"Start here and go there, but my best guess is, you'll know home when you see it. "

"Whole mountain knows the legend. A family raisin' the Devil's daughter. Keepin her hid away. Course that's just legend. Never knew it was true." But it was true, not the "devil's daughter" part, but the part about being hidden away all of her life. Lochiel Ogle had been snatched from the arms of the one person who should have been able to love her the most, and handed to one who grew to hate her with a vengeance, . . . . . all because of the "mark".

Now running for her life, and having to trust total strangers, Lochiel must make a choice, " Angry? Bitter? Or will (she) be better than that?" Temporarily sheltered from her brother, who wants nothing more than to have Lochiel's blood on his hands, Lochiel struggles to accept the truth of her circumstances; while cautiously accepting the kindness of an old woman and placing her trust in a man who seems determined to lead her heart towards home.

"And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. . . . . . . I choose love."

This is an absolutely amazing story, written by quite a talented story teller.

Liars Winter is a powerful story written by an equally powerful storyteller. Cindy K. Sproles writes with a fresh voice in Christian fiction and spins a mesmerizing, character-driven tale as hauntingly beautiful as its Smoky Mountain setting.

From the time in my youth when I read Catherine Marshalls Christy, Ive been drawn to Appalachian settings, and Im not sure why. Maybe its a combination of elements for instance, the raw beauty of an untamed land isolated, an area unto itself and the naivet, superstition and innocence of its people. The lyrical voice of Sproles captures the essence of late nineteenth-century Appalachia and its people in this story of faith and redemption. The dialect and ungrammatical language of the mountain people is easy to follow, even bringing back memories of my own north Georgia ancestry.

If a character has ever stolen my heart, its Lochiel. With her horrifying background of abuse, brokenness and abandonment, concepts of love, trust, tenderness and caring are unimaginable to her. Liars Winter is raw and gritty, just like Lochiels life. But contrasted with that is Lochiels moving response to honesty, compassion, and grace.

Im more of a fan of drama than suspense and adventure; but although those elements are present, they fit the storyline. Strong secondary characters like Walton, Edna and Silas also captured my heart. Liars Winter is a story of prejudice and choices; its not a light read, but a compelling and memorable one. Highly recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Liar's Winter is a story that took me by surprise. From the prologue to the epilogue this story drew me in and had me reading in a rapid pace. Set in the Appalachian's in the early 1900's we are given a glimpse of a young woman's life, one that has been abused and lied to for almost 19 years. One where superstitions and hate run deep, deeper than the birthmark that has marked Lochiel (Low kill) believing that she is worthless and the devil's daughter.

Lochiel was rescued by a kind man who begins to reveal the truth of whom she is and where she is from. This man and his mother treat her as though she matters, with kindness and love and show her about a God who loves her even more. I felt her impatience as the truth was slowly revealed to her and she had to weigh that with the lies she always believed. I wanted these kind folks to tell Lochiel her entire story in one sitting, but as the story unfolded I saw as the author did that that would not be best for Lochiel. Receiving the truth had Lochiel hanging on to the lies she believed her whole life for a little bit longer as the ramifications of the truth swirled inside of her head.

I saw so many life lessons in this story and marveled with Lochiel as she finally saw who she really was. This was my first read by author Sproles and I found it unique in its setting and authenticity in the characters.

I received a copy of this book for free from Kregel Publications. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

I am just sitting here trying to think of a way to review this powerful novel. It has moved me greatly and taught me something wonderful. It deserves more than the 5 stars allowed. Truly, it does.

Lochiel Ogle was born with a red birthmark on her face, the Devil's mark, folks called it. Stolen away from her parents, hidden away and abused, she has never known the love of anyone, never known what a hug feels like, never felt as if she mattered to anyone. Lochiel is 19 years old now and abandoned by the people she has known as her family all her life. Beaten and bruised, she is rescued by a mountain peddler and shown such care and love that she is wary of it. Will Lochiel trust this peddler and allow some measure of peace in her life? Or will she, as she begins to piece together her past and what it means to her, reject the only love she's ever known?

Set in the beautiful and wild Appalachian mountains of the late nineteenth century, this book is breathtaking in its telling. This is a book that is very, very hard to read at times. Often I was in tears during the reading. How could one person endure such pain, abuse and shame? But God has a purpose for all things. And one old granny woman teaches Lochiel some very valuable lessons. Choice. That's what this book is about. Our life is about choices. All our life. I thank God for the lesson I myself learned here.

This is a powerful book and one I highly recommend. It will stay with me a long time. Boy, what a tale! Don't miss this one.

Liar's Winter

By Cindy K. Sproles

I read the authors first book Mercys Rain and could not wait to read this one! She is an incredibly talented writer that not only entertains but rivets your heart and mind to the story, bringing home incredible biblical truths.

The Appalachians and the unique people that live there have long fascinated me. Ms. Sproles was raised in the Appalachian mountains so her stories have a realism inherent from understanding the people, their ways, and their traditions.

Lochiel Ogle was born in the Tennessee mountains during the late 1800s. Through no fault of her own, she had a large red birth mark on her face and neck. The superstition of the hills deemed it a mark of the devil. Due to the fear associated with this belief she suffered isolation and abuse by her adopted family.

As a young boy, her brother Gerald came upon the cabin where her mother had just given birth to her. The mother, in deep sleep was assumed dead by the boy. He was hoping a baby would ease his mothers grief from the babies she had lost. Of course because of the mark, the infant was rejected and became a young woman filled with anger, hurt and confusion. She truly believed the curse and that the devil controlled her.

When she was 19 years old her brother tried to kill her and left her for dead. A compassionate Christian man named Walton found her and took her to his elderly mother, Edna. There for the first time in her life Lochiel, experienced love, kindness, acceptance and nurturing. While these were all very important needs, the greatest gift Edna gave her was to introduce her to God and His Word. Gently and lovingly she began to teach Lochiel that there was no curse and that she was not evil. Slowly Ednas Christ like ways and teachings began to change Lochiel. It brought home that what we see has a horrible situation is God working to bless us.

This is an incredible story of forgiveness and love beyond what most of us cannot even begin to grasp. I saw Gods power working in Lochiels life in unimaginable ways. Suspense and surprise do not even begin to describe this novel. You will not be able to put it down! If you only read one fiction book this year, this is the one!

I received this book from Kregel Publishing. This is an honest review and the opinions stated are my own.