By The Book

The MS Project – Orange Is The New Pink is a collection of stories written by people afflicted by MS or who have loved ones afflicted. This book is meant to be informational regarding the disease as experienced by real people and to showcase the amazing strength people find when facing adversity.

The MS Project has a companion iPhone app also being released March 14th, 2011 and a website which you can see now at The MS Project.

Laina Turner-Molaski is a business woman, mom, author, Professor, and a major supporter of shopping.

With many letters after her name and a ton of student loan debt, she is always working to pay the bills. While she enjoys her day job, her passion is writing, and she uses a lot of company time writing her fiction or working on her social website for women, Chiczofrenic.com. She is hoping to sell her book before she gets fired from her day job for goofing off.

Laina is currently living in Indiana, with her family, and is always writing something, whether it’s blogs, articles, business journals and books or ideas for her next novel. She is continuously doing what she loves which is writing or drinking coffee.

You can visit her website at LainaTurner.com

My Impressions:

I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  I have been living with this bizarre, sometimes scary, disease for almost 10 years. The first two years were the hardest — vision loss, numbness, facial pain, tingling sensations and worst of all, debilitating fatigue.  I was one of the lucky ones, though, because I was diagnosed within 2 months of noticeable symptoms.  And though I had MS, I was determined that MS wouldn’t have me.  I have been almost symptom free for 8 years thanks to a great doctor, a very expensive medicine and most importantly the prayers of my husband, family and friends.

MS was a wakeup call of sorts for me.  I have always been very self-reliant.  If I wanted something done, I was the one to have to do it.  But MS doesn’t play that game.  I had to let others help — my children learned to cook, clean and do laundry much younger than I would have wanted.  I had to let my husband do things around the house the way he wanted to do them.  And I had to let God really take over.  So I have accepted that MS is a gift to me — one I would never have opened given the choice, but one that has helped me grow.

The MS Project – Orange Is The New Pink is a compilation of stories from those with MS and those with loved ones with MS.  MS is treated with the seriousness it demands, yet all those telling their stories have chosen to keep MS in its place — a life-changing disease, but not necessarily a life-ending one.   Choice seems to be the overriding theme in the book and I think that is its strength.  The stories are as varied as symptoms of MS.  Not everyone is still walking; many are fighting as hard as they can.  But as in all of life’s challenges, it is our choice how we meet them. And in the words of one contributor — there is life after MS.

Turner-Molaski’s mother’s story is the first in the book.  She has a very personal stake in The MS Project, and I appreciate her goal of raising awareness about Multiple Sclerosis.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be given to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

I recommend this book to anyone with a loved one with MS, those facing a diagnosis or if you just want to learn more about the disease and what it takes to live with it.

(I received The MS Project from the author and Pump Up Your Book in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Mercy Land has made some unexpected choices for a young woman in the 1930s. The sheltered daughter of a traveling preacher, she chooses to leave her rural community to move to nearby Bay City on the warm, gulf-waters of southern Alabama. There she finds a job at the local paper and spends seven years making herself indispensable to old Doc Philips, the publisher and editor. Then she gets a frantic call at dawn—it’s the biggest news story of her life, and she can’t print a word of it.

Doc has come into possession of a curious book that maps the lives of everyone in Bay City—decisions they’ve made in the past, and how those choices affect the future. Mercy and Doc are consumed by the mystery locked between the pages—Doc because he hopes to right a very old wrong, and Mercy because she wants to fulfill the book’s strange purpose. But when a mystery from Mercy’s past arrives by train, she begins to understand that she will have to make choices that will deeply affect everyone she loves—forever.

Excerpt

River Jordan is a southerner with a global perspective. She began her writing career as a playwright and spent over ten years with the Loblolly Theatre group, where her original works were produced, including Mama Jewels: Tales from Mullet Creek, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, and Virga.

Ms. Jordan’s first novel,The Gin Girl (Livingston Press, 2003), has garnered such high praise as “This author writes with a hard bitten confidence comparable to Ernest Hemingway. And yet, in the Southern tradition of William Faulkner, she can knit together sentences that can take your breath.”

Kirkus Reviews described her second novel, The Messenger of Magnolia Street, as “a beautifully written atmospheric tale.  “It was applauded as “a tale of wonder” by Southern Living, who chose the novel as their Selects feature for March 2006, and described by other reviewers as “a riveting, magical mystery” and “a remarkable book.”

Her third novel, Saints In Limbo has been painted by some of the finest fiction voices of today as “a lyrical and relentlessly beautiful book,” and “a wise, funny, joyful and deadly serious book, written with a poet’s multilayered sense of metaphor and meter and a page-turning sense of urgency.

