Nobody's Child

Nobody's Child

by Austin Boyd

Laura Ann McGehee’s father, Angus McGehee, is dying of lung cancer. Laura Ann is doing all she can to save the family farm in West Virginia, but she’s running out of money. She has a secret source of money that she’s revealed to no one. When a woman named Sophia comes to town, looking for her, townspeople speculate who the woman could be. They have already spread terrible rumors about Laura Ann’s reputation. Will Laura Ann open up to her childhood friend (and possibly more), Ian Stewart? Or will she keep her secrets to herself?

Having just finished it, I am having a hard time figuring this book out. First of all, the description made me think it was going to be different than it actually turned out to be. The first half of the book moved pretty slowly, and I found myself wanting to skip ahead to where it might get more interesting. Without revealing too many plot details, I would have to say that this book did not live up to my expectations. I think that the author had a great idea for a Christian fiction book that dealt with bio-ethics. I feel it had the potential for so much more. The one part of the book I really connected with was Laura Ann's ancestry line, which sounded similar to my own. Laura Ann had generations of ancestors from West Virginia who originated from Scotland, as I do. But the rest of the book didn't hold my interest much. 

That being said, I can't really recommend this book. There was nothing inappropriate in the book, but I would have to rate this one a "3."

About the author:

Austin Boyd is an award-winning author who writes extensively about faith issues related to technology and business. He published award winning poetry and more than two dozen technical articles and papers during his career as a Navy pilot, NASA astronaut finalist, and spacecraft engineer. The author of six novels, he is a Christy Gold Medal finalist (The Proof, 2007) and the winner of the Mount Hermon “Pacesetter Award.”

Austin currently writes for Zondervan, Inc. and has previously written for the B&H Publishing Group of Nashville, TN, and NavPress, the publishing arm of the Navigators in Colorado Springs, CO. He has several novels in work based on themes tied to faith dilemmas in bioethics, as well as a Christian layman’s guide to Islam.


Austin is employed as the Chief Executive Officer for Inergi, Inc., an engineering and design firm in Huntsville, Alabama. He is active in local ministry activities with Choose Life of North Alabama, the nation’s third busiest crisis pregnancy center, Southwood Presbyterian Church of Huntsville, and First Baptist Church of Huntsville where he has served as a teacher, deacon, and evangelist.
For more information, visit www.zondervan.com, www.inergi.com, www.chooselifehuntsville.org, and www.fbchsv.org


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Waiting for Morning

Waiting for Morning

by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury has been my favorite author for some time now. I have read most of her books, and always wait eagerly for her next one. So when I saw that Waterbrook Multnomah was offering Waiting for Morning for review, I quickly requested it because it was one of the few books by Kingsbury that I hadn't read. 

Hannah Ryan has just lost her husband, Tom, and oldest daughter, Alicia, in a horrible car crash, due to a drunk driver. Her youngest daughter, Jenny, survived, but Hannah only seems to see Tom and Alicia as the victims in the accident. Hannah harbors a deep hatred for Brian Wesley, the drunk driver who killed her family, and starts to believe that the only thing that will bring her peace will be to see him behind bars for life. 

She is also bitter towards God and starts to believe that a God who would allow suffering couldn't possibly exist. Believers Matt Bronzan, the district attorney, and friend Carol Cummins, who volunteers for the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving, come alongside her during her darkest time. Will she allow God back into her life, or will her bitterness overtake her?

I loved this book. I believe it was God's prompting me to read this book during a time of my life when I really needed to read the message in it. I had been harboring bitterness towards someone, and couldn't seem to find my way out of it. After I finished this book, I felt like I had not only read Hannah's story, but my own as well, even though our stories were very different. I came to the realization that I need to forgive, and I could forgive, because Jesus did the same for me. Forgiveness is a process, and it is not easy, but it is what God asks us to do. 

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely, with 5 stars! If I could give it 6, I would!

To read a section of the book, click here.

Please rank my review here.

About the author:

After graduating from college in 1986 with a degree in journalism, Karen became a full-time reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Her first book, Missy’s Murder, was based on a murder story she covered in Los Angeles as a reporter. She sold a version of the story to People magazine in 1989. A New York agent read her People story and asked her for a book proposal. The book hit stores in 1992. She then wrote three more true crime novels. Next she wrote four collections of answered prayers and miracle stories before transitioning to inspirational fiction in 1998.

Her first novel, Where Yesterday Lives, was a real challenge for Karen to get published. Although publishing companies said they liked the story, they were not sure what to do with it since it didn’t contain foul language and had no sex scenes. Finally, the Christian publishing house Multnomah, published her novel and gave her a multi-book contract. Her books made a real connection with contemporary romance fans. Since her first novel, Karen has written more than 40 faith based novels, many of which have hit #1 on national lists. There are more than 15 million copies of her award-winning books in print.

