The Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible

The stars of the hit TV show Duck Dynasty are committed to upholding five core values both on and off the screen: faith, family, fellowship, forgiveness, and freedom.

The Duck Commander® Faith and Family Bible features new stories and testimonials by Phil, the Robertson family patriarch, and his son Al, a pastor with more than 22 years of experience. Together they offer fresh wisdom on biblical values and how everyday people can apply them to their lives.

Powered by relentless dedication to sharing the gospel and celebrating Christ’s kingdom, the Robertson family has become influential to contemporary evangelism and discipleship. The Duck Commander® Faith and Family Bibleunleashes the power of their practical insight into critical faith issues, founded on God’s Word.

Features include:

• Full text of the New King James Version Bible
• A personal welcome note from Phil and Al Robertson
• 125 articles on the top 24 most-searched topics on BibleGateway
• Life application and scripture references supplement each article
• 30 days of life-changing testimonials
• Topical index and reading plans

My review:

   I have never watched one episode of Duck Dynasty, but am very familiar with the show and see their merchandise in stores. When I saw this come up for review, I decided to check it out.

 The Bible is the New King James Version, one of my favorites. It is edited by Phil and Al Robertson. In addition to the features listed above, there are also 52 articles written by each of them to read once a week on different subjects, followed by a "on the hunt" section, which gives Scripture verses that apply to the subject they discussed. 

 The two Robertson guys have a lot of good things to say in the pages they have written, but it is not a Bible most people would want to buy unless they are a big fan of the show. It has some cool and valuable things in it, but a study Bible it is not, and does not have any notes on the verses. 

 

  It is an attractive and well put together Bible though, and would make an excellent gift for the Duck Dynasty fan on your Christmas list.

The Bible is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to Book Look Bloggers for the review copy.

The Heretic by Henry Vyner-Brooks

In 1536 it seems the entire known world is changing--strange new lands are discovered and the Reformation is challenging Rome and its power. In England the king's declaration of a new church and dissolution of the monasteries overturns the customs and authorities of centuries. In the new world order, spies abound and no one can be trusted.

To Brother Pacificus of the Abbey of St. Benet's in Norfolk, it looks like his abbey alone will be spared dissolution. But this last Benedictine house is mired in murder and intrigue. Then when Pacificus falls under suspicion, more than his own dark past comes to light, while the body count keeps rising. Pacificus's fate becomes entwined with that of three local children after their parents are arrested for treason and heresy. Protected only by this errant monk, a mysterious leper, and a Dutch eel-catcher, the children must quickly adjust; seeking their own identity, they soon find that neither parents nor protectors are quite what they seem.

Based on historical events, this post-medieval mystery is laced with romance, fueled by greed, and punctuated with bouts of feasting, smuggling, and jailbreak.

My review:
   I found this book a little hard to get into, but it got easier to read and more interesting as I went along. It is set in a time period I don't often read about in fiction books, the 1500's, but it turned out to have some fascinating information in it. We take our religious freedoms for granted, and a book like this shows what a world is like where people are burned at the stake and hunted down for daring to believe and live as the Bible says, not as the government and/or church says.

  I liked the main character, the plot, and setting, and once I got into the book, I found it a very interesting and informative read.


The Heretic is available from Kregel Publishing.
Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.
  

In Pursuit of Wisdom by Steve Shoemake

"If there is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?"

It is a timeless question, and one that hangs over all the people of Tenebrae, who have lost faith in a Dark World. Against this backdrop is a quest -- a quest for the famed Staff of Insight, capable of revealing truth to the one who holds it. In a world where deception, strife, hatred, cruelty, and betrayal are the everyday norms, imagine the power of a person who wielded such a staff. Every motivation revealed. Every lie and half-truth exposed. It is an artifact blessed by the One True God -- one of three Artifacts of the Ancients.

This is a story of a young man of extraordinary skill coming of age. Abandoned by his parents as a babe, he recognizes that the key to finding this ancient staff is to first find the answers to his own past. And it is those answers that lead him in pursuit of wisdom -- for himself -- and for all of Tenebrae.

My review:

    I don't read much fantasy, but was asked if I'd review this, so I decided to give it a shot. I didn't realize how long of a book it was, coming in at 652 pages, and had so many other books to review, it had to wait a while since we had other things going on.

  The book was a little slow starting, but once it got going, I was able to get into it and enjoy it. Still, even for a fast reader like me, it took me a long time to read the whole book. One positive of a long book is being able to spend more time on character development, and the author did so. I liked the characters, especially the main character, and the changes he went through.

  The book has themes of redemption, even amid troubled and dark times, and though the book is not suspense, there was a lot of action and surprises along the way. I recommend it to readers of fantasy with a spiritual application.

