The Domino Effect by Davis Bunn - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Esther Larsen, a top risk analyst at one of the country's largest banking institutions, is becoming more and more convinced that she has uncovered a ticking bomb with the potential to make the 2008 market crash look minor by comparison. And as her own employer pursues "investment" strategies with ever-increasing levels of risk, she becomes convinced she must do something. But Esther is only one person; can she stand up to an international conspiracy of greed? And if she does, will anyone take her seriously?

Every moment of indecision edges the markets closer to a tipping point--the teetering first domino in a standing row that circles the globe. And when Esther finds her voice, those she seeks to expose will not sit idly by. With global markets on the brink, and her own life in danger, Esther is locked in a race against the clock to avert a financial tsunami that threatens worldwide devastation.

My Thoughts:

“I’m doing this because I care for people I’ll never meets.  I want to help them.  I want to keep them safe.”  (p. 234)

Esther Larson’s job as a risk analyst at one of the largest banks in America is anything but safe! One of the most satisfying aspects of Bunn’s latest novel, The Domino Effect is watching the transformation taking place in Esther’s life!  But I’m getting ahead of myself….

This novel is based on scary facts about the way our world finance system balances precariously on the whims of bankers turned gamblers.  Stocks trade hands at the speed of thought, and once a good dose of human depravity is injected in the mix the world economy becomes a game of Russian roulette!  Esther is a brilliant lady who has analyzed the markets for years, and when she realizes the danger represented by those who care only about satisfying their own greed, she decides (much like her Biblical namesake) to take action – action that very well may cost her life.

Once Esther makes the decision to care for others and make choices that effectively make a difference in the world she becomes a different character entirely!  The transformation is real, believable, and remarkable.  Bunn has created a host of very believable, full-blooded characters that will keep you captivated from the first page to the last!  This novel is scary emotionally, financially, and relationally.  If you look beyond the amazing plot line, you, the reader, will discover life transforming truth.

Pick up your copy today!! This is a GREAT read!!

About the Author:

Davis Bunn is the award-winning author of numerous national bestsellers with sales totaling more than seven million copies. His work has been published in 20 languages, and his critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Davis also writes fantasy under the pseudonym Thomas Locke (tlocke.com). He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between England and Florida. Learn more at www.davisbunn.com.

Jesus and the Beanstalk by Lori Stanley Roeleveld - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Use the hidden gifts in 2 Peter to topple the giant challenges in your life.

We live in unsettling, challenging times. Everywhere we look, we see giant problems: giant obstacles to sharing faith, giant barriers to peaceful lives, giant strongholds of fear. But what if you knew eight small secrets to unlocking a strength big enough to overcome whatever obstacle life may bring?
Using allegory and a bit of humor, Jesus and the Beanstalk explores a passage in 2 Peter 1 to uncover eight truths that will help you unleash a larger-than-life faith:

· Faith
· Goodness
· Knowledge
· Self-control
· Perseverance
· Godliness
· Affection for others
· Love


In this creative, refreshing perspective on spiritual growth, you will discover an unyielding strength when you tap the power of a God who is stronger than any beanstalk and bigger than your biggest giants. 

Purchase your copy HERE!

My Thoughts:

I will freely admit that the title is what drew me to this book outright.  I will also admit that I was unprepared for the depth, the boldness, the Biblical teaching and the rich relationship that I have developed with this book!  I will confess that I am blogging about it before I have completed the book, but I plan on spending a lot of time with this particular volume, and I simply refuse to rush through it, because I don’t want to miss a single thing!

Readers, if you are looking for a book that will both teach you and inspire you to pursue God’s truth and His Word so that you grow in your relationship with Christ, look no further!  This book will send you in search of God’s voice and truth and will stretch you in meaningful and profound ways!

Each chapter builds on the previous one.  The chapters aren’t particularly long, but they all end with a series of questions that send you deeper into God’s Word to mine the teaching in a way that becomes personal and transformational! 

In other word…DON’T MISS THIS BOOK!!  I am prayerfully asking God if this will serve as the foundation of my Spring Small group!  This is RICH!!  I’m very excited to recommend this to EVERYONE!! 

About the Author:

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is the author of Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus) and Red Pen Redemption. Her blog, LoriRoeleveld.com, was voted Top 100 Christian Blogs by RedeemingGod.com and has enjoyed over 2 million views. Lori lives in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. 

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Fifth Column by Mike Hollow - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Detective Inspector Jago investigates, uncovering deception and betrayal

At first glance, the young woman found in the early hours of the morning where bombs have landed is just another casualty of the previous night's air raid. But when the post-mortem shows signs of strangulation, Detective Inspector Jago is called on to investigate.

The dead woman is smartly dressed but carries no identification. However, a local engineering company reports a staff member has failed to appear at work that morning and the body is quickly identified as that of Miss Mary Watkins.


DI Jago's initial interviews yield little fruit; no one can think of a reason why Mary would be murdered. But as the investigation continues DI Jago begins to uncover a trail of deception and betrayal.

