Chasing Shadows

GIVEAWAY

AUSTIN, LYNN

CHASING SHADOWS

For fans of bestselling WW!! fiction comes a powerful novel from Lynn Austin about three women whose lives are instantly changed when the Nazis invade the neutral Netherlands, forcing each into a complicated dance of choice and consequences.

Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death?

Lena's daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy.

Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she though Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined. 

The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.

My Review:

What an emotional read! Austin takes her readers into the lives of three Dutch women during World War II and delivers a memorable story full of heartache and hope. 

I feel like my eyes were opened as I embraced Lena, Ans and Miriam and lived their stories along side them. I mean, I thought I knew about the Holocaust and the resistance movement but Austin's stirring storytelling turned those facts into deeply emotional impressions. I was reeling by the end. Burst into gut-wrenching sobs of release -- sad, happy, hurting, hopeful tears to match my jumbled emotions.

There are incredibly moving inspirational threads woven throughout this story and i appreciate that the author includes both Christian and Jewish faith arcs. Lena, in her forties, a farm wife and mother, has always relied on her pastor father for spiritual guidance. Her daughter, Ans, rebels against her parents' religion as she makes a new life in the city. And Miriam has never given her Jewish roots much thought other than on the occasional holiday. Over the course of the war, each woman learns to derive comfort and courage from a renewed faith in God. 

I'm struggling to find the right words to describe the impact Chasing Shadows had on me. (Incredible title, by the way, which aptly fits the novel.)  I spotted so many parallels to our tumultuous 21st century times. Particularly in the way some people need a scapegoat to blame when things get tough. And feel the need to lash out at anyone with different ideas, politics or cultural backgrounds. It seems like humanity is destined to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Which is why I think books like this one are so important to read. 

I listened to the audible edtion and was completely transfixed by Stina Nielsen's narration. I hung on her every word as she guided me through the intricacies of war torn Holland. She brought vibrancy and colour to Austin's incredible storytelling. 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is available in paperback or ebook format -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Chasing Shadows, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday June 19 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Wonderland Creek

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ

AUSTIN, LYNN
WONDERLAND CREEK

Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn., a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery -- and especially romance -- may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

My Review:

published in 2011

How's this for an opening line: "If my life was a book, no one would read it." Told in first-person, Alice goes on to prove herself wrong in this funny and poignant and completely spell-binding story. I bonded with Alice on the very first page -- I mean how could I resist a passionate bibliophile with a penchant for getting into trouble? Alice may live in the pages of her beloved books when we first meet her but she quickly begins writing her own absorbing story when life happens...in a really big way.

This book is full of surprises and priceless gems of wisdom and humour and tender romance, not to mention the deeper kind. It's Alice's journey out of fiction and into the real world and it's a marvel to watch her eyes open as she sees reality for the first time. She fights it tooth and nail, of course, feet dragging as petulantly as any self-centered young woman might. But her adventures along Wonderland Creek leave her transformed.

This coming-of-age story put me in mind of The Waltons. Same depression era and small-town life. Austin descriptions are rich and set the tone and setting of the rural south. Even more importantly, she manages to capture the desperation of the Depression while capturing the strength of the people. Lillie, a secondary character drew me in page after page. It's a marvel how Austin wove seemingly separate threads into a beautiful tapestry of words and emotions.

Wonderland Creek is a book of substance and beauty and well worth the read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Wonderland Creek, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 13 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Hidden Places

GIVEAWAY

AUSTIN, LYNN
HIDDEN PLACES

A deep yearning for home had led Eliza to Wyatt orchards ten years ago. Now widowed with three young children, she faces mounting debts and the realization it is all up to her. But she has no idea how she'll run the orchard alone.

When a stranger appears at her doorstep, Eliza guesses he is no different than the other out-of-luck characters searching for work during the Depression. But the familiarity with which Gabe tends to the farm raises unanswered questions. With a vulnerable heart, she is unwittingly drawn to his gentle ways. But Eliza also fears that Gabe hides a past and motives that could jeopardize all she has fought to attain for herself and children...

My Review:

published in 2001
My thanks to my public library for providing me with an awesome audio recording of this book!

This might be my oldest retro read to date...nearly 20 years! What an amazing, complex, completely riveting read. Austin takes her time developing the story and digging deep into the lives of her characters. So many 'live out loud' moments! I just basked in the glory of it all even as I stressed over all the unanswered questions. This is the kind of novel it's easy to lose yourself in. I loved the unhurried pace, the sweet, funny moments that often cropped up in the midst of tension. The antics of a one-eyed dog named Winkie and a maternal cat's craving for kittens...in the form of stolen mittens! And the Depression Era is a favourite curiosity of mine -- I blame the Waltons. :-) But I can't resist a story set in this time period. Feelings seem sharper, desperation starker, stolen kisses sweeter....I know that doesn't quite make sense but it's how I feel.

