by admin | Nov 24, 2015 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Connie Almony is an author to keep your eye on. Not only are her novels well written and easy to read but she is not afraid to tackle tough issues in them. That she does so with such tact and realism without the crudeness one might find in a secular novel just increases my respect for her writing.
I love Connie’s down-to-earth characters who are broken and have things in their past they would rather not come to the light. Even as strong Christians, their struggle to follow their faith is one most believers should be able to identify with. Despite characters with ugly pasts and only too human personal battles, “Flee From Evil” has a strong message of faith that flows through its pages.
“Flee From Evil” is a romantic suspense novel with a plot that entrapped me until it’s very end. I was not much use around the house until I finished reading it. The story has just the right amount of danger, mystery, and romance with a touch of occasional humor.
I would highly recommend this novel and am considering purchasing a paperback copy for my keeper shelf.
I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A pastor with a past uses his underworld connections to try and save the child of the woman he wronged many years ago.
Pastor Vince Steegle thought his destructive beginnings were ancient history, but the ramifications of his prior choices just walked in the door of his church. Is Romans 8:28 really true? Can God really make all things good? Or is Vince’s past just too ugly?
After the death of her much-beloved husband, Cassandra Whitaker is looking for security for her children. One, a teen on the cusp of womanhood. The other, a young boy struggling with the effects of autism. But there are those who seek to destroy them. Can Cassandra keep her family safe, or must she flee from evil?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
She’s just a suburb gal from the Baltimore-Washington megalopolis. And that’s what Connie Almony’s fiction is about, a diverse population which is truly, and beautifully, colorful.
Trained as a mental health counselor, she hopes you won’t hold that against her. Though this training helps her delve into the motivations that drive her characters, she promises not to therapize you.
Her favorite things to do include listening to awesome Christian Contemporary music (like Third Day and NeedtoBreathe) and read great stories with colorful characters while spending time with her adoring family. She loves to brainstorm with her almost thirteen-year-old daughter, who writes chapter books on the side, and share peaceful moments with her sixteen-year-old son (who’s like a gentle breeze).
The bantering style of her characters is inspired by her husband’s deep love of mischief, particularly that which craves a sharp response ;o). Still, she loves him anyway … which covers a multitude of sins. She’s been married almost twenty years and counts each one better than the one before.
See more on ConnieAlmony.com
by admin | Nov 23, 2015 | Books, Christmas, Contemporary Fiction
MY REVIEW:
One of my guilty pleasures this time of year is reading Christmas novels. I love having the excuse that I need to review them! Because of my reviewer/blogger status, I have had the opportunity to read all of Dan Walsh’s Christmas novels and am so thankful that I was introduced to his books. “Keeping Christmas” is another winner from this excellent author who always manages to touch my heart.
A story about empty-nesters Stan and Anna who are spending Thanksgiving and Christmas without their children for the first time, “Keeping Christmas” resonated with some of my own feelings this year. This is also the first year that my daughter will be over a thousand miles away for the holidays and like Stan and Anna, there is really nothing I can do but make the best of it. So yes, it was very easy for me to empathize with Anna.
For much of the story, I was not sure how much Stan even cared. He was so wrapped up in his excitement over the new fishing boat he and a friend planned to buy. But ol’ Stan surprised me and I thought his gesture was wonderful.
As always, Dan Walsh has written a touching story that examines the depths of human emotions. I heartily recommend “Keeping Christmas” as well as each and every one of Dan’s other novels. Do yourself a favor and give them a try.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Stan opened the ugly ornaments box and pulled out the top three ornaments, the ones wrapped in green paper, the kids’ favorites, and set them on the coffee table. He picked up the first one, the biggest one–Anna’s blue pinecone–and began to unwrap it. Without thinking, Judith walked up, stopped him, and gently took it out of his hand. She wrapped it back up, set it carefully in the box. Then picked up the other two ornaments, put them in the box, and closed the flaps.
“What’s the matter?” Stan said. “Did I do something wrong?”
“I don’t think I can do this.”
Nothing is more beautiful than family
For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving without the kids, and it’s looking like Christmas will be the same. Judith can’t bring herself to even start decorating for the holiday; her kids always hung the first ornaments on the tree, ornaments they had made each year since they were toddlers. Sure, the ornaments were strange-looking–some were downright ugly–but they were tradition.
With Judith refusing to decorate the bare spruce tree in their living room, Stan’s only hope for saving the holiday is found in a box of handmade ornaments . . .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Unfinished Gift and The Restoration Series with Gary Smalley. He has won three Carol Awards, and three of his novels were finalists for the RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel. Learn more at www.danwalshbooks.com.
by admin | Nov 23, 2015 | Books, Civil War, Historical, Romance
MY REVIEW:
It has been awhile since I read a book by Andrea Boeshaar so I had forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. Her characters came alive in “A Thousand Shall Fall’ and I felt like I was right there with them. Vivid imagery and a well-paced plot held my interest and brought my hatred of war to the surface.
