A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower, Review & Contest!

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative Suspense!

Description

USA Today recently hailed award-nominated author Amanda Flower for A Plain Death, calling it “the first Amish rom-com . . . bring on the next one!” As the enthusiastic reviews continue to mount, she’s back with her third Appleseed Creek mystery, A Plain Disappearance.

It’s Christmastime in Amish Country, and Chloe Humphrey has begun settling into her life in Appleseed Creek excited to see where her new relationship with Timothy Troyer will lead. Unfortunately it leads to murder when the couple discovers the body of Amish teenager Katie Lambright while on their first date.

Near the scene there is evidence that Timothy’s friend and auto mechanic Billy Thorpe is involved with the crime. The police reveal Billy is not really who he said he was and has been living the last decade in Knox County under a stolen alias. Now, Chloe and Timothy must find Billy, bring him to justice, or prove his innocence.


Purchase at the following locations:
http://www.amazon.com  $12.09
http://www.barnesandnoble.com  $12.09
http://www.christianbook.com  $9.99
http://www.deepershopping.com $9.74

Biography

Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she'd found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was a 2010 Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel and the first in a series featuring amateur sleuth India Hayes. In July 2012, Amanda will debuting her second mystery series, the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series, which is set in Ohio's Amish country. In addition to being a mystery author, Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. Visit her online at www.amandaflower.com.


My Review ~

Christmas was fast approaching, and as the snow was drifting down around them Chloe and Timothy took a leisurely sleigh ride through the Amish countryside. Timothy stopped the sleigh near an old barn in order to give Chloe her Christmas gift. Suddenly Timothy's dog became alert to something and launched herself toward the old barn with Timothy and Chloe following close behind. Their joy turned to shock at the discovery of a young Amish woman frozen in the snow. Chloe is not new to working with the local police chief, and at the police chief's request Chloe's focus becomes finding out what actually happened to the Amish teen. Autopsy results proved she was murdered, and as she seeks information relating to the murder Chloe encounters unsettling circumstances as the investigation progresses. 

Amanda Flower has created a complex murder mystery centered in the middle of Amish country. Numerous themes are interwoven throughout this suspense-filled mystery. Family dynamics and dysfunctional family elements come into play, and the dismay over a family member leaving the Amish faith is encountered. The importance of faith and hope also play important roles. The author has created humorous moments which relieve the tension at the most unexpected times. A suspense-filled, action-packed mystery, A Plain Disappearance is also a delightful story of romance and healing. Numerous issues are blended so effortlessly, I look forward to more of Amanda's heartwarming romantic Amish suspense! Well done!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and B&H Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

It’s SUPER SEPTEMBER! Amanda Flower (also writing as Isabella Alan) has three novels releasing in September 2013. To celebrate, she is giving away an authentic Amish Quilt hand-stitched by Amish in Holmes County, Ohio.

Enter to Win an Authentic Amish Quilt from author Amanda Flower! Click here to Enter!

Follow Amanda on Social Media at: Facebook Twitter GoodreadsPinterest

Follow Amanda’s alter ego Isabella on Facebook

Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Page Turner!

Description

The deadliest animal in the jungle is the two legged kind.

Nina Truman is a missionary nurse, serving in a tiny Guatemalan town not far from the Mexican border.  It's a fulfilling life, tending to the village poor, a way to serve in the country from which she was adopted. The day she leaves on furlough, is the day her life falls apart. Her bus is ambushed and she must flee from forces who inexplicably wish her dead. Trapped between a ruthless drug lord and his assassins, a corrupt police chief, and colleagues with ulterior motives, her friends may prove just as deadly as her enemies as she uncovers a plot tangled deep in the roots of her own past.

