Review: Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

Within My Heart (Timber Ridge Reflections #3)

By: Tamera Alexander

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 978-0-7642-0391-6

About the book:

Sometimes the greatest step of faith is taken neck-deep in fear.

Determined to fulfill her late husband's dream, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat with the help of her two young sons. But some days it feels as though her every effort is sabotaged. When faced with a loss she cannot afford, she's forced to trust Rand Brookston, the one man in Timber Ridge she wishes to avoid. And with good reason. He's a physician, just like her father, which tells her everything she needs to know about him. Or so she thinks....

Dr. Rand Brookston ventured west with the dream of bringing modern medicine to the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, but the townspeople have been slow to trust him. Just as slow in coming is Rand's dream to build the town a proper clinic. When a patient's life is threatened, Rand makes a choice—one that sends ripples through the town of Timber Ridge. And through Rachel Boyd's stubborn heart.

Review:

Following the tragic death of her husband in a hunting accident, Rachel Boyd struggles to keep the family ranch afloat, determined to make her late husband's dreams for their sons a reality. here is little time and less desire for her dreams or love, in spite of the persistent, hopeful attentions of the handsome town doctor Rand Brookston. Much like her self-proclaimed mission to see her late husband's dreams realized, Rachel determines that loving a doctor is not an option, since all members of the profession must be like her harsh father, harsh and driven. But when a typhoid outbreak threatens Timber Ridge, and the chronic illness of a dear friend requires all of Rand's skill, Rachel is forced to re-evaluate her dearly held assumptions and realize they may be proved a lie. Faced with a choice -- the relative safety of the emotional walls she's built and the iron-clad views she holds close, or risking her heart and family's future on the possibility of love, Rachel must decide once and for all if vulnerability, trust, and love are worth the risk of faith.

Going into this novel the knowledge that Rachel was the heroine was a hard sell -- I'd spent the previous two books in the series disliking her immensely. her animosity towards Daniel, the hero of From a Distance, was borderline irrational. And her seemingly complete inability to graciously accept (or decline) aid, coupled with a persistent distrust of Rand (based on memories of her father), made Rachel an extraordinarily prickly centerpiece for the conclusion to Alexander's Timber Ridge trilogy. While Rachel had legitimate, heart-breaking reasons for her issues, her consistently antagonistic attitude made for a challenging reading experience.

Thankfully, halfway through the novel Rachel turns a corner, and Alexander's trademark ability to tug at the heartstrings is given free rein to shine. As she shares in her author's note, Within My Heart was crafted during a particularly difficult time, involving her mother's illness, and the result of that experience is a master author laying her heart bare on the page -- a beautifully rendered, poignant reminder of the hope believers share in a heavenly promise, making goodbyes on this earth only a temporary heartache. Beloved store owner Ben's illness and the grace and raw honesty with which he and his wife face his mortality are poignant reminders of the precious gift of life, and the power of a life well-lived.

An on-going theme in this loosely connected series is facing fear, and Rand's journey is perhaps my favorite yet. If faith is believing in the unseen provision of an all-knowing God, then Rand's arc is the surest illustration yet of the joy and release found in surrendering, safe in the faith that God's love is the only surety to see one through their darkest hour. Alexander is at her best when crafting characters who make you feel, gloriously real, messy individuals, and Within My Heart is no exception. I love that through Rand's experiences she revisits the horrific toll of the Civil War on its survivors. And her gritty, authentic portrayal of the challenges of frontier medicine add a dose of realism and authenticity to the storyline. At its heart the conclusion to Alexander's Timber Ridge series is a beautifully rendered story of grace and faith, leaving me eager for Alexander's next offering!

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Lasting Impression Bethany House (November 1, 2011) by Tamera Alexander
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart) continue her signature style of deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose which has earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.

These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the 2010 and 2007 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2010 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2010 HOLT Medallion, the 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, the 2007 National Reader's Choice Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

Tamera's newest novel A Lasting Impression is the first of a brand new three-book Southern historical series, and the first two chapters are available for review. She's at work on her ninth novel which will release in fall 2012.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with Tamera's father, Doug, and with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Lasting Impression, go HERE.

Review: Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander

Beyond This Moment (Timber Ridge Reflections #2)
By: Tamera Alexander
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0-4642-0390-9

About the book:

Lives are made up of tiny steps. Some are chosen for us; some we choose. All hold the power to change who we become - but only if we let them.

When Dr. Molly Whitcomb, Professor of Romance Languages, steps off the train in Colorado Territory, she makes a choice - one that goes against everything she stands for. Yet it's the only choice that offers her a chance to regain a fraction of all she's lost.

