michelle v's blog

New blog location!

2011-04-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

Life in Review has moved. Please come join us over at the new blog!

http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/

Blessings,

"A Man's Heart" by Lori Copeland

2011-03-31T05:00:00.059-05:00

A Man's Heart by Lori Copeland is a beautiful story that's a contemporary romance but so much more also!

The story takes place in rural Washington state. Jules has been away for the last four years at college and now she's coming home but everything has changed. This is not the homecoming she would have planned, and on top of everything else, now she's having to deal with her estranged sister, Crystal who has also come back.

If you ever read my blog you know that I hate to give away plot details because I don't want to spoil anything, and there are so many things I could spoil for you in this book. It's a multi-layered story that is woven together very well. It's got romance, but also family drama, and deep friendships. I will say just this one vague thing. These days I think most of us have been touched in some way by cancer, and there is a very touching part of this story that deals with the illness.

I very highly recommend this book. It is beautifully written. The characters are wonderful and easy to relate to. And so much of their story is something I could relate to in one way or another. I was already a fan of Lori Copeland's writing but her books that I had read before were her historical fiction, and those are fabulous, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed her contemporary fiction just as much.

Book Summary:

Jules broke off her wedding to Cruz practically at the altar. Not just once, but twice. Now the man Jules loves best can't stand the sight of her. Only for Pop could Jules have made such a sacrifice. And now Pop is gone, leaving Jules with his struggling Washington State potato farm; with a sister excluded from his will; and with a heart wounded by the sacrifice she has made on behalf of her father. It looks like strengthening her relationship with her sister and improving the prospects of the Blue Bayou farm will be Jules' chief concerns. But when cancer takes the life of her best friend, Jules finds herself caring for her friend's two small children as well as the Blue Bayou. A drought-stricken farm. A promise to a dead friend and two needy little lives. And disturbing memories stirring up a growing relationship with her sister. How can one woman handle it all? The answer lies with a God who holds the keys to yesterday, today, and tomorrow—and to the heart of the one man whom Jules could ever love.

Read an excerpt here.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Lori Copeland has been writing for twenty-five years and has over three million copies of her books in print, including Now and Always, Simple Gifts, Unwrapping Christmas, and Monday Morning Faith, which was a finalist for the 2007 Christy Awards. Lori was inducted into the Springfield Writers Hall of Fame in 2000 and lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband and family.

Author Website:
http://www.loricopeland.com

This book was provided by Zondervan Publishing.

Blessings,

TLC Book Tour For "Lowcountry Summer" by Dorothea Benton Frank

2011-03-30T05:00:00.002-05:00

Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank is a sequel to a previous novel of hers called Plantation, but I had not read the first book and it can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone. This is a superb southern fiction novel!

The story takes place in South Carolina where Caroline Wimbley Levine is a 46 year old single mother and living in Tall Pines Plantation, which used to be her family's home. Her son is off at his first year of college and Caroline is having a big year for drama. Every where she turns around there is lots of drama going on. Right when she thought her life was pretty settled.

This story is full of characters that are larger than life, with big personalities. The whole family is a bit quirky and pretty dysfunctional. But I loved them! I even found that at times I could relate to Caroline especially with her relationship with her son, Eric. It was laugh-out-loud funny part of the time, and it brought me to tears other times. It's full of emotion and great family drama and the author really brings it all to life!

I VERY highly recommend this book. If you enjoy southern fiction then you'll really love this book! It's beautifully written, with colorful characters that will work their way into your heart. The story hooked me from the very start and kept me hooked. There is always so much going on that you're turning the pages constantly wanting to find out what's going to happen next. It's full of drama, suspense, and romance. I loved the writing and the story and I can't believe I'm just now finding this author. I will be looking for her other books! Her next book, Folly Beach, is due out in June 2011.

(For my blog readers who only read Christian books, this book is not a Christian fiction title.)

You can follow along with all the blog tour stops here.

Book Summary:

Dorothea Benton Frank is a native of the South whose novels vividly capture the wild beauty, laid-back atmosphere, earthy characters, and charming eccentricities of life in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Written with compelling honesty and emotional depth, her stories have touched readers from coast to coast, and propelled her to the top ranks of bestsellerdom nationwide.

Now this remarkable writer revisits some of her most unforgettable characters in this enchanting new story sure to make you laugh and cry. Return with her to Tall Pines Plantation in this long-awaited sequel to her beloved bestseller Plantation. . . .

When Caroline Wimbley Levine returned to Tall Pines Plantation, she never expected to make peace with long-buried truths about herself and her family. The Queen of Tall Pines, her late mother, was a force of nature, but now she is gone, leaving Caroline and the rest of the family uncertain of who will take her place.
In the lush South Carolina countryside, old hurts, betrayals, and dark secrets will surface, and a new generation will rise along the banks of the mighty Edisto River.

Wonderfully evocative, infused with humor and poignancy, and rich with the lyrical cadences of the South, Lowcountry Summer is vintage Dorothea Benton Frank, a deeply moving novel you’ll want to savor and share.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Dorothea Benton Frank is the New York Times bestselling author of Bulls Island (William Morrow, 2008), The Christmas Pearl (William Morrow 2007), The Land of Mango Sunsets (William Morrow 2007), Full of Grace (William Morrow 2006), Pawleys Island (Berkley 2005), Shem Creek (Berkley 2004), Isle of Palms (Berkley 2003), Plantation (Jove 2001), Sullivan’s Island (Jove 2000), and Return to Sullivan’s Island (William Morrow 2009).

Ms. Frank has appeared on NBC’s Today show, Parker Ladd’s Book Talk, and many local network-affiliated television stations. She is a frequent speaker on creative writing and the creative process for students of all ages and in private venues, such as the National Arts Club, the Junior League of New York, Friends of the Library, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She has also been a guest speaker at the South Carolina Book Festival; Novello, North Carolina’s Festival of Books; and the Book and Author annual event in Charleston, South Carolina, sponsored by the Post & Courier.

Before she began her writing career, Ms. Frank was involved extensively in the arts and education, and in raising awareness and funding for various nonprofits in New Jersey and New York. At the present time she serves on the boards of The South Carolina Historical Society and The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League.

The author, who was born and raised on Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina, currently divides her time between New Jersey and South Carolina.

Find out more about Ms. Frank at her website, and follow her on Facebook.

This book was provided for review by William Morrow an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.

Blessings,

LitFuse Blog Tour for "The Mountains Bow Down" by Sibella Giorello

2011-03-29T05:00:00.003-05:00

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello is another oustanding Raleigh Harmon suspense novel! If you haven't read any of them before, you can join in any time, but you definitely want to join in!

I have only read this one and the last one, which is, The Clouds Roll Away. These can be read as stand alone novels, but once you read a Raleigh Harmon story, you'll want to read them all! Just to tell you a little about them, Raleigh is an FBI agent, and her work is her life. Her mother has always been a bit delicate, so Raleigh has never admitted her true profession to her mother. She has a degree in geology and she claims that is her profession.

In this particular story Raleigh goes on an Alaskan cruise. It's supposed to be a vacation because she needs some time away and she has some things she needs to think about. But, leave it to Raleigh to find a way to turn it into a working vacation. With her mother and her aunt along for the cruise things get wild!

I VERY highly recommend this book. The writing is superb, and the story is brilliant. There are so many twists and turns that will keep you constantly guessing. And the characters are wonderful as always. Raleigh is such a great character. She's tough, but she loves her family. She's completely dedicated to her job to the point that everything else takes a back seat, including her own happiness. The next Raleigh Harmon novel is "The Stars Shine On" and it's due out in March 2012. I'm really looking forward to that one!

You can follow along with all the blog tour stops and read more about their contest here.

Book Summary:

Everything’s going to work out. Time away always makes things better . . .

That’s what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, the Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance.

But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. The ship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh’s forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere onboard, a ruthless murderer walks free.

Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis—handsome Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack—who might not be as arrogant as she originally thought.

And that's only her work life. Family offers even more challenges. Joined on the cruise by her mother and aunt, Raleigh watches helplessly as disturbing rifts splinter her family.

Like the scenery that surrounds the cruise ship, Raleigh discovers a mystery so daunting that even the mountains might bow down before it.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Sibella Giorello began writing as a features reporter for newspapers and magazines. Her stories won numerous awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She recently won a Christy award for her novel Stones Cry Out. She lives in Washington state with her husband and family. Twitter @sibellagiorello, http://www.facebook.com/SibellaGiorelloAuthor

This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Blessings,

Just a Reminder! The Blog is Moving!

2011-03-28T10:32:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that Life in Review is moving. Please make sure you're following and/or subscribing at the new location:

http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/

I plan to stop posting here at the blogger address as of 4/1/11, but I don't want to lose anyone!

Blessings,

Review + Giveaway for "No Safe Haven" by Kimberley & Kayla R. Woodhouse

2011-03-28T05:00:00.002-05:00

*Please read through to the end of the post for instructions on how to enter the giveaway!*

No Safe Haven by Kimberley and Kayla R Woodhouse is a fabulous suspense thriller! I was hooked from the very first page and could not put it down!

As a child, Kayla was diagnosed with Hereditary Sensory Autonomic, a disorder that prevents Kayla from feeling pain at a normal intensity as other people, and it also prevents her body from regulating its temperature correctly, and keeps her from sweating to cool her body as it would normally do. This causes her to overheat and she has to always stay in a cool environment. She has also had to endure brain surgery when doctors discovered her brain was growing into her spinal column.

Due to overwhelming medical bills, the Woodhouse family lost their home, but continued to hold onto their faith. They were featured on Extreme Makover: Home Edition and were given a home. Their story is a very powerful story, and they have used some of their story in their fictional writing as well.

I honestly am not sure what I expected with this book, but I was so pleasantly surprised. This book is fabulous! It's very intense suspense. It takes you into the wilderness in Alaska and you will feel the emotions, you feel the intense suspense, you feel the clock ticking, and sometimes I swear I could feel the icey cold! The characters are amazing and I loved them so much I didn't want it to end.