My Thoughts:

“She seemed oblivious to the bombs which continued to crash to the earth, their blasts now thuds receding gradually into the distance. (p.299)

Bombs falling in the background is only believable, because Detective Jago has to do all of his investigative work in France in the heart of the Second World War.  The man barely sleeps, grabs food on the run, and has an eclectic group of cohorts that enable him to solve a crime no matter where the path leads!

Mke Hollow gives readers a believable look in to daily life as it tries to survive during war time. What is amazing is how he weaves human depravity so tightly within the story line that by the time he captures the murderer – and yes murder outside of the bomb casualties – you almost feel like some of the behavior was mildly justified!  His characters are so well developed, you wind up feeling a tad bit sorry for some of them.  After all, desperate times and all of that….but Detective Jago sticks close to justice, and, in the end, he is somewhat successful.

I will tell you this, he really has to dig through some serious rot to get to the bottom of this mystery!  I admire his persistence and his sense of both justice and mercy.  Fifth Column is a very well-written, multi-layered story that will keep the reader engaged from the first bomb raid to the final shadow across the moon. (you’ll understand once you get to know the characters)  Enjoy the adventure!!

About the Author:
Mike Hollow studied languages at Cambridge, then worked for the BBC, and then Tearfund. Now a freelance writer and editor, he lives in Basingstoke with his wife Margaret. A popular poet, his work has been widely performed and has appeared in many collections.

The Bible and Me by Lois Rock and Alida Massari - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Lois Rock and Alida Massari have teamed up to create a Bible storybook full of inspiration and delight, sure to elicit moments of contemplation. Thoughtfully written, each section begins with a Bible quote and ends with a prayer or psalm that fits the theme of the story to help readers reflect further on what they've read. Alida Massari's richly colored and deeply peaceful illustrations fit perfectly with the meditative theme. Includes twenty stories from the Old and New Testaments. 

My Thoughts:

This is a beautiful book!  I love to discover a beautiful pictorial interpretation of God’s Word I’ve encountered lately!  The chapters are brief, but sometimes cover several major Biblical stories.  Each chapter ends with other related verses of Scripture that relate and strengthen the message of that particular chapter.  Each passage of Scripture is clearly notated, and I believe that this will open the door wide for great discussions with the young people that God allows you to share your life with.  Even the pictures are filled with interesting detail that will spark questions and discussion that will allow God to speak life into the hearts and soul of both parents and children.

I am thrilled to recommend this book to everyone serving children – family, friends, Sunday school, pre-school – anywhere children gather with an opportunity to introduce God’s Word into their lives!

About the Author:
Lois Rock has established an international reputation as a children's writer. Specializing in Bible stories, prayer books, and information books, her books have been translated into over thirty languages with sales approaching four million copies. She draws on her experience as a mother of three and as a leader of church children's groups.

Alida Massari is an award-winning artist who studied illustration at the European Institute of Design in Rome. She finds inspiration from ancient art and architecture. She describes her work as modern with an ancient atmosphere.

Star Passage by Clark Rich Burbidge - REVIEWED

About the Book:
Teenagers Tim and Martie are desperate to end their parents’ downward spiral. Between their father’s PTSD and their mother’s depression, their family has reached a breaking point.

Then an ancient Christmas ornament reveals its secrets, sending the siblings across the centuries on a search for hope. But Tim and Martie aren’t the only ones hunting through time. They’re being watched by dark figures—Trackers doomed to haunt history. These Trackers believe the teens’ ornament is their key to freedom, and they will do whatever it takes to steal it.

What begins as an exciting adventure becomes a deadly race. Can Tim and Martie find the answers they seek before their enemy finds them?


My Thoughts:

“Maybe God is more interested in the choices we make and how we behave during times of trial or when something bad happens. Maybe it’s the tough times that bring us closed to Him if we keep our heads on straight.” (p. 73)

There aren’t many authors who are able to write a young adult novel filled with nail-biting, Indiana Jones type adventure AND the truth of the gospel all at the same time!  BUT Clark Burbidge is one such author.  I have read previous work, and Star Passage just  topped that!!  This is truly an adventure from the very first pages, and the adventure is set in a very realistic family struggle that many families will relate to on several different levels!  Truly, this is a young adult novel that needs to be in every family library!

The Carson family is caught in the ugly aftermath of their Dad’s war wounds and the depression that surfaces in their mom’s life as she wearies from the relentless assault of PTSD.  The tension is real, the brokenness is realistic, and the teens are coping the best they can in the middle of the storm.  When they start seeking answers, what they find is a series of choices laid before them that asks them to come together as a family and fight for each other.

I love the way the author chooses to highlight a particular gift – the love of history, the thrill of searching for treasures in old junk stores – as a door to healing for each family member.  As the adventure unfolds, each member of the Clark family is called to make the choice to sacrifice for one another in order to restore what has been taken from their family.  In doing this, they each come face to face with their Creator God and are prompted to turn to Him in faith for their very survival! 

This is a great read, and the beginning of what promises to be a series of even greater adventures!  I am thrilled and very pleased to recommend this book to everyone!

