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Book Review: By Reason of Insanity

3 Jun

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Following a series of murders, Catherine O’Rourke experiences disturbing dreams that detail each crime. After sharing them with investigators, she’s arrested as the main suspect.

Las Vegas lawyer Quinn Newberg believes in justice—and his client—but he doesn’t believe her dreams are anything other than the result of a fractured personality disorder. Though he knows insanity cases are unpredictable, nothing has prepared Quinn for this. To win, or even survive, he’ll need more than his famed legal maneuvering. On this case, he’ll need a miracle.

 

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pic_lg_singer_randyRandy Singer is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned more than 10 legal thrillers and was recently a finalist with John Grisham and Michael Connelly for the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal. Randy runs his own law practice and has been named to Virginia Business magazine’s select list of “Legal Elite” litigation attorneys. In addition to his law practice and writing, Randy serves as teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He calls it his “Jekyll and Hyde thing”—part lawyer, part pastor. He also teaches classes in advocacy and civil litigation at Regent Law School and, through his church, is involved with ministry opportunities in India. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Virginia Beach. They have two grown children. Visit his website at www.randysinger.net.

My Impressions:

When you have the craving for a good legal suspense novel, the author to pick up is Randy Singer. He always delivers a book with twists, turns, and edge of the seat suspense. I found all that and more in By Reason of Insanity. The book opens in a Las Vegas courtroom where hotshot lawyer, Quinn Newberg, is representing his sister for murder of her abusive husband. A top litigator, Quinn has quickly become a must have lawyer in insanity pleas (much to the chagrin of his law partners.) Although there is not very much money in insanity defenses, the notoriety brings business into his firm. What he can’t make in billable hours, he tries to supplement at the high stakes poker tables. A young reporter from Virginia Beach covered this trial and when Catherine finds herself in the middle of a serial kidnapping and killing spree, she insists Quinn second chair her local lawyer’s strategy.

Singer does a great job presenting the ins and outs of the very rare, yet newsworthy insanity defense. He also shows the degrading and dehumanizing system surrounding our jails. Not an apologist for easy treatment, the book does show how quickly the need for survival usurps manners and morals. Singer also looks at how God may speak in visions and dreams, revealing truth. The dreams and visions Catherine experiences are so far out that even she begins to doubt her role in the murders. And if you like for a book to keep you guessing, By Reason of Insanity will have your puzzled up to the very end. A good book to take with you on vacation, I recommend By Reason of Insanity.

Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Afloat

1 Jun

Who will you trust when dark waters rise?

685520_w185Eagle’s Talon is an architectural marvel—shining residential units afloat in a protected cove of the gorgeous Rondeau River. The project is nearly complete, partially occupied, and ready to make investors rich when a sinkhole gives way. Then torrential rains and a flood leave a ragged collection of builders, investors, and residents stranded in one floating building, cut off from the rest of the world.

They’re bitterly divided over what to do next.

Architect Vance Nolan insists they should sit tight and wait for rescue. Developer Tony Dean wants to strike out into the darkness. And single mom Danielle Clement, desperate to protect her young son, Simeon, struggles to hold their motley band together.

Power failure, a pall of unnatural daytime darkness, explosions in the distance, then a murder ratchet tensions to a boiling point. But Danielle’s young son, Simeon, has spotted something strange underwater—beautiful, shifting lights in the dark water below.

In this watery world where everyone’s secrets will eventually come to light, salvation may mean more than just getting out alive.

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EHealy-160Erin Healy is the best-selling co-author of Burn and Kiss (with Ted Dekker) and an award-winning editor for numerous best-selling authors. She has received wide acclaim for her novels Never Let You Go, The Baker’s Wife, House of Mercy, and Afloat. She and her family live in Colorado. Erin can be contacted through her website ErinHealy.com or through Facebook at erinhealybooks.

My Impressions:

Afloat is the third book I have read by Erin Healy. With her complex plots, emphasis on setting and well-drawn characters, she never disappoints. Afloat is another winner for this talented author. Not a quick or easy read, it is a book that will make you focus and think. Don’t pick this one up unless you have time to devote to becoming immersed in a riveting read.