I VERY highly recommend this book! It's wonderfully written! It's full of adventure, danger, action, suspense, drama, and romance. And the whole thing is beautifully tied together with a wonderful message. The next book in the series is called Race Against Time and it is due out later this year. I absolutely cannot wait!

Book Summary:

Jenna and Andi Tikaani-Gray are hoping for a fresh start. Though twelve year-old Andi has long struggled with a rare medical disorder, she and her mother have finally received good news from out-of-town specialists. It's news they desperately needed, especially after the recent death of Jenna's husband (Andi's dad) in a car accident.

But as they are flying home to Alaska, ready to begin again, the unthinkable happens. The pilot sabotages their small plane and crashes into Sultana, one of the most remote and dangerous mountains in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Even worse, a winter storm is headed their way along with someone who doesn't want to save them, but to kill them.

Only one man can keep them alive: Cole Maddox, the mysterious last-minute passenger who joined them on their flight. But trust doesn't come easy to Jenna or AndiÑand they both sense Cole is hiding something.
A relentless tale of survival and suspense unfolds, involving military technology designed by Jenna's late husband that some would do anything to possess.

Watch the video trailer here.

Buy this book here

Author Bio:

Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, writer, and musician approaching life with a positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. Her previous book, Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, chronicles her daughter’s extremely rare health issues and how the Woodhouses received an amazing gift through the ABC television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Kim and her husband have two children and live in Colorado.

Kayla Woodhouse is a teenage author whose life-altering medical condition (a nerve disorder that prevents the body from regulating its temperature or sensing pain) has not stopped her love for swimming. She is home schooled and has an adventure blog called Dragon Claws, Dog Paws, Swimming Laws.

Read an article about Kayla at ClubhouseMagazine.com

*If you would like to enter to win a copy of No Safe Haven, here is how:

1. Mandatory Entry - Leave a coomment with you email address. You must leave an email address to be entered.

If you would like some ways to get bonus entries here are some ways:

2. Follow the new blog - Follow the new Wordpress blog site or subscribe to the RSS feeds to our new site here at this site :
http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/ . This is worth 1 extra entry and be sure to leave your additional comment for that extra entry.

3. Subscribe via email - Subscribe to the new Wordpress blog site via email. That's the site here at http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/ . That's worth 2 extra entries and be sure to leave a comment for each extra entry.

I will leave comments open through 4/3 and will notify the winner on 4/4. US only, please.

This book was provided for review by B&H Publishing Group.

Blessings
Michelle V

"Code of Justice" by Liz Johnson

2011-03-27T11:23:00.000-05:00

Code of Justice by Liz Johnson is a great romantic suspense! I really enjoyed her first book, Vanishing Act, but I loved this one even more!

This is a great little suspense novel that hooked me from the very start and kept me turning the pages!
I really loved the characters. Heather Sloan is an FBI agent and she's tough but she's been through a lot and she's vulnerable. Jeremy Latham is a Sheriff's Deputy and he has some things in his past that he can't forgive himself for. They're great chracters that are immediately likeable and had me rooting for them. This book also has some really great action and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I very highly recommend this book! It's beautifully written, it's a great story, it's a nice, short read for a Sunday afternoon when you want to sit down and read a book from front to back! It's full of suspense, sweet romance, and put together with a great message! I really love that there are great romance novels out there, like this one, with Christian values! Liz is a great author and I look forward to seeing more books from her!

Book Summary:

“Follow the drugs.”

Her sister’s last words shake FBI agent Heather Sloan to the core. They also convince her that the helicopter crash only Heather survived wasn’t an accident. Sheriff’s deputy Jeremy Latham is assigned the case—he’s the one who can help Heather find the person responsible. Once she convinces him they should work together. As they dig for the truth, they learn to trust and care for each other. Will they lose it all when the killer targets Heather? She’s willing to risk her life to find her sister’s killer—but her code of justice could cost her the chance to win Jeremy’s love.

Read the 1st chapter here.
Buy this book at Christianbook, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Author Bio:

After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations, Liz Johnson set out to work in the Christian publishing industry, which was her lifelong dream. In 2006 she got her wish when she accepted a publicity position at a major trade book publisher. While working as a publicist in the industry, she decided to pursue her other dream-being an author. Along the way to having her novel published, she wrote articles for several magazines and worked as a freelance editorial consultant.

Liz makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she enjoys exploring her new home, theater, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nephew and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings.

Media Guests Blog Tour for "Journey of Honor" by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

2011-03-26T05:00:00.039-05:00

Journey of Honor by Jaclyn M. Hawkes is a sweet story of two pioneers who set out to make their way out west and found more than they had bargained for.

The story is set in 1848 and begins in St Joseph, Missouri, where a wagon train heads out west. Our main characters are people of honor and integrity who are just trying to get to their dreams, which for each one of them happen to be different. They have to survive danger and all sorts of trials and long weeks ahead of them across wild country.

It's a short novel, so we don't get a whole lot of the characters' back-stories. I did really like both of the main characters, though. Trace and Elle are both people of honor and through it all, they are always putting others first.

I definitely would recommend this book. It's a sweet story, and basically a light, fast read. The main character in the story happens to be Mormon and I have some theological differences, but it's minor in terms of the story, and I have no problem recommending the book. It's a beautiful love story with great Christian values and that's always nice to be able to recommend!

Stop by here and follow along with all the blog tour stops.

Book Summary:

Disowned, she came to America anyway. Attacked and left pregnant by a vicious mob, she still pressed on. Finally, in spite of being accused of theft by the vilest of her attackers, Giselle tries to remain as upbeat and uncomplaining as a prairie wildflower as she travels on to Zion.

Thoroughly disillusioned with the ugliness and cruelty of slavery in the South, Trace Grayson leaves his young medical career to go west, hoping to leave bigotry and hatred behind. He begins taking goods by teamster train to sell in the territories. However, this fourth time across, in July of 1848, he’s stuck in St. Joseph, Missouri, waiting for enough wagons to join the train so that they can leave.

Knowing that if they don’t start west soon, they’ll be caught by snow in the mountains, Trace is thrilled when the final wagon signs on. Then, when the beautiful, young Dutch girl traveling with the last wagon is falsely accused of stealing and is detained, the whole trip is jeopardized. Thrown together by circumstance, Trace and Giselle team up to begin to figure out just how to make this epic journey across a continent a success.

With a deep sense of honor and an equally strong sense of humor, together they learn to deal with everything except the one trial that neither of them can overcome.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Jaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth and hearing her children laugh. She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.

Thank you to Jaclyn M. Hawkes for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Blessings,

TLC Blog Tour + GIVEAWAY for "The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake

2011-03-25T05:00:00.071-05:00

*Please read through to the end of the post for instructions on how to enter the giveaway.*

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is a deeply emotional journey taken along with two women while a war happens all around them.

The story follows two different women in two different parts of the world who happen to have a connection. Frankie Bard is a an American radio reporter in London in the midst of WWII. Iris James is a postmaster living in a small town on Cape Cod. This a time right before America has been drawn into WWII. Tensions are high and most everyone is worried about the possibility of war at any moment.

This story is not your typical WWII story in that it's not so much about the war, but it's about people and how they react to war. Frankie has gone off to the action to report the news, feeling she is doing her duty. At the same time, in a tiny little town in quiet Cape Cod, is middle aged Iris James, who also feels she is doing her part as postmaster. It's a huge responsibility when every piece of mail goes through your hands during a time when mail is one of the main sources of communication.

I highly recommend this book. It's beautifully written with some very colorful and sometimes quirky characters. It is also a very emotional story. I say that as a bit of a warning. You might want to keep some tissues handy, just in case. The author pulls you into the story emotionally and then keeps you in suspense as the story unfolds. It will challenge you and will keep you thinking long after you've finished the book. It's a story that's relevant to us today and all that's going on in the world around us.

(For my blog readers who only read Christian books, this one is not a Christian fiction title.)

Be sure to stop by here and follow along with all the blog tour stops.

Book Summary:

An ocean apart, two women—Frankie Bard, a gifted, intrepid, and beautiful young radio journalist in London to report on the Blitz, and Iris James, the dedicated, spinster postmistress of Franklin, Massachusetts—are entrusted with letters that concern the same man, to be delivered to his newlywed wife. Yet each woman decides not to do so, betraying her solemn commitment to deliver the news, whether by radio broadcast under Nazi bombardment or through the meticulous handling of the mail. The man in question is Will Fitch, a young doctor from Franklin who is moved by Frankie’s dispatches to go to London to treat the victims of the Blitz. Each day, his wife, Emma, enters the orderly realm of the local post office, presided over by Iris, to collect a new letter from Will.

Most of Franklin’s townsfolk—just like the glittering New York society from which Frankie hails—believe that the war in Europe will never touch them. A rare exception is Franklin’s Harry Vale, a mechanic with whom Iris has unexpectedly found a touching, midlife love. For hours each day, from a tower in the town hall, Harry trains his binoculars on the Atlantic, watching for the German submarines that he is certain will wreak destruction on America.

Alerted by her deceased colleague and dear friend to the horrific plight of Europe’s Jews, Frankie asks her boss, the legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, for permission to tell their story. Carrying the first portable voice recorder, Frankie captures their agonizing accounts as she rides the last refugee trains out of Germany in the summer of 1941, and witnesses the systematic brutality with which they are abused and killed by the Nazis. Finding it impossible to convey the full horror of their situation to an America that does not seem to want to listen, Frankie resigns and heads back to the States…with the young doctor’s letter in her pocket. His daily letters to Emma have stopped arriving long ago, and Frankie travels to Franklin to look behind the story of a man and his wife that had long remained in her mind. In ways both expected and unexpected, the war comes home to Franklin.

An utterly enveloping tale of a world conveyed in a voice, and of secrets kept and shared, THE POSTMISTRESS is a challenging meditation on the individual’s responsibility to history, to her country and community, and to herself.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Sarah Blake’s THE POSTMISTRESS was a New York Times hardcover bestseller in the United States and has been sold to publishers in 13 other countries. The novel also won South Africa’s 2010 Boeke “Readers’ Choice Prize,” which is modeled after the UK’s Man Booker Prize and sponsored by Exclusive Books, South Africa’s largest retail book chain.

