The Devil Walks In Mattingly by Billy Coffey, and a giveaway

For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive.

It has been twenty years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since---Philip didn't kill himself that day. He was murdered.

Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly's sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for the poor will someday wash the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion and fear, fueled by madness and hatred.

Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. Philip McBride has haunted Jake's dreams for weeks, warning that he is coming back for them all. When Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . Between truth and lies.

My review:

  I have never read any of Billy Coffey's books, but I have read his blog and liked his writing. I had wanted to read one of his books for a while, but had never got around to it until this one was offered for review, so I of course requested it.

  It took me a while to decide if I liked the book. It is weird, but a good weird. I would read it, then put it down and wonder if it was worth finishing. Then I hit a point in the book I found myself wondering what was going to happen next, and found it harder to put the book down. Eventually, I hit a point that I was so into the story, I determined to finish it that day, and I did.

 Coffey has a very unique writing style, and that is what took me a while to get into the book. The book is not boring. It is just different. After I finished the book, I decided I did indeed like the book, the characters, plot, and setting.

  The book deals with guilty consciences, and how three different people deal with something they were all a part of several years earlier. In the end, the truth is revealed that it is better to just face up to something when it happens, instead of trying to cover it up and ignore it.

  There are  couple of unexplained things in the book that are supernatural, and it did leave me wondering about them, but not so much that I felt like it ended badly. 

  I would recommend this book, and I liked it well enough that I would be interested in reading more from this author.

About the author:

Billy Coffey's critically-acclaimed books combine rural Southern charm with a vision far beyond the ordinary. He is a regular contributor to several publications, where he writes about faith and life. Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Learn more about Billy at: http://billycoffey.com

 

Billy Coffey is celebrating his new book, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway.

 
  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 5th. Winner will be announced April  7th on Billy's blog. Watch Billy give the backstory of the book here.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Billy's blog on April 7th to see if you won.

Eyes On Target by Scott McEwen and Richard Minter

Told through the eyes of current and former Navy SEALs, EYES ON TARGET is an inside account of some of the most harrowing missions in American history-including the mission to kill Osama bin Laden and the mission that wasn't, the deadly attack on the US diplomatic outpost in Benghazi where a retired SEAL sniper with a small team held off one hundred terrorists while his repeated radio calls for help went unheeded.
The book contains incredible accounts of major SEAL operations-from the violent birth of SEAL Team Six and the aborted Operation Eagle Claw meant to save the hostages in Iran, to key missions in Iraq and Afganistan where the SEALs suffered their worst losses in their fifty year history-and every chapter illustrates why this elite military special operations unit remains the most feared anti-terrorist force in the world.
We hear reports on the record from retired SEAL officers including Lt. Cmdr. Richard Marcinko, the founder of SEAL Team Six, and a former Commander at SEAL team Six, Ryan Zinke, and we come away understanding the deep commitment of these military men who put themselves in danger to protect our country and save American lives. In the face of insurmountable odds and the imminent threat of death, they give all to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

No matter the situation, on duty or at ease, SEALs never, ever give up. One powerful chapter in the book tells the story of how one Medal of Honor winner saved another, the only time this has been done in US military history.
EYES ON TARGET includes these special features:

• A detailed timeline of events during the Benghazi attack
• Sample rescue scenarios from a military expert who believes that help could have reached the Benghazi compound in time
• The US House Republican Conference Interim Progress Report on the events surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi

Through their many interviews and unique access, Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter pull back the veil that has so often concealed the heroism of these patriots. They live by a stringent and demanding code of their own creation, keeping them ready to ignore politics, bureaucracy and-if necessary-direct orders. They share a unique combination of character, intelligence, courage, love of country and what can only be called true grit.

They are the Navy SEALs, and they keep their Eyes on Target. 

My review:
  I have read two books about Seals, one a biography and the other, an autobiography. I found both very interesting as they talked a lot about what they have to go through to be a Seal.

  This book covered that a little, but it had a lot of history of how the Seals got started, information about some of their missions and some of the early Seals who were awarded medals for their brave acts.

  The book is a fascinating read, and not in the least bit boring. The Navy Seals are like a whole different breed of soldier, and this book gives an inside look at what they are all about, how they work, and as I mentioned - how they got started.

  The chapters about the Benghazi attack are of special interest and confirms what conservatives have known all along: that there was time for a rescue, but for reasons our government won't tell us, the Seals were not allowed to launch that rescue. It is obvious the authors did a lot of research for the whole book, and on those chapters, for it comes through that they know what they are talking about.

 I highly recommend this book. Even if you are not that interested in the Seals, it is a book worth reading.

About the authors:

Scott McEwen is co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper, about a U.S. Navy SEAL with the greatest number of recorded kills. His book will be a major motion picture in 2013. Scott lives in San Diego, California.

