Catherine's Pursuit

What would you think if everything you thought about the last 18 years of your life had been a complete lie?

That's the gift, Catherine McKenna received from her father on the day of her 18th birthday. He confessed to her that when she was born, she was one of three babies born to her mother the day she died. Facing a difficult challenge of trying to raise three newborn daughters while traveling to California along the wagon trail, he made the best decision he could and allowed two other couples to raise the girls as their own. He kept Catherine because she was the first born. She had always dreamed of what it might be like to have siblings and now to learn that she has two sisters the same age as herself, has inspired her to find them and reunite no matter what it may cost or how long it may take.

Collin Elliot was hoping to find a way to get a fresh start on the life he feels he has already failed at. Being one of the youngest captains for Angus McKenna, he lost his first ship in a violent and unexpected storm. Thankfully no lives were lost due to his quick thinking, but it is something he hasn't been able to put behind him. He feels that everywhere he goes, people are judging him based on that part of his life, and is searching desperately for a way to turn things around. When Angus McKenna provides him with a way, to keep an eye on his daughter, Catherine McKenna who is gone searching for her sisters,  he wonders if God has given him a second change at more than just his life.

In the conclusion to the McKenna's Daughters Series by Lena Nelson Dooley, Catherine's Pursuit is the icing on the cake. I've had the pleasure to review all the previous novels in this series and while you don't need to read them in order to gain a sense of appreciation for this novel, you will be compelled to once you read Catherine's story. In each of the previous novels, each of the sister's story is defined and this one wraps them all together as Catherine hopes for a reunion that none of them ever expected. Along the way, both Catherine and Collin discover more than either of them were looking for. Collins is hoping to put his failed past in his eyes behind him and Catherine hopes to make amends to a life she had only dreamed about. This is the story of forgiveness and renewal and also gives readers a bit of the back story into the painful decision that Angus was faced with making those 18 years ago as a father to triplets.

I received Catherine's Pursuit by Lena Nelson Dooley compliments of Realms Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I have received no compensation to provide a favorable review of this novel. Being a huge lover of historical fiction and having read the previous novels in the McKenna's Daughters Series, I was excited to see how Lena would wrap up this story of loss between the three daughters who has believed all along that they were the only ones to be raised by their respective families and later learn that there are other siblings that they were separated from their whole lives. It truly is one of the best family reunions with Collin attempting to watch over Catherine along her journey with only her lady's maid accompanying her with the search. It's a great novel and one I rate a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my personal opinion.

For more information about Catherine's Pursuit, Lena Nelson Dooley or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Catherine's Pursuit by Lena Nelson Dooley

You can also find Lena Nelson Dooley on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Catherine's Pursuit from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here. 

 The McKenna's Daughters Series:

# 1 - Maggie's Journey
# 2 - Mary's Blessing
# 3 - Catherine's Pursuit

The Return of Cassandra Todd

When Turner Caldwell left high school behind, he had hoped all the memories of being bullied went right along with them. Being the focus of many high school pranks, he couldn't wait to graduate and leave those times long behind him. Yet little did he know that those old memories would resurface in unexpected ways and literally right under his nose. When Cassandra Todd and her three-year-old son, Justin arrive in town, all those old feelings of his high school crush come rushing back. She was the ever popular cheer leader and it seemed like even then she didn't acknowledge him so why should today be any different.

Working as a handy man at the Mountain View Motel in Lakewood, Colorado and attending college pretty much occupied all his hours in a day. He had hoped one day to reap the benefits of working for Camp Kopawanee and helping troubled teens in a survival camp. Now supplementing his college classes in outdoor education and Psychology, he had hoped to one day make a difference unlike his former life in high school. Taking his ever present to do list from Harvey Jones, the owner of the motel, he found himself face to face with Cassandra in Room 21 to replace the door chain. What he doesn't expect to to find himself involved in helping Cassandra and Justin hide from her abusive husband, and one time high school bully, Brad Duncan.

