A Christmas Journey

Two journeys, two continents, one grieving couple.

It has been a year since Amanda and Chris Vance lost their child and the same amount of time since Amanda has been able to perform her job as an Ob-gyn nurse. When her neighbor, Emily, unexpectedly suggests Amanda join her on a trip to Israel, Amanda agrees in spite of her reservations.

Left at home, Chris Vance is dealing with life.  He misses the girl he married since Amanda has changed so much in the last year as she tries to deal with her grief.  His job is on the line since the company he works for is hanging by a thread.  And, he is helping his neighbor, Emily's husband.  In Amanda's absence, Chris' life takes on some pretty big changes.

Little did Amanda dream that the true beginning of her healing would take place in the land of her Savior's birth. Through reaching out to help another in need, Amanda begins the journey of  mending both her heart and her marriage.  Could the prayer of a stranger she met at the Wailing Wall be the answer to her prayers?

Prayers of a Stranger by Davis Bunn is a sweet, simple story that captures the spirit of Christmas.  It did take me a bit of time to get into the story but, by the middle, I couldn't wait to see how the relationships would resolve themselves, or if they would.  I would recommend Prayers of a Stranger for a Christmas read this season.  Make certain you check out Davis Bunn's other work as well.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to leave a postitive review.

Be Still My Soul

Musician Gideon O' Riley is a ladies' man.  Every time he is seen, it is with another girl.  One evening after a community gathering, Gideon chooses Lonnie Sawyer to walk home.  Her abusive father watches through the window as Gideon kisses Lonnie goodnight and assumes much more has happened than a kiss.  When he forces Gideon to marry Lonnie, Lonnie has only her faith to hold on to.  She doesn't love Gideon nor does he love her.  Polite strangers is how they might be described.  What will it take for them to open their heart to the other?

The story is set in the early 1900's Appalacia which is what first drew me to the book, having grown up there myself.  However, debut author,  Joanne Bischof did an excellent job making me love Lonnie from the beginning.  Lonnie has always felt that her "Pa" was a harsh uncaring man and she looks forward to turning 18 so she can go live with her Aunt Sarah and learn to make soap.  Her aunt is her escape place when her father is abusive and what a wonderful place to go--a home where she is loved, reminded of her Father's love (even on the day of her unwanted wedding), and God's word is read.  In spite of her upbringing, Lonnie is tender and loves her siblings and mother even though she failed to protect her from her father.

And Gideon.....not the kind of man anyone would want their daughter to marry and hard to like from the start.  By the end of the book though, you will find something that will endear him to you.

Be Still My Soul is the first book in the Cadence of Grace series and will be released in October 2012.   I typically shy away from reading a series until they are all released but this is one I am going to be anxious to read any books that follow.   Also included is a Reader's Guide series of questions ready for a book club setting.

I received this title free from the pubisher in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect legal thriller

Several weeks after her father's death, Erin Larson finds a deposit slip in his safety deposit box which had been dated three years before.  Not just an ordinary deposit slip but one for over 10 million dollars. Erin only wants the truth.  Where did the money come from?  Was it her father's?  Why was her father threatened with foreclosure until the month of the deposit?  If it isn't hers, why was the deposit slip in the box with her mother's death certificate, her report cards, the deed to the farm, and other items her father treasured? 

Finding the truth proves quite difficult.  The bank denies that the bank account existed and that the deposit was made. Newspapers are reporting that, if the bank has to turn over the money, the small town of Ashley Minnesota will be destroyed.   Erin also finds it difficult to find a lawyer to represent her and suspects each one she approaches is being threatened in some way. Or could it be that no one wants to go against the powerful well-known law firm representing the bank?  Erin is also being threatened.  She receives threatening notes and phone calls,  her tires are being slashed and her windshield smashed.  Who is behind all this? 

Jarred Neaton is a young lawyer who has taken one case too many that he didn't win, leaving him on the edge of bankruptcy.  Bills are piling up and some of his smaller cases are being ignored.  When his mentor asks him to take Erin's case, Jarred knows that, to win this case, many of his financial problems would disappear.   He is given very little evidence--a deposit slip and no witnesses who will speak up.  Jarrod must also return to his hometown of Ashley and face his father who he has yet to forgive.  As the case begins to unfold, Jarrod must determine if the cost is too high.

The Deposit Slip is Todd Johnson's first novel but I don't think it will be his last.  The story is suspenseful and intriguing, provides enough detail without bogging you down with legalese, clean, and refreshing that it isn't all about romance.  If you are a fan of legal thrillers, check out The Deposit Slip!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Short-straw Bride

Twelve years ago Travis Archer came into ten year old Meredith's life for just a day when she was being bullied and daringly stepped onto Archer land and was captured in an animal trap.  She saw something in him that has stayed with her and she has compared every male to him since.  The problem is, she hasn't seen him since that day and well-to-do Roy Mitchell has proposed. Marrying him would please her family and strengthen the family business but she has nothing in common with him and feels nothing for him.

When Meredith overhears a conversation that reveals Roy's true nature, she sets out to make certain harm doesn't come to the Archer family.  Riding out to warn them, Meredith risks her reputation and her home.  When her reputation does come into question, there is only one solution. One of the Archer brothers must marry her.  Travis draws the short straw. 

