Deadlock by DiAnn Mills

Two murders have rocked the city of Houston. Are they the work of a serial killer, or is a copycat trying to get away with murder?

That is the question facing Special Agent Bethany Sanchez, who is eager for her new assignment in violent crimes but anxious about meeting her new partner. Special Agent Thatcher Graves once arrested her brother, and he has a reputation for being a maverick. Plus, their investigative styles couldn’t be more opposite: he operates on instinct, while she goes by the book.

When hot leads soon fizzle out, their differences threaten to leave them deadlocked. But an attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it.

My review:
   DiAnn Mills is still an author I haven't read many books by, but I have enjoyed each one I have read. She hasn't disappointed me yet, and this newest novel of hers is even better than the others I have read.

  Book #3 in the FBI Houston series, Deadlock is pretty much a stand alone title, as the other two are. There is no continued story line in the books, though some of the characters from the previous books make an appearance in this one, and the setting is the same as the other two books.

  Deadlock is a "who dun it" sort of novel in ways. There is a bad guy, and though the FBI find a lot of clues and people connected to the killer, the identity of the top guy is kept a secret until the end, and I was totally surprised.

 The book has plenty of suspense, drama, and action in it, and also family problems and threats and intimidation tactics. There is a Christian message throughout the book, but those who don't like "preachy" novels should still like it.

  The most stars you can give a book is 5, but I enjoyed this novel so much that I would give it 6 if I could. I had a hard time putting it down, and found myself turning the pages as fast I can read. I highly recommend it, and readers of Christian suspense will enjoy it.
  

About the author:

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

Deadlock is available from Tyndale Publishing.

Thanks to Tyndale for the review copy.

The Prince Who Was Just Himself by Silke Schnee

The royal couple is looking forward to their third child. “He looks a little different,” muses the king at Prince Noah’s arrival. “He is not like the others,” agrees the queen. Soon they notice what a very special person he is, even though he can’t do everything his brothers can.

When the youngest prince disarms the cruel knight Scarface, the nation’s most dreaded enemy, with an act of compassion, everyone finally realizes how good it is that each person is unique.

This delightfully illustrated fairy tale for children three years and older instills appreciation for children with Down syndrome and other developmental challenges, making it a valuable aid for teaching tolerance in the home or classroom.

Kirkus Reviews:
"A gentle fairy tale about a young prince with Down syndrome who saves his kingdom from a menacing knight…. [It] offers a special needs child in a positive, starring role and can be read simply as a satisfying fairy tale…. The author, herself the mother of a child with Down syndrome, and the illustrator ably introduce a difficult subject in a fictional context with a light, sure touch."

My review:
    Down Syndrome can be a tough issue to address, and this book is a great way to address it with kids. Through a kid's story, it shows how children with Down Syndrome look and act different, yet have traits and actions that the rest of us don't have. This is obviously a story way below my reading level, but I found it well-written and well illustrated.

  It isn't a long book, coming in at just 32 pages, but the author and illustrator do an excellent job of explaining Down Syndrome in a way that doesn't demean kids with it, but shows that though they are different, they are just as valuable. The author has a son with Down Syndrome, so this book is written from someone with personal experience.

About the author:

Silke snow is a journalist and works as a TV program maker at a public broadcaster in Cologne . She is married and has three sons . Her youngest son Noah was born in July 2008 with Trisomy 21 ( Down syndrome ) .

"At first, when Noah was born, we were shocked and sad. And it wasn’t easy to see how some people look at children with special needs as strange or different. But the catalyst for this book was witnessing the effect he had on many people, despite being categorized as disabled. In fact, our little prince brings much love, joy, and sunshine not only to us, but to all around him. Children are a wonder, and we must see them with the eyes of our heart: each child just the way he or she is."

About the illustrator:

Heike Sistig studied Special Education and Art and is a trained art therapist. She works full-time as an editor for children's television. Heike Sistig has illustrated several children's books, and gives her collages as a freelance artist in galleries. She lives with her family in Cologne.

Check out her website.


