Rescuing Finley by Dan Walsh A Review

ABOUT RESCUING FINLEY
Amy Wallace has made plenty of mistakes in her young life, but she didn't see this one coming. Chris Seger is a marine serving in Afghanistan. His life is forever altered by a single, fateful step. A mother of another Afghan war vet suffers a devastating loss, which changes the course of Finley's life for good. Finley is a mostly golden retriever, who suddenly finds himself alone and confused in a dog shelter. Later, he's brought to a prison to be trained in a special program for female inmates. Could this prison actually become the place where Finley finally finds freedom? Rescuing Finley tells the story of how one rescue dog powerfully impacts three tragic lives and puts all of them on a road toward redemption and healing.

File Size: 2641 KB
Print Length: 250 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Bainbridge Press (November 19, 2015)
Publication Date: November 19, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B017C6IAVA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Walsh is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 15 novels, including The Unfinished Gift, The Reunion and When Night Comes. His books have been highly reviewed by USA Today and in magazines such as Publishers Weekly, RT Book Reviews and Library Journal. Dan and his wife live in the Daytona Beach area where he's busy writing and researching his next novel. They have 2 grown children and 2 grandchildren.




MY REVIEW
  Rescuing Finley by Dan Walsh is just a wonderful book. In this first book of the Forever Home series it tells about the life of three different characters. Finley the dog, Amy a young lady who made a lot of mistakes in life and Chris a marine who served in Afghanistan and suffered greatly.
  Before we get to Amy or Chris, Finley’s story starts as being a dog to a wonderful young man who loved him greatly, but they also lived with the young man, Chaz’s mother. She wasn’t a dog person. So when Chaz went to war and didn’t come back, Finley got taken to the shelter.
   Amy was in prison and joined the dog training for Vets program. She never owned a dog, but always wanted to. Chris made it back from the war, but was emotional scarred. Would a dog help him? Follow the lives of these three amazing characters. Each one struggling in their own way. Can they find happiness together or not?
  This book is highly emotional, fantastic story from an excellent author. Look forward to reading the other books in this series. Recommended to anyone who loves animals, Vets and stories of people who made wrong decisions.


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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Of The Persecuted by Angie Brashear A REVIEW

ABOUT OF THE PERSECUTED
Following the daring escape, Laila seeks the path of a warrior and vows revenge against the Rendow Clan. She embarks on a dangerous journey with Lars, one in which they endeavor to reach the promised safety of a magical village, to train for battle, and to ultimately assure freedom for those with faith in the Maker.

Clashes of weapons and souls. Brutal loss of lives. Unrequited love. How in all the Woodlands will Laila survive?

June 2014 winner of "Clash of the Titles", the ultimate literary challenge where authors battle and readers judge.

Series: Legends of the Woodlands
Paperback: 362 pages
Publisher: 4:13 Publishing; 1 edition (May 27, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692214712
ISBN-13: 978-0692214718
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Angie Brashear isn't working or taking care of her family, she writes. Usually at night after her kids fall asleep. She's a fan of speculative fiction and an avid runner, both of which perplex her football-loving, nonfiction-reading husband. Saved in her early twenties, Angie is grateful for the Lord's presence in all aspects of her life. She is originally from Rockland, Maine and currently resides in Cameron, Texas with her husband and three children.


MY REVIEW
    I won this book on a facebook promotion party. I was thrilled to win.
    Of The Persecuted by Angie Brashear is an excellent book. I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next book written by Angie Brashear.
 Of The Persecuted starts out as  Laila  and her brother are about to be hung for being a Faithful. Very exciting way to start and it only gets better through the book.
  They are saved, also a young boy, Finney, by a man named Lars Landre.  In this book two forces are against each other, the Faithful and the Rendow Clan.  Your good/evil, followers of God against the followers of the devil.
  Many of the scenes in the story are very beautiful, but also war is very ugly. While Lars is leading Laila and Finney back to the city he calls home two other people come along claiming to be Faithful members also. Find out who they are and what happens to all involved. Also this book is about trust, faith and believing in the Lord.
   I find this very interesting because they don’t claim to be from the earth but some other place. Really intriguing. Highly recommended.
 

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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker A REVIEW

ABOUT THE CHOOSING
Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—to end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. Though the whispers contradict everything she’s been told, they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, yet she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

Series: A Seer Novel
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (May 19, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1496402243
ISBN-13: 978-1496402240
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat Blair. Visit her online at www.rachelledekker.com.

