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Summary from Goodreads: After her death, a woman is sent back to life as her own guardian angel in this lyrical first novel that examines questions of fate, free will, regret, and hope. Returned to earth as her own guardian angel, Margot Delacroix, now named Ruth, watches herself, through her own birth, a troubled childhood, her first love, her son's birth, and, ultimately, her own untimely death. As she passes through this second chance at life, she must re-experience and record her biggest mistakes and her deepest regrets. As she relives her life, Ruth tries to change it and, in the end, prevent her own death. Ruth also tries to prevent Margot from ever falling in love with her husband Toby -- and eventually falls back in love with him herself. A love story that proves that love is stronger than death, The Guardian Angel's Journal is a rich, lyrical novel that examines the questions of fate, free will, faith, and hope. This story asks readers to consider what they would chan...

Charlotte is cleaning out the basement of Bedford Community Church when she comes across a tattered and yellowed newspaper article. The clipping, published more than a century ago, implicates her great-great-grandfather in the loss of funds intended to help finish building the church. Charlotte has heard stories about the incident through the years, but now it seems the past has come back to haunt her. Is it just her imagination or are people treating her differently now that they think she’s descended from a crook? Will Charlotte be able to clear her family’s name once and for all? Meanwhile, Sam is spending time with a new girl in town—and is keeping secrets from his grandparents about where they go. Christopher is trying to get an article published in the local paper, and Emily reluctantly partners with a foreign exchange student on a class project and eventually comes to see that they’re not that different after all. As old secrets are brought to light, the whole family is remind...

Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone - she's been engaged to Neil, a sensible actuary, for three years, even though she can't quite bring herself to set a wedding date. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice- in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy- leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzy Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's ...

A small-town summer... The days are long and lazy, the corn is high, the sunflowers are in bloom, and everyone in Bedford is gearing up for the biggest event of the summer: the annual county fair. But when a Nashville music producer approaches Bob about using Heather Creek Farm to film a country star's new music video, he and Charlotte are faced with a dilemma. Will they allow the glamour and enticements of big-city life to encroach upon their peaceful home? Will the excitement of celebrity drown out the simple joys of summer? As you've probably seen on this blog, I'm a huge fan of the Home to Heather Creek series. Why is that? It's because of it's down to earth, good natured, comfort style reading. When I read one of these books, I'm able to escape to a simple life, down on the farm, with folks that love each other even while they're still getting in all sorts of scrapes and bangs. I also really enjoy how even though this series is written by several dif...

Heather Creek Farm looks like a winter wonderland as Charlotte Stevenson prepares to make a memorable Christmas for her three grandchildren. Despite the difficult year they’ve all experienced, Charlotte hopes to find solace in this season of peace and joy, trusting in her faith to see her through. That faith is shaken, though, when everything begins to go wrong. Sam, her oldest grandson, makes plans to spend Christmas away from home. Emily is drawn into a battle with the pastor’s daughter, and shy, ten-year-old Christopher faces his worst fear. And when a dangerous ice storm threatens to ruin all their plans, Charlotte finds strength in the promise of God’s gift to the world. Tis the season to be jolly.....or hectic and frenzy. The folks in Heather Creek are getting ready for the holiday season and it will be the first Christmas together for the Stevensons and their grandchildren. I can imagine how hard it would have been for Charlotte and Bob to try to celebrate the holiday knowing ...

With the holidays drawing near, Charlotte is starting to feel the pinch of having three extra mouths to feed. A cooking demonstration, plus a little nudging from her good friends, inspires Charlotte to start a pie-baking business to bring in some extra income in this busy time of year. She decides to make it a family affair, hoping that teaching the kids to bake will bring the family together, but when her business takes off, the whole thing becomes bigger than any of them ever imagined—or wanted. Meanwhile, Sam is pining for a car, Emily is on a campaign to improve the food served at Bedford High, and Christopher befriends a lonely outsider whose one mistake leads to a life-and-death situation. In the midst of so many trials, will Charlotte be able to maintain a spirit of thankfulness? Will she even have anything to be thankful for? Nom nom nom. That's all I could say after reading this book. If I could eat what I read, this entire series would make me gain so much weight. This ...

