Water From My Heart

In most of our lives, we wonder if the path we began on can ever change. For some of us, we believe that it is simply too late after we have been on that path for too long, especially when you're doing something illegal. For Charles Finn, he knows that if he can keep himself on the path without any connections to family, or any type of involvement in any relationship, it will benefit not only himself but those around him. It is also a very lonely lifestyle to live when you realize in looking back, you have absolutely nothing to show for it except money. Those that flock to that are often only looking out for their own best interests and will only hang out until the money dries up.

For Charles, he knew that he was always great with numbers especially after graduating from Harvard with an MBA in Finance. But he was only interested in what he could get out of life and nothing more. From learning how to win at cards, he took advantage of those who were not as educated as he was in both life and learning. He soon gained the attention of Marshall Pickering, not with his business mind, that would come later, but it was his interest or apparent lack of interest he showed in Amanda, his daughter. While most tried hard to gain Marshalls attention through dating Amanda, Charles knew how to play the man better than he thought and soon gained both, a place in Marshall's business world and the option to date Amanda, even though he kept that on a casual basis.

But working with Marshall soon gave Charles insight into a corrupt business world that would forever change the path he would remain on. As long as he didn't get caught using his valuable life skills he made both Marshall and himself a lot of money running drugs to Central America and gaining the financial acquisition of a coffee company that cornered the market on organic great tasting coffee that went beyond anything the world had ever tasted. It would be that obsession in doing whatever was needed to take over that company that would come back to haunt Charles in his immediate future. Is there a way for a man to gain redemption and acceptance or is he forever doomed to a life of immeasurable consequences?

I received Water From My Heart by Charles Martin compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions found here are strictly my own. What I loved more about this novel wasn't so much the story that surfaced from true life events but the author's own self discovery of who God was in the process of researching this novel and how he couldn't deny the existence of God any more. I think for readers that is such an important moment that is shared when after reading this, you discover how it all came to be. That is how God-moments occur on a personal one on one basis, and God meets you in a very personal way that you are forever touched and can never go back. This novel alternates between current time frames and Charles past so you can see how they all converge to where he finds himself trying to come to terms with who he is and trying to find a way to change for the better by those wonderful people he meets along his journey. I rate this one 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Water From My Heart, Charles Martin or where you can preorder a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Water From My Heart by Charles Martin

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To read more reviews on Water From My Heart, please visit Center Street Publishing's website. 

A Life Intercepted

Well all hope that when we walk this path called life, that adversity will somehow overlook us, that it will happen to the "other" guy and not us. We'd prefer it that way but so often it does happen to us and begs us to ask the question, now that this has happened, how will we manage? Will it change the course of our lives so much that we don't move forward, that we forget how to live without that title, that salary, that marriage, that family any longer. What truly defines who we are inside? Certainly not our circumstances as one man is about to find out.

In the latest novel from Charles Martin, A Life Intercepted, takes us through the struggle and adversity of what happens to the rising football star Matthew "the Rocket" Rising. He was the greatest thing to ever happen to Gardi, Georgia. From his high school career as quarterback it was as perfectly scripted as you would hope a life as a quarterback would be. The back to back wins throughout his years in high school, back to back wins subsequently in college, and the hope of a future with his wife and high school sweetheart Audrey. He was much different than all the other football heroes because he refused to take any personal credit for the teams wins, instead emphasizing that it takes an entire team and not just one man.

That was what set him apart from everyone else. He had his heart and mind in the right places and not just on his skills as a football player. Even his wife supported his game from the humble beginnings to the cusp of success. But just before he got to the top of his future game, just when it looks like all his dreams would come true, the lights would be turned out and his life would take a turn he never saw coming and all those who truly believed in Matt's character would begin to doubt they ever knew him at all. Now the only thing facing him would be 12 years behind bars at prison for a crime he didn't remember committing and one that would change how the world would forever label him including his wife Audrey. This is Matthew's story of what happened and how he would attempt the come back of his life.

I received A Life Intercepted by Charles Martin compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest opinion. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions in this review are strictly my own. I've been a huge fan of Charles Martin's novels because they truly cut to the core of who we are as humans and this is no exception as he begins to strip away Matthew Rising from his humble beginnings to his pinnacle of success. What dedication he has to encourage and motivate his fellow teammates and to showcase the true unconditional love he has for his wife Audrey. I couldn't imagine how painful this was for her and even his close friends. This is a fictional novel but based on the Author's Notes at the end, shows the true inspiration of this idea for the novel. It truly shows the power of forgiveness and creates an inspiration for those areas in our own life where we might need to exercise forgiveness and just what it really means for us. For fans of football fiction with a side of romance thrown in for good measure or if you are just a fan of Charles Martins' novels, definitely pick this one up. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Charles Martin, A Life Intercepted, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Life Intercepted by Charles Martin

You can find Charles Martin on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

For more reviews on A Life Intercepted, please visit Center Street Publishing's website. 

Unwritten

"I wanted to get out of there before someone found us. Accused us. Steady sat unfazed. Unmoving. She curled into a fetal position in his lap while he whispered in the air above her.

