Forensic Faith

Some people believe that the word apologetics means to apologize for something, but it actually means a way to defend what you believe. Most Christians fail miserably to defend their faith when push comes to shove. They know what they believe but they can't prove or defend it when it comes to someone who wants to know more. How then can we, as parents, provide the means to do just that, when sending our kids off to public schools and colleges only to have our kids unable to communicate effectively the case of faith in Jesus Christ?

The answer is so simple, and I myself found out the hard way when I opened up Forensic Faith, by homicide detective and former atheist, J. Warner Wallace. He found that by using the very same principles he used to re-open cold cases, and applied it to discovering the claims of Christianity, Jesus, the resurrection, God and if the Bible is in fact true. He pointed out something that is missing in churches and youth groups everywhere, that we are spending countless hours, teaching our children about the Bible and Jesus, but failing to train them in defending their faith, so when they leave home, they can be confident in their answers of why they believe what they believe. Just like our military and police don't receive teaching on their jobs or skills, they are trained in every potential situation that might come up in their line of work, that this is the very reason so many are walking away from their faith in Jesus temporarily or often times for good. We are missing the point of what we, as parents, teachers, pastors and others, should be doing in helping our children to be deployed into a world that is growing increasingly hostile towards Christians.

J. Warner Wallace is the author of Cold-Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene, helps readers understand that the very sample principles and techniques he used to re investigate cold cases is the very same techniques he teaches to defend our faith and belief in Jesus. He invites readers to answer 7 simple questions in under 21 minutes to show you where you need to spend more time in training yourself in preparing to defend your faith. These are your areas where you are weak and need to devote some time and training should you need it. They are: 1. Why are you a Christian? 2. What evidence do you have to believe God exists? 3. Why do you trust what the Bible says about Jesus? 4. Why would God send people to hell just because they don't believe in Jesus? 5. If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? 6. If God is the creator of everything, who created God? 7. Why would a loving God command the total destruction of all of Israel's enemies (including their children and livestock)?

I received Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace compliments of David C Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  I can't recommend this book enough to Christians. This is exactly what should be happening inside our youth programs and churches, not only for our children but for new believers and old believers as well. Most people haven't even read their Bibles from cover to cover, and the Bible is our "casebook" that we rely on to determine our relationship with Jesus Christ. Why are so many people walking away from their faith? How as parents can we accurately answer our children's doubts when they have them? This book is the perfect engaging resource to help you know why you believe what you believe and help you to truly understand everything you ever wanted to know about defending the faith we so desperately hold on to. This book provides the training we need as well as resources to help you launch your own investigation into forensic faith. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and also recommend you pick up Cold-Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene which are referred to in this book as well for more ways to become an expert detective and investigator of the Christian faith.

For more information about Forensic Faith, J. Warner Wallace or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Forensic Faith by J. Warner Wallace

You can find J. Warner Wallace on Facebook to stay up to date on all the latest information to defend the Christian faith.

To read more reviews on Forensic Faith, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page.

Scripture Doodle and Scripture Doodle: God's Promises

I've been wanting to dive deeper into the Scriptures after going through my Bible now for a third time. Even though I find new meaning each time, I revisit those familiar books I wanted more in my personal study and devotions. Now there is a great way to do just that, thanks to April Knight, author of Scripture Doodles and Scripture Doodles: God's Promises. These beautiful books incorporate a deeper study into the promises we find in the Bible along with some colorful coloring to accompany your personal or small group studies. Each of these books incorporates a six-week devotional experience for the reader through your own individual creative expressions with God.

There are enough exercises to do one per day for six weeks with a few bonuses at the end, but you can work at your own pace or with a small group Bible study meeting one a week. It is intended to be progressive, so you might want to follow the books in chronological order, but you might want to jump around to whatever inspires you or for a specific Bible Book study you might be working on. There are no rules and the only way to do it wrong is simply to not do it at all.

Some things you need to have on hand when completing either book is a Bible, a sharp pencil or two any color, pencil sharpener, a large eraser, colored pencils or your media of choice, pastels, ruled notebook paper (for lettering practice) and some blank index cards. The books come with some great tips to get you started. Each exercise begins with a Bible verse and proceeds into a creative worship activity. Don't worry about trying to be perfect, just go with what creativeness you feel at the time and let God inspire you. The books also encourage you to share your creations with others at @scripturedoodle or #scripturedoodle.

 I received Scripture Doodle and Scripture Doodle: God's Promises by April Knight compliments of David C Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity. For me, these books have allowed me not only to focus on specific Scriptures in the exercises but to remember these verses better, something I have been struggling with more as I get older. Now I can create something truly beautiful while I work on these each day. I would love to get a group together to work on them over the duration of a year and share not only our own artistic creations but also to see what God does in each of our lives along the way. I would easily give these books a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Scripture Doodle and Scripture Doodle: God's Promises, April Knight or where you can pick these books up today, please click on the links below:

Scripture Doodle and Scripture Doodle: God's Promises by April Knight

You can find April Knight on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Scripture Doodle or Scripture Doodle: God's Promises, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page. 

Jilted

"My daughter, Ruthie, always called me a glass-is-half-empty kind of person, but she was wrong."

I love it when novels open with a opening statement that truly makes me want to read more and more. Kinda like that first bite of your favorite food. Memories are a lot like that. Just the smell or the taste of something can bring us back to the very essence of that moment. For Lynda Turner and Clyde Felton are each working through their own set of memories and in this case they are not at all pleasant.

Lynda has been abandoned by men her whole life and now she is dealing with the consequences of coping with those losses in the form of depression. She goes through episodes now and again and finds solace driving out to watch the windmills turn and cast shadows that will capture and move her memories to the past where they belong. She just needs to find a way to keep moving forward, while working at the local diner as a cook now.

For Clyde Felton, is seems if there is any crime in the town of Trapp, Texas, everyone seems to think Clyde may have had a hand in it or is responsible. After all, once a criminal always a criminal right? But with Clyde's criminal past, even though he served his time and is trying to find a way back, the residents can't seem to see him as anything but a tarnished penny. Unworthy or unneeded to be polished back to its former glory. Maybe that is why he developed feelings for Lynda. They say opposites attract, but in this case much like the scripture from the Bible in Ecclesiates 4:9-10, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." This is the theme we see played out between Lynda and Clyde.

I received Jilted by Varina Denman compliments of David C Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my personal and unbiased opinion. The hardest thing for anyone who has faced a bad past is the ability to find a way to move forward, and be able to leave it behind. For both Lynda and Clyde, they have to come to terms with doing so in different ways. Lynda has to deal with the issues of abandonment from those in her life, willingly or unwillingly. Clyde has to deal with always feeling like an outsider and that nothing he does will ever be good enough, especially within the church he attends. It seems hard for people to apply the Bible to their own lives and instead find ways to sit back and judge the actions of those around them, instead of seeing them like God does with love and unconditional grace and mercy. I give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars and this is the third in the Mended Hearts series. A book club discussion guide is included at the conclusion of this one.

