The Dandelion Field

Oh how Max hated dandelions. He believed that they ruined the look of the yard. He battled those dandelions constantly. His young son Cody, however saw the dandelions as an endless supply just steps from his front door to gather into bouquets perfect for his mom, Evie. It was no wonder that Cody would be upset when he can home from preschool to find his field of dandelions had been mowed down. When Max went to pick Cody up the next day, he didn't come inside right away. Instead Max and Cody were in the yard, blowing dandelion seeds everywhere. Max said that they were planting a dandelion field.

Why would a man who constantly waged war against dandelions plant them on purpose?

Max replied, "You do whatever you have to do so they know you love them."

This would be the lasting memory that Evie Bennett would reflect on whenever she twisted the gold band she still wore after all these years, like a combination lock to those precious times she would remember the love Max so unconditionally gave them both before dying as a firefighter. It was also the reason Evie didn't want her son, Cody now on the verge of graduating to make that his career.

Thankfully though she had Dan Moretti, her friend and Max's friend from childhood to help become like a mentor and father figure to Cody all these years. He was on the verge of unlimited possibilities for his future when they are both rocked by the news that Cody is going to be a father. Something any of them didn't see coming, especially with Cody's faith being as strong as they could have hoped.

But life is like that, instead of it working out as you have planned, perhaps God has other things in mind. But that is not what Ginevieve Lightly believes when her daughter Raine drops the news in her lap. She was hoping her illness was the result of an eating disorder not morning sickness. She didn't even realize that Raine was dating or seeing anyone. She had hoped that the one year she promised Raine they would stay in Banister Falls, Wisconsin as the result of her car breaking down, would give them time for a fresh start, just not the start either of them were looking to find. All Gin can think of is her own past experiences and how just when you need men the most is when they are no where to be found. What would they do now?

I received The Dandelion Field by Kathryn Springer compliments of Zondervan Publishing and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. This is such a moving novel because the characters have to deal with a difficult situation and keep the relationships of both Cody and Raine from falling apart. They offer a look at what supportive parents and friend do when facing with insurmountable issues of an unexpected pregnancy from the perspectives of believers and non believers alike. The emotions are well thought out and expressed like you would find in a situation like this, but the side of relying on your faith is what gets you through. I think the theme of this novel is the simple statement of what Max exemplified to his son Cody, "You do whatever you have to do so they know you love them." I loved this novel and give it 5 out 5 stars in my opinion. There is a reader's discussion guide at the conclusion that is perfect for book clubs!

For more information about The Dandelion Field, Kathryn Springer or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Dandelion Field by Kathryn Springer

You can find Kathryn Springer on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Dandelion Field, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page. 


Get ready for Valentine's Day with a new story of romance and falling in love in Kathryn Springer's The Dandelion Field. The handsome firefighter makes a living “coming to the rescue,” but Gin is used to fighting her own battles. Can a woman who doesn't believe in happy endings take a chance on a new beginning? 

Celebrate a second chance at love and family with Kathryn by entering her Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• The Dandelion Field

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 15th. Winner will be announced February 16th on the Litfuse blog.

  {NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

Proof of Angels

"Life is not just a bunch of disconnected events and people. It's not just a random stream of coincidences. There are reasons, and we may not know them or recognize them and we may not understand them, but we have to trust that there are reasons beyond us, because I've seen it work out enough. It doesn't mean we will all live forever. It doesn't mean bad things won't happen or we won't feel sad sometimes, but it does mean that we can't discount the miraculous in the mundane." (209).

Firefight Sean Magee never believed in angels before even as he watched his nephew Colm die after numerous attempts to try and save him from his heart defect. As Colm slowly passed from this world to the next, Sean knew that despite all the claims Colm had that heaven was real, he still doubted. He doubted until he saw what he believed was an angel at Colm's side that night. He wouldn't remember it was the very same until Sean found himself trapped in a burning building. Unable to locate his way out in the black smoke, Sean uttered a prayer to God that if he saved him, he would spend the rest of his life being a better man, and just like that the angel appeared to lead him to the third floor window. Sean's only issue was jump from this height or risk being burned further from the flames following him out.

