David Britton Christmas - REVEIWED

World class baritone and Shadowlands Music recording artist David Britton has been busy prepping for the brick & mortar release of his holiday themed full-length CD, Christmas, which released October 9, 2015. The project, which is distributed through New Day Distribution, follows on the heels of Britton's impressive patriotic EP, American Glory. 

Christmas, which released digitally last year, showcases the unique ability of the classically trained Britton, who has performed at Carnegie Hall and with opera companies around the world, to effortlessly merge his diverse influences. He wraps his incredibly rich pop-classical sound (with a twist of anthemic rock) into and around these timeless holiday classics. The result is a poignant collection of cozy favorites and a blend of powerful yet intimate moments, custom made for the Christmas season.

The project launches with a creative new arrangement of the classic carol, "Joy to the World," which features heady rock 'n' roll undergirding classical piano and the added bonus of a gospel choir. Fans of Trans-Siberian Orchestra will love it! Britton pulls back for a reverent rendition of the more melancholy contemporary Christmas hymn, "Mary, Did You Know." He draws on the classic crooners like Bing Crosby for inspiration on the old school classic, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," then presents a breathtaking, intimate rendition of the beloved carol, "O Holy Night," one of the signature songs from his live shows.

"Angels We Have Heard On High" gets an updated treatment, as Britton is once again backed by a gospel choir, giving listeners the idea that they may indeed be listening to angels from on high, extolling the birth of the Savior. Angels continue to take center stage on "Whispers," an original Christmas hymn co-written by Britton and producer Billy Smiley describing the miraculous events of the first Christmas morning from the perspective of the mighty warrior angels who heralded the Messiah's birth.

"The First Noel" starts on a low and tranquil note before building to a soul stirring crescendo. Britton displays his jazz chops on a happy version of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," then mellows out for the richly orchestrated holiday favorite, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." The 12th century hymn, "The Wexford Carol," merges ancient melodies with contemporary instruments to create an audience favorite, while "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" allows the fresh arrangement to underscore the mystery of the Christmas story.

Britton encourages listeners to get cozy with his warm and inviting rendition of "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)," before closing the project with another original, "Sing Noel," written by Billy Smiley and CCM legend Scott Wesley Brown. On this lovely Christmas hymn, Britton shares the microphone with Christine Dente from Out of the Grey.

"In a world that is full of so much turmoil and pain, it is my goal to use music to shed a glimmer of light; to bring comfort to those that grieve, peace to those at war, hope to those that fail, encouragement to those that feel alone, joy to those in despair," says Britton. "I am grateful for the opportunity to create music that does not fit within any specific genre, that allows me to leverage the unorthodox musical influences of my life, that people of all generations and tastes may find something that speaks to them. Above all else, it is my desire that those who listen may see past me to the One who created all things."

For more information about Britton and Christmas, visit davidbritton.com.

My Thoughts:

If you enjoy Christmas music, you REALLY want a copy of this beautiful project!!  David Britton's voice is clear,pure and passionate.  You will be swept away with traditional carols and modern songs familiar from your childhood. This project captures the rich quality of a trained vocalist, but also the tender intimacy of the relationship that was gifted to us through the birth and death of Christ.

I've been a long time fan of Christmas music, and I must say, this is a special and beautiful addition to any collection.  I am happy to recommend this to everyone!  It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! 

About David Britton: 

Growing up in a missionary family afforded David Britton the unique opportunity to experience a broad range of cultures, to gain language skills in English, Italian, French and German, and to sing in churches around the world. The experience fostered a love for classical music and spurred him to study classical voice at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. This led to Britton receiving his Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  
 
Britton has performed with Opera San Jose, Opera Santa Barbara, Festival Opera, Intermountain Opera, Livermore Valley Opera, and the North Bay Opera. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in New York as Townsend Harris in The Dawn of Japan by Toroku Takagi with the Orchestra of St. Luke's.

Lightning by Bonnie S. Calhoun - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing

About The Book:

Selah's past and her future are about to collide . . . and time is running out.

