Put Your Faith Into Action
Do you ever feel like something in your faith is missing, that going to church, studying the Bible, and tithing just aren't enough? There has to be more, right? What would it look like to truly follow Christ and not just believe in him?

David Nowell asked the very same questions, and was led to minister to the "least of these," whom God loves deeply. In Dirty Faith, Nowell shares powerful stories of faith in action, and encourages us to move with him from the sidelines to the front line, to get our hands dirty helping the hopeless, the disenfranchised, and the poor. 

Loving as God loves is central to the gospel, whether that means taking in foster children, ministering to inmates at the local jail, or something else God has in mind just for you. Let this inspiring book help you find what's been missing in your faith.

My review:
  Too many Christians, myself included, just go to church and sit in a pew, then go about our lives. We don't evangelize, we don't go out of our way to help people, we never do anything to get our hands dirty. And yet, Jesus commanded us to visit people in prison, to go out and preach the Gospel to all parts of the earth. 

  The author of this book isn't your average Christian. As the title suggests, he gets his hands dirty. The book is subtitled "bringing the love of Christ to the least of these." He has been in the prisons, he has been to countries where children are discarded and killed without a thought. The book is filled with stories of kids caught up in trafficking and worse, and his and others' efforts to free them and bring Jesus to them and those in prison.

  Books like these aren't light and easy reading. They stir up something in us that we would rather not think about. But we should. It is easy to read a book like this and realize how big the problem is and not do anything, but we all need to do more, do something. Hopefully this book will move all who read it to do more to reach others, even if it is people in our own towns and neighborhoods.


About the author:

David Z. Nowell is an author, speaker, and President of Hope Unlimited for Children, a Christian nonprofit that ministers to sex-trafficked children, street orphans, and child prisoners.  Prior to joining Hope in 2007, he spent most of his career as a senior administrator at several Christian colleges. He is a graduate of Baylor University with a Ph.D. in historical theology. Nowell's blog, Pursuing Dirty Faith surrounds topics of faith, orphan care, and lifestyle stewardship. He and his wife, Susan, make their home in Jefferson City, TN.  Learn more at www.davidznowell.com.

Dirty Faith is available from Bethany House Publishers, a division of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Bethany House for the review copy.

Real Win by Colt McCoy and Matt Carter

Every man wants to succeed. But for so many, life seems to get in the way. We all have friends—good men, followers of Christ even—who start out well but before long, they’re failing at relationships, bending ethical standards, or driving themselves so hard at work they’re losing the hearts of their wife and kids.
 
In The Real Win, Colt McCoy and Matt Carter wrestle deeply and personally with this challenge, then deliver down-to-earth, biblical answers. Based on their personal experiences and a close study of Scripture, McCoy and Carter show men:
 
• Why so much depends on who you trust and who you serve
• Why every man is called to lead and why every man can
• How to man up to temptation—and conquer it
• How to find the “win” even in your biggest failure
 
“The real win means trusting the Lord and walking with Jesus no matter what,” write Matt and Colt. “That kind of faithfulness is possible for any man who follows God with all his heart. No matter what circumstances threaten him, a faithful man is the most truly confident man in the room.”

My review:
  I don't like football, so I don't normally read books by football players, or books that are co-authored by a football player, but this sounded like a book worth reading, and it was.

  As with most books for men, there is a lot of content geared for married men, which I am not. But there is also a lot of good advice for all men, married or single.

  Matt Carter, a pastor, talks about things from his viewpoint. Everything from a cancer scare to starting and pastoring a large church. Colt, a football player, of course talks a lot about his wins and losses in his football career. But both men discuss what true manhood is according to the Bible, and what it really means to win as a Christian man.

  One of the lines from the book that has really stuck with me was when Matt was talking about Jesus being on the cross, seemingly forsaken by God. He made the statement "sometimes trusting God means you stay on the cross and don't get off of it." Powerful words.

  The authors cover topics such as temptation, being the spiritual leader in your home, trust, loving your wife, and other issues important to men. The book is well written, interesting, and very relevant. I found it encouraging and helpful, and all men should read it. The world has it so wrong on what true manhood is, and what winning is all about. It is refreshing to read a book that shows what it is all about.

