Categories: Christian Historical Fiction/ Romance/ Stand-Alone Publisher: Revell Date of Publication: March 2, 2021 Pages: 352
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He’s bound and determined to find peace . . . but she’s about to stir things up. Dorothy Clark dreams of writing something that will challenge people as much as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin seems to have. But in 1850s Mesquite Springs, there are few opportunities for writers–until newspaperman Brandon Holloway arrives, that is. Brandon Holloway has seen firsthand the disastrous effects of challenging others. He has no intention of repeating that mistake. Instead of following his dreams, he’s committed to making a new–and completely uncontroversial–start in the Hill Country. As Dorothy’s involvement in the fledgling newspaper grows from convenient to essential, the same change seems to be happening in Brandon’s heart. But before romance can bloom, Dorothy and Brandon must work together to discover who’s determined to divide the town and destroy Brandon’s livelihood.
Genre: Historical Fiction / Christian Romance
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: March 3, 2020
Number of Pages: 336
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Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents’ murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don’t include a family of his own.
At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage?
Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.
PRAISE FOR OUT OF THE EMBERS:
“Out of the Embers is part prairie romance, part romantic suspense. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a book more. Amanda Cabot has written an intriguing, chilling mystery and she winds it through the pages of a sweet romance in a way that made me keep turning the pages fast to see what was going to happen next. An absolutely excellent read. And now I’m hungry for oatmeal pecan pie!”
~ Mary Connealy, author of Aiming for Love, book #1 in the Brides of Hope Mountain series
Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Cimarron Creek trilogy, as well as the Texas Crossroads series, the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.
What inspired the idea for your new book, Out of the Embers?
I’ve always been fascinated by the way that events of the past shape us, so I started brainstorming worst case scenarios. What if a young girl’s parents were murdered and she never knew why? What if she still felt as if someone was watching her and planning to kill her too, even though it’s been ten years? What if she narrowly missed being inside her new home when it was destroyed and everyone died? These were the seeds of Out of the Embers.
Out of the Embers is set in a fictional small town in the Texas Hill Country. What inspired you to create a place like Mesquite Springs?
By now, readers have probably figured out that I enjoy bringing small towns to life, particularly in the Texas Hill Country. The challenge for me is making each of my fictional towns different. After all, I wouldn’t want anyone to say “same old, same old” when reading one of my stories. What distinguishes Mesquite Springs from Ladreville and Cimarron Creek is that it’s experiencing a period of growth with new businesses and new people coming to town. Those people change the town’s dynamics—some in good ways, some in not-so-good ways—but they all make their mark on Mesquite Springs.
Two of the main characters in Out of the Embers, Evelyn and Polly, are joined together through a fire that destroys their home. But, that’s not the only thing the two have in common. Can you tell us a little more about their relationship?
Besides both being orphans, Evelyn and Polly share enough of a resemblance that when she flees after the orphanage is destroyed, Evelyn finds it easy to pretend that Polly is her younger sister. In truth, their relationship is more like mother and daughter than sisters, with Polly depending on Evelyn to make her fondest dream come true: finding her a new daddy.
Did anything surprise you as you were writing the novel?
Yes, as a matter of fact. Although I plot my books before I begin the actual writing process and rarely make major deviations from those plots, this time when I was about half through the first draft, I realized that what I had envisioned for Wyatt’s life after the book ended wasn’t the right one for him. He needed to stay in Mesquite Springs, and he needed a compelling reason to stay. The mayoral race was the result of those realizations.
Did you face any challenges in creating this story? What was the hardest scene to write?
The biggest challenge was not revealing too much about the two men who are secondary characters too soon but still giving readers enough reason to care about what was going to happen to them.
I wouldn’t say that any one scene was particularly difficult to write, but perhaps that’s because I tend to agonize over every scene, trying to make it as close to perfect as possible.
Do you see parts of yourself in any of your characters?
I’d like to claim that my characters are totally fictional, but the truth is that I, like all authors, bring parts of myself to each story. The fact that I’m the oldest of four children made Evelyn’s almost parental relationship with Polly an easy one for me to write.
What do you hope readers will gain from Out of the Embers?
As always, I hope they’ll finish the book with a smile on their faces, a renewed belief in the healing power of love, and the knowledge that God can—and does—answer prayers.
