The Amish Are Coming! and Other Religious Fiction

While looking through the returned books at RCPL I’ve noticed a trend lately. Whether it’s Amish, Westerns, or Romance, I’ve noticed on the spine they are mostly marked “Religious Fiction”. I personally gave an Amish book a try recently, A Time to Love (Quilts of Lancaster County, #1) by Barbara Cameron. It was a free book I found through pixelofink.com so I thought, why not?

Borrowed from
GoodReads.com

I soon found out why so many people are turning to these books- it’s back to the basics with love. Gone are the unrealistic science fiction fantasies about were-animals and vampires, and back to stories that people can relate to. Hardships overcome with love winning as the hero. For those who prefer a simpler book without all the violence and smut, this is a genre that you should look into.

But don’t limit this new genre to only women. I recently had a patron come up to me telling me how much he loved a book he found in the library. Yes, I said “he”. The book was A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance #1 by Margaret Brownley. He said he mostly likes traditional Westerns, but he loved the spunky female heroine. Yes, there are Western books with a religious element, another example is Mysterious Ways by Terry W. Burn.

Since I have focused on kids, teens, and general romance themes I thought I would provide something new for people who wanted something different. So here is my list of Religious Fiction for those who love a new classic with a familiar yet timeless theme- love conquers all.

Or if you still want Amish with a little bit of paranormal , there is an Amish series with vampires in it called, “Plain Fear” by Leanna Ellis (Plain Fear: Forsaken- 2011; Plain Fear: Forbidden- expected August 1, 2012). Perhaps a Western with vampires, zombies, and a touch of Religious Fiction. Why not try Reed Butler's Story: cowboys vampires zombies and the power of God by James Emory Thomas. And no, I swear I didn’t go out of my way to find these, they found me.

Amish Series

Abram’s Daughters by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Covenant
2. The Betrayal
3. The Sacrifice
4. The Prodigal
5. The Revelation

Ada’s House by Cindy Woodsmall:

1. The Hope of Refuge
2. The Bridge of Peace
3. The Harvest of Grace

The Amish of Apple Grove by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith (Amish/Western):

1. The Heart’s Frontier (recently released March 1, 2012)
2. A Plain and Simple Heart (expected September 1, 2012)

Amish Vines and Orchard Series by Cindy Smallwood: (Added 01.05.13)

1. A Season for Tending (2012)
2. The Winnowing Season (expected April 2, 2013)

Annie’s People by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Preacher’s Daughter
2. The Englisher
3. The Brethren

Apple Ridge by Cindy Smallwood: (Added 01.05.13)

1. The Sound of Sleigh Bells: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country
2. The Christmas Singing: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country
3. Christmas in Apple Ridge: Three-in-One Collection: The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing, NEW! The Dawn of Christmas 
4. The Scent of Cherry Blossoms: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country

Brides of Lancaster County by Wanda E. Brunstetter:

1. A Merry Heart
2. Looking for a Miracle
3. Plain and Fancy
4. The Hope Chest

The Courtship of Nellie Fisher by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Parting
2. The Forbidden
3. The Longing

Daughter’s of Caleb Bender by Dale W. Cramer:

1. Paradise Valley
2. The Captive Heart (recently released January 1, 2012)

Field’s of Home by Jerry S. Eicher:

1. Missing Your Smile (recently released February 1, 2012)
2. Following Your Heart (recently released  May 1, 2012)

Forever Faithful by Karen Kingsbury:

1. Waiting for Morning
2. A Moment of Weakness
3. Halfway to Forever

Hannah’s Heart by Jerry S. Eicher:

1. Hannah’s Dream
2. A Hope for Hannah
3. A Baby for Hannah

Heritage of Lancaster County by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Shunning
2. The Confession
3. The Reckoning 

 Home to Hickory Hollow by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Fiddler (April 2012)
2. The Bridesmaid (September 2012)
3. The Guardian (expected April 2013)

Kentucky Brothers by Wanda E. Brunstetter:

1. The Journey
2. The Healing
3. The Struggle (expected  June 17, 2012)

Lancaster County Secrets by Suzanne Woods Fischer:

