The Tenth Plague by Adam Blumer with a giveaway

**I previously reviewed this book in January of 2013. At that time, it was only available in e-book format. The book has just been released in paperback form, so at the request of Adam; I am re-posting the review with a giveaway of the paperback.

Water turns to blood. Flies and gnats attack the innocent. Marc and Gillian Thayer’s vacation resort becomes a grisly murder scene, with a killer using the ten plagues of Egypt as his playbook for revenge.

When their friend turns up dead, Marc and Gillian put their vacation on hold, enlist the help of a retired homicide detective, and take a closer look at the bizarre plagues as they escalate in intensity. Meanwhile, a stranger is after the Thayers’ newly adopted baby. Will they uncover the truth behind the bitter agenda before the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn son?


My review:

    A few years ago, I was shopping with my best friend around the time of my birthday. We were in a Christian bookstore and he told me to pick out a few books and he'd buy them for my birthday. One of those books was Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer. It was one of the best suspense novels I had ever read, hands down. I have gotten to know the author fairly well through his blog, facebook, etc, and he had asked me to review his new book, and I was happy to do so.

    The Tenth Plague has the same main characters as in Fatal Illusions, which I liked,  but it is not necessary to read them in order.

    Some authors improve with each book, and that is the case here. Fatal Illusions was a really good read, but this book is even better. You can tell when an author has put a lot of thought and research into a book, and it shows in this book. There is a terrific plot that is complicated, yet not so much as to be over the reader's head. There is an evil man who is unleashing the ten plagues from the Old Testament on a Christian retreat center. I had an idea what the book was about before I started reading it, and wondered how Adam was going to do that. Its one thing to come up with a plot like this, but another to portray it in a reasonable way that though fictional, is also possible. He did a fine job of doing so.

   The evening I sat down to the read the book, I fully intended to find a stopping place and go to bed. That didn't happen. I was up til 1 am that night finishing the book. This was a truly remarkable book. I love suspense, and it kept me on the edge of my seat and was a thrilling ride. And that thrilling ride was free from bad language and even graphic violence. Adam proves it is possible to write clean suspense that is just as gripping as the best out there on the market, and keep it Christ centered and bad language free. His blog is titled Meaningful Suspense, and that is a great description of his writing. Its great to come across authors like this who are writing to glorify God. And though this is a suspense novel, there is a strong Christian message in the book.

   This is only Adam's second book, but it is one to be proud of. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel. It has it all: A great plot, a wonderful cast of characters, and a strong, but not preachy, Christian message.

About the author: 


Adam Blumer is the author of Fatal Illusions and The Tenth Plague. A print journalism major in college, he works as a freelance writer and editor after serving in editorial roles for more than twenty years. He lives in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with his wife, Kim, and his daughters, Laura and Julia.

Check out Adam's blog, Meaningful Suspense.

Thanks to Adam for the review copy of The Tenth Plague.

The Tenth Plague is available from Kirkdale Press.

Giveaway:

    Courtesy of the author, I have one copy of The Tenth Plague to give away. It is for a paperback copy of the book.

   To enter: I am going to give a few ways to enter, and you can do any one of these. Comment and say which one you did:

  Follow Adam on Twitter

 "Like" Adam on Facebook

 Go to his blog, and sign up for emails

Follow him on Goodreads.

Follow him on Amazon.

Comment on this post with something about the book, or go to his blog and read about his other book, Fatal Illusions; and comment that you did.

    Using Random.org, I will pick one winner  2 weeks from today, April 22.

A Powerful Secret by Kevin Leman and Jeff Nesbit

Sean has always felt like an outsider in his own family.
Now he must risk never achieving what he wants most--his father's love.

Billionaire globe-trotter Sean Worthington is stunned when his older brother suddenly abandons the Senate race in New York and walks away without a backward glance. As campaign manager, Sean's left to handle the media feeding frenzy with no answers. Worse, their father--as usual--backs Will, the "perfect" son.

Frustrated by his father's lack of belief in him, Sean determines to finally move on and forge a unique path. But when a powerful secret is revealed, threatening everything Sean has counted on, he must wrestle with shocking truths . . . and combat the power brokers behind the scenes who have the Worthington family in their cross-hairs.

