Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Scraps of Evidence

(Abingdon Press - January 21, 2014)

by

Barbara Cameron

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word from the author:

CBD, CBA, and ECPA bestselling author of 35 books (including new series upcoming for Abingdon Press in 2011/2012) including fiction and non-fiction books for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Harlequin, and other publishers.

I sold three films to HBO/Cinemax and am the first winner of the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award.

My two novellas won the 2nd and 3rd place in the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest from the Faith, Love, and Hope chapter of RWA. Both were finalists for the novella category of the Carol Award of the American Christian Writers Award (ACFW).

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Tess has taken some ribbing from her fellow officer, Logan, for her quilting hobby. He finds it hard to align the brisk professional officer he patrols with during the day with the one who quilts in her off-time. Besides, he’s been trying to get to know her better and he’d like to be seeing her during those few nights a week she spends with her quilting guild. Then one afternoon Tess and Logan visit her aunt in the nursing home hospital, and the woman acts agitated when Tess covers her with the story quilt. Aunt Susan Kathy is attempting to communicate a message to them about Tess’s uncle. There’s a story behind this quilt, they realize, one that may lead them to a serial killer. Will they have a chance to have a future together, or will the killer choose Tess for his next victim before they find him?

My thoughts:

I'm a big fan of this Quilts of Love line of books and mystery/suspense is one of my favorite genres, so I was really anticipating this latest offering from the series.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and it started out fine (other than the fact that Aunt Susan in a nursing home on the back cover blurb turns into Aunt Kathy in the hospital in the opening scene) and I liked how Tess and Logan seem to connect as patrol partners pretty much from the outset. I also loved seeing the city of St. Augustine through the eyes of the native Tess.

The use of the quilt as part of the clues to the mystery was also a great idea and I especially like how that pulled the story together. Unfortunately, the plot did seem a bit transparent, and the story could have used a bit more polish. But all things considered, if the reader can overlook those two small flaws, then I'm sure they will still enjoy the book.

My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Abingdon Press for generously providing a copy of the book for my honest review.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Scraps of Evidence, go HERE.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

For the Love of Pete by Debby Mayne


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

For the Love of Pete

(B&H Books - January 15, 2014)

by

Debby Mayne

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debby Mayne is a best-selling author who has published more than 25 books and novellas, 400 short stories and articles, and devotions for women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, a creative writing instructor, and a copy editor and proofreader. Her novel, Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida received 4-1/2 stars from RT Book Review, and was named a Top Pick for the month of July. She and her husband Wally have two grown daughters, and live in Palm Harbor, Florida.


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Widow Bethany Hanahan is trying in vain to fill an empty heart and an empty nest. The result is a home filled to the brim, but something is still missing. That’s when her new gardening club friends come to the rescue, encouraging her to let go of the past as well as the present clutter –emotional, spiritual, and physical. It’s not long before Bethany is finding friends, not bargains, to fill her days. But has her life become too full for someone like Pete Sprockett, a childhood friend, for whom her romantic feelings are beginning to bloom? Join the quirky, loving community of Bloomfield as they do what they do best – poke their well-meaning noses in and intervene in times of need –in author Debby Mayne’s second novel in what has become a five book series about a community where life is simple and love is real.

My thoughts:

I'm not quite finished with this one yet, but am enjoying it. Stay tuned for my review.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of For the Love of Pete, go HERE.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Songs of the Shenandoah by Michael K Reynolds

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Songs of the Shenandoah

B&H Books (January 1, 2014)

by

Michael Reynolds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael K. Reynolds is a writer with more than two decades of experience in crafting fiction, non-fiction, journalism, copywriting and documentary production. He is the author of a series of Irish historical novels published by B&H Publishing Group. These highly acclaimed books are available in bookstores and libraries across the nation and beyond.

Michael is the writer and producer of an Emmy and Telly award-winning series of documentaries titled, Crystal Darkness. These thirty minute anti-meth films have been heavily promoted and broadcast in cities and states throughout the United States and Mexico. They have been viewed collectedly by more than 10 million people and the message has reached more than 30 million to date.