MY REVIEW
  The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker is an excellent novel. This is the first book she has written.  I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for book 2 in the Seer series. I want to see how this story continues.
  The story opens in the year of 2257. The world has changed greatly. Every girl just lives for the chance to be chosen when she reaches the age. If a man does not chose you to be his wife then society shuns you and you have to become a Lint and work as a slave and do the jobs no one wants. As a Lint you are considered a nobody and you are left to live on your own.
   Carrington doesn’t get chosen and begins the horrible life everyone avoids.
  Someone is killing Lints that disobey and it’s a horrible way to die. I must say even though I love this book I did figure out who the killer was early on in the book, but that didn’t ruin the story for me.
  Well Carrington meets and has a few friends and things just happen to bring her into a different kind of life.
 Many twists and turns in this story. Just when you think you have all things figured out something new happens.
  The theme of this book is that you are Chosen by God even if no one else chooses you. He loves you just the way you are and you are important to Him. No matter what anyone else says.
  Strange, but the sermon in church this past week was on the same theme. So this story has really stuck with me to let me know I’m loved and chosen by God.
  The Choosing is a very excellent book and I know Rachelle Dekker is going to go far in her writing career. Highly recommend The Choosing and so glad to have found a new favorite author.

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Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

A Heart's Disguise by Colleen Coble A REVIEW

 In the aftermath of the Civil War, a young woman searches for her lost love at the edge of the West.

The Civil War has destroyed Sarah Montgomery’s marriage before it’s even begun.

After Sarah receives word that her fiancé, Rand Campbell, has been killed fighting for the Union, her brothers and ailing father persuade her to pledge herself to Ben Croftner—despite her strong misgivings. But when Sarah finds out that Rand is in fact alive—and that Ben Croftner knew it—she indignantly breaks off the engagement and goes in search of Rand.

But Ben Croftner does not take rejection lightly—and a single woman with a sick father makes an easy target. When Sarah is abducted by her treacherous fiancé, Rand finally comes to her aid . . . only to reveal that he has been posted at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and intends to take her there as his wife. But could Sarah leave her dying father’s side for the love of her life? And what plans are forming in the jealous heart of Ben Croftner?

Series: A Journey of the Heart (Book 1)
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 10, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0529103419
ISBN-13: 978-0529103413
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.3 x 8.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has written several romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com Twitter: @colleencoble Facebook: colleencoblebooks


MY REVIEW
A Heart’s Disguise is book one in the Journey of the Heart series. This is the first of six novellas in the series, being released each month for the next six months. Very short books that can be read in one sitting easily.
  I really enjoyed it, but it just seemed to get started and the book was over. Colleen Coble is an excellent author, I love her writing style. I think it would be better if you got the whole set at once and read them right together.
The story line and characters are well-developed. The action is truly captivating.
My favorite character so far is Sara. She seems so lost and alone in this first book and I know she thinks she made the right decision, but I think she should have thought through everything more.
I will recommend this book, but if you can order the whole set as it will give you a lot more enjoyment.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program/BookLook. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. This is true of any book I review for any publisher or author; I will not review books where a positive review is required and I will always express my own opinions of each book received and read.

June Bug by Chris Fabry A REVIEW

ABOUT JUNE BUG
June Bug believed everything her daddy told her. That is, until she walked into Wal-Mart and saw her face on a list of missing children. The discovery begins a quest for the truth about her father, the mother he rarely speaks about, and ultimately herself. A modern interpretation of Les Miserables, the story follows a dilapidated RV rambling cross-country with June Bug and her father, a man running from a haunted past. Forces beyond their control draw them back to Dogwood, West Virginia, down a winding path that will change their lives forever.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (July 23, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414319568
ISBN-13: 978-1414319568
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I graduated from the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. I have been married to Andrea since 1982. We have nine children. In October of 2008 our family evacuated our house in Colorado, leaving behind all our belongings because of a toxic mold situation. Since then we have been living near Tucson, Arizona, working on recovering our health after the mold exposure.

Stop by my website at www.chrisfabry.com to learn more about my writing and radio endeavors, and be sure to sign up for my online newsletter, the FABRYGRAM. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter, or you can email me at chris@chrisfabry.com

MY REVIEW
  June Bug by Chris Fabry is an excellent novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and glad that I read it.
  The characters are so life like and you can really live the story through them. I really came to love
June Bug and her “Dad”.  Usually I don’t care for books that are told through the eyes of a child/young person. To me it seems to be lacking something, but with June Bug it wasn’t that way. June Bug was not only told through a young girl, but also others.
  June Bug talks about Walmart and WV which are close to me so it really is a down to earth type of read.  Don’t get me wrong there is also lots of adventure and family tradgies that add so much to the book.
  When you read this book you will feel fulfilled and hopeful. It has a wonderful, but sort of sad ending. I guess you could say happy and sad together. Very highly recommended. You will be glad you read this book.

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This is my own book. I didn’t need to review it.

Still Life by Christa Parrish A REVIEW

ABOUT STILL LIFE

A tragic plane crash. One woman who lost her husband. Another who gave up her seat for him.

Adah spent her first twenty-five years with her family as part of a fringe religious sect. Her only contact with the outside world was through customers at their farm store. Then she met Julian, a photojournalist who'd come to document their lifestyle. They eloped mere days later and Adah was thrust into a completely new life as a wife, city-dweller, and an individual allowed to make her own decisions. But she has no idea who she is.