Dubbed by Time magazine as the “queen” of Christian fiction, Karen receives tens of thousands of letters from readers who say that Karen’s fiction has dramatically changed their lives. These letters and e-testimonials of improved marriages, spiritual awakenings and new found hope have enabled her to formally trademark her work Life-Changing Fiction™.

Karen lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Don. They were married in June, 1988 and have six children, three of whom were adopted from Haiti. You can read her Adoption story. 

They celebrate their faith daily by laughing, loving and living life to the fullest. You can contact Karen atmoc.yrubsgniKneraK@neraK.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Blue Skies Tomorrow

Blue Skies Tomorrow 

by Sarah Sundin

Helen Carlisle is a World War II widow with a 2 year-old son, JJ. It's been a year since her husband's death, and she feels obligated to play the part of mourning widow. Her in-laws have taken her in, but not without a price. 

Raymond Novak is a pilot for the Army. Though he's never been to war, he teaches men how to fly in combat. He struggles with the fact that he doesn't have the desire to go into combat, as both of his brothers went to war. 

Raymond has known Helen since she was a child. Ten years her senior, he has always been a "hero" in Helen's eyes. Now the two have developed feelings for each other. But Helen struggles with the demons of her past. Will the couple be able to sustain their love?

I really enjoyed this book. The World War II era is one of my favorite time periods. There was so much going on during that time, and the courage and heroism that many displayed are intriguing to me. What makes this book so interesting is the author's treatment of serious issues - issues that are also relative to today's society. Sundin does a great job of telling the story of Raymond and Helen, and keeping the feel of the World War II era. Another of my favorite parts of the book is Raymond's exploits when he finally goes off to war. Sundin definitely kept my attention during this part of the book! 

Would I recommend this book? Yes.

This book is available at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. 

About the author, Sarah Sundin:

Sarah Sundin followed an unusual career path for a novelist, receiving a bachelor's in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. She now lives in northern California with her husband, three children, an antisocial cat, and a yellow lab determined to eat her manuscripts. When not driving kids to soccer and tennis, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches women's Bible studies and fourth- and fifth-grade Sunday school. She has been writing since 2000 and belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers and Christian Authors Network. She is the author of the Wings of Glory series - A Distant Melody (Revell 2010), A Memory Between Us (2010), and Blue Skies Tomorrow (August 2011). In 2011 she received the Writer of the Year Award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. A Memory Between Us was featured on Booklist's Top Ten Inspirational Fiction List for 2010. Please visit Sarah's website at http://www.sarahsundin.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Worlds Collide

Worlds Collide

by Alison Strobel

Jada Eastman is a biographer who is writing a book about Jack and Grace Harrington. Jack Harrington is an actor who has starred in several television shows and many movies. Grace Winslowe is a teacher who recently moved from Chicago to California, where she meets and falls in love with Jack. 

I really enjoyed this story, and I liked the idea of where I think the author was going with it. But at times I was confused about what was going on. For instance, in the prologue Jada Eastman, the interviewer, introduces herself and talks about how she is interviewing Jack and Grace Harrington for a book she is writing. Then it abruptly jumps into the first chapter, where what seems like the same first person voice is telling her story. It wasn't until the middle of that first chapter that I realized it wasn't Jada's voice, but Grace's. And then there are times when Grace or Jack will be telling their story, and Jada will interrupt them to ask a question - only it isn't always all that clear where the story begins, the interview questions begin, and the story resumes. 

What I liked about this book was the uniqueness of the story presentation. It's not every book that allows the reader to see into the minds of both main characters. I did find myself wishing to have more than one chapter at a time into either Jack's or Grace's mind, but overall, Strobel did a great job with this technique. I also loved the character development that occurred over the course of the book. The author's portrayal of the characters' skepticism about Christianity makes it evident that she is Christian apologist Lee Strobel's daughter. When I figured that out, I was so excited, because I love his book, The Case for Christ. 

Would I recommend Worlds Collide? Absolutely.

Click here to rank my review. 

About the author:

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Alison began writing stories in elementary school, following in the footsteps of her journalist/author father, Lee Strobel. She moved to California where she was inspired to write her first novel, "Worlds Collide," which released with Waterbrook Press in 2005. Her sophomore release, "Violette Between" came the following year and earned her a Rita Award nomination from the Romance Writers of America. After writing "Violette Between" Alison took a break from writing to enjoy life with her new baby girl Abigail. She now has another daughter, Penelope Jane, and two more books published--"The Weight of Shadows" (with Zondervan Publishing) and "Reinventing Rachel" (with David C. Cook), as well as two more releasing in 2011. To learn more about her or to sign up for her newsletter, please visit http://www.alisonstrobel.com.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Shadows on the Sand

Shadows on the Sand

by Gayle Roper

Carrie Carter and her sister Lindsay ran away from home 17 years ago (at 16 and 10 years of age, respectively). Their mother was an alcoholic who attracted the wrong kind of men, and it had no longer been safe to stay at home. The two sisters wound up in Seaside, New Jersey, where Carrie got a job at a diner. Now, 17 years later, Carrie runs the diner while Lindsay works as a sous chef in the kitchen. 

