Seeds of Summer

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Seeds of Summer Zondervan (May 25, 2010)

by

Deborah Vogts





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from Deborah:



If you haven't guessed by now, the books I write are set in the country. I believe my most dedicated readers will be those who live in the country, those who have moved from the country and still hold it in their hearts, or those who have never lived there but long for the simple life it offers. Because of this, I've chosen Country at Heart as my writing brand, which is also the title of my Blog.

On Writing: http://deborahvogts.blogspot.com/



I began my first book when I was in high school. In college I studied English literature and journalism. Then came marriage, kids . . . life. During that time, I piddled with my writing but didn't take it seriously until 2002 when I joined a local writer's group and American Christian Fiction Writers. I also joined a critique group, took online writing workshops, read writing book how-to's and attended writer's conferences. Now I have an agent, Rachelle Gardner, at WordServe Literary and have been contracted with Zondervan for a three-book contemporary romance series.



The Seasons of the Tallgrass series captures the spirit and dreams of ordinary people living in the Flint Hills of Kansas--one of the last tallgrass prairie regions in the world.



The first book, Snow Melts in Spring, is available in stores now. Seeds of Summer released May 2010.





ABOUT THE BOOK

When opposites attract, sparks fly--like an electrical malfunction. That's what happens when former rodeo queen, Natalie Adams meets the new pastor in Diamond Falls.



Upon the death of her father, Natalie returns to the Flint Hills to raise her two half-siblings and run the family ranch, giving up her dreams for the future. She soon realizes her time in college and as Miss Rodeo Kansas is not enough to break the bonds that held her as a girl.



Jared Logan, a new pastor in Diamond Falls, is set on making a good impression to his first congregation, but finds that change doesn't come easy for some people. In fact, most in his congregation are set against it. Natalie and her troubled family provide an outlet for his energy and soon become his personal mission project.



Having raised her stepbrother and sister from an early youth, Natalie's self-sufficient nature isn't inclined to accept help, especially from a city-boy do-gooder like Jared Logen. Though attracted to him, there's no way she'd ever consider being a pastor's wife. Bible studies and bake sales just aren't her thing.



Jared repeatedly comes to Natalie's rescue, forcing her to see him with new eyes. At the same time, Jared's plan to plant Christ's word in Natalie's heart backfires when he loses his own heart to this wayward family. When problems arise in his congregation, he must face his greatest fears---of letting down God, his congregation, or those he loves. His time with Natalie has shown him the importance of standing by those you love, a lesson he chose to ignore in order to please his father years ago.



This is put to the test when Natalie faces a battle of custody of her half-siblings against the mother who abandoned them twelve years ago. Natalie's fight for the children turns into a fight for custody of her heart as she learns the true meaning of unconditional love. In turn, Jared must decide which dreams are his own---and whether Natalie is part of those dreams.



If you would like to read the Prologue and first chapter of Seeds of Summer, go

HERE.

My Review:

You know my favorite genre books by now if you've been reading my book reviews for quite some time, Christian western fiction! Have I roped up another winning book for all of you to really enjoy. I can imagine getting immersed in this one, sitting on a ranch spread overlooking heads of cattle while seated on my faithful horse. Yup it's that good.

Seeds of Summer by Deborah Vogts is from the Seasons of the Tallgrass series and in this novel we find ourselves knee deep in ranching trouble with Natalie Adams. Following the unexpected death of her father and earlier death of her mom years before, she finds herself thrown into managing a 5600 acre cattle ranch with only the help of her younger brother Dillon and sister, Chelsey. With a lazy hired hand Tom and a retired Vietnam vet Willard, she wonders how a runner up Rodeo Queen can handle this ranch with no money in the bank.

Meanwhile the church has recently acquired a new pastor, Jared from the city, who wonders if helping Natalie at the ranch is his mission while in town. Lucky for him he's fond of Dillion and enjoys fishing in the river as much as he does. When Natalie searches for her constantly wayward brother, she comes across the pastor and Dillon fishing. Is this a chance encounter for love or simply God's divine way of answering Natalie's prayer for help?

Another 10 out of 10 and again read it in a day it's that good and I didn't want to put it down. All the way to the end I found the book amazing and inspiring as Natalie is put to the ultimate challenges in raising a family of her siblings and running the ranch while trying to find out where God fits in to it all. Oh how I wish they would make books like this into movies or at least Hallmark classics. This is a great book and one for pre-teens and up.

I was provided with a copy of this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance in return for my humble and honest review. Trust me, add this one to your library.