Deliciously long -- 429 pages -- this is the kind of story you can sink your teeth into. Gabe is a man of mystery -- all grit and toe-curling gentleness while Eliza is feisty and snappy and hiding tender feelings beneath a whole lot of worry and angst. And Aunt Batty might just be the star of the novel. Her story surprised me the most. And the way Austin weaves these characters' lives together, meshing their pasts with their present and wrapping them all in the secure arms of a loving God while she's at it -- well, sweet perfection doesn't cover it!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note: this giveaway is in ecopy format only If you would like a chance to win an ecopy of Hidden Places, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced September 9 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Where We Belong

GIVEAWAY

AUSTIN, LYNN
WHERE WE BELONG

Join two incomparable sisters on adventures that span the decades and cross the globe.

In the city of Chicago in 1893, the rules and expectations for Victorian women are strict, their roles in life limited. But sisters Rebecca and Flora Hawes are not typical Victorian ladies. Their love of adventure and their desire to use their God-given talents have taken them out of society ballrooms and delivered them to the Sinai Desert -- and into the teeth of a sandstorm.

Accompanied by Soren Petersen, their somber young butler, and Kate Rafferty, a plucky street urchin learning to be their ladies' maid, the two women are on a quest across the desert, chasing rumors of an important biblical manuscript.

At the expedition becomes ever more dangerous and uncertain, all four travelers sift through memories and adventures of their past, recalling the events that shaped them and the journeys and providence that brought them to this very time and place.

My Review:

An epic tale about two invincible sisters who refuse to be confined by societal expectations. And while a work of fiction Where We Belong reads more like a memoir since it is a collection of memories. In fact, the largest portion of these 470 pages is spent in past decades -- and told from the point of view of four different characters whose stories all interconnect -- the sisters, Rebecca and Flora and their two charges, Kate and Soren.

The story begins with a trek across the Sinai Desert in 1890. These forty-something sisters have led rich, colourful and unorthodox lives and the holy quest they are on provides them with time to reflect on the past decades that have led them to this point. The sisters compliment each other beautifully --- Rebecca is brash and fearless while Flora is more thoughtful and cautious.  And both sisters live their faith deeply. Their love of Jesus shines in everything they do. They are true disciples, acting as the hands and feet of Christ to all those around them. A truly inspiring and fascinating story.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publications and Graf-Martin Publications.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Where We Belong, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooCA. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 20 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

Waves of Mercy

GIVEAWAY

AUSTIN, LYNN
WAVES OF MERCY

Haunted by the unknowns of their pasts, two women search for answers along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Chicago socialite Anna Nicholson retreats to the Hotel Ottawa in Holland, Michigan, after breaking her engagement with her wealthy fiancé. Filled with questions about her newfound faith and troubled by a recurring nightmare, Anna finds solace in Derk Vander Veen, a seasonal hotel worker who plans to go into the ministry.

Prompted by a request from her son, Geesje de Jonge begins to sift through memories of emigrating from the Netherlands almost fifty years ago. As she writes them down for the Semi-Contennial anniversary of the town's settlement, her story takes on a life of its own as she honestly and painfully recalls her regrets, doubts, hardships and joys. Her story captivates Derk, who sees similarities between Geesje and Anna, and wishes to bring the two together.

Past and present collide as Anna and Geesje seek clarity, but neither expects the revelations that await them.

My Review:

A fascinating novel steeped in history. Austin has created a rich, cultural backdrop to showcase two captivating storylines with two intriguing heroines.

Anna is at a crossroads when she arrives in Holland, Michigan. She's searching for answers to questions she doesn't even know how to ask as she looks ahead to an uncertain future. Geesje reflects upon her past -- fifty years of faith and love and a lifetime of struggles -- after she is asked to write her memoir. Two seemingly diverse life stories converge in the most amazing way. And the bridge that links them together is seminary student, Derk who sees God's hand in it all.

