The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer Blog Tour, Giveaway and Facebook Party!

 About The Promise Box:

With her heart - and her loyalty - on the line, can she let true love in her life?

Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to give comfort to her father after her mother's death.

She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother's most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational 'tell-all' book about the Amish. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. 

Will the pain of her childhood-and her potential betrayal of her community-keep her from committing her whole heart?

My Review:
Lydia Wyse has turned from the Amish ways and become an Englischer at the age of 16.  She has become a successful book editor in Seattle, but she is still running from her past, unsettled in her heart toward God.  When her mother passes away, she heads back to the Amish community of West Kootenai, Montana to bury her mother and give some comfort to her father.  Once she arrives, she begins to see things differently then she did back at the age of 16.   When her father gives her something of her mother's called a promise box, containing letters and promises from God's Word, Lydia's heart begins to soften and long to return to her Amish roots.
Many things are tugging at Lydia's heart to bring her back to the community, but not for the right reasons.  Lydia's editor wants her to write a book about returning to the Amish.  She would love to apply for the vacant teaching position in the Amish school, and she is equally drawn by a young man, Gideon Hooley.  But she knows that he will not court an Englischer.  Lydia knows that to come back to the Amish way and be baptized into the church, she must do it for the right reasons.

Tricia Goyer did a great job with this book.  Amish fiction is usually not the first choice for me, but I did enjoy reading this book.  I loved that the Amish community in West Kootenai, Montana looked past their rules and more at the heart.  They realized that love for God is more important than obeying all the man made rules.  It was interesting to see how the Amish and Englischers came together in the community to help each other and even study and pray together.  The story line was well written and Lydia's character went through quite a change as she dealt with her past and began to see God's big plan for her life.  Trusting God doesn't always come easy.

Meet Tricia: 

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites. In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Tricia, along with a group of friends, recently launched NotQuiteAmishLiving.com, sharing ideas about simplifying life. She also hosts the weekly radio podcast, Living Inspired. 

You can purchase your copy of the book here, and you can learn more about the author here at Tricia's website.  Make sure to join the fun as others share their opinions of this book during the blog tour by clicking here.

Now for the Giveaway and Facebook Party!

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!

One "promising" winner will receive:

• Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
• Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc...)
• Sherry Gore's Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
• The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the "The Promise Box" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun - book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Promise Box and join Tricia on the evening of June 12th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!

**I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.