Saturday, May 25, 2013

A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD


Title: Wings of Glass
Author: Gina Holmes
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (February 18, 2013)
Pages: 400 

When I spot a book with the name GINA HOLMES on it, I don't hesitate. I purchase it. WINGS OF GLASS is the third book I've read by MS HOLMES, and it won't be the last. Each one takes me on a journey, and heightens my ambition to write.

Penny Carson is young, naïve, and broken, when Trent Taylor enters her life. He sweeps her off her feet with the promise of a better life.

Trent is not what he seems to be. He's manipulative, drinks too much, and controlling, like so many men that abuse their wives. He has a past that made him the man he is today, just as Penny has one that allowed her to be in such a relationship.

WINGS OF GLASS is a story that needs to be told. Those that have not been in an abusive relationship can't begin to understand what one goes through. It's so easy for those that have not, to be perplexed why one wouldn't just walk away.

WINGS OF GLASS gives readers a glimpse into the world of an abusive marriage, whether verbal or physical, or a combination of both. MS HOLMES touches on what a wife would go through, as well as the husband and those that have a loved one that's in such a situation. It's so easy for us to point fingers and judge. But what we often don't understand is the story behind the story.

MS HOLMES writing and storytelling never fails. She is a master at stringing words together, and telling a story that will keep readers engaged from the first to the last word.

Monday, May 13, 2013

SUNRISE RANCH, A NEW AND EXCITING SERIES


Title: Her Unforgettable Cowboy
Author: Debra Clopton
Publisher: Love Inspired (April 23, 2013
Pages: 224

What can I say; I’m a huge fan of DEBRA CLOPTON. As soon as I head she was writing HER UNFORGETTABLE COWBOY, I grew very excited, waiting anxiously for its arrival.

Morgan McDermott isn’t please in the least that his father has hired his ex fiancée to temporally fill-in as the teacher for the foster boys on the ranch. No, not one bit.

Jolie Sheridan hadn’t expected to come home to Dew Drop, Texas, and more specifically to Sunrise Ranch. The very place she’d returned her fiancée ring all those years ago. It takes a life threatening accident, but once she’s there, she’s faced with the decision of her past. And a new one that could change the course of her life.
 
HER UNFORGETTABLE COWBOY is the first of a brand new series. I own each and every book written by MS CLOPTON. I have loved the Mule Hollow series, and didn’t doubt that I would enjoy the Sunrise Ranch as well. I can’t wait to read about Morgan’s two other brothers, or any new characters MS CLOPTON introduces through this new series.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

ACFW NEW RELEASES MAY 2013


More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Follow the Heart by Kaye Dacus -- An American woman is sent to England to marry wealth, but finds herself torn between the poor man she loves and the viscount who offers the wealth and stability that can save her family. (Historical Romance from B & H Publishing).

When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason -- Investigative reporter, Jillian Carter, comes home after ten years in hiding to join forces with Detective Colton Brady to put a killer behind bars. (Thriller/Suspense from Revell (Baker).

Always, Abby by Linda S. Glaz -- A war orphan, a planned wedding, and a pretty face, all destined to unravel the best laid plans. (Historical Romance from Heartsong Presents).

Widow of Gettysburg (Heroines Behind the Lines) by Jocelyn Green -- A Union widow must rebuild her life after war rips through her home, while her heart wages its own battle against a draw she feels toward the enemy. (Historical from River North (Moody).

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck -- Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale. Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life. The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. (Contemporary Romance from Zondervan).

The Marriage Barter by Christine Johnson -- A widow must marry within three days to keep her daughter. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired).

Talon: Combat Tracking Team by Ronie Kendig -- A veteran and a military intelligence operative team up to find a missing soldier. This time, survival depends on the courage of a traumatized combat tracking dog. (Romantic Suspense from Barbour Publishing).

Hill Country Cattleman by Laurie Kingery -- An aristocratic young lady flees England ahead of scandal, only to find love in the arms of a rugged Texas cowboy. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired).


Captured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay -- Two women, one Indian, one English, each one captured and imprisoned by their past-Eshana by her traditional Hindu uncle for her faith in Christ, the other, Lieutenant Laine Harkness by her former fiancé, yet new life can come on the trade winds after the storm has passed. (Historical Romance Novella from Whitefire Publishing ).

A Heartbeat Away by S. Dionne Moore -- When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam. Her mother's mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Beth learns Joe's secret and together they put the quilt's message to its greatest test-but can betrayal be forgiven? (Historical Romance from Abingdon Press).

Gone South: A Novel by Meg Moseley -- The sweet tea has gone bitter in Noble, Alabama, where newcomer Tish McComb soon learns that her family's roots there aren't seen as respectable-especially once she befriends a local prodigal daughter and things go from bad to worse. (Contemporary Women's Fiction from Waterbrook Multnomah).