On her twenty-sixth birthday, Julian plans to fly home from an assignment to give her her first-ever birthday present. He's thrilled when Katherine Cramer gives up her seat so he can make the flight. But the plane crashes and everyone on board is killed, including Julian.

Adah is completely at a loss, with no friends and no marketable skills. When Julian's last photographs are published, her life errupts into chaos. She begins travelling-with Julian's camera for a companion-searching for answers to who she is and what she really wants.

Meanwhile, Katherine must live with the knowledge of why she gave up her seat-to extend her affair one more night. She recognizes her survival as a second chance to save her marriage. But is it too late?

When Adah's and Katherine's paths cross, they discover that there's still life ahead for both of them.

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401689035
ISBN-13: 978-1401689032
Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christa Parrish is the author of five novels, including the 2009 ECPA Book of the Year Watch Over Me and the Christy Award-winning Stones for Bread. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, writer and pastor Chris Coppernoll. They have four children in their blended family.






MY REVIEW
   Still Life by Christa Parrish is an extremely wonderful story. It shows us how much how our lives affect others. Even those we don’t know. How our decisions bad or good can bring conflict to others.
  Still Life is two stories intertwined into one.  Adah was born and raised in a very strict religious group. Where women and girls had no rights or privileges.
  Adah works at the farm store where she met Julian and just by one meeting God gave them both the same feeling that they were to be married. So Adah leaves secretly and they marry. It is hard for them both. She doesn’t know how a normal person acts unless someone tells her what to do. Julian works with her and tells her things she needs to do.
  Adah never had a birthday party and Julian wants to give her one, but he is out at a job and tries to get back for her birthday.
  The other story is about Katherine and her family. How she thinks only of herself and how she gives up her plane seat to Julian so she can indulge in more of her sin.
  Adah and Katherine both change and this book Still Life tells how they did it. It isn’t a soft kind of read. It will make you think and realize that no matter what you do others will be affected. I highly recommend Still Life. An excellent addition to any library.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program/BookLook. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. This is true of any book I review for any publisher or author; I will not review books where a positive review is required and I will always express my own opinions of each book received and read.

Wind in the Wires by Janet Chester Bly REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

ABOUT WIND IN THE WIRES
A cowgirl searches for love and family. An old man seeks justice. A journey they take together exposes a tale of lies and betrayal. Will the truth be too hard for either to bear?
It’s 1991. Reba Cahill loves ranching with Grandma Pearl in north central Idaho. But there’s a lot of work and only two of them. Can she find a man worthy of her attentions and strong enough to help her run the ranch? She finds few prospects in the small town of Road’s End. But Reba is also missing something else: her mother. Deserted by her at three-years-old and never knowing her dad, she feels a sense of longing and loss. And bitterness. When elderly, quirky Road’s End citizen Maidie Fortress dies, Uncle Seth presents Reba Cahill with an expensive piece of jewelry that turns Reba’s world upside down. She is thrust into a journey with Seth that exposes dark family secrets and two cold case murders. The evidence leads her down unexpected paths and towards unsuspected admirers. Will the truth also ruin all hope for romance?

Series: Trails of Reba Cahill
Paperback: 322 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (November 17, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1503200116
ISBN-13: 978-1503200111
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet Chester Bly is the widow of award-winning western author Stephen Bly. She has authored and co-authored 31 fiction and nonfiction books of her own. She and her three sons finished Stephen’s last novel for him, Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot, a Selah Award Finalist. The family’s story is told on her website blog: http://www.blybooks.com/. Wind in the Wires is her first solo adult novel. She lives on top a mountain at 4,200 ft elevation in north-central Idaho.





MY REVIEW
  Wind in the Wires by Janet Chester Bly is the first book in the A Trails of Reba Cahill Novel series. What a wonderful start to a series. I came to love the characters and setting very much. The ending almost took my breath away. How exciting and captivating this book is.
  I really came to love the older man Seth in this book. He is full of much knowledge and secrets, but his love of God is the best.
  In the Wind in the Wires you learn things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes people do things for you and you don’t understand why and maybe even disagree with them.
  The part that really captivated my attention in this book is the wonderful road trip and why Seth planned it.
  Every part of this book will keep you guessing and keep you reading until you’re at the end. I highly recommend Wind in the Wires for all lovers of the West, adventure and romance. Janet Chester Bly is an excellent author.

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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255



GIVEAWAY WIND IN THE WIRES BY JANET CHESTER BLY

The author has kindly offered to giveaway one of her books. Please pass this giveaway along to your friends and family.
Leave a comment with your name and email address. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

Here are the ways to get extra entries:
~Be or become a follower  +1
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Contest is only open in the U.S. and Canada void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org.  ENTRY DEADLINE FEBRUARY 14, 2015

HARBOR OF THE HEART by Katherine Spencer a review

ABOUT HARBOR OF THE HEART

Like the seashells that show up on the beaches, the people of Angel Island arrive from many places and with varied pasts. Yet they all find a safe harbor there…and the gift of hope.

