I have loved Dr. David Jeremiah for many, many years. I watch him faithfully every Sunday morning, so I was thrilled to be able to review this particular book because I watched the series of sermons on this subject.
I have to say that if you want or need encouragement in these troubled times, then reading this book will settle many questions you may have. It is solid, with dead-on research, and he uses many Bible passages to back up this message.
I agree with him wholeheartedly. I have studied eschatology since I was a teenager and each year my understanding grows deeper concerning God's plan for His people and for this dark world. Dr. Jeremiah has complied an easy to read anthology of prophecy that clearly defines what is happening now and the impact it has on the future of this world. Be sure and get your copy today. You'll be so glad you did.
I have long adored James Stuart Bell. Therefore I snatched this book right up as soon as it hit my mail box. Talk about super-duper-better-than-sliced-bread good! You have a wonderful collection of impacting stories told by those who lived through them. This book is inspiring, is fabulously touching, and wonderfully human dealing with situations we all face, but handled in God's special way.
You cannot go wrong with this book. Buy it! You won't be sorry.
Real People. Real Stories. Real Love.
Happily ever after. Does it only happen in fairy tales, or in real life? Over the years love may burn strong and steady, but sometimes it grows cold. However, it can be rekindled--and these stories show how. Be inspired by true accounts of how love was revived and renewed.
You'll discover that love can grow stronger and burn brighter through the years as you read more than forty stories from everyday people like
Jan, whose marriage was restored despite adultery.
Marsha, who fought pornography and won.
Bryan, who realized his family, not his career, was his most important responsibility.
Emily, who learned that real love overcomes unrealistic expectations.
Jeff, who went from dissatisfaction and boredom to falling in love all over again.
The true stories in Love Is a Flame will warm your heart and show you how to create a new spark in your marriage and build it into a glowing flame.
James Stuart Bell is a Christian publishing veteran and the owner of Whitestone Communications, a literary development agency. He is the editor of many story collections, including the Cup of Comfort, Life Savors, and God Encounters series, and the coauthor of numerous books in the Complete Idiot’s Guide series. He and his family live in West Chicago, Illinois.
Finally, some really Good News in statistics about Christians--Evangelical Christians. This non-fiction book should be on every Christian's book shelf , especially every Pastor's bookshelf.
I have been so depressed hearing how bad Christians are and how we are losing so much ground, how American isn't a Christian Nation anymore, how Christians marriages end in divorce as much or more as non-Christian marriages. I've heard that teenagers are leaving the church as fast as lightening. I've heard that sexual immorality is rampant among Christians. All of that is balderdash--poppycock.
Amen, brother, preach on about how to actually read statistics, and how the question is worded means as much as the answer given. Preach on about how few numbers answering the question also means higher differential rate (that means the percentage of accuracy versus inaccuracy is much greater).
Reading this book brought back so much of my Statistical Research college class and fond memories of Dr. David Martin, my professor for the class. But, that is a side-note only.
This Wright has his doctorate in Sociology and he literally shatters so many myths that have abounded about Christians that you feel like you have emerged from a shroud of deceit after you've finished the book. You can't get it all in one sit-down session. You have to savor it like a good cup of coffee and fresh roses.
Buy it, read it, study it, you will be so very glad you did!
ABOUT THE BOOK
You've probably heard the many negative media reports about the evangelical church, such as:
Christian young people are leaving the Christian faith in record numbers
The divorce rate among Christians is as high as those of nonbelievers
Christians today are watered down in their beliefs and actions
But are these truly accurate?
In Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told, sociologist Bradley R.E. Wright shatters these popular myths, along with many others. Using the best available data, he reveals to readers why and how many of the commonly shared statistics are incomplete and inaccurate.
I absolutely adore Paul Robertson. It is a good thing he's married and I have principles about that sort of thing or I'd probably be tracking him down -- of course, that is said all in fun!