About the authors:

Colt McCoy is the winningest quarterback in college history, winning 45 of his 53 starts during a storied four-year career at the University of Texas, from 2006 to 2009. He set numerous school records as well as the NCAA record for highest single-season completion percentage of 76.7 percent. He is the only quarterback in college football history to win at least ten games for four seasons.

Born September 5, 1986,Colt is the oldest son of Brad and Debra McCoy. He grew up in several small towns in Texas and atteded Jim Ned High School in Tuscola, Texas, where his father was the head football coach. Colt threw for nearly nine miles of passing yards and averaged more than three touchdown passes per game during a three-year high school varsity football career. Despite playing for a small Texas high school with an enrollment of 325 students, Colt was recruited by dozens of colleges around the country. He fulfilled a childhood dream of accepting a scholarship offer from the University of Texas.

Colt won the starting quarterback position at UT at the start of his redshirt freshman year in 2006 and never looked back. He won numerous awards and MVP trophies in bowl games during his four years of signal-calling at Texas; some of the biggest awards were the Walter Camp Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and the Maxwell Award.

Following his college career at Texas, Colt was drafted in the third round of the 2010 National Football League draft by the Cleveland Browns and played in eight games during his rookie season.

MATT CARTER is founding pastor of the seven-thousand-member Austin Stone Community Church. He is a co-leader of the For the City network, which helps churches partner with social service agencies to meet local needs. Matt is the author of several books and is a sought-after national speaker. He holds a master’s of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children: John Daniel, Annie, and Samuel. 

The Real Win is available from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing.

Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for the review copy.

Before Amen by Max Lucado

We all pray . . . some. 

We pray to stay sober, centered, or solvent. When the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. When the marriage is falling apart. We pray. 

But wouldn't we like to pray . . . 

More? 

Better? 

Stronger? 

With more fire, faith, and fervency? 

Yet we have kids to feed, bills to pay, deadlines to meet. The calendar pounces on our good intentions like a tiger on a rabbit. And what about our checkered history with prayer? Uncertain words. Unmet expectations. Unanswered requests. 

We aren't the first to struggle with prayer. The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance too. In fact, prayer is the only tutorial they ever requested. 

Jesus gave them a prayer. Not a lecture on prayer. Not the doctrine of prayer. He gave them a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer. Couldn't we use the same? 

Join Max Lucado on a journey to the very heart of biblical prayer and the power unleashed with six simple lines: 

Father, 

you are good. 

I need help. 

They need help. 

Thank you. 

In Jesus' name, amen. 

My review:
   I've never been a fan of books that tell you how to pray, yet I admit it is an area that I need help in, so I decided to review this book. Max Lucado has a way with words, so I figured he might have something helpful to say, and he did.

  Lucado has basically taken the Lord's Prayer and broke it down into simpler terms he calls "the pocket prayer". He takes each part of it and shows how it applies to different areas of life and different circumstances.

  I found the book encouraging and helpful. Lucado shows that prayer doesn't have to be difficult with a lot of thought and effort put into it, but it is easy, just conversation with God, based on how Jesus told us to pray.

 It isn't a long book, but it is still worth reading, especially for anyone who feels like their prayer life needs help. It is a quick and easy read, yet helpful and insightful. I recommend it.

About the author:

More than 120 million readers have found inspiration and encouragement in the writings of Max Lucado. He serves the people of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and a sweet but misbehaving mutt, Andy.  

Learn more about Max at: website,Facebook, Twitter

Before Amen is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.

Hidden In The Stars by Robin Caroll

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hidden in the Stars Abingdon Press (September 16, 2014) by Robin Caroll

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage—two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books.

When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty-plus years, her 3 beautiful daughters, 2 precious grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else?

ABOUT THE BOOK

Following an attack that killed her mother and stole her ability to speak, 21-year-old Sophia Montgomery has no choice but to accept her estranged grandmother’s offer to return to their family home. Although detective Julian Frazier is working hard on the case, Sophia unknowingly frustrates him because her inability to speak thwarts her eyewitness evidence. The fact that Julian is undeniably attracted to Sophia doesn’t help either, so Julian hides his feelings as concern for a trauma victim and focuses instead on finding the killer.

Little do they know, the clues to solving the case may be right in front of them, displayed in Sophia’s mother’s “special” quilt design. Who will realize the secret Sophia’s unwittingly been hiding in plain sight? When the truth comes to light, will Sophia find her voice again? Or will the murderer—still at large—silence her forever?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hidden in the Stars, go HERE.

