FOX News Radio's Todd Starnes is a self-professed “gun toting, chicken eating son of a Baptist” whose Dispatches from Bitter America is “a collection of stories from my travels across this country (and) conversations I’ve had with regular folks who have deep concerns about the direction we are going as a nation.”
In his award-winning, satire-meets-serious writing style, Starnes jumps headfirst into the current culture war, taking on the topics that are dear to every American: religion, health care, freedom, country music, barbeque, and so forth. Along the way, he shares exclusive interviews with political commentator Sean Hannity, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and cooking sensation Paula Deen, always hoping to go from bitter to better.
My review:
I loved, loved, loved this book. When I read the description, it sounded like the type of book I would enjoy, and enjoy it I did.
Starnes got the idea and title of his book from a statement Barak Obama made about conservatives being bitter people, clinging to their guns and their religion. Starnes took that statement and has written an awesome book that is definitely worth reading.
He raises some great points in the book and is both serious and hilariously funny. With chapter titles like "Singing Praise Songs to Obama", "Why Is Daddy Wearing a Dress?", "Gird Your Loins, The Preacher's Talking About Sex" to "The Worship Wars", he covers everything from the Muslim threat and the pro-gay movement, to what kind of music we should use in church. I found myself laughing out loud at points, and incensed at others while reading of the attacks on our freedoms.
There are a few interviews throughout the book with Sean Hannity, Mike Huckabee, and others.
I cannot say enough about this book. It was interesting, funny, scary, entertaining, and thought provoking. I'd recommend it to any conservative and any liberal who needs their eyes opened.
About the author:
Todd Starnes, host of FOX News & Commentary, covers high profile stories from Wall Street to the White House on hundreds of stations around the country. He is also a contributor to FOX Nation and The Strategy Room on FOXNews.com and a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Associated Press Mark Twain Award for Storytelling. His previous book was They Popped My Hood and Found Gravy on the Dipstick. Starnes lives in New York City.
The past can be a dark and haunting place - full of secrets and mysteries too deep, too painful to confess.
For Jonathan Rush, a wealthy and famous entrepreneur, this is an agonizing and startling reality — one he never knew existed in his life until now. On a mission to Fairbanks, Alaska, to uncover the truth behind his mother’s abandonment when he was only four years old, Jonathan comes face-to-face with his unresolved bitterness as well as a mysterious woman named Mercy who holds the key to unlocking the secrets of his past. Somehow he must convince Mercy to confide in him, learn how to forgive his mother, and — even more painful — learn how to forgive himself.
The Encounter, from best-selling author, counselor, and speaker Stephen Arterburn, artfully reveals the power of your story, the fierce need for acceptance, and the true hope of healing. Discover in its pages the radical joys of forgiveness both toward others as well as from the ultimate healer and forgiver: Jesus Christ.
Through the truth and hope revealed in this gripping parable, learn to step out from the darkness of a painful past and into the healing light of a forgiven future.
My review:Stephen Arterburn doesn't normally do fiction, so I was interested to see he had written one. It was available for a while in e-book format, and I had passed due to not having a Kindle or Nook, but since I bought one, I grabbed the book. I was not disappointed.
The book is written in both first person and third person points of view, and works great for this book. It is more than a fictional story. Aterburn wrote it as a result of a true story, and though the story is interesting and entertains, it also has a great message of forgiveness and dealing with one's past.
Though I cannot relate to being deserted by one's parents, I could relate to needing to forgive and with dealing with the past, as anyone can, so this book could be helpful to anyone.
I really enjoyed the book and read it in one evening. I highly recommend it.
About the author: Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries—the nation’s largest faith-based broadcast, counseling and treatment ministry—and is host of the nationally syndicated New Life Live! heard and watched by 2 million people each week on nearly two hundred radio stations nationwide in addition to XM and Sirius Satellite radio and is now seen on television on the Family Net and NRB network. Steve is the founder of the Women of Faith® conferences and has written more than sixty books, including the best-selling Every Man's series. He has over 7 million books in print and has been nominated for numerous writing awards, winning three Gold Medallions for writing excellence.
Steve has degrees from Baylor University and the University of North Texas as well as two honorary doctorate degrees. He is currently finishing his doctoral studies in Christian Counseling.
Steve resides with his family in Fishers, Indiana.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget Jesus in the midst of frantic schedules, family squabbles and conflicting priorities. For many Christians, God often becomes little more than an afterthought after days absorbed and depleted by the busyness of life. But the truth is that he is the hero of every story—including the mundane, ordinary ones we experience on a regular basis. That is why Marty Machowski beckons families to take time out from the daily grind to be transformed by the message of the Good News in his latest release, The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments (New Growth Press, November 2011).
