Eye Of The God, by Ariel Allison

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

eye of the god

Abingdon Press (October 1, 2009)

by

Ariel Allison



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Allison is a published author who lives in a small Texas town with her husband and three young sons. She is the co-author of Daddy Do You Love Me: a Daughter’s Journey of Faith and Restoration (New Leaf Press, 2006). Justin Case, the first of three children’s books will be published by Harvest House in June 2009. Ariel is a weekly contributor to http://www.christiandevotions.us/ and on her thoughts as a redeemed dreamer at http://www.arielallison.blogspot.com/.


From Ariel:
I am the daughter of an acclaimed and eccentric artist, and given my “unconventional” childhood, had ample time to explore the intricacies of story telling. I was raised at the top of the Rocky Mountains with no running water or electricity (think Laura Ingles meets the Hippie Movement), and lived out the books I read while running barefoot through the sagebrush. My mother read to me by the light of a kerosene lantern for well over a decade, long after I could devour an entire novel in the course of a day. Authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, George MacDonald, and L.M. Montgomery were the first to capture my heart and I have
grown to love many others since.

ABOUT THE BOOK

eye of the god takes the fascinating history surrounding the Hope Diamond and weaves it together with a present-day plot to steal the jewel from the Smithsonian Institute.

We follow Alex and Isaac Weld, the most lucrative jewel thieves in the world, in their quest to steal the gem, which according to legend was once the eye of a Hindu idol named Rama Sita. When it was stolen in the 17th century, it is said that the idol cursed all those who would possess it. That won’t stop the brilliant and ruthless Weld brothers.

However, they are not prepared for Dr. Abigail Mitchell, the beautiful Smithsonian Director, who has her own connection to the Hope Diamond and a deadly secret to keep. Abby committed long ago that she would not serve a god made with human hands, and the “eye of the god” is no exception. Her desire is not for wealth, but for wisdom. She seeks not power, but restoration.

When the dust settles over the last great adventure of the Hope Diamond, readers will understand the “curse” that has haunted its legacy is nothing more than the greed of evil men who bring destruction upon themselves. No god chiseled from stone can direct the fates of humankind, nor can it change the course of God’s story.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of eye of the god, go HERE
My thoughts:
I loved this book. It contains a lot of history about the Hope Diamond, which I found fascinating. The plot was intriguing - I was never sure until the end who the bad guys really were. The author had a way of writing the story so I was totally surprised by a couple of things at the end.
I do feel that there wasn't much of a Christian element in the book. There was no language, but I do like a Christian fiction book where God is more central to the book. I was left wondering for most of the book if the main character was a Christian or not. Other than that, I thought the book was excellent. Not only a great suspense novel, but I did learn a lot about the Hope Diamond.

The Bridge, Revisited

It is a beautiful day in Ohio, so I decided to head out for the covered bridge and bike/walking trail near me. Armed with my Ipod, camera, and cell phone, I set out mainly to take some pictures, and get a little walk in. I took pictures previously and posted, but it all looks different in the fall.

Below, a hillside off Route 45 close to the covered bridge


The trail

The "rest area", surrounded by fallen leaves. I have yet to take advantage of it since it is so close to where I get on the trail.

Another view of the trail

Not sure what kind of tree this is, but the leaves are fairly large

Some pretty leaves I spotted from the trail

A chipmunk who posed long enough for me to take two pictures. He said he wants to be a model.

A view from the trail. The creek is visible far below that the covered bridge crosses.

The Eagelton Road entrance to the Greenway Trail. I saw the funniest thing on the trail - an older couple riding some kind of 2-person bicycle, but they sat side-by-side, and both pedaled. There was a space underneath that had a box - I assume food, etc, and they had a stereo mounted on it somewhere that was playing a radio station. :-)

I met the nicest older couple at the bridge. His grandfather built the bridge. We chatted about covered bridges, trips they took, and I offered to a picture of them together in front of the bridge, and in return, she took a couple of me - should have had her use the close-up, but maybe it is a good thing I can't be seen well. :-)

The bridge, without me in front of it.

Interior shot

Living on the "edge"

Author Mike Dellosso, whose book Scream was reviewed by me on my blog (http://thoughtsofasojourner.blogspot.com/2009/10/scream.html) - has been discussing some interesting topics about Christian books. His latest, "Living on the edge" talks about authors who try to be "edgy" by pushing the envelope with what they write. Check out his blog post, and give your thoughts - he has some great thoughts on the subject: wide-eyed fiction.

Happy Birthday, Stephanie

I want to wish my niece, Stephanie, a happy 14th birthday. Fourteen years ago today, I sat in the waiting room waiting to become an uncle for the first time. I was so badly hoping for a nephew, but I got two more nieces before my other sister married and finally had three boys, but I love them all equally.

Stephanie is no longer a little girl - they do grow up so fast. I am proud of you sweetie, and love you a lot. Happy birthday.

Swine Flu

Saw this on Twitter and loved it:

H1N1 hits the 100 acre wood

A Great Waitress

My nieces are spending the night at my parents' house, so my mom took the three of them and myself out to eat at a pizza buffet we like. The waitress went beyond the call of duty, and was tipped well for her efforts.

First off: she gave a discount on my youngest niece, even though she was a year too old for it.

Secondly, my mom was going to order a small pizza to take to my dad, and the waitress gave her a box and told her to get a couple of pieces from the buffet instead - I think she knew my nieces didn't eat their share.

And thirdly, she really made my day: I asked if she could have a cherry dessert pizza made, and when it came out of the oven, she brought a pan with at least 8 pieces straight to our table, so I'd be sure to get some of it - since the pan was on our table, that meant we had to eat it all. What an awesome waitress!

In The Arms of Immortals By Ginger Garrett

Book description:

In the Arms of Immortals travels a richly imagined journey into a key moment of history...the arrival of the Black Death in Europe. Tautly suspenseful and deeply moving, this novel will deftly lift readers into its fascinating narrative of angels and demons, mortality and immortality.

My thoughts:

This is probably one of the most different books I have ever read. It is historical fiction about the forces of evil verses the forces of good. It is a little bit medieval. If you enjoy books

about spiritual warfare, this is a book - and series - you should read.

About the author:

Ginger Garrett is the critically acclaimed author of Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther, which was recognized as one of the top five novels of 2006 by the ECPA, and Dark Hour. An expert in ancient women's history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by The New York Times, NPR, Billy Graham's The Hour of Decision," The Harvest Show, Fox News, and many other outlets.


Review by Vicki.