The Man He Never Was

There is only one novel of James L. Rubart's I haven't read and I will correct that very soon. However to understand his style of writing, it is not going to be something you can easily figure out like most novels. Most of his take the reader on a journey that may have not been expecting and with that I believe comes a greater understanding that we share similar qualities with the characters he pens to life in his novels.

The Man He Never Was is exactly like that. You have the main character Toren Daniels who mysteriously wakes up in a hotel room with no recollection of why he is there. He believed he went bed beside his wife in his own home, but that is not what has happened, nor will he like what he is about to discover. Eight months of his life have completely vanished without a trace. He has no memory other than the rage he used to have to contend with is no longer present in his life, leaving his with a calming peace in places where only there used to be burning rage and anger. His only clue is a mysterious package that arrives, telling him that the anger that has robbed him not only of his chance with the NFL but also with his family.

He vaguely remembers that anger as it seems that he is looking outside of the former person he was and all he knows from those he talks with is he apparently wrote a suicide note, and vanished into thin air, leaving people to believe he followed through on his threat. Even his wife and children have moved on and his wife is now in love with someone else. Through vague recollections and pieces of what might have occurred he struggles to get back what he has lost, without losing himself to the former man he was. Using the examples of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, along with the Hulk, Toren believes he may have been experimented on, giving some kind of mind altering drink but as he feels that peace and contentment slipping away, he knows he is running out of time and the dark beast within is threatening to become unleashed again.

I received The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart compliments of TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson Publishers. There are so many spins in this novel that unless you are familiar with James' work you might just get lost before you settle in and wait for the outcome. Most often than we'd like to admit, there is a bit of darkness in all of us. Some can make peace with it while keeping it under control and there are others that allow it to dominate the person they become and in the process are lost like children who can't find their way home. "Henry Jekyll says that he and every other man and woman is not truly one, but truly two, and he sees the human soul as the ultimate battleground of our lives - one part of us an angel and the other a demon, both struggling for mastery and destruction of the other." You'll have to see what you get from this when you finish, but for me, another well done masterpiece. There is even a reader's discussion guide included which would make this a great novel for book clubs. For me, another well deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Man He Never Was, James L. Rubart or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart

You can find James L. Rubart on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Man He Never Was, please visit TLC Book Tour page. 

The Assault

If you love anything dealing with the supernatural from a Christian perspective, then you need to check out the Harbinger Series. Each cycle of the series takes the talents of well-known Christian authors and gives them the opportunity to expand on an ongoing series with very different characters point of view. Think of it, like a television series but in this case each author is adding their own spin to the continuing saga that is plaguing a unique set of characters from vastly different backgrounds. This cycle of the Harbinger series is the second one and incorporates the stories of The Revealing by Bill Myers, Infestation by Frank Peretti, Infiltration by Angela Hunt and The Fog by Alton Gansky.

In the series, Bill Myers writes as Brenda, a street-hustling tattoo artist who sees images of the future. Frank Peretti writes as the Professor, the atheist ex-priest who is ruled by logic. Angela Hunt writes as Andi, the professor's brilliant but geeky assistant who sees inexplicable patterns and Alton Gansky writes as Tank, the naive, big-hearted jock with a surprising connection to a healing power. So instead of the four talented authors writing one novella together, this comes together like a television series. There is an overarching storyline into which they each plug their own novellas, with each story written from our characters point of view.

In The Revealing, the team is gathered together under the direction of Bill Myers and they find themselves searching for the Spear of Destiny, which is coveted by those who seek it because it is said that those that weld the instrument that was used to plunge into the body of Jesus Christ on the cross still retains some supernatural properties and now the hunt it on for those who want to keep it hidden and those who want it found. In The Infestation by Frank Peretti, the team is thrust back into their pasts to deal with situations that were never resolved and this time an unseen fungus is attempting to infect the world without anyone knowing what is happening. When one of the team is affected will they be able to figure out a way to stop it before it kills them?

In Infiltration, the team discover a secret plot by those that they have been following are now all connected to their various discoveries and now they are being hunted one by one by something that no one can see but involves going back into their pasts before they were united as if they never met. They will have to convince each other that they do have a connection in some future event if they hope to succeed in not only keeping the team together but keeping them alive. Finally in The Fog, Alton Gansky takes our team to the top of a high rise building as a fog rushes in with the ability not only to kill on ground level but it begins to rise and with it the body counts continue to climb as well.

I received The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. 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 have absolutely LOVED this entire series and even though these individual books were written before, they are collected in groups of four known as the Cycle of the Harbinger series. Readers even get a sneak peek at the coming Cycle Three at the conclusion of this collection. These must be read in order not as individual stand alones otherwise as a reader, you would be completely lost by not understanding each characters motivation in working together to solve what is happening not only to them as individuals but also to the world in an effort to save them all. In this one, The Fog was my absolute favorite. There is just something creepy about a fog that can rise until it claims every last person it touches. 5 out of 5 stars again in my opinion and can't wait to read the next one.

