Wheeler’s Design ~ A Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Wheeler’s Design

Author: Rachel Skatvold

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: March 28, 2023

Clay is messy and so is Sabrina’s life sometimes, but will God mold it into a work of art?

Sabrina Wheeler, single mom and business owner, won a scholarship to expand her pottery studio on Luamua Island. Now, she can finally have the career and life she’s been praying for. The scholarship includes a mentor, and Sabrina is anxious to make a good impression.

For Chad Berkley, an impromptu business trip to the Suamalie Islands couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Aside from it triggering his OCD personality, he also has important obligations in Yorkshire, and being absent for a month was not in his plans. The new assignment is an honor, however, and a huge step up in his career. He can’t risk disappointing his boss now.

But then he sees Sabrina. After their brief meeting at the business conference, he hasn’t stopped thinking of her. How had he missed that she is the business owner he’s been sent to mentor? Talk about distractions on his first big assignment. Will he be able to push his personal feelings aside and keep his focus on business?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

Wheeler’s Design by Rachel Skatvold is a Christian Contemporary Romance. Sabrina Wheeler, a single mom and business owner, won a scholarship to expand her pottery studio on Luamua Island. As the next installment of the Suamalie Islands series, I was excited that some of my favorite characters from the Independence Islands series appeared in this book.

Sabrina’s pottery studio, her connections on the islands, and her daughter help bring this story to life. The author does an excellent job bringing the characters and storyline to life.

Add in Chad Berkley, from Great Britain, who works for the people providing Sabrina with the scholarship, taking an impromptu trip to the Suamalie Islands was not in his plans. I loved seeing how he interacted with Sabrina, his family, his boss, and other characters in this story.

Truly, I found myself unable to put this book down. As I look forward to reading more books in this series, I would love to see characters from the Independence Islands series appear.

So if you enjoy works of Christian Contemporary Romances, check out Wheeler’s Design by Rachel Skatvold for yourself. I definitely recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing Christian romance and devotionals. Rachel has published over a dozen novels, including books in the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming and Brides of Pelican Rapids Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons. You can find more information about Rachel and her books on her website: http://www.rachelskatvold.com.

More from Rachel

Sabrina Wheeler’s life has not gone quite the way she imagined. As a single mom, waitress, and in-home art studio owner with many responsibilities, she often wonders how her life could have gone if she’d taken a different path. After attending a small business convention and winning a scholarship to launch her mobile art studio, Sabriana sees her path shifting. Could this signal a new beginning for her? Find out in Wheeler’s Design.

Wheeler’s Design is inspired by the verse, Isaiah 64:8. “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.”

During hard times we can all feel as though our lives resemble lumps of discarded clay. Yet, the truth is, we are God’s masterpiece in progress. He is still molding and shaping us into what we are meant to be. He will never discard us if we are His children.

During high school, I discovered a love for making pottery. While learning the art, it amazed me clay can be recycled over and over if the project doesn’t turn out right. It only has to be dried out a little and wedged until all the air bubbles are out before it can be molded into something new. As a busy homeschool mom and author I don’t have as much time for art, but it is still something I enjoy and have taught my children how to throw a pot on our pottery wheel at home. This special experience with my kids provided the inspiration for the relationship between Sabrina and her daughter, Hazel, who both share a love for making pottery.

Thank you for following the celebration tour for Wheeler’s Design. Please remember to follow the blog stops this week and don’t forget to enter in the giveaway!

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, April 22

She Lives to Read, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 25

Aryn The Libraryan , April 26

Texas Book-aholic, April 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 28

Sylvan Musings, April 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 30

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 3

Simple Harvest Reads, May 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, May 5

Splashes of Joy, May 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/258b6/wheeler-s-design-celebration-tour-giveaway

A Brighter Dawn ~ A Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Book: A Brighter Dawn

Author: Leslie Gould

Genre: Amish Romance

Release date: March 28, 2023

Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents’ Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy’s way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters’ needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi’s strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt’s story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.

As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents’ deaths weren’t, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare’s time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.

Click here to get your copy!

A Brighter Dawn by Leslie Gould is an Amish Romance. The book centers around Ivy Zimmerman and her family. Navigating the world as a young Mennonite woman appears to be going well for Ivy until her parents are killed in an unexpected accident. With a grandmother who lives with them facing health challenges, the girls unexpectedly find themselves returning with grandparents they never knew.

