Heart Echoes

When a massive earthquake rocks the city of Los Angeles, it brings to the surface some things that Teal Morgan-Adams has kept buried for years. At the thought of almost losing her daughter Maiya and her new husband River, she is faced with a challenge to return home and confront the past she has tried to forget.

When Maiya begins to act out against her parents wishes and begins seeing a boy name Jake, her parents are at a dead end with how to deal with her. At 16 she has been forbidden to date anyone until she finishes with high school, but since Jake showed up at her house to help with yardwork, she thinks she has fallen in love. When he shows up on campus, the school is immediately placed in a lock down mode until they find him. Now Maiya faces a 5 week school suspension, even though she claims, she didn't invite him to come see her.

When tragic news arrives from home in Cedar Pointe, Oregon, Teal is faced with a decision to return home to face her past or will she once again simply close that door and try to forget that was ever her home?

In the novel, Heart Echoes by Sally John, the reader is immediately invested in the story through a tragic circumstance surrounding the earthquake that makes everyone question their own mortality. Even though River has tried to become a great father figure for Maiya, her mother Teal refuses to provide her with any information regarding her father, simply saying he didn't want anything to do with Maiya or Teal once she told him she was pregnant, but for Maiya it's a piece of her life she is desperate to know about but her mom won't budge, until the call from Cedar Pointe comes and perhaps God is answering her prayer after all.

I received this novel compliments of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review and think this one opens the readers eyes on what hiding the truth can do even though it may be hard to admit it. As always God is the central focus and shows the characters how trust and honesty are the bases for a good family foundation that will only grow in the years ahead. It also showcases the struggles of step parenting from a unique perspective and one I personally feel the author did a great job at. It isn't an easy role at all at times. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and know you'll enjoy this heart-warming story.

For more information on this story, the author or where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Heart Echoes by Sally John

Cruising Attitude

I'm sure most of you have flown before and have had the opportunity at sometime to interact with a flight attendant. I think there are quite a few details we, as passengers, never consider when flying and that's just how hard of a job, flight attendants actually have. It takes more than a nicely dressed attendant who smiles graciously as you enter and sets about to make sure your flight is enjoyable.

In the book, Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole, a reader is taken on a behind the scenes tour of what it takes to make it to a flight attendant. From the long and grueling training most don't pass, to the crazy stories of some of the things passengers expect while flying. Not to mention just where do they go in between flights, what happens when flights are delayed and what are some of the perks about being a flight attendant.

Heather Poole has been a flight attendant for various airline companies in the past fifteen years and has seen it all. Things we would never think about but that people have tried, done and some have been arrested for. She shares some celebrity encounters without mentioning the names of just how some use their status and some are strictly just like us as passengers. I think for me the most unusual story is that flight attendants don't get paid until the plane leaves the gate, which means, when faced with delays, they aren't getting paid to hear our complaints. Another crazy story is one passenger who packed his deceased mother in a garment bag to get her to her final destination to avoid the exorbitant fees to have her shipped any other way.

This book is packed with amazing and down-right shocking stories of just what a career in being a flight attendant really is like and for me, makes me appreciate what they do a whole lot more. Never will I see them the same after reading this great book. I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and LOVED it! This one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and look forward to sharing this one with my readers. If you're a frequent flyer or are just interested in what it takes to be a flight attendant, you'll definitely want to check this book out.

For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole

Cerulean Dreams

About the Book:

Orion, the last city of men. Deep within the desert, a secret lay waiting. Young women found dead in the street. A corporation that controls the sleep of a populace that never sees the light of day. Alexander Marlowe seeks to unravel the mysteries of Orion as he helps a young girl, Dana, flee the city. The closer they come to the truth, the greater the danger that hunts them. Follow them as they search beyond the boundaries of everything they have ever known for answers.

BOOK REVIEW:

As a reader of his other novel "The Ocean and the Hourglass", I knew I would be in for another good surprise! What I found was a great plot with an amazing cast of characters.

Alexander Marlowe, an ex-cop who uses his visor that connects him to the existing network that runs the city and is worn by all, but he doesn't like it. Most of the surviving humans after the Water Rights War have all inhabited the city and it's a utopia society - or so they would have everyone think. All of the citizens of Orion use the visors as their main link to everything, but little do they know how much Cerulean Dreams controls them while their visors are on!

Alexander Marlowe is an investigator - used to be cop. He watches the news and knows that young blonde girls are disappearing but no one seems to care. He takes it upon himself to investigate what is happening which leads him to Dana, a woman who technically is off of the grid. She tells him the Lurking are coming to get her and she refuses to go. Marlowe's visor malfunctions and he soon finds himself a wanted man - wanted for the murder of the young girls who have disappeared. He now also sees through his visor manifestations of ghosts and other phenomena gliding around the rooms, buildings, and city streets. He knows that the government is behind another project called "The Lurking", and why he is a wanted man, but does not know how to uncover the corruption within the Cerulean Dreams project.