The Prince Who Was Just Himself is available from Plough Publishing House.

Thanks to Handlebar Publishing for the review copy.

Brotherhood of the World Bloggers Award

Carole at The Power of Words blog nominated some bloggers for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award even though I am not a sister - yeah, I changed the name for this post.  She gave me some questions to answer, and I am supposed to nominate 10 other bloggers, but to be honest I don't keep up with a lot of blogs and most of the ones I keep up with are not blogs about books, so I am just going to answer the questions and leave it at that, and urge anyone who read this to check out Carole's blog.

1) What do you enjoy most about fall? I love the colors of fall, the cooler temperatures that aren't too cold, nor too hot. I love seeing pumpkins, corn shocks, and other fall decor, and eating everything pumpkin.

2) What book are you currently reading? The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith.

3) Are you an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between? Somewhere in between. I still struggle with the idea that people actually like me, yet I am pretty outgoing. I like being around people but also like my alone time.

4) What's your favorite genre? Least favorite genre? Favorite genre': Christian mystery/suspense. Least favorite: Amish fiction

5) What is one of your favorite reads so far this year? It was probably Sabatoged by Dani Pettrey

6) Have you enjoyed a non-fiction book that you would recommend? The one I am reading, The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. And although not recent, Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman.

7) If you had a bucket list, name one thing that would be on it. Travel the country taking pictures of churches and old barns.

8) Do you have a favorite hymn or Christian song? And Can It Be and Great Is Thy Faithfulness

9) If you were given the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why? Somewhere warm in the winter. To get away from the snow.

10) What Bible verse has ministered to you recently? Jeremiah 29:11

Bible Stories Gone Crazy by Josh Edwards and Emiliano Migliardo

Eight Bible stories are depicted in bright color and comic, cartoony illustrations. There is a sentence or two explaining the scene at the top, and then details to spot, mistakes to find, and questions to answer along the sides of the picture, such as, "Did Noah's workmen REALLY have power tools?" and "How many rabbits are in the picture?" Children will love scouring the illustrations to find the answers and spot more amusing details in the busy artwork of Emiliano Migliardo.

The stories are Noah and His Great Ark, Moses Crossing the Red Sea, Joshua and the Fall of Jericho, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lions, Jonah and the Big Fish, Feeding the 5,000, and Man Through the Roof.



My Review:

  This book is way below my age level, but I like to review books for kids too. This book is a little similar to the "Where's Waldo" books that were popular years ago, only they are all Bible stories and you search for more than one thing in the pictures, and there are also questions to answer about what you are looking for.

  I think the book is great. The illustrator did an excellent job, as did the author. Not everything in the pictures are things found in the Bible, but this is meant to be a fun and amusing book for kids, and that is what it is. I am not sure what age it is geared for, but my eight year old nephew was looking at it and seemed to be enjoying it, though I would guess it is meant for younger kids than that. I would also say kids of any age could have fun with this book, especially finding the items mentioned in each story.

About the author and illustrator:
Josh Edwards has written a number of Bible stories and innovative activity books for kids, building on his experience as a teacher and artist, and as a father of three rapidly growing children. A Londoner by birth, residence, and preference, he has travelled widely and always loved books and reading.

Emiliano Migliardo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1971, and has been working in children's media, publishing comic strips, humor, games and illustrations for more than 20 years. He knew he wanted to dedicate his life to drawing since a young boy, and he has.



Bible Stories Gone Crazy is available from Kregel Publishing.

Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.

The Columbus Code by Mike Evans

In 1492 Christopher Columbus bore a secret agenda as he set out with his tiny fleet to discover a New World. The startling truth? Columbus himself was a Jew! And he sought a new home for his persecuted Jewish kin to escape King Ferdinand’s and Queen Isabella’s newly wrought Spanish Inquisition.

The Columbus Code is just that – the true, historical puzzle few could comprehend until today. Consistent with great historical fiction of our time, New York Times best-selling author Mike Evans pens a story replete with intrigue, adventure, and brutal persecution. The story begins with John Winters, an American Secret Service agent, who unravels centuries old truths about Christopher Columbus and the real drama that lay behind those famous voyages to the Americas.