Born in New York City, Sarah Blake has a B.A. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from New York University. She is the author of a chapbook of poems, Full Turn (Pennywhistle Press, 1989), an artist book, Runaway Girls (Hand Made Press, 1997) in collaboration with the artist, Robin Kahn, and two novels. Her first novel, Grange House, (Picador, 2000) was named a “New and Noteworthy” paperback in August, 2001 by The New York Times. Blake’s essays and reviews have appeared in Good Housekeeping, US News and World Reports, The Chicago Tribune and elsewhere.

Sarah lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, the poet Joshua Weiner, and their two sons. For more information on Sarah, visit her website at sarahblakebooks.com.

*If you would like to enter to win a copy of The Postmistress by Sarah Blake, here is how:

1. Mandatory Entry - leave a comment on either blog site along with your email address. You must leave an email address to be entered.

If you would like bonus entries here are some ways to get them:

2. Follow the NEW blog site - follow the new blog site or subscribe to the RSS feeds at the Wordpress site: http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/ . This is worth 1 extra entry. Make sure you leave an additional comment for each bonus entry.

3. Subscribe to the NEW blog site via email - subscribe to the Wordpress site via email at http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/ . This is worth 2 extra entries. Make sure you leave an additional comment for each bonus entry.

I will leave comments open through 3/31 and will announce the winner on 4/1. US & Canada only, please.

This book was provided for review by The Berkley Publishing Group

Blessings,

TLC Book Tour for "The Raising" by Laura Kasischke

2011-03-24T05:00:00.015-05:00

The Raising by Laura Kasischke is an absolutely superb suspense thriller!

I had not read any other books by this author before, but when I read the book blurb for this book, I knew I HAD to read that book! Sometimes I think the blurbs give away too much, but in this case, I think it's perfect. So, for once, I will totally suggest that you read the book summary below if you haven't heard anything about this book before.

This story is fresh, it's unique, it's complex, and it will have your mind working long after you've finished it. The characters are real and alive. My favorite character in this story is Craig, who is pretty much a typical college Sophomore, except that he's been through some pretty traumatic life experiences. I really cannot give away much about the story itself because it would tough to tell much without giving anything away. There are so many twists and surprises in this one and you will want to be surprised as you read it!

I VERY highly recommend this book! The writing is eloquent, and the story will blow your mind! In a good way! There are twists and turns all over the place that will have you constantly guessing and trying to figure out what is really going on with this mystery. I am definitely going to be checking out some of Ms Kasischke's other books because I am officially a fan!

(For my readers who only read Christian books, this is not a Christian title and there is sex and language.)

Be sure to follow along here with all the blog tour stops.

Book Summary:

Last year Godwin Honors Hall was draped in black. The university was mourning the loss of one of its own: Nicole Werner, a blond, beautiful, straight-A sorority sister tragically killed in a car accident that left her boyfriend, who was driving, remarkably—some say suspiciously—unscathed.

Although a year has passed, as winter begins and the nights darken, obsession with Nicole and her death reignites: She was so pretty. So sweet-tempered. So innocent. Too young to die.

Unless she didn’t.

Because rumor has it that she’s back.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Laura Kasischke teaches in the University of Michigan MFA program and the Residential College. She has published seven collections of poetry and seven novels including In A Perfect World. She lives with her family in Chelsea, Michigan.

This book was provided for review by Harper Perennial.

Blessings

TLC Book Tour for "The Queen's Lover" by Vanora Bennett

2011-03-23T05:00:00.073-05:00

The Queen's Lover by Vanora Bennett is a fascinating and captivating historical novel that takes you back to a time when powerful kings and queens constantly fought for power and territory.

The main character of this story is Catherine de Valois, the daughter of the French King Charles VI. As was typical for a daughter of a royal family, her life was never her own. Her parents would decide when she would marry, and who whe would marry. Love was not a factor, or even her consent. She was expected to do whatever they felt was best for the family and their country. Which really meant, who offers the best deal. It seems so disturbing to us, but that was typical for someone of her stature during this time period.

When the story begins, Catherine is still actually quite young. We watch her grow into a woman, while her family and her country goes through much turmoil. If you have read my blog at all, then you know I don't like to give away much plot detail. I want to give you a vague idea of what the book is like without giving anything away. So, I really don't want to give away any more plot details than that. It's a very detailed account of Catherine's life and the historical details as well. I liked Catherine from the beginning, and then after spending so much time with her, and watching her grow up, I became even more attached to her.

I very highly recommend this book. If you enjoy historicals of this type, I think you'll enjoy this one. It's beautifully written, with a great deal of historical detail along with the fictional. The story is quite an emotional roller coaster. Life was not easy back in those times and certainly not for royal families. I really enjoy reading different perspectives from different authors about real historical figures. You can tell that this author obviously did a lot of research. This is the first book I have read by Vanora Bennett but I would certainly like to read more!

(For my blog readers who only read Christian books, this book is not a Christian fiction title.)

Be sure to stop by here and follow all the blog tour stops!

Book Summary:

Catherine de Valois, daughter of the French king Charles VI, is born into troubled times. Though she is brought up in a royal court, it is a stormy and unstable environment. Before she is out of her teens, Catherine is married off to England’s Henry V as part of a treaty honoring his victory over France. She is terrified at the idea of being married to a man who is a foreigner, an enemy, and a rough soldier, and is forced to leave her home for England.

Within two years she is widowed, and mother to the future King of England and France—even though her brother has laid claim to the French crown for himself. Caught between warring factions of her own family and under threat by the powerful lords of the English court, she must find a way to keep her infant son safe. In Owain Tudor, a childhood friend for whom Catherine has long had affection and who now controls the Royal household, Catherine finds both strength and kinship. As their friendship turns to love, however, she risks not only her life and that of her son but the uneasy balance of power in England and France that will be forever changed.

History comes alive in this lyrical and moving true story of one woman’s courage and the inception of one of the most famous royal lineages of all time.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

An award-winning journalist, Vanora Bennett is the author of Portrait of an Unknown Woman and Figures in Silk. She lives in North London with her husband and two children.

Find out more about Vanora at her website.

This book was provided for review by Harper Paperbacks.

Blessings,

PUYB Blog Tour for "Adventures in Nowhere" by John Ames

2011-03-22T05:00:00.011-05:00

Adventures in Nowhere by John Ames is one of the best books I've read in quite a while. It's a classic in the making!

Set in the 1950s in Florida, everything about this book seems to perfection for the story. The era, is a simpler time when kids ran around outside barefoot all day during the summer. They weren't inside watching television or playing video games. And their parents weren't necessarily worried about where they were as long as they stayed out of trouble and showed up on time for dinner. And the setting in this story is amazing. I can close my eyes and picture it, but I've never been there. It's set in Florida along the banks of the Hillsborough River where much of the story takes place.

The characters in this story are beyond words. I feel as if I know Danny. He is our 10 year-old main character of the story. His life at home is sometimes difficult, so he mostly stays outside on the go. He has a few friends that wander around with him, and they manage to get into some crazy adventures. Some of them are even life-threatening, and some are just funny. There are several very colorful characters that are just unforgettable! His best friend Alfred is quite the character. He has been kept very sheltered by his parents and he's a good kid but he's usually good for a laugh.

I VERY highly recommend this book! I read all sorts of books, but suspense and thrillers are usually my preference. For a drama to keep me hooked the way this book did, is amaazing! When I say that I hated to put it down, I mean that if I absolute had to put it down, I wouuld still be thinking about it until I could get back to it. I was wondering how everything was going to turn out for Danny and his family, and his friends. The writing is so exquisite that I hung on every word. I could feel every emotion and very often it was laugh-out-loud funny. Other times I found myself just distraught over what might happen next. It's what some might call a coming-of-age type story, but it's a book about growing up that really can only truly be appreciated by adults. I was just sad that it had to end! I thought this was an amazing story and I hope you do too!

Book Summary:

On the bank of a river sits a moss-covered mansion, moldy and foreboding. Yesterday it was a cheerful bungalow with a dog lazing on a sunny porch. There is no predicting what it will be tomorrow. A young boy sits on the opposite bank, his brow furrowed.

Adventures in Nowhere is told from the wry perspective of ten-year-old Danny Ryan whose realm is 1950s Florida, long before theme parks crowded out the possibility of real magic. Danny refers to his neighborhood as Nowhere, because it seems trapped in time, some parts on the verge of rebirth and others slowly falling apart. Among the things falling apart is the Ryan family, which is dominated by a schizophrenic father who makes every day an adventure, yet Danny keeps his good humor, seeking escape on the nearby Hillsborough River or in the little community of Sulphur Springs with its puzzling mix of the glorious and the shameful. These outings provide Danny a diverting blend of comedy and drama.

But Danny’s adventures take a fateful turn when he begins seeing a mysteriously changing house across the hyacinth-choked Hillsborough. Is he going crazy like his father? Though he feels terribly alone, Danny comes to realize that he has faithful allies among Nowhere’s eccentric inhabitants: Alfred Bagley, a quirky youngster whose fondest desire is to become a junk dealer; Abigail Arnold, an intellectual eleven-year-old with a penchant for blunt talk and red candy lipstick; Donna, a young woman of supernatural beauty and unfathomable motives; Al Gallagher, proprietor of Al’s Swap Shop, a business that is more than it seems; and Buddy Connolly, a confident teenager who prompts Danny toward an odd but powerful salvation.

Adventures in Nowhere is an absorbing story of the search for self, allowing a reader to live for a while in the mind of a remarkably thoughtful and intense boy caught at the final edge of childhood.