So he jumped, not knowing if he would die in the process or be forever crippled and unable to walk. When he woke up, he was neither. Against all the odds, Sean lived even though it would take months of rehabilitation to restore his shattered legs and back and recover from the burns. Now as he spends time thinking about how he can make good on his promises, he can't help but wonder if angels are real or if he was just imagining that had happened. He would eventually discover that" the secret to happiness is not wanting. It's not getting what you've always hoped for or imagined. It's managing your expectations." (275). Perhaps, just perhaps, there are angels after all in the unlikeliest of places, just when we need them the most.

I received Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. I loved this novel, especially after being familiar with Sean Magee where readers were introduced to him in Proof of Heaven. This is his story, "about finding second chances, about failure and forgiveness, about doubt and faith, and about all the angels who touch us along the way. The ones who might just bump into us long enough to nudge us on our way and the ones who stay in our lives forever and guide us indefatigably toward the light."(24). I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and truly believe that there are angels around us, and some happen to be the people we need in our lives who are inspired and encouraged to help make us all better people. There is also Reading Group Discussion Questions at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about Proof of Angels, Mary Curran Hackett, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett

You can find Mary Curran Hackett on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

For more reviews on Proof of Angels, please visit William Morrow's website. 

Saved by the Fireman

Just when Charlotte Taylor thinks her life is perfect, she is in for a rude awakening. Just as she had assured her grandmother that things were finally settling down at her job and her financial future looked secure, her grandmother wasn't as sure as Charlotte was. Now that her grandmother had passed away leaving her an inheritance she wasn't supposed to use for anything but for fulfilling her dreams and having fun, Charlotte learns she is about to laid off. Seems like her grandmother had insight into her future she didn't even though the signs were right in front of her.

So Charlotte decides that she will take her grandmother's advice and follow her dream even if most in her situation wouldn't recommend what she is about to take on. Buying a cottage she has dreamed of owning and renovating it the way she envisioned. She knows it will only be a matter of time, before one of her resumes lands her another job and she has the time invest in completing the project right now. Following her heart, she buys the small cottage in Gordon Falls but soon realizes that it will need more work than she thought.

Jesse Sykes is just two months away from saving enough money to buy the cottage he knows he can easily renovate and turn it around to make a tidy profit. Just what he needs to launch his own company and begin to buy and flip even more properties in the future. His parents, despite their best intentions, have never seemed to offer Jesse much encouragement in career as a volunteer firefighter. They don't understand why he would put his life on the line without getting any monetary compensation to do it. He's hoping that if he can purchase this cottage, he might be well on his way to proving them that he can make something of his life.

Only he didn't plan on someone beating him to it. When he learns that Charlotte has purchased "his" cottage, he is less than thrilled. But since she is friends with the Chief's wife, he knows that he can at least ensure she isn't taken advantage of in the repair costs to renovate it. It will at least be something he can profit from since he can do the work and perhaps build up his own nest egg to buy another property later. Only what he doesn't plan on is falling for Charlotte in the process. Will he be able to keep a professional distance from her or will God have something bigger in mind for her in the future.

I received Saved by a Fireman by Allie Pleiter compliments of Harlequin Love Inspired 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. The Love Inspired division of Harlequin Romance is such an way to read a wonderful romance with the values you'd come to expect in a Christian Romance novel. These are small enough to fit in your purse to read anywhere you find the time, and feel like you've read a much larger novel in the process. I love the idea of a dream renovation and romance all in one, especially with a fireman who can cook a wonderful meal including dessert!! I highly recommend and can rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Saved by the Fireman, Allie Pleiter or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Saved by the Fireman by Allie Pleiter

You can find Allie Pleiter on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Saved by the Fireman, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page. 

Firestorm

For me it's so rare to have a book grab me by the heartstrings so strong that my emotions are complete bond to it like I have found in the latest novel by Lisa Tawn Bergren in Firestorm. When it can make me sigh at just the right moments and cry at the saddest ones, then in my opinion, the writer is truly using her God-given talents. Oh she completely had me in this one every step of the way in the characters lives that she so eloquently created.

In this Full Circle Series, Firestorm is book 6. In never having read any of the previous 5, I was a bit optimistic that I would feel left out. NOT the case at all. This one can be read as a stand alone but I feel after finishing this one, I would DEFINITELY go back and inhale the other 5 to get to know the characters more and because Lisa's writing is so well crafted for the reader.