Sheriff James McPherson's instincts about people rarely miss the mark. He senses Professor Whitcomb is hiding something. He just doesn't know what. When James learns Molly's secret, his own reputation is undermined. and when Molly Whitcomb's reinvented life begins to unravel, it threatens his job, the stability of Timber Ridge, and what he always knew to be true about himself.

Review:

Dr. Molly Whitcomb has achieved educational and professional success far beyond what most women could even fathom in 1876. But one mistaken night of passion has cost her dearly, ripping from her hands the professional future she fought so hard to achieve and the comforts of the only world she’s ever known. With her reputation hanging by a thread she seizes the only option offered to her – a teaching position in remote Timber Ridge in the Colorado Territory. Determined to mask her shame behind the veil of widowhood, Molly never imagines the far-reaching ramifications of her desperate rash act, particularly where the handsome sheriff, James McPherson, is concerned. James is a gentleman in every sense of the word, a man of principle and honor the likes of which Molly had never dreamed of meeting in the wild territory. As Molly begins to establish a home in Timber Ridge, her new life, built on a foundation of deception, threatens to destroy everything she’s begun to hold dear. When the truth is revealed, can love withstand the self-righteous recrimination of society and the deep-set wounds found within two hearts desperate for acceptance and a fresh start?

Tamera Alexander has a gift for crafting characters so real, so vibrant, that they spring to life from the page so alive that you cannot help but rejoice with them in their victories and weep with them over their sorrows. Though I haven’t walked Molly’s specific road, her struggle with shame over past choices and the premium she places on maintaining her reputation at all costs are all too real and painfully relatable. It’s all too easy to rationalize our way out of taking responsibility for our actions, of dealing with consequences immediately instead of putting off a painful, but ultimately necessary task. With Molly’s journey, Alexander beautifully illustrates the timeless axiom that the light of truth does indeed set one free, and that God’s gift of second, third, fourth chances and more – His grace – is there for any child who runs to His arms, no matter how far or hard the fall. Similar to Elizabeth, the heroine of the previous novel in this series, I appreciated how Alexander once again crafts a female lead that is strong, independent, and forward-thinking, but wholly of the time period in which she lives. Through Molly’s refined southern eyes, Alexander fully immerses the reader in a community on the brink of great social change, a place struggling to reconcile its roots as a rugged frontier town with the push and pull of social and economic expansion. Alexander’s secondary characters are as fully realized as her leads, and make the world of Timber Ridge a compelling and fascinating place in which to lose oneself.

James McPherson is the type of hero that embodies everything I love about cowboys and the legends of the West. Ruggedly handsome and unfailingly kind, he possesses a code of honor so ingrained in his very being that it informs every decision, every choice he makes. Life was black and white until Molly entered his life, and his attraction to the pretty schoolteacher could not override the nagging sense that all was not as it seemed in her life. When Molly’s secrets collide with his strict code of honor and threaten to unmask his own secret shame, James faces a choice – to exercise grace and faith or run from a love he’d never dared dream of experiencing. James and Molly’s relationship embodies everything I’ve come to love about Alexander’s writing. She can craft a romance that can take your breath away, characters so real and flawed you can’t help but see yourself in their lives, and a redemptive thread that unfolds so beautifully, and with such power, that the grace of it will bring tears to your eyes. Through James and Molly’s story, you’ll witness a powerful illustration of God’s never-failing, awe-inspiring ability to take the messes humans can make of their lives and transform them into something beautiful, if only one surrenders to the fall.

Review: From a Distance by Tamera Alexander

From a Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections #1)
By: Tamera Alexander
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0389-3

About the book:

What happens when the realization of a dream isn’t what you imagined…and the secret you’ve spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare?

Determined to become one of the country’s premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.

Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he’ll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He’s a man of his word, but repaying that debt could bring secrets from his past to light.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth’s lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met…from a distance.

Review:

Elizabeth Westbrook’s dream of becoming a newpaper photographer whose work is accepted under her own name (instead of a male pen name), is put to the test when she travels to the untamed Colorado Territory. Her assignment is to take pictures of the area’s majestic countryside and surreptitiously investigate the feasibility of investors back east developing the area around the town of Timber Ridge into a resort property. Elizabeth is a strong, prickly character whose occasionally abrasive manner can be a little hard to take. However, Alexander does an excellent job of balancing Elizabeth’s drive to succeed with her fears and insecurities. Her brash manner is extremely realistic compensation for a lifetime of hurt and struggle. In a society that held certain limited expectations for the role of women, Elizabeth bucks convention on multiple fronts.

Daniel Ranslett, who served as a Confederate sharpshooter in the war, immediately clashes with Elizabeth. He doesn’t understand her drive and she doesn’t understand his enigmatic manner and reluctance to serve as her guide. However, his loner status masks pain of a different sort – the mental and emotional toll of combat. Daniel is a wonderful hero – though he’s a wounded, gentle spirit he possesses a core of unwavering moral strength and character. He’s the perfect foil for Elizabeth, who has some tough lessons to learn about truth and honor while in turn he must learn about brokenness and trust.

