The Fire in Ember by DiAnn MillsPublication Date: January 2011
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Historical/Christian Romance/Western
ISBN-13: 9780310293309
ISBN: 0310293308
(Received for review from Nancy Berland PR)
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Christianbook.com, IndieBound
If you live in Morehead, KY or the surrounding area:
Purchase from our local independent bookseller: CoffeeTree Books
Borrow from our local library: The Rowan County Public Library
DiAnn Mills on the Web: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Excerpt from The Fire in Ember
Book Trailer:
Synopsis (Book Blurb):
BETWEEN ONE WOMAN'S LIFE AND ONE MAN'S HEART... A FIRE BURNS.
Bert believed returning a stolen horse was the right thing for her to do. But she never imagined ranch hands would mistake her as a horse thief, then sentence her to hang. She couldn't tell them the truth. Neither did she want to die.
Deputy John Timmons's middle name is responsibility. He's been caring for his mother and younger brothers on his ranch for five years. He thought he was saving a boy from a hanging - his duty. But when he learns Bert is a girl, a whirlwind of emotions send his heart spinning.
Cattle rustlers have invaded the northern Colorado ranches, leaving murder in their wake. Bert is a suspect, especially when she refuses to give her real name or reveal what she's running from. John knows she's afraid of something, but what? He sees a sweet spirit, not a woman who's deceiving his family.
HOW CAN JOHN ARREST HER WHEN SHE'S STOLEN HIS HEART?
Twists, turns, and unforgettable characters make this action-packed page turner a historical romance with fire.
Thoughts:
DiAnn Mills takes readers back to northern Coloado in her latest release, The Fire in Ember. John Timmons, as well as several other characters appear in the novel " A Woman Called Sage, also written by Mills. John is an older and wiser man in this book, as the author takes readers on a Western adventure filled with mystery, love and faith.
John Timmons has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is responsible for his ranch and taking care of his five brothers, which leaves little time to pursue matters of the heart. In the course of his duty as a deputy, John breaks up members of the Wide O ranch as they attempt to hang a horse thief. What initially looks like a young boy named Bert, turns out to be a beautiful young woman named Ember, who has secrets of her own. Ember was only trying to return the horse her brother took from the ranch owner when she was caught and almost killed. John finds himself immensely attracted to Ember despite the fact that she refuses to tell him what she running from. With a rash of robberies and murders taking place in the area, John races against time, to find the killers and prove the Ember is innocent of any wrong doing before it's too late. With both their families causing trouble, John stands to loose more than just his heart.
I'm a big fan of inspirational fiction and this book really hit the spot for me. Western themed historical romances are a wide staple for the Christian Fiction industry and usually I find them somewhat trite and focusing on the same themes over and over. The Fire in Ember was a refreshing change from the norm. The characters a very well developed. We have some back story of course from Mills' other novel, A Woman Called Sage. During that book we meet John for the first time and this book really expands what we know about him and his family.
The author does a wonderful job of incorporating mystery along with a very tender romance and spiritual influences. This book will appeal to large range of readers from historical and Christian romance lovers to mystery fans. At just over three hundred pages this is a great weekend read that has a fast pace and an interesting plot. Ember's secrets are one of the more interesting parts of the book. The reader is kept wondering what she is really hiding from, what could have happened in her past or with her family to make her choose the life she has? There is a lot of family drama in this one as siblings of both John and Ember create a bit of chaos that adds to the sparks between them.
Mills also has a knack for creating just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader a little off balance. Just when you think you had it figured out everything changes. I like a novel that keeps me on my toes and this one provided just enough edge to do that. I think readers will fall in love with both Ember and John as characters. John is faithful and loving. He's a protector, a cowboy, every woman's dream. Ember is young woman with guts and tenacity, able to strike out on her own and find a life for herself. The romance between the two is heartwarming and full of tender moments the reader will find themselves a little misty over.