Liza Martin and Daniel Merritt are closer than ever. She alone knows that he gave up his medical practice because he blamed himself for endangering a patient. But she is completely shocked to hear that Daniel is now considering returning to a medical career…which may mean leaving Angel Island—and Liza.

Daniel struggles to make this decision, but they are both put to the test when a sailor wrecks his boat in a vicious storm. Liza witnesses Daniel’s medical skills firsthand and finally understands why she must let him pursue his career. If only that didn’t mean sacrificing the love of her life…

The sailor, Nolan Porter, survives thanks to Daniel’s skill. But moments earlier he had considered ending his life due to losing his career and his family. Still, no matter how desperate he feels, the residents of Angel Island will not let him give up. Over the course of the summer, Nolan’s tragedy becomes a blessing. And what better way to celebrate than to share one’s blessings with others.

Series: Thomas Kinkade's Angel Island (Book 5)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (April 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425264289
ISBN-13: 978-0425264287
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds

Thomas Kinkade, creator of the Angel Island series and the Cape Light series, emphasized simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his art. Thom believed that both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings had been given to him as a gift. His goal as an artist was to touch people of all faiths and to bring peace and joy into their lives through the images he created.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Spencer was a fiction editor before turning to a full-time career as a writer. The author of more than thirty books, she also writes the Cape Light series, as well as the Black Sheep Knitting Mysteries under her real name, Anne Canadeo. She lives with her husband and daughter in a small village on the Long Island Sound. Outside of her office, she is active in many community charity projects.

Spencer and Kinkade collaborated on the Angel Island novels, including A Wandering Heart, The Wedding Promise, and The Inn at Angel Island, and the Cape Light novels, including A Season of Angels, Christmas Treasures, and On Christmas Eve. Spencer now carries on Kinkade's legacy as the author of both Thomas Kinkade's Angel Island: The Way Home and Thomas Kinkade's Cape Hope: Songs of Christmas.

MY REVIEW
   Harbor of the Heart by Katherine Spencer is book 5 in the Angel Island series. I’ve read almost all of this series and totally love this one. I wasn’t asked to review it, but got it from the library.
  It tells of the continuing love story of Liza owner of the Inn at Angel Island and Daniel former handy man but now wants to get back into medicine. Things are going so well for these two and than disaster strikes. How can they have a marriage and live so far apart.
  Also at the beginning of the story Nolan appears in a ship wreck that Daniel helps to save. Nolan and Claire, cook, housekeeper and friend, become very close friends, even though Nolan and Claire are from very different backgrounds.  So love is all around the Inn.
 I don’t want to tell you to much about this story so I will leave it at that, but this book is very worth reading. It will keep you up late into the night.
  Really loved Harbor of the Heart and highly recommend this new, interesting story.

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This is a book I got at the library and no one asked me to review it.

A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker A Review

ABOUT A.D. 30
A sweeping epic set in the harsh deserts of Arabia and ancient Palestine.

A war that rages between kingdoms on the earth and in the heart.

The harrowing journey of the woman at the center of it all.

Step back in time to the year of our Lord...A.D. 30.

The outcast daughter of one of the most powerful Bedouin sheikhs in Arabia, Maviah is called on to protect the very people who rejected her. When their enemies launch a sudden attack with devastating consequences, Maviah escapes with the help of two of her father's warriors--Saba who speaks more with is sword than his voice and Judah, a Jew who comes from a tribe that can read the stars. Their journey will be fraught with terrible danger. If they can survive the vast forbidding sands of a desert that is deadly to most, they will reach a brutal world subjugated by kings and emperors. There Maviah must secure an unlikely alliance with King Herod of the Jews.

But Maviah's path leads her unexpectedly to another man. An enigmatic teacher who speaks of a way in this life which offers greater power than any kingdom. His name is Yeshua, and his words turn everything known on its head. Though following him may present even greater danger, his may be the only way for Maviah to save her people--and herself.

Series: AD
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: Center Street; Lrg edition (October 28, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455589209
ISBN-13: 978-1455589203
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ted Dekker is a “New York Times” best-selling author of more than 30 novels with over 5 million copies sold worldwide. He is known for thrillers that combine unforgettable characters, adrenaline-laced plots and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Dekker was named Best Inspirational Suspense Author in 2012 RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice. His book, “The Bride Collector,” was named one of NPR’s “Top 100 Killer Thrillers” of all time. Two of his novels, “Thr3e” and “House” have been made into movies with more in production. Dekker and his wife, Lee Ann, live in Austin, Texas.