Nina's only hope of survival lies in the hands of Shaw Wilder, a man who despises missionaries and the God they serve.  His skill is in handling a landmine detection dog, not helping a woman he blames for the death of his sister. When the lethal drug kingpin El Escorpion seeks to capture Nina, and the local police are no help, Shaw has to choose: flee into the Guatemalan jungle with a naive woman who has vowed never to take a life or follow his own spiritual demons and walk away. His choice may leave them both imprisoned in a jungle from which neither will escape.

This book can be purchased at the following locations:
http://www.amazon.com $11.48
http://www.barnesandnoble.com $11.69
http://www.christianbook.com $11.49
http://www.deepershopping.com $9.74

Biography

Dana Mentink is an award winning author of Christian fiction. She's written more than fifteen mystery and suspense novels. She is honored to have received an ACFW Book of the Year nomination, a Holt Merit Award and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Please visit her on the web at www.danamentink.com or find her on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

My Review ~

Nina Truman is a missionary nurse leaving the Guatemalan clinic behind for a much-needed furlough. Traveling in an old bus along treacherous, muddy, primitive roads, suddenly a lone soldier opens fire, shattering the windows of the bus. injuring the driver and several passengers. The bus careens off the road down a steep ravine landing precariously on an outcropping of rocks. Nina risks her life to rescue injured passengers, as the bus becomes engulfed in smoke. Shaw Wilder discovers the wreckage, and at the insistence of his bomb-sniffing dog, realizes that someone may be trapped in the bus. As he discovers movement inside he breaks out the doors, dragging Nina to safety as the flaming inferno catapults off the rocks, plunging to the jungle floor. One of the survivors passes a note to Nina which she pockets as she decides to head back to the clinic to await help. 

Dana Mentink has written a fast-paced, suspense-filled novel that will make your heart pound and increase your breathing! This is a page turner from beginning to end, without a clue as to what will transpire next! This author is a master at suspense from every angle, constantly keeping the reader immersed in uncertainty and angst. She presents a pictorial portrait of the jungle atmosphere and the dangers that lurk within its boundaries, and the characters are varied and portrayed intimately. Nina's strong faith is the hope that runs throughout this book, despite Shaw's anger at God and his refusal to even acknowledge that God cares about him. Through every challenge Nina's faith remains strong, and she is willing to face death with the assurance of heaven. I highly recommend this well-written book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

Shades of Mercy, A Maine Chronicle by Anita Lustrea and Caryn Rivadeneira, Review & Giveaway!

5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant story

Description

It's 1954 and the world-even the far Northwoods of Maine-is about to change. But that change can't happen soon enough for fourteen-year-old Mercy Millar. Long tired of being the "son" her father never had, Mercy's ready for the world to embrace her as the young woman she is-as well as embrace the forbidden love she feels.

 When childhood playmates grow up and fall in love, the whole community celebrates. But in the case of Mercy and Mick, there would be no celebration. Instead their relationship must stay hidden. Good girls do not date young men from the Maliseet tribe. At least, not in Watsonville, Maine. When racial tensions escalate and Mick is thrown in jail under suspicion of murder, Mercy nearly loses all hope-in love, in her father, and in God himself.

This book is available at your local bookstore and the following locations:

http://www.amazon.com Paperback $10.88

http://www.barnesandnoble.com $10.86

http://www.christianbook.com $10.49

http://www.deepershopping.com $9.74

Biography: Anita Lustrea

Anita Lustrea is executive producer and host of Moody Radio's award winning Midday Connection. Garnering NRB's 2008 Program of the Year Award, Midday Connection deals with issues most radio programs won't. The program offers avenues for spiritual transformation in the midst of difficult personal issues. Anita is also an author, a much sought-after conference and retreat speaker and a spiritual director. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Mike and has a college aged son John.

Anita is a self identified hot tea snob and can't face the day before her Irish Breakfast Tea is steeped for 5 minutes with honey and milk added. She hails from Maine and makes an annual pilgrimage to Aroostook County.