Dana urges Marlowe that they must leave Orion, the city but Marlowe believes they won't exist outside of its walls. All that is out there is desert but Dana beseeches him. If they stay, they die. If they go, they die, but she is sure that once the Truth is revealed, it will explain everything. If you want to find out what happens, then read Cerulean Dreams by Dan O'Brien and find out how it ends!

This book has a great storyline that somewhat reminds me of Blade Runner in a futuristic land of corrupt governmental politicians and technology that runs the world. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars for it's writing content is good, but sometimes I found myself a little confused within the story itself and had to go back a few times to see what I missed. Cerulean Dreams is still a great read for the Sci-Fi futuristic genre readers out there!

I received Cerulean Dreams compliments of the author for my honest opinion and must say I can't wait to read more by Dan. This is my second book and he definitely has a unique way to take his readers on an unexpected journey.

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

Cerulean Dreams by Dan O'Brien

The Messsenger

For me what signifies being a part of the story is the attention to detail. From the character develop to the way I can imagine simply being in the scene is what separates Siri Mitchell's novels apart from most. In her latest historical novel, The Messenger the reader is taken back to Philadelphia in 1778 at the height of the Revolutionary War where the British have now occupied the city. Here we find Hannah Sunderland and her family who are Quakers. Based on their religious beliefs, they will not take either side in the conflict, however when the Sunderland house is taken over by a British officer, they are informed that Hannah's twin brother has been imprisoned. She is torn between her religious beliefs to stay out of the war effort but she is determined to see her brother.

Jeremiah Jones is a disgruntled veteran of the war fifteen years ago, losing an arm in the process, who has vowed to take revenge on the British soldiers. So now that his pub is under the occupation of the British, he finds that they are very willing to talk quite a bit over a few drinks. He learns that Washington wants to stage a prison breaks and he finds himself becoming an unlikely candidate for spying.

Between Hannah and Jeremiah they each have different reasons for wanting to learn more about what is going on in the prison and Jeremiah tries to use Hannah to search for the information he needs to aid Washington, only the problem with Hannah is she isn't willing to lie and that could definitely become a problem. How they both will find a way to work together is what makes this novel a fantastic historical read while the reader is in for a bit of historical entertainment as they become part of the action.

I received The Messenger by Siri Mitchell compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. It definitely gives readers an idea of what life may have been like as people struggled with the war and for that reason, I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's a unique twist on your typical historical novel where a love story develops out of each person trying to gain and advantage to help the cause each is most loyal to. It is in this novel that two unlikely heroes will find the courage to act to help in the war.

For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

You can also find Siri Mitchell on her Facebook page by clicking here.

Something Stirs

When the beginning page of a book begins with a warning not to read this book at night, one has to wonder just what they have gotten themselves into.

"Something Stirs is not a book to be read at night, or a novel for easily frightened people. Because Something Stirs delves into a kind of evil that actually exists, it makes the novel that much more compelling. " (excerpt from Michelle Sutton's review).

Yet as a reminder, I kept telling myself that this is a Christian book, so I must press on. It's been quite some time since I got the creepy feeling that I just might have to have a second look before heading into a dark room before turning on the lights and proceeded to dive in with caution on my side. I mean, if it got too scary I could always sleep with lights on or just stop til morning right?

Well after an hour and a half, I was well into the book with suspense happening at virtually every single page. At the half way point, I was hooked and simply had to know what would happen next. YES, it is that good!

Even though the housing industry was in a slump it didn't mean that houses could be built with the hopes of selling it to a new prospective owner and half way through completion is where our story gets interesting. After the construction company leaves for the day, four teens head to the empty house on top of the hill known as Grants Ridge, overlooking the town of Pike's Crossing. They want to create what is known as an occult circle or club. A place where they can give each other the creeps like through seances or telling scary stories. Rodney Hardwick is the leader of the four teens and he has other plans. Plans to use an ancient spell book he's come across to call forth an entity to serve them to right the wrongs in all their lives.

However one of the girls, Robin, felt this was getting way out of hand when she saw the pentagram on the floor and the candles at each of the points. She feared this went beyond spooky and into downright evil. She decides to leave even after being teased that she is just a baby. However Rodney, Myra and Kenny decide to stay. Just as the spell is about to be completed, a local deputy spots the lights in the house and the kids flee, but not before trapping an evil presence within the walls of the house. All it will need is to be free is to gain more blood until it gains more power to find a host to unleash the greatest horror on mankind. So for now, it waits. It waits for the Chalmers family to move in completely unaware of the horror that awaits them inside.