Vance is an architect with a dream. After enduring a tragedy while a teenager and years of alcoholism, he is on the cusp of a brilliant future. His groundbreaking and innovative homes built on floating platforms are sure to dazzle homebuyers and investors alike. But he doesn’t foresee a disaster like no other that will impact that dream, his life and the lives that are in his keeping. Danielle loves her son and is determined to provide security at any cost, even at the expense of her own identity. Faced with life threatening circumstances, she has to determine which man in her life  to trust. Vance, Danielle and Danielle’s son Simeon are among the remnant that must decide how to survive the ordeal they face.

Afloat combines the best of disaster scenarios — upheaval of the natural world, fear and betrayal — with a supernatural element that makes the reader examine all the twists and turns of the plot. Just what is at work in Eagle’s Talon and is it something that can be understood or does it have to be taken by faith? The pasts of the two main characters impact their present so much, causing them to doubt, yet strengthening their resolve at the same time. The setting of the book changes from peaceful haven to deadly foe within the space of a few days and keeps the characters off balance. The secondary characters are motivated by greed, fear, anger and self-preservation and impact the survival of them all. As I said, a complex read that makes the reader think.

Afloat is another great book by Erin Healy.

Recommended.

(Thanks to LitFuse and the publisher for my copy of Afloat. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of Afloat, click on the image below.

To read other reviews, click HERE.

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Erin is celebrating the release of Afloat with an iPad Mini giveaway.

One winner will receive:

  • An iPad Mini 
  • iTunes gift card
  • Afloat by Erin Healy 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 15th. Winner will be announced on Erin’s blog on June 17th. Save the date and click HERE to see if YOU won the iPad Mini!

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; ENTER TODAY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS VIA FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VISIT ERIN’S BLOG ON THE 17TH!

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CSFF Blog Tour Day 3

29 May

Yesterday I reviewed Merlin’s Blade and recommended it as a great family read. Here is the book trailer to whet your appetite. And don’t miss the cover and copy about book 2 in the series, Merlin’s Shadow.

 

735083_w185Author Robert Treskillard continues his Merlin Spiral series with book two, Merlin’s Shadow, another fresh take on the ancient Arthurian myths. After destroying the sinister Druid Stone and freeing his people from its dark control, Merlin finds himself a royal advisor without a king. Along with his friend Garth, and Natalenya, his betrothed, Merlin treks north with the orphaned Arthur in hopes of keeping the young king safe from soldiers misled by their turncoat captain. As the threat on all their lives increases, Merlin discovers their only hope is sailing to the lands of eternal darkness, and once again cleansing the world from an ancient and powerful evil.

To pre-order Merlin’s Shadow, click on the link below.

Check out the other participants in the Blog Tour by clicking on the links below.

Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Kathleen Smith
Jojo Sutis
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Shane Werlinger
Nicole White
Sarah Faulkner

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Book Review: Merlin’s Blade

28 May

73507x_w185A strange meteorite. A deadly enchantment. And only Merlin can destroy it. A meteorite brings a mysterious black stone whose sinister power ensnares everyone except Merlin, the blind son of a swordsmith. Soon, all of Britain will be under its power, and he must destroy the stone—or die trying.

My Impressions:

I am a big fan of novels that use the Arthurian legends as their base. Before I read Merlin’s Blade, I would have said that Stephen Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle was my favorite. Now I can add Robert Treskillard’s first novel to the list — and can impatiently await the next book in the series due out in September. Merlin’s Blade, a YA fantasy, can be enjoyed by Middle Schoolers through adults. It is an epic story that has all of the Arthurian elements you expect, but with a fresh and sometimes unique spin that makes this a book that is definitely a keeper.

Merlin is a young man that has been scarred, physically and emotionally, by a wolf attack years before. The wounds have healed, but they have left him virtually blind and viewed by the people of his village as damaged, incompetent or worse, intellectually deficient. There are a few that can truly see his abilities and character — and some of those are his enemies. The novel starts slowly in its development of plot and characters. I enjoyed getting to know the many diverse personalities populating the book — Dybris, an intense monk, Natalenya, the daughter of the magister, Garth, an orphan ruled by his stomach, Owain, Merlin’s blacksmith father, and of course Uther, father of the legendary Arthur. Treskillard unites all of the characters through a mysterious stone the long hidden druids bring to the village. It has a variety of effects on these characters as well as the village as a whole. It seems to know a person’s weakness and woos him with promises and deceptions. The stone is a great device to depict the allure of sin and its hidden ugliness.

