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A Joyful Break, Book 1 - audiobook links

at https://www.audible.com/acx-promo

5ZWSRR5ZQXYFQ  - US

​3M5ZN5PDQ47Q   -  US

98XY8QD6GYPSL  -  UK

Judith's Place, Book 2

24W5TMUMRUDEJ  - US

355EN3JL93N7C     - US

2SSZCDXZZRY3T  - UK

A Decision of Faith, Book 4

3WDY7FJUYCB7F - US

EBEQWEAYC266U - US

3M5NRXWRB6PDR - UK

I received my first shipment of my new release, ANNA IN LOVE, in paperback on Thursday. I am pleased how well the books look! I am going to use them for giveaways! I remember when I was with Samhain Publishing years ago and how they gave each author 10 copies of paperbacks and 10 ebooks of their books to distribute to reviewers. I thought that was wonderful. Two of my books are going to my newsletter subscribers and one will go to Keeping Up With the Amish for their August event in Shipshewana. 

I was asked to be a team leader for a Florida scoring project but I didn't want to with it being remote. I wasn't sure how I could have a team of readers remotely, so I said I'd be a reader instead. Also, there was a conflict with my April maintenance treatment if I had decided to start as a team leader. I have been working 8 1/2 hours a day for this project. It should end on June 22nd. It is nice to work from home but I miss seeing the other people on the project in person. I do not miss the long commute. 

I hope you will read my new release. If you like it, please write a review! I am grateful to my readers when they take the time to write reviews or to post something on FB about any of my books. 

I had my maintenance treatment on Wednesday and there was a new system on the computer. Unfortunately, my name wasn't on the list for the pharmacy. I had to wait two hours for my infusions. I saw Dr. Herms so that wasn't a problem. I had taken the day off from work for my treatment so was glad it was straightened out. A nurse, Suzanne, got my vein the first time so that was a relief. I don't have a port so it's nice when they can find a vein to use for my IV. 

I love how Craver creates each of her story with Amish and Englishers with unique and unexpected happenings. Anna in Love drew me in from the start until the end. It was nice to catch up with the King family and the residents in their Amish community. Anna was next to the youngest Bishop daughter and was seeking for answers. When her friend introduced her to Wyatt, an Englisher, who is staying with his Amish grandmother for the summer she was attracted to him. Anna found she was in a triangle when Wyatt’s Amish cousin was interested in dating her. The twists and turns with unexpected but realistic events gave way to a delightful story. Will Anna find where she belongs before disappointing her family?

This story is filled with family, community, faith, romance, hidden secrets and so much more. I would like to see Craver write Sadie’s story before ending this series.
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Reviewed by Marilyn Ridgway, 5 stars

Purchase here for Amazon. 

Wow - it is already the 15th of the month! Time flies as usual! This morning, I signed up for our various church services for Holy Week. As we did for Christmas, it is necessary to sign up ahead for masses. 

I'm going to send a newsletter later this week. If you haven't signed up, hope you do soon! I'd hate for you to miss out on gift giveaways and book news! If you decide later to unsubscribe, that's fine too. 

Here is the link to click for the form for my newsletter. 

​http://madmimi.com/signups/9e9ecfb2973f4d0c835c2ebab6196ae2/join

​"A Joyful Break" is the first in Diane Craver's four-part novel series, Dreams of Plain Daughters, about Amish women. Rachel is still grieving over the loss of her mother at age 44. She also is struggling with blaming her father for the death, wondering if her mother might have lived, had they had a phone so they could get help more quickly. In addition, Rachel is feeling a stirring, wondering if the Englisch world would be better for her. But she does love her "intended," who is an Amish young man that loves her deeply but is trying to be patient with her and to resist the advances of a forward competitor to Rachel. Amish young people have the options of enjoying and experimenting with "rumschpringe"- a break from Amish culture in which they can experience the outside world and participate in limited worldly habits like using phones, going to movies and such. Rachel, who has always longed to see the ocean, spends her break with her aunt and cousins at the seashore. Little does she know that while there, she will be faced with yet another choice - how to interact with a young man named Nick. They do have something important in common - the recent deaths of their mothers. But Nick yearns for more than just friendship with Rachel; he falls in love with her and even pursues her by later visiting her in her hometown after she returns from her rumschpringe. Will she choose to return to her aunt's secular world, or will she stay in the environment that has always been her comfort zone, her home in the Amish community? Will she remain faithful to her boyfriend or will she date Nick, too? Do Rachel and her father come to an understanding and reconcile? I won't give anything away. I would like to say that I think that Craver does a splendid job of illustrating both the Amish and Englisch worlds, without showing any judgmentalism of either one. And while Craver was honest about the too-often impure motives of political actions, she also included a refreshing sentiment and comment about Rachel's uncle feeling "an obligation to make the world a better place by being involved in government" (Chapter 5). This is awesome! The Bible tells us that we are to be salt and light in the world. In fact, if we Christians were to disengage totally from politics, that would just lead to more corruption, problems and pain, and giving into evil. So kudos to Craver for this astute realization that some people truly do feel that being in politics is a calling-albeit not an easy or pleasant one! 🙂 ​