One thing is for sure with me-when I select a Diann Mills book to read, I always know it will be great. Her latest book, Attracted to Fire did not let me down with the storyline, suspense, romance and ending. It is a fast paced read and what I found most intriguing was what the Secret Service does and how they go above and beyond to protect their detail.
The story encompases around two agents protecting the vice president's rebellious daughter when threats are made against her life. The two agents, Megan who has a dream of protecting the president, and the agent in charge, Ash who has a reputation for being critical and exacting need to find out who is behind the threats. Not only threats but agents are killed, security on the ranch is breached and who is really behind everything. That is just a teaser about the storyline. I found myself engrossed in the plot and trying to figure out just who is the culprit and why. It came as a surprise how it all came together in the end. It had all the earmarks of a political intrigue plot and could that ever happen today?
Loved the main characters Megan and Ash and how their competitiveness and drive started out and how they found each other beyond the job of Secret Service agents. The author left their story open for continuation and I hope she writes more about them and the "rest of the story" of their lives. If you have not read any of Diann Mills books, you are missing a superb writer-both historical and suspense.
Thank you Tyndale Publishers for sending me this free book for my honest review of it.
-- Grace Elizabeth --
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
A Sound Among the Trees
This is the third book by Susan Meissner that I have read and can't wait till her next one comes out. She is a superb storyteller and her books have such a heartwarming flow to them. She loves to intersperse history throughout her stories and this one was fascinating.
Holly Oaks in an antebellum mansion in Virginia. It is a house that lots of people believe to be haunted. It is haunted by the ghost of Susannah Page who was rumored to be a Civil War spy. Adelaide the great granddaughter of Susannah has lived in the house her whole life and thinks the house is holding a grudge since the Civil War. Adelaide's granddaughter died in this house and now her son-in-law has brought a new wife to the house and she hears from people that the house brings misfortune to the women of the house. Marielle must find the letters that she hears have been left by Susannah to help sort out the truth. She does find the letters with the help of the prodigal daughter of Adelaide that comes home again. This is such a heartwarming story of different generations of women that have lived in the house and how they all tie together with their heritage. The most interesting part of the book were the letters Susannah wrote during the Civil War to her cousin that spanned three years and what she endured during that time in history. Loved the ending and how the author tied everything together.
Thank you Waterbrook/Multnomah for letting me review this for free just for my honest opinion.
Holly Oaks in an antebellum mansion in Virginia. It is a house that lots of people believe to be haunted. It is haunted by the ghost of Susannah Page who was rumored to be a Civil War spy. Adelaide the great granddaughter of Susannah has lived in the house her whole life and thinks the house is holding a grudge since the Civil War. Adelaide's granddaughter died in this house and now her son-in-law has brought a new wife to the house and she hears from people that the house brings misfortune to the women of the house. Marielle must find the letters that she hears have been left by Susannah to help sort out the truth. She does find the letters with the help of the prodigal daughter of Adelaide that comes home again. This is such a heartwarming story of different generations of women that have lived in the house and how they all tie together with their heritage. The most interesting part of the book were the letters Susannah wrote during the Civil War to her cousin that spanned three years and what she endured during that time in history. Loved the ending and how the author tied everything together.
Thank you Waterbrook/Multnomah for letting me review this for free just for my honest opinion.
Pattern of Wounds
When I pick books to read I tend to gravitate to suspense fiction books. I chose this book because a good friend read it and loved it. I did not realize that this was the second in the Roland March series by J. Mark Bertrand. Luckily, it was a story in itself, to some extent. There is a lot about the character and his relationship with his wife that I picked up only bits and pieces in this second book. Enough said about the background of my picking this book.
It was one of those books I "think" I liked-I am still not sure about my feelings after reading it. I have waited a few days to put these ideas down on paper. Roland March is a homicide detective in Houston. He has a past but he is really a good cop. He investigates a young woman found dead in a swimming pool in a rich area of Houston. He sees it as a copycat crime but the other investigators see it only as another crime. Roland has already sent a murderer to prison ten years ago for crimes like this one that was committed. Then he starts getting scary messages from the killer and the violence gets a little too close to home. The interesting thing is that with each crime after this there is a pattern of wounds on the bodies so he must try to figure out what exactly is the hidden message.
There was a lot of trying to guess "who did it" and I don't think I figured it out and I still after rereading the ending am lost. The last page ends with a twist and that really made me mad. Everything is left up in the air so I guess I have to read book number three to find out just how this ends-bummer. This is one of those books that will have different reviews from everyone.