He also has wide experience as a speaker and on-air personality and has been interviewed on a variety of newspapers, radio stations and televisions networks throughout the nation.

Michael earned his B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, San Diego and lives in Reno with his wife and three children. He is active in marketplace, marriage, small group and men’s ministries as a leader and speaker.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

At the onset of the Civil War, Seamus heeds his wife’s wishes to return to her beloved family farm in the South, where he takes a post as chaplain for General Stonewall Jackson’s brigade. As Seamus ministers to the troops, his sister Clare ministers in a different way—by being a powerful voice in the Northern cause toward freeing the slaves. All this while their youngest brother Davin, who became wealthy during the Gold Rush, struggles to find love and identity in a fallen world. It’s a clash of loyalties and beliefs that threaten the entire family, each of them trying to hear God’s encouragement in the midst of the tragedy of war. The dramatic conclusion to the acclaimed Heirs of Ireland Series.

My thoughts:

The Heirs of Ireland is the saga of the Irish clan Hanley and begins as Clare and Seamus come to America to escape the potato famine. Later Caitlin and Davin come, and the four do their best to gain their footing in a new land. From the moment I opened the cover on the first book in this series and closed the final cover of Songs of the Shenandoah, I was captivated. Beautifully written, with a compelling and intricately woven plot as well as a host of characters that felt more like real people than those just written in the pages of a book.

Some of the Hanley siblings find treasure in work and ministry, some in the gold fields of California, but each must make their own way and learn their own lessons to discover that true wealth comes by sharing love and forgiveness to his/her family and fellow man and that reward comes when one stands up for what he/she believes.

One of the things that really stood out to me in Songs of the Shenandoah was the songs themselves, not just Seamus learning about the "songs of the Shenandoah" from Pastor Asa, but of the singing at the church in New York, as well as the music box that Clare receives. I think it made the story all the more moving.

This final book was truly a satisfying conclusion to the Heirs of Ireland series. Any fan of historical sagas, Irish immigration, and the Civil War will want to include it in their future reading.

My thanks to CFBA and B&H Publishing for generously providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Songs of the Shenandoah, go HERE.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Tempest's Course by Lynette Sowell


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Tempest's Course

(Abingdon Press - December 17, 2013)

by

Lynette Sowell

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Lynette Sowell is an award-winning novelist. Her most recent novel, Tempest’s Course, is part of the Quilts of Love line from Abingdon Press. When Lynette’s not writing, she divides her time between editing medical reports and chasing down news stories for the Copperas Cove Leader-Press. Lynette was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland but makes her home in Coppress Cove, Texas, with her husband and a herd of cats who have them well-trained.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Kelly Frost, a textiles conservator, is invited to the Massachusetts coastal city of New Bedford to restore a 150-year-old Mariner's Compass quilt. But there is one stipulation: she must live and work in Gray House, a former whaling captain's home, where the quilt is stored. There she meets Army veteran Tom Pereira, the caretaker of Gray House, whose heart seems as hard as the rocky Massachusetts coastline. Over the long-lit months as Kelly works to restore the quilt, she and Tom grow closer. And as she reads stories in a daily journal penned by Mary Gray, she learns the secrets of the quilt and Mary's own sad tale of regret. Then Tom learns secrets of his own family's past, and both Tom and Kelly learn they are tied to Gray House in ways they never imagined.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. Tom and Kelly connect - it's almost as if their troubled spirits communicate with one another. Each knows hardship, which comes from totally different sources, but I think that made them more able to relate with one another. So with a great combination of main characters, the connection those characters, and their commiseration to find victory over their struggles, we find that even though experiences may seem to leave their lives in tatters, nothing is too difficult for God to piece back together.

A bit of history, a bit of contemporary, a bit of romance, a bit of mystery...it all makes for a satisfying read!

My sincerest thanks to CFBA and Abingdon Press for generously providing a copy for review.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Tempest's Course, go HERE.