The Miracle of Mercy Land, a novel set in 1938 along the Gulf waters of Alabama, debuted September 7, 2010 and has been painted as ‘A triumph of beauty.”

River Jordan’s first work of narrative non-fiction, Praying for Strangers, An Adventure of the Human Spirit, arrives with great expectation, April 5, 2011.

Ms. Jordan teaches and speaks around the country on “The Power of Story”, and produces and hosts Clearstory Radio on WRFN, 107.1fm Nashville.

When not traveling the back roads of America, River lives with her husband Owen Hicks, and their Great Pyrennees lap dog, Titan in Nashville, Tennessee. She thinks about where stories come from – places and people and moods of the heart while rocking on her front porch. And long after the sun sets over the ridge, she waits for the moon to rise, watches the stars come out, and stares off into the blue-night sky believing with all her might.

Q & A With River Jordan

My Impressions:

River Jordan’s newest novel The Miracle of Mercy Land is a beautifully written story about the choices we make and how they impact ourselves and the lives of others.  Mercy Land is a daughter of backwoods Alabama making her way in Bay City as the go-to girl of newspaper editor/publisher Doc Phillips.  She is good at what she does and has become an indispensable part of the newspaper and the community as a whole.  Her life is going so well, that she is caught off guard by the arrival of a strange book that not only exposes the lives of Bay City citizens but also shows how those lives could or should have been.  Doc then complicates matters more by summoning to town a stranger to be a part of their investigation into the purpose of that book.

Jordan skillfully brings to life a small Southern town emerging from the hardships of the Depression and on the brink of World War.  It is a slower paced time.  A time when you knew your neighbors and could depend on them. But do we ever truly know someone else?  The Miracle of Mercy Land poses that question and examines the consequences of such knowledge.  One thing is sure, the Creator of all knows who we are, and that is the most comforting thing of all.   The words of Psalm 139 were not far from my thoughts as I read this book  —

You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives. You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest. you are aware of everything I do. ^{Psalm 139:2-3}

The story is told from the perspectives of the three main characters.  Through their words, the reader is slowly drawn into the mystery surrounding the book and the lives it brings to light.  Each character has parts of the whole and it is a fascinating journey of discovery for the reader.

Slow-paced, yet riveting, this book is a great read.

Highly Recommended.

(I received The Miracle of Mercy Land from Waterbrook/Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

The Christian Science Fiction And Fantasy Blog Tour is looking at Mike Duran’s novel The Resurrection this week.  Here is a synopsis of the story:

When Ruby Case, an unassuming crippled woman, inexplicably raises a boy from the dead, she creates uproar in the quiet coastal town of Stonetree. Some brand her a witch, others a miracle worker. Yet Reverend Ian Clark could care less. Dogged by demons and immersed in self-pity, Clark is being unwittingly drawn into a secret religious order–one that threatens his very life. But he’s about to get a wake-up call. Together, Ruby and Reverend Clark are thrust into a search for answers… and a collision with unspeakable darkness. For behind the quaint tourist shops and artist colonies lies a history of deceit. And a presence more malignant than anything they can imagine. Yet a battle is brewing, the resurrection is the first volley, and the unlikely duo are the only ones who can save them. But can they overcome their own brokenness in time to stop the evil, or will they be its next victim?

In my review yesterday, I mentioned the topic of blood sacrifice.   I will leave to those more eloquent than I to express the power of Jesus’ death on the cross.

To find out what other participants on the tour think about The Resurrection, follow the links below.

Noah Arsenault —  http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/
Brandon Barr – http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com
Red Bissell – http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/
Book Reviews by Molly  –  http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com
Keanan Brand  –  http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/
Kathy Brasby —  http://hobbiton-hill.blogspot.com
Grace Bridges —  http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com
Melissa Carswell  –  http://www.hiddenvalleysimplicity.com
Jeff Chapman —  http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/
Christian Fiction Book Reviews —  http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/
Carol Bruce Collett —  http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/
Valerie Comer —  http://valeriecomer.com/
Karri Compton —  http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/
Wanda Costinak —  http://campcostinak.wordpress.com/
Amy Cruson —  http://www.the160acrewoods.com/
CSSF Blog Tour —  http://csffblogtour.com/
Janey DeMeo —  http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com/
Cynthia Dyer – http://in–and–out.blogspot.com/
Tori Greene – http://going-greene.blogspot.com/
Nikole Hahn —  http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/
Katie Hart  –  http://cloakanddaggerfiction.blogspot.com/