Set in the Shedandoah Valley during the Civil War, the story quickly has its heroine Carrie Ann Bell witnessing a fierce battle between the Northern and Southern armies and being held (for her own protection) in the Yankee camp. A renewed acquaintance with the dashing Colonel Peyton Collier seems to be developing into something more but how can that ever work out?
The compelling story depicts life during the Civil War with all its drama, danger, violence, secrecy, and emotions yet is tempered with occasional humor and a sweet romance that ends well. As a fan of historical fiction, I was impressed by the historical accuracy as well as the author’s attempt to show both sides of the story fairly.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A story of love, hope, and healing set in the midst of the Civil War
Nineteen-year-old Carrie Ann Bell is independent and spirited. The only thing she really fears are the Union soldiers fighting against her Confederate friends. When her youngest sister runs away from home, brave Carrie Ann is determined to find her and bring her back. Disguised as a soldier, she sets off–only to find she’s fallen into the hands of the enemy.
Her childhood friend Confederate Major Joshua Blevins has warned her against these Yankees: they’re all devils, ready to inflict evil on unsuspecting young women. When Colonel Peyton Collier arrests her for her impersonation of an officer, it seems to confirm all her fears.
Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel. He rescued her, protected her, and has been every inch the gentleman. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally–and more than that, someone she could love. But the arrival of Joshua in the Union camp as a spy will test her loyalties. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?
Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, A Thousand Shall Fall is framed around compelling characters and a very romantic setting in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Andrea Boeshaar’s extensive research guarantees historical accuracy and romance genre enthusiasts and Civil War buffs alike will enjoy the Christian perspectives on actual historical events.
Learn more and purchase a copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea Boeshaar is the cofounder of American Christian Fiction Writers and runs “The Writer’s ER,” a coaching service for writers. She is the author of thirty published works, including Threads of Faith, a finalist in the Inspirational Readers Choice Awards. Andrea is also the author of a popular devotional and regularly blogs on a number of sites.
Find out more about Andrea at http://www.andreaboeshaar.com.
Andrea is celebrating the release of A Thousand Shall Fall with a Kindle Fire giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A copy of A Thousand Shall Fall
- A Kindle Fire HD 6
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 10th. The winner will be announced December 11th on Andrea’s blog.
by admin | Nov 19, 2015 | Conference, Current Issues, ProLife
Focus on the Family and The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission will host Evangelicals for Life, a major pro-life conference held in conjunction with the March for Life event.
The event will take place January 21-22, 2016, in Washington, D.C., at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. Evangelicals from across the country will gather to hear from leading speakers, such as David Platt, Russell Moore, Jim Daly, Kelly Rosati, and others—to be equipped and encouraged to become a voice for life! The event will also be simulcast for FREE so individuals, churches, and organizations from coast-to-coast and around the world can take part.
Speakers will encourage evangelicals to engage the culture on issues of abortion and end-of-life decisions, and the event will affirm the evangelical belief in the sanctity of life, that every life matters to God and is created in His image.
Kelly Rosati will be one of this year’s speakers. Kelly is the vice president of Community Outreach at Focus on the Family where she oversees the Adoption & Orphan Care Initiative and the Sanctity of Human Life department. In the article below, she speaks to how we can and should be both pro-life and pro-justice Christians.
Pro-Life Christian or Pro-Justice Christian? Yes.
Are Christians supposed to be pro-life or pro-justice? Kelly Rosati shares: We ought to be both.
Do you consider yourself a member of one of these two camps? The news about the gruesome harvesting of fetal organs by Planned Parenthood prompted some interesting discussion in this vein.
It’s important to consider how you ended up in one of these categories in the first place. As followers of Christ, our hearts become more like His as He transforms us from the inside out. We care more about people and life and justice as we meditate on His word and spend time with Him. As we grow in grace, it becomes impossible to be indifferent or complacent to the suffering of human beings God made in His image and whom He loves with an infinite love.
Verses such as Proverbs 31:8 (“speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves”) and Micah 6:8 (“to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”) burn in our hearts as we join God in His redemptive work on behalf of preborn babies, victims of human trafficking, war refugees, orphans, those with disabilities, racial minorities, those without access to clean water, families living in extreme poverty, homeless, dying and lonely elderly neighbors, and many others who qualify as what Jesus called “the least of these.”
We’re changed as we seek to minister to the vulnerable. We listen to them and learn from them, and in them we see the face of Jesus, the one who admonished us that “whatever we’ve done to the least of these, we’ve done to Him” (Matthew 25:40).