1. The Choice
2. The Waiting
3. The Search

Rose Trilogy by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Thorn
2. The Judgement
3. The Mercy

Quilts of Lancaster County by Barbara Cameron:

1. A Time To Love
2. A Time to Heal
3. A Time for Peace

Seasons of Grace by Beverly Lewis:

1. The Secret
2. The Missing
3. The Telling 

Sisters of the Quilt by Cindy Woodsmall:

1. When the Heart Cries
2. When the Morning Comes
3. When the Soul Mends 

Snapshots in History by Murray Pura:

1. The Wings of Morning (recently released February 1, 2012)
2.  The Face of Heaven (expected August 1, 2012)

Stitches in Time by Barbara Cameron:

1. Her Restless Heart (recently released April 1, 2012)

Stoney Ridge Seasons by Suzanne Woods Fischer:

1. The Keeper (recently released January 2, 2012)
2. The Haven (expected  August 1, 2012)

Amish- Stand Alone Books

Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life by Suzanne Woods Fischer.

Amish Values for Your Family: What We Can Learn from the Simple Life by Suzanne Woods Fischer.

An Amish Christmas: December in Lancaster County by Barbara Cameron.

An Amish Gathering: Life In Lancaster County by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Barbara Cameron.

A Bride’s Flight from Virginia City, Montana by Murray Pura (recently released January 1, 2012).

Levi’s Will by Dale W. Cramer.

October Song by Beverly Lewis.

                  The book continues the stories begun in the books: The Shunning, The Postcard, and The Redemption of Sarah Cain. 

The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter (recently released April 3, 2012).

The Redemption of Sarah Cain by Beverly Lewis (made into a movie, Saving Sarah Cain- 2007).

Sanctuary by Beverly Lewis and David Lewis.

Susanna’s Christmas Wish by Jerry S. Eicher (expected September 1, 2012).

Need more Amish? Try the Amish Wisdom Podcasts- and hear the hosts talk with authors, columnist, bloggers, and more.

Religious Fiction Series

9/11 by Karen Kingbury:

1. One Tuesday Morning
2. Beyond Tuesday Morning
3. Every Now and Then 

Above the Line by Karen Kingbury:

1. Take One
2. Take Two
3. Take Three
4. Take Four 

Awakening by Charles Martin:

1. The Dead Don’t Dance
2. Maggie

*Down Where My Love Lives (combines both The Dead Don’t Dance and Maggie)

Bailey Flanigan by Karen Kingbury:

1. Leaving
2. Learning
3. Longing
4. Loving (recently released March 27, 2012)

Cody Gunner by Karen Kingbury:

1. A Thousand Tomorrows
2. Just Beyond the Clouds 

First Born (Baxter Series 2) by Karen Kingbury:

1. Fame
2. Forgiven
3. Found
4. Family
5. Forever

Forever Faithful by Karen Kingbury:

1. Waiting for Morning
2. A Moment of Weakness
3. Halfway to Forever 

Lost Love by Karen Kingbury:

1. Even Now
2. Ever After

Redemption (Baxter Series 1) by Karen Kingbury (with Gary Smalley):

1. Redemption
2. Remember
3. Return
4. Rejoice
5. Reunion

Sunrise (Baxter Series 3) by Karen Kingbury:

1. Sunrise
2. Summer
3. Someday
4. Sunset 

Timeless Love by Karen Kingbury:

1. A Time to Dance
2. A Time to Embrace

Religious Fiction- Stand Alone Books

The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen.

The Bridge by Karen Kingbury (expected October 23, 2012).

Between Sundays by Karen Kingbury.

Divine by Karen Kingbury.

Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingbury (made into a movie, Like Dandelion Dust- 2009).

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen (recently released  January 1, 2012).

Oceans Apart by Karen Kingbury.

The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden (recently released  January 1, 2012).

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingbury.

The Shepherd’s Voice by Robin Lee Hatcher.

Summer of Light by Dale W. Cramer.

Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin (recently released April 3, 2012).

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck (recently released April 3, 2012).

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin.