The kids are starting to settle in at Heather Creek Farm. Emily is making new friends, while Christopher has picked up a new hobby and Sam is getting into athletics at school. Emily has been invited to a friend’s lake house, but Charlotte has doubts that the girl — and her cute older brother — are a good influence on Emily. Can she put her foot down without losing her granddaughter’s love? Will Emily listen to her either way? And when the weather service warns that a tornado is on its way toward Bedford, a scary near-miss and a dramatic rescue remind them all about the importance of family. Book Three in the Heather Creek series is written by a different author from the previous two, but the storyline blends in so seamlessly that you would think they're all written by the same person. I enjoyed returning to this small town in Nebraska with a different type of blended family. Once again, all the reasons of why I enjoy this series came rushing back: the comforting story...

Great Start to a New Series Charlotte Stevenson's world has been turned upside down. What was a pleasant life on a Nebraska farm with her husband has now been rocked by news of her only daughter's death. Now they must take care of Denise's three children Sam, Emily and Christopher. Even though they haven't taken care of children in years, they want to do right by Denise, who left home at an early age after a disagreement. They never saw her again. Will they be able to help out the three struggling city children who feel out of place and alone on the farm or will history repeat itself and they leave just like Denise did? Multi author series can sometimes be a challenge because there can be lack in continuity, characters don't show up in every book, and different personalities appear with each different author. I get wary sometimes that the flow of the story will be broken up when something that happens in one novel never gets mentioned again or that there's ...

The bleak winter days make February on Heather Creek Farm a test of endurance, and as winter wears on, Sam becomes more and more withdrawn and unhappy. Bob is busy planning a surprise for Charlotte, and Christopher is excited about a local writing competition, while a Valentine’s Day flower from a secret source lifts Emily’s spirits. But when Sam disappears from the farm one night, chasing a memory of the father who abandoned them all, Charlotte and Bob need all the help—and prayer—they can get to bring him home safely. This broken family needs God’s help like never before, but their trials remind them all that every sunrise brings a new beginning. This series is comfort reading at its best. Seriously, I wish I had a grandmother like Charlotte and a farm to live at. Oh I know there would be chores to be done so it wouldn't be an easy life, but I think the benefits would totally outweigh those. Reading this book is very comforting and makes me feel like I'm part of the family...

A Jane Austen "What If" Book Emma Grant has traveled to England, to get away from the scandal involving her ex husband which caused her to lose her job as a professor. Her goal is to find the missing letters of Jane Austen that have been highly coveted by researchers and fans of Austen for years. The owner of one of the letters invites Emma to participate in a scavenger hunt of sorts to find the rest of the letters and discover who the real Austen really was. Along the way Emma begins to not only find out more about the true life of Jane Austen, but finding out more about her own self as well. As a huge Jane Austen fan, I've been snapping up anything to do with her lately. She's become the newest trend in books, TV shows, and movies. And frankly I'm loving it as she was one of the best authors ever in history. This novel is a "What could have happened?" type of story dealing with Jane Austen and her long lost letters. Fans and researchers of Austen ...

It's BBAW and I'm giving away a brand new copy of today's book! Leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. I'll pick a name and announce the winner on Friday, September 26. US addresses only. Good luck! Harvest time at Heather Creek Farm is an exciting time, but the kids don't seem to be getting into the spirit. One day while he's wandering through the fields, Christopher stumbles across an old piece of metal buried in the ground. He doesn't know what it is, but he hides it in the shed. That night, the garden by the house is uprooted. Who could have done such a thing? Charlotte is determined to find out, but is dist racted when she gets news that Sam is failing school. The sullen teen is indifferent and won't study. He starts spending a lot of time with Pete. Though she loves her son dearly, Pete never finished high school, and Charlotte is afraid he'll encourage Sam to do the same. How can she help him get back on...