Last Chance for Justice

Lynn Myers is trying to find a way to move forward in her life now that she has lost her husband Daniel after being married for thirty-five years. How does one simply pick up the pieces and move on? It doesn't help when she also receives a letter in the mail informing her that her only brother, Myron Cofield has also passed away and didn't want her to know about it. He stipulated in his will that his attorney was to wait at least three weeks after his death before notifying Lynn that she has inherited everything he owns. The only thing is, all he owns is in the small town of Bloomfield that Lynn grew up in as a child and subsequently moved away from when she married Daniel. Is it possible to go back to her beginning to try and find a new path this late in her life?

Armed with her dog Beasley and her daughter Rachel that has just returned home after graduating from Bible college, both women set off on a road trip to see just what Myron has left them. All they know is he used to live in a creepy two-story house next to the town's cemetery, I mean seriously who would want to live there? But all Lynn knows is that she can't continue to live in the house she and Daniel shared because everyday was another constant reminder of what she didn't have any longer and the person she loved would no longer answer her calls for him in their home.

When they arrive in Bloomfield, they are delighted by just how truly the small town feel really is. The waitress, Jolene Trump at Bert's Barbecue is still working there and must be about seventy now. However Lynn soon realizes that a lot of the people she grew up knowing are still living in Bloomfield, population 9, 978 and still home of the annual Spring Fling Festival. After meeting with her lawyer, Lynn and Rachel learn that the house is still situated at the end of Cemetery Road and that her brother insisted that the grounds keeper, Jason would be provided a place to live as long as they owned the house. He carry for the "garden" as he called the cemetery and the people buried there were his plants! He took his job very seriously and it seemed as if Myron and Jason had a great friendship since both of them lived like recluses.

It doesn't take Lynn long to learn that her brother Myron was in the midst of attempting to solve the mystery of righting the wrongs of long time resident Last Chance Justice. He hoped that Lynn would carry on in his quest if he died before finding out the truth. Now it's up to Lynn and Rachel to find out just what happened to Last Chance Justice before it's time to decide whether to sell Myron's home or will the call of small town Bloomfield speak volumes to both Lynn and Rachel and call them back home instead.

I received Last Chance for Justice by Kathi Macias compliments of B and H Publishing Group and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. I really loved this novel first of all for the small town appeal that Bloomfield immediate draws the readers in and makes you want to stay here. Second, is the mystery of finding out what happened to Last Chance Justice and if its possible this many years later to finally solve the town's mystery and bring the reputation of the town's most notorious criminal to rest in peace once and for all. I can't wait to read many more books in the Bloomfield series and just know that I will come to love them as much as the delightful characters you meet in this one. Hands down a 4.5 of out 5 stars in my opinion and a great novel to add to your summer reading list.

For more information about Last Chance for Justice, Kathi Macias or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Last Chance for Justice by Kathi Macias

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To read more reviews on Last Chance for Justice on the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here. 

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books (May 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433677172
• ISBN-13: 978-1433677175
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches 

Available in paperback and ebook formats are your local book retailer. 

Unexpected Christmas Hero

"The late November sunshine was thin and tepid, but a welcome interruption to the gray skies and constant drizzle that usually hung over the small Washington town of Riverview for the better part of eight or nine months each year. Josie Meyers shivered as she stood in line behind her two children, waiting their turn for a free Thanksgiving meal.

Tears bit her eyes at the memory of past Thanksgiving celebrations, particularly the most recent one the previous year. Though they had all been grieving the passing of Josie's mother, they still managed to turn the day into a festive occasion, as the four of them gathered around the table to give thanks for the spread that awaited them.

Sam, she thought. You stood there that day, offering a brief prayer of thanksgiving to a God I'm not sure you even believed in, and never let on for a moment that you hadn't a clue where our next meal would come from or how we'd make the mortgage payment that month. How in the world were you able to carry it off for so long? If you hadn't gotten sick, would you finally have found a way out of the mess we were in - or would you be standing here with the three of us now, begging for a hot meal and wondering where we'd sleep tonight?" (pg 9).

So now Josie is forced to take things one day at a time as she tries to find enough food and a place that is warm enough each night for herself and her young children Jacob and Susanna. There is a waiting list for government assisted housing so for now she kills time at the local library and mall until the shelters open each night. Occasionally she can save enough through food vouchers and her monthly checks to stay in a modest motel but more often than not, she's on the streets trying to stay warm and try til something better comes along.

In Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias, we find out what it's like to live through the eyes of Josie Meyers who had everything until her husband Sam died from cancer and left her owing more money then she could ever imagine. When their home was repossessed, there was no family members who would take her in and her pride kept her from calling on her friends to ask for help. She had hoped that some how, some way, that she could figure out a way to secure them all permanent housing but never realized that it would turn out like this. Now when she meets a homeless Vietnam Veteran by the name of Rick who offers her son Jacob the last piece of his pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, her life will be changed in unseen ways by the God she has abandoned in her search for hope.