Based on the ESV Bible, this uniquely illustrated Bible storybook uses 156 stories to present God’s plan of salvation in Christ from its opening narrative in Genesis to its finale in Revelation. This easy-to-read storybook written for children from preschool to high school introduces readers to many captivating people, places and events from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. At the same time, Machowski skillfully connects the individual stories to the overall gospel narrative of how God redeemed a broken world through sending his son Jesus to save his people. Each story ends by connecting to Jesus and his gospel of grace. By sharing these Bible stories with each other, young and old will learn together the life-changing habit of recognizing the presence and workings of Christ in every moment of their day.
“The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to change the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read,” says Machowski. “That’s what makes The Gospel Story Bible ideal as a storybook for a preschooler, a devotional for a grade school student, a refresher for the adult believer or an introduction for the new one. Parents and children will learn together to read the whole Bible as one story, with one hero—Jesus Christ.”
Vibrant illustrations by A. E. Macha, child-friendly discussion questions and Scripture references accompany each story to help lead families in exploring the Bible. Parents and teachers will be delighted to discover how easily even a young child can understand the original text of a story that he or she has already come to love. A companion to the family devotional Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the soon-to-be-released Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum (February 2012), The Gospel Story Bible is also a great resource for churches, Sunday school classes, home-schoolers and Christian schools who want to teach their children to apply the gospel to every situation and make Jesus the most important part of their everyday lives.
My review:
I was more impressed with this Bible story book than some I have read. The stories are told well, as in others I have read, but this one has a bigger focus on the message of the stories.
In addition, there are a few questions at the end of each story for kids to thing about and answer.
The subtitle of the book is "Discovering Jesus In the Old and New Testaments." In reading over some of the stories, I noticed the author points out how the story relates to Jesus and brings Him into it in some way.
Overall, I enjoyed reading and reviewing this, and feel it is a great tool to be used to help kids learn more about the Bible and more about Jesus. I'd recommend it for any family.
About the author:
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-three years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children's ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is also the author of Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the forthcoming Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The Gospel Story Bible is available from New Growth Press.
Lori lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. Lance and Lori have three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. Lance and Lori are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.
Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market. To date, she has had over 100 books published.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A romantic new book from bestselling author Lori Copeland that portrays God’s miraculous provision even when none seems possible.
1892—Mae Wilkey’s sweet next-door neighbor, Pauline, is suffering from old age and dementia and desperately needs family to come help her. But Pauline can’t recall having kin remaining. Mae searches through her desk and finds a name—Tom Curtis, who may just be the answer to their prayers.
Tom can’t remember an old aunt named Pauline, but if she thinks he’s a long-lost nephew, he very well may be. After two desperate letters from Mae, he decides to pay a visit. An engagement, a runaway train, and a town of quirky, loveable people make for more of an adventure than Tom is expecting. But it is amazing what can bloom in winter when God is in charge of things.
“The man is surely dead of his own hand, Hugh. You must not seek a felon where none is. And even was atte Bridge slain there is no man in Bampton sorry for it. He was an evil fellow we are well rid of.”
Thomas atte Bridge, a man no one likes, is found hanging from a tree near Cow-Ley’s Corner. All assume he has taken his own life, but Master Hugh and Kate find evidence that this may not be so. Many of the town had been harmed by Thomas, and Hugh is not eager to send one of them to the gallows ... Hugh must discover which of his friends has murdered his enemy.
My review:This is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Huge de Singleton, Surgeon, and possibly the best so far.
For those unfamiliar with the series, these are mysteries set in medieval times. The 1300's, to be exact. The main character is a surgeon, Hugh de Singleton, who also is a bailiff and has to do his share of solving crimes.
These books have some very interesting aspects for me. The author has studied medieval times and the ways of medicine and surgeons in that time, so I have found it extremely interesting to read of the methods used in that time. Also, it is interesting to read of crime solving in a time period where they didn't have the modern day methods that we take for granted.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In it, the main character has to solve the murder of his enemy, a man who did him and many others wrong. The story part was enjoyable, but the author also got some great points in about God's mercy and hit on themes of forgiving others.
This book, as the ones that precede it, are totally different reading than the Christian suspense authors I read, but they are all enjoyable reads. After reading this book, I am looking forward to the next book in this great and fascinating series.
About the author:Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He graduated from Spring Arbor High School in 1960, and Greenville College (Illinois) in 1964. He received an MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970. He taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School.
Mel married Susan Brock in 1965, and they have two daughters; Amy (Kevin) Kwilinski, of Naperville, IL, and Jennifer (Jeremy) Reivitt, of Portage, MI. Mel and Susan have seven grandchildren.
Unhallowed Ground is available from Monarch, an imprint of Kregel Publishing.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Ronie Kendig for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.
It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990. Married more than twenty years, Ronie and her husband, Brian, homeschool their four children, the first of whom graduated in 2011. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family and their three dogs in Dallas, TX.
Ronie has a deep love and passion for people, especially hurting people, which is why she pursued and obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Liberty University. Ronie is an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has volunteered extensively, serving in a variety of capacities from coordinator of a national contest to appointment assistant at the national annual conference.