When Cassandra leaves him in the middle of the night hoping to find a safe haven, she didn't think she'd run into Turner Caldwell, but she truly believes in the power of prayer and knows Turner is sent to her from God to help. But no matter how many times they try and avoid detection from Brad Duncan and his two thugs, they seem to be one step behind. Now that Turner's involved, Brad's out to make sure this time, Turner stays put even if it means killing him in the process. Will Turner be able to help Cassandra and Justin find peace or will Brad follow through with his threats and kill Cassandra and Turner and take back his son?

I received The Return of Cassandra Toddy by Darrel Nelson compliments of Realms Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. This is the second book written by Darrel that I have had the pleasure and true honor to review and I am so thrilled I did. His writing style immediately engages you from the prologue and even though you know how it might turn out, just being along for the action thrill ride is guaranteed to give you white knuckles turning pages and holding on to the book! I love how the survival training Turner has experienced in growing up, he is able to utilize when things go wrong and the threesome find themselves in a true survival situation in the mountains and no phone service. I absolutely LOVED how Darrel incorporates all this into this novel and kept me engaged until I turned the final page leaving me truly breathless. Well done, once again Darrel Nelson and I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!! Can't wait for Following Rain coming soon!

For more information about The Return of Cassandra Todd, Darrel Nelson or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Return of Cassandra Todd by Darrel Nelson

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

For more reviews from Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour for The Return of Cassandra Todd, please click here. 

Grace Given

If you understand the Amish people at all, you know that they don't like conflict and will avoid all acts of vengeance or involving the police to deal with any issues they have. They are a peaceful people and prefer to let God deal out the judgements if laws are broken. However when a group of Amish people settle in Texas, a group of English teens are about to make sure they get the message that they are not wanted. Knowing that the Amish will not retaliate, they first come across Elsie and her sister Katie Yoder, walking home one day. They begin to verbally assault them with all kinds of derogatory comments and proceed to leer at them. Katie and Elsie both run for their farm and agree not to tell anyone about what just happened.

Yet once a lie begins it becomes harder and harder to keep it a secret. Now that Katie has left her family along with Jake, the boy Elsie had believed had feelings for her to live among the English. Elsie is left not only to deal with her hurt feelings of being betrayed by her sister and Jake and now has to face continued harassment from the group of English teens that have found an easy mark with Elsie. She finds solace in studying the Martyrs Mirror, an old book that takes about the persecution of the Amish people with her friend Gideon Lapp. Only Gideon wishes his friendship with Elsie may in fact turn into love at some point. However dealing with her heartache with Jake, puts those plans on the back burner and creates a door for Jake's brother Mose to enter with Elsie as they have a common ground for conversation.

In the second book of the Touch of Grace series by Beth Shriver, Grace Given teaches us all how to deal with situations in life that prove difficult. Whether it's a broken heart, a betrayal from a family member or even being harassed, the grace God provides never comes back empty handed. This was such a different Amish novel to read, in that dealing with the harassment from the English teens was something you often wonder about when the Amish community moves into a new location and can create animosity among the residents that live there especially when the Amish start new business opportunities that create a need for their products and services over the English ones. A well written novel that completely captivated me from start to finish and can't wait to read the next one, Healing Grace which the reader is given a glimpse into at the conclusion of this novel.

I received Grace Given by Beth Shriver compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Realm Publishers for my honest review and have to rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. The story was a lot different that your typical Amish novels and dealt with a lot of issues facing the world today in our own communities. It just shows how the Amish would likely have handled it with a touch of grace instead of retaliation like most would. For more information about Grace Given, Beth Shriver or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Grace Given by Beth Shriver

You can also find Beth Shriver on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

You can find more reviews on Grace Given on the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour by clicking here. 

Mystery of the Heart

Sometimes the beginnings for love can be found in the most unusual of circumstances. Mercy Grayson is truly thankful just to be alive. She has managed to have found the safety and security of land, after nearly being lost at sea. Now washed ashore, she wonders where she is. She looks up into the face of a man, Lord Edon, who tells her she has found her way to England and is about more than confused at the clothing she is wearing. Not what a woman would normally would, she has managed to wear a man's jacket and pants and if it were not for them, she would have drowned for sure.