Joleen Howell http://www.faithfiction.blogspot.com/

Bruce Hennigan —  http://www.613media.com/
Becky Jesse  –  http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/
Cris Jesse —  http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/
Jason Joyner —  http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/
Carol Keen —  http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/
Emily LaVigne —  http://southernfiberreads.com/
Shannon McNear  –  http://shenandoahdawn.blogspot.com/
Matt Mikalatos —  http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/
Rebecca LuElla Miller —  http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/
Miritka  –  http://mirathon.blogspot.com/
John Nienhuis —  http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/
Nissa  –  http://linalamont.blogspot.com/
Joan W. Otte  –  http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/
Gavin Patchett  –  http://gavinpatchett.blogspot.com/
Sarah Sawyer  –  http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog
Andrea Schultz  –  http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/
Tammy Shelnut —  http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Smith  –  http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Donna Swanson —  http://www.mindsinger.com/
Jessica Thomas  –  http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/
Steve Trower —  http://christiansf.blogspot.com/
Fred Warren  –  http://frederation.wordpress.com/
Dona Watson — http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/
Phyllis Wheeler  –  http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/
Nicole White  –  http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/
Dave Wilson  –  http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/

When Ruby Case, an unassuming crippled woman, inexplicably raises a boy from the dead, she creates uproar in the quiet coastal town of Stonetree. Some brand her a witch, others a miracle worker. Yet Reverend Ian Clark could care less. Dogged by demons and immersed in self-pity, Clark is being unwittingly drawn into a secret religious order–one that threatens his very life. But he’s about to get a wake-up call. Together, Ruby and Reverend Clark are thrust into a search for answers… and a collision with unspeakable darkness. For behind the quaint tourist shops and artist colonies lies a history of deceit. And a presence more malignant than anything they can imagine. Yet a battle is brewing, the resurrection is the first volley, and the unlikely duo are the only ones who can save them. But can they overcome their own brokenness in time to stop the evil, or will they be its next victim?

My Impressions:

I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about The Resurrection, the debut novel of Mike Duran, currently reviewed by the CSSF Blog Tour.    Stonetree is a town that has made a pact to keep it prosperous, but at what cost?  Ruby Case, an unassuming church member and homemaker, just wants to live a life dedicated to God.  But when she causes the resurrection of a young man, she gets a lot  more than she and the town bargained for.

Pros: The Resurrection is an excellent horror/thriller/suspense novel reminiscent of Frank Peretti. Mike does a great job of making the reader feel the oppression of a town ruled by demons/pagan gods.  I sometimes felt I was watching a movie instead of reading.  The town and characters really jump off the page.  There were a few times I wanted to shout don’t go in there to the characters!  The suspense builds from the beginning, leaving the reader anxious to find out just what is going on in this small, quaint town on the California coast.

The characters were likable, endearing, frustrating, repellent — in other words, believable!  Even Mr. Cellophane.  I especially found Ian Clark’s faith journey poignant.  The characters were not 2-dimensional as you often find in this type of novel.

Cons: Perhaps this will not really be an issue for most readers, but I thought there was a big question left unasked and of course unanswered — Was Armando Amaya (the boy resurrected) embalmed? I kept asking this over and over.  I even looked up the requirements in California for burial (yes I’m a geek):  no, embalming is not required, but certainly recommended for public viewings.  I don’t think the question makes a difference to the development of the story, but I did find it odd that not one of the characters asked.

My next concern, however, is more critical to the story.  Blood sacrifice is mentioned over and over. One character even goes so far to say that the life of every living thing is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11).  Yet there is no mention of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.    The characters, depending on their perspective and spiritual inclinations, call on or sneer at the name of Jesus, but His sacrifice on the cross is not brought up.  Perhaps this is part of the book’s indictment of the watered down gospel in America today.

As a  whole, I really enjoyed The Resurrection and would certainly recommend it as a suspense filled, creep-inducing page turner.

Please visit the author’s website — http://mikeduran.com/

To purchase a copy of The Resurrection, click here.

(I received The Resurrection as part of the CSSF Blog Tour.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To read others reviews, please click on the participants’ links below:

Noah Arsenault —  http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/
Brandon Barr – http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com
Red Bissell – http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/
Book Reviews by Molly  –  http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com
Keanan Brand  –  http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/
Kathy Brasby —  http://hobbiton-hill.blogspot.com
Grace Bridges —  http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com
Melissa Carswell  –  http://www.hiddenvalleysimplicity.com
Jeff Chapman —  http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/
Christian Fiction Book Reviews —  http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/
Carol Bruce Collett —  http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/
Valerie Comer —  http://valeriecomer.com/
Karri Compton —  http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/
Wanda Costinak —  http://campcostinak.wordpress.com/
Amy Cruson —  http://www.the160acrewoods.com/
CSSF Blog Tour —  http://csffblogtour.com/
Janey DeMeo —  http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com/
Cynthia Dyer —  http://in–and–out.blogspot.com/
Tori Greene – http://going-greene.blogspot.com/
Nikole Hahn —  http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/
Katie Hart  –  http://cloakanddaggerfiction.blogspot.com/