The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney When Mitchell Brannon's beloved wife of twenty years kisses him goodbye one morning, he has little idea that his life is about to change forever. (General Contemporary from Howard (Simon and Schuster).

No Way Out by Susan Sleeman -- When Alyssa Wells discovers her police husband was murdered and the killer threatens her life, Alyssa turns to former US Marshall Cole Justice to keep her alive. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

Love's Stormy Gale by Lynette Sowell -- Two years ago, Olivia Shea was trying on her wedding gown, dreaming of marriage and motherhood. But her fisherman fiancé was lost at sea and Olivia fled, unable to stay in the New England fishing village. Now she's back in Fairport, determined to face her fears by working on a whale boat tour. But the charter's captain is the sole survivor of her fiancé's ill-fated voyage-a man of danger and memories. Jonathan Barrotta's scars from the night he nearly died run as deep as the vast Atlantic. To prove himself and to honor his friend's memory, he vows to fulfill his dream of piloting his own boat... (Contemporary Romance from Heartsong Presents).

Sweet Dreams by Carla Stewart -- Charm school in Texas wasn't what cousins Dusty Fairchild and Paisley Finch dreamed of, but when they fall in love with the same handsome young man, things get sticky, and only after a tragic accident do they learn where their true hearts, and dreams, lie. (Historical from Faith Words (Hachette).

Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt -- Is life about accomplishing plans . . . or wishes coming true . . . or something more? Dr. Kendall Haynes's plans to have it all-a career, a husband, a family-are eluding her. Now that she's thirty-six, she needs to stop wishing upon a star and face reality: Some dreams just never come true. Air Force pilot Griffin Walker prefers flying solo in the air and on the ground-until a dangerous choice ejects him from the cockpit. His life becomes even more complicated after the sudden death of his parents makes him the guardian of his sixteen-year-old brother. When their lives collide during a near tragedy, Kendall and Griffin must decide if they can embrace the unexpected changes God has waiting for them. (Contemporary Romance from Howard (Simon and Schuster).

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade -- Soft-spoken Meg is more interested in art than in business, but when her father dies she inherits his oil company, his fortune, and his Thoroughbred horse ranch. She asks the ranch's caretaker, Bo, to shut the place down. But will Bo prove the only part of her father's empire worth keeping? (Contemporary Romance from Bethany House).

Wedding on the Rocks by Rose Ross Zediker -- When she traded small-town life for the bright lights of Chicago, Jennifer Edwards yearned to discover a world beyond Faith, South Dakota. So when her father's illness calls her home to run their cattle ranch, she tells herself it's temporary. Then why is she even thinking about a future with archaeology professor Brett Lange-the boy she left behind-whose life's work is digging up the past? (General Contemporary from Heartsong Presents).

Monday, May 6, 2013

WINNING HIM WITHOUT WORDS, WON ME WITH WORDS


Title: Winning Him Without Words
Author: Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller
Publisher: Regal (February 15, 2011)
Pages: 208

WINNING HIM WITHOUT WORDS by LYNN DONOVAN AND DIANEE MILLER, came to me in a rather unique way. In reading DIANEE MILLER’S book, THE SOUL SAVER, which was amazing, I learned of WINNING HIM WITHOUT WORDS.

WINNING HIM WITHOUT WORDS is a must read for those that are married to a spouse that is a non-believe or one that may believe, yet doesn’t live their life for the Lord. This book is instrumental in bringing peace to those who feel they are alone in a mismatched relationship.

With ten key points to guide you through your mismatched marriage, WINNING HIM WITHOUT WORDS is a great tool for gaining peace, love, acceptance, and purpose. Not only will your marriage be enhanced by this amazing book, so will your life as you learn how you can be instrumental in God’s work in regards to your spouse.
 
There’s even a website for the spiritually unequal married, a wonderful place where you can be encouraged and uplifted at, spiritually unequal marriage dot com. Through WINNING HIM WITHOUT WORDS, I was introduced to another book that has been a tremendous help, BOUNDARIES, by DR HENRY CLOUD and Dr JOHN TOWNSEND.

10 Key points:

1)    Commit to Christian community.

2)    Don’t save your husband, save yourself.

3)    Stay connected to your man.

4)    Discover the essentials to love.

5)    Believe your marriage is blessed.

6)    Trade perfection for authentic.

7)    Pick and choose your battles.

8)    Cherish each new season.

9)    Put on the armor of God.

10) Pray the most dangerous prayer.

You may think you are alone is this big world in regards to being married to one that does not share the same beliefs as you, but it just isn’t so. What a blessing it is to be able to read about others going through the same journey as you.