Since launching onto the publishing scene in 2010, Ronie and her books have been gained critical acclaim and national attention, including:
Finalist in Christian Retailing’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards (Nightshade)
Blown and dismantled, Nightshade is ready to repay the favor.
Former Marine and current Nightshade team member Griffin "Legend" Riddell is comfortable. So comfortable he never sees the set up that lands him in a maximum security prison, charged with murder. How can he prove his innocence behind bars?
Covert operative Kazi Faron is tasked with reassembling Nightshade—the black ops team someone dissected. Breaking Griffin out of a federal penitentiary amid explosive confusion may turn out to be her last assignment. What will it take to convince the fugitive that whoever set him up has also dissected the Nightshade team? As Kazi and Griffin race to rescue the others and discover the traitor,
love begins to awaken in their hearts.
Can a covert operative and the felon she's freed overcome their mutual distrust long enough to save Nightshade? Will anything prepare them for who—or what is coming?
Realizing it is my choice and my choice alone to be a Reconnaissance Marine, I accept all challenges involved with this profession. Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who went before me.
Exceeding beyond the limitations set down by others shall be my goal. Sacrificing personal comforts and dedicating myself to the completion of the reconnaissance mission shall be my life. Physical fitness, mental attitude, and high ethics—The title of Recon Marine is my honor.
Conquering all obstacles, both large and small, I shall never quit. To quit, to surrender, to give up is to fail. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; To overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the mission.
On the battlefield, as in all areas of life, I shall stand tall above the competition. Through professional pride, integrity, and teamwork, I shall be the example for all Marines to emulate.
Never shall I forget the principles I accepted to become a Recon Marine. Honor, Perseverance, Spirit, and Heart.
A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what others can only imagine.
Swift, Silent, Deadly
Chapter 1
The Shack
“It’s sad, really.” Marshall “The Kid” Vaughn trudged away from the thumping rotors of the helo that had deposited them back at the Shack, his pack almost dragging the ground. “Ya don’t realize how much a person adds until he’s gone.”
“Legend’s not gone.” Max “Frogman” Jacobs hoisted his rucksack into a better group, his mind locked on Sydney and their two sons waiting for him at home. Poor woman had to be going out of her mind with two of his Mini-Me’s running around.
“Yeah.” John “Squirt” Dighton hit the light breaker, then waited for the six-man team to clear the door. “He’s just temporarily detained.”
Lights sizzled and popped to life. Groaning bounced off the grimy windows as he hauled the door closed, locked it, then started toward the showers.
The Kid grunted. “Forty-years-to-life temporary.”
In the locker room, a depressive gloom hung over the team. They’d been on countless missions, hit just about every terrain and environment imaginable, but none had taken the toll the last couple had. And there was one reason—they were down a man. Griffin “Legend” Riddell. If Max could write the playbook, they wouldn’t do another mission without the guy. But with the man in federal prison for murdering a congressman, it’d be a long wait.
It was quiet. Too quiet. Max looked around the Spartan room. Walls of lockers, most unused. A few benches. A giant once-white bin for dirty duds. And the team. Six men, now. All very skilled. Good men. Even the one missing. Every man here knew Legend had been set up—he didn’t murder that congressman. But nobody could prove it. The evidence was damning. Justice—injustice was more like it—came swiftly. Lambert, ever the puppeteer, couldn’t pull the right strings to get Legend off.
“I’m heading up to visit him tomorrow. Anyone game?” Colton “Cowboy” Neeley slumped on a bench and ran a hand over his short, dark hair. His blue eyes probed the group.
“Nah, man. I’ve got a date,” the Kid said.
Squirt beaned him with a towel. “What girl would go out with you, mate?”
The Kid snapped the terry cloth back at the former Navy SEAL. “Your sister.”
Squirt froze. His jaw went slack. Then his eyes darkened.
Laughing, Canyon “Midas” Metcalfe rose to his feet from the corner. “You just proved his point by thinking your sister would actually go out with him.”
Squirt swallowed, his face drained of color. “I introduced them at a New Year’s party.”
Midas laughed harder. “Your mistake, mate.”
Shuffling closer, Squirt pointed a finger at the Kid. “I swear, you touch her, I’ll shove a fist full of witchety grubs down your gullet.”
“Give me credit, dude.” The Kid raised his hands. “I’m a gentleman.”
Max grunted. “Right.” As he strode around the lockers to the shower well, he heard more threats and much more laughter from the Kid. Max shook his head. Would the Kid ever grow up, learn when to leave things alone?
As he tossed his oily, grimy duds on the bench, Max paused, thinking maybe he should send his report to Lambert now so he wouldn’t have to mess with it tomorrow. The mission had been simple enough, a snatch-n-grab of an Iranian doctor. It’d been nice and clean, in and out. The report wouldn’t take long. Then he could shower, bug out, and know he had the whole weekend with Syd and the boys.
Max jogged up the iron stairs, which creaked and groaned beneath his weight. Down the hall to the right. He punched in the code and entered the secure hub, the door hissing shut behind him. The most high-tech part of this dump-of-a-warehouse.