Selah Rishon thought that finding her real father would solve her problems. Instead it has created a host of new ones. She is feeling strange, destructive flashes of power within her body. The family she left behind is being sequestered in the Mountain. And if her father and his team cannot find the key to the West and make contact with the Third Protocol of Landers, Selah will fracture.

Selah is trying to accept this new world, but none of the facts she's learned about novarium or Landers are adding up. Determined to find answers, she launches a new rescue effort to the Mountain. But will the prison that holds her family become Selah's grave?

My Thoughts:

“Then what does novarium mean?”

“It means you are the new one.  The one who holds the keys to the kingdom.”  (p. 48)

When Glade speaks these words to Selah early in the book, she becomes frustrated and angry.  She couldn’t begin to understand the gravity of her place in this post-apocalyptic world.  Once again, Bonnie Calhoun has written an action-packed novel filled with twists and turns that have all of the main characters in the cross-hairs of deadly force time and time again.  Some survive….others aren’t so fortunate.  The journey that begins in this novel is one that sets Selah on a countdown toward her own, unavoidable demise.  The indicators of this become more and more apparent throughout the novel, adding another layer of urgency to every action taken by each character.

More than action, Lightning is a novel filled with satisfying relationships.  Some secrets that have been hidden for year come to light, and the consequences are never clean, but rather complicated and messy.  Whether historical, modern-day or, in this case, futuristic, human relationships are timeless in the way challenges force change upon us.  Sometimes these changes are necessary, but the journey through is uncomfortable and calls for sacrifice.  Deception abounds, and that only adds another layer of complexity to this action-packed novel.

Young adults will totally engage with this novel!  There are many realistic life lessons to be learned as the characters race to forge a path to the West.  This is a rich, vibrant and multi-layered story that offers much to readers of all ages!  I am happy to recommend this to readers!

About The Author:

Bonnie S. Calhoun is the author of Thunderand Lightning, the first two books in the Stone Braide Chronicles. She loves to write, but it doesn't make her happy unless there are the three Bs: body count, blood, and blowing things up. She also has mad skills at coding HTML and website design. Bonnie lives in a log cabin in the woods with fifteen acres and a pond full of bass. But she'd rather buy fish, ready to eat and under plastic, at the grocery store. She shares her domain with a husband, a dog, and two cats, all of whom think she is waitstaff. Learn more at www.bonniescalhoun.com.

The Poet's Secret by Keneth Zak - a debut novel

About the Book:

In The Poet’s Secret, young lit student Elia Aloundra sets off to a remote Caribbean island in search of the reclusive poet Cameron Beck, longing to know the man whose words move her so. What she doesn’t know is that as her quest begins, Beck is perched atop a cliff on his exotic island hideaway and about to attempt suicide. Elia soon finds herself swept up in the mystery surrounding his muse, but what she cannot fathom is that Beck’s secret will change both their lives forever.

An island tale filled with mystical sea turtles and sunken treasure, The Poet’s Secret was conceived in a mountaintop village on the Greek isle of Crete while the author was on a three­-year sabbatical. For every copy of The Poet’s Secret sold, $1 will also be donated to The Surfrider Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the earth’s oceans, waves and beaches.

The Poet’s Secret will appeal to fans of both Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient and the Cusslers’ Dirk Pitt series. 

About the Author:

Born in Parma, Ohio, Kenneth Zak is an aquatic nomad of Bohemian-Polish ancestry. As a lad, he dove into Lake Erie in search of a silver coin. Decades later, he surfaced off the island of Crete with a tale filled with mystical sea turtles, sunken treasure and a young woman’s search for a reclusive poet, his muse and the myth of eternal love.

A summa cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business and special interest in Art History, Zak went on to receive his Juris Doctor and follow the waves to California. He eventually shut down a successful law practice in quest of a deeper purpose, freeing his creative self in a mountaintop village in Crete where he began his debut novel, The Poet’s Secret, continuing work on the manuscript and his poetry in Bali, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia and South America.

