by admin | Sep 5, 2012 | Books, Suspense
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today’s Wild Card author is:
and the book:
B&H Books (September 15, 2012)
***Special thanks to Shannon Kozee of B&H Fiction for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Caroll has authored twelve previous books including the Holt Medallion Award of Merit winner, Deliver Us From Evil.
She gives back to the writing community by serving as Conference
Director for American Christian Fiction Writers. A proud southerner,
Robin lives with her husband, three daughters, and two precious
grandsons in Arkansas.
Visit the author’s website.
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In Angola State Penitentiary, a man is serving time for a crime he
didn’t commit. Riley Baxter is an eager reporter desperate for a story
to make a name for herself. When she stumbles upon the daughter of the
incarcerated man, Riley sees a little too much of herself in the teen,
and vows to help prove her father’s innocence.
At the same time,
Hayden Simpson has his hands full with keeping his little sister in
line, worrying about his job as Police Commissioner, and dealing with
his past emotional baggage. The last thing he needs is someone blowing
the lid off his emotional bucket. But when Riley Baxter storms into his
life, struggling to understand why God would let bad things happen to
good people, Hayden has no choice but to follow his heart.
Now, Riley and Hayden must work together to uncover the truth of the past . . . before someone shuts Riley up for good.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: B&H Books
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1433672138
ISBN-13: 9781433672132
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
NO REVIEW:
I apparently did not make the cut to receive a review copy of To Write a Wrong but I am a Robin Caroll fan through and through and wanted to do my part to help promote her latest suspense novel. I don’t think there is a single one of her books that I haven’t read and enjoyed. I have this one on order at Amazon and am trying to patiently wait for it to be delivered. All I can say is that if To Write a Wrong is at all comparable to Robin’s previous novels (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), it is one I definitely don’t want to miss. Be sure and check it out.
by admin | Sep 4, 2012 | Books, Historical
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingHer Good NameRiver North; New Edition edition (July 24, 2012)byRuth AxtellABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ruth knew she wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote her first story–a spy thriller–at the age of twelve. She studied comparative literature at Smith College, spending her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. After college, she taught English in the Canary Islands then worked in international development in Miami, Florida, before moving to the Netherlands, where for the next several years, she juggled both writing and raising her three children.
In 1994, her second manuscript was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart competition. In 2002, her sixth manuscript took second place in the Laurie Contest of RWA’s Smoky Mountain chapter. The final judge requested her full manuscript and this became her first published book, Winter Is Past, which was spotlighted in Christian Retailing magazine. Since then, Ruth has gone on to publish thirteen historical romances and one novella. Her books have been translated into Dutch, Italian, Polish and Afrikaans . Her second historical, Wild Rose, was chosen by Booklist as a “Top Ten Christian Fiction” selection in 2005.
Ruth lives on the coast of Maine where she enjoys gardening, walking, reading romances and gazing at the ocean plotting her next romance.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the 1890 thriving coastal town of Holliston, Maine, the leading lumber baron’s son, Warren Brentwood, III, returns from his years away at college and traveling to take up his position as heir apparent to his father’s business empire.
Esperanza Estrada, daughter of a Portuguese immigrant fisherman and a local woman, lives on the wrong side of town, surrounded by a brood of brothers and sisters and a careworn mother. She is unable to pretend she is anything but “one of those Estradas.” When she overhears of a position to clean house at a local high school teacher’s home on Elm Street, she jumps at the opportunity–to be able to run into Warren Brentwood now and again, but also to imbibe of the culture and intellectual atmosphere of the Stocktons.
When rumors about Espy and her respected employer begin to circulate, the entire church congregation and then the community pronounce judgment on her behavior. Warren believes the lie and his loss of faith in her causes Espy to give up without a fight. She leaves her family and hometown for the nearest city with little money and no acquaintances and is forced to spend the night on the street. A man who heads a mission for the homeless finds Espy and offers her shelter. Espy finds the true love of God while working at the mission. Will she be able to forgive the townspeople and return home?
If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of Her Good Name, go HERE.
by admin | Aug 31, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Law Enforcement, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Having enjoyed “Accused”, the first book in the Pacific Coast Justice series, I was happy to have the opportunity to review “Abducted”, the second installment. I was not disappointed.
“Abducted” begins shortly after the ending of “Accused” with police officer Carly Edwards back patrolling the streets on the night shift with her partner Joe. As a new believer, Carly is carefully learning what it means to walk out her faith and soon finds it being put to the test when Joe’s wife is hospitalized and his baby is kidnapped. Added to the stress of encountering multiple dead ends in the search for Joe’s child, Carly’s promising renewed relationship with her ex Nick suddenly seems to be at a standstill.
