Wayfinding Bible

Life is so good when you get a Bible to review. The Wayfinding Bible is one of Tyndale Publishers latest Bible to come on the market. The NLT if my very favorite translation, so this was right up my alley of reading. This Bible is so unique and the many features will help you navigate God's Word in a new and refreshing way. The Bible offers you three distinct routes to travel through it-talk about interesting. The three routes are: the flyover route which will cover the most important events in the Bible in 50 readings. The next route is direct and covers more of the story throughout history in 200 readings. Last is the scenic route which explores in more depth with 400 readings. Whether you are looking for the big story, trying to read straight through, or prefer to wander, this innovative Bible is for you. They have also included a visual guide that leads you through God's story in human history using the route you choose.

 This amazing concept was difficult for me to decide which route I would take. I love reading through the Bible but usually can not do it in a years time. I also don't want to miss anything important so as I start this Bible in January, it will be the scenic route. There are so many cool features in this Bible; lots of pictures, historical markers, side trips, book introductions along with extra information on each page. The observation point and exploration point are on each page and provide additional knowledge about what you read on that page-my personal favorite. My NLT Life Application Bible has been my all time favorite, but the Wayfinding Bible could give it a run for it's money. I already see this Bible as birthday gifts for the family this next year. Best gift to give is a Bible and this one is worth it.

 Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

http://goo.gl/9qpoal

Critical Reaction

Critical Reaction by Todd Johnson is a winner!.  I read his first book Deposit Slip and was amazed by his writing and was thrilled to get this book to review. 
Could this storyline really happen in the United States?  A shuttered Hanford Nuclear Facility building that is poisoned from plutonium from the Cold War is at risk and is kept guarded from sabotage.  Then the worst happens-and explosion in the middle of the night.  There is a survivor Kiernan Mullaney, who attempts to find out what happened and threats start impeding his progress.  He connects with an old friend, Emily Hart who is and inexperienced lawyer and they both think Hanford is hiding something but how will they find out the truth.   Emily enlists the help of her estranged father, Ryan, who has courtroom experience they need. They set out to find out the  truth, but the deeper they dig, the danger escalates.  This is just a snippet of what the story has to offer.

This book has it all: legal thriller, drama, intrigue, complicated plot, corruption, cover-ups, which make this book a real page turner. There are very few books that keep you guessing throughout the book and this definitely did.  I loved the characters and their unique personalities. You can tell the author is a lawyer and his craft is writing legal thrillers and I look forward to his next book.

Thanks to Bethany House for my free copy just for my honest opinion of this book

Stranded

There are some books in a series that you just can't wait for the next one to come out.  I have found this true of the Alaskan Courage books by Dani Pettrey.  Finishing book three, Stranded, I found myself longing for book 4.  There are a lot of loose ends to tie up, so please Dani, write more in this series--they are superb.
The fun things about this series is the family ties and how each book has dealt with different members of the McKenna family and their struggles and victories.

Darcy St James returns to Alaska (she was in book three) to join a journalist friend uncover a big story..  When she arrives, she can't find her friend anywhere and the cruise ship she was on isn't very helpful.  She is determined to find her and hires on the cruise ship as a travel reporter and that is where the suspense begins. She enlists the help of Gage McKenna (their story in book three) to help find Abby, but they soon find that there is more to Abby's disappearance that they know, but will soon find out.  There is someone after Darcy and will stop at nothing to make sure she and her investigation is stopped.

With all of the books in the Alaskan series, there is adventure, suspense, romance, great characters, finding and trusting God and just a good, interesting read.  Dani Pettrey has written Christian fiction that is real and believable with struggling characters that we can all relate to--a sign of a great author.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

Every Waking Moment

Just had the privilege of reading Every Waking Moment by Chris Fabry.  I am a huge fan of his writing and have and will read everything he writes.  There are many Christian Fiction writers out there and many good ones but Chris is a true storyteller which  makes his books stand out from all the other writers.  Each book is so unique in the presentation, storyline and characters and this one follows that path.