 I think what struck me the most about Waves of Mercy is the startling contrast between the heartbreak and joys of a seasoned believer and the wonder and confusion of new faith. However, I have to admit to being really disappointed with the ending. There's just too much left hanging and no indication that there will be answers in future novels since this doesn't look like it's part of a series. So that's really frustrating. :-(

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Waves of Mercy please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the  subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 13 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Pilgrimage : My Journey to a Deeper Faith in the Land Where Jesus Walked

GIVEAWAY

AUSTIN, LYNN
PILGRIMAGE : MY JOURNEY TO A DEEPER FAITH IN THE LAND WHERE JESUS WALKED

 We all encounter times when our spirit feels dry, when doubt looms.The opportunity to tour Israel came at a good time. For months, my life has been a mindless plodding through necessary routine, as monotonous as an all-night shift on an assembly line. Life gets that way sometimes, when nothing specific is wrong but the world around us seems drained of color. Even my weekly worship experiences and daily quiet times with God have felt as dry and stale as last year's crackers. I'm ashamed to confess the malaise I've felt. I have been given so much. Shouldn't a Christian's life be an abundant one, as exciting as Christmas morning, as joyful as Easter Sunday?With gripping honesty, Lynn Austin pens her struggles with spiritual dryness in a season of loss and unwanted change. Tracing her travels throughout Israel, Austin seamlessly weaves events and insights from the Word . . . and in doing so finds a renewed passion for prayer and encouragement for her spirit, now full of life and hope.

My Review:

Kudos to the author for baring her soul in order to lift up others. Her first person narrative creates an immediate intimacy with her readers and while this is a work of non-fiction, Austin's fluid writing style reads like fiction. I was riveted from page one. She speaks to the challenge change brings and the ensuing struggle to rekindle the joy of a new believer. I think we've all encountered a season of spiritual malaise; a time when we have taken the fruits of our faith for granted.  Taking this 'virtual' journey to Israel with the author has helped renew my passion for the gospel and my appreciation for my Saviour. Austin has a real gift for bringing the scriptures to life and making them relevant for the 21st century Christian. Pilgrimage is full of profound 'revelations' that have opened my eyes and deepened my faith in numerous ways.

Giveaway Opportunity

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Pilgrimage please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 15 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

All Things New

GIVEAWAY

AUSTIN, LYNN
ALL THINGS NEW

The war is over. The South has lost.Josephine Weatherly struggles to pick up the pieces of her life when her family returns to their Virginia plantation. But the realities of life after the war cannot be denied: her home and land are but a shell of their previous grandeur; death has claimed her father and brother; and her remaining brother, Daniel, has returned home bitter and broken.

Her life of privilege, a long-ago dream.
Josephine soon realizes that life is now a matter of daily survival--and recognizes that Lizzie, as one of the few remaining servants, is the one she must rely on to teach her all she needs to know. Josephine's mother, too, vows to rebuild White Oak...but a bitter hatred fuels her.

Can hope--and a battered faith in God--survive amid the devastation?
In her bestselling tradition, Lynn Austin brings to life the difficult years of Reconstruction by interweaving the stories of three women--daughter, mother, and freed slave--in a riveting tale.

My Review:

Austin takes the glamour out of the civil war in this compelling and disturbing account of the post-war South. I have to admit that I hadn't given much thought to what happened immediately after the war ended -- or how Americans picked up the pieces of their lives after battling for five years. Gritty and realistic, I found All Things New depressing at the start. The obstacles the South faced were overwhelming. No family was untouched by loss. People were starving. Despondency and bitterness became the new enemy and Austin thrust her characters into the middle of the chaos.

The story becomes all the more powerful because it is told from three very different points of view. First there is Josephine. She's almost apathetic from the start -- numbed by all the suffering she has endured. I loved her character arc the most. What a transformation! Especially appreciated her faith struggle has she attempted to make sense of the horrors of war. And I loved the way Austin contrasted Josephine's story with that of her mother, Eugenia and a former slave, Lizzie.  All three women are experiencing different facets of freedom for the first time. Such a brilliant concept that results in a powerful, moving and very memorable read.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of All Things New, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 28 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group". 

Wonderland Creek

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

AUSTIN, LYNN
WONDERLAND CREEK

Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Longing to run from small-town gossip, Alice flees to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn., a place with no running water, no electricity, and where the librarians ride ornery horses up steep mountain passes to deliver books. When Alice is forced to stay in Acorn far longer than she planned, she discovers that real-life adventure, mystery -- and especially romance -- may be far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.
 
My Review:
 
How's this for an opening line: "If my life was a book, no one would read it." Told in first-person, Alice goes on to prove herself wrong in this funny and poignant and completely spell-binding story. I bonded with Alice on the very first page -- I mean how could I resist a passionate bibliophile with a penchant for getting into trouble? Alice may live in the pages of her beloved books when we first meet her but she quickly begins writing her own absorbing story when life happens...in a really big way.

