Lisa Wingate is an award-winning journalist, magazine columnist, popular inspirational speaker and a national bestselling author of sixteen books. Her first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, is in its eighteenth printing from Penguin Putnam. Tending Roses is a staple on the shelves of national bookstore chains as well as in many independent bookstores.
Recently, Lisa’s Blue Sky Hill Series, set in Dallas, received national attention with back-to-back nominations for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award for A Month of Summer (2009) and The Summer Kitchen (2010). Pithy, emotional, and inspirational, her stories bring to life characters so real that readers often write to ask what is happening to them after the book ends.
Lisa is one of a select group of authors to find success in both the Christian and mainstream markets, writing for both Bethany House, a Christian publisher, and NAL Penguin Putnam, a general market publisher. Her bestselling books have become a hallmark of inspirational fiction. Her works have been featured by the National Reader’s Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, Crossings Book Club, American Profiles and have been chosen for numerous awards.
When not busy dreaming up stories, Lisa spends time on the road as a motivational speaker. Via internet, she shares with readers as far away as India, where her book, Tending Roses, has been used to promote women’s literacy, and as close to home as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the county library system has used Tending Roses to help volunteer mentors teach adults to read. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Adventure is the last thing on Andrea Henderson’s mind when she moves to Moses Lake. After surviving the worst year of her life, she’s struggling to build a new life for herself and her son as a social worker. Perhaps in doing a job that makes a difference, she can find some sense of purpose and solace in her shattered faith. For new Moses Lake game warden Mart McClendon, finding a sense of purpose in life isn’t an issue. He took the job to get out of southwest Texas and the constant reminders of a tragedy for which he can’t forgive himself. But when a little girl is seen with the town recluse, Mart and Andrea are drawn together in the search for her identity. The little girl offers them both a new chance at redemption and hope–and may bring them closer than either ever planned.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Larkspur Cove, go HERE.
Learn more about Lisa and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
I have eagerly looked forward to reading Larkspur Cove because I have become a huge fan of Lisa Wingate’s books. The only ones I don’t already own are on my ‘to buy’ list. Just hoping for a chance to read them all soon. But I digress. I am supposed to review Larkspur Cove here.
As I have come to expect from Lisa’s books, the characters in Larkspur Cove could literally step off the pages because they are so real. Each of them exhibits the normal everyday frailties and strengths, hopes and fears experienced by most humans so it is easy to identify with them. Lisa’s portrayal of the inhabitants of Moses Lake and the town itself, make it seem like the perfect place to live.
Larkspur Cove is told from two points of view in alternating chapters so that the reader views events from the perspectives of both Mart and Andrea. This revealed intimate facts about each of them that contributed to an understanding of why they reacted to people and situations the way they did. I liked the way each of them showed a wealth of empathy for others which ultimately helped their own wounds to heal. I particularly enjoyed how Andrea was able to learn to actually be herself due to Mart’s unconditional acceptance of her and how her personal growth enabled her to understand and forgive the people in her life who had hurt her..
Larkspur Cove is full of everything I like in a book – great characters, an interesting setting, a little humor, a bit of mystery, some suspenseful action, and of course romance. It exhibits the way God can use other people to minister emotional healing that leads to restoration and forgiveness.
I am certain that Larkspur Cove will be at the top of my favorite books for 2011.
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!
***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Book Group | Strang Communications for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Greg Mitchell likes monsters. So much, in fact, he has written this trilogy about a small town learning to take a stand on faith and challenge the dark forces creeping in. Greg is a Christian who believes that the Bible is 100 percent true, and he does his best to live his life according to its principles and write things that help teach others about Jesus Christ. Back in 2001, he co-wrote the novel Time Changer, published by White Harvest Books, with his friend and Christian filmmaker, Rich Christiano. In 2002, Time Changer was made into a theatrically released motion picture, and it is now available on DVD. Greg lives with his wife and daughter in Paragould, Arkansas.
Dras Weldon is a twenty-two-year-old unemployed washout. He lives in a world populated by horror movies and comic books, content to hide in the shadow of adolescence. Under the scrutinizing eye of his older brother, Jeff, a pastor, Dras lives a life of professed Christianity with very little observable spirituality. He must change. However, when a demon known only as “the Strange Man” comes to his small town of Greensboro and threatens Dras’s best friend, Rosalyn Myers, Dras discovers that only by putting his faith into action can he save his friend from danger. Suddenly he is thrust into a race against the clock and forced to battle demonic forces in an effort to convince Rosalyn to accept Christ and turn away from the coming evil.
