by admin | Jun 4, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction
MY REVIEW:
It is amazing how quickly life can change – how everything you take for granted can be snatched away in an instant. One would hope you would react appropriately and courageously but the initial shock might induce the opposite reaction. I personally hope I never have to learn that particular lesson the way Claire Massey did.
“A Woman of Fortune” chronicles what happened to the Massey family after a criminal investigation leads to the loss of nearly everything. Reactions of each family member differed in sometimes surprising ways. Claire experienced a gamut of emotions as she found her life changing daily. Her decisions were not always applauded by others but she was determined to make a future for herself. Forced to choose between bitterness and forgiveness, Claire bravely sought to do the right thing.
Well written and honest, “A Woman of Fortune” was not always easy to read due to some of its gritty but tactful scenes. The story contained valuable lessons for everyone – not just the very rich and powerful who find themselves taken down a peg or two. A thoughtful story with a strong theme of forgiveness and restoration, this novel is well worth reading.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
You never know what you’re really made of until you lose everything.
Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream–designer clothes, luxury cars, stunning homes. But everything comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must face incredible odds to save her family–and discover a life worth living.
Author Kellie Coates Gilbert delivers a story both poignant and emotionally gripping that celebrates the kind of fortune that lasts.
Read an excerpt from “A Woman of Fortune” HERE.
Endorsements:
“In a story torn from the headlines, Kellie Coates Gilbert follows the roller-coaster ride of a white-collar fall from grace. With a unique feel for one woman’s struggle to heal the wounds of broken trust, A Woman of Fortune delves deftly into the meaning of family, the bonds of love, and the healing power of faith.”
Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Wildwood Creek and The Prayer Box
“Gilbert’s writing is smooth and engaging, and she explores emotional issues with grace.”
Julie Kibler, bestselling author of Calling Me Home
“Kellie Coates Gilbert has penned an emotionally complex story, depicting how the powerful Massey family handles a critical disruption in their lives. As each member of the family deals with the damage differently, their journey inspires us to explore our own hearts and our ability to survive painful challenges with our souls intact.”
Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Into the Free and When Mountains Move
“I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t look away as Claire Massey’s seemingly idyllic life shattered around her well-heeled feet. Kellie Coates Gilbert takes an engrossing, all-too-real story of crime and greed and surprises us with a tribute to the overcoming power of true love.”
Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, the Belle of All Things Southern and author of Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy
“Kellie Coates Gilbert’s background as a legal investigator sets A Woman of Fortune apart. Countless times throughout this harrowing story, I found myself engrossed not only in the plot and characters but also in the detail given to the Massey family’s tumble from fortune and subsequent rise to the true meaning of life and love. Heroine Claire Massey’s decision to embrace forgiveness after such an intense betrayal will surely resonate with readers from every walk of life.”
Jolina Petersheim, bestselling author of The Outcast
“From the heights of glittering Dallas society to gray prison walls, Kellie Coates Gilbert deftly draws readers into a world of privilege, avarice, betrayal, and ultimately, redemption. A Woman of Fortune, the story of one woman’s struggle to know herself and protect her family, is not to be missed.”
Cathleen Armstrong, award-winning author of Welcome to Last Chance and One More Last Chance
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who investigated the largest cattle fraud case in US history. Her legal experience gives her an insider’s view into how people react under pressure. Gilbert explores the complexity of relationships in her emotionally charged stories about women in life-changing circumstances. The author of Mother of Pearl, she currently lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband. Learn more at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com.
by admin | Jun 4, 2014 | Books, Historical, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingA Place in His HeartRevell (June 3, 2014)byRebecca DeMarinoABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rebecca DeMarino was born in Pensacola, Florida, the daughter of a Navy pilot. Her mother made a home for the family of six all over the map, including Virginia, Nevada, California, Washington, and Guam, before her parents put down anchor on a ranch in Oregon.
As the wife of a young Air Force officer, married life brought more travel. She relied on her mother’s example of how to make a home anywhere. Her three beautiful daughters were born in Florida, Alaska and Nebraska.
Retired after sixteen years with a major airline, she manages to fulfill her love of wanderlust with frequent family or research trips.
Rebecca grew up listening to her mother’s family lore of a great-grandfather from generations ago. Barnabas Horton sailed from England in the 1600’s, to Long Island, N.Y., on a ship called The Swallow. In 1999, after she found Horton Point, L.I., on a map, Rebecca and her mother made the journey to see the lighthouse named after their ancestor.
The legend goes that Barnabas brought a slab of blue slate with him from England, and had the epitaph he wrote himself engraved on it. The blue slate still exists in the Old Cemetery in Southold, L.I., with the Bible verse, “He being dead, still speaketh.” Much information was found about Barnabas, but none of his wife, save a mention in his will.