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

Jilted by Varina Denman

You can find Varina Denman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Jilted, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour page.

Can all things really work together for good, and can the joy of living be found once again? Don't miss one woman's story in book three, Jilted, of Varina Denman's Mended Hearts series. Lynda Turner has struggled with depression since her husband abandoned her and their young daughter fifteen years ago. Yet unexpected hope awakens when a local ex-convict shows interest. As long-hidden secrets resurface, Lynda must fight for her emotional stability and for a life where the shadow of shame is replaced by the light of love.

Celebrate the release of Varina's Jilted by entering to win a $50 gift card.

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Jilted to kick off a summer of reading
• A $50 Kohl's gift card to make your summertime sweet

The giveaway ends on July 1st. The winner will be announced July 5th on Varina's website.

London Tides

Life can take some unexpected turns. The thing we think we want most in the world, can be the one thing we simply walk away from. Grace Brennan had what some might call a picture perfect life as a photojournalist that found herself more and more in the midst of conflict. Her love life with Ian MacDonald was everything she had hoped for and more - until the day she walked away without a word, simply leaving behind her engagement ring and move forward to get lost in her career.

Now years later she comes back to find that Ian is still living in London. He hasn't moved on and never remarried. She is pulled by the notion that there might still be something there, but she can't find a way to connect with him again. Just how do you explain walking away from the man you loved to follow a career you loved perhaps even more? They had agreed to marry and give up their careers for love, but Grace had a change of heart.

With the loss of a colleague, she is still trying to find a way to absolve her guilt with not being able to save him as they found themselves in the midst of a war when they took fire. Now the tattoo she has on her arm will be a reminder than some choices in life carry consequences that go far beyond what we could ever imagine and there simply is no way of going back. If only she could find her way back into Ian's heart again, but is that something he is willing to take another chance on? Only time will tell.

I received London Tides by Carla Laureano compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review outside of my complimentary copy of this novel. This is the second novel in the MacDonald Family Trilogy, and I am sorry I did not read the first novel in this series. Yet I was able to perfectly understand the conflict that happens between Grace and Ian as they author took her time, establishing their backstory over the first few chapters. I love the parallel storylines of their careers and how each of them felt at some point their careers defined who they were until they really understood that that was just an illusion. The theme of home and safety are what motivates Grace and Ian in different ways and that comes to fulfillment by the close of this novel. There are some discussion questions at the conclusion of this novel that are perfect for book clubs. Overall I'd rate this one a 4 out 5.

For more information about London Tides, Carla Laureano, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

London Tides by Carla Laureano 

You can find Carla Laureano on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on London Tides, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's Book Tour page.

Seek and Hide

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Seek and Hide David C. Cook (September 15, 2014) by Amanda Stevens

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As a child, Amanda G. Stevens disparaged Mary Poppins and Stuart Little because they could never happen. Now, she writes speculative fiction. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English and has taught literature and composition to home-school students. She lives in Michigan and loves books, film, music, and white cheddar popcorn. Amanda's first novel, Seek and Hide, will be available September 15, 2014 from David C Cook.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Six years ago, the government took control of the church. Only re-translated Bibles are legal, and a specialized agency called the Constabulary enforces this and other regulations. Marcus Brenner, a new Christian, will do anything to protect his church family from imprisonment--including risk his own freedom to gain the trust of a government agent. Aubrey Weston recanted her faith when the Constabulary threatened her baby. Now released, she just wants to provide for her son and avoid government notice. But she's targeted again, and this time, her baby is taken into custody. If only she'd never denied Him, maybe God would hear her pleas for help. When Aubrey and Marcus's lives collide, they are forced to confront the lies they believe about themselves. And God is about to grab hold of Marcus's life in a way he'd never expect, turning a loner into a leader.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Seek and Hide, go HERE.

Dreaming on Daisies

Sometimes it's great when novels can reach deep inside us and reach the pain we often have hiding inside our hearts. When Miralee Ferrell decided on a theme for her latest novel in the Love Blossoms in Oregon Series, she knew she what she wanted to convey in Dreaming on Daisies. From the outside, people can appear happy but on the inside is another story. For Leah Carlson, she was still dealing with the pain of her mother's death six years ago. When that happened it seemed it took the life of the man she once knew as her father and dumped him inside a bottle of whiskey he was so found of getting lost in at the saloon in Baker City.

For years bitterness continued to grow not only in finding ways to keep from hating the man her father was becoming, but at the way she had worked so hard to make the ranch a success and now it seemed like all their money was tied up in her father's drinking binges. No matter what great ideas she had to try and turn it around, her father believed that Leah didn't possess the common sense to understand ranching was a man's business and part of his pride.

Leah had also lost her older brother Tom, when he decided to walk away from ranching and never left word where he was going or why he even left. So all Leah had to figure out the broken places of her life was pieces of what she could understand. She must try to convince the bank to provide her with a small loan to help get them back on track otherwise the only thing remaining that she has held onto all this time will be losing the ranch she has loved since she was a child. That would be the one thing that would ultimately break Leah.

Steven Harding wished he had better news for Leah when she came to him to inquire about obtaining a loan to help get them through the winter, but since the deed didn't have her name on it and her father wasn't the one inquiring about a loan, the only thing he could offer her was he would keep on trying to convince the bank to give her a chance. But without her father's signature on the loan documents, Leah would have to find another way to save the family ranch. She just wasn't hoping to rely on Steven Harding to do it. But when a mining accident leaves Steven without a place to stay, he believes he has the solution to both of their problems. If Lean agrees to let him stay on the ranch, he will help with the manual labor her father seems no longer interested in doing. But is the ranch the only thing Leah could lose?

I received Dreaming on Daisies by Miralee Ferrell compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is a powerful novel that portrays the effects of what alcoholism can have on not only the person who is addicted but the family who is struggling with dealing with it. This novel conveys a story of a young woman who's been emotionally damaged by a father who turned to alcohol and abandoned her emotionally, and a mother who abandoned her physically. It's no wonder that Leah has trust issues dealing with anyone in her life. They can leave scars even on the strongest Christian that can linger for a lifetime. The author's hope in writing this novel is that some aspect of the story would minister to their heart and that Jesus can heal every broken and wounded heart that's brought to Him as she writes in the Author Note at the conclusion of this novel. There is also a Reader's Discussion Guide in the novel as well. Well worth a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and hit home in my western romance lover's heart!