Richard Miniter is the author of three New York Times best sellers: Losing Bin Laden, Shadow War and, in 2012, Leading From Behind. He writes the National Security column for Forbes.com, and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, Readers Digest, The Atlantic Monthly, National Review, and The New Republic. Richard lives in Washington D.C.


Eyes On Target is available from Center Street Publishing, part of Hachette Book Group.

Thanks to Hachette for the review copy.

The Road We Must Travel by various authors

A Personal Guide for Your Journey

Highly respected, best-selling spiritual mentors, including Francis Chan, Eugene Peterson (The Message), Bill Hybels, and others, provide guidance as you navigate uncharted roads ahead.
There is a road everyone must travel. Who among us doesn't need a mentor and guide to help us along the way? The Bible provides guidelines for navigating the roadblocks, detours, and potholes that keep us from reaching our desired destination. The authors deliver insights that assure spiritual health and well-being, despite the obstacles we face on our journey.
My review:
  I'll admit this book caught my attention primarily because Francis Chan was a contributing author, but then the idea of the book also sounded good, so I requested it.

 The authors did not collaborate and write the book together. Each chapter is by a different author and on a different subject. I found the book ideal for reading over a longer period of time, instead of over a day or two because of that.

  The book is not just interesting, but has some valuable lessons and advice. I found myself encouraged and helped by what I read. Some of these authors have gotten a lot of experience over their years as pastors and authors, and have a lot of good things to pass on. And although this isn't marketed as a devotional, it could almost be used as one.

 On this journey of life, we can all use some extra help, and this book is one that can do that.


The Road We Must Travel is available from Worthy Publishing.

Thanks to Worthy for the review copy.

Maybelle In Stitches by Joyce Magnin

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Maybelle In Stitches Abingdon Press (March 18, 2014) by Joyce Magnin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the Author:

I am the author of seven novels. Five adult novels and two middle grade readers. I never wanted to do anything else but write and every day I wake up astonished that I get to do what I always dreamed about. My days are filled with words and images along with the usual family stuff. I have three children, Rebekah who is married to Joshua. They have three of the most adorable boys on the planet, Lemuel, Cedar and Soren. My daughter Emily Kate is a lovely young woman anthropologist and my son Adam is fourteen and a student--he's a genius who loves frogs and lizards and fish and plants. He amazes me.

I have never eaten a scallop. I love cream soda. Drink way too much coffee. I do not like elevators but I do enjoy needle arts and of course books. I prefer jazz over country (no offense), milk chocolate over dark, but not roller coasters although my life has often resembled a roller coaster ride.

One of my life's desires is to meet Amy Grant so I can tell her she saved my life.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it. At first, it’s just a way to fill the lonely nights while her husband, staff sergeant Holden Kanzinzki, is away fighting in World War II.

Yet when Maybelle discovers that the quilt is made from scraps of material that can be traced back through her family heritage, the project is suddenly much more important. Then word comes that Holden is missing in action, and with little else to do, Maybelle clings to the quilt as much as to the hope that her husband is still alive. As neighborhood friends gather around Maybelle to help her through the unknown days and nights ahead, it is the quilt that becomes a symbol of her unflagging belief that Holden will return—to her, to their home, and to their quilt-covered bed.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Maybelle In Stitches, go HERE.

Falling In Love With America Again by Jim Demint

In his new role as president and CEO of The Heritage Foundation, Jim DeMint has travelled the country talking to Americans about how to return to our founding principles and restore and protect our economy and culture for future generations. He's realized that he-and all of us as fellow citizens-must fall in love with America-again.

In this book, DeMint introduces Americans all across the country who are working towards the same goal, We see example after example of Americans coming together locally in what DeMint calls the "little platoons"-the families, churches, communities and voluntary organizations succeeding on the model that smaller is better. They are the hands-on citizens who make America the exceptional, caring and can-do country it has always been.

DeMint illustrates why each of us-regardless of political party, age, race, religion or ethnicity-must rediscover the power we represent. The country's future is at risk, not just because of constant pressure from "the Bigs" (big government, big banks, big labor, big Wall Street cronies etc.), but because so many of us fear it's too late to solve problems so huge and seemingly intractable. Jim DeMint is here to reassure us that this is not true.

In riveting yet plainspoken style, he tells real-life success stories and affirms the compelling truth that conservative ideas are really American ideas, and they must guide us as we turn our institutions upside-down, taking them from the top-down centrally-controlled bureaucracies they've become back to the bottom-up democratic framework the Constitution intended.

Through this heartfelt, fascinating and inspiring look inside the America of both yesterday and today, and the everyday citizens who are working tirelessly and selflessly to insure its future fulfills the promise of its beginnings, Jim DeMint is beckoning us to join him on one of the most meaningful and momentous journeys we have ever undertaken together: FALLING IN LOVE WITH AMERICA AGAIN.

My review:

  Rare is the politician that I am impressed with, but Jim Demint was one such politician. He wasn't my Senator, but I'd see his comments in the news often, and feel he was one of the more conservative members of the Senate. When I saw this book being offered for review, I figured it would be worth reading, so I requested it, and was not disappointed.