Joleen Howell http://www.faithfiction.blogspot.com/

Bruce Hennigan —  http://www.613media.com/
Becky Jesse  –  http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/
Cris Jesse —  http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/
Jason Joyner —  http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/
Carol Keen —  http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/
Emily LaVigne —  http://southernfiberreads.com/
Shannon McNear  –  http://shenandoahdawn.blogspot.com/
Matt Mikalatos —  http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/
Rebecca LuElla Miller —  http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/
Miritka  –  http://mirathon.blogspot.com/
John Nienhuis —  http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/
Nissa  –  http://linalamont.blogspot.com/
Joan W. Otte  –  http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/
Gavin Patchett  –  http://gavinpatchett.blogspot.com/
Sarah Sawyer  –  http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog
Andrea Schultz  –  http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/
Tammy Shelnut —  http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Smith  –  http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Donna Swanson —  http://www.mindsinger.com/
Jessica Thomas  –  http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/
Steve Trower —  http://christiansf.blogspot.com/
Fred Warren  –  http://frederation.wordpress.com/
Dona Watson — http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/
Phyllis Wheeler  –  http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/
Nicole White  –  http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/
Dave Wilson  –  http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/

Continue reading →

This month the folks at CSSF are touring Mike Duran’s debut novel The Resurrection.

When Ruby Case, an unassuming crippled woman, inexplicably raises a boy from the dead, she creates uproar in the quiet coastal town of Stonetree. Some brand her a witch, others a miracle worker. Yet Reverend Ian Clark could care less. Dogged by demons and immersed in self-pity, Clark is being unwittingly drawn into a secret religious order–one that threatens his very life. But he’s about to get a wake-up call. Together, Ruby and Reverend Clark are thrust into a search for answers… and a collision with unspeakable darkness. For behind the quaint tourist shops and artist colonies lies a history of deceit. And a presence more malignant than anything they can imagine. Yet a battle is brewing, the resurrection is the first volley, and the unlikely duo are the only ones who can save them. But can they overcome their own brokenness in time to stop the evil, or will they be its next victim?

Mike Duran is the author of the supernatural thriller THE RESURRECTION (Realms, 2011) about an unlikely woman who raises a boy from the dead and rouses something beyond her control. Mike’s novels explore the boundaries of belief, the fragile tether between science and superstition, the depths of despair and the reaches of faith. You can learn more about Mike, his writing projects, favorite music, cultural commentary, and arcane interests, at http://www.mikeduran.com.

To purchase a copy of The Resurrection, click here.

Tomorrow my review.

(I received The Resurrection in conjunction with the CSSF tour in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To find out what other participants on the tour think about The Resurrection, follow the links below.

Noah Arsenault —  http://noahsreads.blogspot.com/
Brandon Barr — http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com
Red Bissell — http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/
Book Reviews by Molly  —  http://reviewsbymolly.blogspot.com
Keanan Brand  —  http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/
Kathy Brasby —  http://hobbiton-hill.blogspot.com
Grace Bridges —  http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com
Melissa Carswell  —  http://www.hiddenvalleysimplicity.com
Jeff Chapman —  http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/
Christian Fiction Book Reviews —  http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/
Carol Bruce Collett —  http://carolcollett.wordpress.com/
Valerie Comer —  http://valeriecomer.com/
Karri Compton —  http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com/
Wanda Costinak —  http://campcostinak.wordpress.com/
Amy Cruson —  http://www.the160acrewoods.com/
CSSF Blog Tour —  http://csffblogtour.com/
Janey DeMeo —  http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com/
Cynthia Dyer — http://in–and–out.blogspot.com/
Tori Greene — http://going-greene.blogspot.com/
Nikole Hahn —  http://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.com/
Katie Hart  —  http://cloakanddaggerfiction.blogspot.com/

Joleen Howell http://www.faithfiction.blogspot.com/

Bruce Hennigan —  http://www.613media.com/
Becky Jesse  —  http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/
Cris Jesse —  http://crisjesse.wordpress.com/
Jason Joyner —  http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/
Carol Keen —  http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/
Emily LaVigne —  http://southernfiberreads.com/
Shannon McNear  —  http://shenandoahdawn.blogspot.com/
Matt Mikalatos —  http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/
Rebecca LuElla Miller —  http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/
Miritka  —  http://mirathon.blogspot.com/
John Nienhuis —  http://www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/
Nissa  —  http://linalamont.blogspot.com/
Joan W. Otte  —  http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/
Gavin Patchett  —  http://gavinpatchett.blogspot.com/
Sarah Sawyer  —  http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog
Andrea Schultz  —  http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/
Tammy Shelnut —  http://www.bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Smith  —  http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Donna Swanson —  http://www.mindsinger.com/
Jessica Thomas  —  http://jessicathomasink.com/blog/
Steve Trower —  http://christiansf.blogspot.com/
Fred Warren  —  http://frederation.wordpress.com/
Dona Watson — http://www.fantasyandfaith.com/
Phyllis Wheeler  —  http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/
Nicole White  —  http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/
Dave Wilson  —  http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/