For more information about Dreaming on Daisies, Miralee Ferrell, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Dreaming on Daisies by Miralee Ferrell

You can find Miralee Ferrell on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Dreaming on Daisies, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page. 

Finding Mercy

Mercy is still trying to figure out just who she is. After finding herself injured and suffering from amnesia, she learns from Captain Elijah Hale, that she served in the Civil War as a Confederate sharpshooter for the South. Knowing nothing more than what Captain Hale conveys to her, she struggles with coming to terms in finding out who she is. She clings to a mercy medallion she was wearing when she woke up, and now goes by the name Mercy. Captain Hale is aware of who Mercy was during the war, because the medallion she was wearing used to belong to him. As Mercy stood trial for the attempted murder of the congressman she was engaged to. After Captain Hale managed to convince the courts that Mercy was innocent of the charges, there were still those that believed she should have hanged.

Now why she pieces together clues from her past on where she might have been raised, she attempts to elude a group of bounty hunters who will stop at nothing to ensure they are paid to bring her back and see her hanged even though she is considered an innocent woman now. Traveling with Captain Hale and Issac, a young slave for a time, she manages to lose them in an effort so find her memories without involving the two people who mean the world to her. However, Mercy's troubles are far from over when she realizes that no one person is an island, and everyone needs help from those you can trust. Out of food and exhausted, Mercy stumbles into a slave camp and begs for something to eat. Since they are just as poor as she is, she consumes the leftover fish a boat tosses nearby. But that soon turns to food poisoning and the only help she can find is Fort Danielson, who is supposed to be manned by the Confederate army, but she is more than surprised to find the Union soldiers have now taken over the fort and its been quite a while since any of them have seen a woman, especially one in the condition she is in.

I received Finding Mercy by Michael Landon Jr and Cindy Kelley compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is the sequel to Traces of Mercy and picks up precisely where the first novel left off. Fans of the American Civil War will appreciate the details in this historical novel from the hatred of the Civil War supporters, to the issue dealing with plantation slaves and their respective owners just trying to recover from the war, even though Abraham Lincoln had declared them emancipated and now free. Recovery was difficult for them all and soon Mercy discovers her long lost past isn't what she remembers at all. Will the picture of one man provide the clues she has been searching for or will it merely be another dead end? You'll have to read this one to find out. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and is the second novel in the Mercy Medallion Series. There is a great discussion guide for book groups at the end as well as an author note details the role women played in the Civil War.

For more information about Finding Mercy, Michael Landon Jr., Cindy Kelley or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Finding Mercy by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley

You can find Michael Landon Jr. on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels and projects.

You can find Cindy Kelley on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Finding Mercy, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliances book tour page.

The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead

What do you get when you take the owner of a catering business and couple that with her ability to help the local sheriff with solving crimes in her free time? You get the latest series from best-selling author Diane Noble in The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead, the first novel in the Professor and Mrs.Littlefield Mystery series. It's like taking Angela Lansbury from Murder She Wrote and pairing it up with Indiana Jones and you get a taste for what this novel is like.

El Littlefield runs The Butler Did It, a catering company that allows her to operate her own detective agency to aid in solving the latest crimes to hit Eden Bridge, where she lives along with her daughter Katie and her granddaughter Chloe Grace. Armed with her partner in crime at times, Hyacinth Gilvertin, Southern Highland University's archivist, they hope that they will be able to pull off the biggest catering event of the year. Dr. Max Haverhill is set to host a dinner party and announce his latest archaeological find, a figurehead that was carved by a Boston artisan in 1812 that quite possible holds a map to locate one of the largest stockpiles of treasures stolen by the Nazis and hidden by the French Resistance.

But Dr. Haverhill is convinced that someone has been responsible for a recent attempt on his life while removing the figurehead from the ocean bottom where he discovered it had been hidden all these years. In fact he suspects that unless he cancels this dinner party tonight, his life and that of countless innocent guests may be in jeopardy until they have more time to hunt down the elusive couple from Paris that seem to have a connection to these recent events. But doing so now that El and Hyacinth have pretty much invested their entire life savings in food and party rentals, would mean the disaster to the future of her catering business. Just as she is able to convince Dr. Haverhill that there is plenty of security and all the mysterious guests have been accounted for, the guests at the dinner party becoming violently ill with apparent food poisoning and the figurehead goes missing along with Hyacinth, who was suppose to ensure that the figurehead remained safe and secure. Now El has a limited amount of time to do the investigation because as more time continues to elapse, the fingers are beginning to point to El and Hyacinth as being the criminals.

I received The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead by Diane Noble compliments of David C.Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This is such a great mystery series, because it adds a bit of comedy, romance, and of course down-to-earth detective work as El tries to unravel the clues she finds as she tries to clear her name and that of her business while trying to find her best friend, which no one believes is really missing. Even more amazing is that El finds herself suddenly falling in love with the Professor while helping him hunt down his missing artifact that will undoubtedly hold more mysteries once it's found. A must read for fans of mystery fiction coupled with a bit of romance. It's fast paced and definitely a whole lot of fun until she can solve the crime of the century, at least in her small town, and you'll never guess who is behind it all!! I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead, Diane Noble, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead by Diane Noble

You can also find Diane Noble on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page. 

Sky Zone

With the every increasing rise in terror threats, America is waiting for a president who can stand up and take action. It seems that Martin Sterling is just the man for the job. With government cuts in military spending, presidential candidate Martin Sterling believes we are becoming too passive and headed in the wrong direction. We shouldn't be negotiating with terrorists, we should be firming up and securing our borders and increasing the spending and support for our military. He is just what the American people are looking for, and if he can convince more of them, he might just win the next presidential election.

For Jack Crittendon, the economy is his worst enemy. Struggling to find a full time job while his his Pamela is forced to head back to work while 8-months pregnant is making him feel the pressures of maintaining leadership in his home. Yet no matter where he applies, he always comes up empty. But thanks to a contact with his friend Derrick Williams at the Gazette, if presidential candidate Martin Sterling wins this election, they will need someone to take over the editor's desk and they are looking at Jack. Unfortunately that won't happen until November and that is a really maybe at best. Until then, he is working security part-time at the Festival Arena in preparation for Sterling's upcoming speech.

Just when he thinks life can't get any more interesting, the Festival Arena is notified of a potential terrorist threat that about 30% confirmed to take place the night of Sterling's speech. But not all threats turn into reality, still they aren't willing to take any chances and call in for reinforcements from the local police and S.W.A.T. teams as well as anyone they can convince to help out. Thank goodness Jack's long time friend, Brian Shakespeare, an ex-military service man and survivalist is part of their team and they know he can handle organizing the security detail should anything happen. They just aren't prepared to see this nightmare come true in the worst of circumstances and things are about to get personal in this political suspense thriller.