Product Details:
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Realms (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616381949
ISBN-13: 978-1616381943
MY REVIEW: The Strong Man is a pretty intense and scary tale about the small town of Greensboro. Evil forces have been restrained for years by the praying saints who live there. But the time has come when the numbers of saints has decreased and unimaginable evil has once again been released against the town. When backslider Dras, son and brother of pastors, comes face to face with the “strange man”, he endeavors to confront these forces in order to save his best friend.
Mitchell paints a vivid picture of what can happen when Christians let down their guard and become desensitized by the world. He stops short of sensationalizing blood and gore but the reader’s imagination can easily fill in the blanks. The plot moves at a frantic pace, yet the primary characters are well defined. The Strong Man makes some powerful points about spiritual warfare but has a darker perspective than Peretti’s novels. This is not a book for the faint-hearted or those who expect a happy ending.
I have read and enjoyed Irene Hannon’s books in the Steeple Hill line for several years but they were all fairly typical romantic fiction. Then along came her Heroes of Quantico series and took her writing to a new level. Each new volume got just a little bit better. Her new offering, Fatal Judgment, first book in the Guardians of Justice series, meets or exceeds the standards set by the previous series.
With a suspenseful plot that could be taken from current news events, superb character interaction, a touch of humor, surprises around every corner, and of course romance, Fatal Judgment kept me turning the pages until the very end. Spiritual content was subtle but particularly evident in the character of Liz Michaels.
For those who enjoy their romance mixed with a little crime and suspense, Fatal Judgment might just be the book for you.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Fatal Judgment is the first novel in the new romantic suspense series “Guardians of Justice” by acclaimed author Irene Hannon, who has been recognized with accolades including RITA and Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice awards.
Author Dee Henderson has praised Hannon’s latest book, saying, “Fatal Judgment is Irene Hannon’s storytelling at its best. I enjoyed every minute.”
In Fatal Judgment, U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he’d rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven’t warmed in the five years since she drove her husband–and Jake’s best friend–to despair . . . and possible suicide.
As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he’s forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life–and his heart–are in danger.
Full of suspense and romance, Fatal Judgment is a thrilling story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Irene Hannon is the author of more than 25 novels, including the CBA bestsellers Against All Odds, An Eye for an Eye, and In Harm’s Way. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier award, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. She lives in Missouri.
Although she has some reservations, Charlotte accepts an assignment to pose as a governess for Daniel Wilmot’s children in order to discover any information that will discredit him. Her desperate need to support her handicapped sister and aunt plus the opportunity to become an actual reporter are just too much of a temptation. She quickly finds that Daniel is an honest and honorable man and also finds herself caring more and more for him and his children. As the story progresses, Charlotte’s conscience torments her as her editor increases the pressure to give him evidence for a scandal involving Daniel. Charlotte finds herself caught up in a web of lies and loses any hope of a future with Daniel. Will she ever be able to make up for her deception?
Despite many negative reviews I have read about Love on Assignment, I actually enjoyed it. The author presents a good case for the importance of truth, forgiveness, and God’s love for his children. The plot moved at a steady pace with plenty of drama, humor, romance, and secrets to keep it interesting. At some times the plot may have been a little predictable but the author managed to throw in enough surprises to redeem it. I would recommend Love on Assignment to those who enjoy historical romance.
This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
While Charlotte is focusing on uncovering sordid information on columnist Daniel Wilmot, her heart leads her into uncharted territory.
During the summer of 1900 Charlotte Hale, a native Newporter and secretary for the Rhode Island Reporter, accepts an undercover assignment as temporary governess to Daniel Wilmont’s children in order to secretly gather evidence against him. As he helps her rediscover God, Charlotte learns that Daniel is an honorable man. They unexpectedly fall in love despite their different backgrounds and social positions. Charlotte soon realizes she must defend Daniel against the forces set against him—a willful student with a romantic crush and the newspaper editor determined to destroy his reputation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cara Lynn James is the author of Love on a Dime. She’s received contest awards from Romance Writers of America and the American Christian Fiction Writers. She resides in Florida with her husband Jim.
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