My review:
  I was thinking a while back that it was about time for Robin Caroll to come out with a new book. It had been too long since her last, and then this book showed up as a review opportunity. This is a series of sorts with multiple authors and no story connecting with another, just each centering in some way around a quilt. And they are all romance stories. But this one was by a favorite author of mine, and it sounded like suspense, so I requested it. And was not disappointed.

  My one complaint about the book is that it is too short, coming in at only 218 pages, but that is the average page length for these books. A good suspense novel typically needs to be longer, but Robin did an excellent job of spinning a great tale of suspense with that limited amount of pages. It didn't seem rushed, as some shorter books do.

  I liked  the characters, the plot, the suspense, and everything about the book. The quilt did indeed play a big part in the story, and I thought it was worked into the plot in a very cool way, and one I didn't figure out.

 And then there was the romance. I don't mind romance as long as someone is trying to kill someone. OK, that sounds macabre, but I am not one to read a romance book, so I do like suspense and mystery playing a bigger part than romance in a book, and although romance played a big part in this one, it wasn't sappy or overdone and this single guy actually enjoyed those part of the book.

  I completely enjoyed the book, and would definitely recommend it. It does have a lot of suspense and mystery in it, so it isn't the typical Quilts of Love book, but don't let that scare you away. It is worth your time reading it.

The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead David C. Cook (September 1, 2014) by Diane Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning novelist Diane Noble writes stories that tap into the secrets of the heart.

With more than a quarter million books in print, Diane feels incredibly blessed to be doing what she loves best—writing the stories of her heart.

For the last three years Diane has been honored to be lead author for the popular Guideposts series, Mystery and the Minister’s Wife (Through the Fire, Angels Undercover), and has recently returned to writing historical fiction. She recently finished writing book two of her new historical series, The Brides of Gabriel. Book one, The Sister Wife, and book 2, The Betrayal, which are published by Harper Collins/Avon Inspire, are now in bookstores.

Now empty nesters, Diane and her husband live in the Southern California low desert, near a place known for the lush and beautiful gated communities of the rich and famous.

ABOUT THE BOOK

She’s Passionate about Solving the Case ... with the Town’s Life-Long Bachelor

El Littllefield runs The Butler Did It catering. It’s the perfect cover for her to solve “who-done-its” (nothing too dangerous, please!) in this small university town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. While catering her most important event yet—a fancy retirement dinner for Dr. Max Haverhill, life-long bachelor and history dean—countless guests fall ill, a 200 year-old relic is stolen, and her best friend vanishes. All in the first hour.

As El and Max race to solve the mystery, they discover there’s more to their relationship than simply solving the case. Welcome to Eden’s Bridge—the perfect small town setting for big intrigue, romance, and humor.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Curious Case of the Missing Figurehead, go HERE

My review:
  I have not read a book by Diane Noble in years, and remembered her as being a good author, so I requested this book. It did not disappoint. This is a fun and humorous type of mystery. The main characters are older than in most mystery books - 60-ish, and although there was a lot of danger and suspense, it wasn't what I would call close to scary. I couldn't put it down once I got pulled into it and enjoyed every page of it.

 Books intrigue me that have a historical slant in it, and this one did. As far as I know, the figurehead in the story was totally fictional, but what it was connected with was not, so that made for an interesting angle.

 I've never been a fan of first person style of writing, but this book went back and forth between first and third person in a way that made the book more enjoyable to read than if it had just been first person the whole way through.

 I'd definitely recommend this book, even to those who don't normally read mystery and suspense. It is a truly fun read.

The Jesus Code by O.S. Hawkins

Jesus gets attention not with exclamation marks, but with question marks.

Jesus was always asking questions. Whether with a small group or large crowd, Jesus opened hearts and minds by asking questions that grasped attention and made one think. In The Jesus Code, author O. S. Hawkins poses fifty-two thought-provoking questions found throughout the Bible that believers should be able to answer as they grow in their faith and share their faith with others. Each question features a devotional thought to help readers find answers and promote further reflection.

Sample questions include:

• What does the Lord require of you?
• Where can I go from Your Spirit?
• Who is my neighbor?
• What is your life? A vapor that appears and vanishes away?
• Why do you seek the living among the dead?
• Will a man rob God?