Shouts drew his attention to the blinds. He jabbed two fingers between a couple and spread them to peeked down into the main area. Squirt and the Kid raced into the bay and back the way they came. Squirt looked ready to kill. The Kid’s face revealed his fear. Max shook his head again. Man, he wanted Griffin back. The guy seemed to bring balance to the team. Badly needed balance.
Max powered up the computer. Hand propped on the warped wood, he waited for the system to boot.
More shouts. Loud thuds.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Would they never—?
Tat-a-tat! Tat-tat-a-tat!
Instinct drove Max to his knee at the sound of gunfire. He scrambled to the window. Through the slanted blinds, he peered down into the slab of cement. His brain wouldn’t assemble what he saw. Gunmen. A dozen or more. Rushing into the Shack from the parking bay. Moving swiftly, as if. . .
They know the layout.
Max darted to the door and jerked it open. He sprinted down the hall toward the stairs. As his boot hit steel, he froze. A shadow emerged. Floated into the hall.
Too late.
Max jerked back. Pressed his spine against the wall.
By the showers, the Kid looked up. Max signaled to him. Then made his best and loudest Nightshade whistle, hoping it would penetrate the building, give the men warning to take cover.
The Kid threw himself back into the locker room.
Men swarmed the corner. One looked to his left, one right. His weapon slowly rose as he traced the stairs with his M16.
Max leapt backward into the darkness and into office. He closed the door. As the lock clicked, darkness dropped like an anchor over the entire building. Behind him, a glow screamed his location. The monitor!
Max spun. Lunged across the desk. Stabbed the power button. And paused with his hand still near the monitor. If someone was coming after them. . .accessing this computer. . .
On his knees, Max yanked the cords free. With the box, he moved to the window and reassessed the parking bay. Another van with a half-dozen men with AK-47s. They streamed into the warehouse.
Max’s gut wound into a dozen knots. They were screwed.
Think! Hand on the door, he considered going back downstairs. But that would get him captured. Killed. Yet he’d rather be with his guys than running like a chicken.
No, not running. Considering options, gaining the advantage. Planning. The invasion force was armed to the teeth. They knew who they were coming after. They’d brought weapons. And those guys moved with precision. Swift, deadly precision.
Though Nightshade had a stellar ops record, perhaps they had finally met their match. Still. . .two to one? Nightshade had faced worse.
A large black Suburban screeched to a halt in the middle of the parking bay. Two men emerged, both wearing trench coats.
Max cursed his luck to be up here, away from his gear, his weapons. Up here, without firepower. Thus, powerless.
Okay, enough. He was going down there. He eased the door open and slid across the hall. Bathed in darkness, he crouched at edge of the landing, using the wall for cover. A dozen men so far, rushing here and there. Quick, quiet chatter between the men.
A smirk slid into Max’s face. His team had taken cover and these goons couldn’t find them. If he could just get a weapon. . .
“Can’t find them.”
“They’re here. I saw them go in,” the man nearest the SUV shouted. “Find them! Lights!”
Light rushed through the building as headlamps from the vehicles stabbed the dusty, damp building. Max yanked back, out of sight. He needed to get down there, defend his men. His boot hit the landing.
Shouts erupted. A shot bounced off the steel rafters, taunting as it echoed through the Shack. Stilled, Max waited. More shouts. The sound of a scuffle. The half-dozen men waiting by the SUV lifted their weapons to the ready.
The locker room door swung open. A man walked backward, his AK-47 aimed at a large form filling the doorway. Cowboy. Arms raised, dressed only in his jeans, he stalked forward. Someone shoved him from behind, which barely moved the big lug.
Spine pressed against the wood, Max peered down into the bay.
“You move one wrong muscle,” the one in front of Cowboy growled, “and so help me God, I’ll kill you.”
“No you won’t.” Cowboy lowered his hands. “If you wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be out here.”
Ride ’em, Cowboy.
From the side entrance to the showers, three men dragged a shouting, cursing Kid into the bay. Max smirked that it took three tangos to wrangle the Kid.
Hand clenched, Max’s mind went into overdrive. What could he do? God. . .I need. . .something. What could he pray for? Intercepting the team was impossible. Twelve, fifteen armed tangos against one unarmed man?
He latched on to the hope that they’d only found Cowboy and the Kid. No Midas, Squirt, or Aladdin. Good. Maybe they could regroup and—
A man flew through the bay door from the showers and landed with a thud a yard from the others. Midas flipped over, scissored his legs, and swept the thug off his feet. The Kid seized the confusion to attack the men guarding him. And impressively. With a hard right, he dropped the first and used that weapon to disable the second.
Cowboy took a step back and rammed his elbow into the gut of the nearest guard. The gunman bent forward—straight into Cowboy’s meaty fist. The big guy pivoted, slapped the interior of the gunman’s wrist, effectively seizing the weapon and flipping the muzzle around. He fired at the guy.