Western Series

A Rocky Creek Romance by Margaret Brownley:

1. A Lady Like Sarah
2. A Suitor for Jenny
3. A Vision of Lucy

The Amish of Apple Grove by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith (Amish/Western):

1. The Heart’s Frontier (recently released March 1, 2012)
2. A Plain and Simple Heart (expected September 1, 2012) 

Brides of the Last Chance Ranch by Margaret Brownley:

1. Dawn Comes Early (recently released March 13, 2012)

Brides of the West by Lori Copeland:

1. Faith
2. June
3. Hope
4. Glory
5. Ruth
6. Patience

Land of the Lone Star State by Tracie Peterson:

1. Chasing the Sun (recently published March 1, 2012).
2. Touching the Sky (expected June 1, 2012).
3. Taming the Wind (expected September 1, 2012).

Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke:

1. Love Comes Softly (made into a movie, Love Comes Softly-2003).
2. Love’s Enduring Promise (made into a movie, Love’s Enduring Promise- 2004).
3. Love’s Long Journey (made into a movie, Love’s Long Journey- 2005).
4. Love’s Abiding Joy (made into a movie, Love’s Abiding Joy- 2006).
5. Love’s Unending Legacy (made into a movie, Love’s Unending Legacy- 2007).
6. Love’s Unfolding Dream (made into a movie, Love’s Unfolding Dream- 2007).
7. Love Takes Wing (made into a movie, Love Takes Wing- 2009).
8. Love Finds a Home (made into a movie, Love Finds a Home- 2009).

Mysterious Ways by Terry W. Burns:

1. Mysterious Ways
2. Brother’s Keeper
3. Shepherd’s Son

Sister’s of Bethlehem Springs by Robin Lee Hatcher:

1. A Vote of Confidence
2. Fit to Be Tied
3. A Matter of Character

Texas Dreams by Amanda Cabot:

1. Paper Roses
2. Scattered Petals
3. Tomorrow’s Garden

Western- Stand Alone Books

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer.

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer.

Heart of Gold by Robin Lee Hatcher (recently released February 14, 2012).

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings (recently released February 1, 2012).

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer.

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer.

This is by no means a complete list of books (neither by genre or listing of all of an author’s works). If you would like to find more, please use one of the below methods of searching.

GoodReads:

http://www.goodreads.com/genres/christian-fiction

http://www.goodreads.com/genres/christian-romance

http://www.goodreads.com/genres/love-inspired

http://www.goodreads.com/genres/amish-fiction

http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/amish-fiction

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/15619.2012_Religious_Fiction_Releases_You_re_Excited_About#11753932

Western Authors- Featuring Authors of Western Fiction

Various categories.

Inspired Reads (from PixelofInk.com): “Inspired Reads is all about finding and sharing Christian Kindle Books on a Budget! Book deals posted here will take you directly to the book pages on Amazon for Kindle readers, and Barnes & Noble for Nook readers.”

Still need more to read? See if your local library has more suggestions included in their catalog such as Goodreads or NoveList (through Ebscohost). Such as the series, Women of the West by Janette Oke. Suggestion for search terms:

• Amish -- Fiction.
• Love stories.
• Western stories.
• Christian fiction.

Instagram- Not a Tech Telegram

I first heard about this while watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I didn’t really take notice until a co-worker was thinking of all the ways it could be used for Rapid City Public Library. She didn’t go into any real ideas so I went online to find out what exactly Instagram is and some of its capabilities. For this information I looked into Cnet’s, “A Beginner’s Guide to Instagram”:

“What is Instagram?
An app first and foremost, but also a social network. The Instagram app, available for Androidand iOS, can apply a variety of filters and effects to your photos. It also connects you to the Instagram network so you can share your modded snapshots and see those of other users. All this happens on your phone, though shared photos routinely land on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.”

Feel free to read the article for more information or Cnet’s tips on how to get started with Instagram.

According to Instagram’s website page, About Us:

“Instagram came from that inspiration—could we make sharing your life as instant and magic as those first Polaroid pictures must have felt? Our first product is Instagram for iPhone, and we're just getting started.”

Want to know more about Instagram and Facebook joining together, read it directly from Instagram or from Facebook.

For those of you who may be concerned with your current Instagram account, now that Instagram has been bought by Facebook, here are instructions from PC World on how to save your previous pictures: “Instagram, Facebook Deal Sparks Privacy Concern: Here’s How to Quit”.

Although this is something that not every library might use, here is a site that has captured all of the instagram images that contain “#libraries”, Statigram. Perhaps you would like a list of alternatives. I suggest reading PCMag.com’s article, “10 Awesome Alternatives to Instagram”.

No matter how you feel on the subject one thing is true- this app has made a lot of people talk about it.

Links

Instagram’s Website- Not very much information and not the average .com location (http://instagr.am/)

Instagram’s Blog

            Includes: Tips, Photo Features, User Features, Instagram News, and more.

The Guardian’s page for Instagram news.

Instagram for Android from Instagram
Rapid City Public Libraries- Instagram account

Mashable Tech: “Flickr for Android Beats Instagram to the Punch”

Wired’s WebMonkey: “Behind the Scenes at Instagram: Tools for Building Reliable Web Services”

INK361 - A web interface for Instagram and so much more.

“INK361. A site for browsing and managing photos from Instagram. Like photos; Comment on photos; Follow people; More on the way.” – Partnered with Instagramers.com

Instagramers.com- About

Wikipedia- I cannot vouch for it’s reliability but I honestly have to admit that I like information in an encyclopedia layout.

Pin Your Interest- Pinterest

I didn't know about Pinterest until I heard a couple of co-workers talking about a future wedding and trying to pick items for the bridal party. The bridesmaids dresses, the wedding dress, flowers. And for some comic relief some crazy squirrels or My Little Pony pics. I didn't know then that this would be a great way to visually share likes (+1, or whatever term/name you want to use). It made enough of an impact that the Rapid City Public Library created an account with the following categories:

Staff Picks

Best Sellers

Must Read Mysteries

Favorite Fantasies

Not Just For Young Adults!

Random Romance

Notable Nonfiction

Graphic Novels that Break the Mold

Picture Book Bonanza

Library Kitsch

Book Love

Local History

Podcasts, Videos and programs

Rapid City READS!

The Hunger Games

Caldecott Medal Winners

And as of tonight they have: 

16 Boards

327 Pins

12 Likes

134 Followers

and 186 Following. 

So if you happen to be in the local area and want to “pin” something, try it. Last month an article was published in Forbes Magazine about how Pinterest could be used.

“It's clear that consumers are predominantly using Pinterest as a virtual treasure box for dreams, wishes and aspirations. Still, how should brands tackle Pinterest without getting swept away in the hype, and potentially damaging their social presence? Which brands were already using Pinterest effectively? I pinpointed a retail brand I personally champion, Sony. It was clear that they were using a creative and smart strategy to implement Pinterest into existing successful social media plan.

But don't take my opinion for granted. After the official launch of the Sony Electronics Pinterest page, traffic from Pinterest to the Sony Store website increased 900 percent to February form January.*”

While businesses are just now starting to catch onto Pinterest, Joe Murphy posted in December last year about how libraries and librarians can use this tool for personal and/or private use:

“I browse what others pin in common areas such as books, travel, or products, for ideas to inspire my activities, books to read, places to visit.”

Or

     “We can tap into the social rewards it offers for sharing within a community.

     It can serve as a platform for providing resources and marketing services.

     And of course, for connecting with and attracting community.”

For the complete article on Joe’s blog please click here. On March 28^th, Joe Murphy posted the following link http://learningtimesevents.org/libraryfuture/ which provides a quick overview and training of “Pinterest for Museums and Libraries”. The information provided on this last is available to the public, however, if you would more information you (or your organization) will have to click here to read more on how to sign up to do so.

References:

Savitz, Eric. 2012. "Four Pinterest Marketing Tips." Forbes.Com 20. Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 5, 2012).

Further articles worthy of a look:

Forbes 4/3/12- Pinterest: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Mashables explains Pinterest (and how to follow it)

Word from the source- Pinterest Blog

IPLaw Alert’s Pinterest: Potential IP Pitfalls for New Social Networking Trend