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THREE WINNERS One Grand Prize Winner: Copy of Out of the Embers + Special Hill Country Sweets Cookbook +$25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card Next Two Winners: Copy of Out of the Embers + Special Hill Country Sweets Cookbook + $10 Starbucks Card March 10-March 20, 2020 (US ONLY)
Genre: Historical Romance / Inspirational
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: March 5, 2019
Number of Pages: 352
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As far as Thea Michener is concerned, it’s time for a change. With her husband murdered and her much-anticipated baby stillborn, there is nothing left for her in Ladreville. Having accepted a position as Cimarron Creek’s midwife, she has no intention of remarrying and trying for another child. So when a handsome Texas Ranger appears on her doorstep with an abandoned baby, Thea isn’t sure her heart can take it.
Ranger Jackson Guthrie isn’t concerned only with the baby’s welfare. He’s been looking for Thea, convinced that her late husband was part of the gang that killed his brother. But it soon becomes clear that the situation is far more complicated than he anticipated–and he’ll need Thea’s help if he’s ever to find the justice he seeks.
Amanda Cabot invites readers back to Cimarron Creek for a tender story of loss, betrayal, and love in the majestic Texas Hill Country.
PRAISE FOR A TENDER HOPE:
“Such beautiful words flow from Amanda Cabot’s pen–words that lead characters from tattered situations to fresh beginnings and culminate in tender story endings that make a reader sigh in satisfaction. I’ve never been disappointed by a Cabot tale.” — Kim Vogel Sawyer, bestselling author of Bringing Maggie Home
A Tender Hope, the final book in Amanda Cabot’s Cimarron Creek Trilogy, is probably my favorite of the three and that’s saying something because A Stolen Heart and A Borrowed Dream are fantastic novels in their own right.
It’s the fact that events came to a satisfactory conclusion here. It’s because everyone’s stories, especially the couples’ have hopeful endings/beginnings. And it’s definitely because it had me smiling when I closed the book after the final word.
Being immersed in the Cimarron Creek series is like traveling in time to an era that is both gentler and harsher than the present. Ms. Cabot’s imagined world of apothecaries and mansions, of buggies and prams, of Rangers and outlaws, of midwives and stagecoaches, is a place I enjoy visiting. Being a foreign-born transplant to Texas, I appreciate this recreation of a past I know nothing about except for what I read in books.
From the first scene, A Tender Hope literally and figuratively takes the reader on a journey. Thea and Jackson travel separately to Cimarron Creek carrying their physical and emotional baggage: Thea with her heartbreak from losing her husband and son; Jackson with his hunt for the outlaw who killed his brother. An abandoned child, along with their respective jobs, brings them together in a way that aided their growing attraction to each other and hastened their discovery of what they really want in life. Amidst the danger posed by a vicious gang, they realized that what they want is to build a family in Cimarron Creek, their found home.
I love every aspect of Thea and Jackson’s romance: the constant desire to be in each other’s company, the honest conversations, their mutual respect, their belief in the other’s capabilities, and their support of each other’s careers. What had me swooning is their observance of proper courtship, something that is missing in contemporary romance and even in many historical romance these days. I enjoyed reading it here.
Another courtship I enjoyed is that of Aimee and Nate’s. These two brought some lightness and comic relief to balance the themes of the novel. Also ably supporting are Warner and Patience, Travis and Lydia, Grace, and other members of the small town. Their various subplots and the menace of the villains help enrich A Tender Hope’s overall storyline.
I’m really going to miss the wonderful people in this fictional community but I trust in Ms. Cabot and I’m sure her next series will be as fantastic as Cimarron Creek had been.
Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Cimarron Creek trilogy, as well as the Texas Crossroads series, the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.
1ST: Copy of A Tender Hope + Spa Basket (An assortment of Cru de Provence lavender vanilla scented spa products fills this lovely basket including lotions, soap, bath salts, waffle slippers and much more.) 2ND: Copy of A Tender Hope + $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card 3RD: Copy of A Tender Hope + $10 Starbucks Gift Card APRIL 5-15, 2018 (US ONLY)
He’s bound and determined to find peace . . . but she’s about to stir things up. 
From the first scene, A Tender Hope literally and figuratively takes the reader on a journey. Thea and Jackson travel separately to Cimarron Creek carrying their physical and emotional baggage: Thea with her heartbreak from losing her husband and son; Jackson with his hunt for the outlaw who killed his brother. An abandoned child, along with their respective jobs, brings them together in a way that aided their growing attraction to each other and hastened their discovery of what they really want in life. Amidst the danger posed by a vicious gang, they realized that what they want is to build a family in Cimarron Creek, their found home.
I love every aspect of Thea and Jackson’s romance: the constant desire to be in each other’s company, the honest conversations, their mutual respect, their belief in the other’s capabilities, and their support of each other’s careers. What had me swooning is their observance of proper courtship, something that is missing in contemporary romance and even in many historical romance these days. I enjoyed reading it here.
Maida Malby 
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