The storyline centers on Treha Langsam who works with the elderly at Desert Gardens, she has an extraordinary gift with the patients.  She has a gift of reaching those with dementia to bring them back to temporary clarity. The administrator, Miriam sees this gift in Treha and helps her with answers about her past and tries to fill many empty holes of her life. With the help of a documentary team, Treha's gift is discovered and how everyone works together to tell her story.  To say Treha's life was sad is an understatement. There are parts of this story that will break your heart , how we can be so insensitive and uncaring to humans is a travesty.  The story also features different people at the nursing home and their "nuggets" about life. One resident, Elsie, says " They think temptation and the hard stuff of life are the same.  I don't believe that for  a minute.  He does give us more than we can handle.  He lets us go through deeper waters so that we cling to him: that's the whole point of having faith.  If we could handle  everything, there would be no reason for us to need God."

This book highlights the importance of our stories and how they intertwine in ways we can't know when we first hear them.  So interesting how Treha got her name, must read to find out. Loved everything about this book but was disappointed in how it ended, left so many things up in the air, but possibly a sequel.

One note on Chris Fabry's writing, his stories are so memorable and the characters stay with you which shows that he is a master of his craft, he just needs to write faster!!

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion

 http://www.tyndale.com/x_products/videos.php?flv=EveryWakingMoment.flv
 http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/downloads/press_kits/EveryWakingMomentAuthorQ&A.pdf

Rosemary Cottage

Rosemary Cottage is the second book in the Hope Beach series by Colleen Coble.  Since I am a serious Colleen Coble book lover, I snatched this book quickly.  There is something about her storytelling that I just absolutely love.  She has such a gift for great story lines, interesting characters and plots that beg for you to try and figure out.  This latest book did not let me down.

Amy Lange is coming back to Hope Island for two different reasons: she is grieving the death of her brother that was lost at sea in a surfing accident.  She is not so sure it was an accident and intends to do her own investigating.  The other reason, she wants to move her midwife practice to Hope Island and live in Rosemary Cottage which has been a haven for their family.  There was also another death three weeks before Amy's brother.  Curtis Ireland is a Coast Guard officer who lost his sister to a boating accident, that looks like it wasn't an accident.  He is raising his sister's daughter, but that could change with the new information about these two accidents.  Amy and Curtis agree to help each other to find out what really happened, but they will be very surprised with what they find the deeper they investigate. Will they find the truth or will the secrets stay hidden?  Will they be attracted to each other thru this ordeal or will it drive a wedge between them?  What will happen when they find out the truth, can they believe it?  These are just some of the teasers I hope will entice you to pick up this book.

On thing I always count on with Colleen's books, I am always trying to figure it out till the very end.  I thought I knew the culprit but I was totally shocked when I never saw the ending happening like it did.
She has such a way to writing that sucks you into the storyline which made for a good summer read and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me this free copy just for my honest opinion.

Misery Loves Company

Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge was my "surprise book" so far this year. I knew the author was good and the synopsis of the book sounded right up my alley of suspense fiction.  As I started reading it, I wasn't sure that I had made the right decision, then...  I hit the part of the book that was the hooker and kept me reading, trying to figure out who and just what was happening.  

The main character, Jules is mourning the death of her police officer husband and rarely leaves her house.  She loves to write reviews on her blog and has a large following.  That seems to satisfy her since she feels she cannot write a book with the talent she feels she is lacking.  She is at the grocery store and sees her favorite author, Patrick Reagan who is also a recluse.  She has read all his books but has not favorably reviewed his last three.  Plot shifts, Jules finds herself in a strange room with a splitting headache and realizes she has been kidnapped, but by whom and why.  As she looks up, on the ceiling of the room are the words-Don't tell me it's terrifying.  Terrify me.  Those were not just any words, they were the words she had written on her blog. She is being held captive by Patrick for a reason which he will not tell her and he even tells her that her husband's death was not an accident.  Jules is terrified, but does she have a reason to be? That is what keeps you reading and guessing.  She and Patrick share lots of things, especially about God.  Loved this part when she is talking to Patrick. My husband told me that God is invisible so we won't search for Him with out eyes.  So we'll depend less on what seems concrete and more on the faith it takes to see without our eyes. And then when we see Him, we'll know we've been seen"

The storyline is strong with chapters going back and forth from Jules and Patrick to those trying to find out where she is before it's too late. Loved learning more about how authors observe their world,  and how their heads put it all together for the reader.