My review:
  Kevin Leman is an expert on birth order, the idea that where you are in order of birth with your siblings depends on some of the traits you have. He has teamed up with Jeff Nesbit to write a fiction series using the birth order ideas.

 The first book centered on the oldest son in the Worthington family, Will. This second book centers on the middle child, Sean. This book picks up close to where the first one left off, and has even more political intrigue than the first book did. I was a bit bothered by Sean's ideas about global warming and all that, and am still not sure if those are the views of the authors or not, but it is something I disagree with a lot.

 The book is well written, and it is interesting to see the birth order ideas played out in fiction. I enjoyed both books, and learned a lot about how the birth order works.

About the authors:

Dr. Kevin Leman is an internationally known psychologist, radio and television personality, and speaker who has taught and entertained audiences worldwide with his wit and commonsense psychology. He has made house calls for hundreds of radio and television programs, such as Fox & Friends, The View, Fox's The Morning Show, Today, Dr. Bill Bennett's America in the Morning, 700 Club, CBS's The Early Show, James Robison's Life Today, Janet Parshall, CNN's American Morning, and Focus on the Family, and has served as a contributing family psychologist to Good Morning America.

A bestselling and award-winning author, Dr. Leman has written more than 50 books about marriage and family issues, including The Birth Order Book, Sheet Music, Making Children Mind without Losing Yours, and Have a New Kid by Friday. He is coauthor, with his son Kevin Leman II, of a series of illustrated children's books for each child in the family. He is also featured on 6 video series on marriage, parenting, blended families, and single parenting.

Dr. Leman and his wife, Sande, live in Tucson, Arizona. They have five children and two grandchildren.

Jeff Nesbit is a former communications director to the vice president at the White House, served as the director of public affairs for two prominent federal science agencies, and has been a national journalist with Knight Ridder Newspapers. He is the author of 20 novels. Cocreator of the Emmy award-winning Science of the Olympic Winter Games and the Science of NFL Football video series with NBC Sports, Jeff is executive director for Climate Nexus and writes "At the Edge," a weekly science column for U.S. News & World Report.



A Powerful Secret is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Dwelling In the Land by Jeanette Howard

An important new volume by the author of Out of EgyptSome Christians who think of themselves as "gay" have sought healing and sexual reorientation. Some have chosen a freer interpretation of the biblical texts. Others don't know where they belong or what they should believe. Still others remain gay-identified yet choose celibacy. All have found that their sexual orientation strongly influences, even defines, who they perceive themselves to be.

Jeanette believes that to identify herself as "gay" does not do justice to what God has been doing in her life. Christians belong to Christ. "I have been born from on high and have a completely new DNA, God's DNA, residing in me and flowing through me," says Jeanette. "I am no longer a sinner but a saint. I am a daughter of the King."

With intelligence, compassion and fellow-feeling Jeanette explains what it means, as a Christian who has wrestled for the whole of her adult life with same--sex attraction, to live honestly and consistently as a Bible--believing Christian.

My review:
   I have read a lot of books on same-sex attractions/homosexuality over the years, but this is the first one I have read by and from the perspective of a woman. It is different, but it was still a great book to read. The book is very in depth, and covers a lot. It may be the longest book I have read on this issue, and it is obvious that not only has the author drawn on her personal experiences a lot, she has also done a lot of research.

  Howard deals a bit with the closing of Exodus International and what we can do post Exodus. She covers what we believe, and how we got to where we are today with the whole gay rights and gay agenda movement.

  I found the book encouraging and inspiring. Anyone could get some use out of this book whether you deal with same-sex attractions or not. It is very well written and informative,

About the author:

Jeanette Howard lives on England s southern coast, where she counsels and teaches those seeking to leave homosexuality behind. The beginning of her story can be found in her first book, Out of Egypt.


Dwelling in the Land is available from Monarch Publishing, an imprint of Kregel Publishing.

Struggle Central by Thomas Mark Zuniga

Struggle Central is a collection of “messy memoirs” from the quarter-life of blogger, Thomas Mark Zuniga. After an ideal upbringing in eastern Pennsylvania, he learned what it meant to struggle in northeast Georgia. Growing up in a perpetual Christian bubble, he confesses the ridicule he received at Christian schools and the isolation he experienced in churches across America. From fear to shame to closeted issues of sexuality, this book charts the struggles of a young introverted Christian trying to find his way in the world – and ultimately, the Church. It wasn't until a second cross-country relocation to southern California that he started finding what he’d long thought impossible.


