Valley of Decision

The most hardest part of getting involved in any series, is that one day is has to come to an end. Sometimes you want to refrain from picking up the final book because if you have truly come to love the characters, you know this is the conclusion to their story. They're not just characters in a book to you. You've come to know them, to care about them and to know what motivates them and those are the earmarks of a fine novel and an exceptional writer. If you're looking for such a series, I would encourage you to pick up the Carthage Chronicles from Lynne Gentry. It's both a bit of science fiction, involving time travel and historical romance, as the characters are traveling back to ancient Carthage and find themselves so involved in that culture, they don't wish to return.

In the conclusion to this series, Valley of Decision is that place where all of our beloved characters have once again been transported back to Carthage and must make some defining life choices, to stay where their hearts call them or to head back to the present day and hope they can convince those that they care about to join them, but to do that, would forever change history. Is the risk worth it in the end? This is not a series you can pick up any of the novels and jump right in, hoping there is enough of a back story to help move you forward in the novels. You must begin with the first one as any great adventure would suggest. But trust me when I share with you, it will be so worth the time to do so. For those of us, that have been reading them as they are published, the wait has been long in between, but with each novel, it simply gets better and better.

In Valley of Decision, Magdalena has been arrested for the death of the proconsul Aspasius, whom she tried to save by amputating his leg, but when he succumbs to complications due to the time frame they are living in and lack of surgical sterileness. Now she must try and find a way to save her life if she is continue her fight to save the city of Carthage from the disease of typhoid and measles that threatens to destroy the city. Her granddaughter Maggie, now 18, has run away back to Carthage in hopes of not only saving Magdalena but also her father Cyprian whom she just met when accompanying her mother Lisbeth Hastings more than a decade ago. She knows her mother would never approve but she must do what she can to help in any way possible, with the time she has left if the history books are correct and her father has less than a month before he is condemned to death.

I received Valley of Decision by Lynne Gentry compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation outside of a free copy of this book for my review and the opinions expressed here are my own honest and personal ones. I won't give away the ending but it is so worth reading this entire series. I am sad that the journey is over, but it was well worth the wait between all the novels to experience what is might have been like living in the third-century with the tremendous amount of research that Lynne did to enable this novel and her characters to become simply more than words on a page. In my opinion, this one easily earns all 5 out of 5 stars. There is a Reader's Discussion Guide at the conclusion as well as some great questions that Lynne Gentry takes the time to answer about this amazing series.

For more information about Valley of Decision, Lynne Gentry or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Valley of Decision by Lynne Gentry 

You can find Lynne Gentry on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Valley of Decision, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page

The Carthage Chronicles Series:
1. Healer of Carthage
2. Return to Exile
3. Valley of Decision

Valley of Decision

The most hardest part of getting involved in any series, is that one day is has to come to an end. Sometimes you want to refrain from picking up the final book because if you have truly come to love the characters, you know this is the conclusion to their story. They're not just characters in a book to you. You've come to know them, to care about them and to know what motivates them and those are the earmarks of a fine novel and an exceptional writer. If you're looking for such a series, I would encourage you to pick up the Carthage Chronicles from Lynne Gentry. It's both a bit of science fiction, involving time travel and historical romance, as the characters are traveling back to ancient Carthage and find themselves so involved in that culture, they don't wish to return.

In the conclusion to this series, Valley of Decision is that place where all of our beloved characters have once again been transported back to Carthage and must make some defining life choices, to stay where their hearts call them or to head back to the present day and hope they can convince those that they care about to join them, but to do that, would forever change history. Is the risk worth it in the end? This is not a series you can pick up any of the novels and jump right in, hoping there is enough of a back story to help move you forward in the novels. You must begin with the first one as any great adventure would suggest. But trust me when I share with you, it will be so worth the time to do so. For those of us, that have been reading them as they are published, the wait has been long in between, but with each novel, it simply gets better and better.

In Valley of Decision, Magdalena has been arrested for the death of the proconsul Aspasius, whom she tried to save by amputating his leg, but when he succumbs to complications due to the time frame they are living in and lack of surgical sterileness. Now she must try and find a way to save her life if she is continue her fight to save the city of Carthage from the disease of typhoid and measles that threatens to destroy the city. Her granddaughter Maggie, now 18, has run away back to Carthage in hopes of not only saving Magdalena but also her father Cyprian whom she just met when accompanying her mother Lisbeth Hastings more than a decade ago. She knows her mother would never approve but she must do what she can to help in any way possible, with the time she has left if the history books are correct and her father has less than a month before he is condemned to death.

I received Valley of Decision by Lynne Gentry compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation outside of a free copy of this book for my review and the opinions expressed here are my own honest and personal ones. I won't give away the ending but it is so worth reading this entire series. I am sad that the journey is over, but it was well worth the wait between all the novels to experience what is might have been like living in the third-century with the tremendous amount of research that Lynne did to enable this novel and her characters to become simply more than words on a page. In my opinion, this one easily earns all 5 out of 5 stars. There is a Reader's Discussion Guide at the conclusion as well as some great questions that Lynne Gentry takes the time to answer about this amazing series.