About the author:

Steve began his writing career more than 25 years ago...outlining the challenges of a Dark World looking for a glimmer of hope. In between marrying the woman he met in an acting class, raising kids, and a consulting career, he decided to bring the story to life, and hopes you enjoy immersing yourself in that world. Who knows -- you may even see some relevance to ours...

  

Thanks to the author and his wife for the review copy.

Walk to Beautiful by Jimmy Wayne and Ken Abraham

Imagine being thirteen, in a strange city, hundreds of miles away from home, and your mom abandons you at a bus station, driving off into the night with her lover.

It's a miracle Jimmy Wayne survived his growing-up years. Hungry, homeless, and bouncing in and out of the foster care system, Jimmy spent more nights wandering and sleeping in the streets than he cares to remember. His father left before he was born. And his mama, when she wasn't in a mental hospital or behind bars for various small offenses, was simply too overwhelmed, trying to survive herself.

Walk to Beautiful is the powerfully emotive account of Jimmy's childhood and the unconditional love and acceptance Russell and Bea Costner gave to Jimmy. This elderly couple provided a stable home and the chance for him to complete his education. Jimmy says of Bea, "She changed every cell in my body." After his high school graduation, Jimmy went on to earn a degree in Criminal Justice because, as he says, "I knew a lot about it." But in his heart Jimmy wanted to write songs and sing.

A music company opened its doors to Jimmy, and he moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams. He had several memorable hits, such as I Love You This Much, Paper Angels, and Do You Believe Me Now, which remained at #1 for three consecutive weeks on the Billboard Chart.

But success was not satisfying. Jimmy remembered where he came from, and he wanted to give back. With his Meet Me Halfway campaign—a 1,700 mile walk from Nashville to Phoenix—Jimmy walked halfway across America, raising awareness for foster children. Along the way he not only found a lot of crazy things, such as coins, keys, a plastic Jesus, and a Lucille Ball ashtray; but he also found himself. And more important, he found a way to forgive the people who had hurt him. Jimmy learned how to walk to beautiful—and so can you.

My review:

    I was a little familiar with Jimmy Wayne, having heard his song "Paper Angels", and also read the book, and was intrigued by his story, so I requested his book to review when I saw it listed.

  The book should come with a warning. I was moved to tears multiple times, found myself infuriated with adults that could treat a young boy so horribly, and found myself wanting to go out and adopt a bunch of kids who have no one to love them and care for them. It is a very moving and emotional story, and though I didn't read it in one sitting, as time didn't allow that, I would have liked to. It is a very gripping read.

   Jimmy has written a very transparent book by telling his story. He pulls no punches, telling his own shortcomings, as well as those who mistreated him along the way. The book chronicles his early years on up through his rising career as a country music artist, and the the things he faced along the way.

  This will sound cynical of me, but I have always been skeptical of celebrities who claim to be Christian, especially when there is nothing in their life that indicates they have a relationship with Jesus. However, you can see the hand of God on Jimmy Wayne's life, and it is obvious in the way he turned out. Most kids going through what he did would have gone bad, or been killed at a young age, but God sent him to the right people who helped turn his life around and helped him to make something of his life.

  I highly recommend the book. It is sad reading what Jimmy went through as a boy, yet is also an encouraging and inspiring story to see where he has come from to where he is now. This may be the best non-fiction book I have read all year, and possibly the best biography/memoir type of book I have ever read.

About the authors:

Jimmy Wayne is a former foster kid turned country music singer/songwriter whose songs and story highlight his mission to bring awareness to kids who age out of the foster system and become homeless. In 2010 Jimmy walked halfway across America raising awareness for these kids. He won the millionaire award for having 100,000,000 radio spins in America of his song Do You Believe Me Now, is the author of the novel Paper Angels, and the national spokesperson for CASA.

Ken Abraham is a fourteen-time New York Times best-selling author known around the world for his collaborations with high-profile public figures. A former professional musician and pastor, he is a popular guest with both secular and religious media. His books include One Soldier's Story with Bob Dole, Payne Stewart with Tracey Stewart,Falling in Love for All the Right Reasons with Dr. Neil Clark Warren, and Let's Roll! with Lisa Beamer.

Walk to Beautiful is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.

The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson

He felt his face flushing as Cara opened the door. Wearing a garnet-colored knit dress and with her dark hair pinned up, she looked even prettier than he remembered. Suddenly he wished he'd thought to bring a hostess gift. Like a cat.

After years abroad, Garrison Brown finds himself at the home of his beloved grandmother who has just passed away. He must sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While he hopes to dispense with the task quickly--especially since he is severely allergic to cats--his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends. 