Greg Barnes, a former cop, has been coming in to Carrie's Cafe for breakfast for the past 3 years - since his wife and children were killed. He doesn't say much, but Carrie has a major crush on him. When one of Carrie's employees, Jase, turns up missing, Greg helps try to figure out what happened to him, and he and Carrie figure out they have a mutual attraction. When another employee goes missing, suspicions turn to a dangerous cult. Will they figure out what happened to the missing employees? And will their romance last?

I loved this book. I have read several other suspense novels by Gayle Roper and enjoyed each one of them. So when I saw that this book was available for review, I put my request in right away. I love the small town feel of Roper's novels, and the way she weaves a suspenseful story without making it overly scary. I also like the way she has her characters work through spiritual issues of forgiveness and trust. Roper also works in some comedy -in this instance, through the back characters who are constantly on their smart phones, "twittering" and "facebooking." She almost made these characters seem satirical - I know I laughed out loud several times! This is one I recommend, and one I will definitely read again in the future. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Homeward

Homeward

by Melody Carlson

Meg Lancaster has come home to Crandale. She hasn't seen her mother (Sunny), sister (Erin), or grandmother for 20 years due to the dysfunctional family. She is eagerly greeted by Erin and her family, but Sunny still seems to hold a grudge against her for leaving. And to her great dismay, her grandfather's beloved cranberry bogs have been severely neglected, almost beyond repair. Meg sets out to restore the bogs, but not without trouble - family secrets crop up and get in the way of her work. Then tragedy strikes and she is left with unforgiveness, regrets, and uncertainty. Will Meg make her way back to the God she once loved? And will she be able to save the cranberries?

I enjoyed this book very much. This is only the second book I've read by Melody Carlson (I posted a review on the first book I read here), but I am finding that I really like her style. Her themes of redemption and forgiveness strike a familiar chord with me. I also enjoy learning something new - in this book it was learning how cranberries are grown. Reading about the bogs was fascinating to me - so fascinating that I think I will have to visit a bog sometime! 

I would definitely recommend this book, and would love to read more of Melody's books. As noted in her bio below, she has written over 200 books, so I have some catching up to do! 

Of note, this Rita-award winning book was originally written in 1997, and is now available as an e-book for $2.99.

About the Author:

Melody Carlson published her first book in 1995 and she has been writing prolifically ever since. To date, Melody has published over 200 books, making her one of the top 20 most prolific authors of all time. With total sales of over 1.4 million her award-winning books include: Homeward, Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series; the True Colors series; and the Charter House Girls series.

In her professional life, Melody has worn many hats: from pre-school teacher to political activist to senior editor. Currently, she writes full-time, and freelances from her home. She has two grown sons and lives in Sisters, Oregon with her husband, Chris, and Bailey, her chocolate lab. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Glass Road Public Relations. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

River's Song

River's Song
by Melody Carlson

After the recent death of her mother, Anna Gunderson moves back to her childhood home to clean out her parents' things. She's had a hard life - she lost her husband at a young age, and she and her 18-year-old daughter have lived with her cruel mother-in-law ever since. At her childhood home, she meets old friends and  makes some new ones, and becomes inspired to turn the house into a bed and breakfast.

I wasn't sure I'd be able to say this, but I did like this book. The first few chapters were hard to get through - it was depressing to read about all that Anna had gone through, and it seemed as if the world was against her. In fact, if I hadn't committed to reading this book for a review, I would have put it down. In the end, I am glad I had a reason to finish. The story did get more interesting, and I enjoyed reading about Anna's "new lease on life." Interestingly, it's the first in a series of books called "The Inn at Shining Waters." The end of the book featured the first chapter of the next book, River's Call. What I read interested me enough that I would definitely read the second book.

About the Author:

Melody Carlson published her first book in 1995 and she has been writing prolifically ever since. To date, Melody has published over 200 books, making her one of the top 20 most prolific authors of all time. With total sales of over 1.4 million her award-winning books include: Homeward, Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series; the True Colors series; and the Charter House Girls series.

In her professional life, Melody has worn many hats: from pre-school teacher to political activist to senior editor. Currently, she writes full-time, and freelances from her home. She has two grown sons and lives in Sisters, Oregon with her husband, Chris, and Bailey, her chocolate lab. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains. 


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Glass Road Public Relations. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."