I do appreciate being able to pick this one from Bethany Publishers for free just for my honest review
It was one of those books I "think" I liked-I am still not sure about my feelings after reading it. I have waited a few days to put these ideas down on paper. Roland March is a homicide detective in Houston. He has a past but he is really a good cop. He investigates a young woman found dead in a swimming pool in a rich area of Houston. He sees it as a copycat crime but the other investigators see it only as another crime. Roland has already sent a murderer to prison ten years ago for crimes like this one that was committed. Then he starts getting scary messages from the killer and the violence gets a little too close to home. The interesting thing is that with each crime after this there is a pattern of wounds on the bodies so he must try to figure out what exactly is the hidden message.
There was a lot of trying to guess "who did it" and I don't think I figured it out and I still after rereading the ending am lost. The last page ends with a twist and that really made me mad. Everything is left up in the air so I guess I have to read book number three to find out just how this ends-bummer. This is one of those books that will have different reviews from everyone.
I do appreciate being able to pick this one from Bethany Publishers for free just for my honest review
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wrapped in Rain
When I worked at a Christian Book store many customers would tell me how great an author Charles Martin was. I actually bought two of his books that are in my bookcase still waiting to be read. I picked this from Booksneeze to review and knew it was a repackaging but it sounded so good.
My, oh my, oh my-it was not just good, it was superb. This has to be one of the most heartwarming books I have ever read. As you read this story you laugh at some pages, you are enraged at some pages, and there are tears at some pages. He covers so much emotion and his writing style is so unique that I found myself so engrossed in reading and loving and rooting for the characters in a way I have never done before.
The main character Tucker Mason (Rain) has had a childhood straight from the pits of Hell with and evil father who doesn't care a lick for him or his brother Mutt. All the father cares about is making money and lots of it along with alcohol binges. Tuck and Mutt were raised by Miss Ella Rain who loves these two boys like her own. She is the only stable person in their lives and she is a Christian who instills the scriptures in their lives along with prayers to cover the evil they all endure. I was so amazed that one person could be so evil to everyone around them. Tucker is forced to return home and face his own tragic past along with Mutt who has escaped from a mental hospital with lots of problems of his own. Also enter a former girlfriend with a five year old son running from an estranged husband. Put these all together and you have one amazing story. At the end of the book and really all the way through, I wished I could have had a Miss Ella in my childhood. I loved how Tucker could still hear her voice and her prayers even after she had died and how he would talk back to her.
This book really shows how forgiveness and redemption can change lives along with peace and grace only found through our amazing Lord and Savior.
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I am heading to my bookcase to read the other books I have by Charles Martin and I bet they will be as good as this one.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for sending me this copy free to review for my honest opinion,
My, oh my, oh my-it was not just good, it was superb. This has to be one of the most heartwarming books I have ever read. As you read this story you laugh at some pages, you are enraged at some pages, and there are tears at some pages. He covers so much emotion and his writing style is so unique that I found myself so engrossed in reading and loving and rooting for the characters in a way I have never done before.
The main character Tucker Mason (Rain) has had a childhood straight from the pits of Hell with and evil father who doesn't care a lick for him or his brother Mutt. All the father cares about is making money and lots of it along with alcohol binges. Tuck and Mutt were raised by Miss Ella Rain who loves these two boys like her own. She is the only stable person in their lives and she is a Christian who instills the scriptures in their lives along with prayers to cover the evil they all endure. I was so amazed that one person could be so evil to everyone around them. Tucker is forced to return home and face his own tragic past along with Mutt who has escaped from a mental hospital with lots of problems of his own. Also enter a former girlfriend with a five year old son running from an estranged husband. Put these all together and you have one amazing story. At the end of the book and really all the way through, I wished I could have had a Miss Ella in my childhood. I loved how Tucker could still hear her voice and her prayers even after she had died and how he would talk back to her.
This book really shows how forgiveness and redemption can change lives along with peace and grace only found through our amazing Lord and Savior.
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I am heading to my bookcase to read the other books I have by Charles Martin and I bet they will be as good as this one.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for sending me this copy free to review for my honest opinion,
Friday, August 19, 2011
Money Secrets of the Amish
I love to save money in all different ways so this book is right up my alley. Being retired and on a fixed income involves a totally new way to look at frugal ways to save money. In this book we learn from the best at making things last and the art of recycling.
The author found during 2008 during the economic collapse that her work was drying up also. She started investigating the Amish culture to be serene, simple and rooted in centuries past that held financial wisdom to me. During her period of "extreme thrift" she researched the Amish way of wealth. She learned tips on saving, spending and investing and how to live a lifestyle extravagant in peach, sharing, family and community closeness. One of her funny quotes "Could a clotheshorse, spendthrift, clueless about-cash girl like me actually spend less, save more, and make shoofly pie?'.
We Americans are a blessed society with enormous wealth to spend our money any way we want to. To think that God actually only wants 10% of HIS money and lets us spend 90% how we want to is mind boggeling. This book helps you retrain your brain to be more frugal with practical and simple money saving ideas.