The Fire in Ember is available NOW from you favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Award-winning author DiAnn Mills has fifty books in print and has sold more than a million and a half copies. She was a finalist for the 2008 Christy Award for her novel, Lightening and Lace. She is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award for 2005 and 2007. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and live in Houston, Texas.
BETWEEN ONE WOMAN'S LIFE AND ONE MAN'S HEART... A FIRE BURNS.
Bert believed returning a stolen horse was the right thing for her to do. But she never imagined ranch hands would mistake her as a horse thief, then sentence her to hang. She couldn't tell them the truth. Neither did she want to die.
Deputy John Timmons's middle name is responsibility. He's been caring for his mother and younger brothers on his ranch for five years. He thought he was saving a boy from a hanging - his duty. But when he learns Bert is a girl, a whirlwind of emotions send his heart spinning.
Cattle rustlers have invaded the northern Colorado ranches, leaving murder in their wake. Bert is a suspect, especially when she refuses to give her real name or reveal what she's running from. John knows she's afraid of something, but what? He sees a sweet spirit, not a woman who's deceiving his family.
HOW CAN JOHN ARREST HER WHEN SHE'S STOLEN HIS HEART?
Twists, turns, and unforgettable characters make this action-packed page turner a historical romance with fire.
Thoughts:
DiAnn Mills takes readers back to northern Coloado in her latest release, The Fire in Ember. John Timmons, as well as several other characters appear in the novel " A Woman Called Sage, also written by Mills. John is an older and wiser man in this book, as the author takes readers on a Western adventure filled with mystery, love and faith.
John Timmons has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is responsible for his ranch and taking care of his five brothers, which leaves little time to pursue matters of the heart. In the course of his duty as a deputy, John breaks up members of the Wide O ranch as they attempt to hang a horse thief. What initially looks like a young boy named Bert, turns out to be a beautiful young woman named Ember, who has secrets of her own. Ember was only trying to return the horse her brother took from the ranch owner when she was caught and almost killed. John finds himself immensely attracted to Ember despite the fact that she refuses to tell him what she running from. With a rash of robberies and murders taking place in the area, John races against time, to find the killers and prove the Ember is innocent of any wrong doing before it's too late. With both their families causing trouble, John stands to loose more than just his heart.
I'm a big fan of inspirational fiction and this book really hit the spot for me. Western themed historical romances are a wide staple for the Christian Fiction industry and usually I find them somewhat trite and focusing on the same themes over and over. The Fire in Ember was a refreshing change from the norm. The characters a very well developed. We have some back story of course from Mills' other novel, A Woman Called Sage. During that book we meet John for the first time and this book really expands what we know about him and his family.
The author does a wonderful job of incorporating mystery along with a very tender romance and spiritual influences. This book will appeal to large range of readers from historical and Christian romance lovers to mystery fans. At just over three hundred pages this is a great weekend read that has a fast pace and an interesting plot. Ember's secrets are one of the more interesting parts of the book. The reader is kept wondering what she is really hiding from, what could have happened in her past or with her family to make her choose the life she has? There is a lot of family drama in this one as siblings of both John and Ember create a bit of chaos that adds to the sparks between them.
Mills also has a knack for creating just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader a little off balance. Just when you think you had it figured out everything changes. I like a novel that keeps me on my toes and this one provided just enough edge to do that. I think readers will fall in love with both Ember and John as characters. John is faithful and loving. He's a protector, a cowboy, every woman's dream. Ember is young woman with guts and tenacity, able to strike out on her own and find a life for herself. The romance between the two is heartwarming and full of tender moments the reader will find themselves a little misty over.
The Fire in Ember is available NOW from you favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Award-winning author DiAnn Mills has fifty books in print and has sold more than a million and a half copies. She was a finalist for the 2008 Christy Award for her novel, Lightening and Lace. She is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award for 2005 and 2007. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and live in Houston, Texas.