Can he match the cats with the perfect new owners? And is it possible that he might meet his own match along the way?

My review:

   Melody Carlson has been publishing a new Christmas book every year for the last several years, and I always look forward to reading her newest Christmas novel, and this year is no different. A couple of years ago, she wrote The Christmas Dog. This year, it is The Christmas Cat.

  This may be her best Christmas novel yet. It isn't a long book, which is good since I didn't want to put it down once I started reading it. It was most entertaining and humorous. A single guy that is allergic to cats, being stuck with finding suitable homes for his aunt's six cats, to fulfill the wishes in her will. Unfortunately, the requirements are pretty rigid, and the young lady he is interested in doesn't fit the bill, so his attempts at romance get off to a rough start.

  The book doesn't have any great moral lesson, though it is commendable how seriously Garrison takes his charge to find a home for six cats, but it is a heartwarming and humorous story that shows what Christmas is all about: giving and caring. I highly recommend it.

About the author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, the Life at Kingston High series, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. She is the winner of aRomantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband live in Oregon.

For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com.

The Christmas Cat is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

One Night In Tehran by Luana Ehrlich

Trained in lies, a covert agent learns the truth 

Veteran CIA officer, Titus Ray--on the run from the Iranian secret police--finds shelter with a group of Iranian Christians in Tehran. While urging Titus to become a believer in Jesus Christ, they manage to smuggle him out of Iran to freedom in Turkey.

Will it help him deal with his past?

Returning to the States, he discovers his Iranian mission failed because of political infighting within the Agency. In a hot-tempered outburst, he delivers a scathing indictment against the Deputy Director of Operations, and, as a result, the deputy forces Titus to take a year's medical leave in Oklahoma.

How will it change his future?

Before leaving Langley, Virginia, Titus learns he's been targeted by a Hezbollah assassin hired by the Iranians. Now, while trying to figure out what it means to be a follower of Christ, he must decide if the Iranian couple he meets in Norman, Oklahoma has ties to the man who's trying to kill him, and if Nikki Saxon, a local detective with an intriguing past, can be trusted with his secrets.

My review:

  Most of my book review opportunities come as offers. This one didn't. I recently started getting emails from a place that lists new books of all genre's - some that I wouldn't consider even reading - and it gives the authors' information if you're interested in reviewing a book. This book was the only Christian book in the email, so I emailed the author and she agreed to send me a copy of her debut novel.

  I started to read it last night. That was a mistake, as I didn't have enough time to read the whole book, so I had to put it down until this evening, and I picked it up again and did read it through to the finish.

  This is a self-published book. And it is an excellent debut novel, especially for being a self-published book (not that self-published books are bad). It is a spy novel, with the main character being a CIA covert agent.  I loved the main character, and thought the author did a great job on creating him and spinning a suspenseful, yet believable story around him.

 There is a lot of meetings, spy talk, and the like in the book, but I didn't find those parts hard to read at all, but found the entire book an interesting and exciting read. There is a total absence of vulgar language and sex in the book, which is a big plus for me. The main character, Titus, has recently become a Christian, and the book follows his slow progress as he starts reading his Bible, attending a church, and praying. He is no super saint by the end of the book, but I loved the character and spiritual development of him throughout the book. And might I add, it was written in the first person point of view, which is not a favorite of mine, but it worked well for this book and helps the reader gain more insight into the main character.

  There is no graphic violence either in the book, and the shooting and action scenes are done well.

  I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and was only disappointed at coming to the end of the book and having it end. The book does say it is a "Titus Ray Thriller", so I assume there will be more books to follow with this same hero. I hope so. Ms. Ehrlich has written a great debut novel that begs for a sequel or two, and I will be watching for any to be published.

Read an excerpt here.

About the author:

Luana picked up her first adult spy novel when she was eleven years old.  Today, she continues to have a passion for the thriller/suspense genre of fiction, along with a smattering of interest in historical fiction. In addition to being an avid reader, she is also a news fanatic, following events around the world on a daily basis, particularly the Middle East.

Luana is a minister's wife and has lived in Norman, Oklahoma for the past two decades. Previously, she resided in several states in the South and Midwest. Along with her husband, she also served as a missionary in Costa Rica and Venezuela.

Occasionally, she reports on the experiences of newly converted Christians for Baptist Press, a national news service for Baptists. At one time, she wrote a weekly column for The Indiana Baptist,  entitled "A Story To Tell," which told the stories of ordinary people who became followers of Christ. Luana is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers.
Visit Luana's Author Profile on Amazon. Visit Luana on Goodreads or Luana Ehrlich on Google +

Thanks to the author for the review copy. Vist her website here.