This book is full of surprises and priceless gems of wisdom and humour and tender romance, not to mention the deeper kind. It's Alice's journey out of fiction and into the real world and it's a marvel to watch her eyes open as she sees reality for the first time. She fights it tooth and nail, of course, feet dragging as petulantly as any self-centered young woman might. But her adventures along Wonderland Creek leave her transformed.
 
This coming-of-age story put me in mind of The Waltons. Same depression era and small-town life. Austin descriptions are rich and set the tone and setting of the rural south. Even more importantly, she manages to capture the desperation of the Depression while capturing the strength of the people. Lillie, a secondary character drew me in page after page. It's a marvel how Austin wove seemingly separate threads into a beautiful tapestry of words and emotions.

Wonderland Creek is a book of substance and beauty and well worth the read.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like to win your own copy of Wonderland Creek leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 27. This offer is open to international readers.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Candle in the Darkness

AUSTIN, LYNN

CANDLE IN THE DARKNESS

Book 1 in the Refiner’s Fire series. The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised in a culture that believes slavery is God-ordained and biblically acceptable. But upon awakening to the cruelty and injustice it encompasses, Caroline’s eyes are opened for the first time to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. Her journey of maturity and faith will draw her into the abolitionist movement, where she is confronted with the risks and sacrifices her beliefs entail.

THIS IS AN EPIC NOVEL THAT GRIPPED ME FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE. CANDLE IN THE DARKNESS COVERS ABOUT A TEN YEAR SPAN IN THE LIFE OF CAROLINE FLETCHER. PART ONE IS WRITTEN IN FIRST PERSON -- RECOUNTING HER LIFE FROM THE TIME SHE WAS TWELVE IN HER OWN WORDS. COMPELLED BY THE NEED FOR THOSE SHE LOVES TO UNDERSTAND HER RADICAL ACTIONS, SHE TAKES PEN IN HAND AND RECORDS HER MEMOIRS. PART TWO IS IN THIRD PERSON AND PICKS UP WHERE HER FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT ENDS.

THIS IS A STUNNING AND HEARTBREAKING PORTRAYAL OF SLAVERY, THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE CIVIL WAR AND THE WAR ITSELF -- ALL FROM CAROLINE'S VIEWPOINT. IT IS A VERY COMPELLING READ AND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN AND TIMES WHEN I WANTED TO THROW IT ACROSS THE ROOM (BUT, OF COURSE I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO A BOOK, NO MATTER HOW INFURIATING!) I'D REACH A POINT WHERE I JUST HAD TO TAKE A BREAK SO THAT I COULD CONJURE UP A HAPPILY EVER AFTER RIGHT THERE ON PAGE 200 OR 300 OR WHATEVER POINT I WAS AT BECAUSE I JUST COULDN'T BEAR IT ANY LONGER. ONCE I'D CALMED DOWN ENOUGH I WOULD RESUME READING, SOMETIMES WITH DREAD, SOMETIMES WITH FEAR, SOMETIMES WITH HOPE BUT ALWAYS EAGERLY.

AUSTIN HAS DONE A MAGNIFICENT JOB OF CONVEYING GOD'S TRUTH IN THE MIDST OF SUCH TURMOIL. SHE PRESENTED BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH VIEWPOINTS -- INCLUDING THEIR IDEALS AND THE FLAWS IN THEIR THINKING AND THERE'S LOTS OF HISTORICAL DETAIL THOUGH IT DOESN'T WEIGH DOWN THE STORY. AS A CANADIAN WITH JUST A SKETCHY IDEA OF THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE CIVIL WAR, I NOW HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT DIFFICULT TIME PERIOD. SOME OF THE DEBATES BETWEEN CHARACTERS MADE ME WANT TO SCREAM IN OUTRAGE, OTHERS CHEER WITH JOY! I WAS DEFINITELY AN ENGAGED READER FROM START TO FINISH.

AUSTIN'S PORTRAYAL OF THE UGLINESS OF WAR IS GRITTY AND HONEST. THE HOSPITAL SCENES ARE HORRIFYING. THE ARROGANCE OF SLAVE OWNERS REPREHENSIBLE. AND YET SHE ALSO SHOWS GOD'S HAND IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS AND THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE OF INDIVIDUAL WORTH IS HEARTENING.

A STELLAR CAST OF SECONDARY CHARACTERS ENRICH CAROLINE'S STORY AND CREATE LAYERS AND DEPTHS THAT MAKE THIS AN EPIC DESTINED TO BE A CLASSIC.