This latest novel of Paul's is a bit dark, but then the era and incidents that he writes about in Dark in the City of Light is extremely dark. From the first page, it is gripping. He writes in such a way that it is easy to understand the characters' motivations without them being written in neon lighting and arrows pointing garishly as some authors have been known to write. The subtlety is mind boggling and done with such genius, you feel as if you have been transported to late 19th century living rooms--parlors--in the middle of Paris with a few side trips to Austria.
This is an amazing work in character studies. Worthy of reading, worthy of the money spent and worthy of the most austere library shelf. The story is fast paced and adheres extremely closely to history. I highly recommend this novel. I give it five out of five stars.
Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and the author of The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Therese Harsanyi — Swept up in new romance and the spectacle of Paris, the Baron's daughter is blind to the dangers stalking her family and the city she loves.
Rudolph Harsanyi — Unsure whom to trust, the Baron's son's grief over his mother's death twists into growing anger and a desire to break free.
As France and Prussia plunge toward war, one family is caught in a web of deceit, political intrigue, and murder that threatens to tear them apart.
This novel has a truly great premise. The first one third is excellent, you just can't put it down. I appreciate how much work went into the writing of Nightshade. The research is superb, and you get an excellent feel for how this motley crew feels being on the "out" rather than the "in" of Special Forces. Really good character development for the most part. The characters are not predictable per se, but do flirt with the edge of believability once or twice.
However, the problem of "love" entwined with "suspense/action" is very evident in the rest of Kendig's offering. It takes a genius to meld love and and action adventure. This one came close but the execution did not live up to the promise. The family scenes with Sydney and her brother and her mother just don't ring a perfect pitch. It isn't harmonized with the rest of the storyline, although it all does come together in the end. It has to, it's a romance... or is it?
Although, this is a great study in anger and pride management, the storyline seems to be cluttered with things that tend to block the flow of the story. When a story-blocker comes along, it is easy to close the book for the night, or simply skip several pages. But, don't give up on it because it does have a worthy ending. I give it two stars... I liked it, but it didn't WOW me.
Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!
This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series begins in July from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.
ABOUT THE BOOK
After a tour of duty in a war-torn country, embattled former Navy SEAL Max Jacobs finds himself discarded and alienated from those he loves as he
struggles with war-related PTSD. His wife, Sydney, files a restraining order against him and a petition for divorce. Max is devastated.
Then a mysterious a man appears. He says he's organizing a group that recycles veterans like Max. It's a deep-six group known as Nightshade. With
the chance to find purpose in life once again, Max is unable to resist the call of duty and signs on.
The team handles everything with precision and lethal skill...until they're called upon to rescue a missionary family from a rebel-infested jungle and avoid a reporter hunting their identities.
Will Max yield his anger and pride to a force greater than him...love?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Nightshade, go HERE.
I knew Bertrand had the kind of mettle to crank out a winner and he did. Mark has woven a tail that is not only very interesting, it is fast paced and so male. The only thing that could make it better is a little less editing knife. Some paragraphs and/or scenes seemed to have been cut to the point of almost incoherence. But, I get it. That is how men think most of the time. A few words here and there actually speak volumes. But, it does cause the story flow to stutter once in a while. On the other hand...
The reader is drawn into the world of policing when a man is on the cusp of a comeback. It makes for a very satisfying read. The characters are believable, the protagonist is strong, vulnerable, wise, impatient, and downright likable. Just when you think Roland and Charlotte may be heading for divorce, they're over the rough water and back together with both oars in the water.
Another interesting point is that this story is told from an unbeliever's POV, looking into the Christian world with no little amount of skepticism. Unusual? Not really, but so well done that you forget all others that went before this story.
This is five stars out of five. A Worthy read and it's a keeper.
J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.
Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of a hung jury in Houston, and after relocating served on the jury that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead. Besides his personal website, visit his Crime Genre website at http://www.crimegenre.com/.
The next book in this series, Pattern Of Wounds will come out in the summer of 2011.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out.
A missing girl. A corrupt investigation. They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:
Roland March is BACK ON MURDER...
Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.
All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives.
Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.