I received Something Stirs by Thomas Smith compliments of Christian Fiction Book Reviews for my honest opinion and can honestly say IT'S THAT GOOD. 5 out of 5 spell-binding stars for this one to keep me trying to decide if sleep was really all that important before finishing the book. I kept inhaling chapter after chapter, telling myself, I would stop at the next one, but it kept pulling at me to read on. Needless to say I finished it after a delightful 3 hours. It will keep you listening for things that go bump in the night and to wonder how that cabinet door opened by itself after all, but the best part is the authors message that only the love of God and the redemption of Jesus' can defeat evil. Not anything we can wage war on our own but simply the submission of letting Him work through us gets us through the worst of our storms. I can't wait to read more from Thomas Smith in the very near future.

For more information on this book, the author, listen to an audio clip of the prologue, or where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Something Stirs by Thomas Smith

Blue Moon Promise

To say that Lucy Marsh is having a really bad day would be an understatement. Today she has managed to lose her job through no fault of her own, its simply a sign of the times and those times are looking up for anyone. However she has also just recently lost her father and her mother decided to skip town with her new "friend" and leave her with the job of raising her younger brother Jed, and her younger sister Eileen.

Now just arriving home with no hopes for money, she is met at her door by Mr. Cramer, her landlord, who informs her that he is selling the building and it's going to be torn down. She has a week to find suitable housing elsewhere.

Now she finds herself at odds with what to do, not only that but a man has been stalking her outside of her work and home lately and she's afraid with no one in the house but her and the children. When she opens the door to greet the children, she finds Henry Stanton of Larson, Texas who tells her that Jed has attempted to steal his wallet. He was waiting to talk to Lucy when she walked in from work.

Learning of her father's death and her mother's recent departure with another man, he offers Lucy a proposal that just may save her, but the cost may be more than she can bare. He asks her to marry his son Nate by proxy and in return will provide them with a stable place to stay and food for the children. Is this the answer to her prayer? Shouldn't she at least meet the man to see if they are suitable? Perhaps true love can come once in blue moon!

To find out just what happens, you'll have to pick up Colleen Coble's latest novel, Blue Moon Promise. She wrote this novel with a whole lot of herself put into the character of Lucy. Lucy will have to suffer through her own issues with a lack of control until she realizes that only God is ultimately in control. While we may trust God and are content to rest with what He has for us, when hard times come, we try to rely on our own strength to often instead of turning our burdens over to God and leaving them with Him. This is what Lucy will hope to learn in this novel.

I received Blue Moon Promise compliments of Litfuse Publicity for my honest review and being a huge fan of Colleen Coble's there hasn't been any book I haven't come to love. This one is no exception. As a reader, you are immediately immersed in poor Lucy's situation and often find yourself wondering just what you would do. A great story with a great reminder of trusting in God and for that reason I think it deserves a 5 out of 5 stars. This is the first book in her Under The Texas Stars series and I will be reading the rest!

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

Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

You can also find Colleen on Facebook by clicking here.

To read what other reviewers have to say, click here.

Now for the fun part:

Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

To celebrate Colleen is teaming up with her publisher Thomas Nelson for a "Blue Moon Promise" Facebook Chat party on March 13 8:00pm until 9:30pm EST, where she will giveaway a KINDLE Fire and a Texas-sized gift basket (fabulous Texas treats and fun Lucy-inspired housekeeping products)!

Click the link below, RSVP today for the Facebook Party and mark the date on your calendar!

Invite your friends and don't miss Colleen's evening of chat, trivia, prizes, and more.

http://www.facebook.com/events/265518396856118

Chasing The Sun

Author Tracie Peterson has launched a new series of Christian Historical Westerns with the Land of the Lonestar Series and the first book, Chasing the Sun. Set in 1863 in Texas, the reader finds herself with the main character Hannah Dandridge who has received news that her father has been taken prisoner by the Yankees by her father's business and law partner Herbert Lockhart. Even though Hannah doesn't believe her father has done anything wrong by merely going to Mississippi to bury his mother and Hannah's brother Benjamin who died when the Yankees attacked Vicksburg. Thanks to the rapid response in receiving the news two months after their deaths. Now her father is missing and she doesn't know what has happened.

Now the sole responsibility of caring for the ranch her father had recently acquired and since Hannah's doesn't know how long it will be before her father returns, this is a great burden to bear. Not only does she need to care for the upkeep of the ranch but also for her two siblings, Andy who was eight and Marty who was five. How could she possibly keep the news from them about the whereabouts of her father? Now Mr. Lockhart wants to extend his partnership to include Hannah and she is considering the possibility if her father never returns. Hannah sees no other prospects at 24 and saddled with her current burden until William Barnett shows up wounded at the ranch.

Thus the storyline begins to unfold with the intentions of both Barnett and Lockhart ultimately trying to win Hannah's affection. Yet just who will Hannah chose and what will become of the ranch and her father?

I received, Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and have to say I loved it. Even though you can probably predict the outcome by the end, the story that Tracie weaves allows the readers to root for the good guy and boo for the bad one! Another winner for those who love western romances with a Godly message blended in. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my book.

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

Chasing the Sun by Tracie Peterson

You can also find Tracie on Facebook by clicking here.