My review:

   I ran across the author on yourotherbrothers.com, and when I saw he had a book, decided I needed to read it. Many parts of it were like reading my own story and experiences, though Thomas got his act together at a younger age than I did. The book is brutally honest and gives great insight into the same-sex attraction struggle and the struggle of one who has been bullied and the effects that can have.

  The book is very well written, and Thomas shows his struggles from a very young age up to where he is today. I found the book inspiring and encouraging, and is one that anyone can benefit from.

 About the author:

Thomas Mark Zuniga usually just goes by Tom. He is a twenty-something tutor, wanderer, and lifelong struggler currently residing in Orange County, California, but probably wandering elsewhere before too long. He blogs regularly about traveling and trials, faith and frivolity, and striving and strength. His writing has been featured on People of the Second Chance and other blogs. He is an avid runner and hopes to complete a marathon someday. He also longs to touch every continent and ride a camel and/or elephant. His favorite color is midnight blue, and his favorite struggle is incompetence. Struggle Central is his first book.

Check out his website at ThomasMarkZuniga.com

Burning Proof by Janice Cantore

After months of investigating the brutal homicide of a young girl, Detective Abby Hart finally has the evidence she needs. But when the arrest goes terribly wrong, Abby begins to doubt her future as a police officer. As she wrestles with conflicting emotions, old questions about the fire that took her parents’ lives come back to haunt her.

“There is proof.” PI Luke Murphy can’t stop thinking about what Abby’s former partner, Asa Foster, mumbled just before he died. When he uncovers a clue to the murder of Abby’s parents and his uncle, he’s reluctant to tell Abby, despite his growing feelings for the beautiful detective.

A decade-old abduction case brings Luke and Abby together, but will his secret tear them apart?

My review:

   I have really enjoyed Janice Cantore's books. Knowing she is a former police officer lends a more realistic feel to the books she writes, and I find her descriptions of police actions and protocol even more interesting because of her having been a police officer.

 Cantore has previously written four suspense novels, and I enjoyed all four of them. This one was no different. Book #2 in the Cold Case Justice Series, it picks up close to where book one ended. In addition to working on other cases, Abby and Luke are still working on the mystery of her parents' and his uncle's deaths.

  I found the book a great and suspenseful read with some surprises thrown in here and there. I thought the plot was as good or better than the first book, and it was fast paced enough to keep me turning the pages as fast as I could read. The book had some of the same likable characters as the first book, and also some new and interesting ones, not all likable or good. The book had a great ending, though I was disappointed in one direction of one of the characters, but there is hope that could change in book two. Great book and series that is worth reading.

About the author:

A former Long Beach, California, police officer of twenty-two years, Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, including patrol, administration, juvenile investigations, and training. She’s always enjoyed writing and published two short articles on faith at work for Cop and Christ and Today’s Christian Woman before tackling novels. A few years ago, she retired to a house in the mountains of Southern California, where she lives with three Labrador retrievers, Jake, Maggie, and Abbie. Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. Accused is the first book in the Pacific Coast Justice series, featuring Carly Edwards. Janice also authored the Brinna’s Heart series, which includes The Kevlar Heart and A Heart of Justice. Visit Janice’s website at www.janicecantore.com and connect with her on Facebook.
 

Burning Proof is available from Tyndale Publishing.
Thanks to Tyndale for the review copy.

Light of the Last by Chuck Black

To Fight What Others Can’t You Must See What Others Don’t

After an accident left him temporarily blind, Drew Carter didn’t just regain his sight. He now sees what others can’t imagine–an entire spiritual realm of mighty beings at war. 

Forget the gift, Drew just wants his life back. Part of that involves Sydney Carlyle, a woman he is inexplicably drawn to. When he’s offered the chance to become a CIA agent, it seems the way to redeem his past. The only problem–his visions of the supernatural realm are increasing in frequency. 

It’s up to the warrior angel Validus and his hand-picked team of heavenly agents to protect the unbelieving Drew. Validus now knows that the young man is at the epicenter of a global spiritual war, and the angels must use a millennia of battle experience keep Drew alive, for the Fallen want him dead.