I received Sky Zone by Creston Mapes compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and David C. Cook Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained in this review are strictly my own. For those of you that love fast-paced, action-packed, political suspense novels, trust me and pick this one up. While it is part of a series, The Crittendon Files, you can pick this one up a stand alone and get immediately hooked. I literally read this one in one sitting. The stakes are high for both Jack and Brian when despite all their training, they find themselves coming up short and the expected results are not what they get. I love the way Creston gets the reader involved and caring about the outcome of his characters like Jack and the situation that is going on in both his personal and professional life at the same time which amps up his stress level. The writing is geared to hook you at the begin and leave you completely breathless by the end. Out of all three books in the series I loved this one the best. It's great for those of you that love movies like Patriot Games and The Fugitive. You'll find yourself holding your breath during this one! Easy to give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and love adding this one to my series. There is also discussion questions included at the conclusion of this novel!

For more information about Sky Zone, Creston Mapes or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Sky Zone by Creston Mapes

You can also find Creston Mapes on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Sky Zone, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's Book Tour Page. 

Forever Amish

The last thing Sally Bingham expected was to have her entire life as she had known it to be a complete lie. She knew that her mother had abandoned her when she was too little to remember her, leaving her to be raised by her father Ed. But someplace deep inside, she wanted to know more about her mother and why she left. Only her father doesn't want to tell her any more than he already has, which amounts to almost nothing.

Receiving numerous emails from an Amish woman named Lizzie who is interested in the Pembroke Welsh Corgi's she breeds, she heads to Lancaster County not only in response to a possible dog adoption, but to give her some breathing room from her pending engagement to Donald. She wasn't sure why but something was nagging at the back of her mind, telling her that Donald might not be all she had thought he was. He didn't care for her ailing father like he should and seemed to distance himself from her as much as possible. If she followed through with her upcoming marriage, she would need to give up her breeding, and move to Donald's home town to be close to his family. After their recent argument, Sally believes some time spent away from Donald might give her the perspective she needs and is missing.

What she doesn't expect to find when she arrives in Intercourse, Pennsylvania is that her reservation at the Bed and Breakfast is cancelled due to rain damage to her room leaving her with no options. Thankfully she runs into an Amish driver who tells her that his family often takes in English tourists. Little did she know that it was also the home of Lizzie, the woman behind all the numerous emails about the dog. But is that really what she wants to know? Why does an Amish woman want a pure breed dog like a Welsh Corgi? Did she even realize how much these dogs cost? Or is there something more behind the request to get Sally to come to Lancaster County? Would that have anything to do with the handsome Amish man, Armin staying on the family's farm? Life is about to get so much more interesting than she ever imagined.

I received Forever Amish by Kate Lloyd compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions are strictly my own. This is the third and final book in the Lancaster of Legacy trilogy but I believe there are still more questions that need to be answered by the time you get to the end. Hopefully Kate will address these in a future novel. I love when you get a blend of the two cultures of Amish and English in one novel. It shows the similarities as well as differences between the two and shows that English can become Amish if they are willing to endure the hard work. It conveys that the things that one must give up isn't necessarily as hard as you would think. In fact, I love the simplicity that the Amish living brings over the English life of living for wealthy and material things. I love that by the end Sally gets a sense of what belonging really means as well as being a part of something more than just a family! I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Forever Amish, Kate Lloyd, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Forever Amish by Kate Lloyd

You can also find Kate Lloyd on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Forever Amish, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page. 


The latest book in Kate Lloyd's Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish, introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.

Kate is celebrating by giving away an Amish-made prize pack!

  One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• A Qillow (A pillow with a lovely surprise inside! It opens to a 40” X 60” quilt ideal for traveling, sports events, and home.)
•  A Center Diamond wall hanging (Hand-stitched by Old Order Amish quilter Emma Stoltzfus of E.S. Quilts in Lancaster, PA. It measures 42” x 42” and is a traditional Old Order Amish design.)
• Darling Amish-made faceless dolls (Hand-crafted in Lancaster County, PA. Each measures 12 inches and is individually named. Meet Martha and Henry!)
• Forever Amish and the rest of the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy by Kate Lloyd

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced at Kate's blog on July 1st.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by Kate's blog on July 1st to see if you won!

Lip Reading

Before we all die, I think we want to leave behind a lasting legacy. One that will go on after we are gone from this earth. We want our life to count for something. Perhaps it's to achieve resolution after facing guilt, perhaps it's to right a wrong or to take a different path than the one life has offered to us. Yet many never have the opportunity to do that and instead lay awake on their death bed filled with a life of regrets. Becca Jackson isn't going to be one of those people.

Facing almost twenty years of regret and guilt for making the wrong choices in her life, she's about to get the push that will propel her life in ways she would never dream possible. While visiting in Africa for a publicity ad to turn around recent bad press for Jackson Pharmaceuticals, she finds herself being kidnapped. Only it will be unlike any kidnapping she has ever had to face. This is designed to make a point and a lasting impression not only in her life but in the lives of the people her uncle's company employs and the people whose lives are forever changed by the drugs they produce and use on people. In this case, a recent drug Mopivadine, an retroviral drug that inhibits the reproduction of HIV through the maternal-child transfer, which has been a complete success. Until Dr. Jacob Opondo reveals to her that children in Africa are dying at such a high rate due to complications caused by not being able to breast feed this children and not having any other source of nutrition is causing them to die while succeeding at preventing the transfer of HIV between the mother and her child.

Dr. Opondo wants Becca's financial help to provide clinics and nutrition as well as medical care to help these patients, because without it the children will continue to die even though the drug is considered a success. He wants $5 million dollars to help his people. He knows that it is money Becca's company can easily provide considering she is sitting on the cusp of cutting edge research of a blood substitute that can used world wide in life or death situations without the risks associated with blood transfusions in the future. Now if she can just get back to working on her research and find a cure to the headaches that keep her from concentrating on what has been going wrong with her work. What she does notice is just before the pain launches into a full grown migraine, she is able now to focus with such clarity, she is 5 steps ahead in her thought process.

When she is finally released to head back home to the United States, she runs into Noah Linebrink, her ex-boyfriend from high school that has been tasked to see if he can get Becca to work for Bradshaw Pharmaceuticals, a competitor of her uncle's on the same research she's been working on. Noah is confident that with the research he's been working on along with Becca's they both have the missing pieces to one anothers puzzle that could launch either company into netting billions of dollars in revenue. But Becca and Noah have a past that could prevent either of them from trusting one another, and after twenty years, the guilt that each of them has been carrying is about to end one way or another.