Crack!
In the split second it took for Max to realize the sonic boom that rent the air wasn’t the report of Cowboy’s .45 MEU but of a rifle, Max saw the man in the black trench coat drop to the ground. A circle spread out like a dark halo.
“Sniper!” someone shouted.
The dead guy had fallen backward. Most likely shot from the front. Which meant. . . Max’s gaze rose to the rafters. With no light, it’d be the perfect hiding spot. But. . .who? Squirt? Aladdin?
Crack!
The man guarding Colton stumbled forward, then went to his knees before hitting the cement.
The man in the black trench coat nearest the SUV dropped. A pool of blood spilled out.
“There!” One guard swung and fired his fully automatic at the ceiling. Four others followed suit, firing at the bank of grimy windows on the southeast wall of the building.
Max followed their direction and watched. Waited, his breath caught at the back of his throat. Cracks and shattering glass blended with the staccato punches of the guns to create a wild cacophony of noise. Max tuned it out, praying whoever—Aladdin or Squirt—wouldn’t be hit.
But then he saw it. A shift of a shadow. Like someone rolling. . .
The gunfire petered out as a body plummeted the eight feet to the ground.
The thud seemed to have supernatural powers as it pounded Max’s chest and pushed him back. Away from the window but not far enough that he lost line of sight.
Silence dropped on the Shack.
“Where’s Max Jacobs?”
As the question streaked through the warehouse, Max registered a red glow in the far corner. Even as he noticed it, he heard a beep. Another. His gaze darted to the source of the noise. Two men were walking the perimeter, their M16s dangling as they raised their arms and pressed something against the supports. Arms lowered and the men stepped back revealing gray bricks with wires.
Explosives.
Gotta stop this. Do something. His gaze collided with Cowboy’s. The big lug gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
Max’s nostrils flared as he wrestled with what to do.
“Where’s Dighton?”
How do they know our names?
“Dead,” someone answered.
Pulled back into the shadows, Max clenched his eyes and bit down on his tongue. Dighton was dead. What about Aladdin—had he survived the fall?
Sirens wailed in the distance.
“Load ’em up.”
“What about Jacobs?”
“Outta time.” The leader left as the gunmen dragged the team out of the building.
Stealthily, Max held on to the box and sprinted the length of the hall to the side of the Shack. In the conference room, he plunged toward the window. Craned his neck to peek out. Three vehicles—twin white vans and a black town car.
The guys were loaded into the van and one into the car.
The leader shifted, held something out, then it wavered.
Detonator.
Max spun around, searching for an out. Doors. Only one way down—the stairs. But they led to the bay, which would be engulfed.
Windows. Overlooked the dock. The canal. It was January. The water would be brutal cold. His split-second assessment told him no matter what route he took, it’d be deadly. Despite his training, if he didn’t find shelter out of the water once he broke surface, he’d die an ice cube. If he stayed, he’d die a fireball.
Good thing SEALs are insulated against cold water.
Max vaulted toward the window, hurtling the computer through the window. The glass shattered as a violent force blasted through the air. It lifted him. Up. . .up. . . Flipped him. Searing pain sliced through his arm. Heat stroked his back and legs. Fire chased him out of the building. Into the night.
Boom!
Another wave slammed into him. Threw him backward. Toward the water.
Something punched his gut. Knocked the breath from his lungs.
Bright white lit the night. Blinded him. Then—almost instantaneously—black. Pure black. And he was falling. . .down. . .down. . .
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
For more information about Ronie Kendig, please access the author’s Web site at the following Internet address: www.roniekendig.com
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683,
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.
My review:
Printed in the United States of America.
Ronie just keeps getting better with each book she writes. I totally loved this series, and was sad to see it end. Other than one sad part in Firethorn, the series could not have ended any better than with this book.
Each book in the series focuses on a different member of the special ops group, Nightshade. I think the series should have gone on with a book about each member. That is for you, Barbour Publishing. :-) Firethorn focuses on Legend, the black dude of the group.
This book has a lot going on in it. This really isn't a spoiler, since it happens at the very beginning, but efforts are made to take out the group. I won't give details - read the book and the whole series. In my humble opinion, this may be the most exciting book of the series. It shows what the guys are really made of, and shows their loyalty to each other, their families, and to their country.
Ronie has done a fantastic job through this fictional series of showing the life of military special ops. Not only did I enjoy this book and the whole series, but it has given me a new appreciation for our military and a little glimpse into that world.
As I stated in my reviews of her other books in The Discarded Heroes Series, men will definitely enjoy and get into these books, but so will women who like a suspenseful read with military action. If I gave stars on my book reviews, this book and the three that precede it, would all get 5 stars out of 5 stars. This is an outstanding series.
Thanks to the author for the review copy.
Read the whole series by Ronie Kendig. And check out her website.