 An avid surfer and free diver, Ken’s passions also include reading, music, ocean swimming, the Tibetan Rites and yoga. He currently serves as General Counsel for a large private brokerage company and resides in San Diego, California. Learn more at www.kennethzak.com.

The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry - REVIEWED

About the Book: 
Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended. 

Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed--until the day he's shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy. 

When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success--but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn't aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn't Captain America--just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger's sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there's no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It's 2015--and the world has become an unrecognizable place. 

Katherine Mueller--crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle--offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he's trying to flee? 

My Thoughts:

From the fight between American and German pilots in WWII to the modern day world of the 21^st century, Rick Warren has written a novel rich in details and great characters.  I would encourage readers of all ages to suspend their disbelief for a while and enjoy this intriguing novel!  Warren develops believable friendships, faith and conflict within the pages of his novel, and the plot line maintains a comfortable but intensifying pace that keeps the pages turning.

I think a lot of the science presented are ideas that are as old as time itself.  Man has always strived to achieve eternal life in the natural and eternal life separate from the gospel.  That unbelief touches faith in a realistic way in this novel, and that thread of faith is what lends believably to the characters.  There is no rational explanation, only faith,  that can describe Roger Greene’s survival through this story.

This is a novel that requires disbelief to some extent, but the writing is fabulous, the characters are realistic, and as a whole, this is just a really well told story that will keep you entertained.  I am happy to recommend this novel to everyone!

About the Author:
Rick Barry is the author of Gunner's Run, another World War II novel, Kiriath's Quest, and over 200 articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a World War II buff, he is the director of church planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry operating in Eastern Europe. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks Russian, and has visited Europe more than fifty times. Rick and his wife Pam live in Indianapolis, Indiana. Visit him at facebook.com/AuthorRickBarry, or on Twitter (@WriterRickBarry).

Waking Up - How I Found My Faith By Losing It by Ted Dekker - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Waking up is a vulnerable 38-page expose of the personal journey the author and most who call themselves Christian find themselves on in this life. A journey full of inconsistencies that are unsustainable and eventually lead to a fractured worldview. And yet that same journey can lead to a radical rediscovery of love, peace and identity in a world blurred by confusion, unworthiness and anxiety. 

"If there is one elephant in the room among most of us who call ourselves Christian, it is that what we think and say we believe and what we actually experience are all too often two, radically different realities," the author writes. "Ironically, we ourselves are often the last to see this disparity." 

We claim to be saved in the next life, but can we find peace in the storms that rise up against us in this life? The answer is an unequivocal yes. But that yes means looking at ourselves and the world around us differently which leads to a new way of being in the world. So take a look. See what millions of Christians are now seeing. 

My Thoughts:

“What matters isn’t our stated belief and doctrine by how we live and what we experience in the story of our lives, as Jesus, John, James and Paul all make so abundantly clear.  It’s our actual experience and expression of life that shows us and the world what we truly believe and to what extend we truly love, not what we say we believe or who we say we love.  If we say we have faith, but the workings of our life don’t reflect that faith, that faith is either asleep or dead.” 

I have read Ted Dekker for many years.  I’ve met him and interviewed him and have traveled to distant book stores to hear him speak and garner and autograph.  When I read Waking Up my heart rejoiced, because I am one who has been awakened in the way Ted describes in this brief expose of faith.  I just want to shout and rejoice to know that this man and his brilliant talent are couched in the truth of God’s great love, and that he is sharing that love with the world through novels like A.D 30 and A.D. 33! 

I challenge you to read Ted’s declaration of faith within the story of his own life experiences.  Your heart will be challenged – and changed!  I have much respect for Ted and his work, and I praise GOD that he has shared his heart with all of us!  This has made my own heart rejoice!

About the Author:

TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling thriller author. Heralded as a "master of suspense" by Library Journal, Dekker has sold millions worldwide, establishing himself as one of the most widely recognized author brands.

