Dangerous Heart

I thought this one was pretty good. It was certainly unique in a way... a little girl brought up by outlaws. It had a lot of promise. I really like Tracy Bateman's style of writing and have liked previous stories. This one, however, left a little to be desired since she has quite a couple of books under her belt, I would think she'd have the kinks worked out. However, it is well worth the money and I do recommend it. Who wouldn't fall in love with a handsome doctor named Grant? How can you resist?

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Dangerous Heart
Avon Inspire (October 14, 2008)
by
Tracey Bateman


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tracey Bateman published her first novel in 2000 and has been busy ever since. There are two other books in the Westward Hearts Series, Defiant Heart (#1) and Distant Heart (#2)

She learned to write by writing, and improved by listening to critique partners and editors. She has sold over 30 books in six years.
She became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in the early months of its inception in 2000 and served as president for a year.


Tracey loves Sci-fi, Lifetime movies, and Days of Our Lives (this is out of a 21 year habit of watching, rather than enjoyment of current storylines).

She has been married to her husband Rusty for 18 years, has four kids, and lives in Lebanon, Missouri.


ABOUT THE BOOK

For the past seven years, Ginger Freeman has had one goal: find Grant Kelley and make him pay for allowing her brother to die. Growing up motherless with a father who leads an outlaw gang, Ginger isn’t exactly peaches and cream. So when she finally tracks down Grant on a wagon train headed west, she figured providence had stepped in and given her the chance she’s been waiting for.

On the wagon train, finally surrounded by a sense of family and under the nurturing eye of Toni Rodde, Ginger begins to lose her rough edges. She’s made friends for the first time and has become part of something bigger than revenge. Not only has her heart softened toward people in general, but God has become a reality she never understood before. And watching Grant doctor the pioneers, she’s realized she can’t just kill him and leave the train without medical care. Putting her anger aside, before long, Ginger’s a functioning part of the group.

But when the outlaw gang, headed by her pa, shows up and infiltrates the wagon train, she is forced to question her decision. Only self-sacrifice and her new relationship with God can make things right. But it might also means she loses everything she’s begun to hold dear.

If you would like to read from the first chapter of Dangerous Heart, go HERE

A Constant Heart

It is not really fair for me to review this book because I did not receive it until last week. I had two others to read ahead of it... so, I have not read it, yet. However, The Cubicle Next Door was quite wonderful. I do believe you'll like this one, too.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Constant Heart
(Bethany House October 1, 2008)
by
Siri Mitchell


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

A Constant Heart is her sixth novel. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. She has been called one of the clearest, most original voices in the CBA.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In a world of wealth, power, and privilege...love is the only forbidden luxury.

“Trust was a valuable commodity at court. Traded by everyone, but possessed by no one. Its rarity was surpassed only by love. Love implied commitment and how could any of us commit ourselves to any but the Queen? Love implied singularity and how could any of us benefit another if our affections were bound to one in exclusivity? Love was never looked for and rarely found. When it was, it always ended badly.”

In Queen Elizabeth’s court where men and women willingly trade virtue for power, is it possible for Marget to obtain her heart’s desire or is the promise of love only an illusion?

A riveting glimpse into Queen Elizabeth's Court...

Born with the face of an angel, Marget Barnardsen is blessed. Her father is a knight, and now she is to be married to the Earl of Lytham. Her destiny is guaranteed ... at least, it would seem so. But when her introduction to court goes awry and Queen Elizabeth despises her, Marget fears she's lost her husband forever. Desperate to win him back, she'll do whatever it takes to discover how she failed and capture again the love of a man bound to the queen.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Constant Heart, go HERE

Trophy Wives Club

This one gets five stars! I really enjoyed reading it.


Kristin Billerbeck does a most excellent job in getting into the head of a woman being divorced against her will. I loved it. I've been through divorce and she hit it perfectly, but it is not depressing at all. It is rather funny, and sweet, and there were several times, I told the protag -- "Don't do that, don't do it, girl. You'll regret it. Then I remembered that I did the same thing! Sigh...

So... get this one. It's a keeper.

Haley Cutler is the consummate trophy wife. Perhaps "was" is the more accurate term. Haley married Prince Charming when she was only twenty years old – back in the day when highlights came from an afternoon at the beach, not three hours in the salon.When Jay first turned his eye to Haley, she was putty in his slender, graceful hands. No one ever treated her like she was important, and on the arm of Jay Cutler, she became someone people listened to and admired. Unfortunately, after seven years of marriage, her Prince Charming seems to belong to the Henry the XIII line of royalty. When Haley loses Jay, she not only loses her husband, she loses her identity.With her first independent decision, Haley leaves LA and moves home to Northern California. Feeling freedom just within her grasp, Haley learns that her settlement payments must go through one of Jay's financial advisors, Hamilton Lowe. Haley believes he's nothing more than a spy. And the feelings of distrust are mutual. Yet somehow, Hamilton finds himself handing over the monthly checks in person, and Haley can't deny that there's a kind of tenderness and protectiveness in Hamilton that she's never experienced in a man before.