Kathy Herman came out with her first novel, Tested By Fire, in October of 2001. I was working at the local Christian bookstore and it grabbed my attention as I was checking in an order from Multnomah Publishing. I bought it and read it that evening. I loved it. That book was #1 of 5 in The Baxter Series, and each book that followed was better than the previous, or at least it seemed like it to me.
Kathy writes Christian suspense/mystery, and does an excellent job of it. Her books are not gory, and have no cursing or inappropriate content in, which some Christian authors are allowing in such kind of books.
The Baxter Series was followed by a stand alone title, Poor Mrs. Rigsby, and two other series with Multnomah Publishing: The Seaport Suspense Series (a "spin-off" of the Baxter Series" and The Phantom Hollow Series. Kathy then switched to David C. Cook Publishing, a move that had me a bit worried, but my fears were groundless. With David C. Cook, she put out the even better Sophie Trace Series, and the "spin-off" from it that she has written two books in so far, Secrets of Roux River Bayou.
With the kind of writing she has done and is still doing, Kathy has established herself as one of my top favorite authors, and I always look forward to each new book she comes out with.
In addition to being a great writer, she is also a very sweet and gracious lady. She has always been happy to do a giveaway any time I ask her, though I don't bug authors too much. She is also into bird watching and is always posting great pictures on facebook.
More about Kathy:
Suspense novelist Kathy Herman is very much at home in the Christian book industry, having worked five years on staff at the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and eleven years at Better Books Christian Center in Tyler, Texas, as product buyer/manager for the children’s department, and eventually as director of human resources.
She has conducted numerous educational seminars on children’s books at CBA Conventions in the U.S. and Canada, served a preliminary judge for the Gold Medallion Book Awards of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association , and worked as an independent product/marketing consultant to the CBA market.
Since her first novel, Tested by Fire, debuted in 2001 as a CBA national bestseller, she's added eighteen more titles to her credit, including six more bestsellers: All Things Hidden, The Real Enemy, The Last Word, The Right Call, False Pretenses, and Dangerous Mercy.
Kathy's husband Paul is her manager and most ardent supporter, and the former manager of the LifeWay Christian Store in Tyler, Texas. They have three grown children, five almost-perfect grandchildren, a cat named Samantha. They enjoy cruising, deep sea fishing, and birdwatching—sometimes incorporating these hobbies into one big adventure.
If you have never read any of Kathy's books, check her out.
Author website: KathyHerman.com.
One enigmatic smile. Two passionate protectors. And a relentlessly ticking clock.
August 1944. Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country and steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. In fact, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all—the Mona Lisa—as a postwar bargaining chip.
But the woman with the mysterious smile has some very determined protectors. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?
With nonstop action and intrigue, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh Swiss chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.
My review:I thoroughly enjoyed the first book by this writing team, The Swiss Courier, so I was glad to see them team up for a sequel. This book takes up pretty close to where the last one ended. World War II is still going on, but this book takes place in Paris for the most part.
I had a hard time getting into the book at first, but then it picked up and grabbed my interest. I don't remember ever reading or studying much, if any, about France during World War II, so it was interesting to get a different view of World War II through what was going on in France.
This book is historical fiction. Though some of the characters and parts of the story are fictional, the story about the Germans trying to steal the Mona Lisa and other priceless artwork, and the effort to keep the artwork from the Germans, is true. I had never heard about it, but the authors did a great job of writing about it in a historical fiction filled with suspense.
I hope these two authors keep teaming up in the future as they have hit another grand slam with Chasing Mona Lisa.
About the authors:
Tricia Goyer is the coauthor of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas.
Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California.
Chasing Mona Lisa is available from Revell Publishing, an imprint of Baker Book House.
Don is one of the original members of the STATLER BROTHERS, the most award-winning act in the history of country music. He and his brother and two friends began singing in their hometown of Staunton, Virginia when Don was only fourteen years old. Working all over their home and neighboring states as a part time group, they were discovered in 1964 by Johnny Cash and given their first record contract. By the time Don was 20 years old, the STATLERS had their first major, world-wide hit record with FLOWERS ON THE WALL, which started a string of hits that generated a career in the music industry that lasted for four decades. The STATLERS have been recipients of multiple industry awards:
It wasn’t until the STATLER BROTHERS decided to retire from traveling in 2002 that Don pursued his writing career to another level. Having songwriting and scriptwriting under his belt, the next obvious step was to write a book. And that book was the scripture based HEROES AND OUTLAWS OF THE BIBLE published in June of 2002 by New Leaf Press. He has since written two other non-fiction books and in 2008 saw another dream come true for Don when he released his first novel, O LITTLE TOWN. Novel number two came in the form of ONE LANE BRIDGE, and THE MULLIGANS OF MT. JEFFERSON, is a sequel to O LITTLE TOWN.