For more information about The Assault, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky or where you can pre-order a copy of this book due out in August of 2017 , please click on the links below:

The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky

You can find Bill Myers on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

You can find Frank Peretti on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

You can find Angela Hunt on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Alton Gansky on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

When Angels Cry

Are you a fan of the Left Behind Series? Are you a fan of Frank Peretti's novels? Wouldn't it be great it they were combined to make something truly unforgettable and life changing? Well MaryLu Tyndall has done just that in her latest novel When Angels Cry. It takes the spiritual warfare aspects of the unseen world we live in but most of us have no idea is happening all around us, and blends it in a futuristic End Times setting for her characters. Each chapter of the novel opens in a great Biblical scripture that highlights where these events spoken about in this novel can be found and even had myself opening up my own Bible to highlight these scripture references.

Angelica Smoke has the unique ability to be able to see into the Spiritual realm and can see exactly what is going on in the world around her that others don't. Working at the Mermaid Den as a cocktail waitress in a seedy bar where demons surround the customers she waits on, God reveals things to her as she spreads the gospel message and prays for those she serves. Often times, this results in salvation for that individual but in most cases she is simply planting seeds in their hearts. As a single mom, she has to do all she can to help raise her son Isaac, alongside her roommate Leigh and her son Joel. While Leigh still doesn't believe in God, Angelica keeps trying to convince her that what is happening in the world around them is all predicted by the Bible.

Daniel Cain is pastor of the Mega Church, Fort Lauderdale Church of Grace, and has worked his entire life to build up his flock, alongside his best friend Thomas. He believes in an inclusive church over the exclusive churches that have now been outlawed. Using the reformed Bible, the NWLV, New World Love Version, he believes his goals is to fill the seats, while giving them the message of God's love and grace over repenting over sin, and being saved. Despite the violate world around him, he is pushing for a position in Washington, perhaps even being a part of the New World Order heading up combining all into a single religion. He just doesn't expect his perfect world to come crashing down when Angelica comes back into his life. It's been 12 years since they were an item but both of them have changed and those old feelings will have to be pushed back despite the prophetic message that she brings to him, that he is not ready. Just what is that supposed to mean?

I received When Angels Cry by MaryLu Tyndall compliments of Random Press and the author. 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. In a world where homeschooling is outlawed, home churches meet in secret, possession of an original Bible is cause for arrest, the times are getting shorter as the Bible has predicted. As angels sit back and watch the proceedings, they can only get involved if God allows it. So very few people are even aware how close they were to the end of days. A typical Saturday night at the Mermaid Den. Men and women numbing their pain and their consciences with alcohol until they gave way into every wicked impulse, opening the door to a multitude of demonic hosts lurking in the shadows. I love the way MaryLu uses events happening in our world today to highlight where we might be in biblical history pertaining to the Second Coming of Christ and the rapture prior to the Tribulation. This is such a wonderful MUST read book for anyone who is looking for a great novel that combines End Time Biblical Events and Spiritual Warfare all in one. For me, this one is a 5 out of 5 stars! I hope there is a second one coming soon!

For more information about When Angels Cry, MaryLu Tyndall, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel in print or eBook formats, please click on the links below:

When Angels Cry by MaryLu Tyndall

You can find MaryLu Tyndall on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

Firstborn

It is hard to put into words what The Descendants of the House of Bathory Series by Tosca Lee is about. In fact, my husband asked me what Firstborn was about as I was reading it. I said, it's hard to put into words exactly because it is unlike anything I have read before. Even trying to decide what type of genre it fit into was a bit challenging. Firstborn is the second novel in the series, with the first being Progeny. I would highly recommend that you read these novels in order or you will be completely lost if you pick up Firstborn and read it first.

The best thing that the Tosca Lee did in Firstborn is not only provide you with a list of the characters, since there are two main factions at war with one another, is also giving you a little bit of recap of Progeny since there has been some time between the novels, and for someone like me that reads a lot of books, I had a hard time remembering about the story line and even going back to my review on Progeny didn't help much because I don't want to give away too much of the exceptional novel. The best way to describe it as the Progeny's are a class of humans that descended from the bloodline of Elizabeth Bathory, known throughout history at the Blood Countess. Audra Ellison is her direct descendant. The progeny are endowed with special powers of charisma and persuasion which they can use on humans to achieve their goals. Audra is the most wanted progeny but those who are hunting her, especially her hunter assigned to her, Luka Novak.