From a Distance is a beautifully crafted, thoroughly absorbing novel full of richly drawn, unforgettable characters. There’s a dash of mystery, but the real strength of the novel is the journey Elizabeth and Daniel undergo towards surrender. Elizabeth and Daniel are two of the most well-drawn, imperfect characters I’ve ever run across – you know characters are “real” when you alternately want to shake them when you’re frustrated, empathize with their hurts, and cheer at their triumphs. As a native of Tennessee and an amateur Civil War history buff, I loved how Alexander wove together snippets of Tennessee and Civil War history into her Colorado frontier-set story. While the action of the novel takes place ten years after the end of the Civil War, Alexander does a beautiful job of showing the heartbreaking, far-reaching cost of that conflict on its survivors. I also enjoyed learning about photographic processes in the 1800’s – it’s eye-opening to read about the processes and Elizabeth’s job struggles in an era when cameras (and women in the workforce) are taken for granted. This is a novel about choices – how one chooses to overcome tragedy, health problems, trust issues – and God’s sovereignty and care over even the most minute details of one’s life. When the dreams they cling to are stripped away, Daniel and Elizabeth’s story shows how in vulnerability and brokenness God pours out blessings and strength and dreams much greater and more rewarding than one’s human frailty can possibly imagine.

***

I originally reviewed From a Distance way back in September 2008. I'm finally (FINALLY!!) diving into book two of the trilogy, so I thought now was a good time to add this review to the blog.

Booksigning photos

If you have a LifeWay store near you, you may have gotten wind of the news that today was LifeWay's Fiction Day, where you could find all sorts of great deals on fantastic reads and in many stores meet some of your favorite authors and get them to sign their latest releases. I was fortunate enough to visit the LifeWay store hosting authors Kaye Dacus, Tamera Alexander, and Nancy Rue. Kaye's a dear friend, and I've met Tamera before (but it's been WAY too long since I'd seen her!), but I'd never met Nancy Rue which was a real treat. :) Here's a few pics from the afternoon:

Me with Nancy Rue!

Tamera with my friend Rachel*

Me & Kaye!

*Rachel is the author of LifeWay's new fiction blog, A Novel Bookshelf.

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Within My HeartBethany House; Original edition (September 1, 2010)

byTamera Alexander
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart), penned in her style with deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.

These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award, the 2007 RITA for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2009 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville with Tamera's father, Doug. They enjoy life there with Joe and Tamera's two adult children, and Jack, a precious—and precocious—silky terrier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Widow Rachel Boyd struggles to keep her ranch afloat and provide for her two young sons, though some days it feels as though her efforts are sabotaged at every turn. When her cattle come down with disease and her sons' lives are endangered, she must turn to Rand Brookston, Timber Ridge's physician and reluctant veterinarian. While Rachel appreciates his help, she squelches any feelings she might have for Rand--her own father was a doctor and his patients always took priority over his family. Rachel refuses to repeat the mistakes her mother made. But when she's courted by a wealthy client of the local resort, she faces a choice: self-sufficiency and security or the risk inherent in the deepest of loves.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Within My Heart, go HERE.

2010 Christy Award Nominees

The 2010 Christy Award nominees were announced today, so I thought I'd share the news here. The award was established in 1999 to honor excellence in Christian fiction (you can read more about the history here).

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

• Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills • Tyndale House Publishers 
• How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group
• Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus • Barbour Publishing 

CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

• Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson • Thomas Nelson 
• The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group 
• Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth • Zondervan 

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE

• June Bug by Chris Fabry • Tyndale House Publishers 
• The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson • Thomas Nelson 
• Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle • Tyndale House Publishers 

FIRST NOVEL

• The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry • Moody Publishers 
• Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent • Tyndale House Publishers 
• Scared by Tom Davis • David C. Cook 

HISTORICAL

• A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group 
• Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group 
• The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey • Revell Books: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

• Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group 
• A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group 
• The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander • Thomas Nelson 
• The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group 

SUSPENSE

• Intervention by Terri Blackstock • Zondervan 
• Lost Mission by Athol Dickson • Howard Books: a Division of Simon & Schuster 
• The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group 

VISIONARY

• By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson • Marcher Lord Press 
• The Enclave by Karen Hancock • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group 
• Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik • Tyndale House Publishers 

YOUNG ADULT

• Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma • Thomas Nelson 
• The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason • David C. Cook 
• North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

The winners will be announced in a ceremony on June 26, 2010 in St. Louis. Congrats to all the nominees, but a special big congrats to my dear friend Kaye, nominated in the Contemporary Romance category! :)