MY REVIEW
  A.D. 30 is a really different kind of book than we are use to from Ted Dekker.
  We follow Maviah as she journeys through many different obstacles in her life. We watch her grow and change and become the woman God wants her to be.
  Judah is such a strong person who never gives up and one of my favorite lines of his is “I am Judah.”
  I really didn’t care for the first part of this book. I think the part of walking through the desert took to long and didn’t hold my interest.  It started to get more interesting after they got to King Herod. I enjoyed starting there and the rest of the book.
   I like their steadfast faith and characters and how they handled every situation that arose.
 My favorite part was the fight at the end between Maviah and her brother. Very, very good.
  I highly recommend this book to Ted Dekker fans and to many people who will be his new fans. Just don’t look for his usual thriller type of book.

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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Cloak of the Light by Chuck Black*A Review*

ABOUT CLOAK OF THE LIGHT

Drew is caught in a world of light - just inches away from the dark
What if...there was a world beyond our vision, a world just fingertips beyond our reach? What if...our world wasn’t beyond their influence?
Tragedy and heartache seem to be waiting for Drew Carter at every turn, but college offers Drew a chance to start over—until an accident during a physics experiment leaves him blind and his genius friend, Benjamin Berg, missing.
As his sight miraculously returns, Drew discovers that the accident has heightened his neuron activity, giving him skills and sight beyond the normal man. When he begins to observe fierce invaders that no one else can see, he questions his own sanity, and so do others. But is he insane or do the invaders truly exist?
With help from Sydney Carlyle, a mysterious and elusive girl who offers encouragement through her faith, Drew searches for his missing friend, Ben, who seems to hold the key to unlocking this mystery. As the dark invaders close in, will he find the truth in time?

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Series: Wars of the Realm (Book 1)
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (March 18, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1601425023
ISBN-13: 978-1601425027
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chuck Black is the author of nine novels including the popular Kingdom Series and The Knights of Arrethtrae series. He spent eight years in the Air Force traveling the world as a communications engineer and an F-16 fighter pilot. Today, Chuck is a product design engineer and has invented or coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. The Blacks take their family music ministry on the road, singing Christian gospel, contemporary, and traditional songs. Chuck and his family live in North Dakota.

MY REVIEW
  Wow, wow, wow is all I can say for this fantastic book. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait until book 2 comes out.
  Drew is a very interesting character that so many bad, sad things happen to him. He is dealt so many bad blows in life that some people would have given up.
   Drew and his friend Ben who is a genius. They do an experiment together and tragedy strikes again. Drew is blind, but regains his sight, but oh what kind of sight. It is amazing and a little creepy.
  Drew also likes a girl Sydney who is talked about as a church chick. She doesn’t date Drew because he’s not a Christian, but through the book remains his friend.
  You will read about dark invaders/light invaders and many more mysteries in the unseen world. Truly an eye-opening book that will have you thinking more and wanting to do more to help our fellow humans. I loved this book and know you will also. This book is called a young adult book, but I think it is great for all ages from young adult upward. Truly a 5-star book. Highly recommended.

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Thanks to WaterBrookMultnomah for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

SOMEWHERE SAFE WITH SOMEONE GOOD by JAN KARON ~A Review~

ABOUT SOMEWHERE SAFE WITH SOMEONE GOOD
After five hectic years of retirement from Lord’s Chapel, Father Tim Kavanagh returns with his wife, Cynthia, from a so-called pleasure trip to the land of his Irish ancestors.
            While glad to be at home in Mitford, something is definitely missing: a pulpit. But when he’s offered one, he decides he doesn’t want it. Maybe he’s lost his passion.
            His adopted son, Dooley, wrestles with his own passion—for the beautiful and gifted Lace Turner, and his vision to become a successful country vet. Dooley’s brother, Sammy, still enraged by his mother’s abandonment, destroys one of Father Tim’s prized possessions. And Hope Murphy, owner of Happy Endings bookstore, struggles with the potential loss of her unborn child and her hard-won business.
            All this as Wanda’s Feel Good Café opens, a romance catches fire through an Internet word game, their former mayor hatches a reelection campaign to throw the bums out, and the weekly Muse poses a probing inquiry: Does Mitford still take care of its own?
         
Series: A Mitford Novel (Book 10)
Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (September 2, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399167447
ISBN-13: 978-0399167447
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jan Karon is the author of the bestselling series of nine Mitford novels featuring Father Timothy Kavanagh, an Episcopal priest, and the fictional village of Mitford. Set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karon's Mitford books include At Home in Mitford; A Light in the Window; These High, Green Hills; Out to Canaan; A New Song; A Common Life: The Wedding Story; In This Mountain; Shepherd's Abiding; and Light from Heaven. The Father Tim Novels include "Home to Holly Springs" and last fall's release of "In the Company of Others," set in County Sligo, Ireland. There are over 40 million Mitford and Father Tim novels, childrens books, and CDs in print.



