The Ghost of Africa by Don Brobst

Together New York City surgeon Paul Branson and his wife, Nicki, had a dream: to help the people of the African bush. After Nicki’s untimely death, Paul decides to honor her memory and carry on alone. In South Sudan, he channels grief into hope, caring for villagers and working to save Leza, a little girl with leukemia who has captured his heart.

Meanwhile, Jason Quinn, terrorist leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, has deadly plans for the people of South Sudan. But he needs information to carry out his plot—information from research Paul did for the US government years ago. Quinn will stop at nothing to obtain this secret intelligence, even kidnap a dying child. Now, in order to save the ailing Leza and stop a genocide, Paul must go beyond his medical training to journey into a world of brutal terrorism and global intrigue. With only instinct and his faith as guides, how far will he go to save the lives of thousands?


My review:
   
   When I finished reading this novel, I closed my Kindle and said out loud "wow, that was awesome!" My review could be summed up in those few words, but a four word review doesn't cut it, so I'll try to turn those four words into a full length review.

  Don Brobst is a new author to me, and I believe this is the first novel he has written.... and he slammed it out of the park with his debut novel. I hope he writes more, but this will be a tough act to follow.

 I loved his main character, Dr Paul Branson. Sometimes fictional characters are portrayed unrealistically, but I felt this author didn't do that with his main character or other characters. Something a bit unusual that I picked up on, is there weren't many descriptions of the characters. I have no idea how old the doctor was supposed to be, but he had a college aged daughter. Nothing is given about his appearance or the appearances of most of the characters in the book..... and I kind of liked that. I had to come up with a mental picture of my own of the characters in this story.

 Most of the story takes place in Sudan, and Don did such a great job of describing the area, the scenery, the people, etc; that I felt I wanted to step into the pages and experience it for myself. That is the one bad part about reading this book: it left me with a nagging feeling that I don't do enough for God in my Christian life.

 The plot was awesome - an overused word, but it really was. The suspense never ended and there was constant drama and action. I made the mistake of taking my Kindle to read on my lunch breaks two days this week and had a hard time putting it down - the book is that good. There is a lot of violence and military action, but it isn't overdone nor overly descriptive. The panther part was a bit weird, but it just added another interesting dimension to this fantastic story.

 There was a lot of medical terms and procedures mentioned in the book, but Don did a great job of putting it in words that non-medical personnel can understand. I didn't realize until I finished the book that the author is a doctor, and that makes all of that even more realistic.

  I had an author tell me once that you can't write books like these without adding curse words....this novel is proof that you can. There is not one bad word in it, and though it isn't preachy; it is definitely Christian in content and worldview.

  The book came to a great and satisfying ending, though I wanted to read on and on. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a lot of political intrigue, suspense, drama, and action.

This book was provided to me for my honest review.

About the author:

Don Brobst, born in New Jersey and educated in Chicago, is a practicing physician and the Medical Director of the State of Alabama. Trained in family practice in Illinois, Don and his family moved to Birmingham in 1993. A proven leader in the field of medicine and member of the American Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, he divides his time between his practice, family, writing, and working in Africa.

The dedicated father of three wonderful children, Wendy, Jonathan and Andrea, he’s passionate about writing while understanding the importance of family, which includes five grandchildren.

Spending time in New York, his favorite place to write, is one of his driving passions, even though he is unable to spend the time he would like in his favorite city in the world.

Working in the villages of Sudan, Don leads teams that deliver desperately needed medical care to the poor and needy deep in the African bush, as well as throughout Egypt and Ethiopia. Delivering medical care to those who need it most, he considers himself deeply fortunate to be in a position to do so, regardless of the risks and inconveniences of life on the front lines.

Because of his work in the heart of these nations, Don is in an unusual position of trust, which allows him access to areas of the world considered to be “off limits” to non-medical personnel. The insight he’s gained from these operations has been the key to unlocking secrets revealed in The Ghost of Africa and the sequels that follow.

