Win the All-New Paperwhite Kindle from Guideposts Books in the Home to Heather Creek Giveaway!

I'm so excited to be apart of this blog tour for the Home to Heather Creek series by Kathleen Bauer.  And have you heard that Kathleen Bauer is actually a pen name used for a group of writers for this series?  You can read below about the first two books in the series and find out who the first two authors are!

About the Series:

 The first book in the series is Before the Dawn, and it was written by Carolyne Aarsen.  This story begins with a heartbreaking tragedy in the Steveson family.  Charlotte and Bob have learned that their daughter, Denise, has been killed in a car accident.  And now, Charlotte and Bob need to take in her three children that they barely know.  Denise ran away from home when she was a teen and has communicated very little with her parents since.   This will be a huge change for everyone in the family.  The kids have been living in California and what a shock it will be for them to move to the farmlands of Nebraska.  Charlotte and Bob have been doing things a certain way for a long period of time and many of those traditions will be challenged.  Charlotte is also questioning her parenting skills and does not want to make the same mistakes she made with her daughter, Denise.  Can people change or will history repeat itself? 

The second book in the series is Sweet September, and it was written by Tricia Goyer.  This second book picks up soon after the first one left off as everyone on the farm is getting ready for harvest time. Bob and his son, Pete, are two very stubborn men and seem to continually be at odds with each other.  The kids are having their difficulties--Sam with failing English and History classes, Emily with living on a rural farm and Christopher playing by himself often.  So many things for Charlotte to try and fix, but she is quickly realizing that she is only one person and that prayer must be an important part of her life.  When Christopher finds a "treasure" buried in the yard, he unlocks a great piece of family history that touches all of their lives.  There is also quite a mystery going on as food keeps disappearing off of the farm.  Will the kids be able to solve the mystery?

My Thoughts:
 I thought the first book was a little slow, of course it is building the background for the series.  The second book picked up the pace a little and threw in a mystery and a great family story.  I thought that those aspects added to the story line to make it interesting.  I really did enjoy the character, Charlotte.  I thought that her character was very transparent and well written.  The author did a great job conveying the feelings and thoughts Charlotte was facing as everything around her changed.  In Before the Dawn  chapter 4, Charlotte is showing the kids the school they will be attending in the small town of Bedford.  As she pulls open the door to the high school, she begins to remember things about her own children.  "As she drove home she would listen to their stories with one ear, her mind already leaping ahead to the work waiting.  Always in a hurry, she remembered, stepping into the building.  Rushing my children through life as I split myself in two--one part with them, the other moving, hurrying to the next chore, the next job, the next event." (pg. 39)  How easy is it for us to do the same thing?  We rush from one thing to the next while missing the important parts.  I like how Charlotte is now thinking about things differently this second time around.  She realizes that what is most important is her relationship with the grandchildren.
While the story line can move a little slowly, it is a good series that may make you think about life with your own family.  And whether you should re-think some of the things you're doing too.  Pick up this series at your local bookstore or library, and enjoy a heartfelt story about change.

You can read other bloggers reviews for the Home to Heather Creek Tour by clicking here.
You can purchase these books here.

Giveaway Details:
Guideposts Books is thrilled to announce their brand new series, Home to Heather Creek, by Kathleen Bauer. The first two books, Before the Dawn and Sweet September, launch this month and Guideposts Books is celebrating with a Paperwhite Kindle Giveaway!

One winner will receive:

• A Paperwhite Kindle
• Before the Dawn and Sweet September by Kathleen Bauer

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 5th. All winners will be announced October 7th HERE.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit the Litfuse blog on the 7th to see if you won! (Or better yet, subscribe to their blog [enter your email in the blog sidebar] and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

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