Biography: Caryn Rivadeneira

Hello! I am a writer, speaker, and serve on the worship staff at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church. I'm one of those kinds of writers who's been writing since the magic age of 7 and have written all sorts of stuff. But the stuff you can find here at Amazon is: Shades of Mercy: A Novel (RiverNorth, 2013), Known and Loved: 52 Devotions from the Psalms (Revell, 2013), Grumble Hallelujah: Learning to Love Life When It Lets You Down (Tyndale House, 2011), Mama's Got a Fake I.D.: How to Reveal the Real You Behind All that Mom (Waterbrook, 2009). The stuff you can read elsewhere includes my writing as a regular contributor to Christianity Today's Her.Meneutics and a columnist for Re:Frame Media's Think Christian. I also write regularly for places like Relevant and FullFill, along with several other media outlets.

I live outside of Chicago with my husband, three kids and one pit bull. Visit me at www.carynrivadeneira.com, on my Facebook author page (caryn.rivadeneira.author) and on Twitter @CarynRivadeneir!

My Review ~

It is 1954 in a rural farm community in Northern Maine. Mercy's family owns a large potato farm where Mercy does the work of a teen aged boy. Her father, "Mr. Pop" teases her that she is the son he never had. He hires local Maliseet Indians to help work the farm. Mick is a Maliseet who has been a friend to Mercy since they were toddlers playing in the fields and building forts. As teenagers their friendship grows into an attraction that is forbidden. Racial tensions were heating up in the southern states while discord between Indian tribes and those who had overtaken their land were troubling other areas of the country, Maine being no exception. The Maniseet had been forced out of their homes to live in shacks on top of the area dump, and the situation is becoming volatile in Mercy's community. 

Shades of Mercy is a story of troubled times and strained relationships. The discrimination presented in this story is realistic and historically accurate. Hard and honest work ethics are reminiscent of farm families of that time frame. Characters presented are authentic, colorful and convincing, as are the issues detailed in this account. Mercy's father represents a pillar of strength and compassion to his family and community through difficult times and distressing events. His strength of character and unwavering faith in God are exemplary and strong currents that are woven throughout this story. The elements of hope, grace, mercy and compassion run strong throughout the events characterized in this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Wynn-Wynn Media in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

CONTEST GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Please comment about my review, leaving me feedback regarding your thoughts, rather than just stating that you want to win this book. Leave your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address, and please share my blog review with your friends in order to qualify for this contest. Thank you for visiting my blog!

An Accidental Life by Pamela Binnings Ewen Review & Giveaway!

5.0 out of 5 stars Unspeakable Actions!

Description

In a 1982 New Orleans courtroom the best kept secret in the world is about to unravel, and a young couple's jet set lives are about to change. Senior district attorney Peter Jacobs is facing the trial of a lifetime, a passionate, spiritual battle against an evil with far reaching consequences. His beloved wife Rebecca, a glamorous and driven partner at a major law firm, suddenly finds her life spun out of control and her new faith tested while facing a once in a lifetime choice.

New from lawyer-turned-novelist Pamela Binnings Ewen, An Accidental Life is fiction based on fact: the testimony of registered nurse Jill Stanek before a U.S. Congressional Committee confirming that it was routine for doctors in Chicago's Christ Hospital to have nurses take infants born alive during abortions down to a "soiled utility room" and leave them to die.

Stanek's testimony led Congress to enact the Born Alive Infant Protection Act of 2001, a federal-only law that still does not bind state run hospitals or private clinics. The fact remains that what happens to abortion survivors is one of the best kept secrets in the world.


Available at your local bookstore and websites listed below:
http://www.deepershopping.com $9.74

http://www.amazon.com $11.09 paperback

http://www.barnesandnoble.com $11.09 paperback

http://www.christianbook.com $10.99

Biography

After practicing law for many in Houston, Texas, Pamela Binnings Ewen turned to writing. She lives in Mandeville, Louisiana near New Orleans. She is the author of The Moon in the Mango Tree, and five other books. Based on a true story, The Moon in the Mango tree was awarded the 2012 Eudora Welty Memorial Award by the National League of American Pen Women. 