 

  Anyone that is paying attention can see America is far from what it should be, and from what it used to be. Demint shows in his book some things that are still good in this country, and how we can still love it.

  He shows why we need more "mom and pop" stores, as compared to the big corporations, and what this country could be like if the federal government would stay out of the private sector, our health care, and a lot of other areas.

 Demint has other books published, but this is the first one I have read. He knows his stuff, and knows how to write. This is not a boring book, but is an interesting read, and it isn't a book that is full of empty political ideas. He has some great things to say that make sense. The book is worth reading.

About the author:

Jim DeMint left his post as U.S. Senator from South Carolina to become the new President of The Heritage Foundation-the popular conservative think-tank in Washington D.C. He is the author of three books, including the bestselling Saving Freedom. The senator and his wife, Debbie, reside in Greenville, South Carolina and are the proud parents of four married children. They are also greatly enjoying their new role as grandparents. 

 

 Falling In Love With America Again is available from Center Street Publishing, part of Hachette Book Group.

Thanks to Hachette for the review copy.

Awakening by Raph Reed

How America Can Turn From Moral and Economic Destruction Back to Greatness

Are we watching our nation commit suicide? Is America, like a modern-day Roman Empire, doomed to moral decay and demise?

In his new book, Awakening: How America Can Turn from Economic and Moral Destruction to Greatness, Ralph Reed reveals how the United States has abandoned its founding principles and spiritual heritage. Yet Reed, adviser to the Bush-Cheney campaigns and former executive director of the Christian Coalition, believes better days are ahead for our nation. This book, featuring practical action points and a bold pro-family plan, provides a road map we can follow to restore America back to God’s blessing.

Find out how to re-energize our call to effective citizenship and revive America’s core values of faith, personal responsibility, and liberty. As the 2014 election cycle approaches, Awakening is a timely plea for people of faith to spark a spiritual and moral awakening that will reverse the cycle of destruction, renew our country, and see God heal our land.

My review:
  I have read a few of Ralph Reed's Christian fiction books, and have been extremely impressed, not just at his ability to write a great political fiction novel, but at his insight into politics. This book sounded interesting enough, but when I saw he was the author, I figured it would be worth reading, and I was right.

  There are many Christians who feel religion and politics don't mix, and some who feel we should stay out of politics and stop fighting abortion and gay marriage. Many feel we should just pray and not do anything about the mess our country is in.

  Reed shows in his book that politics and religion DO mix, and although we need a great spiritual awakening in this country, we still need to do our duty and get involved also.

  The author covers the awakenings in the past in America, and what led up to, and what followed them, and shows that we are ripe for another awakening. There are a lot of insights into some of the presidents the author as worked with, and met, even Barak Obama. There is some interesting history given, and hope.

 I know our country is a mess. Socially, economically, spiritually, and morally. But after reading what our country was like before other awakenings, I feel encouraged that God could still move on our country again and bring about true hope and change.

 This isn't a book that just bashes our current administration, thought the author does address what is wrong with it. It is a book that doesn't just give some vague ideas of what we need to do to change. The author gives some definite and great ways we can turn our country around.

  I enjoyed the book. It was an interesting read. The author really knows his stuff about politics, and if his ideas were followed, we'd be a lot better shape. I definitely recommend this one.

About the author:

Ralph Reed is founder and chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. He was senior advisor to the Bush-Cheney campaigns in both 2000 and 2004, and chairman of the Southeast Region for BC04. As chairman of the Georgia Republican Party he led the GOP to its biggest victory in history, helping to elect the first Republican Governor and third U.S. Senator since Reconstruction. Reed is chairman and CEO of Century Strategies, LLC, a public relations and public affairs firm. As executive director of the Christian Coalition from 1989-1997, he built one of the most effective public policy organizations in recent political history. He is the best-selling author and editor of five books. He and his wife, Jo Anne, live near Atlanta, Georgia. They have four children.

Awakening is available from Worthy Publishing.

Thanks to Worthy Publishing for the review copy.

Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Tide and Tempest Bethany House Publishers (March 4, 2014) by Elizabeth Ludwig

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Rocket, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies (co-authored with Janelle Mowery), earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year Award. This book was followed in 2009 by "I'll be Home for Christmas", part of the Christmas anthology collection, Christmas Homecoming.

In 2011, her second mystery, Died in the Wool (co-authored with Janelle Mowery) was nominated for a Carol Award. In 2012, the popular EDGE OF FREEDOM series released from Bethany House Publishers. Books one and two, No Safe Harbor and Dark Road Home, respectively, earned 4 Stars from the RT Book Reviews. Book three, Tide and Tempest, received top honors with 4 1/2 Stars.

Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Two years ago, her fiance perished during their voyage to America.

Now she discovers it may have been murder...

Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiance.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Tide and Tempest, go HERE.