Don thrives on adventure, intrigue, and adrenaline. His pursuit of the thrill is not thrust upon him—it is that which makes him unique, and opens doors otherwise barred. He will go wherever he can to do what he can – always.

Check out his website at DonBrobst.com

Thanks to the author for the Kindle version of the book to review, and to Rel from Relz Reviews for asking me to review it.

The Inheritance by Michael Phillips

Bethany House Publishers invite readers to experience the first book, The Inheritance, in Michael Phillips' epic new family saga series, Secrets of the Shetlands.

The death of clan patriarch Macgregor Tulloch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whales Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed Tulloch's heir to be his much-loved grandnephew David. But when no will is discovered, David's calculating cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island's land. And Hardy knows a North Sea oil investor who will pay dearly for that control. 

While the competing claims are investigated, the courts have frozen the estate's assets, leaving many of the locals in dire financial straits. The future of the island---and its traditional way of life---hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile, Loni Ford enjoys a rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, D.C. Yet, in spite of outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is, until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Michael Phillips' dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace.

My review:

   I have not read a Michael Phillips book for years, and thought this one sounded interesting when it came up for review. The book was a little difficult getting into at first. It moved slowly and bounced around between several people a lot, but once the author got past the beginning of the book; it took off and got my attention.

 Through fiction, this novel offers a fascinating look at Scotland and the whole lord and chief process and what those entail. The book is full of colorful descriptions of the land of Scotland, the people, and their traditions and talk. At times I wasn't sure what the dialogue was saying for sure when he used the Scottish brogue, but it was still a fascinating and exciting read.

 Phillips came up with some great characters for his book, especially the two main characters:

David, who seemed a shoo-in for taking over as chief and cares about the island and its people,  only to find his ruthless cousin trying to get it.

Loni: An American orphaned as a child trying to find her way, and then her life takes an unexpected turn with a letter from Scotland.

  Once I got past the start of the book, I found this book hard to put down. It is not a mystery/suspense novel, yet is a very suspenseful read in the fact that the reader wants to know what is going to happen: Will David become chief and save the island and its people, or will Hardy win and sell everything out from under the people? And what role does this American woman have in it?

  My one complaint about the book is the ending. This may be a bit of a spoiler, but it ends without resolving the issues..... which makes me want the next book now....... but it will be several months before it is over. I still recommend the book, it is a wonderful novel worth reading and hard to put down.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.

About the author:

Michael Phillips is a bestselling author who has penned more than seventy books, both fiction and nonfiction. In addition, he has served as editor/redactor of nearly thirty more books. Over the past thirty years, his persistent efforts have helped reawaken interest in the writings of nineteenth century Scotsman George MacDonald. Michael and his wife, Judy, spend time each year in Scotland, but make their home near Sacramento, California.



The Inheritance, book one in The Secrets of the Shetlands series, is available from Bethany House Publishers.

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.

Enter to in a copy of The Inheritance here.

Pocket prayers I gave away

As per instructions when I reviewed this set of six Pocket Prayers, I am to give them away and do a post telling who I gave them to. I still have three more to give away, but here are the three I did give away so far:

Pocket Prayers for Dads: I gave to my pastor brother-in-law, father of my three nephews.

Pocket Prayers for Mothers: I gave to my sister, mother of my three nephews.

Pocket Prayers for Friends: I gave to a lady I work with who is also a great friend of mine.

A Fool And His Monet by Sandra Orchard

Sketchy politics and a palette of lies can't stop Serena Jones from exposing the mastermind behind the daring theft of a priceless work of art

Serena Jones has a passion for recovering lost and stolen art--one that's surpassed only by her zeal to uncover the truth about who murdered her grandfather. She's joined the FBI Art Crime Team with the secret hope that one of her cases will lead to his killer. Now, despite her mother's pleas to do something safer--like get married--Serena's determined to catch thieves and black market traders.

When a local museum discovers an irreplaceable Monet missing, Serena leaps into action--and a whole heap of trouble.