David Liberty is trapped within the walls of a nursing home, inside a failing body. No longer able to move, speak, or respond to communication, David longs for escape and welcomes his impending death. His plans are changed when he is confronted by an angel, Joelle, who questions his past and irrevocably changes his future. David is given a second chance at life, but not in the manner he had hoped. His renewed body and unchanged self are thrown into the lives of others, and he is commissioned to assist them in their struggles and bridge the chasm that separates them from God. As a penalty for a lifetime of merely “talking the talk,” David is unable to speak; instead he must use actions to demonstrate his love for God and others. David’s first task is to help a major league baseball player put aside pride and once again place his family above money and fame. Next, he is thrown into a new family, in which envy threatens the life of both siblings. In the climactic conclusion, David encounters a young boy whose family is held captive to sloth and anger.
David and Goliath has three different stories which are all related. If you've read any of my reviews, you know that I am not a fan of this kind of story telling.
We see a complex relationship between faith and works in the novel, pointedly part of the theme is how God works within and through us sometimes without us even knowing how we are being used by Him or how situations are used by Him for His purposes.
I have a problem with the theology within the story, but I can't explain without a spoiler alert. On second thought, I think I'll let you judge for yourself.
Frankly, this isn't one of the best written novels I've read, in fact it really rates about a one star for readability, although there aren't any real flaws that I can point to, the story just doesn't flow like a river. The back cover information promises a super premise, So enjoy.
I received this book courtesy of Rebeca Seitz at Glass Road Public Relations free of charge for the sole purpose of a book review, not a book promotion.
This story in a way reminds me of Michael Chrighten in the tremendous attention to technical details. If you have never known a paramedic or EMT, then this novel may make you cross-eyed for a few chapters. However, Shawn Grady does an excellent job with incorporating explanation of the technical with the technical jargon. It certainly brought back a lot of memories from my husband's EMT days in the chemical plant.
Grady has tightly woven a tale that is very believable, so no skipping pages or you'll miss something important. Strap yourself in for a bumpy night!
Shawn Grady signed with Bethany House Publishers in 2008. He was named “Most Promising New Writer” at the 39th Annual Mount Hermon Writers Conference. He is the author of the novels Through the Fire & Tomorrow We Die.
Shawn has served for over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in northern Nevada. From fire engines and ambulances to tillered ladder trucks and helicopters, Shawn’s work environment has always been dynamic. The line of duty has carried him to a variety of locale, from high-rise fires in the city to the burning heavy timber of the eastern Sierras.
Shawn attended Point Loma Nazarene University as a Theology undergrad before shifting direction to acquire an Associate of Science degree in Fire Science Technology as well as Paramedic licensure through Truckee Meadows Community College.
Shawn currently lives in Reno, Nevada, just outside of Lake Tahoe. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife, three children and yellow Labrador.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Chase the Angel of Death and You Might Catch Him
Jonathan Trestle is a paramedic who's spent the week a few steps behind the angel of death. When he responds to a call about a man sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, Trestle isn't about to lose another victim. CPR revives the man long enough for him to hand Trestle a crumpled piece of paper and say, "Give this to Martin," before being taken to the hospital.
The note is a series of dashes and haphazard scribbles. Trestle tries to follow up with the patient later, but at the ICU he learns the man awoke, pulled out his IVs, and vanished, leaving only a single key behind. With the simple decision to honor a dying man's last wish, Jonathan tracks the key to a nearby motel where he finds the man again--this time not just dead but murdered. Unwilling to just let it drop, Jonathan is plunged into a mystery that soon threatens not only his dreams for the future but maybe even his life. He must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.
This is one of the best historical romances that I have read in a long time. What makes it so interesting is the authentic Biltmore Mansion, the detailed look behind the servants' quarters door, and the class boundaries. All very well done!
I wasn't that intrigued by the romance story, however, because this is the first of Gist's novels where she harps on the muscles of the leading man, Mack Danvers. What is that all about? There was a scene at the servants' dance where the protagonist, Tilly Reese, and her love interest are basically lost in each other. That scene was magnificent, as well as the quiet moments in early morning when the two meet doing their chores. Mack Danvers became my hero the instant I found out how he was caring for all his siblings and when he punched the child abuser! Bully for him!