I received Lip Reading by Harry Kraus, MD compliments of David C Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I've been a huge fan of Harry Kraus' novels because of his incredible insight of using his knowledge as a surgeon and incorporating it into his novels to add a sense of realism that is often times lacking on other medical suspense novels. This one is no exception, and being a huge migraine sufferer, I found myself cringing each time, Becca's headaches began to materialize. I have to say this one took me places I didn't think it would and created a lasting message about the difference in salvation with grace and not works. This one easily deserves a 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait for more from him in the near future.

For more information about Lip Reading, Harry Kraus MD or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Lip Reading by Harry Kraus MD

You can also find Harry Kraus MD on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Lip Reading, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's Book Tour page.

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook (March 1, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781405343
• ISBN-13: 978-0781405348
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches

Poison Town

Jack Crittendon has a new mission, as an investigative reporter for The Dispatch, he is turning the tables on the man he just interviewed Leonard Bendickson III, CEO of Demler-Vargas, the fiberglass manufacturer in Trenton City. Since taking the helm as CEO thirteen years ago, Bendickson has steered the Fortune 500 company to unfathomable heights. The $7.9 billion corporation has consistently surpassed Wall Streets expectations on its way to becoming one of the world's most prolific manufacturers of fiberglass - all kinds of fiberglass. Although Demler-Vargas has been the subject of complaints about air pollution from Trenton City neighbors over the years, Bendickson insists the company has worked diligently to comply with OSHA and the EPA.

But there is something sinister and unsettling when Jack discovers that those around him that he knows are dying from similar symptoms. He wondered just what the truth was. Were pollutants from Demler-Vargas hurting employees and neighbors? Were they what killed Travis Randall's mother and made his father, Galen sick? But if Demler-Vargas was hiding something, wouldn't OSHA and the EPA caught on and stopped them? Was Bendickson lying, or was he running a clean shop as he claims?

The more Jack tries to uncover the truth, the more it seems that someone is out to make sure those secrets stay buried. When it gets personal however, and his wife and mother-in-law become victims of a random car accident, Jack begins to dig deeper into the truth. He is aided by Derrick Whittaker, on of Jack's best friends who has been assigned that beat and together they slowly begin to uncover things that don't make sense, especially when their editor, Cecil Barton, will only allow them to spend no more than a hour a day working on this investigation. He seems to think that in the past, Amy Sheets has tried to do much the same thing, but now has moved away to be closer to her aging parents and discovered nothing. But is that really the reason why she is no longer working at the office?

I received Poison Town by Creston Mapes compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. This could be any real company today as chemicals continue to surface in our food sources and water supplies that are being linked to certain types of cancer and illness that seem to multiply the closer people come to living next to these manufacturing plants. In this case, it is more than just the poisons from the fiberglass plant that are infecting people, it's also greed and justice that are tearing families and businesses apart. But will Jack's now dormant faith come to light in time to save them all or will he fall victim to the same fate as everyone else? You'll have to pick this one up to find out. This is the second novel in the Crittendon Files and I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. The first novel in the series is Fear Has No Name in which the reader gains insight into the back story of the issues between Jack and his wife.

For more information about Poison Town, Creston Mapes, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Poison Town by Creston Mapes

You can also find Creston Mapes on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Poison Town, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page.

Blowing on Dandelions

"Katherine Galloway's soft exhale sent the dandelion fluff dancing on the warm current of air, but it didn't bring the anticipated relief. Gripping the stem, she sat in the grassy field with her eyes closed and waited. Why didn't it come? It had always appeared years ago when she needed it. How long had it been since her mind had drifted away to a place where nothing could hurt her? Fifteen years? Twenty?

She shook her head, and an errant curl tickled her cheek.

More. Many more. But always her memory returned to those times when the dandelion fluff had carried her away to a place where mothers were loving and kind, and little girls didn't need to be afraid of cutting words or sharp voices.

Had she ever known a time like that, other than in her dreams? Katherine had thought she did, but now she knew: it was all an illusion, like the sunbeams glinting off the bits of white that were settling to the ground. Seeds - that's all they were. Seeds that brought unwanted weeds when they matured. Just like her life.

Unwanted. Unwelcome. Unsung."

Katherine Galloway is attempting to hold onto that belief that God's got something great in store for her. After losing her husband of only two years in a mining accident in Baker City, Katherine now runs the boarding house along with her two young girls Lucy and Amanda. She cringes as she looks back at the broken relationship between herself and her mother and begins counting down the days she will leave after this latest visit. It seems like nothing Katherine does will ever been good enough or acceptable enough for her aging mother, Frances Connors only to be compared to her sister June. Frances had been living with June until an early death left her alone and in need of someone else to care for her and that is just what she has in mind when she shows up on Katherine's doorstep. Yup, Frances is now planning on staying with Katherine permanently.

In the Love Blossoms in Oregon Series, Blowing in Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell is the first novel in this charming series. In this novel Katherine Galloway must find a way to locate the gumption she needs to deal with her arrogant and downright blunt mother, Frances. Of course, Frances is the ever doting grandmother to Lucy and Amanda when her health issues are giving her problems, but she truly believes unless she intervenes in all areas of Katherine's life, the poor woman will never make it. With Katherine raised in a time where children are to be seen and not heard, she believes the Bible's promise to honor your parents at all times. It is that fallacy that keeps Katherine in chains when it comes to dealing with her overbearing mother.

She soon finds herself at the possibility of once again falling in love with the local livery owner, Micah Jacobs who she literally runs into on the streets of Baker City. Only Micah's just moved here from Seattle in hopes of finding a way to care for his younger son, Zachary after his wife Emma passed away. He is not looking for love and vows to do all he can to stay away from Katherine Galloway. But when tragedy strikes it seems God's about to show them both that once again, ALL things work together for those that love the Lord even if they are simply too stubborn to see it.

I received Blowing on Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell as a self purchase and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. This is the story of reconciliation between Katherine and her mother Frances and the hope that comes when prayer is answered. There is NOTHING God can't fix in His own timing even people as stubborn as Frances. It truly makes me wonder what people would say about me, if they didn't know if I was able to hear them. Would they say that I was kind and my words one to build up or that perhaps I might need some help in that department. I hope it would be the first. This novel is perfect for anyone who struggles with any family member who tries their patience and offers a glimpse of hope in what may be hoped for and possibly obtained with prayer and patience. I'd rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. There is even an except of Wishing on Buttercups, the second book in this series due out later this year.