MY REVIEW
  Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon is such an excellent work of art. I love the way Ms. Karon describes her characters and the wonderful town of Mitford. I’ve heard many people proclaim how they hate to finish a book, how it seems like you are right there and experience the many things the characters go through. That is just what I felt for this book and every book of Ms. Karon’s in the Mitford series. This is book 10 in the series and I hope the stories go on and on. I never want to quit learning about the people in Mitford.
   Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good is full of such tender, compassionate, funny, precious moments and characters. It makes you wish there was such a town that we could all live in and get to know each and every person there.
  In book 10 we have the old regulars that we have read about for years and years and some very new characters that are sweet and dear to us already.
  We are all hoping for another book and I believe we will get it, because so many things were left hanging.
These stories in Mitford just keep getting better.
  I will treasure my book forever.
I highly recommend the Mitford series. Each one can be a stand alone read, but you should start at the beginning, because you will miss so much beautiful stories if you don’t. Love these books and so will you.

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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The Confession by Robert Whitlow~A Review~

ABOUT THE CONFESSION
In Holt Douglas's line of work, there's nothing sweeter than a confession of guilt.

Assistant D.A. Holt Douglas makes his living exposing lies and sending criminals to jail in Ashley County, Georgia. His job is always easier when defendants, instead of remaining silent, blame someone else or try to excuse their actions. With a confession in his hand, Holt knows a guilty plea will soon follow.

But lurking in Holt's past is a dark secret that could end his successful career and possibly his relationship with Angelina, his hoped for fiancé.

When Holt reopens a cold case involving the death of the town's wealthiest businessman-allegedly killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest-Holt doesn't believe it was suicide. Instead, he suspects murder.

As he investigates, Holt's own guilt threatens to destroy him and the cause of justice he's sworn to serve. While he knows his own confession could absolve him of his sin, it could cost him his future. Will he survive long enough to uncover the true crime that this small southern town has been hiding?


Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (August 5, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401688861
ISBN-13: 978-1401688868

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Whitlow grew up in north Georgia. He graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a BA in history in 1976 and received his JD with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1979. A practicing attorney, he is a partner in a Charlotte, NC law firm. He and his wife Kathy have four children and three grandchildren.
Robert began writing in 1996. His novels are set in the South and include both legal suspense and interesting characterization. It is his desire to write stories that reveal some of the ways God interacts with people in realistic scenerios.



MY REVIEW
   The Confession by Robert Whitlow is an excellent book.  It shows us we can come to conclusions about different things and be totally wrong. We can hold hate or anger in our hearts about something that happened or hold onto anger because you have been wronged, but the only way to live is to have true forgiveness and continue with your life.
  In this book Holt is hiding something, but tries to put it out of his mind. He tries to right the wrong that others  are doing, while he keeps his past secret.
  The Confession is full of mystery, intrigue, suspense and even romance. In this novel there are so many twists and turns that you will be amazed at the outcome of the story. I really love a good suspenseful book and The Confession did not disappoint.  I highly recommend this book. It will be a favorite of yours. Very, very good book.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I receive books free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program/BookLook. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own. This is true of any book I review for any publisher or author; I will not review books where a positive review is required and I will always express my own opinions of each book received and read.

Dynamo by Eleanor Gustafson~A Review~

ABOUT DYNAMO
Jeth Cavanaugh is searching for a new life along one of Pennsylvania's mountain ridges when he stumbles upon a stable of show jumpers owned by Rob and Katie Chilton. Throw in a volatile gaited stallion named Dynamo, and Jeth will do anything to work there. He earns his living by training and showing Rob's jumpers, but Dynamo is his primary passion.

Everything changes when God enters his life—in the unconventional form of a hard slap by an old girlfriend—and ignites a new, greater passion within him. But along with fervor comes fear at the undeniable evidence of God's hand on his life. Inexplicable events, both good and bad, make him moan plaintively, "Why does God do this to me? I get the feeling I'm being set up for something."

He is, indeed. Jeth's life is anything but predictable, much like the God he serves. The real Dynamo and his ultimate trainer emerge out of an excruciating mix of disaster and brokenness, which are never beyond the reach of redemption.

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Whitaker House (April 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 162911006X
ISBN-13: 978-1629110066
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ellie Gustafson writes pretty good books these days. She's been working at it long enough to learn a few things. It all started in 1978 with her first published article, "I Saw a Thing Today," about a couple of weasels she met on a stone wall in Vermont. A bunch of short stories and other articles followed, and then came Appalachian Spring. BIG learning curve. The editor slashed characters, whole chapters, and made a lot of red marks everywhere. Had to rewrite the entire book--on a brand-new Apple IIe computer that she had no idea how to operate. The novel was well received, however, which led to more novels and more painful learning experiences.

In many of her stories, Ellie explores the cosmic struggle between good and evil in light of God's overarching work of redemption. Having graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois--where she met her husband while teaching horsemanship (funny story there)--she has since been actively involved in church life as a minister's wife, teacher, musician, writer, and encourager. A host of other experiences, from mice wars to house building, help bring color and humor to her fiction. She does like to laugh a lot.

She and her husband live in Massachusetts, where he teaches online college courses in philosophy. They travel a fair amount, spend time with three children and eight grandchildren, and enjoy camping at the family forest in Chester, Vermont.