Merlin is of course the central character and is a type of Christ. I was often reminded of Isaiah 53 while reading Merlin’s Blade.

He sprouted up like a twig before God,
like a root out of parched soil;
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention,
no special appearance that we should want to follow him.
He was despised and rejected by people,
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him;
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. (Isaiah 53:2-3)

At one point in the novel he even takes the punishment for young Garth’s crime.

This is one reason that I think Merlin’s Blade would be an excellent book for a family to read together. There are also some very strong female characters that act within the boundaries set by 5th century customs and culture. And because the story does develop slowly, the discussion it prompts can be in-depth. But don’t think that there isn’t any action in this story. There is plenty, and when Uther comes on the scene it comes fast and furious. Merlin’s Blade is a beautifully written novel, and an excellent first effort for Treskillard.

So are you a fantasy fan, an Arthurian aficionado or do you just like to read a good tale? If so, pick up Robert Treskillard’s debut, Merlin’s Blade.

Highly Recommended.

(Thanks to the publisher for a copy of Merlin’s Blade for review. All opinions are mine alone.)

But don’t take my word for it, check out what others on the CSFF Tour are saying. Click on the links below.

Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Kathleen Smith
Jojo Sutis
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Shane Werlinger
Nicole White
Sarah Faulkner

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Christian Science Fiction And Fantasy Blog Tour: Merlin’s Blade

27 May

The CSFF Blog Tour is featuring an alumni this month — Robert Treskillard and the first book in his Merlin’s Spiral series, Merlin’s Blade. Take a look at the book info today, I will be back tomorrow with a review.

73507x_w185A strange meteorite. A deadly enchantment. And only Merlin can destroy it. A meteorite brings a mysterious black stone whose sinister power ensnares everyone except Merlin, the blind son of a swordsmith. Soon, all of Britain will be under its power, and he must destroy the stone—or die trying.

Excerpt

1u5alhtqntqi0oujr6ggRobert Treskillard (from his website) is a Celtic enthusiast who holds a B.A. in Biblical & Theological Studies from Bethel University, Minnesota.  He has been crafting stories from his early youth, is a software developer, graphic artist, and sometime bladesmith.  He and his wife have three children and are still homeschooling their youngest. They live in the country outside St. Louis, Missouri.

The story behind the story:
It all began when Robert’s son wanted to learn blacksmithing and sword-making.  The two set out to learn the crafts and in the process were told by a relative that they were descended from a Cornish blacksmith.  This lit the fire of Robert’s imagination, and so welding his Celtic research to his love of the legends of King Arthur, a book was forged —-Merlin’s Blade, book one of The Merlin Spiral, coming April 2013 from Zondervan.

To join the battle, visit the author’s website dedicated to the series: KingArthur.org.uk

To purchase a copy of Merlin’s Blade, click on the image below.

Check out the other participants in the blog tour by clicking on the following links.
Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Kathleen Smith
Jojo Sutis
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Shane Werlinger
Nicole White
Sarah Faulkner

(Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of Merlin’s Blade.)

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Book Review: The Offering

24 May

TheOffering-e1361983676260After growing up as an only child, Amanda Lisandra wants a big family. But since she and her soldier husband can’t afford to have more children right away, Mandy decides to earn money as a gestational carrier for a childless couple. She loves being pregnant, and while carrying the child she dreams of having her own son and maybe another daughter…

Just when the nearly perfect pregnancy is about to conclude, unexpected tragedy enters Mandy’s world and leaves her reeling. Devastated by grief, she surrenders the child she was carrying and struggles to regain her emotional equilibrium.

Two years later she studies a photograph of the baby she bore and wonders if the unthinkable has happened—could she have inadvertently given away her own biological child? Over the next few months Mandy struggles to decide between the desires of her grief-stricken heart and what’s best for the little boy she has never known.