Stepback in time – it’s the Victorian era, when Great Britain is at the forefront of industrial development.  Based loosely on fact, author John Milton Langdon weaves a tale of romance and adventure on the high seas.  Against All Odds describes the early years of an average man.  Although he is born into humble circumstances, he shows how a combination of perserverance and intelligence, aided by a little good fortune, can help any child overcome the disadvantages of lowly birth status and a poor education.  If you long for a sense of wonderment in life read this first volume of a set of four, and discover how Jason Smiley Stewart transforms from callow village boy to a ship’s officer in Volume 1 of Jason Smiley Stewart – My Life Story.

John Milton Langdon is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and has a master’s degree in maritime civil engineering.  Langdon retired and became a professional writer after an active and rewarding engineering career.  Initially he worked in Britain but from 1972 until 2008, he dealt with project development in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.  Langdon lives in the Austrian town of Klagenfurt which has a history stretching back to mediaeval times.  Langdon has three children and five grandchildren from his first marriage and two step sons from the second.  Langdon has many interests including travel, the British canals, music and literature but hiking in the mountains surrounding his home is a preferred leisure activity.

John’s latest book is a historical fiction titled Against All Odds (Tate Publishing).

You can visit John Milton Langdon’s website at www.jmlangdon.com.

My Impressions:

Ahoy all lovers of nautical adventures!  Come explore the daring of going down to the sea in ships during Industrial Revolution England.  John Milton Langdon has produced a novel following the journey of Jason Smiley from an uneducated village boy to an English merchant ship’s officer in Against All Odds, volume 1 in the Life Story of Jason Smiley Stewart.  Told on his death bed, Jason begins at the beginning with his humble start as the son of a blacksmith, to the fortunate meeting with Captain Stewart, and onto the ship Earl Canning for his education as a ship cadet for a merchant sailing company.

There are adventures aplenty as Jason faces hurricanes, pirates, bar room brawls, sand storms, officer’s balls and a Board of Enquiry, to name just a few.  And if you are intrigued by ocean navigation and the intricacies of all things sailing, you are in luck.  Langdon, an engineer by trade, provides in great detail just what faced sailors of the 19th century.  There is some romance, too.

Langdon’s character, Jason Smiley is likable and honest in his narration of his journey toward maturity.  You will feel you are right in the thick of things with Smiley.  He takes you through the everyday duties of a ship’s officer and then quickly plunges you into the fray of adventure.

One thing I found interesting, though perhaps not intentional by the author, was the handling of Smiley’s spiritual life.  A church goer out of obligation and duty rather than religious zeal, Smiley is prayed for by his ship’s captain’s sister, the village vicar and others he meets along the way.  I think that is how many of us go through life — unaware of God’s presence in the mundane as well as extraordinary things of life.  And how often is God called to give us attention by those who love us without our knowing?

Recommended for those who like a good sailing yarn and for those who want to know the details of the sailing life.

If you would like a chance to win your own copy of Against All Odds, click here.

I received Against All Odds from Pump Up Your Book and the author in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Other Books In This Series By John Milton Langdon:

Telegraph Island — The industrial revolution in Britain is in full spate and electronic communication is in its infancy. Based loosely on fact author John Milton Langdon weaves a tale of romance and adventure on the high seas and in the Orient. Jason Smiley Stewart – My Life Story describes the life of an average man. Although he is born in humble circumstances, he shows how a combination of perseverance and intelligence aided by a little good fortune, can help any child overcome the disadvantages of a lowly birth status and poor education. In Telegraph Island, the second novel chronicling the life of Jason Smiley Stewart, the young man’s continuing adventures are described. He has his share of failure and success but once again demonstrates that his poor origins are no bar to fame and fortune when he leaves the life of a sailor to join the communication revolution in the Middle East and puts his courage to the test again.