As with The Joshua Code, all royalties will go to Mission:Dignity, whose mission supports retired pastors and their wives (or widows) living near poverty level.

Features & Benefits:

• Includes 52 thought-provoking questions and answers
• Handsome burnished leathersoft binding for a rich, classic look
• This release follows peak of O.S. Hawkins’ book, The Joshua Code with sales of more than 150,000 units
• All royalties go toward Mission:Dignity, an organization that supports retired pastors and their spouses living near the poverty level

My review:

  Admittedly, this is not a book I would most likely purchase, but I was looking for books to review and it looked interesting, so I requested it.

  Any book that makes you think, especially about things of God and the Bible, is worth checking out, and this one does just that. The book takes several questions from Scripture and looks at them a little more closely. The book is easy to read, is interesting, and although it isn't a devotional, could be used as a 52-day devotional.

 And although it doesn't go anywhere in the book's content, the book has a very attractive cover that beckons you to pick it up and check it out.

 This isn't what I would call a necessary book, but for someone who is looking for something new to read, this would be a great book to check out.

About the author:

For more than 20 years, O. S. Hawkins served pastorates at the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and in Dallas, Texas. He is president of GuideStone Financial Resources, which serves 200,000 pastors, church staff, missionaries, doctors, and other workers of various Christian organizations with their retirement needs. He is the author of more than 25 books and preaches regularly at Bible conferences, evangelism conferences, and churches across the nation.

The Jesus Code is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.

The Desire by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

Can faith build a bridge between their dreams?
For two years, Allan and Michele have been trying to have a baby. The emotional ride has been taking a toll on their hearts--and their relationship. Michele is obsessed with researching fertility treatments while Allan seems content to spend his time--and their money--on supporting displaced children in Africa. Something's got to give. But they both hope it's not their marriage.

Still, God has a plan for Allan and Michele that they could never have imagined. And all it takes to set it in motion is a change of heart . . .

My review:
  My favorite genre' is Christian suspense, which Dan Walsh does not write, but he is still one of my very favorite authors. When I heard he was writing a series - his first series - I couldn't wait to read it, and each book has been worth the wait.

  This is the third in a series of four books, all revolving around one family, each book focusing on one or two members of the family. The first book centered on the parents, the second on the oldest son, and this one on the only daughter and her husband. The topics are infertility, missions, and adoption.

  With Gary Smalley as a co-author, these are more than fiction books, as they cover relationship issues and other issues. I can't relate to infertility issues in a marriage, but I thought the authors did a great job of portraying the anguish and the feelings that can arise when one spouse doesn't seem as concerned as the other. Since this focused on Michelle and Allan, I got to know those two characters more, and as with all of the characters in the book, they are very likable and real.

  There are some descriptive scenes in the book of how people and kids live in some parts of Africa, which are based on fact, and made me feel thankful for what we have here in America.

 The book was an excellent read. I was happy to step into the fictional lives of the Anderson family again and see how the rest of the family are getting along since the other books. And these books should be read in order.

  I would recommend this whole series for married couples just starting out, or couples who might be experiencing some relationship issues. I have always felt Christian fiction was a great medium to not just entertain, but deal with all sorts of issues, and Dan and Gary are doing a great job of that with these books. 

  My only complaint: it is so far away until the fourth and final book in the series.

About the authors:

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Dance and The Promisewith Gary Smalley, as well as The Unfinished Gift, The Discovery, and The Reunion. He has won three Carol Awards, and two of his novels were finalists for RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year for 2011 and 2012. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel. Visit www.danwalshbooks.com for more.

Gary Smalley is one of the country's best known authors and speakers on family relationships. He is the bestselling and award-winning author or coauthor of 16 books, along with several popular films and videos. He has spent over 30 years learning, teaching, and counseling, speaking to over 2 million people in live conferences. Smalley has appeared on national television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Extra, The Today Show, and The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, as well as numerous national radio programs. Gary and his wife, Norma, have been married for 50 years and live in Branson, Missouri. They have three children and six grandchildren.