I have an excellent imagination, as well as most readers. There isn't a need to keep talking about muscles. That comes through our imaginations quite nicely, thank you. Except for that minor flaw, this is a worthy read and a keeper.
After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.
Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.
After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.
Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.
Her 2010 books, Beguiled and Maid To Match are now available for order.
Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-seven years and their two border collies. They have four grown children. Visit her blog to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Falling in love could cost her everything.
From the day she arrived at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled, by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in proper servant etiquette, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid, After all, the one rule of the house is no romance below stairs.
But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangles in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs, their aspirations...their hearts.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Maid to Match, go HERE.
There are a lot of good things being said about this book. I did not find it compelling or absorbing. It is a good light read for a rainy afternoon.
It takes an extraordinary amout of pages to get to the real meat of the story. This is a trend that is distressing for me. I see a lot of extraneous "stuff" happening that doesn't move the story along in more novels than I care to count this afternoon. Have things changed since my creative writing classes? I am not looking for something "literary" or a Pulitzer Prize Winner... just excellent execution of the back cover promises.
Lena Nelson Dooley gives us an excellent story premise, a good story line, once we get past page 129, and I absolutely love the way Dooley weaves into the story that God literally talks to those who love Him and are willing to listen for His voice. That is so very true! Dooley did an excellent job of using the faith of one character to reach several characters as well as enhancing the faith of another. That was very well done.
My disappointment comes from the fact that when an author has as many novels published as Dooley, my expectations are high and lately, I've been disappointed when the bar isn't met. This love story starts out just like a thousand other love stories with the conflict being between the two love interests. (Since Mr. Smith is older than Maddy's grandfather, we won't count him.) I just have to ask: When has that ever happened in real life? I have never seen it or heard of it happening with anyone I know or have known. The antagonism is understandable, but for me, it went on too long and was over done. That is my own personal preference.
The historical content is quite interesting. So, when all the ingredients are added together, the outcome is enjoyable.
For several years, Lena worked on the support staff of a church, but in November of 2002, God changed things so that she could stay home and write full-time. It has been the desire of her heart for a long time. In Proverbs 37:4, it says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” She believes that this blessing is a result of her delighting herself in Him, and she praises Him for the opportunity.
She have been a professional writer with a free-lance writing and editing business since 1984. In that time, she has written curriculum for public schools, private schools, and three different denominations. For one company, I managed a writing team that produced a two-year American History course for at-risk students. One of her clients was a Christian comedian for whom she wrote several routines. An airline training company had her edit and design International business reports for them.
Her first novel was published by Heartsong Presents in 1992. Since then Lena Nelson Dooley has written more than 25 works of fiction and nonfiction.
Lena has been married to her husband James since 1964. Theirs was one of those love-at-first-sight relationships. They were married three months and three days after they met. He truly was God’s gift to her. They are absolute opposites, but that means that his strengths are her weaknesses, and her strengths are his weaknesses. Together they make a more perfect whole. She believe that is what God intends for all of us.
They have two daughters. Marilyn Van Zant is married to Roger, and they have a son named Timothy. Tim is now in Tennessee at Ft. Campbell. His son Sebastian is almost 2 years old. Jennifer Waldron is married to Eric, and they have three children—Austin, Marissa, and Amanda. James and Lena love to spend time with their family, and they are blessed that both families live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, so they see them often. ABOUT THE BOOK
All that glitters is not gold. It’s 1890, and Golden, New Mexico, is a booming mining town where men far outnumber women. So when an old wealthy miner named Philip Smith finds himself in need of a nursemaid, he places an ad for a mail-order bride—despite the protests of his friend Jeremiah.
Hoping to escape a perilous situation back East, young Madeleine Mercer answers the ad and arrives in town under a cloud of suspicion. But just as she begins to win over Philip—and Jeremiah himself—the secrets she left behind threaten to follow her to Golden...and tarnish her character beyond redemption.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Love Finds You In Golden, New Mexico, go HERE.
