Ramblings-n-Writings

Archive for September, 2010

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sensational journalism has never been so deadly.

The weekly cable news show Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell promises to expose businessmen, religious leaders, and politicians for the lies they tell. Suzanne positions herself as a champion of ethics and morality with a backbone of steel—until a revelation of her shoddy investigation tactics and creative fact embellishing put her in hot water with her employers, putting her credibility in question and threatening her professional ambitions.

Bitter and angry, Suzanne returns home one day to find her deceased boyfriend, Dr. Guy Mandeville’s nurse, Cecelia Forbes unconscious on her living room floor. Before the night is over, Cecelia is dead, Suzanne has her blood on her hands, and the police are arresting her for murder. She needs help to prove her innocence, but her only hope, private investigator Marcus Crisp, is also her ex-fiancé–the man she betrayed in college.

Marcus and his partner Alexandria Fisher-Hawthorne reluctantly agree to take the case, but they won’t cut Suzanne any slack. Exposing her lack of ethics and the lives she’s destroyed in her fight for ratings does little to make them think Suzanne is innocent. But as Marcus digs into the mire of secrets surrounding her enemies, he unveils an alliance well-worth killing for. Now all he has to do is keep Suzanne and Alex alive long enough to prove it.

Watch the book trailer:

If you would like to read the Prologue and first chapter of Judgment Day, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS

Judgment Day is a good book – full of suspense and mystery – yet, I say that with some caution. The action is fast-paced, the characters are believable (each experience their own set of life’s events and no one is perfect), but some things about the book could just be better.

In a way, it seems as if the book was pushed through the publishing process to get it on bookshelves. One main reason for my saying this is a huge mistake on the back cover – the wrong character is named as the murder victim! Hopefully, a reprinted cover will reflect the right storyline.

Ultimately the story is about TV show host Suzanne and how her poor investigative skills may have landed her in hot water with a few enemies after her. The downside to the story is it also focuses on Marcus and Alexandria – the two private investigators Suzanne hires after her arrest. While it’s okay to have more than one main character, it’s really a toss-up about who the book is really supposed to be about – Suzanne or the PIs.

On top of all the suspense, kidnappings, and showdowns, a little bit of love is in the air. Judgment Day isn’t a romance, but it never hurts to throw a little in. And like the budding love, there’s a hint of religion scattered in the pages. Judgment Day is far from being preachy with the characters living their everyday lives and experiencing God in a real way as they do so.

If you enjoy fast-paced, suspense novels, Judgment Day is the book for you. Overall, the story is well-crafted, and the book is easy to read in one sitting.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ruth Livingstone’s life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime.

But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father’s trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is a brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist.

Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River–a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for.

Love begins to slowly bloom…but is the affection they share strong enough to withstand the secrets that separate them?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love’s First Bloom, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS

This is the first book that I’ve read by Delia Parr, and it probably won’t be the last.

The story gives an intriguing look into the greed that fueled “sensationalism” in journalism – all from the perspective of a character, Asher Tripp, who found his own life turned upside down because of a story he never checked the facts on. While he had temporarily lost his job as a reporter two years before because of that story, he returns home to find New York City caught up in the story of the trial of Ruth’s father. None of the 4 local newspapers are concerned about printing the truth – it’s all about crafting a story, no matter if it contains a few un-factual details. The goal is sell the most and make the most profit.

An old friend who understands Asher’s desire to change and to want to print the truth tips him off to where Ruth Livingstone might be living. Asher starts living in the same area under his pseudonym, Jake Spencer. Of course, Ruth meets Jake and love slowly takes its first bloom between them. Unfortunately, in both cases, their identities are built on lies – Jake hiding that he’s really a reporter and Ruth hiding that she’s the daughter of the man on trial.

I enjoyed how author Delia Parr intertwined life lessons along with some minor suspense. As part of Ruth’s new identity, she assumes the role of the distant relative of an older couple. Even though the older couple believes that Ruth was part of a not-so-nice profession in New York City, they open their arms to her and give her full acceptance. They encourage her when she’s down, reach out to her in love, and do everything in their power to protect her. Basically, they show her unconditional love, something that many struggle with in today’s society. They weren’t judgmental of Ruth because of her supposed past, they judged her on who she was at the moment and loved her through it all.

My only “complaint,” and it’s really just an observation based on personal preferences, is that the ending wrapped up too quickly. Everything became neat and tidy within a matter of pages after both character’s lives experienced turmoil for chapter after chapter. Ruth never really gave Jake an explanation of her knowledge of the events of the preceding months, which to me seemed a little unrealistic. Jake knew bits and pieces but I’m sure he would’ve liked to know the full story, because I know I would if I was in his shoes!