He began his career writing fantasy novels that explored spirituality (Black, Red and White) and has since become a major force in the mainstream fiction arena with his recent thrillers, "Adam," "Thr3e," "Skin," "Obsessed," "BoneMan's Daughters," which landed in the #10 on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list in 2009, and "The Bride Collector". Dekker has been honored with a Christy Award as well as a Gold Medallion Award for Best Fiction. "Thr3e" and his novel "House" became feature films. 

Dekker was born to missionaries and grew up among cannibals of Indonesia, and his peculiar upbringing gives him a unique perspective outside the cultural bubble, allowing him the freedom to share provocative insights in his fiction. After leaving Indonesia, Dekker graduated from a multi-cultural high school and took up permanent residence in the United States, earning his B.A. in philosophy and religion, and then went into business. 

In the early nineties, Dekker decided to pursue his desire to write fiction, selling his company, moving his family to the mountains of western Colorado, and writing full-time. Two years and three books later his first novel, a supernatural thriller called Heaven's Wager, was published. Dekker proceeded to write 6 more supernatural thrillers, rising to the top of many bestsellers lists and earning himself critical acclaim and legions of fans. "Thr3e" heralded his launch into mainstream fiction and was followed by "Obsessed," "Skin," "Adam," and "BoneMan's Daughters," all of which hit the New York Times bestseller list. 

Ted Dekker's fans are comprised of readers of all ages, backgrounds, and belief systems who love his compulsively readable stories, authentic characters, and universal and relatable themes that he explores from a unique point of view. 

He resides in Austin, Texas with his wife and children. You can find him at Teddekker.com and Facebook.com/teddekker.

Firefly Summer by Kathleen Y'Barbo - REVIEWED

About The Book:
Artist Sessa Chambers may never recover from losing her prodigal son. Even as she grieves the tragic decisions that led to his death, and left her with a toddler to raise, she’s asked to work on her dream project—restoring carousel horses for the Smithsonian. But she can’t do it on her own… 

Dr. Trey Brown can’t pick up a scalpel again. Yes, he acted in self-defense, but the events of that awful night haunt him. He was trained to save lives, not take them. When he goes to the young man’s widowed mother to apologize, she’s not at all what he expected. For one thing, she’s not as alone as he thought—not with the fearsome ladies of the Pies, Books, and Jesus Book Club in her corner. For another, she’s beautiful, and being in her presence is more jolting than any eight-second bronco ride from his former rodeo days. Before he knows it, she’s captured his heart as easily as they capture the fireflies gracing Sessa’s Texas ranch. 

How can they overcome their past to embrace a future together?

My Thoughts:

“Lightning in a jar.” (p. 153)

Sessa Chambers’ memory of an earlier time in life, the memory of her son, Ross, catching a jar full of fireflies, begins one of the most poignant passages in Kathleen Y’barbo’s latest book, Firefly Summer. This book, although only a brief 205, is packed with well-developed characters and a plot that weaves these lives together in tender, unexpected ways!  What a joy this book was to read! 

I appreciate the fact that the relationships forged in this story are born out of realistic, and sometimes tragic, losses.  The circumstances surrounding Sessa’s granddaughter’s (Pansie) life just about broke my heart.  The fear of yet another loss in Sessa’s life was almost tangible at times!  Yet the scene I mentioned at the opening of this review tenderly gave us insight about the young girl who brought Pansie into Sessa’s life, and, at the same time, poignantly touched many tender places in the hearts of others in the story.  

I can’t forget to mention Dr. Trey Brown!  He sets up the perfect counterbalance to Sessa’s unexpected opportunity to play a role in her granddaughter’s life!  Between he and Sessa, forgiveness and mercy are modeled in unforgettable way!  Sessa wasn’t the only one who fell for Dr. Trey!  I imagine there will be many readers who hope to meet someone very similar!

This is a book the overflows with every emotion imaginable!  You will laugh, cry, become frightened, angry….Kathleen Y’Barbo doesn’t miss anything!  I am thrilled to recommend this book to anyone!  It is a touching story that will impact everyone who reads its pages!

