The Tainted Coin by Mel Starr - REVIEWED

About the Book:

It is the autumn of 1367. Master Hugh is enjoying the peaceful life of Bampton when a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrew's Chapel. The dying man is a chapman--a traveling merchant. Before he is buried in the chapel grounds, an ancient, corroded coin is found in the man's mouth.

Master Hugh's quest for the chapman's assailants, and his search for the origin of the coin, begins to make progress--but there are men of wealth and power in league with his old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, who wish to end his search . . . permanently.

But Master Hugh, and his assistant, the groom Arthur, are determined to uncover the thieves and murderers, and the source of the chapman's coin. They do, but not before they become involved with a kidnapped maiden, a tyrannical abbot, and a suffering monk--who needs Master Hugh's surgical skills and in return provides clues that assist Hugh in solving the mystery of the tainted coin.

My Thoughts:

“Men to often reject the requirements God places upon them, and rather place burdens upon other men which God does not.”  (p.211)

Hugh de Singleton finds himself in a very multi-layered mystery that draws characters from all walks of life and cleverly displays the many levels of 14^th century society and the effect each role had upon England’s citizens.  Hugh himself winds up caught up between the layers of society and forced to make decisions that are on the razor’s edge of breaking the law.  He must sort through the burdens that are God-given and man-made and decide how best to help those who come to him for aide.

Hugh de Singleton’s character never fails to endear himself to me and those who he so humbly serves as surgeon and bailiff. In this fifth chronicle of Mel Starr’s mysteries, Singleton’s pursuit of murderers and thieves puts his wife and child in harm’s way! This role of family-man adds yet another level of emotional depth to an already brilliant character!

In addition to an unsolved murder, a mysterious coin and a rather unexpected treasure hunt, Hugh himself winds up on the receiving end of a weapon!  The reader must stay glued to the page with even more intensity to discern the well-being not only of Hugh but a growing number of walking wounded!

I must say there seems to be an ever growing number of folks in this story who require the skills of a surgeon/bailiff!  Yet among all of the action, the author still paces the story so that the reader is able to fully enjoy life in a small English village in the 14^th century! The sights, smells, tastes and sounds of this time period envelop the reader.  Transported back to a time where rudimentary sleuthing skills accomplish much, the reader realizes anew that some questions in life (and crime) remain unanswered.

I’m a HUGE fan of this 14^th century surgeon!  Hugh de Singleton could match skills with any of the 21^st century CSI agents!  I can’t wait to see what he is called to do next!

You can purchase your copy HERE today!

About the Author:

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren.

Visit the author’s website.

Seer by Ted Dekker - REVIEWED!!!

About the Book:

Seer is the fourth and final episodic eBook of the Eyes Wide Open series from New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker.

Who am I?

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die. I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me.

I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking. Some will say that I'm not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don't even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave.

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die.

So who are you?

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Three unforgettable, Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves. Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally.

My Thoughts:

"See, my friends.  With eyes wide open. Don't forget."  (Outlaw)

These sentences contain a precious truth - rather allude to the truth that has been discussed among the main characters.  

I KNEW this would end in an amazing, mind-blowing way, and I was NOT disappointed!!

Dekker has returned to his first love, it seems, and has done so in a POWERFUL WAY!!  What's more, he takes the reader back - full-circle - to the Story that inspires him and gives his writing life, depth and meaning!

I identified with Christy most of all, and am thankful to be able to echo her thought:  "I am an Outlaw.  I have woken up."

Deditio, my brother!!  Bravo on a most excellent story!!!

You can read the entire story HERE!!

About the Author:

Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), Obsessed, Renegade, and Chaos.

Path of Freedom by Jennifer Hudson Taylor - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Path of Freedom Abingdon Press (January 2013) by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Hudson Taylor is an award winning author of historical Christian fiction set in Europe and the Carolinas and a speaker on topics of faith, writing and publishing. Her debut novel, Highland Blessings, won the 2011 Holt Medallion award for Best First Book. Jennifer's work has appeared in national publications, such as Guideposts, Heritage Quest Magazine, Romantic Times Book Reviews, and The Military Trader. She serves as the in-house Publicist at Hartline Literary Agency and co-owns Upon the Rock Publicist. Jennifer graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in Communications. When she isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with family, long walks, traveling, touring historical sites, hanging out at bookstores with coffee shops, genealogy, and reading.