My favorite chapter was Shopping Secondhand. She shops at a secondhand store and saves a ton of money then heads to Goodwill and buys 9 items that would have cost $237.48 and she spent $25.50 for a savings of @211.98. Now that is "fun shopping" As the Amish say "You don't have to buy something new to buy something good".
She has chapters on: Pay on time-rethinking gifts-saving-de-spoil the kids-to bulk or not to bulk-bartering-and the best things in life are free.
Great book, fun read, lots of tips to help my frugal life more and a good book to give to a newly married couple or kids going off to college.
I received this book free for my honest opinion of it and so appreciated this great read.
The author found during 2008 during the economic collapse that her work was drying up also. She started investigating the Amish culture to be serene, simple and rooted in centuries past that held financial wisdom to me. During her period of "extreme thrift" she researched the Amish way of wealth. She learned tips on saving, spending and investing and how to live a lifestyle extravagant in peach, sharing, family and community closeness. One of her funny quotes "Could a clotheshorse, spendthrift, clueless about-cash girl like me actually spend less, save more, and make shoofly pie?'.
We Americans are a blessed society with enormous wealth to spend our money any way we want to. To think that God actually only wants 10% of HIS money and lets us spend 90% how we want to is mind boggeling. This book helps you retrain your brain to be more frugal with practical and simple money saving ideas.
My favorite chapter was Shopping Secondhand. She shops at a secondhand store and saves a ton of money then heads to Goodwill and buys 9 items that would have cost $237.48 and she spent $25.50 for a savings of @211.98. Now that is "fun shopping" As the Amish say "You don't have to buy something new to buy something good".
She has chapters on: Pay on time-rethinking gifts-saving-de-spoil the kids-to bulk or not to bulk-bartering-and the best things in life are free.
Great book, fun read, lots of tips to help my frugal life more and a good book to give to a newly married couple or kids going off to college.
I received this book free for my honest opinion of it and so appreciated this great read.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Thunder Dog
What a blessing the Booksneeze program is. This book is one of the examples of getting to read a wonderful book for free. It does not get any better than that!!. This was a book when I saw it up for review I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed at all. This is one of those "heartwarming" books that make you feel better after you have read them.
This book is a true story of Michael Hinson who is blind and his guide dog Roselle who actually made it out of the Trade Center Tower #1 before it collapsed. That, in itself, makes for an interesting storyline. Michael takes you back 10 years to that "day that changed America" to relive what happened. He goes to work as usual getting ready for a seminar when his life and many others are changed forever. He works on the 78th floor of the north tower when the building is hit and the tower leans to the south. His co worker David and he immediately head for the stairs and begin the long trek down stairwell B with his dog by his side. He smells the jet fuel but knows he needs to stay calm to keep Roselle calm. Neither panic and start working their way down-ten stairs, turn, nine stairs. When they get to the 34th floor they see the firefighters are coming up with water but they don't have any information to pass along so everyone is still guessing what has happened to the building. In just over an hour since they left the office they are outside when a police officer screams, "Get out of here! It's coming down!" Now Michael and Roselle are literally running for their lives when the dust from the buildings completely cover them. We have to get out of the dust or we are going to die. But even in the dust cloud, with my guide dog now blind, too, I feel God's presence. He is with me. I am not alone. I am running with Roselle.
Michael Hinson is one special person who never let his blindness stop him from doing anything. He has ridden a bike and even driven a car. He was determined to achieve parity in a sighted world and it was a true pleasure to read his story.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for this free copy to review for my honest opinion.
This book is a true story of Michael Hinson who is blind and his guide dog Roselle who actually made it out of the Trade Center Tower #1 before it collapsed. That, in itself, makes for an interesting storyline. Michael takes you back 10 years to that "day that changed America" to relive what happened. He goes to work as usual getting ready for a seminar when his life and many others are changed forever. He works on the 78th floor of the north tower when the building is hit and the tower leans to the south. His co worker David and he immediately head for the stairs and begin the long trek down stairwell B with his dog by his side. He smells the jet fuel but knows he needs to stay calm to keep Roselle calm. Neither panic and start working their way down-ten stairs, turn, nine stairs. When they get to the 34th floor they see the firefighters are coming up with water but they don't have any information to pass along so everyone is still guessing what has happened to the building. In just over an hour since they left the office they are outside when a police officer screams, "Get out of here! It's coming down!" Now Michael and Roselle are literally running for their lives when the dust from the buildings completely cover them. We have to get out of the dust or we are going to die. But even in the dust cloud, with my guide dog now blind, too, I feel God's presence. He is with me. I am not alone. I am running with Roselle.
Michael Hinson is one special person who never let his blindness stop him from doing anything. He has ridden a bike and even driven a car. He was determined to achieve parity in a sighted world and it was a true pleasure to read his story.
Thank you Thomas Nelson for this free copy to review for my honest opinion.