My review:
  I didn't have a lot of time to read and review this book, having just received it on Friday and having a review date of Monday - today, but it was a book that was hard to put down, so I had no problem getting it read over the week-end.

 The book is a great mix of historical events and puzzle and modern day suspense and political intrigue with a shadowy group trying to destroy the American dollar and economy. I thought the book was well written, and though most of the main characters didn't seem to have a relationship with God, it had a Christian world view and a lot of the puzzle was rooted in Christianity.

  The Columbus Code is well deserving of a 5 star ranking. Great plot, characters, suspense, and the author's expertise on foreign matters comes through as well as the research he had to have done for such a book as this. The book takes the reader from the US to Barcelona Spain, to Israel, and back to the US while keeping the reader well entertained and on the edge of their seat with suspense.

 As far as I can tell, this is Evan's first foray into fiction, and it is a great start. The book ends well, but I got the idea there could be a possible sequel. I hope there is, for it would be worth reading more about the Columbus Code.

About the author:

MIKE EVANS is a #1 New York Times best-selling author with more than 25 million copies in print, including Christopher Columbus: Secret Jew. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the Chairman of the Board of the Ten Boom Museum in Holland (tenboom.org) and also of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem (FOZHC.org). Evans is founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team (jpteam.org) and has sixty published books.


The Columbus Code is available from Worthy Publishing.

Thanks to Worthy Publishing for the review copy.

The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden by Kevin DeYoung, with a giveaway

Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman. They were the happiest people on the planet.

True, they were the only people on the planet, but they were still terrifically happy.

Unfortunately, things didn’t stay happy and wonderful for long . . .

The Bible is full of exciting stories that fill children with awe and wonder. But kids need to know how all those classic stories connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.

In The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung—a best-selling author and father of six—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.

With powerful illustrations by award-winning artist Don Clark, this imaginative retelling of the Bible’s core message—how the Snake Crusher brings us back to the garden—will draw children into the biblical story, teaching them that God's promises are even bigger and better than we think.

 Ages 5-8 (read to me)

Ages 8-11 (read to myself)

My review:

  This is a great and uniquely written story of the Bible from Creation on up through Jesus' ascension. The author refers to Jesus as "the Snake Crusher" throughout the book, focusing on the verse in Genesis where God promises Adam and Eve that a descendant of theirs would crush the serpent's head.

  The book is not the average skinny kid's book, but comes in at 129 pages. The Bible stories are covered briefly, some in just a few words, but all looking forward to the day when Jesus would die and rise again, thus crushing the serpent's head. I enjoyed this interesting and different way of telling the Gospel story, and it should really appeal to young children who are the intended audience.

  The illustrations are very different, but are eye-catching and go well with the method of story telling. The book is divided up into chapters, so a stopping place is easy to find. This is a great book for parents who are looking for a good way to explain the story of redemption to their kids.

About the author:

Kevin DeYoung (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan. He blogs at the Gospel Coalition and has authored or coauthored numerous well-known books such as Just Do Something, The Hole in Our Holiness, Taking God At His Word, and What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?, as well as the award-winning books Why We’re Not Emergent, Why We Love the Church (with Ted Kluck), and Crazy Busy.

About the illustrator :

Don Clark is an artist and the cofounder of Invisible Creature, a widely respected and award-winning design studio based in Seattle, Washington. Invisible Creature was formed in early 2006 with his brother Ryan.

He has worked with clients such as Target, LEGO, WIRED magazine, Nike, Adobe, XBox, The New York Times, and more. Invisible Creature also designs and curates their own line of products for both children and adults. Their products can be found in stores such as Barneys New York, Walker Art Center, Nordstrom, San Francisco Museum of Art, Super7, Whole Foods, and more.

Additionally, Invisible Creature's client list reads like a veritable who's-who of the music world, including Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Cornell, Wolfmother, Alice in Chains, and countless others. In 2008, Invisible Creature received their fourth consecutive Grammy nomination for packaging design.