About the Author:

Bestselling author Kathleen Y'Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee of fifty novels with more than one million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A certified family law paralegal and former literary publicist, Kathleen has been nominated for a 2013 Career Achievement Award as well a Reader's Choice Award and several Top Picks by Romantic Times magazine. 

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and a former member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, she is a proud military wife and an expatriate tenth-generation Texan cheering on her beloved Texas Aggies from north of the Red River. 

To find out more about Kathleen or connect with her through social media, check out her website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.

Flames by Ginny L. Yttrup - REVIEWED

About the Book:

I preserve legacies.

So begins the story of Jessica Weaver—wife, mother, and fire archeologist. Preserving Yosemite National Park’s natural and cultural resources is Jessica’s job. Preserving her family’s legacy is her obsession. But when she discovers her husband’s infidelity, betrayal’s flames threaten her family and all she’s fought to protect.

Haley Weaver, a sophomore in high school, is a daddy’s girl. As she enters the throes of first love, timid yet intrigued, Haley also discovers her father’s affair. Stunned and broken, Haley flees into the wilds of Yosemite National Park. If she can’t trust her father, how can she trust her boyfriend—or even love itself?

When wildfire breaks out and Haley is missing, Jessica fears the worst. In a race against time, she searches for her daughter as she deals with the magnitude of what her husband’s affair may cost her family. How can she go on if she doesn’t find Haley in time?

And what will Jessica do to preserve the legacy that matters most?

My Thoughts:

“What once was, is no longer.” (p. 54)

Ginny Yttrup’s latest novel, Flames, deals with a tender subject, the complexities of life – seen from multiple angles and multiples generations, as the flames of infidelity burn through a family.  Jessica Weaver is a fire archeologist who preserves the effects of wildfire on all areas of life.  When infidelity blazes through her family, she is forced to take a close look at the motivations of her own life choices and examine the steps that brought her to this defining moment. 

The desire to preserve her family unscathed is thwarted when her teenage daughter, Haley, also discovers her father’s infidelity.  She chooses to run from the problem, creating another layer of firestorm that overlies the circumstances facing her parents.

While Haley flees to the wilderness, Jessica flees to her father, and Ted, becomes the lens through which we view the perspective of the parent who shepherds and supports his daughter through a trial not unlike one he walked through in his own marriage decades earlier.  The faith and grace displayed through Ted and his wife Cretia, is a poignant reflection of God’s grace and mercy to His children no matter what trial they are facing.

This is Ginny Yttrup’s first self-published novel, and it was written from a heart’s desire to help people take a long hard look at the destructive consequences of careless choices.  But, more than that, it is a novel that walks through the scorched earth of the heart and finds hope and healing through the searing flames of infidelity.

The words are rich, and carefully woven together so the reader is able to feel the pain, the terror, the hopelessness and the strength that is born out of such a trial.  I’ve walked this journey in my own life, and I’ll confess there were times I just snot-sobbed over my book and had to lay it down and physically grieve through the pain of my own life circumstances.  But, once on the other side of this novel, I felt stronger and more purposeful about my future than I’ve felt in years!  SUCH HEALING was found in the pages of this novel for me!!  This is a story birthed in love, and I am certain many lives will be saved and changed through reading this novel!

About the Author:

Ginny is the award-winning author of Words, Lost and Found, Invisible, and Flames which releases September 22, 2015. She writes contemporary women's fiction and enjoys exploring the issues everyday women face. Publishers Weekly dubbed Ginny's work "as inspiring as it is entertaining." When not writing, Ginny coaches writers, critiques manuscripts, and makes vintage-style jewelry for her Esty shop, Storied Jewelry. She loves dining with friends, hanging out with her adult sons, or spending a day in her pajamas reading a great novel. Ginny lives in northern California with Bear, her entitled Pomeranian. To learn more about Ginny and her work, visit www.ginnyyttrup.com.

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