AHunt-137With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books, including “The Nativity Story”. Hunt is one of the most sought-after collaborators in the publishing industry. Her nonfiction book “Don’t Bet Against Me”, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Angela’s novel “The Note” (with sales of over 141,000) was filmed as the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movie for 2007 and proved to be the highest rated television movie in the channel’s history. Angela’s novels have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the RITA, the Christy Award, the ECPA Christian Book Award, and the Holt Medallion. She often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences, and she served as the keynote speaker at the 2008 American Christian Fiction Writers’ national conference. She and her husband make their home in Florida with mastiffs. In 2001, one of her dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest dog in America.

My Impressions:

The title of Angela Hunt’s website is Expect The Unexpected. How true that statement is for an author I count as one of my favorites. Her books make a reader stretch. The characters, plot lines and themes are not always comfortable or likable, but always make you think. The Offering is another such book. I had mixed emotions while reading it, but found in the end a book that made me wonder about my own choices and decisions. I just wished I had read this with a book club — it is a perfect book for in depth discussion.

Mandy has a wonderful life and beautiful family. Almost perfect — except for the lack of money for a new house and special schools for her daughter. When she meets a gestational carrier, she thinks that is possibly the answer to all her financial problems. She loved being pregnant and convinces herself and her husband, Gideon, that providing a child for a couple longing to become parents is the generous thing to do. But the unthinkable happens, and Mandy is forced to face her past nightmares, her current grief and her future dreams.

As I said before, The Offering is a great book for discussion groups. There are many ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding infertility, surrogacy and adoption. The questions of parental rights and bonding love are explored. I didn’t like Mandy’s character much at first. She is somewhat manipulative, self-absorbed and naive. She conveniently justifies her decisions and is a bit insensitive to those closest to her. But Mandy’s character grows and grows on the reader as well. If faced with similar decisions, I am not sure I would have reacted as selflessly as she.

If you want to read a book that will make you examine your own choices, the viewpoint of the world and the moral land mines surrounding decisions, pick up The Offering.

Recommended.

For other reviews, click HERE.

(Thank you to LitFuse for my copy of The Offering. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

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Book Review And Giveaway: Two Are Better

22 May

TAB_flatcoverRev_rgb_500-200x300Are you looking for adventure? Want to simplify your life? Break free?

Go for it! This unique and entertaining story proves it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. After 52 years of life, Tim and Debbie Bishop finally found in each other that special someone they’d been searching for years to marry. In only 10 weeks, they moved from marriage proposal and wedding, to Tim’s “retirement” and relocation, to embarking on a cycling adventure of a lifetime. Was it a grand getaway or a big mistake?

Two Are Better: Midlife Newlyweds Bicycle Coast to Coast is a full-color, 208-page, 6″ x 9″ paperback book published by Open Road Press, including over 100 color photos of the Bishops’ trip across the country. Learn the inspiring story, be challenged to make your own dreams come true, and enjoy a vicarious adventure across a beautiful land.

Trip Blog

8-23-Deb-015-150x150Originally from Maine, Tim Bishop has over thirty years of experience in business, first as a CPA, then for many years in various roles in the corporate world. In addition to consulting for small businesses, Tim serves as a Hope Coach for TheHopeLine, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reach, rescue, and restore hurting teens and young adults.

7-10-Tim-002-150x150Debbie Bishop has taught for over 26 years, for the past 11 years as a literacy specialist in Framingham, Massachusetts. She has a passion for reading and seeing that young people do it well. She also has high interest in recovery issues and encouraging others with her own triumphs over struggles earlier in her life. Debbie also serves as a Hope Coach for TheHopeLine.

My Impressions:

Tim and Debbie Bishop were 52 before they married — for the first time! Then to add to the adventure of starting a brand new life after years of singleness they chose to fulfill the long held dream of a cross country bike trip, a honeymoon designed to fast forward the learning curve of marriage. What they learned about themselves and God can be experienced in their book about the life-changing challenge in Two Are Better. What you get is a first hand, up-close-and-personal account of the highs and lows of new starts and life lessons on the open road.

The book is written primarily from Tim’s perspective, with thoughts from Debbie interjected in the narrative. Photos from their 50+ day trip across America provide glimpses of the majesty of America. There are some serious and humorous accounts along the way. But what stands out most is their reliance on God before, during and after the trip that started them on their new life.

