Christmas at Rose Hill Farm
An Amish Love Story
by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: September 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0800721930
Pages: 240
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/ARPVX
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/sfisher

Review:

I know that the holidays are getting closer when Christmas themed books start showing up in bookstores. Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the most popular Christian authors and she has crafted a holiday tale, titled Christmas at Rose Hill Farm. Of course one the first things I noticed about the book is that there is a character named Billy, which coincidentally my name is also Billy!

Set in 1977, Christmas at Rose Hill Farm centers on Billy Lapp, an ex-Amish from Stoney Ridge that is working as a rose rustler for Penn State. He had no intentions of ever returning home, but life throws you unexpected situations and Billy finds himself returning to Stoney Ridge to investigate the origins of a "lost" rose that is found in the greenhouse at Rose Hill Farm.

When Billy originally left Stoney Ridge four years ago, he also left behind his love Bess Riehl. Since then, Bess has moved on with her life by getting engaged to Billy's cousin, Amos, though it did take three proposals for her to finally say "yes" to marriage. Bess and Amos are planning a quite Christmas Wedding, well that is until Billy made his return and old feelings start to return as well.

Joyful
Return to Sugarcreek, book three
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher: Avon Inspire
Pub. Date: Sept. 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0062204509
Pages: 256
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/BeIYd
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray

Review:

There are some authors that never seem to fail with each and every new novel they released. Shelley Shepard Gray is one of these authors. I've been a fan of her work since I read the first book in the Sisters of the Heart series, Hidden, and her writing style keeps getting better with each new novel. Her newest book, Joyful, is the third installment in the Return to Sugarcreek series, which I eagerly signed up to review it through Liffuse Publicity Group.

Joyful centers on Elizabeth Nolt, a young Amish woman who had been dating Randall Beiler for the past two years that is until out of the blue, Randall breaks up with her. Heartbroken, Elizabeth has nobody to turn, except for grandmother.

Unknowingly to Elizabeth is the heartache the Randall is also feeling. He didn't want to break ties with her, but he had no other choice. Situations occured that forced him to push her away so he could take care of his younger siblings and run the family farm.

Petals on the Wind
Director: Karen Moncrieff
Starring: Heather Graham, Rose McIver, Wyatt Nash, Baley Buntain, Nick Searcy Dlyan Bruce, Will Kemp, Whitney Hoy, Ellia English and Ellen Burstyn
Studio: LionsGate Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00KFNF17E
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rating: NOT Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD on September 16th is the Petals on the Wind based on the classic novel by V.C. Andrews. The film is directed by Karen Moncrieff and stars Heather Graham, Rose McIver, Wyatt Nash, Baley Buntain, Nick Searcy Dlyan Bruce, Will Kemp , Whitney Hoy, Ellia English and Ellen Burstyn. The DVD comes with a Digital Ultraviolet code. There are no extras or special features.

After the success of the made-for-television adaption of Flowers in the Attic back in January, it was no-brainier why Lifetime quickly gave the greenlight for the sequel Petals on the Wind, which made its debut on Lifetime back in May.

Unlike the book of the same name that picks up directly where Flowers in the Attic ended, the film adaption jumps ten years with new actors (Rose Mclver, Wyatt Nash and Bailey Buntain) taking over the roles of Cathy, Christopher and Carrie Dollanganger. Shoving a 450 page book into a 90-minute movie means there are many characters and scenes that had to be cut. Dr. Paul Sheffield, who adopts the children and later has a romantic relationship with Cathy, never appears, as the film opens up with his funeral. Cathy's ballet roommates, Yolanda Lange and April Summers, never appears, as well as Dr. Paul's sister,
Amanda Sheffield (Biddens).

Despite some changes, the main plot is still intact in the film with Cathy wanting revenge for what her mother did to her and her siblings. A few scenes with Carrie shows how she was tormented by her classmates and how her mother ignored her, which all leads to her death (it differs from the book). Then there is a side-story with Christopher dating Whitney Hoy, which isn't in the book.

125 Best Chocolate Chip Recipies: Quick, Easy, Fun Ideas
by Julie Hasson
Publisher: Robert Rose
Pub. Date: September 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0778800729
Pages: 192
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:


As many of my readers already know, I do know my way around a kitchen; learning at an early age to cook my own meals and bake my own desserts, so naturally I was interested in reviewing 125 Best Chocolate Chip Recipes, which I received an advanced copy several weeks ago. The cookbook, or should I say baking book, features delicious recipes for bars, squares, cakes, pies, muffins, quick breads, puddings, hot and cold beverages and sauces, all of which uses chocolate chips!

The publisher, Robert Rose, has given me permission to share two tasty recipes.

