Archive for May, 2010
A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher
May 31st, 2010 | 
Author: ABOUT THE BOOK:
It’s 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho. But Daphne has a secret.
A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories … except Daphne.
When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.
MY THOUGHTS:
A Matter of Character (Zondervan, May 25, 2010) is the final installment of the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series. (Review of A Vote of Confidence (book 1) is here.) From the first book to the third book, the characters of Bethlehem Springs have not lost their spunk and spirit.
Joshua Crawford is the newcomer to town in this book. After a little investigating, he discovers the truth about his grandfather, but will he accept the truth? Was Rawhide Rick saint or sinner?
At the same time, Daphne deals with the inner demon of doubting her God-given talent of writing. As a freelance writer and editor, I totally connected with her internal struggles as well as how she views the world with her imagination always creating stories and imagining “what ifs.”
I enjoyed how author Robin Lee Hatcher intertwined the stories and lives of Joshua and Daphne along with characters from previous books. This is a great love story that also teaches biblical truths along the way.
I would not recommend reading the books in this series out order. While the books could stand independently, the overall storyline is far more entertaining when read from the beginning.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Whispers from Yesterday), the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance (Patterns of Love and The Shepherd’s Voice), two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 50 novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.
Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She is passionate about the theater, and several nights every summer, she can be found at the outdoor amphitheater of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars. She makes her home outside of Boise, sharing it with Poppet the high-maintenance Papillon
Robin is conducting a contest for the new book. Join in the fun HERE.
If you would like to read the Prologue and first Chapter of A Matter Of Character, go HERE.
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Predator by Terri Blackstock
ABOUT THE BOOK
The murder of Krista Carmichael’s fourteen-year-old sister by an online predator has shaken her faith and made her question God’s justice and protection. Desperate to find the killer, she creates an online persona to bait the predator. But when the stalker turns his sights on her, will Krista be able to control the outcome?
Ryan Adkins started the social network GrapeVyne in his college dorm and has grown it into a billion-dollar corporation. But he never expected it to become a stalking ground for online Predators. One of them lives in his town and has killed two girls and attacked a third. When Ryan meets Krista, the murders become more than a news story to him, and everything is on the line.
Joining forces, he and Krista set out to stop the killer. But when hunters pursue a hunter, the tables can easily turn. Only God can protect them now.
This book is highly relevant in today’s world and very believable if you’ve had any interaction with social media. With the popularity of social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the simple rules (or suggestions, if you don’t like the word “rules”) of protecting your identity and private details came to life on the pages of Predator.
I remember reading a blog post over a year ago concerning online privacy. The writer talked about how she carefully crafts her Facebook and Twitter status updates to not reveal details about her life, specifically her comings and goings. The example I remember her using dealt with trips to the grocery store. She never posts beforehand that she is going, but she will state afterwards that she had been there. If she writes a post about her savings at the grocery store, she’ll mention the retail chain but not the specific store in her city. Why? If she says beforehand that she is going, that tells strangers that she isn’t home. If she tells which store she frequents, they can seek her out through other little details (hair color, car type, photos) she may have accidentally revealed about herself.
Is she paranoid? If you read Predator, you will understand. The tiniest details that we reveal about ourselves to strangers can lead them to us and help them learn our patterns.
Before you think the entire book deals with online stalkers, it doesn’t. There’s a budding friendship between Krista and Ryan, the pressures that Ryan deals with as a CEO of a company run by a board of directors, the grief and trauma experiences not only by Krista and her father but by the predator’s other victims, plus the spiritual battle Krista endures as she tries to reconcile why God would let her sister be tortured and killed.
I highly recommend this book to any parent of a tween or teen who is active on Facebook and MySpace. You need to know how your children use those sites and what they tell about themselves to strangers. They may not talk to strangers on the street, but online is a different story. Middle school and high school teachers also need to read this book and become involved in teaching their students about online safety.
Would Predator interest a teenager? Possibly. He or she may not pick up on the seriousness of the book’s message, but the information will be there when he or she is ready.
Enter the Terri Blackstock iPad CONTEST: http://www.terriblackstock.com/contests/.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Predator, go HERE.
Watch the book trailer video!
Terri Blackstock’s books have sold six million copies worldwide. Her suspense novels often debut at number one on the Christian fiction best-seller lists, and True Light, published last year, was number one of all Christian books—fiction and non-fiction. Blackstock has had twenty-five years of success as a novelist.