The Bishops were dedicated bikers before their trip, but it was amazing to me the lack of planning they undertook for the adventure of a lifetime. They started their journey with a goal to reach the Atlantic before Debbie needed to go back to work, but they soon found that what they expected was not always what they experienced. Too much weight on the bikes, sore bottoms and differences in approaches all caused some slow going at first, but the Bishops’ determination and commitment saw them through. Many of their experiences can serve as metaphors for the Christian life.

If you are interested in bicycling, adventure or if you are wondering what God may have in store for the second half of your life, you should check out Two Are Better — a quick read with great insight.

Recommended.

(Thanks to the authors for my copy of Two Are Better. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a Kindle version of this book, click on the image below.

GIVEAWAY!

I have a paperback copy of Two Are Better to give away. Just leave me a comment to be entered to win. Giveaway ends May 29th.

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Audiobook Review: Double Blind

21 May

671647_w185Twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Newberry can barely make it through the day. Suddenly widowed and a survivor of a near-fatal attack, she is wracked with grief and despair. Then she hears of a medical trial for a tiny brain chip that emits electrical pulses to heal severe depression. At rope’s end, Lisa offers herself as a candidate.When she receives her letter of acceptance for the trial, Lisa is at first hopeful. But-brain surgery. Can she really go through with that? What if she receives only the placebo? What if something far worse goes wrong?

CBD has a widget that lets you listen to a sample of the audiobook. Click HERE to listen.

UnknownBrandilyn Collins is a best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline “Don’t forget to b r e a t h e . . .“®  Brandilyn’s first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including thePhil Donahue and Leeza talk shows. Brandilyn’s awards for her novels include the ACFW Carol Award (three times), Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice.

Brandilyn is also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons). The Writer magazine named Getting into Character one of the best books on writing published in 2002.

When she’s not writing, Brandilyn can be found teaching the craft of fiction at writers’ conferences. She and her family divide their time between homes in the California Bay Area and northern Idaho.

My Impressions:

First, let me say that Double Blind is a fast-paced psychological/medical thriller true to Brandilyn Collins’ style. There are lots of twists, turns and breath-holding moments. If you like your suspense fast and furious, then this is the book for you. The technology in the novel, although fictional, is just a few steps ahead of reality. That in itself is chilling. The emotions and fears the main character goes through makes this a very personal read/listen. Secondly, the audiobook brought a whole new dimension to my reading pleasure. The book is a first person account of Lisa Newburg’s experience with depression, desperation, and hope in the face of grief and loss. The audio-reader captured the despair that has enveloped Lisa. The emotions are raw and believable as heard through Lisa’s voice. Perfect as a vacation read, I literally listened to Double Blind on the beach! In fact I had to hold off the beach service staff from removing my chair and umbrella because I had just 3 more minutes left in the book!

So if you are looking for a great suspense novel, pick up either the Kindle, paperback or audiobook version of Double Blind. Another winner from Brandilyn Collins.

Recommended.

(I purchased an audiobook version from Audible. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of Double Blind, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Catch A Falling Star

20 May

FallingStar-e1361983877202What does a girl do when life doesn’t go according to her plan? 

At 36, Kendall Haynes has seen some of her dreams come true. She’s a family physician helping kids with severe allergies and asthma achieve more fulfilling lives—a childhood struggle she knows all too well. But the feeling of being “the kid never picked” looms large when romance continues to evade her and yet another one of her closest friends gets engaged. Are Kendall’s dreams of having it all—a career, a husband, children—nothing more than childish wishing upon a star? Should she hold out for her elusive Plan A? Dust off Plan B? Or is it time to settle? God says he knows the plans he has for her—why can’t Kendall figure them out and be content with her life?

Griffin Walker prefers flying solo—both as an Air Force pilot and in his personal life. But a wrong choice and health problems pulled him out of the cockpit. His attempts to get out of “flying a desk” are complicated by his parents’ death—making Griffin the reluctant guardian of his sixteen-year-old brother, Ian. How did his life get so off course? Can God get his life back on track … or has there been a divine plan all along?

Catch a Falling Star reminds readers that romance isn’t just for twenty-somethings and that sometimes letting go of your “wish I may, wish I might” dreams is the only way to embrace everything God has waiting for you.

BVogt-134Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice), though she said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four, though she said she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Her contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted in May 2012 (Howard Books), and Catch a Falling Star releases May 2013. An established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth is also the Skills Coach for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren.