She begs Lord Edon to help her find her sister, but refuses to offer any more explanation at just who she is and how she arrived washed up on the shore with no signs of a ship wreck in sight. Lord Edon tells her that the ship he is traveling on is filled with men who have the most unpure intentions if they were to know she is a woman, so he insists on cutting off her long hair to make her appear as a young lad to match the clothing and ensure her passage on the ship. He reminds her to speak to no one and to remain in his cabin until they dock.

When they arrive at the ship, she learns that Lord Edon probably saved not only her life but reputation as well keeping her identity hidden from the crew. He has her placed in his cabin under the ruse of being a valet he has found on the shore. She makes herself comfortable as best as she can, staying hidden in his cabin. While searching for a shirt to wear while her clothes dry, she comes across a wooden box that contains a spear head inside. Not sure what it is, she places the contents back in the box and covers it once more with clothing.

When the ship docks, Mercy has Lord Edon take her to her sister, Victoria's home and tells him that she is indeed royalty which he finds hard to believe. She is Lady Mercy Grayson of Ravensmoore and now the mystery is beginning to unfold as to how she found herself on the shores of North Umberland and what transpired to cause her to wind up in the ocean from Scotland. It seems both Lord Edon and Lady Grayson each have a bit of a secret each of them is hiding and neither one wants to be the first to tell their tales. Perhaps fate has dealt them each a different hand that is about to converge.

I received Mystery of the Heart by Jillian Kent compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Realm Publishers for my honest review. This is the third book in the Ravensmoore Chronicle Series and delivers its finest to true traditional regencies fans! I love reading books with a strong, determined woman character who finds her interests lie in a man's world but still wish to pursue it despite what society may deem is inappropriate for a woman. In this case studying medicine and it seems as though God has truly blessed Lady Mercy Grayson will more than just a healing touch! I rate this book a true 5 out of 5 stars and find myself a true die hard Jillian Kent fan!

For more information about Mystery of the Heart, Jillian Kent, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Mystery of the Heart by Jillian Kent

You can also find Jillian Kent on her blog to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Mystery of the Heart from the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tour, please click here. 

The Telling

Some legends have no real basis. They are simply made up stories from an over active imagination. The stuff designed to frighten people or told by campfires. Then there are the legends that are so horrifying and true, you only wish they were made up stories.

In the suspense thriller, The Telling by Mike Duran, the lives of four unique characters are about to intersect at the crossroads of pure evil awakening from a long slumber deep within the hills of Endurance, a small isolated town just north of Death Valley off of Interstate 395. Only some have heard of the legend of the Madness of Endurance, a mass suicide of the residents of a small town many years ago that seems to be creeping it's way into the residents of a small convalescent home, Marvale Manor. It seems like one by one, the elderly are just not themselves any more and spend their nights walking the grounds and during the day, they are catatonic. When Annie Lane, begins to notice, she calls her granddaughter, Tamra for help. Like most, they simply believe this is just one of those life cycles all senior citizens go through, but one by one, the mumblings of a strange language and writings on the walls of those that seem to be changing, soon convince Tamra, all is not right in Marvale Manor.

Zeph Walker now lives his life in seclusion, partly because of a horrible scar that has disfigured his face and partly because of the unwanted attention he gets when people learn who he is and what he gift is. He refers to it as the "Telling," a gift he believes that was given to him from God, to become a modern day prophet. He can sometimes see into the lives of the people he comes into contact with, offer a word of advice from God, heal and even curse others with death as though God has spoken through him. But after spending a life being used by others, Zeph has resolved to simply operate a bookstore, called the Book Swap in return for some peace and quite on the outskirts of town.

Now as Tamra has been called to locate a book for her grandmother, she is told the only place she will find this, is at the Book Swap, if she can locate it. When she meets Zeph and reveals the book she is searching for, Zeph knows there is more to this than simply providing her with what she asks. He was told many years earlier that when the time is right, someone will come to him asking for this book, but until such a time, he is to keep it hidden. Only Zeph isn't ready for this. He isn't ready to face his past and contend with using his gift again. But when the shadows in his house, suddenly begin to speak and move, Zeph knows that evil has been set loose and it's only up to him to stop it.