For more information about Valley of Decision, Lynne Gentry or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Valley of Decision by Lynne Gentry 

You can find Lynne Gentry on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Valley of Decision, please visit Howard Book's website.

The Carthage Chronicles Series:
1. Healer of Carthage
2. Return to Exile
3. Valley of Decision

Return to Exile

There are some disadvantages to reading series. I guess for me is that it is often so long between books, that you have to reread the first or hope that the author provides enough insight at the beginning of the second or third books to help you remember where you left off. Another is how they end. I personally hate cliff hanger endings, but as a writer myself, I know that is just how I would leave each book in the series. Kinda like the television or movie series we see. It makes you disappointed at first, but then hungry for more. You just have to come back to see how it all turns out.

If you love time travel, romance or historical fiction, or like me, a bit of all three, you will want to pick up The Carthage Chronicles from best-selling author Lynne Gentry. Her first novel in the series, Healer of Carthage is about a 21st century doctor whose father has a love for archaeology. Couple that with a bit of mysterious paintings in a cave in Egypt, known simply as the Cave of Swimmers. Dr. Lisbeth Hastings lost her mother in the Cave of Swimmers and never knew what happened to her until she herself fell into the watery cavern. Turns out it transports people back into the third century in Rome, not the place you'd want to be as a woman.

In Return to Exile, we pick the series back up after Lisbeth had returned back to the 21st century at the conclusion of the first novel, in love with a man she left behind as her husband. In order to protect her, she was thrown back into the cistern which took her back to present time, where she learned she was pregnant with Cyprian's child. Knowing her daughter is extremely claustrophobic, she knows taking her daughter Maggie back in time, won't be easy. Her father insists on accompanying her to see the wife he thought died so long ago. Turns out she has become infamous for her healing abilities and remains the slave/wife to a cruel dictator named Aspasius, whose goal is to control all the Christians still dwelling in the providence. He has successfully exiled Cyprian and during Lisbeth's escape, her mother managed to flee into the hills where she remains hidden trying to control the spread of measels which is becoming a pandemic of epic portions.

Just as Lisbeth realizes she can't take her daughter with her in time, Maggie jumps into her arms at the last moment, just as the watery portal takes them both back to Rome. Her father didn't have the chance to make it. This time when Lisbeth returns to Rome armed with medical supplies to help her mother control the diseases killing the poor, she learns the despite keeping her heart open to loving Cyprian again and sharing the joy of his first child with him, she learns he didn't believe she was coming back and has married her best friend Ruth. Does Lisbeth stay or will she take Maggie and head back to the life she left behind in Dallas? You'll have to pick this one up to find out.

I received Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry compliments of Litfuse Publicity andHoward Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own personal opinion. I was so thrilled to see what the outcome would be for Lisbeth and Cyprian and was not prepared for what Lisbeth had to face heading back to Rome. I felt so sorry for her and completely understood how difficult things would be on both ends. I am super excited to see what the outcome will be when the next novel comes out Valley of Decision, and be warned this one does leave you with a bit of a cliff hanger ending but also a sneak peek into the next novel to help calm your nerves a bit. For me, I LOVE this series and this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. A Reader Discussion Guide is included as well as a Q and A with the author at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about Return to Exile, Lynne Gentry or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry

You can find Lynne Gentry on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Return to Exile, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page. 

Return to Exile

There are some disadvantages to reading series. I guess for me is that it is often so long between books, that you have to reread the first or hope that the author provides enough insight at the beginning of the second or third books to help you remember where you left off. Another is how they end. I personally hate cliff hanger endings, but as a writer myself, I know that is just how I would leave each book in the series. Kinda like the television or movie series we see. It makes you disappointed at first, but then hungry for more. You just have to come back to see how it all turns out.

If you love time travel, romance or historical fiction, or like me, a bit of all three, you will want to pick up The Carthage Chronicles from best-selling author Lynne Gentry. Her first novel in the series, Healer of Carthage is about a 21st century doctor whose father has a love for archaeology. Couple that with a bit of mysterious paintings in a cave in Egypt, known simply as the Cave of Swimmers. Dr. Lisbeth Hastings lost her mother in the Cave of Swimmers and never knew what happened to her until she herself fell into the watery cavern. Turns out it transports people back into the third century in Rome, not the place you'd want to be as a woman.

In Return to Exile, we pick the series back up after Lisbeth had returned back to the 21st century at the conclusion of the first novel, in love with a man she left behind as her husband. In order to protect her, she was thrown back into the cistern which took her back to present time, where she learned she was pregnant with Cyprian's child. Knowing her daughter is extremely claustrophobic, she knows taking her daughter Maggie back in time, won't be easy. Her father insists on accompanying her to see the wife he thought died so long ago. Turns out she has become infamous for her healing abilities and remains the slave/wife to a cruel dictator named Aspasius, whose goal is to control all the Christians still dwelling in the providence. He has successfully exiled Cyprian and during Lisbeth's escape, her mother managed to flee into the hills where she remains hidden trying to control the spread of measels which is becoming a pandemic of epic portions.