My Impressions:

What’s on your summer reading list? Do you like a quick romance for those lazy days by the pool or the beach? If so, then pick up Beth Vogt’s second book, Catch A Falling Star, a novel that proves it is never too late to find love.

Dr. Kendall Haynes has always put her career first, but has never ruled out love and marriage. It just has not come her way. But following yet another friend’s engagement and her sister’s insistence that the ring left by her grandmother will never be used unless Kendall gives it up, Kendall begins to question if love will ever be a part of her life. Griffin Walker has had a lot of loss in his life — his marriage, parents and now his career. Faced with the daunting task of raising his 16 year old brother, Griffin thinks single and alone are all that he is destined for. When the two meet it is definitely not love at first sight, but the feelings they have are quite undeniable.

Catch A Falling Star is a realistic romance — the characters are set in their ways and there are plenty of obstacles and personality traits to overcome. Both characters must learn to trust each other and God with their futures and their hearts. There is a secondary plot that I really enjoyed as well, making this story feel very real. If you like a good contemporary romance with some interesting plot twists and realistic characters, I recommend you pick up Catch A Falling Star.

Recommended.

To read more reviews, click HERE.

(Thanks to LitFuse for my copy of Catch A Falling Star. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

FallingStar300

 

Celebrate the release of Catch a Falling Star with Beth by entering to win a Romantic Weekend Getaway and RSVPing for her June 4th Author Chat Party.

One “lucky” winner will receive:

  • A $200 Visa Cash Card (Perfect for a weekend stay at a hotel or B&B!)
  • Catch a Falling Star and Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt(Swoon-worthy!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 3rd. Winner will be announced at the “Catch a Falling Star” Facebook Author Chat Party on June 4th. Connect with Beth for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Beth will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Catch a Falling Star and join Beth on the evening of June 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

 

 

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS VIA FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 4TH!

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Book Review(s): The Cat That God Sent and The Dog That Talked to God

17 May

CatGodSentCover-e1363390500620Meet Petey, your not-so-average cat—on a mission from God

Disillusioned young pastor, Jake Wilkerson, has just arrived at his new assignment in the small rural church of Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Also new on the scene is Petey, a cat of unknown origins and breed—but of great perception.

As Jake sets about doing the business of ministry, Petey’s continued interference brings chaos to the community of curiously off and eccentric people—residents like the faith-avoiding veterinarian Sally Grainger and Tassy, a young runaway with a secret. An expert at hiding his fears, Jake wonders if all this—and the cat to boot—is more than he can handle. What is Petey’s real “mission”? Perhaps something larger than Jake—or even Petey—can possibly know.

DogTalkedToGod-e1363390849241Recently widowed Mary Fassler buys a Miniature Schnauzer, Rufus, and her world is turned sideways in the midst of her grief.  It seems that Rufus speaks. And not just to her. He also talks to God. When Rufus begins sharing advice that could result in major changes, Mary gets the feeling the pooch might not be steering her in the right direction. Or, is she just afraid to take the leap and discover something she desperately needs? Only Rufus…and God…knows.

JKraus-144Jim Kraus grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has spent the last twenty years as a vice president of a major Christian publishing house. He has written more than twenty books and novels, including the best-selling The Dog That Talked to God. He and his family live outside of Chicago with a sweet miniature Schnauzer and an ill-tempered Siberian cat named (of course) Petey.

My Impressions:

Looking for humor, a dog (or cat) story, or just a good read filled with a strong message of God’s love and grace? Then look no further! Pick up Jim Kraus’s books The Cat That God Sent and The Dog That Talked to God. Much more than just animal tales, these books will touch your heart and your funny bone.

The people in both of these books have a little trouble communicating with God. They are hurting, doubting and grieving. So it is no wonder they need a little help from the four-footed, furry friends in their lives. I laughed out loud at the observations by Petey the cat and the innocent remarks of Rufus the dog. I also shed a tear when the message of grace, provision, and love was shared so sweetly through the pages of the books.

These two are must reads for the animal lovers in your life. Or for those who need a reminder that God is indeed there and listening.

Highly Recommended.

To read what other reviewers are saying, click HERE.

(Thanks to LitFuse and NetGalley for my copies of these books. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase these books, click on the images below.

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