READ THE EXCERPT

“Boys, what’s going on out there?”
Alfred went stiff at the sound of his father’s voice, his uncontrollable mirth replaced by dry fear.
“Come out of the weeds,” Mr. Bagley said. “Walk this way,” he added, using one of his favorite phrases.
It was a command that could not be ignored. Alfred rose up and proceeded like a robot toward his father. Danny raced ahead to do damage control.
“Hi, Mr. Bagley,” he chirped. “Do you know where we could find some fleas?”
Mr. Bagley eyed him suspiciously and rattled his key chain.
“Fleas?” he asked.
“We want to see if we can kill them with tobacco stems. Alfred said you could, but I don’t believe it.”
Mr. Bagley shifted uncertainly.
“Tobacco stems won’t kill fleas,” Mr. Bagley said, looking over Danny’s head at Alfred, who was moving toward them ever more slowly.
Danny wished Alfred was quicker on the uptake, but he had been undone by the magnitude of his crime. Tobacco and matches together. To Alfred’s way of thinking, nothing could possibly stand between him and his father’s belt.
“See, Alfred, I told you. Fleas don’t care about tobacco stems.”
“Huh,” Alfred said, still yards away and slowing by the second.
“You’re wrong!” Danny shouted.
“Don’t raise your voice, Danny,” Mr. Bagley said. “People might think you were angry.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry.”
“Tobacco stems don’t kill fleas, but they do drive them away. Do you mean to say that you boys were out in the weeds looking for fleas?”
“Yes, sir!” Danny said before Alfred could incriminate himself. “We left the stems back in there. Want me to go get them?”
“No. We can do without those tobacco stems. Don’t you two have anything better to do than look for fleas? If that’s the case, I think Alfred could spend his time studying the Bible in his room. What was so funny?”
Danny was much relieved now that Mr. Bagley was coming to the point. Apparently, he had not seen or smelled smoke; rather, he had heard suspicious mirth coming from the weeds, and for Mr. Bagley, where there was mirth there was a good possibility of ungodly behavior.
“We have fleas at my house,” Danny said.
“Is that so?”
Danny could see that Mr. Bagley’s interest was piqued. This was excellent. Now to go back and soften the lie.
“We’ve seen a couple.”
Mr. Bagley was crestfallen but not completely.
“Where there are two, there can be many more,” he said. “And Alfred was laughing at the fleas in your house?”
“He couldn’t control himself.”
“Is that right?” Mr. Bagley asked Alfred, who had arrived on the scene in a glazed-over state, having heard nothing.
“Yes, sir,” he answered automatically.
Alfred could be counted on to answer ninety percent of his father’s questions with “Yes, sir.” Danny felt that things were falling into place nicely, and he iced the cake by assuming the melancholy demeanor of a kid with flea problems. Mr. Bagley looked him over reflectively.
“You’re welcome to have lunch with us, Danny,” he said after a moment. “Come inside, boys.”
With that, Mr. Bagley moved off toward the breezeway. The looking-for-fleas-in-the-weeds story was patently ridiculous, but adults believed kids to be capable of incredible stupidity. Danny often depended on that fact of life
“What happened?” Alfred whispered.
“You laughed at the fleas,” Danny said through clenched teeth.
“The fleas?” Alfred replied too loudly.
“Anybody can have fleas,” Mr. Bagley said over his shoulder.
“I didn’t know you had fleas,” Alfred whispered and started to giggle.
“Alfred!” said Mr. Bagley sternly.
Alfred shut up immediately, and the boys followed Mr. Bagley into the house where Mrs. Bagley was laying out the lunchtime meal in the dining area adjacent to the kitchen. If Mr. Bagley had not come home for lunch, as he often did not, the meal might have been sandwiches, but today she had fixed slices of ham, lima beans, greens, and fresh biscuits. As always, there was sweet iced tea in wavy glasses with silver threads running through them. Mr. Bagley took his favorite seat, with his back to the kitchen so he could look out the window.
The moments just before a meal at the Bagley house were always agonizing for Danny because everyone had to hold hands while the blessing was said, usually by Alfred. Every now and then, Mr. Bagley would delegate the chore to his wife or would do it himself. Danny cringed when Mr. Bagley did it. He was an impressive man, too portly, but with strong features and a wealth of dark curly hair. His voice was commanding, and when he lit into the blessing, it was enough to send a chill down your spine, altogether too much religious fervor for a simple midday meal.
Occasionally, Mr. Bagley would ask Danny to say the blessing. This was awkward because the Catholic Church was very specific on the subject of whether or not Catholics should pray with Protestants. The correct answer to that dilemma was “not.” So, just being in the room while Protestants were praying was a dangerous situation, and when you acquiesced to the hand-holding, you were probably increasing your time in purgatory. Danny figured if you actually agreed to pray yourself, the ante shot up considerably, and he could not go that far. Besides, it irked him that Protestants had a “blessing” and Catholics had a “grace.” If a guy asked for a blessing, would it be polite to provide a grace? There were endless confusions in the matter of religion.
Today, however, Alfred got the call, and in his usual unaffected way ran through a quick recitation: “Lord, we thank you for this food, in Christ’s name, Amen.” As he was doling out the food, Mr. Bagley made conversation.
“I found the boys out in the weeds, Mrs. Bagley.”
Danny was amazed that the two addressed each other so formally. He assumed it was done for his benefit. Surely when they didn’t have a stranger in the house, they lowered the tone a bit. His own parents called each other “Mama” and “Daddy,” which, he realized, probably sounded strange to Alfred. Abigail’s parents called each other by their first names, Dick and Louise. Why couldn’t people get together on these things? It was like they were conspiring to make it confusing for kids.
“It’s getting hot, Mr. Bagley. Danny and Alfred were probably cooler out there.”
“That’s probably it,” Mr. Bagley said, winking at Danny and Alfred.
“I thought they might go swimming later if it doesn’t rain.”
Mr. Bagley looked at Danny.
“Should Danny go with that bandage on his hand?”
“I wouldn’t get it wet,” Danny said.
This was a complete lie, but there was no reasoning with adults in these matters. He had already had the bandage muddy and wet that very morning with no ill effect, but nothing could be gained by pointing that out. He would only seem careless. However, while Mr. Bagley was looking him over, Danny had a brilliant inspiration. He scratched his arm as if suffering from a flea bite. Mr. Bagley looked away.
“If his mother gives Danny permission, Alfred can go with him. Just to the pool and straight back.”
“Tell your father thank you,” Mrs. Bagley said.
“Thank you,” said Alfred.
“Thank you what?” asked Mrs. Bagley.
“Thank you, sir.”
“That’s all right, son. Be careful,” Mr. Bagley said.
The rest of the meal passed with Danny and Alfred on their best behavior so as not to provoke a change in the swimming decision; however, there was one singular moment. Midway through lunch, the biscuits were exhausted, and Mrs. Bagley got up to get more. While she was up, Mr. Bagley noticed his glass was empty and without bothering to turn around, he held his empty glass up over his shoulder and said sternly, “Tea!” Mrs. Bagley was fumbling with the biscuits and did not come running with her usual speed. “Tea!” Mr. Bagley repeated after five seconds, and after five more, he added, “Woman, walk this way!”
“I’m coming, Charles. Give me a moment, please.”
A combination of disbelief and anger crossed Mr. Bagley’s face, but in the next second, his glass was full, and he lowered it to the table in a state of confusion. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bagley settled into her chair.
Danny wondered if Mrs. Bagley might get the belt later that day.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

John Ames has a master’s degree in English from the University of Florida, where he was a Ford Fellow. After graduation, he built a rustic house and lived for several years on the edge of a spiritual community located near Gainesville, Florida. John’s search for enlightenment ended when he decided that he was too far from a movie theater. He moved inside the Gainesville city limits and taught English and film for thirty years at Santa Fe College.

He has produced and acted in numerous short films and videos, including the cable TV series the “Tub Interviews,” wherein all the interviewees were required to be in a bathtub. For ten years he reviewed movies for PBS radio station WUFT. He has appeared as a standup comedian and has designed and marketed Florida-themed lamps. He coauthored Second Serve: The Renée Richards Story (Stein and Day, 1983) and its sequel No Way Renée: The Second Half of My Notorious Life (Simon & Schuster, 2007), and Speaking of Florida (University Presses of Florida, 1993).

His recent book is a coming-of-age novel titled Adventures in Nowhere.

You can visit his website at http://www.johnamesauthor.com/. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

This book was provided for review by Pineapple Press.

Blessings

Title Trakk Blog Tour for "Bound By Guilt" by C.J. Darlington

2011-03-22T04:59:00.002-05:00

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:

Bound by Guilt
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Shuttled between foster homes, Roxi Gold will do anything to fit in. Soon she’s traveling the country stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the worst of society—and not just at work. One fateful night, both their lives are changed forever. One searches for justice, the other finds herself on the run. Will the power of forgiveness set them free?
My Review:

Bound By Guilt
is a fast-paced page-turner that hooked me from page one.

If you have read her first book, Thicker Than Blood, then you will recognize a few characters, but don’t worry, you won’t be lost if you haven’t read it. Both books can easily be read as stand alone novels.

The main character in Bound By Guilt is sixteen-year-old Roxi Gold. She hasn’t had a home to speak of since she was a little girl and she’s been bounced around all over the place. Because of her childhood she feels unworthy, unwanted, and unloved. Deep down she’s got a good heart and I was rooting for her the whole way through!

I VERY highly recommend this book! It’s beautifully written, full of suspense, action, and all threaded with a powerful message. The characters are real and they will stick with you even after you’ve finished the book. I love that the characters aren’t perfect. They are flawed people like you and me, which makes it easy to relate to them. It’s a beautiful story of redemption. I will be anxiously awaiting C.J.’s next book!

Great job! You kept me turning the pages.
--Francine Rivers, Internationally best selling author

C.J. is a wonderful, talented writer . . . extraordinary . . .
--Bodie Thoene, best-selling author of the A.D. Chronicles

This one engages your senses and reaches your heart.
--Jerry B. Jenkins, NY Times best-selling author & owner of The Christian Writers Guild

Watch the book trailer:

About the Author:
C. J. Darlington won the 2008 Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over twelve years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before cofounding her own online bookstore. In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site http://www.titletrakk.com/ with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website http://www.cjdarlington.com/

QUICK LINKS:

Mailbox Monday March 21

2011-03-21T15:00:00.002-05:00

Mailbox Monday is where bloggers post about what books they received in the mail the previous week. Mailbox Monday is being hosted during the month of March by I'm Booking It. Stop by and see what books she got and check out what others have gotten in their mailbox.