I received Unexpected Christmas by Kathi Macias compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and New Hope Publishers for my honest review. Even though this is a Christmas story I can see the message that it contains being shared throughout the year. After reading this one, I felt like I had just witnessed a true Hallmark moment, like the movies that come out this time of the year. What an ideal movie this one would make and the impact to people seeing it would really spread the message of hope and faith in God no matter how dire the situations are in your life. I easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 Christmas Stars and have now added this one to my permanent shelf to read every single year. This is soon to be a classic in my opinion.

For more information about Unexpected Christmas Hero, Kathi Macias, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

You can also find Kathi Macias on Facebook to stay up to date with her latest books.

To read more reviews on Unexpected Christmas Hero from the Pump Up Your Book Tours, please click here. 

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers (October 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596693541
• ISBN-13: 978-1596693548
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches

Special Delivery

Kathi Macias has always placed a unique passion into her books and Special Delivery is no exception. Written as a sequel to Delivery Me From Evil in her Freedom Series, we pick up once again with the story of Mara. Mara has finally found freedom herself after spending a lifetime in the human trafficking ring that was run by her Uncle. She has spent the last two years striving for citizenship in the United States, while her Uncle Jefe seeks his revenge for her betrayal and arrest. She makes her living working as a waitress in a seafood cafe in San Diego and is trying hard to put her tragic past behind her.

Jonathan Flannery, a Bible college student, was one of the men responsible for Mara's rescue along with other girls being held against their will and forced into prostitution. He now finds himself wondering about how Mara is doing and what is going on her life. His family was instrumental in taking Jonathan's advice that human trafficking was going on near him and that Mara was one of the missing girls he had seen on the streets. Now the family has taken a proactive role in preventing and locating girls involved in human trafficking and prostitution. There appears to be an attraction between Jonathan and Mara but because of Mara's previous encounters with men, she has sworn off them completely.

Just as Mara believes she is finally moving forward she encounters a pregnant girl that she believes is mixed up in another trafficking ring and finds herself slowly being dragged back into helping her escape. However, her Uncle Jefe has plans for Mara thanks to her testimony in bringing him to justice and he's not about to let her forget she's the one responsible for putting him in prison.

I received Special Delivery by Kathi Macias compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review. I had read the first book in the series and wanted to know just how this would all turn out for Mara so I had to pick this one up. The subject matter of the story is very real and for some readers it might be difficult to deal with the horrors that are happening not just in this country but all over the world. Suddenly all those child kidnapping stories seem too real and what the end results might be are horrifying to comprehend. I applaud Kathi once again for shining a beacon onto the plight of child prostitution and human trafficking in her books and highly recommend this book for the awareness it brings to the surface. This book can be read as a stand alone without having read the previous one, but it makes the story so much more meaningful when you can see how it all got started in the first place. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars!

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

Special Delivery by Kathi Macias

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People of the Book

Farah Mohammed Al Otaibi lay bruised and bloody on the floor beside her bed. The image of her soft mattress floated in and out of her consciousness, as did the rank smells of urine and feces and blood. But she had no strength to drag herself from her current position. Even the slightest movement brought stabs of excruciating pain, so she tried to remember to keep her breathing shallow and her body still.

How long had she been here? Hours, certainly. Days? She couldn't be sure. Her father and brother had covered the windows with heavy, dark cloth, blocking out any light that might help her keep track of time.

Hunger wasn't an issue, for who could think of food when the pain was so intense? But thirst? Oh, how she longed for just a sip of cool water! Surely her mother would sneak in son and bring her some. She had always taken care of her before -

Before ...

The memory was back, though she tried desperately to block it out. Impossible. She could never forget that moment in time, for it was the dividing line between the before and after of her life. Before the tragedy that led to her brother's discovery. Before her father had flown into a rage over what he considered his daughter's betrayal and treachery. Before they had threatened to kill her in order to preserve teh family's honor. Before he mother had tried to intervene.

Hot tears pricked the back of Farah's eyelids, as the vision of her mother's face before - and after - swam in front of her eyes. The pain in her heart at that moment far exceeded anything she felt in her body. Then suddenly, inexplicably, the meaning of her name - Farah, joy and cheerfulness - burst into her consciousness. Despite her agony and sorrow, Farah was unable to hold back the brief burst of laughter that exploded from her aching chest. How absurd that her parents had given her a name that implied happiness, and yet she now wondered if she had ever truly understood or experienced an of it in her not quite nineteen years of life.

But then she had met Isa, and everything - both good and bad - had changed forever.

