The Remnant

According to the Bible, we know that in the future Christians and believers in Christ will face the ultimate persecution. To deny Him means you will live, but to acknowledge Him means the world will put you to death. However in the science fiction futuristic novel The Remnant by William Michael Davidson, the world is a vastly different place. The world has always known that most wars were based on religion and thus the need to find a way to reprogram the human brain so that the need for religion and belief in God is no longer an issue. So the governments of the world developed something known only as a super flu the destroys what they believe to be the genes that they have determined to be the biological source of spiritual experiences to rid the world of this type of terror threat.

Each person on the earth is implanted with a device known as a NRNTor Neurological Registry of Neurological Transmissions meaning they can communicate with an individual in a one-way manner by the CTC or Center for Theological Control and locate and track them as well like a built-in GPS. Now they have resolved to seek out individuals who willingly practice any type of faith-like activity like prayer, reading a religious book or even talking about it with others. Those that they extract, they interrogate and then ban them to Catalina Island. Those people are called Abherrants and those that hunt them are known as Extractors and Colton Pierce is the number one man in the CTC.

The government is trying to figure out a way to terminate Abherrants instead of giving them a life of imprisonment, kinda of like the Holocaust back in Germany. It would make those who practice or consider practicing such ideas reconsider if their life is worth losing over a belief in a God that Colton refuses to believe in. Now he struggles with communicating with his own teen son and the loss of his wife while trying to make a name for himself at the CTC for a future position as Chief Officer. He will stop at nothing to ensure that this promotion is his and he will do whatever it takes to look good in the eyes of the CTC. But what happens when the next extraction turns out to be a function his son is attending? Will Colton be willing to lay down his own life for his son?

I received The Remnant by William Michael Davidson compliments of Dancing Lemur Press and MC Book Tours. This is such a great novel and love the idea that the government would attempt to find a way to reprogram the human brain in an attempt to stop the need for faith. A great futuristic novel that is guaranteed to make you think twice about the governments involvement in our own religious freedoms we take for granted far too often! I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. It even looks as if a sequel might be in the works as well!

For more information about The Remant, William Michael Davidson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Remnant by Willliam Michael Davidson

You can find William Michael Davidson on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

To read more reviews on the Remnant, please visit MC Book Tours website. 

Invitation

Harbinger: (noun). A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another; a forerunner of something.

A crazy school in Southern California with a well that reaches to the spiritual world; a house that haunts instead of being haunted; birds and other animals dying with their eyes missing; a young deserted girl who can appear and disappear at will. These are the harbingers in cycle one of the Harbingers Series of novels by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky. Think of it like a Christian version of the Twilight Zone and each author takes their turn at one of four characters from their perspective and spins their own unique spin on this unusual pairing of people in episode after episode.

Bill Myers tells the story from Brenda's perspective, a street hustling tattoo artist who sees images of the future. Frank Peretti writes as the professor, the atheist ex-priest ruled by logic, Angela Hunt writes as Andi, the professor's brilliant but geeky assistant who sees inexplicable patterns and Alton Gansky writes as Tank, the naive, big-hearted jock with a surprising connection to a healing power. The Call from Bill Myers sets the stage, followed by Frank Peretti's The Haunted, Angela Hunt's The Sentinels and Alton Gansky's The Girl. These are all coupled in one book known as the Invitation even though you could pick these up one at a time, I was completely glued to each of them.

Each novella offers a bit of the unusual supernatural as only these masters of Christian speculative fiction can weave. These team of rag-tag individuals have been pulled together for some reason yet unknown. Is it a calling on their lives from God or something more sinister and dark. I've been a huge literary fan of each of these authors in their own right and love the collaboration to put something together that I would LOVE to see on a television series. Nothing is ever solved but in each, the characters are tasked to perform each of their unique gifts along with a young boy named Daniel they meet in The Haunted. I don't want to give too much away, but if you love the creepy, suspenseful, dark and supernatural, you will WANT to pick this one up. Readers even get a sneak peek at The Revealing, the 5th installment in the series. I received Invitation by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley. This collection is due out in April of 2017 and trust me, you WILL want them all. For me, this was an easy 5 out of 5 stars and held me on the edge of my seat by these talented and gifted authors. Now I am off to find the rest of the series!

For more information about Invitation, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky, or where you can pre-order the first four installments of the Harbingers Series in one, please click on the links below:

Invitation by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky

You can find Bill Myers on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

You can find Frank Peretti on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

You can find Angela Hunt on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can find Alton Gansky on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Invitation, please visit Bethany House Publishers website. 

Some Small Magic

"Keep your eye on things that matter and don't, and learn to know the difference. Most people die every day in some way or another. It's the good ones who only die once."

If you have never read a novel from Billy Coffey, you might just be missing out on one of the most articulate southern gentlemen's artistry with words. You might even call him a true wordsmith, but that down-home humility of Mr. Coffey's is likely to make you think he doesn't recognize his own God-given gift to weave such belivability into these stories, you might forget your reading a fictional novel.

In Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey, he takes readers back to the small-town charm of Mattingly, Virginia and into the heart of a broken young boy named Abel Shifflett, who has found himself at the hands of the school principal once again on the final day of school for getting even with Chris Jones, his nemesis and school bully by feeding him what looked to be a chocolate bar, but was in fact a large dose of laxative. This would put Chris Jones as the butt of jokes to come from here on out, but one that requires that his busy momma Lisa to leave work at the diner to come fetch Abel.

Abel is considered broken by many due to a medical condition that renders his bones to be soft and subject to breakage at the slightest fall or bump. He's gotten used to it, the way people want to ignore him instead of befriending him, and that is why his only friend is a young man called Dumb Willie. He wasn't born dumb, more like his parents beat him senseless and now they are stuck dealing with him. Yet Abel and Willie share something that transcends what most don't see and that is their genuine friendship for one another, the kind that would have either of them laying down their life for the other. But now, threat comes to Abel this summer, as Chris vows to get even with him, and that is a threat that Abel has to take serious. If he were to get into a fight with Chris, who knows how badly he might be in the hospital or even worse.

When a traveling miracle man heads to Mattingly, the principal recommends that Lisa and Abel might want to see him. Miracles are promised to those the man touches and it might just be what they both need to rise above all the slights from people based on their current status in town, barely making ends meet and of course Abel being born to an unwed mother in a small town is just the kind for rumors to circulate. One thing is certain, that night will forever change the lives of every single person in town, might be for the better or might be for the worse. Just depends on whose side you might be on!

I received Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey compliments of Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. The best thing about any of Billy's novels is that you don't know what you are getting yourself into, only that is will be a remarkable and amazing ride. For me, this one was a bit of blend between Meet Joe Black and What Dreams May Come. You might not know how it plays out in the end, but you know you are forever changed somehow by this journey into the unknown. There are so many exceptional quotes from this book, I don't wonder if I have most of the book highlighted over what isn't. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars. "Doesn't everything and all hold its own small magic, waiting to be revealed to one who merely bends close enough to behold it?"

For more information about Some Small Magic, Billy Coffey or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook, to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Some Small Magic, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Seekers

One of the things that have always impressed me about the Amish is that they keep basic home-making skills alive. Things like sewing, gardening, and cooking is such a vital part of their lives, it would be odd if it were missing in lieu of things like eating out instead of taking your food from garden to table and often wonder how amazing that food tastes when no preservatives are added. If you have ever wanted to cook like the Amish, you can find plenty of Amish cookbooks out there, but what if you could read a great novel about the friendships that form among various people who come together drawn initially by their love of wanting to know how to cook?

In The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter, that is just what happens when Heidi Troyer realizes that she has quite a bit of time on her hands and learning from her friends that they have benefited from creating classes to teach others what they excel at, and for Heidi that is cooking! She has always dreamed of starting a family of her own, but at this time, it seems that will never happen. So now she imagines a small group coming together where she can teach them how to prepare some of the Amish beloved dishes.

She managed to incorporate her friends who burn more than they can successfully cook like Loretta Donnelly, who is a recent widow and mother of two very busy young children, who would love to utilize this class to help her prepare better meals for her family but also give her a much needed break from being a mom. Charlene Higgins is the most desperate of the group as it seems she can't do anything right. She needs to be able to at least cook seeing as a wedding to her Amish boyfriend Len is in her future and her future in-laws aren't the slightest bit impressed with anything she does, finding fault in everything. Eli Miller is tired of cold cereal and hard boiled eggs, now that his wife has died in an accident, a cooking class might be what he needs to get out of his slump and at least put a decent meal on the table for himself. Kendra Perkins needs this class since being tossed out of her Amish house when she became pregnant unexpectedly. This might help her find a true purpose in her life for now.

Ron Hensley needed to find a place to fit in and the Troyers seems just the place. Since they are a small family with no children and plenty of space on their farm, he anticipates they are just the right people to garner sympathy for a man living out of his RV that needs a place to park it while he tries to fix it. Only it is all a ploy so he can find the time to scope out their home and find just the right things they won't miss to sell at the local auction. Joining a cooking class might just be the edge he needs to get that kind of invitation. But will they be cooking up something else that he didn't expect?

I received The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. For me, the best part of this novel is the mouth-watering recipes that Heidi provides for each of her classes and ones you will find at the conclusion of this book as well as some great discussion questions perfect for book clubs. I love how this group of people come together to learn to cook and come away with so much more. For some, they will find the perfect friends, others will see that their perceptions of others aren't quite what they imagined and for others a dream come true. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and this is the first novel in the Amish Cooking Class series.

For more information about The Seekers, Wanda E. Brustetter or where you can preorder a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Seekers by Wanda E. Brunstetter

You can find Wanda E. Brustetter on Facebook to stay up to date on his latest novels

To read more reviews on The Seekers, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

A Note Yet Unsung

It is hard not to pass up any novel by Tamera Alexander and if you never have read one you might just want to pick them up. Not only do you get an exceptional novel, but also a bit of a history lesson as well. In her latest novel in the Belmont Mansion series, A Note Yet Unsung takes readers into the heart of a passion of Rebekah Carrington who has spent the last few years in Vienna pursuing her love of music under one of the great conductors there. She was sent there by her grandmother because for women in the United States, society isn't ready to accept a woman's role in any seat in an orchestra even in private performances. They simply believe they don't have the discipline necessary to be good enough, and while Rebekah would love to prove them wrong, she is about to face her biggest challenge yet.

Coming home on the news of her grandmother's death, she isn't anticipating seeing her step father Barton anytime soon. She remembers the night that he tried to have his way with her but was stopped by one of the families slaves, Demetrius. She longs for a relationship with her mother, but it seems like she is more concerned with abiding by Barton's wishes over the her own daughters. She just hopes to catch her mother home alone. When she learns that her long lost friend, Demetrius has died, she believes she has been dealt more grief than anyone can handle. She also finds out that all of her grandmother's belongings have been sold or given away by Barton because her mother couldn't handle dealing with it.

Rebekah knows she can't stay under the same roof as Barton, and vows to find a job in the city that might provide room and board, even though she dreams of working with an orchestra one day, this will not be the day. When she finds an ad in the local paper as an assistant to the conductor, Maestro Nathaniel Tate Whitcomb, in the local orchestra house, she believes God might just grant her prayers. But as Rebekah will soon learn, a woman's place is not in a man's world and it will have far-reaching implications.

I received A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley. I absolutely LOVED this final novel in the Belmont Mansion series, and didn't know how difficult it was as a woman to be accepted by society no matter how talented you were to play in a private or public performance. The term one size fits all does not apply when discussing the vast number of styles of music in this time-treasured art form. Hard to believe that society would consider women too delicate natured for the rigors of practice and dedication required to master a musical instrument in the 19th century considering how they insisted that women play such instruments as the pianoforte as a form of entertaining guests at a party or ball. I even found myself clicking on various websites to listen to the particular music pieces referred to in this novel as a backdrop while reading the novel. This is by far one my favorite novels that Tamera Alexander has written and worthy of 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about A Note Yet Unsung, Tamera Alexander or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander

You can find Tamera Alexander on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Note Yet Unsung, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website. 

An Uncommon Courtship

If you are a fan of Jane Austen's novels, Downton Abbey or traditional regency romances, then trust me when I recommend the Hawthorne House series of novels by Kristi Ann Hunter. They are must haves if you love the romance only found when dealing with Dukes, Counts, Lords and even the household staff  that work for them. In the third novel in the series, An Uncommon Courtship, conveys what happens when a woman's reputation is put at risk while in the unexpected company of a man without others being present, in this case overnight. When Adelaide Bell, the second daughter of Lord and Lady Crampton, ventures off to hunt for mushrooms, she falls through the floor of an abandoned keep on the property of the Duke of Riverton. She just never expected the Lord Trent will fall through the floor with her. Knowing they were stuck temporarily, and what the implications would be when they were found, Lord Trent did what a noble gentlemen would and proposed marriage to keep her reputation from being ruined.

He just expected that when he proposed to his future wife, he would love her or in this case at least know her. Yet he was willing to trust that God knew his circumstances and would make the best of it. Knowing that he would never be crowned Duke as the younger brother, he was willing to make the best of most situations. He just wasn't quite sure what to do to make a marriage work, when the only thing going for you was that you were attracted to one another and you were married already. Only when things begin to get complicated and the lack of communication between the two falls far short, Lord Trent Hawthorne moves in with his brother the Duke of Riverton to ease the tension in the house. That only makes things worse when Adelaide wonders what she has done to drive him away but since its not a woman's place to speak her mind she resolves to spend her time getting to know the staff and trying to fit in as a Lady despite her mother's constant intervention that she simply isn't good enough as a wife or daughter.

I received An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley. Having read the other novels in the Hawthorne House series, A Noble Masquerade and An Elegant Facade, I think this may have been my favorite. I love how complicated things are at first between Adelaide and Trent knowing that their positions as secondary figures when it comes to titles are what takes some of the tension off. The way they begin to figure things out over time, it what makes readers covet this novel because it is genuine in the way I believe it would play out if it wasn't a fictional novel. I love comedic way that Trent and Adelaide eventually handle her meddlesome mother and family and how Trent's family comes to the aid of Adelaide when she needs to find a way to make it in the world of noble families. Well worth a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about An Uncommon Courtship, Kristi Ann Hunter or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter

You can find Kristi Ann Hunter on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Uncommon Courtship, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website.

The Coming Flood

I have been a true fan of Bible Prophecy since before I knew about Jesus as my personal Savior. I guess you could say that growing up as a Catholic and seeing Thief in the Night pretty much scared me about the event most refer to as the Rapture. Later in my early 20's and discovering a true relationship with Jesus, I left behind my Catholic rituals and embraced a salvation in Jesus I never knew before but compelled me to discover more about Bible prophecy than ever before and with an urgency now with the state of things around the globe drawing us ever near to those End Time events the Bible describes.

From the persecution of Christians to the very turning away of the true church, the Bible is 100% in its foretelling of things that have happened, things that are happening and things that will happen in the future. In the book, The Coming Flood, author Jeremy Wells takes readers into first of all a disclosure that while his interpretation of Revelation and other scriptures referring to the Tribulation period are just his, he offers readers a view at what Post-Tribulation Christians might believe could very well happen. For me, I simply don't agree. I am a firm believer in the rapture event but wanted to see if his viewpoints might convey something I might have missed along the way.

One thing we both agree on is that you can't use other books to interpret what Bible prophecy means, "If you are going to read any book other than the Bible, it is important to recognize the difference between ideas that build upon another person's ideas, and theories that precisely fit what the Bible teaches. I heard someone with a pre-tribulation belief say at a conference, "I can prove anything I want to from the Bible, but that doesn't make it right." I think he was referring to how easy is is to take Scripture out of context and make it fit your ideas. People often do this unintentionally, but an incorrect interpretation of passage of Scripture can lead to incorrect theology regardless of intentionality. The absolute best way to understand the Bible is to read and reread the Bible. The more books you read apart from the Bible, the more you open yourself up to man's fallible ideas. If you have not read the Bible cover to cover at least once, there is absolutely no reason you should be reading this book or any other prophecy book (or any other book about anything for that matter.)" (pg 12). On this we can agree.

I have read my Bible from cover to cover 3 times and now on my fourth and while there are some things we can agree on, I am not convinced by the arguments Jeremy Wells has provided using his understanding of Scripture. I don't believe Jesus didn't know the day or the hour as he referred to when asked about when the end time events would occur, He stated only His Father did, but the seasons would be clear. This means that only the timing of the events of the End Times from what I believe will be found in Revelation 4-22 occurs after the rapture of the church age believers. The exact day or hour would be unknown to all men, but Jesus reminds us that we can recognize the seasons of said events just like we can understand the timing of our own seasons based on what we can see.

We can see stages being set for what I believe will be the Tribulation spoken of dealing with God's wrath upon the unbelieving world who adamantly refuse to acknowledge a belief in Christ and those who remain undecided. With the ongoing threat from terrorist groups like ISIS who use beheadings of Christians to drive home their own power points, these are just the events the Bible speaks of coming in the last days when people won't be concerned at all about these things like they did in the past. The church and world growing apathetic even when it comes to issues dealing with human rights violations, racial wars and the ever growing threat among the world against Jesus Christ. While I don't agree with many of the arguments Jeremy Wells uses in his book to convince readers about a coming Christian genocide he refers to as the Coming Flood, and thus the reason that Christians will have to endure what he refers to as Satan's wrath and not God's wrath upon the world, we can simply agree to disagree on certain points.

Some readers might agree with this book, but I remain unconvinced that whenever God uses His judgment upon the world, He always spares a remnant, from Noah to Lot. I remain convinced that the rapture will be  real event and for now the only way we can know for certain is to wait until it happens or doesn't. The one thing we must do is be ready for the coming of Jesus Christ and in order to do that, you must believe in Him for your salvation otherwise your eternal fate is sealed according to the Bible. I received The Coming Flood by Jeremy Wells compliments of LED Ministries and Book Crash. I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars in my opinion just based on the evidence he uses to justify his post-Tribulation of view and how he interprets various Scriptures that even now some of Revelations prophecies have happened and are continuing to occur such as Luke 17:36 which refers to two men in the field and one being taken away, he claims is one taken away to execution and not the rapture event. I disagree. While some readers might agree with his position, again the main point is simply to provide readers with a post-Tribulation viewpoint. I find that if you have to twist Scripture to make it fit the viewpoint, it may not work as God had intended. Doesn't mean its wrong or right, just a difference of opinion. Only time will tell.

For more information about The Coming Flood, Jeremy Wells or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Coming Flood by Jeremy Wells

The Pattern Artist

One of my favorite childhood memories is remembering when my mother would sew us pajamas out of whatever fabric we picked out from the store. Even now many years later, I would LOVE to do that for my own kids, well teens and young adults. I guess that is where my love of quilting has come from and also why I absolutely LOVED the novel, The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser. It such a well-researched novel on pattern artists, those that made the patterns that home sewers like my mom could use to make their own clothes from, so it is wonderful to learn a bit more about those women who took it upon themselves to help.

The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser tells just how one woman's dreams to see a future for herself despite the odds against her based both on society's standards and where she came from. Annie Wood might be considered a perpetual run-away. She ran from her parents when they deemed she wasn't worthy of anything more than where their lot in life fell. However she took it upon herself to work the Kidds, a family of influence as a maid and travel to America with them in hopes of one day becoming a true ladies maid. For now, she was content to travel along as a house maid doing some sewing and alterations for the women in the family. She had hopes that the ladies maids were passing along her contributions to them so that one day her true talents might be used.

However when one of the footman, Mr. Grasston, makes it his intent to press himself upon Annie in unsuitable ways, she knows she must find a way out of the household, even if it means her future dreams must fall by the wayside. In face, she learns that he has made several passes at others in the Kidd household as well, including the one friend she met, Iris and her brother Danny. After learning that Grasston has abused Iris, Annie makes plans for all three to runaway and begin a new start in America knowing that all three possess the drive to not settle for anything less than their own say in their futures, especially when Annie learns that the ladies maids have been passing off her work as their own. If she doesn't strike while the iron is hot, she is doomed to settle for what she has and that isn't good enough right now. Her future now lies in the hands of working for Macy's department store as a sewing clerk using all the skills she has self-taught herself to make a living, but will her past come back to haunt her in ways she could never imagine?

I received The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. The theme in this novel is that Annie soon learns that God is working all around her if she just opens her eyes. God is simply waiting for her to notice Him. At the end of the novel she can look back and see how the ripples of all the bad things she believed has happened to her has been for her good and has lead her to where she finds herself at the end, better than she ever believed. At the conclusion the author provides insights of her own on how she utilized the history of Butterick to determine the way this novel will playout and how working at Macy's would tie in a bit of history about the Staus family, who would subsequently die aboard the ill-fated Titanic in 1912. I absolutely could NOT put this book down until I finished and for me, that is a sign that this one is a 5 out of 5 stars. I only wish it would last so much longer as I found myself completely immersed in the lives of Annie Wood and her friends.

For more information about The Pattern Artist, Nancy Moser or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser

You can find Nancy Moser on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Pattern Artist, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

My Valentine

What are the differences that separate the beliefs of Jews and Christians? Does the Bible warn not to be unequally yoked and if so, does that apply to Jews and Christians? My Valentine by Tracie Peterson is a heartwarming regency romance between Darlene Lewy, raised a Jew her entire life that lives with her father Abraham and Pierce Blackwell, a Christian young man who has recently arrived in New York with his father.

At the height of the season, Pierce comes to Lewy and Company with his father to get some suits made in time for the Valentine's Day ball. In order to expedite things in acquiring what he needs over trying to find suitable attire somewhere else, he is enchanted when he meets with Darlene who is trying to figure out just why her father and Dennison Blackwell are having discussions over the differences in their religious faiths. Darlene is concerned because if Abraham leaves his faith as a Jew, the entire Jewish community will ostracize them and stop doing business with them. It will also impact her future as well in the community, not that someone like the Blackwell would have any romantic interest in her as suitable match. The one thing Darlene didn't expect is that she would be caught overhearing their conversation and find herself trying to explain things to Pierce.

Pierce's Aunt has just the right girl in mind for Pierce from just the right family and when she arranges to have them meet at a Bachelor's auction, the only girl he can't get off his mind is Darlene. Even he knows however that unless she is a Christian, there will never be any hope for anything more than a business relationship between them. But will the changes Darlene sees in her father, cause her to consider that perhaps Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised to come by the Jewish people after all?

I received My Valentine by Tracie Peterson compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley. I absolutely loved seeing the various differences between the Jews and Christians in regards to their religious rituals and how they interpret the Bible. I love how the Blackwells are invited to participate in the Passover meal and how they are so impressed by how the Lewy's remember the blessings of God saving his people during Passover. In addition to this novel, readers are also treated to a bonus book, Little Shoes and Mistletoe by Sally Laity inside. This is the story of Eliza Criswell that moves in with her Aunt Phoebe at Harper House after her fiancè Weston runs off with her best friend. She just doesn't expect to fall for someone who looks identical to him while working for her Aunt! Both books earn an equal 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about My Valentine/Little Shoes and Mistletoe, Tracie Peterson, Sally Laity or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

My Valentine/Little Shoes and Mistletoe by Tracie Peterson and Sally Laity

You can find Tracie Peterson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can find Sally Laity on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on My Valentine/Little Shoes and Mistletoe, please visit Barbour Publishing's website. 

A Violent Light

People talk about world peace all the time. From beauty pageant contestants to world leaders yet it remains the one thing that no one can seem to solve. So when world leaders send ten Muslims and ten Christians youths from all over the globe to a Peace Initiative Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, they might just be able to do what one one has done before. Without their input, the next generation might just be one of a divided world separated not only by racial differences but also religious ones as well. If these twenty youths can figure out what their leaders can't perhaps there is hope for the future.

Yet something goes entirely wrong when they are kidnapped without their knowledge still believing that they are participating in the peace conference, under some horrific conditions. First they are all locked together, male and female in the same room without any of their personal belongings in absolute darkness until one by one, they all awakened from their drugged out stupor to discover they have no way out and no idea what is going on. Until a group of men arrive and begin to describe that they will be put into teams of two and given particular assignments to accomplish before the end of their shifts.

Each member of the group begin to discuss that this might be a way to force people of different cultural backgrounds and religions to learn what tears them apart instead of resolving to discover peace which is what they all agreed to do. So one by one, they discover something unique about one another, what sets them apart, what makes them different and how they can compromise to ensure they all work together as one instead of letting the fear of the unknown drive them apart. It seems like a perfect plan until one by one they leave the room only to never return again, with stories about where they have gone. Is this a social experiment gone wrong or is this something more sinister? One thing is for certain, people everywhere are watching.

I received A Violent Light by Jim Baton compliments of the author and Create Space Independent Publishing. This truly gives the reader an idea into what causes division among us, from the people in our same families to same cities and countries. The one underlying theme is that we can appreciate those differences in one another without letting them come between us and cause a division that can never be unified again. We see this happening all across not only America, but across the globe where religious, racial and political issues divide more than unify us into the one thing we all have in common and that is being a human with like-minded needs like love. This was not something I had expected to find upon reading this novel which is the third in the Peace Trilogy series and thus give it a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about A Violent Light, Jim Baton or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Violent Light by Jim Baton

You can find Jim Baton on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

You can find this novel available for purchase in paperback or eBook format at Amazon or other retailers. 

Closing the Book on Santa Claus

Looking for a great book of Christmas short stories? Than look no further than Closing the Book on Santa Claus by Ron Chandler. It contains 9 short stories with the Christmas theme at the center, ranging on various issues like what happens when a public school threatens to remove all holiday decorations because it fails to adhere to school curriculum to what happens when a young girls makes some holiday cards to ailing veterans and the hospital threatens to have the woman face disciplinary action for allowing her daughter to pass them out.

These short stories tell the evolving controversy over celebrating religious holidays during the winter months and how those who are completely against them try to use existing laws on the books to prevent them from occurring on public property. These are the very basis behind some ongoing issues you see every Christmas when a particular group threatens these holidays in lieu of something more generic without the religious undertones. I think the author does an extraordinary job at showcasing just how ridiculous some of these issues are, when America was founded on religious freedoms.

It takes these matters to the heart at what makes these celebrations so special and why they need to remain a part of celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. There is something to be said for the diversity these celebrations can bring to those that find them an important way to celebrate during the winter months and how we can all learn something from the differences in the celebration. It is what has made America the great melting pot, is understanding the differences even though you, personally, may not celebrate them. I received Closing the Book on Santa Claus by Ron Chandler compliments of the author and Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. This deserves a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion and look forward to keeping this as part of my Christmas library collection.

For more information about Closing the Book on Santa Claus, Ron Chandler or where you can pick up a copy of this book, available in print or eBook formats, please click on the links below:

Closing the Book on Santa Claus by Ron Chandler

Home At Last

You can't seem to go anywhere where race is not an issue. From our latest president to the news reports, race is an issue where is simply shouldn't be. All it is is a matter of skin tone and that is all. Yet in this final novel in the Chicory Inn series by Deborah Raney, the lone wolf of the Whitman family, Link finds love where he might least expect it. Tucked quietly away in the Coffee's On Bakery, Link is attracted to Shayla Michaels. I guess one could say it was love at first sight, but as most romance stories go, theirs will not be one that goes smoothly.

Shayla has a lot of things she would rather keep buried, secrets from her past that have earmarked her for a different future than one she might have imagined long ago. Since her parents married years ago, her mother, a white women of some affluence married Mike, a black man and with it came a separation between the families. Shayla's mother's family refused to acknowledge the relationship and left her and Mike to struggle and find a way to make it in the world. Even when a terminal cancer diagnosis was revealed, her parents still refused to budge. After watching her mother suffer needlessly in that regards, Shayla believes that the colors should not mix despite how one might feel differently. Of course, growing up under those stereotypes is bound to make one a bit hardened to it all.

That is why Link is determined to show her that love can transcend any barriers including race, and he is willing to overlook everything that Shayla tosses his way to discourage any attempts at a future for them both. She even has a younger niece, Portia, a wonderfully articulate and precocious five-year-old, that will undoubtedly be one she must care for the rest of her life while her father, Shayla's brother remains locked up in prison. But can love be that easy to accept when one has had to deal with these issues her entire life or will love be the one thing that saves them all and provides a way to change the world or just their part in it, one step at a time?

I received Home At Last by Deborah Raney compliments of Net Galley and Abingdon Press. This novel gives you an idea of what it is like dealing with all the stereotypes people of color must deal with without having the ability to change things or walk away from it. I love that Deborah Raney took this risk in making this a part of the Whitman story and conveys to us all that love really is the best gift of all. There are discussion questions that conclude the novel that makes for a great book club find and for me, this one was worth 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion. I love that you don't even realize that Shayla is a different color until you are well into the story and that is what love is all about, it never takes that into consideration when it unites people together.

For more information about Home At Last, Deborah Raney or where you can preorder a copy of this book today that is due out in February of 2017, please click on the links below:

Home at Last by Deborah Raney

You can find Deborah Raney on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can read more reviews on Home At Last by visiting Abingdon Press' website. 

The One Year Impact For Living Men's Devotional

I've been a fan of devotionals as part of my morning Bible Study and time spent studying the Word of God every day. I often felt that finding something that my husband could enjoy as well was lacking especially when I went searching for something for the perfect Christmas gift. Something that might encourage and challenge him to grow more stronger spiritually as well as something that deals with the aspects of being a man, husband, father and more when it came to devotionals.

Then I discovered The One Year Impact For Living Men's Devotional by Scott and Nathan Whitaker. It appeals to a man's sense of obligation as the leader of their own ministry opportunities whether in the home or the workplace. It was something that I felt encouraged him to not only become more aware of the power available to any man found in God's Word but how he could apply that in all aspects of his life. This devotional is laid out like you would imagine most devotionals would be, 365 individual lessons begin with a Scripture from the Bible and then how it might apply to the life of the one reading it. We even enjoyed reading it together through the month of December and what makes is wonderful is that you can begin at any point, as it is not geared to any particular year. For busy men, that makes this an added plus. It's like a having a spiritual mentor by your side to provide just the encouragement you need.

At the conclusion of each daily devotional is a impact application which might be a call to action, a way to begin to implement that particular lesson into the day or how to incorporate it into the daily lives of the men who read it. To help to encourage them to build up and strengthen those around them in their homes, jobs and ministries. I received The One Year Impact For Living Men's Devotional by Scott and Nathan Whitaker compliments of Tyndale Publishers and think this is a must have for any man in your life. I am so glad that this is something my husband and I can enjoy incorporating in our own morning devotionals and in the leadership opportunities he has in his own life. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The One Year Impact For Living Men's Devotional, Scott and Nathan Whitaker or where you can pick up a copy of this devotional today, please click on the links below:

The One Year Impact For Living Men's Devotional by Scott and Nathan Whitaker

You can find Nathan Whitaker on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest projects.

For more reviews on The One Year Impact for Living Men's Devotional, please visit Tyndale House Publisher's website. 

The Bookshop on the Corner

What would you do if the very job you loved doing were suddenly eliminated? Add into that the possibility that any future openings in the line of work was slim at best and you are one of a hundreds applying for one of two openings? How would you decide what direction you would pursue knowing you had bills to pay, not to mention rent to your roommate? Would you simply walk away from the life you knew to pursue a dream you've always had, despite how ridiculous it sounds to everyone else?

That is just the questions running nilly-willy through Nina Redmond's head when her job at the local library in England is eliminated in an effort to downsize and reduce costs. Now all the other employees are also in the same boat and there is only two positions available for more than a couple hundred people applying and on top of that they are looking for someone young who can multi-task and deal in a variety of tasks in this new multi-functional job position. While Nina definitely has the passion and true love of everything to do with books, she doesn't believe this is the job for her. She envisions a job where she matches the perfect book with a reader and running her own business. But just what can someone do to make that happen. If she doesn't figure something out soon, her roommate, Surinder is about to kick her out of the building they share due to the overstock of books she has recently acquired over her time living there.

So she does what any good natured book lover does, she answers an ad for a old van she hopes to renovate into a mobile bookstore and take it around England in hopes of creating her dream job. Only problem is that the van is located in Scotland and despite all her best intentions, she can obtain any of the permits necessary in England to make this happen. So she packs up what she can in her small car and heads to Scotland to start over again despite all the best intentions of her friends well meaning advice.

I received The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. Being a huge book lover, I was immediately drawn to this book as I could envision doing this myself in some degrees. I love Nina's adventurous spirit to leave it all behind and begin a new future for her in Scotland. The authors insight and descriptions of a small farming town is just perfect for a virtual escape and I love how Nina can pick out just the right book for any reader or non readers in some cases. Any book lover will appreciate this book and I believe it garners a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion. This is my first time reading any of Jenny Colgan's novels but will be checking out the others she gives readers a sneak peek at in the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about The Bookshop on the Corner, Jenny Colgan or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

You can find Jenny Colgan on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

For more reviews on The Bookshop on the Corner, please visit William Morrow's website. 

The Perfect Girl

Sometimes no matter how good we want a book to be, often times it leaves us feeling a bit disappointed and that is about how I can wrap up The Perfect Girl by Filly Macmillan. Touted as comparable to suspense thrillers like The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, this one unfortunately for me, failed to deliver on its expectations.

It is a murder suspense that takes place over a short duration and often times between the switching of character views, the reader has a tendency to become a bit disconnected trying to stay on top of who is who and how are they involved as the novel unfolds. Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year0old music prodigy with a genius IQ who was involved in a tragic accident that left her as the sole survivor. Her mother in trying to begin a new life for them, tries to keep this a hidden secret, which we all can presume, doesn't stay one. At Zoe's piano recital with her step brother, her secret is revealed and along with that her mother, Maria is dead by the end of the evening.

The book toggles back and forth in Zoe and Maria's past so the reader has an idea of where it all begins to come together from when the novel opens to how it all gets resolved in the end. It was definitely NOT what I had expected and was hoping for a bit more than this one delivered. I guess for me, I want to mystery to unfold a bit more and not be so apparent in uncovering what has happened. It might work for other readers but in my opinion, just not what one would expect in comparing it to other novels. I received The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers and would give this one a 3 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Perfect Girl, Gilly Macmillan or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

You can find Gilly Macmillan on Facebook to stay up to date on her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Perfect Girl, please visit William Morrow's website.