Some have said that her latest novel, Dynamo, is her best book, so old dogs can learn from experience!

MY REVIEW
  Dynamo by Eleanor Gustafson is such an excellent book. I thought it would be good when I read the back, but nothing prepared me for how fantastic it is.
  Jeth made mistakes in life like we all do, but he learned many lessons from his and tries to live differently.  Rob and Katie believe in Jeth and not many people ever had. Jeth knows nothing about God, but he has plenty of questions and not the ones you would expect.  Another wonderful character in this book is Maybelle. She isn’t in many scenes, but she plays a huge part as being Jeth’s angel and always is there to help him with whatever life throws at him.
  Nothing is common about this story.  It is so full of love, peace, forgiveness, life and loss. It is really, really a book to read. Eleanor Gustafson is a new author to me, but she is now a new favorite. If her other books are half as good as Dynamo they would be worth reading. I highly recommend Dynamo.

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Thank you to Whitaker House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Clear Spring by Di Voran Lites A REVIEW

ABOUT CLEAR SPRING
Mel Nicolaides, one of five children, has lived a happy, sheltered life at Living Spring in Florida. Her goal now, is to become as independent as possible. While her family heads for a vacation in Europe, Mel elects to stay at a remote North Florida spring to work. Her job is to illustrate a book about Seminole Indian medical and culinary herbs for an author whose Seminole name is Walking Woman. The revelation of a skeleton in Mel’s family closet, during her time there, however, forces her to find sources of strength she never knew existed.

Series: The Florida Trilogy
Paperback: 140 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1494213443
ISBN-13: 978-1494213442
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is DiVoran Lites. I am the author of the Florida Springs Trilogy. All three books: Sacred Spring, Living Spring, and Clear Spring are now available at Kindle and on Amazon in print. Each book has its own complete cast of characters and story, but as you read them, you will find the people are a community of family and friends who have known and loved each other for many years. You will watch conflicts,common to man, played out in the characters' lives. You'll read such vivid descriptions of the fabulous Florida Springs that, according to reviewers, you will feel as if you've visited them yourself.

I'm told that even as a toddler I loved books and carried them around. Reading has been a passion ever since. It didn't take long to discover that the best enhancement for reading was writing. I started writing the story of my life in a back booth in my parents'restaurant in a mountain valley in Colorado. Dad said that since I was only seven years old, it would be a short story. I didn't understand the humor at the time. Since then writing has been my calling, and life and love have been my learning labs.

I am married to Bill, an areonautical engineer. We have two children and two granchildren. The way God works with people, and the creations he has given us to enjoy are my favorite subjects.

MY REVIEW
This is book three in the The Florida Springs Trilogy series. I enjoyed Elaine Donovan’s story and that of her family. This one is about Mel, Jean’s daughter from book two.
  Mel wants to be independent and stays to take a job when her family goes on vacation. She is helping to illustrate a book about botanical herbs, etc..  She is reunited with her childhood friend Scott and makes a new friend Corky. Also during her job her real father comes and wants her to help him with his new money making scheme.
 All of this together makes for another wonderful story that ends the series in a fantastic way. You will be amazed at the description of the land and wildlife around this area. The author knows how to tell a story and put you on the edge of your seat. Very good book.


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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Heaven Sent Rain, Lauraine Snelling A REVIEW

ABOUT HEAVEN SENT RAIN
Dinah Taylor has an orderly life that is just how she likes it. A perfectly furnished luxury apartment, a satisfying career as a scientist and CEO of her own company, and an uncomplicated personal life. But all of that changes when she meets seven-year-old Jonah.

The boy shows up one day, a scruffy dog by his side, in front of her office building. Dinah knows nothing about kids and even less about animals, but after she buys him breakfast, he shows up the next day...and the next. She tries to learn more about him, to help him, but he's remarkably skilled at evading her questions. And then, late one night, he calls her in a panic-his dog has been badly injured. Dinah rushes them to a local animal clinic, where she meets Garret, a veterinarian with a thriving practice and a passion for drawing. Though Jonah takes to Garret right away, for some reason neither understands, Dinah and Garret just don't mesh. But for Jonah's sake, their lives continue to collide, and slowly the relationship between these three strangers begins to change.

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 089296913X
ISBN-13: 978-0892969135
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauraine Snelling, an award-winning author of fifty-plus books with sales of over 2 million copies, also writes for a wide range of magazines and teaches at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California






MY REVIEW
Lauraine Snelling is one of my favorite authors. She knows how to write a story that will keep your interest until the very last page.
  In Heaven Sent Rain Dinah Taylor is a very successful, important person who lives alone. She has an ordered life, has white furniture, white clothes. Everything she wants and doesn’t have to worry about anyone except for her company.
  Jonah a very little boy and his dog need someone to care for them. She doesn’t realize it at first, but she will be that care giver. Dinah doesn’t like little boys and especially dogs.
  Then she meets the vet  Garret and things get really interesting. Dinah and Garret really clash and can’t seem to get along except for Jonah’s sake.
  This book is full of love, struggles, heartaches, but also peace and knowledge of His love. Sometimes God sends us rain and we don’t think it’s good, but without rain where would we be. All things work together for good. I recommend this beautiful book.