About the Author:
Clark Burbidge was born and raised in the mountain valleys of the Rockies. He earned an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BS from the University of Utah. Clark and his wife, Leah, live near Salt Lake City, Utah, where they enjoy their blended family of ten children and five grandchildren. StarPassage is Clark’s seventh book. His award-winning works include the Giants in the Land trilogy and A Piece of Silver: A Story of Christ.

Liberty University and Tim LaHaye Productions Partner to Sponsor a Special Premiere Event of VANISHED| Left Behind: Next Generation

An Exclusive One-Night Premiere Event Comes to Cinemas

September 28, 2016

LOS ANGELES, Calif – September 6, 2016 – Liberty University has partnered with Tim LaHaye Productions and EchoLight Studios in sponsoring the  special one-night premiere event of VANISHED | Left Behind: Next Generation.  A fresh, new Young Adult version — inspired by the New York Times best-selling book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Screenings will be held in conjunction with Fathom Events and EchoLight Studios in more than 600 U.S. movie theaters on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Following the feature, audiences will experience an exclusive Q&A with the stars and filmmakers, hosted by prominent national speakers and youth leaders Doug Fields and his co-founder of Download Youth Ministry, Josh Griffin. 

The movie stars Amber Frank (Nickelodeon’s “Haunted Hathaway’s”), Dylan Sprayberry (MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” “Man of Steel”) and Mason Dye (MTV’s “Finding Carter,” Lifetime’s “Flowers in the Attic”), along with principal veteran actors Tom Everett Scott (“That Thing You Do,” “American Werewolf in Paris”), Jackson Hurst (“Drop Dead Diva”), Brigid Brannagh (“Army Wives,” “Underground”) and Rachel Hendrix (“October Baby,” “Perfect Wave”).

"I am elated to be partnering with Liberty University for the theatrical premiere event of VANISHED | Left Behind: Next Generation,” says Randy LaHaye of Tim LaHaye Productions. “The LaHayes and the Falwells have a long history of working together to reach the next generation for Christ and VANISHED is a perfect fit to honor and further that legacy.” 

Dr. Tim LaHaye was an integral part of the fabric of Liberty University, receiving his Doctor of Literature in May of 1999. LaHaye served on the Board of Trustees from 2002-2015 and several buildings on the Liberty campus bear the LaHaye name, including The LaHaye Ice Center and The LaHaye Recreation and Fitness Center.

“I’m very happy that a whole new generation can experience the same sort of story, the same sort of powerful, positive message as the Left Behind series through this film,” said Jerry Falwell, President, Liberty University.  “The LaHayes have made many important contributions to further the growth of Liberty University and to spread the word of God.  Through this partnership, Vanished continues that important mission.” 

Reminiscent of “Twilight,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Hunger Games,” VANISHED | Left Behind: Next Generation takes its characters — and the audience — far beyond their own fears and desires, opening them to the questions of purpose and whether their lives and choices really matter.  When a billion people around the globe suddenly vanish and chaos engulfs the nation, headstrong 15-year-old Gabby (Frank) is thrust into adulthood way too soon. The event forces Gabby, along with her younger sister and the two teen boys vying for Gabby’s affection, Josh (Dye) and Flynn (Sprayberry), to try to figure out what has happened and how to survive in this dangerous new world. Produced by veteran writer/producer/showrunner Dave Alan Johnson (“The Client,” “Doc,” “Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye,” “High Incident”) alongside Randy LaHaye (grandson of Left Behind co-author Dr. Tim LaHaye). Larry A. McLean (“Pacific Rim,” “Christmas with Tucker”) directed the feature from the screenplay written by Kim Beyer-Johnson (“When Calls the Heart,” “Doc”) and Joan Considine Johnson (“The Wild Thornberrys,” “Rugrats,” “Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye”).

Tickets for the VANISHED | Left Behind: Next Generation event can be purchased online by visiting www.thevanishedfilm.com or at participating theater box offices. Audiences throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom Event’s Digital Broadcast Network.

About Liberty University: Located in Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 16 colleges and schools and offers programs in fields such as education, counseling, religion, law, aviation, cinematic arts, business, and more. Students can choose from over 500 programs of study, from the certificate to the doctoral level, and classes are available online or residentially on Liberty’s more than 7,000-acre campus. Part of the Big South conference, Liberty fields 20 NCAA Division I athletic teams and 37 Club Sports teams, offering an exceptional college sports experience. Liberty graduates are sought after by prestigious companies for their integrity, personal discipline, and versatility. They are confident and competent, ready to make a lasting impact on their profession and their community.

About Fathom Events: Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 887 locations and 1,354 screens in 181 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

Website: http://thevanishedfilm.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevanishedfilm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevanishedfilm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVanishedFilm/

Change, when molded by The Father is good

My blogger buddies - please bear with me through this season of change.  I'm battling some health issues and am behind on my blogger deadlines.  Please pray for me as I navigate this season, and I will post as soon as I am able.

Blessings!
Kim

To Joey with Love