“Abducted” is a riveting suspense where nothing is quite as it seems and the many twists and turns keeps the reader puzzled. The book is a realistic look into the lives of law enforcement officers complete with accurately described police procedure and the human reactions to their experiences. “Abducted” is one book I couldn’t put down. Can’t wait to see what Carly and Nick might be up to next.
This book was provided for review by The Tyndale Blog Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
After solving the Mayor’s murder and exposing corruption among the top brass in Las Playas, Carly Edwards is happy to be back on patrol with her partner Joe, putting bad guys behind bars. For once everything in life seems to be going just right.
But then everything starts going wrong. Slow to recover from an injury, her ex-husband Nick, begins pulling away just as they were starting to get close again. Meanwhile when Joe’s wife lands in the hospital with a mysterious illness, their baby is kidnapped. As Carly chases down every lead in a desperate search to find the baby, her newfound faith is pushed to its limits.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A retired Long Beach California police officer of 22 years (16 in uniform and 6 as a non-career officer), Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, patrol, administration, juvenile investigations and training. During the course of her career in uniform Janice found that faith was indispensable to every aspect of the job and published articles on faith at work, one for a quarterly newspaper called “Cop and Christ”, and another for the monthly magazine “Today’s Christian Woman”.
With retirement Janice began to write longer pieces and several novels were born. She has a two book suspense series in print she calls Brinna’s Heart Series, The Kevlar Heart and A Heart of Justice (Oaktara Publishing). Janice is excited and honored to now be a part of the Tyndale Publishing House family. Accused, the first installment in her new suspense offering, The Pacific Coast Justice Series, is set to be released February 1, 2012 and will kick off a brand new chapter in her writing career. In addition to suspense and action, her books feature strong female leads. Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep you engrossed and leave you inspired.
Janice has bachelor’s degrees in Biology (University of California at Irvine) and Physical Education (California State University at Long Beach). She also completed graduate coursework in Criminal Justice (University of Southern California) and is currently a member of American Christian Fiction Writer’s and Sisters in Crime. She attends Crescenta Valley Community Church in La Crescenta California and while a few years ago she retired to a house in the mountains of Southern California, she currently resides in Glendale California in order to help care for her aging parents. Janice is single and has three Labrador Retrievers, Jake, Maggie and Abbie. Janice’s hobbies are reading, cross-stitching, kayaking, hiking, walking the dogs and trying to stay fit.
Learn more about Janice and her books on her website.
by admin | Aug 31, 2012 | Books, Historical, Missions, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
After being jilted by the important congressman she assumed she would marry, Sophia made plans to go to the mission field, fully expecting to be sent to China. To her surprise, she found herself on the way to a Ponca Indian reservation in the Dakota Territory. Descended from Russian nobility, Sophia was unaccustomed to the primitive living conditions she found there but determined to make the best of her situation. She soon learned that nothing was as she had been told and she witnessed the appalling treatment of the Indians and repeated broken promises from the government. She grew to care for the Indian children she taught and their families but only Will Dunn, the agency carpenter seemed to share her concerns.
“Through Rushing Water” is a near epic story that depicts a shameful period of our country’s history and the shameful disregard for the Indians. It is also a story of a tiny group of men and women who stood up for what was right despite the overwhelming odds against them.
With its beautifully descriptive prose, a well-paced plot, and strong primary characters who grew in both maturity and their faith, “Through Rushing Water” was a thoroughly satisfying novel. The story has just the right balance of drama, suspense, romance, and humor and is enhanced by a strong spiritual message. “Through Rushing Water” is a must read for historical fiction lovers.
This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publisher’s BookSneeze program.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sophia has her life all planned out—but her plan didn’t include being jilted or ending up in Dakota Territory.
Sophia Makinoff is certain that 1876 is the year that she’ll become the wife of a certain US Congressman, and happily plans her debut into the Capitol city. But when he proposes to her roommate instead, Sophia is stunned. Hoping to flee her heartache and humiliation, she signs up with the Board of Foreign Missions on a whim.
With dreams of a romantic posting to the Far East, Sophia is dismayed to find she’s being sent to the Ponca Indian Agency in the bleak Dakota Territory. She can’t even run away effectively and begins to wonder how on earth she’ll be able to guide others as a missionary. But teaching the Ponca children provides her with a joy she has never known—and never expected—and ignites in her a passion for the people she’s sent to serve.
It’s a passion shared by the Agency carpenter, Willoughby Dunn, a man whose integrity and selflessness are unmatched. The Poncas are barely surviving. When U.S. policy decrees that they be uprooted from their land and marched hundreds of miles away in the middle of winter, Sophia and Will wade into rushing waters to fight for their friends, their love, and their destiny.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Catherine Richmond was focused on her career as an occupational therapist till a special song planted a story idea in her mind. That idea would ultimately become Spring for Susannah, her first novel. She is also a founder and moderator of Nebraska Novelist critique group and lives in Nebraska with her husband.
For more about Catherine, please visit www.catherinerichmond.com.