Love's Fortune
The Ballantyne Legacy, book 3
by Laura Frantz
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: September 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-0800720438
Pages: 400
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving in bookstores today is the third installment in The Ballantyne Legacy, titled Love's Fortune by Laura Frantz. I have never read the other books in the series, but the cover alone for the third book caught my attention. Plus, to me the book feels like a standalone novel.


Love's Fortune centers on Rowena "Wren" Ballantyne, a young woman living in Kentucky who's life is forever changed when she leaves her home and travels with her father to New Hope, Pennsylvania. She quickly learns of her father's heritage and meets her new family members, who introduce her to the high society life.

Jumping from one lifestyle to another is not an easy task and she struggles to fit in, that is until she meets James Sackett, a steamship pilot of the Ballantynes' shipping line. Though her newfound friend tries to help her fit in with her new surrounds, she still doesn't feel comfortable becoming the kind of 'lady' that her Aunt Andra wants her to become.

Castle: The Complete Sixth Season
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Seamus Dever, Jon Huertas, Tamala Jones, Molly Quinn, Susan Sullivan
Studio: ABC Studios
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Retail: $45.99
ASIN: B00FR23QNE
Running Time: 984 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD on Tuesday September 16, 2014 from ABC Studios is Castle: The Complete Sixth Season, featuring all 23 episodes. Bonus Features include: A Few of Our Favorite Things - Cast and crew reveal their favorite Castle moments of the past six seasons, including an unaired "Caskett" highlight from the Season 4 finale. Plus fan Favorites in every category; On Location With Stana - Stana Katic shares insights into her creative process and reflects on the character she portrays, in this intimate diary of a day on set during the season finale; Audio Commentaries - Including character commentary with Detectives Ryan and Esposito; Castle Karaoke - Detective Ryan gets his groove on in this never-before-seen extended karaoke performance; Bloopers and Deleted Scenes.

Season 6 further develops Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett's (played by Stana Katic) romance with their engagement, despite the fact that Beckett accept a job working for the Attorney General's office in Washington D.C., well only for the the first three episodes of the season before she returns to her duties as a New York homicide detective.


Castle's daughter, Alexa (played by Moly Quinn), returns from her vacation overseas and she brings back a boyfriend, Pi, which Castle doesn't take the news very well, resulting in Alexa moving into her own apartment. Meanwhile, Castle's estranged father (played by guest-star Josh Brolin) returns, only to bring danger to his family. Beckett finally takes the down the man responsible for her mother's death. All of this leads to the shocking cliffhanger in "For Better or Worse," which will be resolved in the seventh season premiere on Monday September 29th!

The 23 episodes on the five-disc set are:

Prisoners Of War: Season Two
Starring: Gal Zaid, Yael Eitan
Studio: Shout Factory!
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Retail: $29.83
ASIN: B00KTFJ6VK
Running Time: 715 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Now available to own on DVD for the first time in the United States is Prisoners Of War: Season Two, featuring all 14 episodes from the exciting second season. Bonus Features include an Introduction by Gideon Raff, Cast Interviews and Episode Commentaries with Creator Gideon Raff & Director Of Photography Itai Neeman.

Prisoners Of War first premiered in 2010 and has consistently been the number one drama in Israel over the course of two seasons. A third season is being planned. The series inspired Showtime's Emmy-award winning Homeland.

The second season picks up a few days after the events of season one with the discovery that Amiel Ben Horin, now know as "Yussuf," is still alive and he has been living as a Muslim in Syria. The biggest question is: "Has Ameil been turned into a terrorist?" Meanwhile, Uri and Nimrod struggle to pick up their lives after returning home. 

The episodes on the four-disc set are:

All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes
by Besty St. Amant
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: Sept. 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0310338451
Pages: 320
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/AZIVZ
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/alls-fair-in-love-and-cupcakes-betsy-st-amant

Review:

With me enjoying a good romance book and my love for cooking/baking, it was a no-brainier why I would sign up to review a book titled All's Fair in Love Cupcakes by Besty St. Amant. While I'm not familiar with the author's other work, the title alone caught my attention.

All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes centers on Kat Varland, a twenty-six-year-old who is stuck working in her Aunt Maggie's bakery. Though she has a business degree, her real passion is baking, but she has no idea how to mix the to together. Her life changes when she receives a letter stating she has been accepted as a contestant on a reality TV bake-off called Cupcake Combat, but she never sent in an application. She quickly realizes that best-friend, Lucas Brannen, was the one who filled out the application and sent it in. Now Kat can finally see her future as a professional baker working at a famous bakery in New York city, but her dream may never come true, as there are other eager bakers wanting to win the competition.

Unknowingly to Kat, Lucas has been in love with her for years. He saw how her talents were being wasted, so he signed up her up for the reality show, hoping that it will spark some creativity for her, but when he learns that the prize is a job at a New York Bakery, he must deal with the fact that he may lose her forever.