In Firestorm, we are taken immediately into a fire where our main character, Reyne Oldre is leading a team of women firefighters in a task to help curb what is known as the Oxbow fire. By digging trenches into the fire line, they are hoping that they will create a break to keep the fire from spreading. As they fight to reach the other team in the middle, the winds suddenly change and the fire roars to new heights. Racing for shelter in a nearby meadow, Reyne and her team try to cover themselves with fire retardant tents to help protect themselves from being overcome by the heat and flames. They will have to ride this one out in the mouth of the dragon. When it is all over, Reyne discovers that her team has suffered losses, losses that she will be forever bound to when she loses 4 of her team members.

Now she struggles with that fear from her past as she begins working with a handsome smoke jumper, Logan McCabe. She worries if God will help her deal with the fear of the unknown when she finds herself being drawn into first a friendship and then to a romance with Logan. Knowing the hazards of the job, Reyne wants Logan to opt for a management position to keep him out of the line of fire, but Logan tries to remind Reyne his fate isn't something either of them can control. She must learn to put aside her feelings and learn to trust God in whatever the outcome will be. Along the way, Reyne has to amazing friends, Rachel and Beth who show her through their unconditional love just what God can do in her own life.

I received Firestorm by Lisa Tawn Bergren compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review and LOVED ever single moment of this one. I literally read it in a matter of hours because I simply could not leave either character hanging without knowing how this would end. Lisa keeps the reader challenged in very real-world ways with both of her character so the reader can relate to dealing with worry and fear that you may never see the love of your life again being you both are engaged in a life-or-death job. I think that is where she gains the biggest advantage in hooking her readers. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and now am off to purchase the other 5 books in this series. For those of you that love firefighters, a bit of romance and a great Christian message, then I know you will absolutely be in love with this one as much as I am.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Firestorm by Lisa Tawn Bergren

You can also follow Lisa on Facebook and keep up on all her latest releases by clicking here.

You can find this title at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers by clicking here.

After All

In the final book in the Hanover Falls Series, After All by Deborah Raney provides the reader with a sense of closure in one instance and a moving forward and new beginnings in another. Susan Marlowe is beginning to pick up the pieces of the life she knew that was destroyed in ashes just eighteen months ago, when her husband David and four other firefighters were killed in an accidental fire at Grove Street Shelter.

She was the one responsible for running the homeless shelter despite her husband David's misgivings about wondering if the shelter was doing more harm than good to the cities residents. Yet when fights, and threats began to break out there, David felt that Susan was opening herself up for more trouble than it was worth and their marriage began to take a turn for the worse, with each of them spending more time at their jobs than at working on strengthening their marriage.

Now that Susan has begun to rebuild the Grove Street Shelter in a building across from where the former one stood, she is once again making the headlines in the local paper, The Courier. Seems now that Bee Quinton, feels its her responsibility to seek the answers for two letters to the editor about the homeless shelter and its purpose in bringing out the worst criminals to the city. When Susan takes the bait in defense of the good the shelter offers families in need a place to stay over sleeping in their car, she does more harm than good in feeding Bee just what she needs to make the front page.

Fortunately for Susan, not everyone believes the homeless shelter is a bad thing for the city when Chief Peter Brennan speaks out in her defense reminding the citizens of Susan's diligence in having fire alarms and smoke detectors installed. Now if only he can keep his mind on the tasks of running the local fire station instead of romantic thoughts about Susan. However Peter finds himself the source of competition between Susan and fire inspector Andrea Morley, a first in his life since his previous wife Lana left him when they couldn't have children.

Just what type of closure will After All bid for its readers in this series conclusion? You'll have to pick up the book and find out. Even though this is the third and final book in the series, there is enough back story for the reader that this one can be read as a stand alone, but trust me, if this is the first book you've had the pleasure to read from Deborah, you'll definitely want to pick up the other two.

I received After All by Deborah Raney compliments of Glass Road Public Relations for my honest review and LOVED it! Just the perfect amount of suspense and romance to keep the reader entertained and turning pages til the end. If you love Christian Romance novels or have a spark for firefighters, then this is a MUST read for you! I rate this one a sizzling 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

After All by Deborah Raney

You can also find Deborah Raney on Facebook by clicking here or visiting her website.

The previous two novels in this series are Almost Forever and Forever After for those of you looking for the entire series to enjoy!