My review:
  I read and reviewed three previous books by Sandra Orchard in the Port Astor series and really enjoyed the whole series. This book is number one in a new series that is very different from her other series. And in this case, different is good.

 As the title with its play on words may suggest, this book has humor. It IS a suspense/mystery novel, but the style is totally different from the other series. It is light-hearted yet suspenseful, and had me laughing out loud at different points in the story.

 The story is told in the first person point of view, which is also a switch from the other series and is not a favorite style of mine; but maybe I am getting used to it since it didn't bother me in this story. The story moves along pretty fast and has a lot of action and drama in it, in addition to the humor and romance.

 I found myself liking the characters a lot:

Serena: FBI Art Crime member
Tanner: Her handsome co-worker, though 10 years her senior
Nate: Her eligible apartment manager
Aunt Martha: Serena's aunt, senior citizen, and wanna be detective

 The book was an awesome - and can a guy say - delightful read. Even the romantic angle pulled me in enough that I went to the author's website and voted for which of the two guys Serena should date/marry.

  I highly recommend this book. People who don't normally like suspense and mystery novels may even enjoy this one.

 I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the author:

Sandra Orchard is the award-winning author of many inspirational romantic suspense and mysteries, including Deadly Devotion, Blind Trust, and Desperate Measures. Her writing has garnered several Canadian Christian Writing Awards, a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, a National Readers' Choice Award, a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, and a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. In addition to her busy writing schedule, Sandra enjoys speaking at events and teaching writing workshops. She lives in Ontario, Canada. Learn more about Sandra's books and check out the special bonus features, such as deleted scenes and location pics, at http://sandraorchard.com.

Pocket Prayers by Max Lucado

This review is for six books in the Pocket Prayers series.

Bestselling author Max Lucado has teamed up with six authors to write the Pocket Prayers series for those in need of peace, renewal, rest, faith, hope, joy, direction, serenity, and courage.

Short, simple prayers are very effective, which is why each book in the series contains forty guided prayers and complementary scriptures for any situation, including for:

-Moms (written with daughter Andrea Lucado)
-Grads (written with daughter Andrea Lucado)
-Dads (written with Mark Mynheir)
-Military Life (written with Mark Mynheir)
-Teachers (written with blogger Jennifer Hale)
-Friends (written with Betsy St. Amant)

  Each book is hardcover, measuring 5 1/2" by 5 1/2". Each book has 40 prayers, all geared towards the specific audience named on the front. Each prayer is preceded by a relevant Bible verse and the prayers are split up into around 6 categories such as: prayers for grace and strength, prayers for healing and safety, prayers for fatherhood and joy, etc.

 The prayers are well-written, and though short they say a lot. These would make great gifts for all occasions. They are attractively packaged, and have sound and good prayers in to use with devotions or any time.

  This book review is unique in that it is for 6 books, but it is also unique in another way: I am supposed to give away all 6 books to individuals of the intended audience of each one, and that is something I will be doing in the next couple of weeks.

About the author:

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



The Pocket Prayers Series is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.


Enter to win a Pocket Prayers Prize Pack here.

Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa

Fourteen miles east of Peachtree, Alabama, a secret is hidden.

The secret's name is Annabel Lee.

She doesn't know why her enigmatic uncle has stowed her deep underground in a military-style bunker. He's left her with a few German words, a barely controlled guard dog, and a single command: "Don't open that door for anybody, you got it? Not even me."

Miles away in Atlanta, private investigator Trudi Coffey is visited by a mysterious older man calling himself Dr. Smith. He's been trailing a man for a decade--a man she met through her ex-partner Samuel Hill--and the trail has led him to her office. The last thing Trudi wants to do is to contact Samuel. But it will take both of them to unravel this mystery--before it's too late.



My review:

   I think this is the first adult novel for this author from what I can see. He has written several books, but this seems to be his first suspense novel for adults, and it is a great debut novel.