I was taken in with Meredith and Travis in the prologue.  Meredith is a feisty girl who desires to know God's will for her and is willing to risk all she has to do what is right.  Travis is a strong yet tender man whose love for his family guides everything he does.  What's not to love about them both?  I also enjoyed watching how their relationship begins to develop and grow into something very special and desirable.

Five stars for Short-Straw Bride!  I have never read any other Karen Witemeyer books but hope to do so.  She does an excellent job developing her characters, adds a lot of humor (some laugh out loud), and develops a plot that is fast-paced which makes you not want to put the book down.  Travis isn't the only interesting Archer brother in the story so it makes the reader wonder if there will be additional stories about the other three.  I will definitely be placing this book in the church library to share with other readers.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B15ATNlSxI8

I did receive this book free from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Understanding World Religions in 15 minutes a day

When I was growing up, it seemed there were Baptists, Methodists, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, ....you get my drift.  I know part of that was because I was young and didn't truly see the world as it is and I lived in a small town but I think our little corners of the world are becoming more diversified in the religious realm.  Today, it is nothing to have a Muslim, a Mormon, a Hindu, and a number of various denominations of Christians all in one place whether it be a school classroom, clubs and organizations, or the workplace. 

Have you ever wondered what some other religions, different from yours,  believe?  Garry Morgan, in Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day admits that explaining our world's religions isn't a simple task.  While each religion may have certain key principles from which it was founded and is practiced, there are exceptions found in every religion.  Consider Christianity.  Do we all take communion at the same frequency or in the same way?  Are we baptized in the same manner?  No.  Yet we are all Christians who place our faith in Jesus Christ.

Religion drives who we are and "guides our daily life".  If you are curious about the basic beliefs of any number of world religions, this books would be a good place to begin.  Each chapter is three to four pages in length, fairly easy to read and understand, and will give you the foundation of many of today's religions including, but not limited to, Islam, various forms of Christianity, Buddhism, Mormonism, Christian Scientology, and Jehovah's Witnesses.  In less than 15 minutes a day, you can gain a basic understanding of today's religions.  For those faiths that are older such as Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, a chapter is devoted to the history of the religion while at least one other chapter is devoted to the current day teaching and school of thought.  I could even see using this book in a small group study setting.

I did receive this book free from Bethany House Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

The Choice

The year is 1974.  Sandy Lincoln has it all.  She is a popular cheerleader, has a wonderful family, and is dating a star athlete from her school.  When Sandy discovers she is pregnant, she must choose the road to travel.  Looking at all the options--abortion, keeping the baby, or adoption--she is pulled in different directions because the ones she loves have differing opinions.  Unwilling to abort, Sandy moves in with her spinster eccentric aunt in Atlanta, enrolls in a school for troubled teens, and sets out on the task to choose her child's parents.  A chance meeting with an odd old lady in a convenience store makes doing the right thing even more unclear than ever.  What if this woman's prophesy becomes reality?

Thirty-four years later, Sandy is teaching at the same place she attended High School.  When another pregnant unwed teen seeks her out for help, Sandy is once again faced with making choices that could change so many lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Whitlow's latest,  The Choice.  I think Mr. Whitlow dealt with the issue of abortion in a moving way and I didn't find the pro-life stance taken with the text preachy at all.  It is clear in the book that regardless of the choice, it will be something you live with the rest of your life. 

The book is broken into two parts, the first of which is Sandy's story as a pregnant, unwed teen.  The second half of the book finds Sandy as an adult dealing with the decision she made thirty something years ago and using her experiences to help another teen regardless of the sacrifices she must make.  I did find the introduction of new characters at the beginning of the second half a bit challenging to keep straight for a few pages but it was nothing that kept me from enjoying the storyline. The characters are believable, if predictable. I can't imagine anyone not being able to relate to them. 

 The book also includes discussion questions perfect for a book club setting.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Second chances

Macy Dillon grew up going to the beach with her family to the North Carolina seaside home, Time in a Bottle.  Such fond memories she has competing with her brother to find the best seashell, sitting atop her father's shoulders, and leaving special drawings for an unidentified little boy in the home's guestbook. For the years that followed, each year Macy would return to the beach to find her friend had left her a drawing and she, in turn, would leave him another.  She always hoped they would have an opportunity to meet.  All that came to a close ten years ago when her father died.  Since then, her mother has maintained a "shrine" in their home, celebrated her father's birthday, and refused to move on.  Macy has also given birth to Emma and been abandoned by Emma's father.  In order to support her little family, she works at a local grocery store which has become her artistic outlet as she paints signs and the store windows.

When her mother suggests a two week vacation to Time in a Bottle, Macy can't help but look forward to it.  Her mother begins to take some of the photos down in the home and Macy thinks perhaps they might be able to deal with their ten year old grief and  live outside the shadow of her father's ghost. 

Macy longs to find the little boy who left drawings for her all those years.  When her family vacations at  Sunset Beach, she finds not one but three now grown men that may have been the one who left the drawings.  Throughout the story, Macy deals with grief, learns to open her heart, and renews the faith she left behind after her father's death.

The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen is the first I have read by her.  I found it quite entertaining, an easy light  recommended summer read, especially if you happen to have a beach vacation planned.  I think you will be surprised at the ending even if Macy doesn't go down the path you think she should.

I did receive this book free from Zondervan publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated leave a positive review.