For more information about Blowing on Dandelions, Miralee Ferrell, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the link below:

Blowing on Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell

You can also find Miralee Ferrell on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

Pennsylvania Patchwork

Sometimes our greatest times of adversity can also be our best opportunities for growth and reliance on God. Such in the case in the latest novel in the Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy Series from author Kate Lloyd, Pennsylvania Patchwork. Once again we pick up the story of Holly Fisher who has recently discovered that her mother, Esther has been keeping a secret from her. In fact, it's quite a huge secret. Esther grew up Amish and left to get married but led Holly to believe she has always had an English upbringing. She learned early on the reason for no real relatives or grandparents were that they were all dead. Now she discovers that she has quite an Amish heritage. Her father, Samuel has been missing in the Vietnam war and is now believed dead for the last few years.

Holly and her mother Esther are now living with her Amish grandmother Anna, who is in need of being taken care of now that she is getting older. What Holly soon discovers is that her grandmother and mother are planning to intervene on her recent engagement to Zack Fleming, a Mennonite veterinarian since learning of  a rumor that Zack may in fact be a father to his recent ex-girlfriend Victoria's son Justin. But until all the facts are in, Holly is willing to wait and see just what happens. While she is spending some time debating the merits of just how honest Zack really is, she suddenly finds herself in the middle of being pursued by two additional men. Larry, a man she meet when she was living in Seattle and an Amish man, Armin who has just returned from living among the English.

Will Holly be able to find a way to sort out her real feelings of love in the midst of three men who all want to marry her? Is Holly willing to give up her English way of life and learn to become Amish like her grandmother Anna who is hoping for her to marry a nice Amish young man? Or will Holly learn something from her mother's own past that may cause her to return to Seattle for good? To find out, you'll need to pick up a copy of Pennsylvania Patchwork.

I received Pennsylvania Patchwork by Kate Lloyd compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. Since reading the first novel in the series, Leaving Lancaster, I knew I wanted to see how Holly's story would play out in this novel. I was not disappointed. Along the way, we learn more about Samuel and his disappearance in Vietnam. Esther also has to deal with the potential of deciding if she will become baptized in the Amish church satisfying a possible marriage with Nathaniel as well as dealing with a health issue with her own aging mother. I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to seeing how this all wraps up in the next novel.

For more information about Pennsylvania Patchwork, Kate Lloyd or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Pennsylvania Patchwork by Kate Lloyd

You can also find Kate Lloyd on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Pennsylvania Patchwork on the Litfuse Publicity Book Tour, please click here. 

Kate Lloyd is celebrating the release of book two in her Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy, Pennsylvania Patchwork, by giving away an authentic Amish-made quilt!







 



One "grand" winner receive:




• An authentic Amish-made Quilt


• Pennsylvania Patchwork and Leaving Lancaster by Kate Lloyd

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced on July 1st at Kate's blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Fear Has A Name

I love it when I can find out truly suspenseful novel that completely grabs me from the moment I dive into the book. I made the mistake of reading this one kinda late at night when I was home alone and with every noise in the house, set me literally on edge. That in my own personal opinion is already a winner. In the latest novel by author Creston Mapes, Fear Has A Name is the first in the Crittendon Files series. This is also a first for me reviewing a book by this author but after this one, it won't be my last by a long shot. In fact, I intend to search for the ones he has previously written and begin my journey in suspense even further by adding them to my personal collection.

In Fear Has A Name the author really challenges the Christian reader to see just how far on the righteous scale you would tend to stay despite having your family threatened by an unknown intruder. Despite how Jesus has instructed his followers to forgo taking their own vengeance and instead leaving it up to God. This is a definite conversation starter for most believers. While almost everyone I spoke with said pretty much the same thing, very few could sit back faithfully and be reassured that God would protect their families by leaving things entirely up to Him. With that being said, let me introduce you to the premise of this novel.

Pamela Crittendon is home alone with her young daughters, Faye and Rebecca when a man appears at her front door. For whatever reason, she gets a feeling that she shouldn't open the door. When he keeps on knocking her daughters want to know who's at the door. She instructs them to head back upstairs and that she will deal with it. When she yells for the man at the door to leave, he immediately begins the process of breaking down the door. When that fails, he breaks the glass on either side and attempts to unlock the door. Pamela takes her girls and runs out the back door to the safety of a neighbors home and calls the police.

When the police arrive the man is gone of course. As Pamela calls her husband, Jack, and tells him to come home, he reassures her that this is probably just a one time deal. The only items missing from her home are her Bible, her jewelry and her daughter's locket. All other items in the home of any value are still there. The police feel confident that they will find the person responsible, but that does make Pamela feel any safer. Even more troubling is the job her husband does working as a reporter for the local paper. He's been assigned a possible missing person who is the local pastor at a church who has left a suicide note. But it seems like things are about to get interesting when Pamela finds their wedding picture has been cut to remove Jack from it. To her, this doesn't seem like a random event and she's just about to learn that Fear Has A Name!

I received Fear Has A Name by Creston Mapes compliments of David C Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. This was such a great conversation starter for my husband over breakfast one morning. It's such a difficult thing to know what anyone would do in this situation and my husband could definitely relate to how Jack handles things. I on the other hand, don't think I could deal with things as calmly as Pamela did during portions of the novel but that is what makes for a truly exciting page turner. This one does not disappoint. The only thing I had to make sure of was finishing it before my husband left on his business trip. For that reason I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. Congratulations Creston Mapes, you definitely had me on the edge of my seat and reading this one with all the lights on.

For more information about Fear Has A Name, Creston Mapes or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Fear Has A Name by Creston Mapes

You can find Creston Mapes on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Fear Has A Name from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here. 

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook (June 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781408164
• ISBN-13: 978-0781408165
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches 

Available at your favorite book retailer in paperback, eBook and Audio Formats. 

An Open Heart

"Always trying to save the world, aren't you Jace? Well, look where it's gotten you now."

If-onlys crowded out hope. If only he'd upgraded to first class, maybe he wouldn't have arrived so sleep deprived, and his reactions would have been quicker. If only he'd let someone else pick him up at the airport instead of agreeing to drive a friend's Land Rover. If only that last goat hadn't tried to cross the road. He slipped his hand into his suit pocket and closed it around a small wad of shillings, the local currency in Kenya. If only he'd been willing to pay the bribe, he could have avoided the whole mess.

He should have known that the crowd that gathered around his Land Rover would have sided with the locals. "He was speeding," they had all agreed. Kikuyu mamas with colorful clashing sweaters and headscarves. Barefoot children pushing roasted corn beneath his nose, hoping for a sale. An old man on a donkey cart had rubbed his gray-chin stubble and nodded with apparent wisdom. "Shouldn't race on our roads." Everyone claimed it was Jace's fault. If he had only paid the bribe. If only.