In 1994 Blackstock was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. Since that time, she’s written over thirty Christian titles, in addition to the thirty-two she had in the secular market. Her most recent books are the four in her acclaimed Restoration Series, which includes Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn’s Light. She is also known for her popular Newpointe 911 and Cape Refuge Series.
In addition to her suspense novels, she has written a number of novels in the women’s fiction genre, including Covenant Child, which was chosen as one of the first Women of Faith novels, and her Seasons Series written with Beverly LaHaye, wife of Tim LaHaye.
Blackstock has won the Retailer’s Choice Award and has appeared on national television programs such as The 700 Club, Home Life, and At Home Live with Chuck and Jenny. She has been a guest on numerous radio programs across the country and the subject of countless articles. The story of her personal journey appears in books such as Touched By the Savior by Mike Yorkey, True Stories of Answered Prayer by Mike Nappa, Faces of Faith by John Hanna, and I Saw Him In Your Eyes by Ace Collins.
This book was sent to me through Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for its book tour. The words contained in “My Thoughts” are my own and I have no affiliate links in this post.
Trying to Find a Pattern
I love patterns and orderly things. I also love dissecting them and seeing how they work.
My BF does drywall work as a side job, and one of his specialties is texturing ceilings. He loves to put “sunbursts” around ceiling fans. I can’t quite describe a sunburst, and unfortunately I don’t have a photo of one. A sunburst is a swirly circular pattern that extends about 20-30 inches out from the center of a ceiling fan or light. (The width depends on the size of the fan or light.)
I asked him how he makes the sunbursts, and I got the verbal explanation. It didn’t quite make sense, so I stood underneath one and tried to figure out the pattern. I wanted to know where he started and how the layers of swirls were created. After staring at the ceiling for about 5 minutes, I found one tiny, almost hidden, overlap of swirls. That little overlap told me all I needed to know.
I now knew where he started the pattern, the direction he went, and every stroke he made in the drywall mud. I found his pattern.
I wish I could find a pattern in my work right now. I seem to have lost all sense of orderliness (is that word?).
At the end of April, I started working for the US Census. I enjoy the work and totally love the weekly paycheck. As a freelancer, steady paychecks are hard to come by. Plus there’s the wonderful bonus of not having to worry about saving $$ for taxes, because the taxes are taken care of (happy sigh of relief).
But having a sorta full-time, albeit temporary, job has really thrown a wrench in the rest of my life. Blogging has almost gone by the wayside. Over at Skala Creative, I’ve missed two regular posting days. I didn’t do near as well this month with advertising sales for Two Lane Livin’. And I feel like I’m scrambling to get my ads finished for this month’s deadline too.
I’ve made lists, am trying to keep on my book review reading schedule, have ideas swirling in my head for blog posts, and yet I still feel like I’m wandering aimlessly. I’m used to managing my own time - which I can still do even with the census work – but the added responsibilities have wreaked havoc. I need a pattern soon!
I have to find that almost hidden, secret spot that is the key to everything falling in place … before I go insane. LOL
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Crossing OceansTyndale House Publishers, Inc. (May 1, 2010)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gina Holmes began her career in 1998, penning articles and short stories. In 2005 she founded the influential literary blog, Novel Journey. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit May 2010′s issue of CFOM at Interview with Gina Holmes or Novel Journey.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank–toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything—to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Crossing Oceans, go HERE.
Watch the Video Book Trailer:
Introducing A Woman Called Sage
ABOUT THE BOOK
They took away everything she loved…now, she’s out for revenge.
Sage Morrow had it all: life on a beautiful Colorado ranch, a husband who adored her, and a baby on the way. Until five ruthless gunmen rode up to their ranch and changed her life forever. Now Sage is a bounty hunter bent on retribution.
Accompanied only by her majestic hawk, she travels throughout the Rocky Mountains in search of injustice, determined to stamp it out wherever it’s found. The stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped and Sage is forced to work with Marshall Parker Timmons to rescue them. But Sage may ultimately get more than she bargained for.
In this exciting historical romance set in the late 1800s, murder, intrigue, kidnapping, and questions of faith will keep you in suspense until the final pages.
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Woman Called Sage, go HERE.
Watch the Video Book Trailer:
A special thank you to Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for sending me this book to review. Unfortunately, I haven’t read the book because I took it out of its mailing envelope, got distracted, put the book down, and now can’t find the book. Oops! As soon as I find the book, I will read it and let you know my thoughts!