The Desire, book four in The Restoration Series, is available from Revell publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Streams In The Desert Bible

Are you in a desert experience? Let your thirsty soul be restored and refreshed through the daily devotions in the NIV Streams in the Desert Bible. At some point in our lives, we encounter the trials and deep mysteries of the Christian faith. And when we do become like a thirsty traveler, what we most desire is for hope, comfort, and encouragement to burst forth like a sparkling, clear river. The hopeful daily readings in this Bible promise to revive and refresh you---one of today’s generation of faithful sojourners---by providing daily devotions in modern, easy-to-understand language that beautifully captures the timeless essence of the original. These devotionals are presented alongside Scripture using the popular New International Version of the Bible. While the devotions in this Bible were originally written by L. B. Cowman---a pioneer missionary in Japan and China from 1901 to 1917---this devotional Bible has been edited by James Reimann. It maintains the beauty of the original Cowman writings while making the devotionals more accessible for the readers of today.Features:* Complete text of the clear, accessible NIV Bible * 365 daily readings of strength and encouragement from L. B. Cowman* Foreword by Jim Reimann

My review:
  I am very familiar with the Streams In The Desert Devotional, but I have never read it. I was looking for a new book to review from Thomas Nelson/Zondervan, and decided it was time to read the devotional, and get it in Bible form.

  The Bible does contain the whole Streams in the Desert Devotional, spread out throughout the Bible. Each devotional has a few verses of the Bible to read with it, always close to where the devotional appears in the  Bible.

 I am not a big fan of the NIV Bible, but this being from Zondervan, that is the only version they used. But I still like the Bible. It does contain the updated version of the devotional, which I am guessing is easier to read than the original, and I like how they found verses to incorporate into the devotional.

  If you already have the devotional, this Bible may not be for you, as it doesn't contain any extras other than the devotional, but if you don't have the devotional, it would be a good thing to buy, as you could carry your Bible and devotional with you in one book.


The Streams in the Desert Bible is available from Thomas Nelson/Zondervan.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.

Nowhere to Turn by Lynette Eason

She thought her days of hiding were over . . . but the danger has just begun
The day Danielle Harding takes her eleven-year-old son and flees from her abusive husband is the same day Kurt Harding dies. A relieved Dani believes she and her son are finally safe--but in reality, things are just heating up. When Kurt was alive, he took something important from a mysterious individual--who wants the item back and believes Dani now has it. As she and her son run for their lives, they have nowhere to turn, until she hires Adam Buchanan of Operation Refuge and goes into hiding. Unfortunately, she won't be able to hide for long . . . 

From the first breathless scene, this tension-laced story will hold you in its iron grip as bestselling author Lynette Eason propels you along in a race to discover the truth.

My review:
  Lynette Eason has become one of my top favorite Christian suspense authors, and I thought she out-did herself in the first book in this series, No One to Trust, but this one may even be better than that book. It had me hooked from page one, and I was glad I was reading it when I didn't have to put it down, because I didn't want to put it down.

  It added an extra element of suspense to have a mother on the run with her deaf son, who she was determined to protect at any cost. I was also glad to see the return on Adam, the former marshal who had messed up in the last book. There were also a few surprises along the way with who some of the bad guys were. 

  Lynette has quickly become one of the best suspense authors on the Christian market. With each book, it does seem like she gets better, and this, her third series, is definitely her best series yet. And as with all of her books, there is also the romance element. It was tastefully done, and in a believable manner. Too many romance books, or books that have romance, are not written in a believable manner. Nor did it make me want to gag, which is a good measure of romance in a book. :)

  I would recommend this book to readers of suspense. It is best to read the first book in The Hidden Identity Series first, as some of the characters are carries over into this book. Lynette can proudly chalk up another successful novel that will leave her readers satisfied, yet wanting more in this series.

About the author:

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series and the Deadly Reunions series. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She has a master's degree in education from Converse College and she lives in South Carolina. Find out more at www.lynetteeason.com.


Nowhere to Turn is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Group. 

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Thief of Glory WaterBrook Press (August 19, 2014) by Sigmund Brouwer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of nearly thirty novels, with close to 4 million books in print. Based on his inspiration for Thief of Glory, which Sigmund wrote as a way to learn and honor the his parent’s stories, especially of his father’s boyhood in a Japanese concentration camp, Sigmund leads The Chapters of Our Lives memoir seminars across the United States and Canada. Sigmund is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and has two daughters.