Pamela is the author of four novels and one book of non-fiction, all published by B&H Publishing Group. In addition to the Moon in the Mango Tree, her other novels include Secret of the Shroud, Dancing on Glass, Chasing the Wind, and An Accidental Life, which will be released September, 2013. Both the Moon in the Mango Tree and Dancing on Glass were Christy Award Finalists. Dancing on Glass won a Single Titles Reviewers Choice Award in 2011, and Chasing the Wind, released in 2012, was chosen as a ‘Top Pick’ by RT Reviews. 

A second, updated edition of Pamela’s best-selling non-fiction book, Faith on Trial, will also be released in September, 2013. Faith on Trial examines the evidence supporting fundamental Christian beliefs, a book for those who have dark questions and want answers—for those who don’t have the gift of faith. This book was used as a text at Yale Law School in 2000, along with The Case for Christ. The new edition also includes a ‘User’s Guide’. 

Pamela is currently a member of the board of directors of The Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans. She is also the President of the Northshore Literary Society. In 2009 Pamela received the President’s Arts Award from the Cultural Commission of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana as Literary Artist of the Year. 

My Review ~

Rebecca and Peter Jacobs have persevered in climbing their respective corporate ladders to achieve their highest goals. Rebecca has attained the status of partner in a prestigious law firm, and Peter is a Senior Assistant District Attorney. Deeply in love and living a life of affluence the couple is suddenly faced with life-changing events, and Peter is facing the most challenging and heart wrenching case in his career. "An Accidental Life" reveals one of the country's most despicable secrets, late-term abortion by induction, producing live-born fetuses. This story is based on factual testimony in a case before a US Congressional Committee regarding live-born fetuses who are placed in soiled utility rooms to die.

The author has broached the topic of abortion in a very sensitive and compassionate manner, with candor, truth and honesty. A cast of distinctive characters are presented in a credible style and their lives are interwoven throughout this unfolding drama. The investigation and courtroom scenes are authentic, compelling and pragmatic! I am impressed with the author's capacity to present factual events in a fictional manner creating an emotional roller coaster for the reader. This book is powerful and influential!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Wynn-Wynn Media in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

CONTEST GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Please comment about my review, leaving me feedback regarding your thoughts, rather than just stating that you want to win this book. Leave your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address, and please share my blog review with your friends in order to qualify for this contest. Thank you very much for visiting my blog! 

Raw Edges: Quilts of Love Series by Sandra D. Bricker - Review & Giveaway!


4.0 out of 5 stars Quilted Memories!

Description

Grayson McDonough has no use for teal ribbons, 5k runs, or ovarian cancer support groups now that his beautiful wife Jenna is gone. But their nine-year-old daughter Sadie seems to need the connection. When Annabelle Curtis, the beautiful cancer survivor organizing the memory quilt project for the Ovacome support group, begins to bring out the silly and fun side of his precious daughter again, Gray must set aside his own grief to support the healing of Sadie’s young heart. But is there hope for Gray’s heart too along the way?


This book can be purchased at the following locations:
http://www.amazon.com   $11.69
http://www.barnesandnoble.com  $11.98
http://www.christianbook.com  $9.99
http://www.deepershopping.com  $8.44

Biography

"I'm going to be a writer when I grow up!" Sandra D. Bricker declared these words to her father on a Sunday afternoon in Slidell, Louisiana. She was 5 years old, and was referring to being able to string her cursive letters together to write her full name for the first time, but the declaration proved somewhat prophetic. 

By the time she reached high school and her first article was published in The Cincinnati Enquirer, Sandie knew writing was what she wanted to do. For more than a decade, Sandie lived in Los Angeles and, while writing in every spare moment, she studied screenwriting and worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved cross-country to take on a new role: Caregiver. 