In my role at Focus on the Family I’m blessed to meet and work with people in both the Christian pro-life and pro-justice communities. I’ve noticed they have much in common: They love Jesus, they love their families, they share a deep sense of calling and are led by the Holy Spirit, and they take Scripture seriously and find in it the inspiration to advance the Kingdom and to participate in God’s redemptive work. They all want to be careful to worship Jesus first and only, who called them to His work, rather than make an idol of the calling itself. They’ve sacrificed the American dream, many of them, to give their lives away like the One who gave His for them.
Yet . . . it often seems as if pro-life and pro-justice Christians come from two different planets. Their leaders don’t tend to know one another. All of their conferences are separate. They lean in different political directions, and each thinks the other should prioritize the issues differently. Yes, most would grudgingly agree they serve the same God and their passions come from the same Holy Scriptures. But at the end of the day, they have little interest in working together—in fact, they can often seem “at odds” with one another.
This is tragic because both communities have much to offer and much to gain by listening to and learning from one another. For the average Christian seeking to love and serve his or her neighbors, life and justice should not be an either/or proposition. Together, the life and justice communities can offer a both/and approach that is truly biblical and comprehensive.
I have personally gleaned much from Christian sisters and brothers in both communities. From the pro-life perspective, I have learned about perseverance and faithfulness to the truth, even when it’s the most unpopular position in the world. I have been moved by their conviction that God’s word won’t return void and that He loves both moms and their babies (and dads and everyone else!). I have been impacted by the conviction that abortion stops a beating heart and that life is always the better choice. I have encountered the breathtaking beauty of Christ’s forgiveness for those suffering grief and shame post-abortion. And I have come to understand the hope and optimism that can only come from Christ in the face of the discouraging reality of 57 million lives lost to abortion. And I know I have so much more to learn from this passionate group.
From the pro-justice community, I have learned about systems of oppression and injustice that must be challenged in order to love and serve our neighbors well. I have a deeper understanding of the solidarity of suffering and the ministry of presence. I have also learned about perseverance, patience, and the simple beauty of loving and serving those who suffer. I’ve been reminded about new life in Christ and the transforming power of His love for individuals and families. I’ve seen the beauty of humility and the freedom that comes from eschewing power, money, and privilege on behalf of one’s neighbors. I know I will continue to learn and be challenged by this group as well.
But . . . the division remains. Pro-life Christians tend to view their cause as primarily moral in nature—as if speaking up for oppressed populations, combating human trafficking, and addressing the root causes of poverty are not inherently issues of profound moral concern. And pro-justice Christians tend to view their cause as primarily a matter of justice—as if speaking out in defense of preborn babies as the most helpless and vulnerable members of society was not quintessentially a question of biblical justice.
Together, pro-life and pro-justice Christians have so much to offer a world that is buckling under the effects of sin. So here’s a short list of what I think each community could offer the other that would enhance the work of both:
- When the pro-life community advances the dignity of every human person, it is at its best when making clear that along with the essential concern of innocent preborn lives lost to abortion, every sex trafficking victim, orphan, and victim of preventable death is worthy of the same defense. We must help the Church understand that all of these issues are biblically connected and directly tied to what it means to be “pro-life.” They are all related to the God-given sanctity, dignity, and intrinsic worth of every human life, and therefore they cannot be segmented or pitted against one another.
- When the pro-justice community boldly and compassionately advances the cause of justice for victims of sex trafficking, racial hatred, failing schools, extreme poverty, or lack of access to clean water, it is at its best also to include the absolute necessity of justice and human rights for preborn children. Again, advancing biblical justice, promoting the common good, and enabling human flourishing must be for all people, born and preborn. There can be no neglecting of the cause of justice in the human right to life. They should not be separated.
- Each community should endeavor to rise above easy (and sometimes valid) criticism of the other. Pro-lifers often lament that being pro-justice is “popular” in the broader culture whereas being pro-life is not. As a result, they can be tempted to view the pro-life cause as somehow more “noble” than the social justice cause. At the same time, the pro-justice community often suggests that the pro-life community cares only about life in the womb, but not life outside it, making it a myopic single-issue cause. Of course, in both communities (just like in every community) there are those doing it well and those doing it not so well. But by and large, both groups are motivated by deep conviction and the love of both Christ and neighbor.
What if, instead of marching resolutely down two different paths, we made a commitment to learn from each other, forge meaningful relationships with one another, and seek creative ways to help the Church learn about the comprehensive approach to life and justice reflected in the totality of the Scriptures? Can pro-life conferences address abortion and end-of-life issues as well as human trafficking and poverty? Can social justice conferences make room to embrace the cause of justice for preborn children? These are issues that transcend political parties and point directly to the heart of God Himself. Let’s step outside our comfort zones and work together for the common good, for life, and for justice—all because of the love of Christ.
This article was adapted from the original article posted on Ed Stetzer’s The Exchange blog on ChristianityToday.com.