The circular burn around her neck was not going away any time soon. A tattoo sans ink. As were the burns on my hands. I made my way to the kitchen sink, ran cold water over the raw meat in my palms, and then handed a wet towel to Steady. He dabbed her neck. Soothing her skin.

She lay there, sobbing. Shaking uncontrollably. What I saw was not the women who lit the silver screen, walked the red carpet, graced the cover of Vogue, People, or name your tabloid, but a broken human being at the bottom. I slid down the wall, and sat quietly, deciding something I'd long since suspected but never known for sure. Man, or woman, is not made to be worshipped. We are not physically cut out for it. Life in the spotlight, on the pedestal, at the top of the world was a lonely, singular, desolate, soul-killing place." (pg 42).

To say that Katie Quinn was on top of the world, would be an understatement. She could have anything she ever dreamed and nothing was out of her reach. Being the highest paid female in Hollywood, she could command an 8 figure salary on anything she signed her name to and others got paid to make sure that happened. But money doesn't buy you happiness no matter how much you have and that is something Katie has discovered as she realizes this isn't the life she ever dreamed it would be. Most don't, until they live it and after awhile, desperately wish things were different.

Thankfully for her, Steady, her priest, realized that she was going to attempt suicide that afternoon when she went to confession leaving all her worldly possessions and power of attorney of her estate to him. Now he just needed to find a way to reach the person she was outside of Hollywood's leading roles and find a way to heal the pain so deep inside her that the only way to relieve that pain would be to take a gracefully bow off her penthouse in Miami. But God has other plans in store for Katie and it will begin by first choosing one of three doors set before her. Once she chooses, she can never go back. He just hopes she will choose the right one.

I received Unwritten by Charles Martin compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own, except where otherwise noted. Charles Martin is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. In fact, just seeing his name on any book will guarantee I will read it. There are that great! Think Nicholas Sparks, Dan Walsh, Andy Andrews and you have an idea of the type of novel that will completely captivate you and transport you to a time and place of the characters you will discover there. This is the story of how broken people can find healing again, if, they are willing to search for it. It lies within us all and I think there is a part of us that can relate to Katie or Sunday, the man who offers to walk by her side for the journey. What you will discover in the end, is something so remarkable you have to pick up a copy of Unwritten and read it for yourself. There are second chances and fresh starts waiting just inside! I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars! Unforgettable!!!

For more information about Unwritten, Charles Martin, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Unwritten by Charles Martin

You can find Charles Martin on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Unwritten, please visit Center Street Publishing's website. 

Thunder and Rain

If you have ever wanted to pick up and book and have it completely capture your attention until you find yourself turning pages faster and faster because the story is that intense you want to know how it will end, then pick up Charles Martin's latest novel, Thunder and Rain. This is the perfect summer read for those of you that love a contemporary suspenseful love story of a Texas Ranger and a single mother and her daughter looking to find a way to start a new life. The only problem is the ex-boyfriend/SWAT officer that will stop at nothing to find them.

The conflict in this story is two-fold, with the first dealing with the pending divorce of Texas Ranger, Tyler Steele and his estranged wife Andie. Caught in the middle is Brodie, their only son, who only wishes for his family to work things out and be happy again. Yet Tyler hasn't been completely honest with the reasons why he can no longer be married to Andie and subsequently looks for a way to tell him that he is divorcing his mother. While trying to find answers of his own, he manages a cattle ranch with Brodie and an ex-con who goes by the name of Dumps. He takes care of Brodie and the ranch when Tyler is called out of town to work on a case.

Tyler is now facing the same challenge his father before him had, which is finally realizing that his job has become the most important thing in his life while his family is slowly eroding away. When he attempts to find retirement as the answer, he runs literally into a single mother, Sam and her ten-year-old daughter Hope in the fog on a highway one night. Seeing her in dire straights with a run-down car that is on it's last leg, Tyler tries to help them get to safety at the local truck stop for gas and some food.

Once they arrive, he finds out more than he ever wanted to know when Sam's abusive ex-boyfriend locates them and attempts to abduct them in his van. But Tyler being a Ranger knows that he can't turn his back when he knows he can help and that is protecting the innocent. Now he attempts to help them as much as he can and put a stop to why this man insists on hunting down Sam and Hope, but now, Tyler is his next intended target. Will Tyler's future end up just like his father's or will he be able to let go of his job and focus on what's really important, raising his son Brodie?

I received Thunder and Rain compliments of Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review and LOVED it. I was immediately drawn into the hero of the story and the details of Tyler's life and his past. The love his shares for his job and the responsibilities creates a likeable characteristic of what makes a true hero, one who will do whatever it takes to defend the innocent, no matter what the cost. There are memorable supporting characters you meet along the way that help balance Tyler's hard exterior and make you want to meet them in real life. For me, this book hooked me from the beginning and kept me up until I finished the final page. For those of you looking for a great crime mystery with a romantic twist, then you'll definitely want to pick this one up. The action is intense but with so much tenderness woven in between! In my opinion, this one is a 5 out of 5 stars and has found a permanent place on my personal library. Now I want to pick up more novels by this amazing author.

For more information about Thunder and Rain, Charles Martin or where to pick up a copy of this amazing book today, please click on the link below:

Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin