Beside Still Waters

Loss might just be the hardest challenge in life we must overcome when we face it. It might be loss of life, a job, an unfulfilled expectation, an unanswered prayer or just a sense of lost direction of where we should head next. In Beside Still Waters by AnnaLee Conti, the third novel in the Alaskan Water Series, Violet Channing has had her fill of these losses. Giving up her dream to become a schoolteacher leaving her one year short of being a certified to care for her last remaining family member, she knows first hand how to handle the loss of both of her parents, her uncle and sadly within a couple of months her aunt. She is now left all alone. No family to speak of, and only a few pieces of her former life she can take with her, she knows she can't stomach going back to work in the garment factory. She responds to an ad in the paper for a teaching position of a young ailing child in the Alaskan wilderness.

She is more than thrilled and a bit apprehensive when she gets a letter notifying her to come to an interview with the grandmother who is attempting to fill the position. Jennie has lost her mother and now is faced with a heart condition that keeps her confined to bed and without the ability to attend school. It is the perfect job and a chance to leave all her losses behind her and instead head west from Boston to Alaska. She makes a wonderful impression on Mrs. Henderson who believes Violet is just what her granddaughter needs and offers to full fund her expenses to travel and also to prepare for the wildness life she is about to face. Brutally cold winters and a lot of uncertainty. Now it will take her a couple of weeks to travel first by train, then by steamship and then train again to get to Whitehorse Alaska. She meets an unlikely prospect in John Barston, a steamship captain bound for Whitehorse to prepare his own ship for travel after the winter storage and gives Violet an informative tour along the way.

They both learn a lot about not only the river they travel upon but also the railroad line which John is employed with as well. They seem to be well-suited for one another, but Violet soon realizes that she can't get involved with a man who will be working aboard a steamship while she remains employed as the Henderson teacher and caregiver. She has put her faith on the back burner due to the many losses she has had to face along the way, and wonders how God could be so cruel to leave her alone for so long and now with no family to speak of. It will be a true test of her faith if she can find it again and perhaps in the process will learn why she has had to face such adversities in someone so young. Then again perhaps God has never left and instead has been guiding her all the way.

I received Beside Still Waters by AnnaLee Conti compliments of Ambassador International Publishers. This is such an exceptional novel because it is richly filled with so much historical information from the gold miners who sought their own future in the Alaskan wilderness and how the railroad lines were laid at the cost of so many lives. Simply picking up the pieces of the life she has left, it shows great courage to reach out for an unknown future like Violet does. Some might frown on how quickly she finds love, but in reality, during those rough times, people didn't take long periods to court when the adverse conditions didn't allow for it. Sometimes you simply know the right person for you is the first person you meet along the path God has created for your future. I easily give this a 5 out of 5 stars and find myself desperately wanting to read the first two novels in this series!

For more information about Beside Still Waters, AnnaLee Conti or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Beside Still Waters by AnnaLee Conti

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To read more reviews on Beside Still Waters, please visit Ambassador International Publisher's website. 

Blink

I don't think there isn't anyone who doesn't know what the Rapture is? From Hollywood movies, to books, everyone has heard of it, but what remains to be seen is who believes it is a real event? In the novel, Blink by S.A. Jewell, it opens with the event known as the Rapture from the Bible. In less than a blink of an eye, millions from everywhere simply vanish leaving no traces behind that they were even there. Most of the disappearances have happened in the United States with relatively little coming from the Middle East or China. Now the world has to answer the one question lingering in everyone's mind, "Where did everyone go? Will it happen again?"

As the world begins its downward spiral into chaos, and while the economies all over the globe try to struggle with the implications of millions simply vanishing into thin air, there are a remnant that know precisely what has happened and why they have been left behind. Now they will be the target in the years ahead that usher in the seven years of tribulation or wrath of God on an unbelieving world that despite all these global catastrophes, refuse to acknowledge Him and instead reject Him even further. Just as the Bible predicts in countless books from Revelation, to Daniel to Ezekiel and even the New Testaments, time is running out for a world looking for answers.

Marcus Junius, a charismatic leader from Italy soon realizes how he can profit from what is happening around the globe, since the vanishings have not impacted the European Union as much and realizes that the leader who can control chaos and bring about prosperity and peace when the world is out of control, will be the one that they will look to for answers. Little by little he capitalizes on the situation and soon finds himself forming a Federation that promises peace, security and prosperity for the nations that join. He even manages to pull off the impossible when he gets Israel to sign a peace treaty for at least the next seven years to ensure that no one wipes this nation off the face of the earth. But is it really all that people expect or is there something even more sinister about to be unleashed on the world?

I received Blink by S.A. Jewell compliments of Ambassador International Publishers. Since I have been a fan of Bible Prophecy and Eschatology, I LOVED this novels perspective on the events prophesied to take place in the future. I would have liked to have seen this one broken into a series of books since the story line is so consolidated to wrap seven years into one novel. The perspective and subsequent passages from the Bible are wonderful and hopefully will lead the reader to do their own research to see what the Bible has to say. I would easily give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars and only wish the novel was more in depth instead of so consolidated in the events that happen during the Tribulation period.

For more information about Blink, S.A. Jewell or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Blink by S.A. Jewell

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To read more reviews on Blink, please visit Ambassador International Publisher's website. 

No Turning Back

Before we all became believers we all made mistakes in which we needed to find God in order to gain an understanding of who He is and about the forgiveness of sin. When we struggle in the darkness, it is hard for us to see what believers see so clearly. The hallmarks of a sin-filled life. They watch us struggle to come to terms with our sin, our anger, our pain and hurts before we find such a freedom and release in learning to hand all that over to God and find redemption and forgiveness in its place. Such is the case for Katy Thannen, an Austrian born sixteen-year-old who is struggling with just that very issue. While she has some basis for a faith in God, she becomes resentful when others point out what God is doing in their lives and how it can help her as well.

Growing up for Katy hasn't been easy. Her mother has worked hard to give Katy what she can, offering her schooling in a local convent but soon Katy realizes the value of hard work and obtains a job working for a wealthy family as a maid. There she finds herself the center of attention from the son of a wealthy Austrian bureaucrat, Alex Meissen, who sees nothing wrong with falling in love with Katy. That is, until he confesses his intentions and feelings to his parents which are met with less than expected results. They send Alex off to the small town Egg to gain a better understanding of the business world and in the hopes, he'll give up marrying Katy.

But like all great love stories, love is the greatest thing in life, and no matter the distance, Katy and Alex defy all the odds when they make a plan to leave Austria and head to America to leave their families behind. However since they remain distanced, Alex provides Katy the money and directions to meet him at the dock to board a ship bond for America, but they never find one another. Alex's train is derailed and since he can't get a message to Katy, she believes that Alex may have changed his mind and she heads to America without him. Now arriving in New York City alone, Katy realizes that a chance encounter with Alex has left her pregnant. She finds a place to stay with a local convent who helps immigrant women arriving in America find a job and a place to stay but once again Katy meets an unlikely adversary with another immigrant who finds her work in a laundry facility and offers to share rent in flat in town.

Through a series of truly unfortunate events, Katy makes a series of bad decisions which alter how she views Alex and her life in general. When Alex finds comfort in learning more of God's provision, Katy only rebels further away from him. It seems the closer Alex moves to God, the further Katy moves away and soon it will take a miracle of sorts to get Katy to view the circumstances in her life as something that can be redeemed no matter how great she believes they are. It may in fact take her to the brink of death before she can see what has been in front of her all along. But will she see it before it's too late?

I received No Turning Back by Joanne Wilson Meusburger compliments of Ambassador International Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. My first impression upon reading this book was I did not believe it to be a Christian novel at first based on the series of events that happen to both Alex and Katy and the decisions they make. But like all of us, we have all found ourselves like sheep being led astray til we discover the truth about life and how God can redeem and forgive us once we establish that relationship with Him. This is just what happens with Katy and Alex, it's the struggle between unbelievers finding hope and love in the midst of some of the most difficult situations life has to offer. We don't always make the right decisions, but in the end it enables us to be able to use those for the good of others and I think that is precisely the message the author provides in this novel. That nothing is too great to keep us separated from God. I give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about No Turning Back, Joanne Wilson Meusburger or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

No Turning Back by Joanne Wilson Meusburger

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For more information on No Turning Back, visit Ambassador International Publisher's website. 

Blue Dollar

The world's economic system is falling apart and it appears as though nothing can stop it. Many world leader's have tried and failed and now with every single country unable to find a solution, it seems like there is no hope left in the world. Until now.

A secret society of 13 men have come up with the ultimate solution. Where all others have failed, this will succeed. In fact, they just need a few more world leader's to come on board with the plan and then economic recovery will happen in every single country in a matter of only six months. The entire downfall of the Earth will once more revive with new life. The only requirement is that no one can know about the plan until it's implementation. The President of the United States has already agreed to this plan and now there seems to be no one in the way until one man logs into a random computer and the secret is revealed.

Randy Grant, a sixty-year old pastor of a small church in Pasadena was only looking to help his company out with research when he stumbled upon a random email addressed to the President of the United States. The email outlined the plan to revive the world's economy, what countries were involved and where the progress was at this point. The email was from Task Force Blue Dollar. Randy had just enough time to print the email and now he is unsure what to do with the information that could possibly be ushering in a New World Order and the beginning of End Times Bible Prophecy as he knows it. Who can he go to with this information? He doesn't trust the government and things have changed so much in the United States that he knows it's only a matter of time before someone comes looking for him. He knows he will either be sent away somewhere or they will kill him. Just how much of a threat can one man be to the world?

In the novel, Blue Dollar by George E. Rittenhouse, the reader is immersed into what could potentially be our future if the world's economy doesn't stabilize and businesses, banks and commerce go completely bankrupt. This is a chilling reminder of what could potentially happen and even now this entire premise could be in the planning stages. It only seems logical based on today's current events that it would only be a matter of time before someone took on this type of novel and I think George did an exceptional job at making this one believable. I received this novel compliments of Ambassador International for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This one easily rates a 4 out of 5 stars and is a must read for those that love End Times Suspense novels!

For more information about Blue Dollar, George E. Rittenhouse or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the link below:

Blue Dollar by George E. Rittenhouse

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ambassador International (March 4, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1620201364
• ISBN-13: 978-1620201367
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches

Romancing Melody - A Crossing Journey

Melody Podell is about to undergo the biggest test of her faith. Delivering her son, Cole at 35 weeks left him with under developed lungs and had to spend extra time in the hospital until he could breathe on his own. Now that Melody has moved in to the Army Housing at Fort Bragg, North Carolina to be close to her husband David who has left for a four month deployment. Her family lives in California and she feels odd making friends with the other Army wives. She feels she can only call them if there is something major going on in her life and needs help.

When she picks Cole up from daycare, now four months old, she notices that he seems to be catching a slight cold. Since this is her first child, she feels foolish about calling a doctor and doesn't want to be one of those mothers that call their doctor for every little thing. When she runs into Sara, a NICU nurse that helped her with Cole before at church, she feels more comfortable asking Sara's opinion of Cole's cold. She assures Melody that since her well baby check up a few days ago was fine and the doctor didn't seem concerned, as long as he doesn't run a fever or loss his appetite, she should watch him for a couple of days. Babies who are teething can share the same symptoms. Feeling assured, Melody monitors him for a couple of days but Cole doesn't want to eat, seems unusually cranky and is running a mild fever.

When she feels she warrants a doctor visit, she is told that all appears normal except for an ear infection but  the doctor's office will take a sample of his fluids from his nose and call her in a couple of days with the results just to be on the safe side. They prescribe antibiotics for Cole and Melody feels more relieved. It's not until the doctor's office calls her back within 24 hours and asks if Melody can get Cole to the Emergency Room as soon as possible, that her entire world will change and the friends she left behind in Crossing, Oregon will soon show her exactly what God can do. Now if only she can get a hold of David in time!

In the novel, Romancing Melody by Carrie Daws, Melody is about to find out just how much a person can take before they will give up their faith in God and what it will take to bring it back. This is a wonderful novel that is packed with a lot in only 150 pages. This is the third book in A Crossing Journey series. Even though it is part of a series, you can still read this one as a stand alone but will want to go back and read about the friends in Crossing, Oregon in the other novels. I received Romancing Melody by Carrie Daws compliments of Emeraldhouse Media and Ambassador International Publishers for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. This novel deals with a sensitive subject of loss in a powerful way and shows how God can romance you back to Him in profound ways. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.


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Romancing Melody by Carrie Daws

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