LEFT BEHIND, STARRING NICOLAS CAGE, released on Blueray and DVD - REVIEWED

My Review:

Left Behind is a novel that I read when I was much younger!  So, to admit that I’ve seen the film version of this novel more than once dates me in the mind of my blogger buddies!

I was given the opportunity to interview actors, film writers and directors for this film, so I was more than a bit anxious to see the final product.  I wasn’t disappointed.  This is an excellent interpretation of the novel, and it is by far the best quality and the most action-packed version of this story I’ve ever witnessed.  I love the fact that the directors didn’t try to capture anything but the Rapture event itself, because the film length allowed them to develop the characters in such a way that you were able to experience gut-level emotion as they experienced the rapture of their loved ones.

I think what struck me most deeply is the realization that to an unbeliever an event like the Rapture would be very terrifying.  Terrifying only if there was a significant number of people missing.  The film and the novel both operate off the basis of the Rapture of a significant number of people.  The directors do an excellent job of creating a believable scenario using that basis.  Rayford Steele’s family serves as the epicenter of this scenario, and their response is very realistic.  I thought it was especially significant that they chose to include a scene between Chloe and her mom’s pastor – who was left behind.  Powerful scene!

Knowing how the series progresses gives me a solid basis to say that the movie ends at a very crucial point that allows a perfect segue into the next installment of the story. I think as hard as Paul LaLonde tried to make this film to appeal to everyone, there is always going to be a sense of awkwardness for an unbeliever.  There were some moments where the distinction of believers being a bit crazy felt a little “in your face.”  The “crazy” supposition only made their post-rapture sorrow seem a bit cheesy.  You can’t have it both ways…but then again, you really can.  The events that are ushered in with the Rapture won't be easily explained except by the truth of God's Word - something unbelievers will deny no matter how horrible things become on earth.

The world hated Christ.  The world hates the message His followers share.  So to relay the message with excellence as this film does only makes sense!  BRAVO!! I hope we get to see the entire series done with this same excellence!

Happy Birthday to the Odyssey Adventure Club!

Praise for the Odyssey Adventure Club:

"AIO has been such a blessing to me and my family. They were able to help me re-connect with my 6-year-old, especially on our way to school. It's something we can listen to and have those special moments together. I'm so appreciative of what you all do and what you allow God to do in our lives."

~ Christine, Mom from Fla.

"Today I am getting baptized because I want to show God that I love God and it will bring me closer to Him. When I accepted Jesus in my heart I was listening to Adventures in Odyssey in my basement. Adventures in Odyssey was a big part of my decision to be baptized."

~ Claire Bivens, age 8  

Members of the Odyssey Adventure Club receive:

• 24/7 streaming access to more than 750 Adventures in Odyssey episodes (a $1500 retail value).

• A new, members-only Adventures in Odyssey episode every month.

• A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine.

• A web quest of video stories and online activities reflecting the biblical theme of that month's episode.

• On-the-go access with the OAClub mobile iOS app.

• Growing access to Odyssey books, a daily devotion, access to select Radio Theatre dramas and more.

In the coming months, members will also be able to look forward to:

• An exclusive, downloadable, cut-and-fold Odyssey character craft.
•  In February, members can sneak a peek at the second Candid Conversations with Connie book.

Additionally, a portion of each Odyssey Adventure Club membership benefits Focus on the Family partner organizations, such as Carry the Cure and Mission Aviation Fellowship, providing parents with an opportunity to teach children about the value of serving others. The Odyssey Adventure Club hopes to spend another 25 years hand-in-hand with parents seeking to teach biblical truth to their children while inspiring the theater of their imagination.

Masterpiece Marriage by Gina Welborn - Review to follow

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Masterpiece Marriage Abingdon Press (December 16, 2014) by Gina Welborn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After Gina Welborn earned a Communications degee from an Oklahoma university, she thought the perfect career choice was working at a news radio station writing commercial copy, public service announcements, and news reports. A PSA writer, sadly, can only be so creative when describing ketchup and Geronimo’s grave. (No, she never combined those two elements in the same script, but now that she thinks about it, she wishes ... ) Thus Gina "retired" to focus on goal, motivation, and conflict within her family before discovering her niche in writing romances. A member of RWA and ACFW, Gina has four published novellas, including one in the ECPA-bestselling Mistletoe Memories, and three short historical romances: The Heiress's Courtship, The Marshal's Pursuit, and Masterpiece Marriage. A moderately obsessive fan of Community, Once Upon a Time, and Chopped, Gina lives in Oklahoma with her pastor husband, their five Okie-Hokie children, a box-lab, two rabbits, four guinea pigs, and a fancy Russian dwarf hamster named Tom Bob Deucalion. Gina is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After a flood damages the looms at Zenus Dane’s Philadelphia textile mill and the bank demands loan payment, Zenus turns to his aunt for help repurposing his textiles. Trouble is . . . his aunt has already been hired by the lovely yet secretive Englishwoman Mary Varrs. Eager to acquire his aunt’s quilt patterns, Zenus attends the summer Quilting Bee, a social event his aunt has uniquely designed with the secret purpose of finding Zenus a wife. However Zenus only has eyes for Mary, but Mary has no such desire for him. Though his aunt is determined to design a masterpiece marriage, both Zenus and Mary will have to overcome their stubborn ways. Can he realize that love requires stepping out of his routine? And will she recognize that following her heart doesn’t mean sacrificing her ambition?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Masterpiece Marriage, go HERE.