In the novel, People of the Book by Kathi Macias, we get the opportunity to view first hand through the eyes of Farah, what it's like living in Saudi Arabia and living as a practicing Muslim. However when Farah's life is interrupted by a vision from Isa, Jesus Christ, she feels conflicted in whether what she has believed all her life has been a lie, and with that knowledge, changing her faith is not that simple. It would mean certain death if her family found out. Will she be willing to take that risk?

I received this novel compliments of Kathi Macias for my honest review and once again she doesn't disappoint her readers. This one was a 5 out of 5 star in my personal opinion and gave me insight into just how much we take our religious freedoms here in the United States for granted. No where can someone select another religion and feel free to practice their beliefs and remain safe. Whereas, in places like Saudi Arabia, you may in fact lose your life for choosing something other than Islam as your religion.

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

People Of The Book by Kathi Macias

You can also find her on Facebook by clicking here.

A Christmas Journey Home

A modern day version of the Christmas Nativity is brought to life on the pages of the latest book by Kathi Macias, A Christmas Journey Home. Two families lives are weaved together by God's answer to pray and to promote the healing that each of them need at Christmas.

Isabella Alcantara's life has been disrupted by the recent gang violence in Mexico. Her entire family, brothers and sisters, mother and father will all fatally killed when a gang filled their home full of bullets one night. The only reason Isabella is still alive is that she is married to Francisco, and they now live in a different home. Fearing for their continued safety especially now that Isabella is seven months pregnant, her grandfather, gives her enough money so that her and Francisco can escape Mexico via a "coyote" who promises them a way across the border.

Living on a 30-acre ranch that runs along the Arizona border, Miriam Nelson's life is shattered when her husband, David is killed during his line of work as a Border Patrol Agent. Leaving Miriam and her young son, Davey alone, her mom, Caroline soon joins them to keep the ranch from being sold as they struggle to find a way to make ends meet.

As the story progresses, we will soon see how the lives of each of them are transformed and completely changed forever as each of them struggles during difficult circumstances to hold onto what remaining faith they have that God does answer prayers.



I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and loved the parallel between the Biblical version of the nativity and the miracle that happens on Christmas Eve in this story. A true inspirational story for anyone struggling with the answer of why bad things happen to faithful believers and how God does answer our prayers, just not in the way we would like to see them answered. A true 5 out of 5 stars and a definitely must read. Kathi Macias is climbing her way to the top of one of my favorite authors of all time. For more information about this book, the author and where you can pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

A Christmas Journey Home by Kathi Macias

You can also find Kathi on Facebook by clicking here.

Deliver Me From Evil

Perhaps one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time, exposes the world of child kidnapping and human trafficking. Often times we think this happens in other countries far away from us, but we would be so shocked to learn that it may in fact be happening in our own neighborhoods in this country.

Using a fiction based story, Deliver Me From Evil by Kathi Macias is an eye-opening and tragic story of one girl, Maria whose name is changed to Mara is sold by her family in Mexico to her uncle in hopes of a better life. The better life she had dreamed of turns into a nightmare when she learns she has been sold into a prostitution ring and her uncle is running it. Now year later, Mara has found a way to cope, a way to place herself outside of what is happening to her body in hopes that one day she will die from the hands of one of clients who beats and abuses her. She knows she can never escape and find a life of freedom again.

Jonathan is on the verge of graduating high school and works nights delivering pizza at Slice of Italy. Only tonight's delivery will change his life forever when he encounters a young girl running from a motel room, half naked, begging him for help. An older man appears and takes the young girl back from him, claiming he is her father and she is mentally unstable and hasn't been taking her meds. Just as Jonathan tries to intervene, Mara calls for the young girl and validates the story. Thinking nothing more of it, Jonathan leaves, but can not forget the image or the young girls face pleading for his help.



In the novel, Deliver Me From Evil from Kathi Macias, the first book in the Freedom series, Kathi takes the reader into the world of human trafficking in the prostitution market within San Diego as the setting for this story. Finding it difficult to read as a parent of two girls, this book really hit home for me. Wondering if this isn't really occurring in our own towns and neighborhoods as young girls go missing, claimed by police as merely runaways or the victims of internet dating. How would a parent ever know if their child wasn't a victim of this senseless crime that is happening all over the world, especially when kids are walking home from school or attending late night events or a day at the beach.

This makes the reader more aware that these things are happening and even want to take a proactive approach at seeing this end. Not just criminals placed behind bars but for the need of this type of service to end and the tragic lives that are taken away forever, finding a way to heal the pain inside. I want to thank Kathi for taking a stand and writing a difficult novel with a strong story line like this one, if not to create an awareness in us, but to cause us to help in finding a way to stop this abuse once and for all.

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and New Hope Publishers for my honest review and highly recommend it. Not a subject for young adults but definitely something that the church ministries should all actively be pursuing in their own communities. The more aware we become, the more we can find a way to end this nightmare for those involved. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

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

Deliver Me From Evil by Kathi Macias

You can also find Kathi on Facebook by clicking here.