Overall, this was an excellent book and simple to read (I think I read it in two sittings). If you’d like a change of scenery from the typical mid-west or pioneer historical fiction, pick up a copy of Love’s First Bloom.

A special thank you to Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy to read and review. The words contained in “My Thoughts” are fully my own and contain no personal affiliate links.

ABOUT THE BOOK

As three friends who grew up in the same orphanage head off to college together, they each harbor a cherished dream.

Libby Conley hopes to become a famous journalist. Pete Leidig believes God has called him to study to become a minister. And Bennett Martin plans to pledge a fraternity, find a place to belong, and have as much fun as possible.

But as tensions rise around the world on the brink of World War I, the friends’ differing aspirations and opinions begin to divide them, as well. And when Libby makes a shocking discovery about Pete’s family, will it drive a final wedge between the friends or bond them in ways they never anticipated?

If you would like to read the first chapter of In Every Heartbeat, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS

Over the past two years, Kim Vogel Sawyer has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors. The first book of hers that I read was My Heart Remembers, which just happens to be the predecessor to In Every Heartbeat. Kim’s writing style, attention to historical accuracy and details, as well as the depth of her characters, all blend together to create best-selling and award-winning books.

I mentioned that In Every Heartbeat is a follow-up story to My Heart Remembers. If you haven’t read My Heart Remembers, don’t worry, enough backstory is given in In Every Heartbeat that you won’t feel lost. In fact, Libby, Pete, and Bennett are new characters for this book. They grew up in the orphanage now run by the adults who were the three Irish orphans in My Heart Remembers. If all of that information sounds confusing, please don’t let it stop you from reading In Every Heartbeat. The book can easily stand on its own.

So, my favorite parts of In Every Heartbeat? There’s a strong coming-of-age storyline as the three young adults venture off to college. They experience many of the same fears, emotions, and homesickness that today’s college kids face (minus cell phones and email, of course). Another part of the story that teaches strong life lessons is how the characters deal with their friendship once they are thrust into a new setting, the college campus. Do they become individuals? Do they stick up for each other? Do they let their past influence their future?

While the About the Book mentions World War I, it is almost insignificant to the story. The entire story takes place on American soil, and only towards the end of the book does the war come into play in the storyline. So, if you are looking for a war story, this isn’t it.

In Every Heartbeat is appropriate for those who love historical fiction and for teenage girls. If you are a mom, I would judge this book based on the reading level of your teen. Kim is not one of the lighter historical fiction writers, and a less adept reader may get bogged down. However, the lessons that the book teaches about friendship, love, and coming of age are all appropriate and beneficial for young readers.

A special thank you to Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy to read and review. The words contained in “My Thoughts” are entirely my own and I have no personal affiliate links in this post.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Journey to the charming villages of the Amana Colonies, 1885

Gretchen Kohler is an Amana storekeeper’s daughter with a secret passion for writing. But artistic pursuits are frowned upon in her conservative Amana village, so she confines her poems and stories to her journals, letting only close friends read them.

When a young reporter comes into her store, she believes she’s found a kindred spirit. She shares a few of her stories with him–only to have her trust betrayed in the worst of ways, resulting in trouble for her entire community.

The scandal is made even worse by the fact that gypsies have camped nearby and seem to be preying upon the Amanans’ compassionate, pacifist nature. Will Gretchen lose her job, her reputation, and the love of her childhood beau all because of one bad decision?

Judith Miller is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her novels, two of which have placed in the CBA top ten lists. In addition to her writing, Judy is a certified legal assistant. Judy makes her home in Topeka, Kansas.

If you would like to read the first chapter of More than Words, go HERE.

MY THOUGHTS

I will be the first to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by More Than Words. I’m a huge fan of author Judith Miller’s historical fiction, but I was a little skeptical of the book’s setting, an Amana village. (In the 1800s, an Amana village was basically a communal living village. The residents had strong religious views, and everyone contributed to living in the village. No one was wealthier than someone else, and all had assigned jobs and duties.) My fear was the book would remind me of Amish fiction, which I don’t tend to enjoy.

The plot pf More Than Words intertwines four very believable main storylines: Gretchen’s relationship with her childhood beau, her friendship with the reporter, the gypsies camped nearby, and Gretchen’s work, writing, and family life. The storylines connect and overlap creating a very real glimpse into the life of one young lady coming of age in an Amana village.

Having secret aspirings to be a writer myself, I understood Gretchen Kohler’s dilemma of letting others read her writing as well as her profound need for approval. She encounters opposition as she struggles to express her independence, not from the Amana village, but simply as an individual and unique creature in God’s eyes.

If you enjoy historical fiction, other books by author Judith Miller, or Amish fiction, you will enjoy More Than Words. Oftentimes I make recommendations for teenage girls, and this book is suitable for teenage readers. It will show them a glimpse of history as well as how true love blossoms.