As I said in the beginning, this was a great surprise and one book I will reread to highlight the "nuggets" that the author dispersed throughout the book.  Please pick this up to read--you will be surprised by it also.
Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

Sweet Mercy

Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock is just what the title suggests, it is one "sweet" story that I am thankful I requested to read.  I have read other books by Ann Tatlock and have not been disappointed and I was mesmerized by this book. 
The story takes place back in 1931 when times were very different, since it is set during the Great Depression and Prohibition.  Eve Maaryat lives in St. Paul Minnesota and thrilled to move to Ohio when her dad loses his job with Ford Motor Company.  They get to live with her uncle at his Maaryat Island Ballroom and Lodge where her father will work and the family will help out.  Eve believes she will leave all the gangsters in Minnesota and will find "good people" and this will be a "safe haven" for her family.  She soon will encounter an interesting mix of people and will forge an unlikely friendship with a strange young man-Link.  Now comes the interesting part of the story-Eve finds out things and people are not what they appear to be.  Will she risk exposing people and force her family to make more decisions?  Can't say anymore without giving a good part of the storyline away.  I was totally surprised when the ending was coming-never saw where the story was heading.
This is one story I will read again-it was that good.  It was also a story set in-some ways-simpler times and just made for an interesting read.  Love when these "sweet" stories really turn out "sweet".  Make sure this book is on your summer reading list.
Thanks to Bethany House for sending me this book for free just for my honest opinion.

Afloat

This review of Afloat by Erin Healy is a hard one to  write.  She has been one of my top favorite writers and I have read everything she has written and loved them until now.  The teaser to the book really tweaked my curiosity and requested this book.
I don't really know where to start this review since most of my reviews are very positive and I have loved the book.  The storyline centers on and interesting project of apartments floating in the cove of a river. It is to be a wonderful idea and an investors dream.  A sinkhole happens and the problems begin.  Rain and lots of rain flood the cove and the people who are not dead are left and cut off from everyone.  How will they survive and is this the end of the world?  The ones left are very divided on how to survive and get to land.  There is the developer, project engineer, single mom and her son and others who all have different ideas on rescue.
Add to the storyline-power failure, daytime darkness, explosions, murder and dark histories.
I realize this book was to be about the supernatural possibilities and the human spirit but it left me not really ever figuring out who was who and what was what. The storyline jumped from plot to plot and I never felt the character development happened.   I did like the character Zeke and how he related to Vance.  Seemed like the most Christian part of the book. In the story the young son saw beautiful shining lights in the dark ocean. I felt the author never explained these and   I never did understand what they were. It seemed the story had good intentions but never really "happened" and the ending just left me glad it was over.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me this book for free just for my honest opinion.

Gone South

This review is not a glowing account of how I liked this book.  I absolutely loved Meg Mosely's first book
and was thrilled to get this book to review.  I really thought that I would love this book, but it fell short in so many areas of me liking it and just being able to finish it.
The storyline evolves around Tish McComb who is single with her dreams of marriage and family killed when her fiance was killed five years ago,  She is going about in a dead end job and has the opportunity to buy her
great-great-great grandparents' Civil War house in Noble Alabama.  The only problem is, she is a northerner and her grandparents were not "the best of people" and there is a lot of animosity toward Tish. Two people come to her aid-a local antique dealer willing to give her  a chance and a prodigal looking for acceptance.
These are the three main characters in the story with the plot weaving from each to each which left me totally bored and waiting for "something" to happen with the storyline.  Unfortunately for me, it never materialized and I hung in till the end and felt relief when I finally ended this book. 
I am not one usually to find fault with the books I read-I love Christian fiction and enjoy a good plot that holds my interest and I hope her next book is one that fits that criteria for me.
Thanks to Waterbrook for sending me this free copy for my honest opinion.

Shattered

I loved book one of the Alaskan Courage series and could not wait till number two came out.  It was well worth the wait!!. Fantastic read.  This book was one I could not put down (not many happen like that) and it was one book I did not want to end.

