Saved by the Fireman by Allie Pleiter

by | Nov 5, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Love Inspired, Romance

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Saved by the Fireman
Love Inspired (October 21, 2014)
by
Allie Pleiter
ABOUT 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.

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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.

 

Trails and Targets by Kelly Eileen Hake

by | Nov 1, 2014 | Books, Historical, Romance, Western

Trails & Targets

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 HakeKelly 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.

Playing Saint by Zachary Bartels

by | Nov 1, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Suspense

Playing Saint

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 BartelsZachary 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.

The Gift-Wrapped Bride by Maureen Lang

by | Oct 28, 2014 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Novella, Romance

The Gift-wrapped Bride

MY REVIEW:

“The Gift-Wrapped Bride” was short and sweet and in some ways the romance itself took a backseat to the rest of the story. Sophie Stewart was not at all happy when her family pulled up their roots in Toledo to move to Chicago. Her brother and his friend Noah were already in Chicago and had helped to pave the way for families from their hometown to find homes and jobs as well as to help start a new church in Chicago. Although Noah showed a decided interest in Sophie, she was unable to forgive him for all the pranks he had played on her during their school years and rebuffed his attempts at friendship at every turn. Could their participation in the church Christmas program change her mind about Noah?

“The Gift-Wrapped Bride” is a wonderful illustration about changed hearts and learning not to form harsh judgements due to a person’s past actions. There is hope for everyone in Christ as long as their heart is open to His love and influence.

A digital copy of this book was provided for review by Shiloh Run Studios.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sophie Stewart’s family has just moved to Chicago to join her brother and help start a church. Sophie is an artist with big dreams, but she feels her parents are pushing her to marry someone like Noah Jackson, a young man from their Ohio hometown. But forgiving the past and recognizing Noah’s maturity and changes may take a miracle.

More About The Gift-Wrapped Bride with Maureen LangFor veteran novelist Maureen Lang, the opportunity to write her first novella, The Gift-Wrapped Bride, presented a challenge.“I approached the task with much fear and trembling. I believe writing short, needing to write tight, is far more difficult than taking your time. As the writer then as the reader, it’s easy to take time to get to know characters, to step around in their shoes and in their time period for a while,” she said.

But a novella is much shorter and requires great care in word, setting and scene choices.

“I finally relaxed knowing that storytelling could still work if I focused on the main goal—getting my hero and heroine together after realistically keeping them apart,” she laughed.

The story of an artist and a reformed “bad boy,” pushed together in their 1848 Chicago immigrant church, The Gift-Wrapped Bride surprised its author as she wrote.

“I had more fun than I expected getting to know a hero who was so focused on winning the heroine’s love and respect. He had a hurdle to overcome because she only knew him when he was a bully and a mischief-maker. I had so much fun focusing on the romance that I found myself commiserating with the focus my hero needed to win the heroine’s heart!”

Forgiveness turned out to be a greater theme in her story, across the characters, than she had anticipated.

A native of the Chicago area, her family has been in the Midwest for several generations, Maureen felt at home writing about the city so long ago. Well aware of Chicago’s poor reputation in some quarters, Maureen wanted to explore another side to the city, “one with characters who aren’t part of the violent reputation, but represent the majority of ordinary, flawed but still lovable people who live here.”

The author of contemporary and nonfiction, as well as historical novels, Maureen has always been fascinated by other places and eras.

“Not that I want to live anywhere or at any other time, since I’m spoiled by the relative peace and obvious comforts of today,” she said. “But when I read about other eras, it never fails to impress me that people just like you and me actually survived such conditions!  . . . I hope I’d have lived up to the times, but the more research I do about historical conditions, the more thankful I am God chose to let me live here and now, even with our unique challenges.”

Some of her ancestors have been in North America since the 1600?s.

One of the youngest of six children, Maureen grew up in a boisterous family that enjoyed Christmas with decorating, baking and family gatherings. While she enjoys an annual Nativity Pageant that involves original music, real animals (including camels) and a magnificent choir, she knew that wouldn’t fit into her 1848 setting.

“I did keep the spirit of this wonderful tradition in mind as I developed the Nativity aspect in my story. I thought it was the perfect opportunity for my reformed rake of a hero not only to show the heroine that he’d changed, but to make a real difference in boys who were on the same track he’d been on—to mischief or worse.”

“A bonus of working on a novella collection is the camaraderie I’ve enjoyed getting to know the other authors selected for this Christmas-themed set. There is always some excitement and enthusiasm with any publishing venture, but this time I’ve enjoyed not only my editor and others I’ve encountered at Barbour, but also such a great array of other authors. People just like me, trying to meet deadlines, write the best stories we can, lots of laughter and support for what we all love to do—create stories in our imagination to share with others. It’s been so much fun being part of a team that includes other authors as well!”

Who is Maureen Lang?

The author of eleven books, Maureen Lang has been writing since childhood. Her latest release is part of The Gilded Legacy Series:All in Good Time. She lives with her family in the Midwest.

You can learn more about Maureen and her books at her website: www.maureenlang.com

She regularly blogs on the Christians Read website.

You can also find her on Facebook