I have to be honest about this book – I finally finished it but never could get at all involved with the characters. Sometimes a Light Surprises is primarily about a self-absorbed man who essentially ignored his four children for over twenty years after his wife’s unsolved murder. Although the focus was on events and people who influenced Ben’s slow journey toward emotional healing, in my opinion he still remained apathetic and self-centered. His attempts to reconnect with his children were half-hearted at best. At least he did realize what a poor father he had been.
Several other characters in the spotlight included Ben’s daughter Erin, his secretary Caroline, and Kelly, the daughter of his wife’s friend. Each of these women had struggles of her own yet nothing was ever resolved for them. This would leave ample opportunity for a sequel but I can’t say I care enough to find out what happens to them. All things considered, I found the lack of resolution to be somewhat disappointing.
One positive thing I can say is that through dialogue and events the author presented the Lord’s caring involvement in the daily lives of people. However the portrayal of Christians included Shelley and her husband who wanted everyone to know about all their good deeds; Macon Mahoney, a vendor who was portrayed as eccentric; and Kelly, timid and afraid to share her faith. Yes, I know this is realistic – I have known people like each of them – but somehow I felt like an opportunity was missed, especially with Macon Mahoney.
If you like a fast moving, exciting novel, you should probably pass this one by. On the other hand, if you like thought provoking, analytical books, Sometimes a Light Surprises just might be for you.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ben Buckley has never gotten over the loss of his wife. More bewildering than the mystery surrounding her death is the radical change that occurred in her shortly beforehand–a “conversion,” she had called it. Baffled, angry, and still feeling guilty for the way he’d withdrawn from her during those final weeks, Ben now lives behind the protective walls of severed relationships and rigid routines.
An unlikely young woman knocks on the door of his narrow world. Her simple honesty and childlike faith are incomprehensible to him, but in spite of his misgivings Ben finds himself on a journey he never would have begun on his own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jamie Langston Turner, author of six novels and winner of a Christy Award, has been a teacher for more than thirty years. Currently a professor of creative writing and poetry at Bob Jones University, she lives with her husband in Greenville, South Carolina. Visit www.jamielangstonturner.com
Wanda Dyson lives with her severely autistic teenager on a busy farm with horses, chickens, dogs, cats, rabbits, and the occasional fox, deer, groundhog, and snake. She could seriously live without the snakes, but that’s life in the country.
After writing three critically acclaimed suspense novels, she was asked to write the true story of Tina Zahn (Why I Jumped), which was featured on Oprah. Readers characterize her books as “riviting” and “Packed with twists and turns.”
Wanda serves on the board of several writers conferences across the country including the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference.
Wanda has finished the second in this series called Shepherd’s Run, that will come out in 2010. And she’s hard at work on the third and final installment of the Prodigal Recovery Series – Marti’s story — tentatively called Shepherd’s Quest.
Learn more about Wanda and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Bounty hunter Nick Shepherd is fearless when it comes to chasing down criminals. It’s his difficult ex-wife, rebellious teenage daughter, and dysfunctional siblings that keep him awake at night. In charge of the family business, the Prodigal Recovery Agency, he thinks of himself as a shepherd of sorts. When his “flock” is out of his control, Nick’s well-ordered universe falls into chaos.
Prodigal Recovery’s search for Zeena, a prostitute on the run, leads to a faulty arrest, complicating Nick’s business. He is thrown together with Zeena’s twin, the beautiful Annie, and the two find themselves on a desperate search. The stakes significantly increase when Nick’s daughter is kidnapped. Now, to save someone he loves, Nick must risk everything, but will it be enough?
The first book in Dyson’s new Prodigal Recovery Series, Shepherd’s Fall focuses on Nick the oldest Shepherd whose father left him in charge of the family bounty hunter agency. Nick’s life is complicated by a business that needs financial help, a brother who doesn’t meet his expections, a missing sister, tension with his exwife, and a teenage daughter who is acting out. What he doesn’t need is more stress but that is just what he gets (and more) when a man he helped put away is determined to follow through on his threat of revenge.
Well crafted characters and a plot with enough twists and turns to keep most readers guessing makes Shepherd’s Fall a book to keep you turning pages until the very end. One thing for certain, nothing in this narrative is quite what it seems – there are surprises around every corner! Shepherd’s Fall is filled with danger and suspense but also holds some serious lessons in relationships. I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good mystery and am looking forward to the next installment myself.
When I first began reading Words Unspoken I was unsure if I would be able to stick with it long enough to finish it. The storyline shifted to numerous characters with apparently no connections. However, my persistence was rewarded when all the loose ends began to come together and by the end were all neatly joined. Was it all just coincidence or was there a master plan that brought them all together?
The characterizations and dialogue in Words Unspoken were superb. These characters were real! Each one of them had real life issues and the author expertly revealed the motivations of each one.
Words Unspokenis ultimately about words – the words in our heads that constantly blame and berate, the words we imagine from others , the words we misinterpret, and the words that soothe and heal. It is also about how one person who follows their divine call can positively change the lives of others. It is an emotional ride filled with nuggets of wisdom, hope, and redemption.
I definitely recommend Words Unspoken. Why don’t you check it out for yourself?