ABOUT THE BOOK

2nd in the Quilts of Love series

When Quakers Flora Saferight and Bruce Millikan embark on the Underground Railroad, they agree to put their differences aside to save the lives of a pregnant slave couple. With only her mother’s quilt as a secret guide, the foursome follows the stitches through unknown treachery.

As they embark on their perilous journey, they hope and pray that their path is one of promise where love sustains them, courage builds faith, and forgiveness leads to freedom.

My Thoughts:

“Father, where does one’s faith meet the common sense thee gave us?  Is the line truly as blurry as it appears right now?  Please forgive me and help me see thy well more clearly.”  (p. 94)

 Flora’s prayer was a true cry for understanding.  When she bumped into a former school mate, Bruce Millikan, she was immediately overcome by emotions of the past and a very unforgiving spirit.  She never dreamed that she would be asked to accompany Bruce upon a dangerous mission on the Underground Railroad.  She never dreamed of the fierce desire that would be born in her heart as she brought enslaved people into freedom – a desire to help others no matter the cost. 

When this story begins, Flora is little more than a child who wants her own way.  By the time the story ends, she has matured into a thoughtful, gracious person who is willing to sacrifice of herself and give her best to others.  Bruce, although more mature than Flora in the beginning, still has much to learn when it comes to interacting successfully with members of the opposite sex.  When a relationship begins to bud between the two of them, the mission becomes even more complicated.

Jennifer Hudson Taylor has developed a very intriguing idea – Quakers using quilts as maps to freedom – and turned it into a thoughtful but tense read centered around real risks taken by those on the Underground Railroad.  Their path was fraught with danger at every turn, and each member was willing to sacrifice their all to ensure others were taken to freedom.  Along the way, she infuses realities about the Quaker lifestyle that are interesting and challenging.  Path of Freedom is a blend of many great story ideas, and is a great read for all audiences! 

If you would like to read the first chapter of Path of Freedom, go HERE.

Watch the book trailer:

Choices of the Heart by Laurie Alice Eakes - REVIEWED

About the Book:  (from Revell Publishing)

She thought she had left her old life behind . . .

Esther Cherrett comes from a proud line of midwives and was trained by her mother to take over the family calling. When a terrible scandal threatens all she holds dear, Esther flees, taking a position as a teacher in the wild western mountains of Virginia. But instead of the refuge she was seeking, Esther finds herself in the midst of a deadly family feud-and courted by two men on opposite sides of the conflict. All she wants is to run away again.

Yet could it be that her past holds the key to reconciliation-and love?

In this gripping story of trust, deception, and bittersweet loss, you’ll discover the true meaning of choices of the heart.

My Thoughts:

“Mistakes or not, she would manage her future on her own.”  (p.70)

Managing her future means Esther Cherrett runs far and fast away from her troubles.  Real and imagined.  This time, she runs straight into some of the worst trouble she has ever known or will know – a family feud that has killed many people.  People died over trouble both real and imagined.

Laurie Alice Eakes writes powerful stories.  Her stories contain both conflict and pain, mercy and grace.  The journey between the two places of emotional unrest and peace is one fraught with painful choices and consequences.  Esther Cherrett learns all about consequences in this story – both in her life and in the lives of others that she comes to care about a great deal. 

Granted, Esther has been on the receiving end of some pretty painful circumstances of her own – and some of it the result of her own selfish pride.  However, she must learn not to confuse the love and forgiveness of people with the love and forgiveness that God alone offers.  What a painful lesson she must learn in this story!  But oh, what she finds at the end of the journey!

Laurie Alice Eakes – write that name down and then go to the bookstore and by every book she has ever written.  Read them.  Weep over them. Rejoice in the truth they contain.  Choices of the Heart  is a most excellent book!! What are you waiting for?  Start reading it TODAY!!

About the Author:

Laurie Alice Eakes is the author of Lady in the Mist, Heart's Safe Passage, A Necessary Deception, A Flight of Fancy, and several other novels. She won a National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency in 2007 for Family Guardian. Laurie Alice writes full-time from her home in Texas, where she lives with her husband and sundry dogs and cats.

Hurt by Travis Thrasher - Reviewed

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hurt David C. Cook; New edition (January 1, 2013) by Travis Thrasher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After college, he targeted working in the publishing industry and was fortunate to find a job early after graduation. He worked as Author Relations Manager for Tyndale House Publishers, the publisher of his first two novels.

The thirteen years he spent working in author relations taught him the business of publishing as well as the psyche of writers.