Each hunter or Scion is given 5 years to hunt down and kill their progeny. Once they kill them they have powers that enable them to transfer or "harvest" their memories into the hunters own, but it must be completed at the time of their initial death. There is the head of the hunters known only as the Historian who controls and manipulates the hunters on their tasks in an effort to rid the world of all progeny and assume total control over the human race. Scions however can't be persuaded so a progeny's powers are limited to humans only, which enables them to tell who are humans and who are Scion hunters. Progeny have the unique ability to connect with one another so they know at an instant their own kind, who dwell underground in what are known as courts. They try to hidden at all times and are constantly on the run from those hunting them.

In Firstborn, we pick up the story between Audra and Luka' quest to find out who the Historian is, while keeping their child Eva a secret. Neither of them knows the location of their child and are doing everything to ensure that no one knows that they have had a child between them. It is a race against time with a ragtag team of characters that works with Audra, other progeny that are doing all they can to stay one step ahead of the Historian and her Scion hunters. Audra and Luka know they must find her before she can kill the progeny or even worse kill Audra and take the very memories away that would expose the Historian to the world.

I received Firstborn by Tosca Lee compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers and Net Galley. 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 absolutely LOVE this series because the action never stops. There is honestly never a dull moment in the book. If you look at those who are rating this series with less than favorable results is that the probably didn't understand the complexity of the novels back story and character motivation. Think of it like the Divergent Series, only in this case it involves a bit of history as well as there are only two warring factions at odds with one another. That is possibly the best way to describe it but I love all the historical and complex details Tosca provides. You feel like you have traveled the entire globe by the time you finish this one breathless. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and I enjoyed this one much more than the first novel. Can't wait to see the final one in the series!

For more information about Firstborn, Tosca Lee or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel due out in May of 2017, please click on the links below:

Firstborn by Tosca Lee

You can find Tosca Lee on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Firstborn, please visit Howard Book's website.

Jett (Descended Book 1)

"The light was no match for him. He could become one with any shadow or light, keeping his presence secret for as long as he wished, causing a man to believe his mind was playing trick. Or he could be the last thing that man saw before he met his Maker. There were prices to be paid for his rare gifts - consequences - but none dissuaded him from his mission." (Prologue).

I must warn you that not all Christian fiction is the same. There are some that might argue that some of those fiction novels might not exactly be all that you hoped for and then again, there are those who persevere to find that at the end of the novel that found something worth waiting for. Jett by Dana Pratola is the first novel in the Descended series and I have to take caution not to give too much away in this review. I can say that those who love Christian speculative or supernatural spiritual warfare might just want to pick up this series. I know after getting through the first one, I am definitely hungry for more. I would say that there moments in the novel that might be uncomfortable for some due to the nature of the content dealing with what Dana refers to as "real people with real struggles, temptations and desires. Her characters often have difficult choices to make – and don’t always make the right ones. This isn’t your mother’s Christian fiction."

In Jett, we met Jett Cestone, a reclusive and highly wealthy and successful businessman who deals with cyber technology as is quite prosperous at it. Yet it provides a cover for him to do his real work, which in this case is removing children from the hands of human sex traffickers with his supernatural abilities he believes he has been cursed with on one hand, but allows him to be successful at his rescues on the other.

He is quite captivated by a young local artist Haven Silano and contacts her to commission her to paint a mural for his grandmother whom has acquired one of her previous paintings as a gift to her. The problem lies in that she must complete the work in his grandmother's bedroom suite and that means moving in to complete the Tuscan piece. She is provided with all the monetary provisions to accomplish the task and is more that well compensated financially to do it. The issue isn't that she isn't talented enough to do it, it is that she lacks the self confidence in her own artistic ability thanks to her father's continued insistence that she is wasting her time doing so.  It will be unlike any job she has every committed to and one that will have her desiring to meet with her benefactor face to face, but it is a condition of her employment that he remains unanimous and hidden. They will only communicate through a speaker system in his home that allows them to converse as if they are actually in the same room with one another, or are they really?

I received Jett by Dana Pratola to review at my own leisure and the opinions expressed here are my own. There is some sexual elements in this novel pertaining to the relationship that develops between Jett and Haven, that might be uncomfortable to some readers but as in real life, exist and is genuine as long as you follow the story line through to the end, you might see where the author truly intended this novel to go. As a mom of young teen girls, I would advise having them wait til they are at least 18 or older to read it. Fans of novels along the lines of Twilight might even find something truly inspirational about reading this one to the very end and if you're like me, will be hooked and have to read the rest in the series. I have been reminded by the author that even though they are part of a series, each is a stand alone and I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

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

Jett (Descended Book 1) by Dana Pratola

You can find Dana Pratola on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can find this novel in paperback and eBook formats from Amazon.