ABOUT THE BOOK

A boy coming of age in a time of war…
the love that inspires him to survive.

For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother.

Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength.

When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Thief of Glory, go HERE.

My review:
I was looking forward to reading and reviewing this one, but my copy of the book never came.

Feast for Thieves by Marcus Brotherton, and a giveaway

Sergeant Rowdy Slater is the most skilled-and most incorrigible-soldier in Dog Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne, an elite group of paratroopers fighting for the world's freedom in World War II.

Through a bizarre set of circumstances, Rowdy returns to the States after the war, turns his life around, and falls into the only job he can find-preacher at the sparsely populated community church in Cut Eye, Texas, a dusty highway town situated at the midpoint of nowhere and emptiness.

The town's lawman, suspicious that Rowdy has changed his ways only as a cover up, gives an ultimatum: Rowdy must survive one complete year as Cut Eye's new minister or end up in jail.

At first Rowdy thinks the job will be easy, particularly because he's taking over for a young female missionary who's held the church together while the men were at war. But when a dark-hearted acquaintance from Rowdy's past shows up with a plan to make some quick cash, Rowdy becomes ensnared due to an irrevocable favor, and life turns decidedly difficult.

Rowdy's a man used to solving problems one of two ways: with his rifle or with his fists. Will he be able to thwart his old friend's evil schemes while remaining true to his new higher calling?

This is a wild ride of a book bursting with a bank robbery, kidnapping, desperate prayers, and barroom brawls. Before the smoke clears, all sides just might end up getting exactly what they want.

My review:
   This was one of those books that sounded good, but after I got it, I wasn't so sure. I let it sit on my shelf until the dates it needed reviewed by got a little closer, and then I started reading it. I wasn't very far into the book before I realized that this was going to be an entertaining read, and it was.

  The main character is Rowdy Slater, a man very much down on his luck. He becomes a bank robber to get himself out of bad trouble, but develops a conscience, which gets him a job he didn't want: pastoring a church. The idea of a former bank robber suddenly becoming the pastor of a church is amusing, and the author does a great job of making it even funnier.

  Rowdy becomes pastor without having a conversion, and unless I missed it, never had a conversion in the book, though it is obvious by the end of the book that he has some kind of relationship with God. I wish that had been made plainer, but other than that, I loved the book. It is highly entertaining and amusing, and paints a picture of a man who is determined to do right, even though his past keeps catching up with him. This book leans more towards being men's fiction, but women will enjoy it too.

 The book is subtitled "A Rowdy Slater Novel", so I assume this is the first in a series, and I hope so. Marcus Brotherton's first forage into Christian fiction is a very good start. Great debut novel.

About the author:

Marcus Brotherton is a journalist and professional writer known internationally for his books and literary collaborations with high-profile public figures, humanitarians, inspirational leaders, and military personnel. He has authored or coauthored more than 25 books. Notable works include We Who Are Alive and Remain, a New York Times bestseller, A Company of Heroes, which ranked No. 1 in the country among World War II/Western Front books, and the widely-acclaimed Shifty’s War. Marcus’ books have been praised by theWall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, Booklist, Publishers Weeklyand more. Critics have called Marcus’s books “…fascinating…” “…brilliantly arranged…” “…magical…” and “…refreshingly frank…”

Collaborative works include projects with Lt. Buck Compton (one of the original Band of Brothers), apologist Dr. Ravi Zacharias, NFL quarterback Colt McCoy, psychologist Dr. Nancy Heche, fashion journalist Lauren Scruggs, Austin Stone pastor Matt Carter, Bronze Star winner Colonel Susan Luz, Alabama restaurateur Martha Hawkins, humanitarian Susan Scott Krabacher, speaker Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, youth ministry expert Doug Fields, radio show host Steven Arterburn, First Place weight loss program CEO Carole Lewis, musician Tommy Walker, youth speaker Ryan Dobson, university chancellor Rev. Wayne Cordeiro, and more.

Feast for Thieves is available from River North, an imprint of Moody Publishing.

Thanks to Side Door Communications for the review and giveaway copies.

Giveaway:

Courtesy of Side Door Communications, I have one copy of Feast of Thieves to give away.

To enter, simply comment on this book review/blog post.

Two weeks from today, on September 22, I will pick a winner using Random.org