This book kept me interested by combining both the present and the past in a dual-timeline story. I loved getting to know Ivy, her sisters, and their family and friends. I also loved getting to know Clare from the time of World War II and her family and friends. This book delves deep into family relationships and facing the future.

I felt the author did an excellent job building the characters, their backstory, and the settings. I truly felt like I was part of the story. So if you enjoy stories about the Amish and Mennonites, dual-timeline stories, or just stories about families, check out A Brighter Dawn by Leslie Gould for yourself. I definitely recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Leslie Gould (www.lesliegould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over 35 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing and enjoys studying church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of four adult children.

More from Leslie

The historical thread of my dual-time novel A Brighter Dawn is set in Nazi Germany from 1937 to 1939. During that period of time, Germany incorporated Austria, mandatory registration of all Jewish property began, and concentration camps opened. Then came the Night of Broken Glass—the anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Soon following was the German occupation of Czechoslovakia before the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939.

My main character, Clare Simons, is a Mennonite young woman from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who is staying with her uncle and cousins in Frankfurt, Germany. She doesn’t follow current events much and struggles to balance the Nazi propaganda her uncle and oldest cousin believe with the events unfolding around her. Slowly, she begins to see the truth behind the Nazi lies.

One thing that broke up the narrative of the heavy events I researched and wrote about? The food.

When I traveled in Germany with my husband (who had lived there during his Army service years ago), I marveled over the scenery, became engrossed in the history, and definitely enjoyed the food. My background is Swiss, so it wasn’t that the food was unfamiliar. It was just at a level I hadn’t experienced before!

As I researched what Clare would fix for meals, I pored through cookbooks. For added inspiration, hubby and I ate at German restaurants. Jägerschnitzel (seared pork with gravy). Rinderbraten (paprika and caraway spiced beef roasted in red wine gravy). Wienerschnitzel (breaded and fried pork loin with warm potato salad and a vegetable remoulade.)

I noted food in research books, documentaries, and films. The entrees became focal points in the stories, including rabbit stew, a Christmas goose, and Sauerbraten with Spätzle and red cabbage. So did the desserts, including trifle and Black Forest cake.

When I visited Germany with my hubby, one of the things I really loved was stopping in a café for Apfelkuchen (apple cake) and coffee in the afternoon. In one scene in A Brighter Dawn, when Clare and her cousin Lena stop for coffee, they order apple cake too. Then, in another scene, Clare bakes an apple cake for the family of the nearby Jewish grocer who will soon lose their property.

Below is a recipe for a simple and dense German apple cake (which may have originated in Poland and been influenced by a Jewish apple cake recipe).

The food in A Brighter Dawn doesn’t take away from the narrative, but it is a reminder that a nurturing soul, such as my character Clare, can stand against the lies of an evil regime.

German Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 cups apples—peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (to soften apple slices before baking, place in a microwavable dish with a lid and microwave them with a Tablespoon of water for 3–4 minutes)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 cake pan.
2. Beat butter and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well.
3. Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in apples and walnuts by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. After 30 minutes, put a sheet of foil over the top of the cake to keep it from burning. Cool cake on a wire rack.

Possible Toppings

Before baking:

Crumble: ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, ½ cup flour, 4–6 Tablespoons softened butter. Combine ingredients and evenly spread over the top of cake.

Butterscotch: Sprinkle a package of butterscotch chips over the top of the cake.

Almonds: Sprinkle almond slivers over the top of the cake.

After baking:

Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Sprinkle with white sparkling sugar.

            Top with whipped cream.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 23

Lakesidelivingsite, April 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 24

Cover Lover Book Review, April 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 26

Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Connie’s History Classroom, April 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 28

Vicky Sluiter, April 28

She Lives To Read, April 29

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 30 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, April 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 2

Mornings at Character Cafe, May 2

Bigreadersite, May 3

Bliss, Books & Jewels, May 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 4

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 5

For Him and My Family, May 5

Splashes of Joy, May 6

Pause for Tales, May 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Leslie is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of A Brighter Dawn and one $15 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/258b9/a-brighter-dawn-celebration-tour-giveaway