Full Circle — The Industrial Revolution in Britain is in full spate and world travel has become the norm aboard steamships. The third in a series of thrilling novels, John Milton Langdon weaves a tale of romance and adventure on the high seas in Jason Smiley Stewart, My Life Story. An essential tool in the early frontier of telegraph communication, Jason Smiley Stewart is nothing similar to an average man. Born into humble circumstances, Stewart overcomes the disadvantages of lowly birth status and poor education, proving that with perseverance and intelligence, aided by a little good fortune, the impossible seems possible. With dangerous and unexpected surprises around every turn, Jason’s heroic story travels the seas of Australia and New Zealand, embarking on new beginnings and battling the storms of sorrow, and comes to port triumphantly in Jason Smiley Stewart, My Life Story.

Ring of Gold — In the fourth volume of Jason Smiley Stewart’s life story, Jason returns to New Zealand to search for Jamie Marshall his friend and gold mine partner who has unexpectedly disappeared. During his journey Jason successfully thwarts the murderous attacks made by an old enemy called Gravenor and then manages to release Jamie Marshall, who has been falsely imprisoned. Jason returns to Scotland and after many setbacks marries Mary Thomas the first love of his life.

A cruise to Alaska sounds like the perfect vacation–it’s a geologist’s dream and will give Raleigh space to sort out her feelings about her recent engagement. But before the ship even reaches its first port, a case manages to find her. The producer of a movie that’s being filmed onboard goes missing and is then discovered hanging from the railing. Suicide seems to be the cause, but Raleigh quickly realizes the pieces don’t add up. When the Seattle field office sends Jack Stephanson to assist her in the investigation, her personal uncertainty skyrockets. Why is it that she forgets to even call her fiance back in Virginia. And Jack seems to know her as well as she knows herself. She’ll have to wait to sort out those feelings, though, because she and Jack only have five days before the cruise ends to solve this case.

Excerpt

Sibella Giorello grew up in Alaska and majored in geology at Mount Holyoke College. After riding a motorcycle across the country, she worked as a features writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her stories have won state and national awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She now lives in Washington state with her husband and sons.

My Impressions:

What could be more relaxing and  enjoyable than a cruise to Alaska?  If you are Raleigh Harmon, fun is not even on the radar!  Sibella Giorello has scored another hit with her latest novel, The Mountains Bow Down, featuring the no nonsense FBI agent.   Raleigh is on a working vacation.  She has signed on to be a technical advisor to a movie crew filming on the  cruise ship. Along for the ride are her mother, crystal wielding Aunt Charlotte and Charlotte’s friend, Clair the Clairvoyant.  Charlotte has arranged this trip, and Raleigh is looking forward to some time hiking, rock collecting and sheltering her mother’s fragile mental state.  Unfortunately, Raleigh is called on to really work her vacation when the co-producer is found dead. Everyone from the head of the ship’s security to the husband to the other producer and cast members wants the death ruled suicide. But Raleigh’s instincts and knowledge tell her otherwise.

The Mountains Bow Down is a great mystery.  You’ll never guess whodunit.  But it so much more.  Raleigh is a driven career woman engaged to a man descended from Virginia’s First Families.  There are a lot of obstacles to overcome in their relationship, and Raleigh struggles with her feelings for her fiance.  And then there is the precarious mental state of Raleigh’s mother. Raleigh watches as her mother becomes more and more confused and frightened; frightened even of  her own daughter.

Raleigh is a great character.  She is not perfect, she struggles with her identity as a woman and as an FBI agent. She makes mistakes, and this makes her even more likable.   And you will love Jack, Raleigh’s nemesis from her days with the Seattle office of the FBI.  Not quite a nemesis now, Raleigh has to struggle with her attraction to him as well.

The case is solved but the story doesn’t end.  Raleigh will be back in the next installment The Stars Shine On.  I recommend that you start at the beginning of the series.  And if you have a Kindle or Nook, you are in luck!  Book one,  The Stones Cry Out,is on sale for $2.99.

Recommended.

Sibella’s celebrating the release of The Mountains Bow Down with a blog tour, a Cruise prize pack worth over $500 and a Facebook Party! Don’t miss a minute of the fun.

One Grand Prize winner will receive:

• A $500 gift certificate toward the cruise of their choice from Vacations To Go.
• The entire set of the Raleigh Harmon series.

To enter click one of the icons below. Then tell your friends. And enter soon – the giveaway ends on 4/1! The winner will be announced at Sibella’s Raleigh Harmon Book Club Party on FB April 5th, 2011! Don’t miss the fun – prizes, books and gab!

About the Facebook Party: Join Sibella and fans of the Raleigh Harmon series on April 5th at 5:00 pm PST (6 MST, 7 CST & 8 EST) for a Facebook Book Club Party. Sibella will be giving away some fun prizes, testing your trivia skills and hosting a book chat about the Raleigh Harmon books. Have questions you’d like to chat about – leave them on the Event page.

To read more reviews, click here.