Early on, he made a deliberate choice of not wanting to be boxed in by a brand or a genre. Instead, Travis has chosen time and time again to write the stories that mean something to him at that moment. He views his first ten years of being published as training and practice. Those novels in many ways were written for himself.

The four years of writing full time have taught him the discipline and determination necessary to make it as a novelist. They’ve also served to close the chapter on what is hopefully just one era in his writing journey.

The stories continue to fill his head like they did when he was in third grade. The only difference is that Travis now knows what to do with those stories. His goal continues to be to tell stories that move him as well as his readers. He wants to continue to experiment and take risks, but more than anything he wants to provide readers a satisfying experience.

The dream remains the same. To try and write something magnificent. To make up wild worlds full of wonderfully rich characters. To make sense of the world through the stories he tells. And to try and inspire hope with the words he writes.

ABOUT THE BOOK

His Rebellion Will Soon Turn to Hope

When Chris Buckley first encountered the mysteries of creepy Solitary, North Carolina, he had little idea how far he would fall into the town’s shadows. After losing the love of his life, Chris tried to do things his way. He hunted answers. Then he gave up trying to find them.

But now Chris comes back to Solitary knowing there’s a purpose for his being there. As he watches his place in a twisted and evil bloodline become clear, Chris waits for the last battle—and wonders who will be left when he finally makes his stand.

My Thoughts:

“I’ll be the first and only one in this blood line to do something about the darkness and madness and sickness that keeps building and growing.”  (p. 154)

“Move now.  Reach out and take a leap and put everything on the line for this thing deep down that you believe in.”  (p.437)

Chris has lost much.  He is struggling to believe in God’s mercy, His power, His grace.  He faces living nightmares.  He faces losing everything – life itself.  Will he overcome the shadows of doubt that keep him from taking the boldest leap of faith he has ever dared?

Travis Thrasher has brought Chris full-circle in this series, but I think it is fitting that he fights doubt till the very end.   I think there is honesty in this character that touches us all – if we are honest with ourselves and God.   The Solitary Tales are four books that must be experienced.  Travis Thrasher is a writer with a powerful message wrapped in the element that every teen -  in the height of the angst of being a teen – will understand and enjoy.

This is the true definition of a Christian horror series.  It is well-written, thought-provoking and honest.  It’s not an easy read emotionally.  It will challenge you spiritually.  Prepare yourself for a WILD ride!!

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hurt, go HERE

Wellspring in the Wilderness by Victoria Griffith - REVIEWED

My Thoughts:

Spring up oh Living Water

Spring up oh Well of Life
You alone can fill my emptiness
My Wellspring in the Wilderness   (Chorus of Title Track)

My dear readers, if you want to be encouraged, uplifted and blessed, you need a copy of Victoria Griffith's debut CD!!   This precious lady has a story that tells you where the wellspring in the wilderness occurred in her own life, and you will know beyond a doubt that she sings truth from the wellspring of her experience!  

Gifted with a voice that has blessed others throughout her lifetime, she is now following God's direction to embark on a musical career that will bring her voice to a wide audience!  This is indeed exciting, and I can't wait to hear her voice ringing out on Christian radio stations throughout the nation!!

Following is a press release from McCain Public Relations about Victoria:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 8, 2013) - The independently produced Wellspring in the Wilderness is set for release on March 5 from Victoria Griffith, a new artist from Alabama who, while recording the 10-song CD, learned she was pregnant with her first child, followed soon after with news of a brain tumor requiring immediate removal. Navigating this circuitous life path, Griffith has emerged successfully on the other side with a riveting testimony and a CD filled with songs that exude hope and grace, and perfectly showcase the singer's stunning, country-inflected vocals.

While working on the project, the singer began to get requests for her testimony. "My story seemed kind of boring," says Griffith, who had grown up in a godly family and asked Jesus to be her savior as a young child. "I teased my husband that I wished I had a testimony as good as his!" Griffith's husband, Ryan, had been diagnosed with and cured of a brain tumor before the couple married.

As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.

Once, when in the studio laying down vocals for the album, Griffith experienced a strange twitching in her foot, but she dismissed it. A few weeks later, she and Ryan received the joyous news that they were going to be parents. Unfortunately, the twitching in Griffith's foot began again around the same time, and escalated to a seizure that landed her in the hospital.

Brain scans revealed the presence of a tumor - one that would have to be removed, and soon. There were the obvious risks associated with such a delicate procedure, but Griffith was also faced with the possibility of losing her newly conceived baby from the anesthesia.