Just as Lisbeth realizes she can't take her daughter with her in time, Maggie jumps into her arms at the last moment, just as the watery portal takes them both back to Rome. Her father didn't have the chance to make it. This time when Lisbeth returns to Rome armed with medical supplies to help her mother control the diseases killing the poor, she learns the despite keeping her heart open to loving Cyprian again and sharing the joy of his first child with him, she learns he didn't believe she was coming back and has married her best friend Ruth. Does Lisbeth stay or will she take Maggie and head back to the life she left behind in Dallas? You'll have to pick this one up to find out.

I received Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own personal opinion. I was so thrilled to see what the outcome would be for Lisbeth and Cyprian and was not prepared for what Lisbeth had to face heading back to Rome. I felt so sorry for her and completely understood how difficult things would be on both ends. I am super excited to see what the outcome will be when the next novel comes out Valley of Decision, and be warned this one does leave you with a bit of a cliff hanger ending but also a sneak peek into the next novel to help calm your nerves a bit. For me, I LOVE this series and this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. A Reader Discussion Guide is included as well as a Q and A with the author at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about Return to Exile, Lynne Gentry or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Return to Exile by Lynne Gentry

You can find Lynne Gentry on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Return to Exile, please visit Howard Books website. 

Lynne is also hosting a Facebook Launch Party on January 8th from 7:00 to 8:00 PM CST where you can talk to Lynne and possibly win some incredible prizes. 

Healer of Carthage - Review and Giveaway

Just when Dr. Lisbeth Hastings thinks her life can't get anymore complicated than what it is as a first year resident trying to stay ahead of her game, she finds herself thrust into an ancient history she had only read about before. Losing her mother 23 years ago during an archaeological dig, she has taken over the helm studying to follow in her mother's footsteps as a doctor. Only where her mother excelled, Lisbeth is struggling with trying to appease everyone she can. But when sleep deprivation finally begins to take its toll and a young child she provides a hurried diagnosis for ends up dying, Lisbeth is given a two week reprieve to get her head straight or face more serious consequences.

Doubting her ability whether she will ever be able to make her mother proud, Lisbeth uses the two weeks to join her father while he continues to search for her long lost mother in a cave in Tunisia called the "Cave of Swimmers. He believes he may have uncovered clues to point to where she may have gone, which Lisbeth writes off to a medical diagnosis of perhaps Alzheimer's. But when she wanders into the cave looking for her father, she happens upon some ancient cave paintings of colorful swimmers on the wall. When she places her hand on one of them, she is immediately transported beneath the ground to third-century ancient Carthage in Rome where she is about to be sold as a slave to proconsul Aspasius. Fortunately for Lisbeth being fluent in a variety of languages allows her to speak Latin, the language of this time in history.But just before the deal is about to be sealed, Cyprian Thascius claims victory of her sale instead which Lisbeth isn't too happy with.

When she learns that Cyprian has done her a favor, all she can think of is how to escape and find her way back to her father, who now has lost both his wife and daughter in the Cave of Swimmers. But what Lisbeth will soon discover is that her medical skills will enable her to help heal what is impacted the poor people of Carthage, a deadly plague that if left unchecked will spell doom for the town. But she is about to discover an alliance she never dreamed she would, when she realizes that her mother is the famed healer of Carthage and working as a slave for Aspasius, a violent and temperamental ruler for Carthage who is targeting the destruction of all the Christians. Now she must find a way to escape along with saving her mother before time runs out for them both!

I received Healer of Carthage by Lynne Gentry compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is the first novel in the Carthage Chronicles Series and one that employs a variety of genres to make this one an amazing read and one you will want to follow along in the journey that Lisbeth must undertake. First she must deal with her own inadequacies as a failing doctor and discover that she truly does possess talents that can help people even if she doubts herself. Taking a modern doctor and thrusting her back in time, is a wonderful premise that really works for this series. She can understand simple medical issues that can be cured if only enough time were available like the discovery of citrus and even antibiotics but she must utilize what she has available to help cure the plague that is ravaging the city. I easily rate this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next one in this series, which you get a sneak peek at in this one along with a reader's discussion guide that is perfect for book clubs.

Now for the best part, thanks to the generosity of Howard Books, they are providing a giveaway copy of Healer of Carthage to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here is all you need to do to enter:

1. "Like" Howard Books Facebook page so you don't miss out on any of their amazing books!

2. "Like" Lynne Gentry's Facebook page! Trust me you will LOVE her novels!

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. If you have a Twitter account, make sure you follow Howard Books and "Tweet about this giveaway using @Howard_Books @Lynne_Gentry in your tweet!

5. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of Healer of Carthage along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. But if I don't have your email address, I can't notify you if you're the lucky winner. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one!

I will notify the winner by email once the giveaway ends on March 17th to give you plenty of time to enter. .Remember you gain an entry for every one of the guidelines you complete and you can enter as many times as you'd like. Simply leave comments on Howard Books and Lynne Gentry's Facebook if you have already "Liked" them.

For more information about Healer of Carthage, Lynne Gentry or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Healer of Carthage by Lynne Gentry

You can also find Lynne Gentry on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Healer of Carthage, please visit Howard Book's website.