All of mine were review books this time and there were so many that I'm only going to list a few:

Celebrated YA novelist Sonya Sones makes a HUGE splash with her first adult novel, The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus, spinning a funny, fierce, and piercingly honest coming-of-middle-age story about falling apart and putting yourself back together. Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck meets Elizabeth Berg—boldly original and endlessly enthralling—in Sones’s unique creation of seamless narrative written in free verse. The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus is a luminous, brilliantly told story of life, marriage, and parenthood that you will not soon forget.

A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author. In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after. Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

For John and Laura Foster, what began as a fairytale honeymoon in 1857 aboard the steamship SS Vandervere soon becomes a nightmare. A terrible hurricane strikes and the grand ship is lost in the murky depths of the Atlantic. Laura finds herself rescued with the other women and children, but how can she feel anything but despondent without her groom? Suspecting her John is gone but still daring to hope for a miracle, Laura must face the possibility of life alone.Talented author Dan Walsh skillfully tells an epic story of hope, faith, and love through an intimate lens. Inspired by real events, this emotional and honest story will capture your heart as you sail through its pages.

The tragic, moving, and gripping story of the ascendance and fall of Katherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, and the best friend she nearly dragged down with her.

Meet Ndidi, the high school teacher and adoring wife. Blissfully married for seven years, a single question brings her world crashing down. Grant, Ndidi s loving husband, is his mother s only child. Unable to stand up to his relatives, he devises a plan to keep his family together. Omorose, Grant s mother, is determined to leave no stones unturned in her quest for more grandchildren, even if it means spiritual intervention. Josephine is no ordinary second wife. Selfish, manipulative and trouble-some, she does not intend to share Grant with Ndidi, so she starts an evil campaign with horrifying consequences. As each of them make sacrifices for the sake of a common goal, ruthless bids for power unleash sinister forces of catastrophic proportions...

Marianna Sommer believes she knows where her life is headed. Nineteen years old and Amish, her plan is to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and live in the only community she's ever known. When Marianna's family moves from Indiana to Montana she discovers life and faith will never be the same. As she builds an easy friendship with local guy, Ben Stone, Ben not only draws her heart, he also gets her thinking about what loving God and living in community is all about. As Marianna struggles to find "home", she also encounters God in intimate ways.

Blessings
Michelle V

PUYB Blog Tour for "Deed So" by Katharine A Russell

2011-03-21T05:00:00.062-05:00

Deed So by Katharine A Russell is an amazing story of a girl growing up in the 1960s at the beginning of many changes in our country.

Twelve year old Haddie Bashford just might be one of my favorite characters ever! To Haddie, growing up in Wicomico Corners is a form of torture, and her main goal is to grow up and get out of there! She is smart and funny, and I loved her from the very start.

The story takes place in 1962, and one of Haddie's family friends is off fighting in Vietnam. Even right there in Wicomico Corners times are changing and there are tensions in the air. Things begin to escalate and they find themselves in the middle of their own war zone.

I VERY highly recommend this book! The writing is absolutely gorgeous! The characters are so vivid and real! And, although the story is fictional, it represents this historical era and the events that were going on in our nation during that time. I was glued to this book from the minute I started it and honestly did not want to put it down. The author takes you away to another time and place, and you'll feel every emotion and feel as if the characters were people you knew. It's an incredible story and when I reached the end, I was sad that it was over!

(For my readers who only read Christian books, this is not a Christian fiction title.)

Be sure to stop by here and follow along with all the blog tour stops.

Book Summary:

Welcome to 1962, one year before the world would witness President John F. Kennedy assassinated, and a time before civil rights, women’s rights, and the Vietnam War changed everything. Deed So by Katharine Russell chronicles the coming-of-age of brainy twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford, a sensitive young girl who wants nothing more than to leave the close-minded world of her home in Wicomico Corners. When Haddie witnesses the killing of a black teen by a down-on-his-luck white farmer, her family becomes embroiled in a web of hatred that threatens to engulf the whole town. Tempers flare and prejudice heats to a boiling point, even as Haddie struggles to fully comprehend what is going on, especially the dark consequences within her own family. When the murder case goes to trial, neighbor is pitted against neighbor, and the violence escalates to a dangerous level. As the case drags on, arson erupts, paralyzing the community. Can the town—and Haddie—survive?

Intertwining the major themes of struggle, equality, loyalty, and love that defined a generation, Deed So is a provocative snapshot of a tense time in history. Filled with larger-than-life characters, pitch perfect dialogue, and a wonderful sense of history, Deed So is as moving as it is thrilling. Haunting, edgy, and thought-provoking, this is a perfect read for fans of To Kill a Mockingbird or Nicholas Sparks.

READ THE EXCERPT

Chapter 1
I was a waitress for Christ. Recruited into the legions of church supper servers, who answered the call across the South every fall, I reported to our parish hall and delivered platter upon steaming platter of artery-choking victuals to appreciative suspender-slapping locals and city folk who came down in sleek motor coaches. I started when I was six. Child labor laws could not stand up to the will of Dixie’s God.
We were Episcopalians and our specialties, offered for generations at our fall festival, were old ham, fried oysters and beaten biscuits. The Methodists did fried chicken and double-crust peach pie. The Catholics were famous for fried perch, new potato salad and deviled eggs. I do not know what the Baptists served because I was a white girl not allowed to go to their church suppers.
In Wicomico Corners, everybody knew everybody. Heck, you only needed to go up three rungs on your family tree to claim relation to half the county. People attended the same church their great-grandfathers had and dealt at the same general store. The county boasted two stoplights, one near the courthouse across from the war memorial and one at the main gate of the navy base. Doors were left unlocked. Chickens, dogs, children and the occasional escaped milk cow ran free.
This is the story of the year I graduated from Calvert Elementary, entered Chesapeake High, and nearly died. Chesapeake was a grade seven through twelve institution. In those days, Boards of Education approached schooling as one big swimming lesson: when you completed grade school, they threw you directly into high school, the social and sexual deep end, and you sank or swam under the predatory eye of upper classmen.
My name is Agnes Hayden Bashford, but since my great aunt Agnes was very much alive and using her moniker back then, everybody called me Haddie. I was twelve and a half and the brightest girl in my class. It was 1962 and the high school opened a new wing to accommodate the spit-polished offspring of the WWII victors. We were not yet called boomers, nor were we aware of our economic power or any other peculiar qualities apart from our ability to duck and cover. My father, a naval aviator during the war, instructed me in leadership, ham radio operation and ramrod posture, although my erect stature was impaired at the time by an ill-fitting training bra handed down from a cousin.
That summer I took catechism in the kitchen of the parish hall. Our class consisted of four of my cousins, the daughter of the head of the Altar Guild (to whom I was distantly related) and one black kid, Tiny Barber. Parishioners called Tiny the diocesan guinea pig, because he was the first in our parish to participate in an integrated catechism class. Chances are, I was related to Tiny too, but this was a subject discussed rarely by adults and only in whispers.
A precocious child, I fired questions at Reverend Harrison during those catechism lessons. For example, when Eve bit that apple and discovered Adam’s nakedness and a bunch of other skinny she was not supposed to know, God considered her act so disobedient she deserved banishment. My beef was this: If the incident was so terrible wasn’t Eden changed by her behavior? How could the place be the same with the principal residents shamed and in exile?
As far as I could see, the garden of perfection was as tainted as our vegetable patch the year of the blight. Paradise with a crack, a damaged porcelain plate pushed to the back of the china cabinet. Because I was an Eve apologist, I pointed out that flaws might make Eden more fun and a heck of a lot more exciting than Wicomico Corners. It was the only time I ever recall Reverend Harrison reduced to speechlessness. Despite my heretical postulations, I passed ecclesiastical muster and earned the right to sip wine every Sunday. I was almost an adult.
Our rural county slumbered on through that last peaceable summer, its population still just a hair over the headcount it boasted during the American Revolution, but change was coming. Not just the building of new schools for the science project generation. Not just the clamour for the new stoplight at Helena to slow down the big rigs from up north. Change was disturbing the stately trees and chasing the ebbing tide. We sensed it stalking us, all sinew and ferocity poised on big cat’s paws, and believed it would saunter down our claustrophobic peninsula from the grand national beyond, trapping us between our two salty, unforgiving rivers. We did not see it crouching, claws sheathed, eyes slanted, waiting for its moment, in our own hearts.