Don is the father of two sons. Debo and his wife, Julie, and daughters Sela Mae and Adra, live within a stone’s throw. You may have seen Debo’s name on many songs written with Don on albums over the years.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Cal, Harlan, and Buddy grow up together in a small Virginia town in the years before the second World War. United by age, proximity, and temperament, they get into—and out of—all the trouble that boys manage to find. They even earn a nickname from a local restaurateur who gives the boys their first jobs and plenty of friendly advice. “Uncle” Vic calls them the Mulligans, because they always seem to find a way through a thicket of trouble—family problems, girls, college, war—to success. Cal and Harlan and Buddy have been blessed with second chances.
Now it’s 1959, and police lieutenant Buddy receives an early-morning phone call: his friend Harlan, a store owner, has been shot in a break-in. Cal, now a preacher, meets Buddy at the hospital, and together, as professionals and as friends, they begin to unravel what might have happened to Harlan.
I was bored and not ready for bed, so I decided to blog. After trying to decide what to blog about, I decided to blog about my favorite authors. It was going to be one blog post, and then I decided to do a "series" about my favorite authors. I was going to start with Mike Dellosso since I am part of his Darlington Society, an inner circle he picked to help promote his books. Then I remembered I did something like that already. Read that here. So next up is Ronie Kendig.
Ronie Kendig is still fairly new to the Christian fiction market, and is a tremendous author. Her first book, Dead Reckoning, came out in March of 2010. It was a stand alone title full of suspense and intrigue. I loved it.
A few months later, she came out with the first book in her best-selling Discarded Heroes Series, Nightshade. It was followed by Digitalis, Wolfsbane, and the just released Firethorne, the fourth and final book in the series. I have had the privelege of reading and reviewing all of Ronie's books so far. My review of Firethorne will post on January 23. This series is geared more for men in my opinion, yet with romance thrown in, women will enjoy them also. OK, a lot of women would enjoy the series without the romance. :-) This series has a lot of suspense, military and special ops. A really awesome series. And I don't say that lightly.
Next up, a new series, A Breed Apart, a series about military dogs. The first will come out in September of this year. I am not a big dog person, but I look forward to this series.
Coming up in May is a book collaboration that Ronie is involved in along with six other authors, including the already mentioned Mike Dellosso. The book is called 7 Hours. More on that here.
More about Ronie:
An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.
It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990. Married more than twenty years, Ronie and her husband, Brian, homeschool their four children, the first of whom graduated in 2011. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family and their three dogs in Dallas, TX.
Ronie has a deep love and passion for people, especially hurting people, which is why she pursued and obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Liberty University. Ronie is an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has volunteered extensively, serving in a variety of capacities from coordinator of a national contest to appointment assistant at the national annual conference.
Since launching onto the publishing scene in 2010, Ronie and her books have been gained critical acclaim and national attention, including:
■Finalist in Christian Retailing’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards (Nightshade)
Gretchen McCray has recently moved into an apartment with her two children to be closer to her mother, Miriam. She and her children are building a life together in a new community when a mysterious young woman, Melissa Summit, moves into the apartment next to them. She has few possessions, little personality, and keeps to herself.
One day, a local landlord who is looking for Melissa knocks on Gretchen's door for assistance. Melissa's mother has died and in the coming weeks the landlord needs Melissa to empty her mother's apartment. Gretchen reaches out and offers to help, but the apartment is a gut-wrenching shamble of a home.
There is little worth saving except for a few photos and a note that is discovered on the crate beside the bed. It is unfinished but in the two scribbled lines, Melissa discovers she has a brother and a sister that she never knew about. Even more shocking, she begins to uncover family secrets that show her who she really is. Can two very different women embark on a journey that explores a long-buried need for forgiveness, hope, and redemption?
My review:
This book got laid aside and I didn't get the review up before Christmas, as it should have been done.
I enjoyed this read, as I have enjoyed all of Donna Vanliere's Christmas novellas. (Though The Christmas Shoes was as sad as the song!) This book is more of a happy and hopeful book. The part about one of the characters having been basically a "throw away child" is sad, but the rest of the book has that "wonderful things happen at Christmas" feel to it.
With books like these, I find myself wishing the story was longer, for I was sad to come to the end, but had that contented feeling that I had just read a great book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good Christmas story.
About the author:
Donna VanLiere is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author and gifted conference speaker. She has published ten titles including The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing, both of which were adapted into movies (starring Rob Lowe, Kimberly Williams-Perry and Neil Patrick Harris) and garnered big ratings for CBS television. LifetimeTelevision adapted The Christmas Hope (starring Madeline Stowe) and premiered it December 2009 to stellar ratings as well. Donna's non-seasonal novel, The Angels of Morgan Hill, has captured the same warmth as her Christmas books and continues to please loyal and new fans alike.
Donna is the recipient of a Retailer's Choice Award for Fiction, a Dove Award, a Silver Angel Award, an Audie Award for best inspirational fiction, a nominee for a Gold Medallion Book of the Year and was recently inducted into the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges Hall of Excellence joining such luminaries as Coretta Scott King, Hugh Downs, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Senator John Glenn. Donna is an in-demand conference speaker having appeared at countless women's and family events, including select Women of Faith and Extraordinary Women conferences.
