by admin | Nov 5, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Love Inspired, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingSaved by the FiremanLove Inspired (October 21, 2014)byAllie PleiterABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and nonfiction. An avid knitter, harp player and non-reformed chocoholic, she spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in speech from Northwestern University and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing eight years ago has blossomed into a career that includes numerous public speaking engagements, two books on parenting; Becoming a Chief Home Officer and Facing Every Mom’s Fears and now novels for Steeple Hill Books. She is the mother of two children and, most recently, a Havanese dog named Bella.
Learn more about Allie and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Building their future
Charlotte Taylor isn’t good at playing it safe. Reeling from the sudden loss of her job and her beloved grandmother, Charlotte knows buying a dilapidated cottage in Gordon Falls isn’t exactly practical. Especially since she just hired the one man who may love the property more than she does to help renovate it. Volunteer firefighter and part-time contractor Jesse Sykes can’t stay mad at Charlotte for very long. Though she snatched up the home he’d planned on purchasing, Charlotte’s dreams are big enough for both of them…if only she’d let him in. Charlotte promised she’d never fall for a first responder, but is it already too late?
Gordon Falls: Hearts ablaze in a small town
If you would like to read the first chapter of Saved by the Fireman, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Saved by the Fireman is a sweet contemporary romance in the Love Inspired series. Set in the small town of Gordon Falls, the story features Charlotte Taylor, a young woman whose life has suddenly tilted due to the death of her much loved grandmother and the loss of her job. With the money inherited from her grandmother, Charlotte purchases a run-down house in Gordon Falls where her best friend and two cousins live. Although she is not in the market for love, nevertheless it seems that God may have something else in mind for Charlotte.
As with most Love Inspired books, Saved by the Fireman can be quickly read and is a satisfying tale for those who love romance novels. I liked both Charlotte and Jesse as main characters and also enjoyed renewing my acquaintance with characters from an earlier novel in the Gordon Falls series. The plot moved along at a good rate and carried just the right amount of romantic tension. The author worked a nice spiritual message into the story without seeming to preach. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys short romantic novels.
by admin | Nov 1, 2014 | Books, Historical, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
It has been awhile since I read a novel by Kelly Eileen Hake and I had forgotten just how much I have enjoyed them in the past. Her characters are always so very well fleshed out that they seem as if they could be a part of your own circle of friends and acquaintances. Hake’s books always have just the right balance of humor and drama and include wonderful examples of how both honorable and dishonorable people tend to act.
I loved all the Darlyn sisters as well as hero Greyson Wilder and his sidekick Miles. The Darlyn sisters exemplified the love and loyalty that should exist between family members yet were unique individuals in their own right. Their father had taught each of them skills considered not to be appropriate for women in order to enable them to protect themselves and each had excelled in the skill of her choice. Anyone would have to admire Grey, a man tortured with guilt over the death of his wife but who couldn’t stop himself from running to the aid of anyone in trouble and standing up for the underdog. He also could not stop himself from falling in love with the oldest Darlyn sister Bea.
“Trails and Targets” is one of those books that makes me wish I had the entire series in hand right now. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the Dangerous Darlyns series. Kelly, I hope you are writing fast!
This book was provided for review by The Book Club Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The four Darlyn sisters discover the family farm is mortgaged to the hilt when their father falls desperately ill. Plagued by a creditor with designs on more than their land, will a traveling stranger be the answer to their prayers? Greyson Wilder, searching for buffalo bones, is surprised to find himself saddled with a slew of sisters, instead. But it’s the eldest—sharpshooting Beatrix—who hits the mark of his lonely heart.
Armed with courage, cleverness, and some seriously unconventional skills, Grey and Bea just might find a new future to fight for. Join the fun on a journey filled with trouble, Trails & Targets!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelly Eileen Hake received her first writing contract at the tender age of seventeen and arranged to wait three months until she was able to legally sign it. Since that first contract a decade ago, she’s fulfilled twenty contracts ranging from short stories to novels. In her spare time, she’s attained her BA in English literature and composition, earned her credential to teach English in secondary schools, and went on to complete her MA in writing popular fiction.
Writing for Barbour combines two of Kelly’s great loves-history and reading. A CBA bestselling author and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she’s been privileged to earn numerous Heartsong Presents Reader’s Choice Awards and is known for her witty, heartwarming historical romances. A newlywed, she and her gourmet-chef husband live in Southern California with their golden lab mix, Midas.
by admin | Nov 1, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
I had no idea what to expect when I chose to review “Playing Saint” by new novelist Zachary Bartels. Shortly after I selected it, I began to see glowing recommendations for it by other authors, many of whose books I enjoy. I was encouraged to think I had made a good choice and was eager to find a block of time in my schedule to read it.
All I can say is “wow!” What an eclectic cast of characters and a riveting plot that kept me in the dark almost to the end! Who else would think to combine a popular television preacher with a positive message with a group of Jesuit priests, a highly visible self-proclaimed satanist, and several police detectives?
Parker Saint is a successful pastor and TV preacher with nowhere to go but up when he is practically forced into consulting with the police on a series of murders with eerily similar occult type symbols left on the bodies of the victims. Parker’s beliefs and lifestyle are challenged at every turn and his life will never be the same … if he lives! “Playing Saint” is a tale that will have its readers holding their breath from one riveting scene to another. The author scatters clues quite liberally along the way. The only problem is that it is much to easy to fall for the obvious culprit and this author was quite skilled at distracting the reader from the real murderer with a scapegoat who so obviously fit the bill.
“Playing Saint” is a superb first novel in the tradition of such noted authors as Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. Bartels is not afraid of the tough or controversial subjects such as the demonic realm and secret orders of Jesuit priests. I particularly liked the way he portrayed Parker Saint’s self-examination and his realization of how far off-track he had strayed.
I recommend “Playing Saint” to all who enjoy a good suspense novel with a strong supernatural theme. It may be a bit too graphic for some readers but I did not find anything at all about the book to be offensive.
This book was provided for review by the BookLook
Blogger Program of Harper Collins Christian Publishing..
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Yesterday, Parker Saint’s only concern was his swiftly rising star power.
Today, he’s just trying to stay alive.
Parker Saint is living the dream. A cushy job at a thriving megachurch has him on the verge of becoming a bestselling author and broadcast celebrity—until life takes an abrupt turn that lands him on the wrong side of the law. To avoid a public scandal, he agrees to consult with the police on a series of brutal murders linked by strange religious symbols scrawled on each victim.
Parker tries to play the expert, but he is clearly in over his head. Drawn ever deeper into a web of intrigue involving a demanding detective, a trio of secretive Vatican operatives, and a centuries-old conspiracy to conceal a mysterious relic, he realizes for the first time that the battle between good and evil is all too real—and that the killer is coming back . . . this time for him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Zachary Bartels is the author of Playing Saint. An award-winning preacher and Bible teacher, he serves as pastor of Judson Baptist Church in Lansing, MI, where he lives with his wife Erin and their son. You can find him online at www.zacharybartels.com.