Chapter 2
Our church supper was well underway when I saw Gideon Albright for the first time in over a year. We had filled the tables in the parish hall basement twice over by the time he arrived. I paused with a platter of fried oysters in one hand and bowl of fatback-flavored green beans in the other as I drank in the sight of him. Gideon’s olive army slacks and khaki shirt set off his tanned skin and shoe-black hair, grown out slightly from its martial buzz cut. My old chess-playing pal was a man now.
Sarah Jane elbowed me in the spine as she sidled by juggling three baskets of biscuits. “What are ya waiting for? Hades to freeze over? You drop those oysters, you’ll get what for.”
I walked forward and placed the food on one of my assigned tables.
“Haddie, we’re outta ham down here.” Delbert Parsons pointed at the empty platter with a half-eaten biscuit that dripped melted butter on his double-wide fingers.
“Yes, sir. Right away.” I leaned over Mrs. Parsons and retrieved the plate.
The All Saints parish hall would not be air-conditioned until 1975. The scent of perspiration mingled with talc wafted up from Mrs. Parson’s person, but could not cover the smell of her husband’s musty, sweat-stained and ancient Sunday-go-to-meeting suit.
Sailing back to the pickup window where platters of steaming food were lined up neater than our high school marching band, I passed close to my father, who was pouring boiling water from one part of the coffee and tea machine to the other. Because he was an engineer, Dad was steward of the ancient, temperamental contraption. He was the only person able to keep the thing functioning.
“Dad, Gideon’s home.”
“Glad to hear it. Don’t get too close; the tea canister is threatening to boil over.”
I grabbed a plate of old ham and a heaping dish of fried oysters, twirled on my sneakers and headed for the aisle, hoping Mr. Maxwell, our official seater, would place Gideon in my section.
As I handed Mr. Parsons the ham, Mr. Maxwell gestured to Gideon, indicating an empty seat at one of Jessie Mae Bell’s tables. I waved, but neither Gideon nor our majordomo acknowledged me. How could Gideon even see me with the crush of people slapping the hero come home on the back? A determined patron yanked the oysters away from me.
Gideon was six years older than I was, but we had spent plenty of time together growing up. His home was one farm over, and he liked to take advantage of my parents’ prodigious book collection. Besides, he enjoyed playing chess, and I was the only kid for miles who knew how to play. Unless it was the weekend and a grownup was free, he was stuck with me. He didn’t complain too much. I was good, even beat him on occasion.
I longed to welcome him home and hear about the places he had been. As soon as I was able, I intended to leave Wicomico Corners, our impossibly boring, backward village, just as Gideon had done. He had been to Vietnam, a place I looked up on our atlas. I had a time finding it because people in the Corners called it “Veetnomb rhymes with bomb.”
“Missy, we sure could use some more of them oysters.” I turned to the stranger tugging at my apron. He was as round as a rain barrel with a neck the diameter of a basketball.
“Be right back, sir.” Walking toward the kitchen, I stole a glance at Gideon over my shoulder. He rose to shake another hand, his napkin balled in his left fist. My throat caught and my cheeks great warm. I was conscious of my ill-fitting hand-me-down black skirt and frayed white blouse, a drab contrast with the festive clothing of the diners.
“Watch out, clumsy!”
I turned and was nose to chin number three of Miss Thelma Bridges’ abundant prow.
“Sorry, Miss Thelma.” I danced around her, brushing the large handbag dangling from her arm. Everybody knew she shoveled ham into her purse. Such behavior was strictly forbidden by the all-you-can-eat rules of Southern church supper protocol, but Reverend Harrison never stopped her. I guess he figured, the good Lord would put a halt to it soon enough, her being eighty-eight and all.
Sarah Jane Jarboe and I arrived at the pass-through counter at the same time.
“He sent me a postcard from Saigon.” I blushed the minute I said it.
“What?” Sarah Jane pushed golden bangs away from her perspiring forehead. “Oh, you mean Gideon.”
“It’s the capital of South Vietnam. That’s where they sent him.”
“Good thing, since he’s a Southerner.” Sarah Jane turned and wedged her way through a crush of waitresses muscling toward the counter.
Sarah Jane did not care a hoot for geography; if it wasn’t on a 45-rpm record, my friend didn’t pay it much mind. I grasped two plates, edged out of the way and swung toward the dining area. After depositing the food, I popped out the screen door onto the landing for a little fresh air.
On the crest of the rise, I spotted Uncle Hayden directing cars into wavy columns on the parish hall lawn with the assurance of a catapult officer on a carrier deck. Hayden Kent was not my uncle but rather my double first cousin, what you get when a sister and brother marry a brother and sister. Since he was my father’s age and possessed the same heredity as an uncle, it was easier to call him that.
The lot was almost full, tour buses blocked my view of the rectory, but I could see the line of waiting diners snaking along the shady side of the hall. In reaction to the unseasonable warmth of this October day, the men shed their jackets, and someone had brought fans from our ample supply donated by local funeral homes and distributed them to the ladies. I hoped Dad’s tea-brewing apparatus was holding up, because the iced beverage was going to be much in demand. We had our work cut out for us.
I returned to the interior and peeped through the back entrance to the kitchen. Cleo, the Maddox’s Negro housekeeper, sat under a ceiling fan patting oysters, her bosom undulating as she tossed the encrusted bivalves from palm to expert palm. My mother, auburn hair pulled back in a net, hovered behind her, waiting for Cleo to place one more oyster on her wax-papered pan before returning to the deep fryer.
Farther down the table Aunt Olivia, Uncle Hayden’s war bride from London, arranged thin slices of the rich, salty smoke-cured ham known locally as old ham. The natives were impressed at how quickly Olivia had mastered the traditional Maryland recipes. She was a bastion of the parish kitchen, the Sunday school and the Altar Guild. I thought, not for the first time, what a letdown it must have been to come here for a magical place like London, but despite my urgings, she rarely spoke of her home.
I scanned my tables to see what was needed. The nearest was being cleared by my pimply cousin Lawrence. Beyond Lawrence’s Icabod frame, I saw Gideon stand and squeeze his way toward the exit. I gasped a bucket of air. I wanted to sprint to his side, but I knew I could not reach him before he gained the stairs, and I could not leave my post. Shoulders drooping, I loaded a tray of glasses and silverware from the idle table.
Balancing the teetering stack, I waltzed toward the dishwashing alcove. As I deposited my burden, I glanced out the window to the parking area. Gideon was advancing up the slope toward Uncle Hayden in a determined fashion.
My uncle held another man by the arm, a stern expression marring his usually cheerful countenance. One look at the Camels rolled in the T-shirt sleeve, and I knew it was Farley Dalton. Farley was a classmate of Gideon’s but had dropped out in tenth grade. He and Gideon had been friends from childhood, but something happened to Farley when he entered his teens. My mother said Farley had a difficult home life. His father worked at odd jobs in construction, and his mother took in laundry. We saw Mrs. Dalton at Wathen’s General Store from time to time and, when I was younger, I used to wonder how a woman could get so many bruises from washing clothes.
Farley turned, staggered, and responded to my uncle. I could not hear his words, but his sneer and burning eyes told the story. Gideon reached the two men and took Farley’s other arm. As he removed the beer bottle from his friend’s hand, he spoke to my uncle. Hayden nodded, relinquished Farley, and Gideon led his inebriated companion away. Everybody knew liquor was not allowed, but rules of any kind angered Farley, as did most things society threw at him. I could just barely picture the gentle boy whom this surly, glaring apparition had replaced, the boy who loved fishing and marbles.
“I cleared your front table again,” Lawrence said as he passed me juggling an overloaded tray.
I looked at Mr. Maxwell’s station. The pressing crowd of impatient diners was as dense as ever. Our parish would do well this year, but my hope of talking to Gideon today was as dashed as an egg yolk in a bowl of biscuit batter.

Author Bio:

Kath Russell enjoyed over thirty-five years in marketing and communications management in the biotechnology industry. She was an executive with one of the first genetic engineering companies. Russell also was president of Russell-Welsh Strategic Life Science Communications, Inc., and founder and chief executive officer of an ecommerce company offering services for mature companion animals and veterinarians. Russell received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, her master’s degree in journalism from Boston University, her master’s of business administration from the Kellogg School of Management, and earned her certificate in creative writing from the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

To find out more about Kath or to learn more about Deed So visit http://www.deedsonovel.com or http://russellwrites.blogspot.com.

Thank you to Kath Russell for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Blessings,

PUYB Blog Tour for "Against All Odds" by John Milton Langdon

2011-03-21T04:59:00.000-05:00

Against All Odds by John Milton Langdon is book one in a three part series called Jason Smiley Stewart - My Life Story. It's a beautiful story that will take you back to the Victorian Era and onto the high seas.

The story is told as Jason nears the end of his life and realizes that he never wrote the memoir he intended to write, and he begins to look back on his life. It takes us back to the mid 1800s to the small village in England where Jason grew up.

I really liked Jason's character a lot. He did not have an easy childhood but grew up to be intelligent and a man of honor. Much of this first book is looking back over his young life while still at home. It's not fast paced, but it is heart warming and very touching and endears Jason into the reader's heart. Later, after he grows up, the story does get a big more fast paced as we get into some high seas adventures.

I highly recommend this book. It's a lovely story with great characters. In the very beginning of the book we meet Jason presumably as an old man and at the end of his life. Then we get to see him through a difficult childhood and watch him grow up in to a fine young man. I definitely hope to read the other books because now I really want to know what happens to Jason next!

Book Summary:

Stepback in time – it’s the Victorian era, when Great Britain is at the forefront of industrial development. Based loosely on fact, author John Milton Langdon weaves a tale of romance and adventure on the high seas. “Against All Odds” describes the early years of an average man. Although he is born into humble circumstances, he shows how a combination of perserverance and intelligence, aided by a little good fortune, can help any child overcome the disadvantages of lowly birth status and a poor education. If you long for a sense of wonderment in life read this first volume of a set of four, and discover how Jason Smiley Stewart transforms from callow village boy to a ship’s officer in Volume 1 of Jason Smiley Stewart – My Life Story.