(I received a copy of The Mountains Bow Down from LitFuse in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

As plans for her perfect wedding fill her mind, Officer Stacey Wilbur is sent out to trap a flasher, the new hire realizes Rocky Bluff P.D. is not the answer to his problems, Abel Navarro’s can’t concentrate on the job because of worry about his mother, Officer Gordon Butler has his usual upsets, the sudden appearance of an angel in the window of a furniture store captures everyone’s imagination and causes problems for RBPD, and then the worst possible happens—will Stacey and Doug’s wedding take place?

Marilyn Meredith (aka F M Meredith) is an award winning author of mysteries, psychological and Christian horror. She is a popular speaker and instructor for writing conferences, mystery conventions and festivals, book fairs, and other similar venues, including the Maui Writers Retreat. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Public Safety Writers Association, California Writers Club and Mystery Writers of America.

My Impressions:

Angel Lost is the current offering by F M Meredith in her Rocky Bluff PD series.  Described as The Waltons meets Hill Street Blues, this mystery centers on the community of Rocky Bluff, California, a small coastal town far from the high crime of Los Angeles.  But underneath Rocky Bluff is not the sleepy town that meets the eye.  The small, understaffed, underfunded police department is facing a flasher on the beach, a rash of burglaries in the exclusive homes on the bluff and a threat of a serial killer, not to mention a mysterious angel sighting.  There is a lot going on in this town!

And there is a lot going on in the lives of the policemen — maybe too much for this book.  With multiple story lines, it was often hard to focus on the main premise of the book.  This is a mystery, but a lot of time was spent on examining the lives and motivations of the various members of Rocky Bluff PD.  I would have liked to see less characterization and more action.  Slow going at first, the novel really picked up at the end — I couldn’t wait to read what would happen.  And with the emphasis on characterization, I did come to care about what happened to the men and women of Rocky Bluff PD.

I would be interested in reading more of the Rocky Bluff PD series.  There are enough loose ends in Angel Lost to ensure a few more books in the series.

Tuesday, March 1

Book reviewed and giveaway at The Book Connection

Wednesday, March 2

Guest blogging at The Hot Author Report

Thursday, March 3

Guest blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Friday, March 4

Guest blogging at Ginger Simpson’s “Dishin’ It Out”

Monday, March 7

Book trailer featured at If Books Could Talk

Tuesday, March 8

Guest blogging at Thoughts in Progress

Wednesday, March 9

Interviewed at Blogcritics

Thursday, March 10

Book spotlighted at The Plot

Book spotlighted at Books, Products and More!

Friday, March 11

Character interviewed at The Plot

Monday, March 14

Book reviewed at Thoughts in Progress

Tuesday, March 15

Book reviewed at Lynn’s Reading Corner

Wednesday, March 16

Book reviewed at By the Book

Thursday, March 17

Guest blogging at Nevets.QST

Friday, March 18

Interviewed at Murderous Musings

Monday, March 21

Interviewed at Examiner

Tuesday, March 22

Book reviewed at Paperback Writer

Wednesday, March 23

Guest blogging at Acme Authors Link

Interviewed at Writers Who Kill

Thursday, March 24

Interviewed at Broowaha

Friday, March 25

Book reviewed at Book Reviews by Molly

(I received an ARC of Angel Lost from the author through Pump Up Your Book in return for a review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

I have thought about you every day for the past five and a half years. . . .

I’m sorry. . . .

Do I have a child?

Julia DeSmit knew she would face the question eventually, but she didn’t expect it now that she is finally content with the way her life has unfolded. A single mother to her son and younger brother, she cherishes living with her beloved grandmother and is hoping to be engaged to Michael Vermeer—the man of her dreams—by year’s end.

Then a cryptic e-mail from her son’s father spins her world off axis. She hasn’t heard from Parker since he left her in a college parking lot without a backward glance. But one look at her son—the spitting image of his father—is enough to convince her that, for better or worse, Parker is a part of their story.

Faced with this new reality and the potential unraveling of her unorthodox family, Julia begins a tightrope walk between what was, what is, and what she hopes will be in her sanctuary beneath the night tree.

Chapter 1

Nicole Baart was born and raised in a small town in Iowa.

She and her husband have three young sons. After the adoption of their infant son, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and co-founded a non-profit organization, One Body One Hope, that works alongside a church and orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia. After the Leaves Fall and the sequel, Summer Snow (a 2009 Christy Award finalist for excellence in fiction), were Nicole’s first books. She is also the author of The Moment Between and Beneath the Night Tree (February 2011), the anticipated conclusion of her first two books. The inspiration for Nicole’s next novel was an unsolved murder near her hometown.

Nicole and her family live in Iowa.