"Love Finds You In Golden, New Mexico is a well-researched novel brimming With emotive conflict. Lena Nelson Dooley has crafted a historical romance that demonstrates that courage comes in many forms, but the courage to love is the most difficult of all.”─DiAnn Mills, author of Sworn to Protect and A Woman Called Sage
"Two strangers are presented with a ‘golden’ opportunity for love in this quintessential East meets West tale by well-loved author Lena Nelson Dooley. I found myself swept away by the beautiful writing and enmeshed in the lives of the players, who face many twists and turns in their journey toward the ultimate happily-ever-after. Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico is truly one of the loveliest historical romances I’ve read in ages. Highly recommended.”─Janice Hanna Thompson, author of Love Me Tender and Swinging on a Star
I really admire Dr. Kraus. He has a true heart for the sick—in body as well as in their souls. See his bio below.
However, I do have serious reservations about this book.
What was disturbing to me is that the author seems to have sex on the brain. He uses it in such a way that it has no bearing on the story line, even though he suggests that the protagonist has intimacy problems. Such as Camille Weller barges into the “doctors dressing room”, which in hospital-ese, means Mens, in order to make a point that she is a doctor. She hide in a bath stall to listen to their conversation and discovers that not only are her scrubs covered in blood but she has ruined underwear so—in the men’s bathroom, she removes them. I can’t help but be shocked at this “making a point”. There are so many other ways to give the reader a good understanding of the inner workings of this troubled woman’s brain.
I also was a bit uncomfortable with the way sex seems to be overplayed. Although, I can fully appreciate it that she has intimacy problems and it must be addressed.
The premise is superb. The prose leaves a lot to be desired. The way the story is told is from several different POVs, which tends to get a lot confusing simply because the story unfolds differently for the reader than it does for the protagonist. We find out long before she does that her boyfriend is having an affair with a married women who turns out to be a therapist. I have read a couple of thousand books and not one male author has successfully written a good story from inside the head of a woman. Men do not “get” women, so why do they try so hard to write their inner most thoughts? It doesn’t come across the page convincingly.
The dialog is pretty good, but not compelling.
I cannot recommend this book. I’m sorry, because I really like Dr. Kraus.
Harry Kraus has brought surgical skill to medical missions on four continents. Most recently, he returned to Somalia for a short stay. His family (wife, Kris, and three sons) is contemplating a return to Kenya for three years. He could stay in Virginia, building his surgical practice, storing wealth and acquiring house after house, car after car - but that isn't where Harry's heart lies. Harry Kraus watched the Twin Towers fall on 9/11. He was at Ground Zero providing medical services to those who managed to escape the falling buildings. He saw firsthand the result of human relationships that lack love for fellow man. He determined to spend his life pouring love into human hearts. In Africa, he is often asked by Muslim patients why he would come halfway around the world to take care of them for no pay. Harry smiles. He tells them about the unconditional love He received from a Savior
This is a gripping, intriguing novel. Yes, it has flashbacks, but you are jerked willy-nilly from one place to another. You are given ample warning what is happening, when and why. I love it! I found it especially intriguing because when I was researching Sins of the Fathers, I ran across the detail that many Union soldiers fell to influenza the winter they took Baton Rouge in the Civil War. That fact was written in a diary published shortly after the Civil War. I couldn't believe that the Flu could kill like that.
This is also chilling… We live in an age where this could really happen, so the believability factor is very high. This one is a keeper!
Paul McCusker (Creative Director, Focus on the Family) and Walt Larimore, M.D. (nationally renowned physician) display their considerable story-telling talents with THE INFLUENZA BOMB, in stores June 1 from Howard Books.
Influenza killed 20-100 million worldwide in 1918. We never discovered why or how to stop the virus. Now, it's back and the Time Scene Investigators (an international team that probes past medical disasters to prevent future outbreaks) must solve the riddle that has gone unanswered for nearly 100 years - before millions more die.