READ THE EXCERPT

I was envious and very disappointed to be excluded from the group, but there was no need for us both to go and he was a much more experienced small boat sailor than I was. Consequently, when he went down to organise the boat, I took over his watch on the bridge with the best grace I could muster. The ship was lying with the bows into a gentle southerly breeze and the island was almost due north of us beyond the stern.
The jolly boat was cast off and Evans ordered his crew to hoist the small lugsail to take advantage of the breeze that was blowing. Evans waved cheerfully and sailed away towards the island on the long run that would take him to the western and lower end of the island. The Captain took a last look around the horizon and went below to his cabin. I watched the jolly boat for a few moments and clearly the whole party were enjoying themselves. Like a Sunday school outing I thought as I resumed my duties as officer of the watch and checked that the ship had not drifted off position.
Fifteen minutes later, when the boat with Evan’s party in it were about half way to the island, the Captain came hurrying back to the bridge. Nothing had changed that I could detect. The sky remained a cloudless blue and the breeze was slightly lighter if anything, but that was all. But clearly Captain Stewart was worried. He had seen or felt something while he was in his cabin, that I hadn’t detected and from the expression on his face, the instincts of a very experienced sailor were giving him considerable concern.
He picked up a telescope and started to scan the horizon. He looked seaward and then slowly but progressively examined the visible horizon, carefully studying the shore line and the tops of the surrounding hills. He said nothing and may not have known what he was looking for, but he suddenly stopped moving and studied a particular area almost directly in line with the island for several moments.
He suddenly snapped the telescope shut, reached above his head for the lanyard controlling the ship’s whistle and blew five short blasts, the danger warning, followed quickly by another five blasts and then another five. He rang the engine room telegraph to standby and ordered me to signal the boat.
“Jason! Quickly! Hoist flags ‘U’ over ‘K’ over ‘X’.
Even as I rushed to the flag locker, a tiny part of my mind registered the fact that the Captain had addressed me as Jason instead of his customary Mr. Smiley. I was thankful that my many hours of practice under the Bosun’s watchful gaze were being rewarded, as I had all three flags, bent on, hoisted and flying within a few moments of receiving Captain Stewart’s terse order.
As I carried out the instruction, I remembered that ‘U’ means ‘you are standing into danger’, ‘K’ means ‘you should stop your vessel instantly’ and ‘X’ means ‘you should stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals’. The Captain had sent a very comprehensive message with the minimum of wasted effort but the wind was now very light and, as it was blowing almost directly from the ship towards Evans, I did not think he would be able to see them. Captain Stewart called the engine room on the voice pipe in the corner of the bridge near the telegraph and the half of the conversation I heard was
“Chief?”
“Call the Chief Engineer immediately.”
“Chief?” Captain here. There is a storm approaching. Raise steam as quickly as you can. How long before I can use the engine?”
“I see. That may not be soon enough. You will have to do better!”
There was a significant pause as the Captain listened to the Chief and he then said, “I see. If the storm that’s coming causes the anchor to drag, you may not have an engine to worry about this afternoon.”
The Captain obviously thought the wind direction was preventing Evans from seeing the flag signal as he blew another series of danger warnings on the steam whistle just as the First Mate arrived on the bridge followed closely by the second officer.
Captain Stewart gestured towards the north and said “There’s a bad storm coming and Evans is right in its path”.
Captain Stewart turned to the second mate and ordered, “Go round the ship and make sure all portholes and hatches are closed. Tell the crew there is a severe dust storm coming and all off watch crew are to go to their mess rooms to wait further orders”.
In company with the Captain and Mr. Richards, the First Mate, I used a telescope and looked in the direction the Captain had pointed and could see low, dark, rolling clouds rushing out of the mountains towards us. It came even closer as we watched and the sea between the mainland and the island began to smoke and boil from the fury of the approaching wind. Suddenly the main land behind the island became a blur and then disappeared. Between the island and the ‘Earl Canning’, our boat with Evans and the surveyors on board sailed serenely on. They were clearly unaware of the approaching danger, possibly because they were close enough to the island for its bulk to block out most of the mainland and the approaching storm beyond. They had obviously heard the siren and knew something was amiss, as we saw in our telescopes Evans pass the tiller to one of his crew and stand in the stern of the jolly boat looking back at us with the small telescope that he always carried with him. We could see the dust being blown like smoke horizontally from the top of the island as the storm approached it but we were incapable of indicating where the danger to Evans and his party was coming from. Apart from the helmsman, everyone was looking back towards us.
The Bosun arrived on the bridge. He had also heard the steam whistle blowing and knew from experience that he would be required in an emergency.
He reported directly to the Captain who said, “Ah Bosun, just the man. There is a storm coming. Set an anchor watch. Two of your most experienced hands. I need to know immediately if the anchor starts to drag. Put some men at intervals along the deck so that there is no delay passing information to me from your men on the forecastle”.
The Captain again blew on the whistle to attract attention to the storm and as he did so a freak gust of wind blew our signal flags out to port. Evans saw the hoist, spun round and saw the approaching danger himself, and the lugsail started to drop. But his action was far too late, as the sail was not half down before the boat listed steeply in a sudden violent blast of wind. Both boat and occupants disappeared from our horrified view into an impenetrable blanket of dust.
We watched with fascinated horror as a thick brown cloud of dust, only rising a few hundred feet into the air, roiled and boiled rapidly across the sea towards us. Amazingly there was a serene blue sky above it and turbulent white capped sea at its base. The noise from the wind was deafening and seemed louder than the hurricane winds I had experienced a few years before.
My thoughts and prayers were with my friend Evans who was fighting three enemies at once. The sea, the wind and the dust. – - – -

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

John Milton Langdon is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and has a master’s degree in maritime civil engineering. Langdon retired and became a professional writer after an active and rewarding engineering career. Initially he worked in Britain but from 1972 until 2008, he dealt with project development in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria. Langdon lives in the Austrian town of Klagenfurt which has a history stretching back to mediaeval times. Langdon has three children and five grandchildren from his first marriage and two step sons from the second. Langdon has many interests including travel, the British canals, music and literature but hiking in the mountains surrounding his home is a preferred leisure activity.

John’s latest book is a historical fiction titled Against All Odds (Tate Publishing).

You can visit John Milton Langdon’s website at www.jmlangdon.com.

Thank you to John Milton Langdon for proving me with a review copy of this book.

Blessings,

Revell Blog Tour for "Love Amid The Ashes" by Mesu Andrews

2011-03-20T05:00:00.046-05:00

Love Amid The Ashes by Mesu Andrews is a spectacular Biblical fiction that proves just how exciting the Old Testament really can be! She brings the story of Job to life from a very unique perspective!

Our story begins right around the time when one of the Biblical patriarchs, Isaac, had died, which was in 1880 BC. In this story we get to spend time with so many Biblical figures like Jacob, Esau, Dinah, and Joseph. Job was a relative of theirs, and we get to know the whole family and spend time with them. It reads like an incredible novel, but it brings these people to life. I always have more trouble relating to the Old Testament for some reason, but when it's put into a novel like this, it all becomes so real! It's Biblically based, but of course there is some fiction to fill out the story. I love the way the author uses real scripture at the beginnings of the chapters.

I'm not sure why we often think of the Bible as boring because these stories are anything but boring! There were constant wars and dangers of the land. A sudden storm could wipe out an entire village. There was drought, famine, disease, and poverty. There was also love and loss and betrayal. All the makings of a fabulous novel!

I VERY highly recommend this book. It is beautifully written, with powerful characters that you will not forget! The best part is that most of the characters are real Biblical figures that you will recognize. Even if you have no knowledge of the Bible story at all, I think you will enjoy this story. Job was the ultimate example of pure faith in God! And what a great story. There's danger, suspense, family drama, and even romance. I look forward to seeing what this great author has for us next!

Book Summary:

An epic story of love and forgiveness, suffering and restoration

When her beloved grandfather Isaac dies, Dinah must follow his final command: travel to Job's household to marry his son. After Job's world comes crashing down, Dinah finds herself drawn to this great man brought low. What will she risk to fight for his survival?

Mesu Andrews weaves an emotional and stirring account of Job and Dinah. Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.

Read an excerpt here.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Mesu Andrews is an active speaker who has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture. Harnessing her deep understanding and love for God's Word, Andrews brings the biblical world alive for her readers in this debut novel. She lives in Washington.

“Available March 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

*If you haven't seen it yet, the blog is moving. Check out my post from yesterday with the details. You can read that here.*

Blessings,

Sunday Salon March 20

2011-03-20T04:59:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I bought some new CDs for the car:

Now, at least for a while, I don't care so much about the traffic and the red lights! :)

And, these are my current reads:

I've been really looking forward to both of these! I have already started Adventures in Nowhere and it's outstanding so far! Bound By Guilt is a book two and I've been waiting for it for quite some time! I'm hoping to get to it later today.

What are you reading?

Have a great day!

Blessings
Michelle V

*The Blog is Moving!***

2011-03-19T19:03:00.000-05:00

Life in Review is moving! The new site is:

http://lifeinreviewblog.wordpress.com/

I'm going to give it a few days before I stop posting here. Both sites are actually live for now. But, I would like to move things completely to the other site by April 1. So, please hop over to the new site and check it out!

Blessings,

Increasing the Odds as You Climb Towards Your Writing Destination

2011-03-19T05:00:00.017-05:00

Increasing the Odds as You Climb Towards Your Writing Destination

by Jennifer Slattery

Writing is definitely not for the thin-skinned, nor for those seeking instant gratification. It is one of the few jobs where the applicant can spend years, decades even, doing all the right things with nothing to show for it. So much of the writing industry is beyond the writer's control, at times it may appear to be an endless upward climb with a perpetually elusive destination. And although it is true there will be much that forever remains beyond our control, there are concrete steps a writer can take to increase their chance of success.

The first thing a writer needs to do is develop a long-term focus. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. In fact, quite the opposite. If you want to be successful as an author, expect years of sweat and tears and start by focusing on the foundation.

This is where contests come in. At the American Christian Fiction Writers conference last September, I reported on one of the late night agent panels, and something Kathy Helmers from Creative Trust, Inc, said really resonated. When discussing the importance of developing a platform she said it was easier for an unpublished author to land a contract than it was for a published author with low or diminishing sales. What this means is, before you sell that first novel, make sure you have a wide reader-base to support it.

That's where Clash of the Titles comes in. Each week, we draw readers from over nine different countries, including the Ukraine, Peru, India and Germany. Competing authors point readers to our site and search-engine friendly key-words draw even more. This ensures a great deal of exposure for all participants, which in turn, offers the potential for an increased reader-base.

We also offer authors valuable reader feedback. All contests provide great feedback, but Clash of the Titles is unique in that we provide unbiased, authentic reader feedback. Let's face it, you can do everything right technically and still pen a dud. If your characters don't grab the reader and your plot falls flat, so will your book. And although editors, agents, and traditional contest judges have learned to "read the market" so to speak, they'll never be able to dive in the reader's head. But we can, in a way. By inviting readers to choose their favorite excerpt and leave comments in our survey, we get a glimpse into their psyche. We learn what they like and what they don't.

So why would an unpubb'ed author subject themselves to a contest on Clash--one where their work will be read by thousands and perhaps even dissected line by line? Because we offer great exposure, the potential for an increased reader-base, and honest feedback.

Yep, it's a win-win. (And remember, we're not just for the unpubb'ed. In fact, most of our competitors are published, but every once in awhile, we open our clash to the unpubb'ed, giving our audience a chance to get to know emerging authors before they make it big.)