Piper McKenna's brother shows up at her house with blood covering him.  A woman has been murdered and her brother Reef is the main suspect.  Her brother has been gone and now with his return, he is charged with murder.  Piper is determined to find the killer and protect Reef.  Enter-Landon Grainger who loves the McKenna family and is falling in love with Piper throughout the investigation.  Lots of different story lines with each of the McKenna's which kept the book so interesting. That is just a snippet of what the story is about.  There are so much twists and turns and you think you have it figured out-then something else changes.  Dani Pettrey has weaved a masterful storyline full of interesting characters, family squabbles, great suspense, romance and a wonderful blend of  Christian forgiveness and thoughts by Piper.  Cannot wait for number 3-it will be another winner.

Thank you to Bethany House for this free copy for my honest opinion.

Avenged

Finished number 3 in the Pacific Coast Justice series and this too was a "winner".  I have enjoyed each one of Janice Cantore's books immensely.  She is a retired police officer and her books hint at the type of work she did and I can see Carly Edwards as her in these books.  They are written to entertain as well as show you the backstage of law enforcement and she throws in suspense to boot.

Carly Edwards comes upon three gangbangers shot execution style and fears that her city might be on the verge of a gang war. To compound the tension Carly finds weapons from a gang leader and finds out they were stolen from a military base.  She and her husband Nick, head of the gang unit, are trying to find out the culprits behind all of these problems.  In her investigation, her reputation is questioned by a reporter trying to discredit her professionally. 

I found myself thinking I knew the culprit, then he was murdered off, so I went after another one and guessed wrong again. Loved the cat and mouse of the storyline, but loved that Carly's faith and trust in God had grown since the last book. She was fighting God for control in her life and finally figured out to "let go and let God".  Loved how Nick and Carly have grown as individuals and a couple since the last book.  I hate to see this series end since Nick and Carly were such great characters with lots of flaws that all of us have.  Pick up her Pacific Coast Justice series and you will not be disappointed-promise

Thanks to Tyndale publishers for this free copy for my honest opinion.

A Matter of Trust

There are your favorite authors that can't write fast enough.  Lis Wiehl is one of my favorites and was thrilled to see she had written a new book.  She keeps getting better and better with each book.  This is one of the best suspense books I have read.

This is a Mia Quinn mystery.  The storyline starts with a intriguing  murder that sets this book into many plots, twists and remarkable characters.  Mia is talking with a friend from the prosecutors office and hears a gunshot over the phone.  She realizes her colleague is dying and heads over there while her son stays on the phone in case she says anything-bad idea.  She wants to head up the murder investigation but with so much on her plate she needs help and the storyline unfolds.  Mia is a new widow with lots of debts, troubled teenage son, a four year old who wakes up screaming at night and just trying to keep her job.  As they dig deeper, more complications unfold and she finds herself a target.

I was so absorbed by this story and the different themes.  She touched on being a successful prosecutor, trying to be a mom and holding it all together.  Appearances can be deceiving and Mia learns this from the strong characters throughout the book.  This is one book I will keep and cannot wait for the sequel.  Please Lis-write faster!
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this free copy for my honest opinion.

Breath of Dawn

My latest book was Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann was very interesting.  I have read other books of hers and knew I would not be disappointed.

Storyline covers a corporate turnaround specialist named Morgan Spencer.  Everything he touches turns to gold in the business world but not in his personal world.  He lost his wife and has not fully recovered her death.  He has a two year old, Livie, who is "his life".  Enter Quinn Reilly who comes to care for the Spencer family. She was involved with putting a man in jail with her testimony and goes to great lengths to shield and protect herself, but threats start surfacing against her.  She puts the Spencer family in danger but she need Morgan to help her fix problems.  He has a counterproposal that takes them in a direction neither is ready to handle.  Confronting the past is one hurdle but a future together is questionable.

Good story for the most part.  I felt the story was too long and places in the middle of the book were being drawn out and not  holding my interest.

Thanks to Baker Publishing for sending me this copy free of charge just for my honest opinion.