I received The Telling by Mike Duran compliments of Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Tours for my honest review. When I saw the opportunity to review this one and read the back cover, I knew it would be one I had to read. Being a huge lover of Christian Suspense Thrillers, I dove into this one immediately when it arrived and literally inhaled it as quickly as I could turn the pages. Mike does an amazing job at keeping things hidden until the very end without giving too much away and I found myself second guessing what would happen at the end. By the time I was finished, I was left wanting much more than I got and felt that with such a build up through most of the book, the way it ended, was a bit confusing. I found myself going back to re-read the final chapter to see if I had missed something or had gotten a few pages stuck to one another. I felt that the author could have spent a bit more time with the climatic ending then he did, but perhaps that is just my perception in wanting so much more. I like more of a profound prophetic ending then the way it did but overall the book had a great premise. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars, just based on simply how it ended not how it was written overall.

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

The Telling by Mike Duran

You can purchase The Telling by clicking here. 

You can also read more reviews from the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Tour by clicking below:

http://tdtwr.wordpress.com"> Jim Armstrong

http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/"> Noah Arsenault
http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand
http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham
http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com"> Brenda Castro
http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman
http://www.theiemommy.com/"> Christine
http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/"> Theresa Dunlap
http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com/"> Victor Gentile
http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/"> Nikole Hahn
http://www.brucehennigan.com/"> Bruce Hennigan
http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner
http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie
http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen
http://emileightherebuilder.blogspot.com/"> Emileigh Latham
http://www.bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com/"> Meagan @ Blooming with Books
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller
http://annamittower.blogspot.com//"> Anna Mittower
http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith
http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson
http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/"> Jessica Thomas
http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower
http://www.fantasyandfaith.com"> Dona Watson
http://www.shanewerlinger.com/"> Shane Werlinger
http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler

You can find Mike Duran on Facebook as well by clicking here.

Annie's Truth

As Annie and her sister Hannah get permission from their mother to go through their hope chests containing items for their future weddings, Annie finds her childhood Bible wrapped up in hers. When she opens the front cover to compare her child-like handwriting, she notices that among her family's tree containing birth, wedding and death dates, her birth day is missing. Only her birth month and year have been noted.

When she inquires to this missing bit of information, she learns that she was left in a field one night and was found by her father. No one has ever known how Annie had come to be found in that field that night but her best friend John Yoder, believes God always knew where Annie would be best raised. Yet Annie has her doubts. When her father Amos, forbids it, Annie presses her mother to help her. Providing her with some time, money and a place to stay, Annie's mother Sarah reminds her that she has always had a home with them. She hopes Annie will chose to come home soon because in her mind nothing has ever changed about the way she loves Annie.

Now that she has made a decision to try and find her birth parents, Annie is staying with a family who has left the old Amish community. Getting help from Rudy, Annie keeps trying to find the missing piece of her puzzle to help her find out why she was left behind 18 years ago. Only the longer Annie takes, it may result in her being shunned by her own community and leaving behind the opportunity to find happiness and marriage with John Yoder. Only her sister, Hannah is more than willing to help John forget all about Annie. Will she find out the truth before it's too late to come home?

In the first novel in the Touch of Grace Series by Beth Shriver, Annie's Truth takes the reader into a different type of Amish novel. This one dealing with the subject of adoption. Is Annie truly Amish or do the feelings she has inside, speak of a different lifestyle than she has ever known before? I love Beth's Amish novel and it shows just how vastly different the Amish and English lifestyles are, especially for Annie's character who has never even ventured out on a Rumspringa, or a period of seeing what life is like outside the Amish community before becoming baptized into the church. I can relate to Annie's frustration with her father's unwillingness to help her and when he refuses to even say goodbye to her when she is leaving, I can feel the pain in her heart at being torn in two.

I received this novel compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and have to say again, I really enjoyed this one. It's a different take on your Amish love story and tells the story of what it feels like to find a sense of belonging when you don't know who you are or where you come from and the reader is taken on that search in Annie's Truth. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the rest of the books in this series and even more characters to come to adore and love like family and friends.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today for those of you that love great Amish fiction, please click on the links below:

Annie's Truth by Beth Shriver

You can also follow Beth on her Facebook page by clicking here.