"My parents and my husband were in the room when I received my diagnosis, and they were obviously distraught," Griffith recalls. "And for a few seconds I was scared, but I can honestly say that I had a real sense of peace that everything was going to be okay."

Thankfully, the surgeons were able to remove the entire tumor, which proved to be benign, and the baby came through the anesthesia just fine. Molly was born right on schedule, weighing in at 9 lbs. 4 oz. and completely healthy.

Because Griffith had finished laying down her vocal tracks prior to her surgery, Dove Award-winning songwriter and producer Michael Puryear, who also wrote eight of the CD's 10 songs, was able to keep progress on the project continuing as Griffith recovered.

"The first time I heard Victoria's voice I remember it being so gentle, and at the same time it had the strength and ability to communicate the depth of a song in a powerful way. She reminded me of Linda Ronstadt, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, and a little bit of Carrie Underwood, all great singers," Puryear says. "What was most impressive to me was the kind and sweet way she treated everyone. I thought not only was she beautiful on the outside, but she was more so on the inside. I was so proud of the way she translated the songs I had written on her album. As I writer you want a singer that is as passionate about conveying the message as the writer is. I'm grateful to have been asked to produce her record…it was a labor of love."

Griffith and Puryear joined forces with some of Nashville's finest musicians to create a collection of music that covers a vast expanse of spiritual and emotional territory. While Griffith admits to being influenced by a wide variety of music genres, a cursory listen to Wellspring in the Wilderness will leave no doubt that she has planted herself firmly in the new country format. Fans of Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans or Faith Hill will find a lot to like in Griffith's debut project.

She celebrates Christ's victory over death in the rollicking country rocker, "The Way of the Cross," and explores the exquisite and inexplicable joy that results from praising God through the dark times in the gentle worship ballad, "Offer My Praise." She's not afraid to acknowledge the reality of living in a world filled with heartbreak on the compelling track, "Don't Waste the Heartache." Musically, the songs range from radio-ready, up-tempo anthems like "Burden of Love" and "Let It Be For Love" to peace-evoking Gospel-tinged hymns such as the project's title cut, "Wellspring in the Wilderness." Griffith's rich southern vocals shine bright when it comes time to cut loose, as on the encouraging country anthem, "Heaven Awaits."

"Especially after what I had just been through, I really wanted this project to offer hope in Christ," Griffith says "That was the filter every song had to pass through. I wanted songs that real people going through life's everyday problems could relate to."

Griffith now knows what it feels like to have a "real testimony." After all, she's had a brain tumor and lived to tell about it. But she also realizes that she had a testimony all along.

"I had lived a really blessed life and God was in my heart, but somehow I didn't think that was enough," she says. "That kind of thinking is such an error. Of course, it is enough. Whatever you are going through, whether big or small, His grace is sufficient. There is hope in knowing that. It is like finding a wellspring in the wilderness."

Unseen - Part 3 of Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker - REVIEWED

About the Book:
EYES WIDE OPEN is a novel that challenges the status quo as Ted often does, but it also stretches the idea of how stories themselves are told.This wild ride is one seamless novel written and initially released as four (4) sequential shorter books or episodes (Identity, Mirrors, Unseen, Seer) delivered weekly as 75 page eBooks before the full 300 page story (Eyes Wide Open) comes out on Feb 4th in both paperback and eBook formats.Think of each shorter eBook as a TV episode and Eyes Wide Open as the full season. Much like some of Ted's favorites, Dexter and Homeland, each episode ends on a cliffhanger that is continued in the next.

My Thoughts:

“Have you ever wondered why you can’t remember your childhood?”  (Christy to Austin)

Oh. My.  These two characters have really entered a most hellish place by the time Christy says these words to Austin.  They are in a place of inescapable horror, and no matter what they do, they find themselves descending into an abyss of confusion and – dare I say it? -   delusion.

Or do they?  That’s the real question by the time you reach the end of the third section of Eyes Wide Open.  Events occur – disturbing events – and then other events occur that sort of make the previous ones of no import.  In short, the reader starts to really question what is really going on within the pages of this story.

And I think this is just what Dekker intends.  He is taking the reader into the minds of these broken, lost, enslaved characters and allowing the reader to experience their hopelessness, their helplessness and their total inability to do anything about their circumstances. So where does that leave us?  Waiting for the fourth and final segment of the story of course!!  And feeling very uneasy about the way things are going for our characters…..

About the Author:

Ted Dekker (born October 24, 1962) is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.