Diva NashVegas

I give this book 2.5 stars. I do understand that nonChristians do not live Christian lives. I also understand that people who need Jesus have to meet Him where they are standing. I love stories like that.

Telling a story in present tense, as if it is happening as I read it -- like a movie script -- is okay for a chapter or two, but not all the way through the book. Short sentences are super as exclamation points, but too many leave me breathless and make me tired.

This is why I've given it only 2.5 stars.

Otherwise, it is a pretty good book. It moves fast and slows down when necessary so the good parts can be savored. I like it that Hauck says they went to bed and doesn't go into details. That would turn me off quicker than a light switch. It's a good, rainy afternoon read.

You can click on the title to order the book, or go to your local bookstore and ask for it by name.

It Happens Every Spring

Gary Chapman ventures into fiction to illustrate the different seasons of marriage.

I've heard him speak about these seasons and the study we did at church was quite enlightening concerning how communication is everything in marriage. I believe it.

Click on the title of this post to purchase this book.







While this book isn't going to win rave reviews, or make it into the top ten best sellers list, it is a nice way to spend an afternoon. I pray you enjoy it.

Dandelion Dust

Karen Kingsbury has written lots of books. Dandelion Dust is the first book of hers that I have read.

I didn't email Karen and ask her any questions either. I have been up to my neck in alligators, frankly, so I didn't even post this on Wednesday like I was supposed to.

It has been some 40+ years since I was 4 years old, so I do not know if Karen got the 4-year-old mentality down, or not, in Joey. It sounds right, so it works for me.

The book starts out really sweet... and stays sweet a bit too long for my taste. There isn't any conflict for quite some time. The build up is there, but no tension until several chapters into the book. But... it made me smile, and it made me cry. That's two things that are very good recommendations for a book in my estimation.

I like the characters... they are a little two dimensional, yet believable. and Joey stole my heart along with Mr. Monkey. I think this is a book that would be an excellent addition to any library, but it is not a book that I'd read again and again. It is a nice afternoon with tea read and that is what I needed this past week. Enjoy.

You can click on the title to buy the book and please visit Karen at her website, click on her name at the beginning of this post.

Violette Between

...is a book about a young woman who is an artist... is in an accident... relives her love from the past... must choose the past or the present. (Sorry there isn't a picture, I can't get Blogger to cooperate with posting them.)

It is different. It is rather written well. But... I absolutely hate, let me repeat, hate books that flip from the past to the present to the past to the present and all points in between with no guide except a chapter heading "August 4-5, 2005". I hate them with such a passion that I won't read them. I have read a little over 1/3 of this book and suffered the flips from past to present while gritting my teeth. This isn't the first one like this that I've had to review... I do not know what the world of publishing is coming to... this kind of flip is becoming the norm and I have to wonder why. It does nothing for tension and it usually causes a disconcertment on the reader's part. I'm in one mind set then I have to draw back and get used to a whole new set of characters. Reading for pleasure should not be work.

Alison Strobel wrote Violette Between and if it were not for her writing, I would have tossed it to the side after the second chapter... seriously. Here's the thing. This book should have been at least 175,000 words instead of about 97,000 in order to develop both love stories. The tension is there, the conflict is there early on which makes for a great story, but the development--easing into the second story isn't there. This could very easily have been the fault of the editor and not Alison. I don't know because I didn't ask.

I immediately cared about Violette. I don't know if it was because she is an artist or because her burnt umber paint got squished all over the parking lot... I just did. Knowing she was going to have an accident, the tension built by her going after that tube of paint was delicious. Then it all fell flat... rather Violette fell flat off a ladder in the high school gym while painting a mural of knights. (I didn't spoil anything, that's on the back cover.) I also immediately cared for Christian, her love interest. He is adorable. Any guy who will buy lunch for me and bring it to me at work... hey, I'm in love!

I didn't ask Alison any questions. Either I am too embarassed because I didn't like the continuity (or lack thereof), or I am too embarassed to ask questions and then say what I have to say because I can't lie or fake it when it comes to books.

Alison, if you read this, please do not take it personally. I am old and set in my ways and I just do not want to have to get used to reading books meant for twenty year olds.

Dear John

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

What a wonderful read. I read it in one setting. This is a very poignant story about the different kinds of love. Sparks explores parent/child love and sibling love and love for the those who cannot love back and attraction and passion and long distance love and he packs it all into this book. It is astounding.

Dear John is very well done. It flashes back, yes, but the beginning is short so you don't mind flashing back. The beginning paragraph sets you up for the flashback so it doesn't matter. Then, I must confess, after the first few pages, I just had to turn to the back and read the last few pages because I was so sure that it was going to end badly. If that was the case, then I'd have to read it in a different frame of mind.

I won't tell you what I found out. However, I will tell you that this story is so incredibly touching. It is good reading... not too fluffy, but not too cerebral either. Worth the money. You can read more about it and purchase the book at the link above. Happy reading!