One Night In Tehran is available on Amazon.com

Interview with the author (from her website)

Q.  Why did you create this series? What was your purpose or message?

  A.  Besides the desire to entertain, I wanted to show how a conversion experience often happens to the most improbable people in the most unlikely of circumstances.  Titus is a career intelligence officer, dedicated to carrying out deceptive, treacherous, sometimes violent, operations against both individuals and governments.  He was raised in a dysfunctional family with no spiritual upbringing, yet, while hiding out from Iran's secret police, he was confronted with the truth of the gospel. 

  Q.  Explain the personal struggles Titus encounters in One Night in Tehran.

  A.  Titus faces something common to any new convert--how to grow in Christ--yet his career as a covert intelligence officer erects some unique barriers to his learning to live the Christian life.  He's been trained in deception and subterfuge, and it's second nature for him to lie.  Thus, as he seeks to be Christ's disciple, he's forced to examine whether he can continue to live the life of a covert operative and still follow the teachings of Jesus.

Q.  What do you want your readers to take away after reading One Night in Tehran? 

  A. First of all, I want this book to be a good read, to be enjoyable, but I also hope any reader struggling with what it means to live a life of faith will identify with Titus as he wrestles with some of the same issues all believers face.  I believe any believer will benefit from what Titus discovers about reading the Bible and the importance of prayer.  Readers will be encouraged by Titus' attempts to tell others of his conversion experience, even when those efforts are met with contempt, misunderstanding, and apathy.

Book trailer:

Done by Christmas by Randall Jarmon

Almost everyone had heard of Victor Taggert. He was imprisoned for secretly orchestrating at least 200 bloody, individual murders over many years.

Almost nobody has heard of Marcus West. He labors in obscurity at his wife's tiny firm, working in a windowless office she calls a cave. He would like to retire, but cannot. He would like his strong-willed daughter to find a husband, but dares not tell her so.

Nonetheless, once Taggert makes a spectacular escape from prison, it us up to Marcus West to stop a new wave of bloody murders. Law enforcement cannot help -- even though West is a mild-mannered, scholarly man in his sixties with nothing at all like a commando background.

Taggert eagerly anticipates easy kills. However, Marcus West has already done something Victor Taggert would never, ever expect: West has wrapped both arms tight around his strong Christian faith. 

My review:
  I had this book sitting in a stack of to read and review for a few months, and finally had time to read it. The author is new to me, and he had emailed me to ask me to review it. I never know what to expect in a case like that, but the book was well worth reading.

  The book is suspense/mystery, which is my favorite to read, and it was a very enjoyable read. The plot was well done,and the suspense kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read. It is a good sign if I don't want to put a book down, and thus was the case with this one.

 There was a lot of tech talk in the book, and a couple of times I skimmed that, but for the most part it was kept interesting enough to not lose a reader not into tech terminology.

  I really liked the characters. A close family running a business and working for the government. At first, I found the one man, Logan's, talents and fighting abilities a bit over the top, but then some back story was given that could be very plausible in real life.

   It is a good author who can write a book like this and avoid bad language, and this author did that. There were a few implied instances of sex, but it wasn't at all graphic or out of place. There was a Christian message throughout the book, and also the message that God will protect and help His people when they pray.

  I thoroughly enjoyed the book. There are parts that could possibly have used a little tweaking, but nothing so much that made the book not worth reading. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good Christian suspense.

About the author (in his words):

My name’s Randall Jarmon. I’m a West Texan living about where the Heart of Cowboy Country intersects the Bible Belt — right on the edge of the vast Palo Duro Canyon. It’s a good land, with wonderful people and dramatic scenery. I like walking through parts of it with my dog, a golden retriever named Virgil. He’s a native Texan. I got here by living in other places first.

I spent a few years in the Army: jump school, ranger school, jungle school, Vietnam, and eventually Fort Bragg. It’s one way to learn tactics and ordnance. I also fought on a karate team for awhile, which helps me write a good fight scene. These days, however, my description of somebody’s roundhouse kick far surpasses my own roundhouse kick.

I likely spent too many years in school before realizing I really wanted to be a novelist. I became an engineer, an MBA, and then a PhD teaching college. I especially liked the statistics I got to use in the last job, but grading student research papers can be tedious.

Over many years I’ve met, talked with, worked beside, or simply watched all sorts of fascinating people. All that interaction now helps me invent interesting characters. My villains are always worse than I am; my heroes are always better.

I like to think my books will get you through a three-plane travel day. For me, those days go better if I’ve got a good suspense novel with in hand. You might feel about the same. If so, I’ve tried to make sure my novels won’t disappoint you. Ideally, you won’t even notice an hour spent waiting on airport tarmac.

Thanks to the author for the review copy.
Check out his website at RandallJarmon.com.