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lissa Randall’s future was bright with academic promise until the tragic accident that took her mother’s life–and brought her own plans to a screeching halt. Eighteen months later, she still can’t get back behind the wheel. A casual recommendation to Ev MacAllister’s driving school sets in motion a cascade of events… until Lissa begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, life isn’t as random as she has always thought. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, Words Unspoken weaves together a vibrant cast of characters whose intertwining stories of courage, choice, heartbreak, and hope will hold readers captive until the final page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon’s editors. Words Unspoken is her seventh novel. Visit Elizabeth’s Web site at www.elizabethmusser.com
Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly crafted fiction novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.
In The Vanishing Sculptor, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon–and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donita K. Paul is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and eight novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles, a series which has sold more than a quarter million books to date. The winner of multiple awards, she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spends time mentoring and encouraging young writers. Visit her online at donitakpaul.com.
MY REVIEW:
The Vanishing Sculptoris a delightful tale set in a make believe medieval type world brimming with dragons, intelligent talking birds, wizards, heroes and villains. As in any self-respecting fantasy, the reader will find a group of improbable heroes on a quest to save the world from impending disaster. And as expected, the allies run into assorted difficulties and corrupt men determined to stop them.
Complete with drama and humor, The Vanishing Sculptorhas a subtle Christian message and many positive lessons for life. This engaging book should appeal to audiences both young and old.
You can purchase your own copy of The Vanishing Sculptor at Random House.
I have one copy of The Firstborn to give to a lucky reader.This contest will be listed both on this blog and at my mirror at http://daysongreflections.blogspot.com.
To enter, leave a comment on this post by Sunday, June 28. I will draw one name from all entries and announce the winner on Monday, June 29. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.
Born in 1984, Conlan Brown was functionally illiterate until the fifth grade, when he learned how to read and write, as well as a love of story, from his grandmother. Conlan went on to start college at the age of sixteen, and now holds a Master’s degree in Communication, which taught him the academic principles needed to write Firstborn.
Conlan lives on Colorado’s Front Range where he is working on his next book. He enjoys video editing, film scores, and developing high octane, thought provoking fiction that turns pages and excites the senses.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Three supernatural gifts. Two thousand years of division. One moment of truth.
Hannah’s head hung, long brown hair in her eyes. Her face felt pasty with cold and fatigue and pain. Arms behind her back, she sat in a chair, wrists and ankles tied to the wooden frame, chair legs bolted to the floor. A cold car. A gun. Horror. Pain. Grief. Screaming. A windshield blistering with holes. Darkness.
It all came over her like a flood. A pouring out of pictures in her mind. But then there was one more thing. Not an image, but a feeling–that half a continent away someone else had felt it all happening too.
The Firstborn, those gifted with Foresight, Hindsight, and Insight at the time of Christ’s death are divided between themselves. And when an Islamic holy man is murdered outside of his mosque it becomes apparent that one of the Firstborn was to blame. Now, with the threat of a terrorist attack on an unspeakable target the Firstborn are spiraling out of control. Leaders are dying, members are being kidnapped, and unity is being forced. Three heroes, differently gifted and divided must work together to thwart those who would go too far.
Their breakneck race against time plunges them into a world of danger and through a gauntlet across the United States. From the Riverwalk of San Antonio, where Devin Bathurst, John Temple, and Hannah Rice must protect one another from assassination, to the gritty streets of Washington DC, a paramilitary compound in Pennsylvania, and ultimately back to our nation’s capital, the Firstborn must unite to prevent an impending atrocity from becoming reality.
Watch The Trailer
If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of The Firstborn, go HERE
MY REVIEW:
The Firstborn is an intense suspenseful tale that will keep the reader turning the pages until the end. With a unique premise and interesting characters, Conlan Brown has released a sure-fire first novel that makes me look forward to his future offerings.
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I have to be honest about this book – I finally finished it but never could get at all involved with the characters. Sometimes a Light Surprises is primarily about a self-absorbed man who essentially ignored his four children for over twenty years after his wife’s unsolved murder. Although the focus was on events and people who influenced Ben’s slow journey toward emotional healing, in my opinion he still remained apathetic and self-centered. His attempts to reconnect with his children were half-hearted at best. At least he did realize what a poor father he had been.
Jamie Langston Turner, author of six novels and winner of a Christy Award, has been a teacher for more than thirty years. Currently a professor of creative writing and poetry at Bob Jones University, she lives with her husband in Greenville, South Carolina. Visit www.jamielangstonturner.com
Lissa Randall’s future was bright with academic promise until the tragic accident that took her mother’s life–and brought her own plans to a screeching halt. Eighteen months later, she still can’t get back behind the wheel. A casual recommendation to Ev MacAllister’s driving school sets in motion a cascade of events… until Lissa begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, life isn’t as random as she has always thought. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, Words Unspoken weaves together a vibrant cast of characters whose intertwining stories of courage, choice, heartbreak, and hope will hold readers captive until the final page.
Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly crafted fiction novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.
Donita K. Paul is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and eight novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles, a series which has sold more than a quarter million books to date. The winner of multiple awards, she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spends time mentoring and encouraging young writers. Visit her online at donitakpaul.com.