Surrounded by spiritual warriors and targeted by demons, Drew’s faced with an impossible decision that will forever alter the destiny of America...and his own soul.

My review:

   Although this series is classified as juvenile fiction, the plot and writing are such that adults can enjoy it, and this adult sure did. I enjoyed the whole series, and had been eagerly anticipating the third and final book in the series. When it came, I read through it in one sitting; as I could not put it down.

  The book had even more action, suspense, and spiritual warfare then the previous books. It, even more than the previous two books, reminded me of Frank Peretti's first two books that had a lot of spiritual warfare in them. It had more twists and turns in it than I expected, and thought one issue was resolved in a good way - that would be a spoiler to say what it was.

  This book, and the whole series, had some really great characters and a great message of the Gospel that the author was unafraid to put throughout the series. I really liked the main character, and found his adventures thrilling and interesting. I would highly recommend the whole series, and the books must be read in order to know what is going on,


About the author:

Chuck Black first wrote Kingdom’s Edge to inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. This captivating expanded parable led him to write the Old Testament allegories, Kingdom’s Dawn, Kingdom’s Hope, Kingdom’s Call, and Kingdom’s Quest. Chuck's currents works include the Knights of Arrethtrae series, Call to Arms, and his series in progress, Wars of the Realm.

Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products and has coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children and live in North Dakota.

It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic King and His Son.

Light of the Last and the other two books in the series are available from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing.

Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for the review copy.

Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents' Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens by Tom Gilson

Christian parents need to be prepared to answer the myriad challenges teens might hear in today's increasingly pro homosexual culture. "Why shouldn't gays get married?" “Who says gay sex is wrong?" "Does the Bible actually say there's anything wrong with homosexuality?" "Don't you care that kids are being bullied just for being themselves?"

To start the discussion, Gilson provides a brief history of the issues beginning with the sexual revolution of the 1960s. He explains how and why cultural attitudes have reversed on this subject in such a short time-span, leaving Christians scrambling for answers.

This is perhaps the most complicated and contentious issue Christians face in today's culture. Most churches are poorly equipped to handle it; parents are even less prepared. The good news is that parents need not have pat answers ready before they dive into conversations with their teens and preteens on this difficult topic. Learning together—parents struggling through these issues alongside their kids and leading them to biblical answers— has relational benefits.

Answers are important, though, so manageable, nontechnical answers to common questions surrounding this issue are provided, as well as a guide to further resources.

My review:

  This book is geared for parents who want to talk to their teenagers about homosexuality, but it would also make a great resource for anyone who wants to better understand the challenges we are facing and how to answer criticisms Christians face for daring to believe homosexuality and gay marriage is wrong.

 The book is set up into three sections:

 Section one: Essential background. This section covers the rise, acceptance, and takeover by a well planned gay agenda

Section two: Navigating the Rocky relationships. This section deals with how to relate to gay people, and what kids may face in school and college for daring to believe the Bible about homosexuality.

Section three: Practical help in handling the challenges. This section takes up about half of the book and sets up scenarios of questions kids may be asked, and what to say and not to say.

   The book is very well done. The author takes a compassionate stance, admitting that many Christians have had the wrong actions and attitudes towards gay people, while still showing how wrong homosexuality is. The book is full of great advice on how to not only help teenagers know how to handle the issue of homosexuality and gay marriage when challenged, but it also helps parents be prepared for what their teens may ask them, and ways to open conversations when their teens may not agree with them on some things.

 I highly recommend this to people whose children are in public school especially, but also to all parents or anyone wanting to understand this issue and how to respond to it better.

About the author:

Tom Gilson is the Senior Editor and Ministry Coordinator specializing in Christian apologetics and inspiration for the daily online news and insight website The Stream (stream.org). Previously he had served with the Ratio Christi Campus Apologetics Alliance. He is the monthly Worldview and You columnist at BreakPoint Online, and has written articles for Discipleship Journal, Touchstone Magazine, and Salvo. He blogs at Thinking Christian (thinkingchristian.net). When not studying or writing he enjoys canoeing, sailing, and long walks in the woods. He lives with wife Sara and their two college-aged children in Lebanon, Ohio.


Critical Conversations is available from Kregel Publications.

Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.