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I received my free copy from Faith Words/HachetteBookGroup, for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Living Spring by Di Voran Lites A REVIEW

ABOUT LIVING SPRING

Jean Schaefer has suffered from overwhelming anxiety for the past four years due to the death of her parents and an entanglement with her child’s father, which ended in a shocking rejection. She contracts for an original settler’s house in the woods near Living Spring, hoping to use the renovation process as therapy. She must now learn to live in new ways and to allow people into her life again. As the history of the old house, along with elements of her own past begin to surface, Jean finds herself fighting inner battles she thought she had buried forever.




File Size: 347 KB
Print Length: 158 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1484028406
Publisher: Real Life Publishing; 1 edition (April 9, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CB37ZIE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is DiVoran Lites. I am the author of the Florida Springs Trilogy. All three books: Sacred Spring, Living Spring, and Clear Spring are now available at Kindle and on Amazon in print. Each book has its own complete cast of characters and story, but as you read them, you will find the people are a community of family and friends who have known and loved each other for many years. You will watch conflicts,common to man, played out in the characters' lives. You'll read such vivid descriptions of the fabulous Florida Springs that, according to reviewers, you will feel as if you've visited them yourself.

I'm told that even as a toddler I loved books and carried them around. Reading has been a passion ever since. It didn't take long to discover that the best enhancement for reading was writing. I started writing the story of my life in a back booth in my parents'restaurant in a mountain valley in Colorado. Dad said that since I was only seven years old, it would be a short story. I didn't understand the humor at the time. Since then writing has been my calling, and life and love have been my learning labs.

I am married to Bill, an areonautical engineer. We have two children and two granchildren. The way God works with people, and the creations he has given us to enjoy are my favorite subjects.

MY REVIEW
 Living Spring by DiVoran Lites is book 2 in the Florida Springs Trilogy series. I’m really enjoying this series. The first book was about Hank and Elaine. Book 2 is about Hank’s sister Jean who is a single mom.
  She has suffered from anxiety because of her parents death and becoming involved with a man who became her child’s father.
  In this book we see clearly good and evil and what some evil people will do to get what they want. Jean is inexperienced and believes the best in everyone. She wants the father of her child to marry her so things will be right, but she doesn’t understand how bad of a person he is.
  Jean is fixing up a home to call her own and gets help from many people. Will she make the right decisions’ in her life with the man who God has for her.
  Really an interesting read that makes you want to read more. Highly recommended.


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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The Wedding Planners of Butternut Creek, Jane Myers Perrine A REVIEW

The ladies of Butternut Creek Christian Church known as the Widows have always taken pride in their infallible matchmaking. They've succeeded again, and having found the perfect wife for Pastor Adam, they're ready to start planning the wedding. The one problem is that Adam has yet to propose. Clearly he still needs their help.

Meanwhile, Adam's sister Hannah, a doctor, has returned from work in refugee camps, exhausted from the horrors she's seen. Though physically weak, Hannah becomes animated when verbally sparring with Gabe Borden, the high school basketball coach. The Widows, however, see sparks of a different kind between them and are soon up to their matchmaking ways once again.

Series: Butternut Creek (Book 3)
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (November 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892969032
ISBN-13: 978-0892969036
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Myers Perrine started writing while in grade school. Although her spelling was terrible--she blames that on dyslexia--her third-grade teacher predicted she'd be an author. Jane attended Kansas State University. Majoring in both English and Spanish, she read the best literature in both languages. After years as a Spanish teacher and minister, she began writing. Her novels include Regency settings and Western historicals as well as stories which take place in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas where she now resides. An award-winning author, she presently writes about a young minister, Adam Jordan, and his life in Butternut Creek, TX.

MY REVIEW
  I read book two in the Butternut Creek series entitled The Matchmakers of Butternut Creek and really loved it. This book The Wedding Planners of Butternut Creek was really good, but not as good as book two in my opinion.
  I love the description of Butternut Creek and it reminds me of Jan Karon’s Mitford books, but this story was a little slow and lacked what the last one had.
  I don’t think anyone would let a bunch of older ladies plan their wedding and tell them what to do and how to do it. It doesn’t matter that they are members of the church or not.
 Then they try to be a matchmaker to the pastors sister and she is still recovering from illness and isn’t doing well. I didn’t like that part.
  The part I did like of this book was how everyone helped when a tornado went through a small town close by. How they worked and supported the victims and lent a hand in all ways they could.
  This was a fine book, but not on the top of my favorites. I will although recommend it for it is full of fun, hardships and love.

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I received my free copy from Sarah Reck at Faith Words/HachetteBookGroup, for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255