Don's love for mid-century design and illustration lays the groundwork for Invisible Creature’s aesthetic, although his range reaches far beyond any one, specific style.

He lives with his wife and their 3 children on a ranch 30 minutes southeast of Seattle.

Giveaway:

Courtesy of FlyBy Promotions, I have one copy of The Biggest Story to give away.

To enter, do one of the following:

1) Follow Crossway Publishing on Twitter.

2) Watch the promotional video here.

3) "Like" Crossway Publishing on Facebook.

4) Share this review and giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.

Comment on this blog post and say which of the 4 ways to enter you used. I will pick a winner 10 days from now on September 24 using Random.org. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

Israel's Mission by Ray Vander Laan

 Focus on the Family brings you Volume 13, Israel's Mission: Becoming a Kingdom of Priests in a Prodigal World, the latest release in Ray Vander Laan's popular That the World May Know® video series. That the World May Know features Vander Laan's unique method of Bible teaching and takes viewers on location to give context to the original writings.

Vander Laan has always believed that to more greatly understand and appreciate the Bible, one had to have a sense of the land and the culture from which it sprang. Biblical analogies and examples, while meaningful and helpful even to this day, were first meant to convey God's truth to particular people in a particular time and place. So the more fully we can appreciate those times and places, the more fully we can respond to the power of the Word.


WHAT'S YOUR MISSION?

God gave the assignment to His people thousands of years ago: to bring "lost sheep" back into the love and safety of His kingdom. He said to become a "Kingdom of Priests," and put God on display to show the world what He is like. It's still our task today. In this thirteenth volume of the That the World May Know ® film series, you'll glimpse the urgency and rewards of welcoming the strangers and prodigals the Lord longs to embrace. Discover the mission that can give your life --- and the lives of those around you --- greater meaning than you ever imagined.

Join renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the lands of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the That the World May Know® film series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.

My review:
  I have long been interested in this series, but have never had the chance to check any of the DVDs out until I got the opportunity to review this one. I recently did a review of a DVD that was similar to this one that I thought was too brief and didn't have much depth, but this is completely the opposite. There are 5 different lessons on the DVD, all of them averaging 31-32 minutes. The DVD has fascinating footage of Israel and Jordan. Ray Vander Laan has a small group of people he addresses as they travel with him throughout the Middle East, which makes it more interesting than if he were just addressing the camera.

 There is a book for the DVD that I believe comes separately, but was also given to me with the DVD. Coming in at 252 pages, there is a lot covered in the book. Each session:
Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the film.
Includes sidebars, maps, photos, and other study tools.
Features questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflection.

  The lessons cover Abraham and Sarah, Israel at Sinai, Jesus renewing the Mission, the prodigal son, and the seeking father. Vander Laan ties it all together in the plan of redemption in a way that is fascinating and easy to follow and understand. Each lesson is covered by approximately 40 pages in the book.

  I found the DVD and book very well done, and something that would benefit any Christian. It could be done by an individual, a family, or a Bible study group.

About the author:

Since receiving his Master's of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1976, Ray Vander Laan has been actively involved in studying and teaching Jewish culture using the methods of Jewish education. He has continued graduate studies in Jewish Studies in the United States, Israel, Turkey and Egypt. He has been a teacher for 35 years and is an ordained minister with the Christian Reformed Church. He has also authored a book entitled Echoes of His Presence, published by Focus on the Family. Vander Laan founded That the World May Know Ministries in 1998. Ray has taken over 10,000 people with him on his study tours of Israel, Turkey and Egypt.

Ray's preaching and teaching ministry is focused on understanding the Bible in light of the historical and cultural context in which God placed it. This perspective on the Bible highlights God's call for His people to be a transforming influence on their culture. He uses research of the top scholars in the fields of archaeology, history, and Biblical study as tools to explore the Biblical text ever more deeply. His gifts, expertise, and calling are to link that cultural information and the Bible so that its message applies to our lives today in very practical ways.


Isreal's Mission is available from Focus on The Family

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copies.