Change of Heart (Sisters & Friends #1) by Rachel J. Good -- Book Tour Review + Guest Post + Giveaway

About the Book

Lydia Esh’s younger sister Emma is running wild during Rumschpringe, causing the family major heartaches. Although it means risking her reputation, her job as a schoolteacher, and her courtship with Jakob Zook, Lydia attends parties to watch over Emma and protect her sister’s virtue.
When Emma begins a relationship with Kyle, an Englischer, Lydia teams up with Kyle’s older brother, Caleb, to keep the couple apart. As Lydia and Caleb spend time together keeping an eye on their siblings, Lydia falls for this forbidden love. Will she stay true to her faith even if it means giving up the man she loves?

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About the Author

Rachel J. Good, inspirational author, writes life-changing, heartfelt novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. She is the author of Amish romances in the Sisters & Friends series. She grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for her novels. A former teacher and librarian, she completed her MA from Vermont College while raising five children. She is presently an MFA student in Writing and Illustration at Hollins University. In addition to having more than 2200 articles and 30 books in print or forthcoming under several pseudonyms, she also juggles freelance editing and illustration careers. To buy the Amish Quilts Coloring Book: http://amzn.to/1T35q5p  Visit Rachel at:

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Guest post from Rachel J. Good

Hi, I’m Rachel J. Good, inspirational author of heartfelt tales of faith, hope, and forgiveness.
I’m excited to launch the first book in my Sisters & Friends Amish series, Change of Heart. Although I’ve been writing for many years and have about 30 books out now, this is my first inspirational novel. I’m busy editing book 2, Buried Secrets, and writing book 3, Gift from Above. And I’m planning the next three books in the series.
I’ve been asked how I came to write Amish novels. For that, I have to credit my agent Mary Sue Seymour, who suggested it to me. I loved the idea because I’d lived near Lancaster, PA, and had always been interested in the Amish. Although Mary Sue went to heaven a few months ago, just before the book launched, I feel her presence in my life as I write. She believed in me as a writer and encouraged me to work on this novel, which she quickly sold.
Lydia’s story in Change of Heart has several connections with my real life. The first is that I’m the oldest in my family and have two sisters, and so does Lydia. We both feel responsible our younger sisters. Lydia’s younger sister, Emma, gets in trouble during Rumschpringe. (And no, her wild sister doesn’t resemble either of my two younger sisters.)
The second connection with my life is the spiritual lesson Lydia learns in the book. I wanted Lydia’s journey to be not only a struggle between faith and love, but also a personal inner journey from self-righteousness to seeing with God’s loving eyes.
Oftentimes, goodness and spirituality can be a source of pride, and it can also be used to justify being judgmental. Lydia’s sister Emma points this out to her, but in my case, it was my young daughter who piped up, when I was complaining about someone at church, and said, “She sounds just like you, Mommy.” Ouch!
That day I came face to face with the truth that often what I criticize most in another person is often a flaw or a sin I’m overlooking in myself. As Matthew 7:3 (NIV) says: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” I wanted Lydia’s story to reflect that truth.
The Amish try to avoid the sin of hochmut (pride), but Lydia, without realizing it, is secretly proud of her own spirituality. It often saddens me that, as Christians, we spend more time criticizing others outside the faith or with different lifestyles or beliefs, but very little time examining our own unloving and judgmental behavior. I’d like to see us become more like Jesus, who ate with the “publicans and sinners,” and showed love to everyone, instead of condemning them.
Lydia is also forced to choose between staying in her faith or leaving it for love. I, too, faced a similar challenge many years ago, so I wrote those scenes from my heart. I hope Lydia’s story touches hearts, and that readers come away reassured that although we can’t always see the larger picture, God can, and He’s working out a wonderful plan for us. Our present circumstances might seem dark, but He knows the final results. We need to trust Him even during the challenging times, because “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Review

Rachel J. Good has written a charming coming of age Amish tale.  It is about a young family where one sister, Emma, is going through her rumschpringe, and rebelling, attending wild parties, and causing her family much heartache in the process.  Emma’s older sister, Lydia, tries to help see Lydia that she needs to change her ways and change her heart.  In the process of trying to bring her sister back to the fold, Lydia meets Emma’s Englischer boyfriend’s older brother, Caleb, and forms an unlikely attachment as they both strive to keep an eye on their younger siblings.  So now Lydia must find a way to help her sister and decide if she will continue falling for and get together with Englischer Caleb, or marry her Amish intended Jakob.  A sweet and inspiring story of struggling between right and wrong, offering and receiving forgiveness, and going for something good or something better.  I would recommend this readers to those that enjoy inspirational, Amish fiction.
 
Series: Sisters & Friends
Genre: Amish, Christian
Publisher: Realms
Publication date: May 3, 2016
Number of pages: 304
 
Content Rating: PG, Amish coming of age, rebellion
Book Rating: 4 stars

Other books in the series:
2-Buried Secrets (Fall 2016)
3-Gift from Above (Spring 2017)
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A review copy of this book was provided by CelebrateLit via NetGalley.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away lots of fun prizes, including copies of her books and even a box of Whoopie Pies from Bird-in-Hand Bakery. Click here to enter HERE.

Tour Schedule

July 14: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
July 15: Bigreadersite
July 16: Blossoms and Blessings
July 17: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
July 18: Bukwurmzzz
July 19: Christian Bookaholic
July 20: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner
July 21: Singing Librarian Books
July 22: Quiet Quilter
July 23: Texas Book-aholic
July 24: A Greater Yes
July 24: Carpe Diem
July 25: Red Headed Book Lady
July 25: Cassandra M’s Place
July 26: His Grace is Sufficient
July 27: cherylbbookblog