One Perfect Day

For Nora Peterson, this was going to be the Christmas her family would long remember. After all the countless times her husband, Gordon,  has been traveling for business, they were all going to be home together to celebrate those time honored traditions she had hoped would continue on as her twin teenagers Charlie and Christi grew and had families of their own. Knowing that Gordon would be flying home late from Germany she had hoped he would at least call to let her know he was on his way. When she tried calling his phone all she got was voice mail. The only thing she could do was simply pray that everything would be fine despite the worry settling in her stomach. Her children were expected home soon and then they would begin the Christmas celebration none of them would ever forget. Everything would be just perfect. .

For Jenna Montgomery, this would undoubtedly be her daughter, Heather's last Christmas. Growing weaker by the day due to a defect in her heart, she wasn't sure just where she was on the transplant list. For them, they refused to speak of things in their finality. Last time decorating the tree, last time making Christmas cookies or opening presents. At least for Jenna should could hope that it would be a good Christmas for Heather. But when she announced she was more tired than she expected and running a slight fever, Jenna knew from her experience as an ER nurse that these were not the signs of something good, but her worst fears being confirmed. She was losing Heather and they wouldn't even make it to see Christmas this year.

Sometimes life hands up things we hoped would never fall on our plates. We always hope that the bad things in life will escape us and happen to someone else. But when that doesn't happen, it is hard for us to remember how to breathe again. To remember despite all the doubts, that God is still in control even if it seems like this went by His attention unnoticed. If God can do anything, why doesn't He answer our prayers they way we want? For both the Peterson's and the Montgomery family, both of their prayers will be answered just not in the fashioned either had hoped. How each family deals with those answers takes the readers on a chilling look at what grief looks like during one of the worst times in a families life and how they will rise to find a way to move ahead and see the good God can bring from it.

I received One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups 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. This is a difficult novel to read because it deals with death and the implications that affect the family in such a surreal way, you can easily relate to what it must be like dealing with the situation. While grief affects us all differently, there is no time table for when life returns to normal. For some, they find solace in getting back into their routines again; for others simply trying to find a way to get through the day is a challenge in itself. I believe Lauraine did an exceptional job at taking one of the hardest subjects to face in life and show the beauty that can come from it even though it never fades. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and it even includes a reader discussion guide that is perfect for book clubs or for small study groups dealing with loss.

For more information about One Perfect Day, Lauraine Snelling or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling

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Not In The Heart

What would you do to save the life of your child? For most of us parents, the answer is an easy one. There isn't anything we wouldn't do. However for a man like Truman Wiley that answer has been a struggle. A difficult internal struggle at that. Being married to Ellen and having two children, Aiden and Abigail, he has spent his whole life trying to measure up to what he believes they expect and want from a husband and father. When he comes up short, he turns to his only addiction, gambling. Whether it's online or visiting a local casino or horsetrack, Truman finds that when he wins, he feels like he's on top of the world, able to meet the obligations to his family he feels they are owed, but when he loses as is often the case, he turns and runs. Runs away from the very thing he swore to protect and love, his family. This is where we find Truman as Not In The Heart begins by Chris Fabry.

Truman Wiley was once at the top of his game in journalism, over turning rocks to bring to light the slime of the world's worst whether they were in politics or in the lime light. He felt it was his true talent to not be afraid of the truth and be willing to report it, no matter how often his life was threatened. Until no one wanted to work or hire Truman any longer. Then he found that gambling provided the control he needed to maintain in his life. His personal life was a wreck.

His only son Aiden since he was young was diagnosed with a heart defect that would place their family under enormous financial and physical pressure. Not knowing from one day to the next if this was in fact their last time with Aiden, they lived on the edge. Ellen maintained the burden of caring for the children and family while Truman tried to find a way to make ends meet. When he failed, he ran. Ran away from the family that needed a husband and father more than a paycheck, but he couldn't see past that. He felt like a failure and until he could rise above once again, he would stay away. Better to do that than show himself to be a failure to those whose opinions mattered the most.

When Truman learns that there might be a way to save Aiden through an heart transplant of a man waiting on death row, he is curious how he could possibly help. When Ellen explains the wife, Helen Wright has one request that he write her husband's story of transformation from murder to reformed man since finding God in his life and is willing to pay him to do it, Truman takes the bait. What he learns in working through the evidence on the case, is that an innocent man may in fact be put to death. How can he is good conscience report the truth if it means his son may die if he doesn't get this heart transplant?

I received Not In The Heart by Chris Fabry compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and found it difficult not to relate to the characters Chris brings to life within the pages of his novel. From the internal struggle happening within Truman, it's easy to see how a man can judge his worth by what he brings to the table and how often he finds it's easier to give up rather than push forward when the challenge becomes to hard. Truman is forced to come to terms with all his past mistakes and it's hard to watch how often he will turn away from his family to work towards the goal of saving his son, but in the process is missing opportunity to connect with him while he wants to spend time with his dad.

I have known my own Truman in my personal life, with addictions to jobs. I can see how easy it would be to justify working long hours and missing personal time with your family for the reward of a paycheck because you think it justifies the time being away. It has taken me years to see that in life, there is a cost to everything, and not everything is worth the cost it takes on your personal life and family, we just need to see it. For this reason, this book will speak to hearts everywhere and shine the light of truth inside us all and for that, I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. Chris Fabry's writing style will touch your heart in ways you never thought imaginable and I can't wait to read the next one!

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Not In My Heart by Chris Fabry

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