Donna lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, Troy, and their children, Grace, Kate and David.
During January, you can get Deadly Disclosures for $.99 in e-book form:
Meet Dinah Harris, the sarcastic and brilliant heroine of the Dinah Harris mystery trilogy, for only .99 cents this month!
From January 15th - 31st, you can get your copy of Deadly Disclosures at a promotional rate of .99 cents! This includes digital copies available for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. To get your copy at this special price visit any of these fine retailers: Amazon (Kindle) Barnes & Noble (Nook) http://www.apple.com/ipad/built-in-apps/ibooks.html iBookstore (iPad) Answers in Genesis Bookstore (any of the above!)
Remember, this promotion will last January 15-31 only, so make sure to act fast!"
A mismatched team of seven hit the road in an Econoline church van on a mission to find a new pastor. They don't agree on much other than the stops at Hardee's for coffee and a biscuit. But they stick to the call, trying to slip undetected into worship services across the Southeast—all in hopes of stealing a preacher for their congregation.
Each member is wrestling to balance their own busy life and personal struggles. And they're trying to keep their issues to themselves. Forced to spend countless hours together, these very different personalities from different generations begin to bond. And their lives are profoundly changed as they love and support each other through the difficulties in each of their lives.
My review:
Take seven people with different personalities, put them in a van to travel in search of a new pastor, and you have the makings of some funny stuff, or a disaster.
The book has a lot of humor in it. To me, the idea of a search committee is foreign to me. A handful (sometimes I think it boils down to one guy, the church boss) of people decide who the church will call, and members vote on him, so I was interested and entertained by how the search committee works. It actually sounds kind of fun.
Each individual on the committee has problems and struggles they are dealing with. None of them are perfect. One struggles with lust. Another loses a spouse. As they travel from church to church, they learn more about each other and how to be there for others.
If there is a lesson to be learned from this book, I would say there are two actually. First off, none of us are perfect, but God loves us anyway and keeps working on us. Secondly, sometimes what we are looking for is right in front of us, and we don't need to go looking elsewhere. I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it.
About the author:
Tim Owens has a doctorate in environmental engineering and is the co-owner of an environmental engineering firm. He also holds three patents, is a Scoutmaster, and participated in disaster relief in Honduras and Mozambique as a water systems engineer. He currently resides in Summerville, South Carolina, with his wife and four children.
Anesia Naltsiine has made mistakes that have cost her-and her 13-year old daughter, Zoya-dearly. But no more. She will prove her worth as a mother and as a breeder of champion sprint racing dogs. Her kennel is so successful that buyers come from all over the world. So why does she still feel so worthless?
Zoya misses the dad she never knew. All she wants is to follow in his footsteps as a champion sprint dog racer. But when she witnesses a murder in their town of North Pole, Alaska, she finds herself thrown into dangers and emotions she can’t begin to understand.
Enter Sean Connelly, a new employee at the kennel with demons of his own. When he discovers macrochips bearing military secrets implanted in the Naltsiine's dogs, a puzzle tracing back to the murder unfolds. Then strange "accidents" start happening; clearly someone wants Zoya silenced. Anesia tells her daughter it's not safe to race, but Zoya, angry with the world- and God-takes off across dangerous Alaskan terrain alone. Anesia and Sean must race against time to save the girl-and themselves.
My review:
I extremely enjoyed the debut novel by this mother-daughter writing duo, No Safe Haven. To be honest, I doubted the sequel could compare, but I was wrong. This book was awesome. There is plenty of suspense, which I love, some romance - which is ok as long as there is suspense, and the book had a great message. One of the characters in the book struggles with doubts of God, of Him deserting her, failing her, not caring about her. That is something I struggle with, so I appreciated the authors dealing with that issue in a novel.
These ladies have hit it out of the ballpark with this book. It was a great read, and I could not put it down. I am looking forward to reading more from this great writing duo.
About the authors:
Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, writer, and musician approaching life with a positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. Her previous book, Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, chronicles her daughter’s extremely rare health issues and how the Woodhouses received an amazing gift through the ABC television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Kim and her husband have two children and live in Colorado.
Kayla Woodhouse is a teenage author whose life-altering medical condition (a nerve disorder that prevents the body from regulating its temperature or sensing pain) has not stopped her love for swimming. She is home schooled and has an adventure blog called Dragon Claws, Dog Paws, Swimming Laws.
Race Against Time is available from Broadman & Holman Publishing.
Note to authors: I do review for some publishers, but if you are interested in getting a book reviewed, doing a email review, or even a guest blog, contact me. I am primarily interested in Christian fiction. I do prefer physical copies over e-books.
Email: marcus802001(at)yahoo(dot)com
I live in East Palestine, Ohio. I am single, and am uncle to the six greatest kids in the world. I enjoy blogging about Christian fiction, my family, Christianity, and the events of my life
If you are an author, particularly Christian fiction, and need someone to review your book, give me a holler.