  The plot is complicated and very unpredictable, but not complicated in a way that is hard to keep up with or is boring. It is just a very well done plot that keeps the reader guessing and is more intricate than a lot of suspense novels. The story keeps you wondering and guessing til pretty close the end of the book why this young girl is being hidden, and why there are evil men trying to find her. The answer was very unique and surprising.

 I liked the main characters a lot:
 Annabel, a 12 year old girl locked away and having no idea why or how long

The Mute, an awesome former military guy who is loyal and fearless to a fault

Sam, CIA/investigator, and "the pig", according to his ex-wife Trudi

Trudi, Christian, investigator, and still in love with "the pig", and forced to work with him to unravel this mystery they have been handed.

  I didn't really intend to read the book in one evening. It sounded weird and has a creepy cover, but I got into it and didn't want to put it down, so I did read through it in one evening. It was a very entertaining and suspenseful read, and had a great ending.

 The book is more violent than most Christian suspense novels.... almost too violent, so it isn't for the faint of heart.

About the author:

Mike Nappa is an entertainment journalist at FamilyFans.com, as well as a bestselling and award-winning author with more than one million books sold worldwide. When he was a kid, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe scared him silly. Today he owns everything Poe ever wrote. A former fiction acquisitions editor, Mike earned his MA in English literature and now writes full time.


Annabel Lee is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
 

Jesus Called. He Wants His Church Back

As early as 50 AD, Christians had gotten away from knowing who Jesus really is. Our generation is no different.

In every decade we, as Americans, lost something important that we couldn't afford to lose:

In the 1950's, we lost innocence 
In the 1960's, we lost respect for authority 
In the 1970's, we lost love 
In the 1980's, we lost values 
In the 1990's, we lost faith 
In the 2000's, we lost security 
In the 2010's, we lost hope in the future 

 What can restore what we've lost? Only Jesus. Jesus gave us His name, His friendship, and a commission to accept responsibility for ourselves and for the world. When introduced to His words and ways we'll rediscover the Jesus who:

Wants His enemies won over, not wiped out 
Wants you to stop playing it safe 
Believed great things were possible no matter what things are like right now 
Was full of grace and truth 
Unleashed compassion 
Believed no one was too far from God to return to Him 
Came to seek and to save that which was lost 
Loves the church                                                                     

Pastor Ray Johnston shares the Jesus of the Bible and how we can be Christians without being jerks. He reveals how the radical message of the gospel calls us to love and serve not only our neighbors but our enemies as well. That’s the Jesus the American Church has missed and needs to meet.

Jesus' mission is clear—risk everything in order to take care of people, starting in our home, neighborhoods, cities, and those in need around the world. That's the Jesus the American Church has missed and needs to meet.

My review:

  The title of this book really intrigued me, and is the main reason I decided to review it. It sounded worth reading, and like something that would be relative to me.... and I was right on both counts.

  This is not a book slamming the church. The author does talk a lot about where our churches are failing, and what we are doing wrong; but it is not done in a malicious or mean way. I found his points very valid, and his solutions and advice very solid and Biblical.

 There is a lot packed into this book. There is what I mentioned already, but the author also discusses what can happen and what has happened when church is done right, when Christians actually let God use them.

 One of the most valuable chapters in my opinion, was the one titled "Stop thinking you don't matter". It is a great chapter on how God can use any Christian if they are willing and jump in with all they have.

  This book is very convicting. I found myself saying "ouch" more than once, and was praying as I read the book that God would help me in this area and that area, and that I wouldn't finish the book and not be changed. It made me want to do more, to be a better Christian, and to be used by God. I highly recommend this book. It is near the top of non-fiction books I have read lately.

About the author:

Ray Johnston has a rich, varied background as a speaker, writer, and founder of Thrive Communications and the Thrive Leadership Conference. Author of the bestselling book The Hope Quotient, he is the founding pastor of Bayside Church, one of the largest churches in the United States, with more than twelve thousand people. Ray has spoken to more than four million people over the last ten years and served on the board of trustees at Azusa Pacific University, his alma mater. Ray and his wife, Carol, have four adult children.


Jesus Called....... is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.