The Covered Deep by Brandy Vallance - REVIEWED

About the Book:

An incurably romantic bookworm from Appalachia wins a contest and travels to England and the Holy Land in search of the perfect romantic hero. Set in 1877.

Bianca Marshal is holding out for the perfect husband. Finding a man that meets the requirements of her “must-have” list in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains has proven impossible. Bianca’s mama insists that there’s no such thing as a perfect true love, and that Bianca’s ideal man is pure fiction. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Bianca discovers a devastating statistic: her chance of marrying is now only eighteen percent. Unwilling to accept spinsterhood, Bianca enters an essay contest that propels her into a whirlwind search for her soulmate. Via the opulence of London and the mysteries of the Holy Land, Bianca’s true love will be revealed, but not without a heavy price.

My Thoughts:

“…the covered deep of His perfect forgiveness.”  (p. 210)

Forgiveness toward others is difficult enough, but forgiving ourselves often proves the most difficult of all.  Accepting God’s forgiveness…even more difficult than forgiving ourselves.   Forgiveness is something that remains a focus of one of the most intriguing, fantastically intricate romances I’ve ever read.  This is Brandy Vallance’s first novel, so I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

When I first read about the essay contest used to bring a most unlikely group of characters together in 1877 for a trip to the Holy Land, I was skeptical.  But oh my!! I am SO GLAD I was drawn in by Vallance’s  skillful prose to enjoy the journey.  This is a romance, to be sure, but it is so much more!!  You are able to view a very exotic land through the eyes of several very different people.  Rich, poor, educated, artistic, literal…Vallance doesn’t miss a thing!  The reader experiences every smell, touch, taste and feel with delicious detail.  All of this tied together with a very believable, strong thread of faith!

As a matter of fact, what you learn about the basis of the competition that serves as the genesis of the entire adventure gives you a very insightful look into the faith of the two main characters – and the lack of faith in the lives of others.  This novel contains a bit of everything you desire in a great read, but all of it seamlessly woven together to keep the reader entranced from first page to last!

This became part of my holiday reading this year, and although it was released back in October, The Covered Deep is worthy of my highest praise!  I am anxious to get my hands on her next novel!

About the Author:

Brandy Vallance fell in love with the Victorian time period at a young age, adoring the customs, manners, and especially the intricate rules of love. Since time travel is theoretically impossible, she lives in the nineteenth century vicariously through her novels. Brandy’s fondness for tea can only be paralleled by her love of BBC period dramas, deep conversations, and a good book. Brandy lives in Colorado with her adventurous missionary husband, a debonair son who has adopted her love of all things British, and a beautiful daughter who reminds her to pay attention to moments and never lose the wonder. You can visit Brandy on the web at www.brandyvallance.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Preparing for the New Year.....No Turning Back!! Excited to see what God has planned!

The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunny - REVIEWED

About the Book:

An Ancient Island Holds an Ancient Secret . . .
Nick Hennessy, a young Texas journalist yearning for his big break, finds himself in Europe--his assignment, to investigate the alarming disappearance of invaluable Grecian antiquities. Nick has the credentials--and cover ID--to unearth the truth. And he knows just the researcher to help him...
 
Carey Mathers, fresh from her studies in forensic archeology, has accepted a job with the prestigious Athens Institute for Antiquities--a dream come true, really, particularly when the Greek isle of Patmos, where the Apostle John received his vision of the Apocalypse, was a particular focus of her research.
 
Dimitri Rubinos, for whom the Greek islands represent his life, holds on by his fingernails to the family charter boat business. But his country's economic chaos isn't the only thing that has turned his world on its head...

My Thoughts:

“What do I do now?”  (p. 303)

Talk about a loaded question!  At the point this question gets asked there are a LOT of people up to their eyeballs in difficult situations that need to know the answers  - and quickly!  Davis Bunn has written a  multi-layered story filled with enough complex plot twists that your head will spin with possibilities!  Nick is chasing the story of a lifetime at the same moment Carey finds out she’s chased her dream to a dead end, and the same moment Dimitri’s family heritage seems to be in a state of tragic demise.  I would never in a million years have figured out a way to make so many diverse paths intersect on such an exciting and spine-tingling adventure!

Davis Bunn does this and much, much more.  There are ancient artifacts, smugglers, corrupt government officials, monks, fishermen and a host of complex relationships that cover just as many diverse paths!  There is a faith element that is subtle, but powerful, and there is enough danger to keep you on the edge of your seat.  The characters that Bunn develops quickly embed themselves into your heart, and by the end of the story, you find yourself facing that same question but from an altogether different perspective!

This has truly been a pleasure to read, and I feel like I will see much more of these characters in the future!  The near future – I hope!  I am thrilled to recommend this book to everyone!

About the Author:

Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, the award-winning novelist with total worldwide sales of seven million copies. His work has been published in twenty languages, and critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Davis divides his time between Oxford and Florida and holds a lifelong passion for speculative stories. As Thomas Locke, Davis is also the author of Emissary. Learn more at www.tlocke.com.