My Impressions:

In Beneath The Night Tree, Nicole Baart has produced a beautifully written book.  I became immersed in the words, something not often found in today’s novels.  I envy the talent that can produce prose that sings like verse. Did I say I liked the book?  Maybe you can guess I did.

Baart tells the story of twenty-five year old, single mother, Julie DeSmit.  Julie is young but has the burdens of a much older woman.  She is raising her 5 year old son, Daniel and her 10 year old brother Simon who was abandoned by their mother.  Add to this, she is caring for her grandmother, working full-time, and attending the local college.  Sometimes she is overwhelmed, but knows that God and her long time boyfriend, Michael are standing with her.  Enter Daniel’s father, Parker, who Julie has not seen since telling him of her pregnancy.  A complicated life becomes messy.

Beneath The Night Tree is very real.  Told from a first person perspective, Julie runs the emotional gamut — joy, fear, resentment, denial.  And like a lot of us, she blocks out God’s words and plans for her life — plans that are often inconvenient or unwelcome.  But God is ever faithful, pursuing Julie, even as she continues to run.  There is something wonderful about a book that portrays God’s love and care without a sermon.  It’s like a life lived in such close step with God, that you can’t help but recognize His presence.

Beneath The Night Tree is the third book that traces the life of Julie DeSmit.  I have not read the first two and wasn’t lost at all, but I feel I have missed out on knowing the characters — their loves, fears, victories, and pain.  So before you pick this one up, get the other two.

After The Leaves Fall

Summer Snow

Highly Recommended.

(I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Some valuable books have been stolen from master John Wycliff, the well known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh’s investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh’s pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to the pursuit of Kate…or both?

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  He graduated from Spring Arbor High School in 1960, and Greenville College (Illinois) in 1964.  He received a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970.  He taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School.

Mel married Susan Brock in 1965, and they have two daughters; Amy (Kevin) Kwilinski, of Kennesaw, GA, and Jennifer (Jeremy) Reivitt, of Portage, MI.  Mel and Susan have seven grandchildren.

My Impressions:

I love, love, love medieval history!  Yeah, I know, what a geek!  But I have always had a passion for all things medieval.  A great place to visit through histories, biographies, novels, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  Too many plagues; not enough antibiotics or indoor plumbing.  So, I was excited when given a chance to review Mel Starr’s latest historical mystery set in 14th century Oxford.  What a great book and a great way to visit the medieval world without contracting the Black Death!

A Trail of Ink features surgeon and bailiff, Hugh de Singleton.  A bailiff goes around collecting rents from a landowner’s tenants.  Even in the 1300s the tax man is an unwanted visitor.  And evidently a surgeon is not as prestigious a job as a physician.  Hugh, often despised and unappreciated, serves his liege lord and his heavenly Lord faithfully.  In addition to his tax collecting and surgery duties, Hugh is great at solving mysteries.  He already has two under his belt when friend John Wycliff (yes that John Wycliff) asks him to solve the case of the stolen books. Already in Oxford to woo the beautiful Kate, Hugh readily agrees.

Starr brings to the page a vibrant look at medieval culture — from the clothing, habitations, and food to the customs and justice system of the time.  The characters are well developed — Hugh is witty and a bit naive, Kate is both beautiful and shrewd, Arthur is ready and willing for a fight and John Wycliff is the quintessential Oxford don.  The mystery keeps the reader guessing; the resolution never guessed at.  The third in the series, A Trail of Ink can be read as a stand alone, but for many more hours of reading enjoyment, I would recommend beginning at the beginning.  (I know I will be going back to read the first 2 books.)

Highly Recommended.

Other books in the series:

The Unquiet Bones

A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel

For the blog tour of  A Trail of Ink, please click here.

To read what others are saying, please click here.

A Trail of Ink Contest:

Kregel Publishers is graciously donating a $50 Amazon.com gift card for the Litfuse Blog Tour Contest! Woo-hoo (thanks Kregel!) All you have to do to enter is either tweet (see TWEET THIS below) or share the book on Facebook using this link:  http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Ink-Chronicle-Singleton-Surgeon/dp/1854249746/ref=sprightly-20

TWEET THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. RT for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k #litfuse

• (and be sure to use the hashtag #litfuse to be entered into Amazon.com gift certificate drawing and no need to email that you tweeted – we’ll be able to track it via the hashtag.)

FACEBOOK THIS: A Trail of Ink by Mel Star. An excellent medieval whodunit. Share on your wall for a chance to win a $50 GC to @amazon! http://ow.ly/45c2k

• (email info@litfusegroup.com to let us know you ‘shared’.)

(I received a copy of A Trail of Ink from LitFuse in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)