtis (Dec 26, 2009)

*      Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ with C. J. Hitz (Aug 24, 2011),

*      A Christian Woman's Guide to Breaking Free from Pornography: It's Not Just a Guy's Problem with S'ambrosia Curtis (Sep 1, 2012),

*      Self Publishing Books 101: Helping You Get Published and Noticed! (Mar 29, 2012),

*      21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Finding Freedom from Self-Pity and a Negative Attitude (A Life of Gratitude) (Jun 11, 2012)

*      Live Without Stress: 30 Days of Finding Christ's Peace for Your Soul: How to Overcome Anxiety and Stress Through Christ's Transforming Power (Jul 15, 2012)

*      Finding Hope in the Midst of Tragedy (Aug 7, 2012),

*      21 Prayers of Gratitude: Overcoming Negativity Through the Power of Prayer and God's Word (A Life of Gratitude) (Oct 1, 2012)

*      Marketing Your Book On Amazon: 21 Things You Can Easily Do For Free To Get More Exposure and Sales (Book Marketing on a Shoestring Budget) (Oct 17, 2012)

*      21 Stories of Gratitude: The Power of Living Life With a Grateful Heart (A Life of Gratitude) (Oct 29, 2012)

*      A Life of Gratitude: 21 Days to Overcoming Self-Pity and Negativity (Nov 17, 2012)

*      How to Find Free Christian Books Online (Nov 29, 2012)

*      Trusting God When Bad Things Happen (Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ) (Dec 9, 2012)

*      Healing For The Broken Hearted: Discover Lasting Freedom in Christ (Dec 12, 2012)

Nickels by Karen Baney

Niki’s roommate, Marcy is determined to find the perfect man for her friend. With her twenty-sixth birthday coming, Niki feels no urgency to find love. Her blind date Chad would be perfect for Marcy.

She does regret that her entire life could be minimized into one word: coding. Between assignments,  she waited for Brian, the CEO of Elite Software to transfer her to a new client. Brian assigns her to her dream job at Helitronics, the largest DoD contractor for helicopter aviation electronics.

Then Kyle Jacobs reenters her life and turns everything upside down. Niki has to learn to work with him since he also is assigned to the new project because of his military record and flight experience. Niki has a hard time letting go of the image she has carried of Kyle since high school.

The letter she received just before her brother was killed by an IED carries a passion about getting to know Jesus. Somehow Niki has to go beyond the past, and move beyond her painful memories, then when her heart is open, she finds the One who can hold her heart and even make Todd, who seems to be sabotaging the project, insignificant.

Karen Baney has penned a story and characters that linger past the last page. The reader is invited into the world of a computer programmer, a software engineer, or coders, or developers or whatever one wishes to call them. The characters are  a “snarky, funny, unique breed.”  Baney’s faith allows her characters to change. 

The Hermitage House Miracle

Ater, Malcolm. The Hermitage House Miracle. Blue Ridge Mountain Books, May 31, 2012. CreateSpace/Blue Ridge Mountain Books ISBN-10: 1470129361   ISBN-13: 978-1470129361  ASIN: B00881P756   178pp.  List Price: Paperback $9.95 E-book $3.99.

Jamie arrives at the Hermitage House Orphanage after his mother is killed in a car accident. Jamie could not remember her not being his mother, but he had no memories before he started school when he was six.

Starting the first night at the orphanage, Jamie dreams strange dreams. Though he was now twelve, he knew that he was the blond-headed freckle-faced five-year-old boy in his dreams. In his dreams he also had a different mother and a father. The father promised to program him a videogame that was so real he would feel as if he were in it.

Sometimes dreams turn into miracles that originate in the heart for yourself and others.

What child has not wondered if he is adopted, or if the parents she has are her real parents? Miracles do happen. They happen every day. Malcolm Ater captures the dreams and the possibilities. This book will especially appeal to the 10-13 year old age group.

Best Contemporary Fantasy 2012

Malcolm Ater, a junior-high special-education reading teacher, knows the hearts and minds of the children who people and  will be drawn to this piece of possibilities. Living in the area of West Virginia where The Hermitage House Miracle takes place allows him to bring not only his characters, but the background to life.

The Hermitage House Miracle was selected as the 2012 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner for Best Contemporary Fantasy and also chosen as a 2012 Finalist for Best Children's Book by the West Virginia Writers, Inc.

I received a .pdf file of the book from NetGalley in order for me to provide my unbiased opinion.