So, hop on over to our submissions page to find out how you can throw your excerpt into the ring. Remember, every tweet, fb share and comment enters you in our drawing to win a free book and builds up an author who very well may be in need of encouragement.

Bio: Jennifer Slattery is a novelist, columnist and freelance writer living in the midwest with her husband of fifteen years and their thirteen year old daughter. She writes for Christ to the World, the Christian Pulse, Samie Sisters, and Reflections in Hindsight, reviews for Novel Reviews and is the marketing manager for Clash of the Titles. Find out more about her and her writing at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/

Blessings,

"Deadly Ties" by Vicki Hinze

2011-03-18T05:00:00.063-05:00

Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze is book two in her Crossroads Crisis Center series. Book one is Forget Me Not. Both books are really great suspense with some sweet romance too!

If you haven't read Forget Me Not, the author gives you enough background that you won't be lost, but it is pretty much a continuation of the story, and if you have the time I would recommend reading both books. You will appreciate this story better if you've read them both, in my opinion. Still, don't let me deter you. It would be a great book either way.

There are some really great characters in this story. Lisa Harper had a difficult childhood. Now she's all grown up and she's strong and spends her time helping women at the crisis center. What she really wants is to help her Mom. She just doesn't realize how much danger she's in.

I very highly recommend this book! It's well written, with action, danger, intense suspense, romance, and a wonderful message. You'll be hooked from the very start and it will keep you turning the pages until the very end. It's complex and intelligent. The characters and the story are both engaging. I wouldn't mind seeing more books set at the Crossroads Crisis Center. I really love Vicki's writing and I have enjoyed this series.

Book Summary:

HER ENEMY WILL STOP AT NOTHING FOR CONTROL…

SHE WILL RISK EVERYTHING FOR FREEDOM.

A horrific crime shatters Lisa Harper’s idyllic childhood. Her father is dead and her desperate mother, Annie, quickly marries Dutch Hauk, an abusive monster who soon reveals his hatred for Lisa. To protect her, Annie defies her ruthless husband and forfeits custody to a trusted friend. Enraged, Dutch vows to keep Annie and Lisa apart—and he does. Years later, though keenly aware of Dutch’s evil intent, Lisa and her mother seize a chance to be a family, safe in a home where love dwells. But they fail to fathom how far Dutch will go to keep his vow.

Determined to control his women, Dutch proves resourceful. His associates in crime are feared at the highest levels across the globe—and for Lisa they plan a fate worse than death. Yet she too has formidable connections, including former Special Operations Officer Mark Taylor. Burdened by his own traumatic past, Mark has loved Lisa from afar. Now, for Lisa and her mother to survive, Mark must risk his life—and even more difficult for him, he must trust God. All as one question haunts them: Can Mark and Lisa untangle these deadly ties before it’s too late?

Read an excerpt here.

Buy the book here.

Author Bio:

Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of more than twenty novels (including Forget Me Not), three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a vice president on the International Thriller Writers board of directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. Visit http://www.vickihinze.com/ for more about Vicki’s books, blogs, and writing programs.

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Mutinomah Publishing Group.

Blessings,

"Lilly's Wedding Quilt" by Kelly Long

2011-03-17T05:00:00.061-05:00

Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long is her second Patch of Heaven Novel. The first book is Sarah's Garden and I loved it so much that I really did not think I could like another one more, but I think I did. Lilly's Wedding Quilt is amazing and Kelly Long is quickly becoming my favorite Amish novel author!

If you've read Sarah's Garden, then you really won't want to miss this one. You'll recognize the characters and the community. If you haven't read it, you won't be lost. The author will give you enough background that it can be read as a stand alone. However, it is such an amazing series, that I think it's worth the time to read them both!

Lilly is the school teacher in their Amish school. She lives with her mother and takes care of her. Her mother hasn't been the same since the death of her father. One day on the way to a friend's wedding, Lilly gets caught in a storm and events unfold that will change her life forever. At the time she was sure she could see God's hand in things. But, when things don't work out the way she expected, she starts to wonder if she only saw what she wanted to see. Now she isn't sure what to do.

I VERY highly recommend this book. It is beautifully written and it is a fabulous story with characters will steal your heart.I love Lilly. She is real and easy to relate to and I was pulling for her the whole way through! I really love Kelly's writing and the depth of her stories. I was hooked from the very first page and could not put it down! I'm hoping for more books in this series, but whatever she comes out with next, I'll be looking forward to reading it.

Book Summary:

She isn't looking for love. He's mending a broken heart. It will take divine intervention for these two to get together.

Local Amish schoolteacher Lilly Lapp is tired of weddings, afraid of horses, and immersed in caring for her depressed mother. But when Jacob Wyse, a handsome horse breeder from her small community rescues her from a dangerous accident, Lilly discovers a renewed interest in life and the possibility of love.

Yet Jacob has lost the one true love of his life to another man and doesn't care to expose himself to the vulnerabilities of loving again.

God works to bring this unlikely pair into a sweet romance to produce a pattern of faith, which leads to the creation and comfort of Lilly's Wedding Quilt.

Buy this book here.

Author Bio:

Kelly Long is the author of Sarah's Garden, the first novel in the Patch of Heaven series. She was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. She’s been married for nearly 25 years and has five children.

This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Blessings,

WWW Wednesday Mar 16

2011-03-16T16:20:00.000-05:00

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

My answers:

What are you currently reading?

Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews
Review coming Sunday.

What did you recently finish reading?

Final Vector by Allan Leverone
(See review in previous post.)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Deed So by Katharine Russell
Review coming Monday.

Blessings,

"Final Vector" by Allan Leverone

2011-03-16T05:00:00.077-05:00

Final Vector by Allan Leverone is a spectacular thrill ride!

So, I already knew I loved Allan Leverone's writing and his short stories. If you missed my previous post, please check out Postcards From the Apocalypse! And, I think I've mentioned a time or ten on here that I love suspense thrillers. So, I was really looking forward to the idea of this great writer and a suspense thriller. I was definitely not disappointed. I was even more impressed than I had even imagined!

This author took a subject which he already knows about, being an air traffic controller, and he came up with a heart-stopping adventure. But, you don't get to sit back and be an impartial observer. He draws you in emotionally, and he makes you care about the characters. I like that because I personally prefer a character-driven story. If I don't care about the characters then I'm just not going to care about the story, no matter how great of a story it is. In this case, you get great characters AND a fantastic story! And you will be hanging on every word, and sitting on the edge of your seat. I love the way he draws out the suspense, and makes it feel as if it's happening in real time. You can feel the seconds ticking and almost hear the clock ticking. It's very intense! Nail biting! My favorite kind!

I VERY highly recommend this book! Allan Leverone has made his way to the top of my favorites list. I absolutely cannot wait to read anything he writes! This book is a fabulous suspense thriller, with lots of action, danger, hold-your-breath suspense, and a story line that is realistic and relevant! There are some really great characters that you will be rooting for! Normally this is one that I would have read in one sitting without putting it down, but unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of that kind of time, and I absolutely hated every time I had to put it down! This is definitely one you don't want to miss out on!

(For my readers who only read Christian books, this is not a Christian fiction title.)

Book Summary:

Air traffic controller Nick Jensen’s life is in a shambles. His wife Lisa has died following a horrific automobile wreck and the authorities suspect foul play. He finds evidence suggesting Lisa, a Pentagon auditor, had discovered potentially treasonous material on a fellow employee’s computer, a man who also winds up dead.

Desperate to escape the pain, Nick throws himself into his work and is on duty at the radar ATC facility serving Boston’s Logan Airport on the night U.S. President Robert Cartwright is scheduled to fly into Boston. Armed terrorists storm the facility, killing the security staff and taking Nick’s fellow controller hostage as he works.

Nick escapes capture, but with time running out, must use the information from his murdered wife to unravel the terrorists’ plot and stop an assassination while outnumbered, unarmed and on the run…

READ THE EXCERPT

Jackie piped up, his normally high-pitched voice rising a couple of octaves. “So we’re going to use these Stinger missiles to shoot down an airplane?”

“That is exactly correct,” Tony answered. “But not just any airplane. The president is flying into Logan International Airport in Boston very early next Sunday morning. We will be removing him from office. Permanently.”

“The president? The president of what?”

“What do you think?”

Stunned silence filled the room as the significance of Tony’s statement began to sink in.

“The president of the United States?” Joe-Bob whispered. “We’re going to shoot down Air Force One?”

Tony’s eyes glittered like hard black diamonds as he turned his cool smile on his small band of revolutionaries—the group that was about to change the course of history. “That is correct. President Cartwright is scheduled to celebrate the reopening of a historic church in Boston. I have learned that he will be flying into the airport around 5:00 a.m. next Sunday in order to arrive at the church in time to attend a sunrise service. He is then scheduled to lunch in the city with some of his major political contributors before flying back to Washington in early afternoon.

“Of course, as we now know, he will do none of those things, because he will be dead, lying at the bottom of a smoking hole in the ground just shy of Logan Airport. With a little bit of luck, perhaps people in the city will be killed as well, but that remains to be seen.”

Chaos erupted and then died down immediately when Tony held up a hand to silence his men.

Brian shook his head. “But how will we know where the plane is going to be and when to fire the missile? It’s a big sky out there.”

Tony smiled again. “We’ll know because we’re going to tell the pilot where we want him to go.”

Buy the book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Mobipocket, Books A Million.

Author Bio:

Allan Leverone is a three-time Derringer Award Finalist whose short fiction has been featured in Needle: A Magazine of Noir, Shroud Magazine, Twisted Dreams, Mysterical-E and many other venues, both print and online. His debut thriller, titled FINAL VECTOR, is available February 2011 from Medallion Press. For details, please visit http://www.allanleverone.com/ or his blog at http://allanleverone.blogspot.com/.

Thank you to Allan Leverone for providing me with an ebook copy for review.

Blessings,

Teaser Tuesday - Mar 15

2011-03-15T11:09:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers:

"Dinah, I am the prince of Shechem, I marry whom I wish, when I wish it. I have waited many years to have you."

p. 26 "Love Amid the Ashes" by
Mesu Andrews

Blessings,

michelle v's blog

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