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416599959
• ISBN-13: 978-1416599951
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches

Falls Like Lightning

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Falls Like Lightning Bethany House (July 1, 2011) by Shawn Grady

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shawn Grady signed with Bethany House Publishers in 2008. He was named “Most Promising New Writer” at the 39th Annual Mount Hermon Writers Conference. He is the author of the novels Through the Fire, Tomorrow We Die & Falls Like Lightning.

Shawn has served for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada. From fire engines and ambulances to tillered ladder trucks and helicopters, Shawn’s work environment has always been dynamic. The line of duty has carried him to a variety of locale, from high-rise fires in the city to the burning heavy timber of the eastern Sierras.

After graduating from James Logan High School in Union City, California, Shawn attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego as a Theology undergrad. There he found clarity of direction and proceeded on to acquire an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology as well as Paramedic licensure through Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.

Shawn currently lives in Reno, just outside of Lake Tahoe. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife, three children and yellow Labrador.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When hotshot smoke jumper Silas Kent gets his own fire crew, he thinks he's achieved what he's always wanted. But a lightning-sparked fire in the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas has his team in a plane before they can even train together.

Pilot Elle Westmore has been called up to drop the crew into the heart of the forest infernos. A single mother of a mysteriously ill six-year-old, she can't imagine her life getting any more complicated.

It doesn't take long for things to go very wrong, very quickly. A suspicious engine explosion forces Elle to make an emergency landing. Silas is able to parachute to safety but soon discovers his crew can't be trusted. They're hiding something, and now Silas is on a race to save himself and Elle from the flames--and from a more dangerous threat: his own team.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Falls Like Lightning, go HERE

My Review:

If you're a fan of fire-fighters, smoke jumpers or pilots who run the risk of helping either fight fires in the forests, then Falls Like Lightning is for you. Two separate stories collide as Elle fights her demons from the past when she is called to be a pilot for the latest fires in Lake Tahoe. More experienced than anyone else over the terrain, she accepts the job. Little does she know it will involve flying over the same area where her father's plane crashed and was never found.

Silas Kent doesn't realize that Elle is about to become his pilot for the latest fire-fighting he's been called up to deal with. Dealing with a past relationship that didn't end well for her, he feels pulled in making amends with her why he left so many years ago. What he doesn't plan on is that she has a daughter who is very ill and seeking a diagnosis to help determine the cause for her seizures.

In the midst of these fires, a band of fire-fighters has come across the Independence Gold, that will make all of them rich beyond their wildest dreams and they have been called into the area where the mine is located to fight the fire. Only the two people on board they weren't counting on were Elle and Silas.

I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and LOVED it. I could actually feel the heat from the fires surrounding them and the raging smoke filling the air. I felt the author has such an eye for details that make this story every bit as believable as if you were watching the latest on the news instead of reading a great fictional story. This one rates a scorching 5 out of 5 stars. This is my second book by Shawn Grady and loved this one as much as the first.

Forever After

When a fire in a homeless shelter changes the lives of so many, will it be possible to rebuild on those dreams again?

Jenna Morgan lost her husband Zach in the fire, as a fireman who couldn't escape in time before the building collapsed. Now she is stuck with some secrets that she didn't reveal to anyone but Bryn her best friend and also the person responsible for setting the fire. Jenna's moved on beginning with forgiving Bryn, but the one person she can't forgive is herself. For living a lie the entire time she was married to Zach. Is it possible for her to find forgiveness in knowing God or will she be held back by her past?

Lucas Vermontez lost twice what Jenna did in the fire. He not only lost his father, but also the use of his legs when the building collapsed. Spending the last year in rehab completing physical therapy, he struggles with letting go on career as a fireman and moving forward to see what possibilities God has in store for him. He also struggles with the strong feelings he has for his best friend's wife, Jenna. Can God work to unite them both and heal their pasts?



In the latest novel, Forever After by Deborah Raney, we get to see how holding on to our past mistakes can not only leave us feeling worthless but also prevents God from carrying that burden for us and allowing us to leave it behind. I received this book compliments of Glass Roads Public Relations for my honest review and LOVED it. This is a perfect gift that shows us how too often we can be our own worst enemies to true happiness. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars and is a must read.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

This is the second book by Deborah Raney from the Hanover Falls series. This is a great story of the love of God and the redemption He offers to anyone if they are only willing! For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, click on the link below:

Forever After by Deborah Raney

You can also follow Deborah Raney on Facebook by clicking here.

You can also visit her on her website by clicking here!