In the latest novel from author Harry Kraus, An Open Heart takes the readers into the heart of Africa, right into the Great Rift Valley that separates Africa in two for his suspense thriller. The book opens with Jace Rawlings, a US heart surgeon who is sitting in a Kenyan jail awaiting the outcome of his crime, one that in most eyes would be ruled an accident but only if you were in the US. Only Jace wasn't in the US and now he could only begin to think of a way out of this mess. Only the prime minister of parliament in Nairobi is taking matters into his own hands to free Jake. He has consulted with Mzee Simeon Okayo, a town elder of Kisii who practices traditional witchcraft to assist with this most urgent matter and one that needs to be managed with discretion.

Only now it seems that Jace Rawlings has powers that even the local villagers have begun to take notice of beginning with the victim who died at the scene of his accident. Now it seems that what was once dead has now returned to life and now Jace it seems is the new magic man! Just when Jace arrived in Africa to escape his troubles in the US it seems like new ones have found their way to Africa and Jace's running is about to end. 

I received An Open Heart by Harry Krauss compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and David C Cook Publishers for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. This is an interesting look at just what missionaries have to deal with in Africa. Not only the differences in cultures but also in religion. While the character of Jace Rawlings exemplifies the Christian doctor, he has to deal with the local people who still believe in the traditional witchdoctors to deal with virtually everything that happens to them from the crops to the weather. Is there more at work here than meets the eye? You'll have to pick this one up to see what the dead who are brought back to life have to say! I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I've read quite a few of Harry Kraus novels and the experience of being a board-certified surgeon and medical missionary bring a sense of realism to this novel in unremarkable ways.

For more information about An Open Heart, Harry Kraus, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

An Open Heart by Harry Kraus

To read more reviews on An Open Heart from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Tour, please click here.  

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook (June 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781405351
• ISBN-13: 978-0781405355
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches 

Available in paperback and Ebook formats from your favorite book retailer. 

Hurt: A Novel

If you should ever happen upon a quite little remote mountain community with the sign welcoming you to Solitary, turn around. Do not enter and forget you ever saw this place. In fact, Solitary is just that, a place that longs to be kept a silent secret. Isolated. Alone. Just like the name implies. However for Chris Buckley, it's a town he can't escape. It's a town that has ties to him that bind the soul. One he has been desperately searching for a way out of only to be brought to the conclusion of where he finds himself at now. At the final chapter. The climatic ending of an epic story of old.

Some call Solitary a gateway, but for Chris Solitary isn't a gateway drug. Nope, Solitary is crack and heroin and every other drug blended together and served as an ice cream cone. However the town of Solitary was discovered by an original settler who the town is named after. The wicked man who already knew and believed in evil. It was as if this town called for him. But it is why Chris is so valuable. He is needed to combat the evil that is slowly consuming the town and it's residents.

But if you have picked up this book and wondering where it all begins, where can I begin to fill you in? It's three in the morning, and so far baby dearest hasn't managed to crawl up the stairs with a steak knife. Let's see - I move to Solitary and fall in love with the girl that the evil people have decided to sacrifice on New Year's Eve. Before this sacrifice happened I met my mother's creepy aunt Alice with her selection of mannequins. Perhaps this doll escaped from her house.

I saw a weird mountain man with a big German shepherd who ended up being my uncle in costume. The man, that is. Not the dog. There were the nightmares my mother had. There were tunnels underneath our cabin. Oh yeah, don't forget the cabin in the woods. Or the mannequin maker.

There's the creepy pastor and the ignorant bully. But both answer to a twisted man named Staunch who answers to my great-grandfather. And they all say I'm special and that somewhere down the road I'm going to get a special key that does something special for a special reason. Welcome to the fourth book, Hurt by Travis Thrasher. This is the fourth book in the Solitary Tales series and should not be read as a stand alone book. To read it by itself would simply cause you to be confused because you need to know what has happened to bring Chris Buckley to his final year in Solitary.

This book is the culmination of everything Chris has had to endure to bring him to this point. When he first arrived in Solitary in book one, he was very much the outcast being the new kid in high school Alone and isolated much like the city. However as the books progress we find out that something sinister has been brewing and a spiritual war is about to be unleashed. Think of this series as Travis Thrasher describes it like Pretty in Pink meets The Exorcist. I couldn't think of a finer way to sum up this series.

I received Hurt by Travis Thrasher compliments of Christian Blog Alliance and David C Cook Publishers for my honest opinion. It is written from Chris' point of view and thus you are dealing with the impressions one would expect from a boy in high school trying to fit in. It seems like he can't do anything right and he is always on someones bad side from the local sheriff to the pastor and even his mother when she is sober. Yet I viewed this fourth and  final book, having read all three books in this series, as Chris' absolution. He realizes he can't run from his problems and has to deal with them alone. I can't share with you how it ends, but definitely could see more books launched from this series. A well-deserved and earned 5 out of 5 stars! For those of you that like a good suspense thriller with a powerful message, pick up the entire series. For readers like me that love this genre, it was well-worth the ride.

For more information about Hurt: A Novel, Travis Thrasher or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Hurt: A Novel by Travis Thrasher

You can also stay up to date with all of Travis Thrashers latest books by joining his Facebook page.

To read more reviews from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, click here. 

The Solitary Tales by Travis Thrasher - Available at your favorite book retailer:
#1 - Solitary
#2 - Gravestone
#3 - Temptation
#4 - Hurt

Too Far To Say Far Enough

"Every Monday morning I quit.

Before I even crawled out of bed, sometimes even before I clawed all the way from dreams to the mental pile of stuff I was going to have to try to make a dent in, if it was Monday, I said, out loud so there could be no misunderstanding: "God, you're going to have to find somebody else to be your prophet, because I'm done. You got a recovery group I can get into?"

Sometimes I'd imagine such a group - a place where I could sit in a circle with other people who were in way over their spiritual heads and say, "Hi. I'm Allison, and I'm a recovering prophet."

But there was no Prophets Anonymous. There was no recovery from being one - although at times I would have given up my Harley to escape it - and there was nothing anonymous about it. I knew. I'd tried that.

That particular Monday, however I skipped quitting. I didn't even give a nod to the stack of not-yet-done stuff teetering just beyond my reach, waiting for one more thing to topple it over. Because that late-August Monday, almost exactly one year since I'd caught twelve-year-old Desmond Sanborn trying to steal my house key, I was standing in front of a judge, about to adopt the boy." (pg 13).

That's a perfect example of how frustrating the days of Allison Chamberlain have been when she feels the nudging of God just once more in her life. Just how many more times will she have to answer the call? In this conclusion to The Reluctant Prophet series from Nancy Rue, Too Far to Say Far Enough provides some closure for Allison. She finally comes to terms with God's calling in her life. She learns to understand what is meant when one answers God and the price we often have to pay. I personally think this novel helps readers understand a different take on the definition of prophet of God. I believe we think it means being endowed with all-mighty powers to do greatness when called for God, and in some ways we are, but it is to impact the lives of the people God places in our paths. Sometimes it can be a homeless girl that has no where else to go, or a victim of violent crimes. God wants us all to heed His call and to go forth and become prophets of our own.