Her mother passed away in 2005, but Rebecca returned to Southold many times, drawn by her Puritan roots and English heritage. Each time she wondered about her ninth great-grandmother, a young woman who married a widower with two young boys and then followed them for the wilds of Long Island, leaving behind her home and family. What were her dreams? Her motivations? Her fears?
Rebecca’s historical romance novel, A PLACE IN HIS HEART, debuts with Revell, a division of Baker Publishing House, in June of 2014.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Puritan Barnabas Horton is still in love with his deceased wife and needs only a mother for his two young sons. And yet these two very different people with very different expectations will take a leap of faith, wed, and then embark on a life-changing journey across the ocean to the Colonies. Along the way, each must learn to live in harmony, to wait on God, and to recognize true love where they least expect to find it.
This heartfelt tale of love and devotion is based on debut author Rebecca DeMarino’s own ancestors, who came to Long Island in the mid-1600s to establish a life–and a legacy–in the New World.
If you’d like to read the first chapter of A Place in His Heart, go HERE.
Rebecca is hosting a Giveaway worth over $300.00 in prizes. There will be 8 winners! Scroll to the bottom of the post HERE to enter!!!!!
MY REVIEW:
Overall A Place in His Heart was a fairly interesting book with plenty of good historical information about life during that time frame, especially the different views of the Anglicans and Puritans and living conditions in the New World.
The book was very well written and it was obvious the author did her research. I loved all the details and even learned a few things. I did find it difficult to love the characters though. I thought Barnabas was a selfish jerk and never really understood why Mary loved him. His obsession with his late wife was extreme to say the least and his attitude toward Mary despicable. Despite my loss of patience with her for putting up with Barnabas, I did think Mary was a gem who went out of her way to demonstrate her love for others.
by admin | Jun 3, 2014 | Books, Speculative, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
“Again” is a book for those who enjoy plenty of action, improbable situations that stretch the imagination, a strong dose of humor, and some mystery and suspense. This new ebook by John Leatherman has all of that and more in its nearly 400 pages.
Imagine if you will that for every day on the calendar, you get two bonus “preview” days with the third day the only one that will have permanent history. Some would think that would be a fantastic life with plenty of chances for do-overs and maybe even to cash in on knowledge gained during the first two days. Well, that is how Chance Trifle has lived his entire life but he has not found it to be quite the dream life he would like. In fact, at times it could be like living a nightmare. The story chronicles Chance’s first few days as an intern for a television station following his attempt to prevent the murder of a well-known rock star.
I found that I had to stay on my toes to keep up with everything that happened since there were three versions of each day. Sometimes it seemed that even Chance was confused. Overall, this book was quite entertaining with many laughable moments and some perfect opportunities for reflection.Despite his proclivity for trouble, Chance was a likeable character and I was happy that everything turned out well for him in the end.
This book was provided for review by Glass Road Public Relations.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the incredibly intricate storyteller John Leatherman comes a tale with more twists and turns than any episode of Sherlock.For television news intern Chance Trifle, the third time really is the charm. He experiences every day three times, and only what happens on the third version is permanent. The rest of the world seems unaware that each day has two unofficial versions.
Chance’s foreknowledge allows him to get what he thinks is his ticket to journalistic stardom – video of the murder of pop star Prima by record producer Sam Mason. But each unofficial attempt to release the sensational video goes horribly wrong, so on the official days, Chance keeps it secret. Meanwhile, he juggles relationships with two female interns, Danielle Arbusto and Trish Villanova-both captivated by his apparent cleverness.
With every moment Chance sits on the video, he feels more and more in league with a criminal. Obsessed with finding the right way to protect himself, profit from the video, and keep his girlfriends from finding out about each other, Chance misses hearing about the abduction of five-year-old Wendy Starnes until after his last chance to prevent it. Then as he struggles to help find Starnes, the video goes missing and turns up anonymously on the Web. It’s only a matter of time before someone links it to him-and realizes he could have saved Prima and brought a murderer to justice if he hadn’t been so focused on himself.
On the run from conniving coworkers, spurned lovers, determined detectives, bloodthirsty thugs, and fierce mercenaries, can Chance take his mind off personal gain long enough to realize the right way to use his gift?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
John Leatherman is a freelance writer, editor, cartoonist, blogger, and cruciverbalist. His fiction has won awards from Word Weavers International, American Christian Fiction Writers, Christian Writers Guild, Southern Writers, and Florida Christian Writers. When not writing, drawing, editing, puzzling, and fighting crime, Mr. Leatherman maintains a secret identity as a Central Florida software consultant with two kids.
