WHEN GRACE SINGS, LIVES ARE MADE ANEW

WHEN GRACE SINGS

The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy, Book 2

WHEN TROUBLE ROARS INTO QUIET ARBORVILLE, ALEXA AND ANNA-GRACE FIND THEMSELVES THE TARGET FOR DISCORD AND EXPOSED SECRETS.

Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas, will ever fully accept her. Her family roots aren't what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over. The bed-and-breakfast she's operating needs to succeed, so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder, not knowing his real motives for being among the Plain folk.

But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa's insecurities and sets Briley on the trail to uncovering a web of hidden truths.

Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang in the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face the truth that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined. They must trust in a loving heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.

 In When Grace Sings, Kim has continued the saga of the Zimmerman family and the Arborville community, in which they live. While focusing on the characters of Alexa Zimmerman and Anna-Grace Braun, Kim has shown that in the end, all each of us want is to feel that we belong. Alexa, until recently, had no knowledge that she was adopted, while Anna-Grace has always known of her adopted status. Each, however, has conflicting feelings about her status in her family and the Arborville community. Alexa wants to fit in and be accepted and fears that she never will. Anna-Grace has feelings of rejection, which she had never felt before, until she is faced with moving into the Arborville community. Her fiance has inherited a farm in the Arborville community and Anna-Grace soon follows to determine whether or not she can live there.

Not only are there insecurities within the two main characters, Kim introduces a tabloid reporter, Briley Forrester, that is determined to show the “dark” side of the Plain life. His determination leads him to Arborville to “dig up the dirt” and prove that members of Plain communities are not as “perfect” as everyone believes them to be. He is also determined not to fall victim to his own insecurities.

Steven Brungardt, Anna-Grace's fiance, is waging his own spiritual war. He is determined to be the perfect son. He believes that in doing so, he needs to deny the call God has placed on his heart. Steven struggles with his call and his sense of duty. This struggle leads him to become distant, subdued and somewhat dour.

How can God bring good from all of these situations and will each character find the Grace, which can set them free from their burdens?

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a talented storyteller. She has a way of weaving her stories so that her readers are brought into her books and discover some truths about God, themselves and those around them, while being entertained. In When Grace Sings, she has done so again. Kim has composed a well-written story, which is enhanced by the spiritual struggles each character faces. She weaves a story of struggle and grace that leaves the reader with a desire to know the conclusion from page one. The reader will discover throughout the book that God is working in the lives of the characters, even though each fights Him and His Will. As in all of her books, Kim's talent for writing believable and realistic characters is never lacking. Each time I was forced to put the book down, the characters and their struggles lingered in my mind, until I could return to their world.

Each character discovers that belonging and self worth are only found in the One that can offer eternity, rather than the temporary of this world.

Pick up a copy of When Grace Sings and discover, as Alexa, Briley, Anna-Grace and Steven do that at the moment we surrender to the Father, that is the moment when grace sings and lives are made anew.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print and have garnered awards including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her husband, Don, and their four feline companions. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and grandchildren.

FROM JADED TO JOYFUL

On the surface, nothing seems to change in this dull town-yet God always works beneath the surface. As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation after a scandal involving her parents.

Thirteen years later, her interest in an attractive single minister is bitterly opposed - unearthing a string of secrets which threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside down.

Plunging deep into the waters of shame, forgiveness, and restoration, Varina Denman's contemporary novel will resonate with every woman who's experienced a loss of heart...and a thirst for hope.

Come venture with me to Trapp, Texas and meet Ruthie.   Ruthie’s walk has never been easy.  She has lived under the pallor of the town’s judgment for most of her life.  She finds it easier to “hide” in the shadows, than to “live” in the light.  Her experiences with “God’s Judgment”, rather than His Grace, cause her to be skeptical of those that espouse belief in the God of the church.  Until one day, when her world is turned upside down with the arrival of a new family in town.  Can she trust these new comers?  Can she trust her feelings around them?  Can she trust the God they love and serve?

Varina Denman weaves this wonderful tale of a hidden dream and desire to be accepted by the town she has called home, all of her life.  She brings the readers into the mind and feelings of Ruthie, a young woman,  that has been rejected by the congregation of her childhood church and friends.  A rejection caused by a supposed sin that was not of her doing.  

Through the eyes, ears and other senses of Ruthie, Varina brings not only the sights, but sounds and smells of Trapp, Texas alive. She spins a story that will keep the reader enthralled and engaged.  As I read, Jaded, I had the great pleasure of walking the streets of the small Texas town.  Once I had entered Trapp, I had no desire to leave.

The next time you are searching for an escape from your daily grind, pick up a copy of Jaded and travel to Trapp, Texas.  I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Varina Denman writes stories about the unique struggles women face. She has five children, teaches creative writing and literature, volunteers in her local homeschool cooperative, and boasts sixteen years as a home educator. She resides with her family in North Texas. Her first novel, Jaded, won the 2013 ACFW Genesis Award.

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