I received Too Far To Say Far Enough by Nancy Rue compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I honestly believe this book is a must read for everyone especially in this times where God might be nudging you to act. I would recommend reading the first two books in the series first in order to understand the background and calling in Allison's life more but this makes for a powerful conclusion. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Too Far To Say Far Enough, Nancy Rue or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Too Far To Say Far Enough by Nancy Rue

You can also find Nancy Rue on Facebook by clicking here. 

You can find more reviews on this book from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance book tour, by clicking here. 

# 1 The Reluctant Prophet
# 2 Unexpected Dismounts
# 3 Too Far To Say Far Enough

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (October 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434764907
• ISBN-13: 978-1434764904
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches

Two Destinies

Sometimes as Christians we feel our faith is a difficult path to follow at times. When we are confronted with people who don't agree with our beliefs or find ourselves the brunt of jokes from people, we feel we are facing persecution. But I honestly believe the hardest stand to take is one where you life is at risk and taking a risk to become a believer of Jesus instead of what your culture and family would want for you is the biggest cross to bear. When the sentence is death for your beliefs much like the early church days were for the apostles that followed Jesus Christ.

In the latest novel, Two Destinies by Elizabeth Musser, faith is about to be tested in ways we probably would never imagine. Rislene Namani was raised a Muslim with a strong family belief in Islam, living in Algeria. But lately she sees that her family is beginning to change in ways that seem a bit extreme based on her beliefs and she sees them becoming more rigid in their ways. She learns about Jesus Christ through a chance meeting and when she does, she realizes that He is the answer she has been searching for. But if she were to tell her family, her father and younger sister would punish her severely. Much worse, the punishment for possessing a Bible is death and one she tries hard to make sure is hidden well. However when a nosy sister, begins believing that Rislene is up to no good, she uncovers the Bible hidden between her mattress and informs her father. As Rislene tries to explain, her father harshly slaps her and forbids her to continue in this manner. Rislene has no choice but to run away. Not only that, she has fallen in love with an Christian American man. Will she be able to continue in her new found faith or will she become one of the many martyrs for Jesus Christ?

Eric Hoffmann knows he must keep the love he has in his heart hidden for if anyone found out, not only would harm come to Rislene from her family and country but his life would be at risk. Eric knows all to much what the punishment is for Muslims who convert to Christianity if they are exposed. Even now Eric and other believers living in Algeria, have to make sure that the church meetings were kept hidden. If anyone discovered them, they could face severe persecution, punishment and death. The violence against believers has been increasing at an alarming rate in Algeria and it's one of the most hostile places to be. When Eric learns that Rislene's father has sent her to Algeria to visit her "ailing grandmother", he panics because he believes she is about to be forced into marriage against her will in order to force her to give up her beliefs in Jesus in an effort to control her.

I received Two Destinies by Elizabeth Musser compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and David C Cook for my honest review and have to say, it's been eye opening as a believer in Christ living in the US. It's hard for us sometimes to realize just how much others are truly persecuted in comparison to what we feel is difficult for us to endure in our faith. I've had the opportunity to meet a Muslim Christian and learn how difficult it truly is for them to give up everything, their culture, their way of life, even their families for the sake of following Jesus, and they gladly do it. There is hope even in sharing this novel with new Muslim Christians who are bound to be encouraged through this fictional series. For that reason I rate this novel a 5 out of 5 stars. This is the third book in the Secrets of the Cross Series and can be read as a stand alone. For those of you that would love to read the first two, begin with Two Crosses and then Two Testaments!

For more information on Two Destinies, Elizabeth Musser or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Two Destinies by Elizabeth Musser

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A Heartbeat Away

Oncology surgeon, Victoria "Tori" Taylor is a well-known for her ability to deal with the issues surrounding her patients. She is precise, methodical, and is successful most of the time. But it is her bedside manner and interpersonal relationships that lack the warm that should be present when dealing with her co-workers and patients. It's that arrogance of being great at what she does that have turned most of her co-workers against her. She is hated by the majority of the nursing staff, her interns cringe when they know they are assigned to follow her on rounds because in her eyes, they will never measure up to her perfect standards. Tori Taylor makes Dr. House look weak.

When fate deals Tori the worst hand possible, she is about to see things from a completely different side of the medical field, when a complication from a virus causes her own heart to fail and requires her to face a heart transplant if she wants to live. Now as she has to deal with those same nurses and staff in her own hospital, she begins to wonder if her own life is worth saving after all. When she wakes up in recovery, she learns how close to death she actually came and learns that she is being placed on a three month administrative leave and has to receive counseling before possibly returning to work. Seems like personnel at the hospital has received quite a few complaints regarding her actions from fellow employees and unless she agrees to change, she will be out of a job.

However, bad news from her employer isn't the only thing on Tori's mind when she awakens from her surgery. She know has memories from a horrible fire, a young women with green eyes and a heart tattoo telling her to remember the numbers 316 as they will be required to punish the men who did this to her. She must remember. Tori wonders just where the memories are coming from and begins to notice more changes in her own life as well. She is now more emotionally connected than ever before, she cries where she didn't feel any emotion to anything before, she is also acutely aware of peoples lives and can sense trouble in their lives without them telling her anything. Is it possible that the person who donated their heart to save hers, has some how transferred their memories along with their heart?

In the novel, A Heartbeat Away by Harry Kraus, MD, the reader is taken into a medical suspense thriller that begins to slow unwind over the course of the novel. Since Harry Kraus is a doctor, his attention to detail allows to reader to immediately get a feel for all the medical procedures that Tori is experiencing without going over the readers head. This makes the novel all the more enjoyable to experience while dealing with cellular memory, the hearts ability to capture memories and retain them, thus transferring a portion of their lives into the heart transplant recipient. But apparently it now puts Tori's life into danger as she works with Phin MacGrath, her counselor to discover who her donor was and what really happened to them.

I received A Heartbeat Away compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, David C Cook, and Net Galley for my honest review and have to say, I really enjoyed this one. I didn't quite know where it was headed but I was committed for the entire ride. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and this is my second book from Harry Kraus that I have completely enjoyed and recommend to those of you looking for a great medical suspense thriller with a twist!

For more information on A Heartbeat Away, Harry Kraus MD, and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Heartbeat Away by Harry Kraus, MD

You can also read more reviews from this book tour by clicking here.

You can find more outstanding books at David C. Cook publishers by clicking here.

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook (September 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143470257X
• ISBN-13: 978-1434702579