"I guess most people would see my career as a publicist as a sort of dream job. But giving it up turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me!" she declares. "Not only was I given the gift of getting to know my mother as an adult woman before she passed away, but I was also afforded the blessing of being able to re-focus on writing novels in an effort to pursue my dream of a writing career." 

That career weaves a web that draws in every age of reader. Sandie's interest in telling a story knows no boundaries. Three novels for middle readers carved out the beginning of the journey; then Avalon Books followed up with two hardbound romance novels in 2001: unWANTED: Husband (romantic comedy) and Change of Heart (romantic suspense). The response was tremendous, and Sandie was asked to pen a sequel to Change of Heart ... and so Sins of the Past was released in December 2003. Next up was another romantic comedy; Wish I Weren't Here was released in February 2005. 

"I'm a Christian woman, first and foremost," she says. "So the last couple of years has been a bit of a dream-come-true. Summerside Press chose me as one of two authors to launch their new Love Finds You line in October 2008 with Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas, a romantic comedy for the inspirational market. So the best of all worlds, as far as I'm concerned!"

More hilarity continued to follow from this award-winning author. 

Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida (Fall 2009) and Love Finds You in Carmel, California (Fall 2010) for Summerside Press, and The Big 5-OH! (Spring 2010) and Always the Baker, Never the Bride (Fall 2010) for Abingdon Press.

Future books will include sequels, The Big 4-OH! and The Big 3-OH! for Abingdon Press.

After spending nearly 15 years dealing with her celebrity clients' fans, Sandie finds it amusing that she is suddenly the one getting fan mail! "When people were actually buying my books at a recent signing, I found myself wanting to go around and invite them all to dinner or offer to bake them cookies. Hey! In fact ... maybe I'll do that very soon." 

My Review ~

One year has passed since Jenna McDonough lost her battle with ovarian cancer. Grayson McDonough and his daughter, Sadie, have muddled through the year. Nine-year-old Sadie discovers a local support group called Ovacome, which lends support to ovarian cancer survivors and families who have lost loved ones to the disease. Sadie arranges for her father to accompany her to the support group where Annabelle Curtis, a survivor of ovarian cancer, has begun planning a quilt to honor survivors and those who lost their lives to ovarian cancer. Grayson feels like a fish out of water in a room filled with women, but Sadie is committed to becoming involved with the quilt project. Her overwhelming energy and enthusiasm finally break down her father's resolve, and he agrees to allow Sadie to participate in the quilt project. Grayson's enthusiasm is lacking due to his loss and his anger at God, but he also realizes that Sadie needs something to help her move forward. Sadie takes an immediate liking to Annabelle, and Grayson agrees to let them work on the quilt project at their home where Sadie can be supervised.

Raw Edges is an engaging story of overcoming extreme loss and finding healing and renewed faith in God. The issue of ovarian cancer and Ovacome, the ovarian cancer support group play key roles in bringing about awareness of the disease and available support networks. Sandra D. Bricker has presented a cast of realistic and lovable characters in this story. She brings them to life in a perceptive manner with encouraging and humorous situations that are captivating. She intertwines her characters throughout the story and develops a lovable community of people supporting and encouraging of one another. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of hope and love, and renewed faith. 

Disclaimer: I received this book from Wynn-Wynn Media for the express purpose of my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

CONTEST GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Please comment about my review, leaving me feedback regarding your thoughts, rather than just stating that you want to win this book. Leave your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address, and please share my blog review with your friends in order to qualify for this contest. Thank you for visiting my blog!

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell, Review & GIVEAWAY of 6, YES, 6 copies of this book!

Thanks to Wynn-Wynn Media, I have 6 copies to give away!


5.0 out of 5 stars Stirring Sequel to Into The Free!

Description

It is the spring of 1943. With a wedding and a cross-country move, Millie’s world is about to change forever.

If only her past could change with it.

Soon after the break of day, Bump will become Millie’s husband. And then, if all goes as planned, they will leave the rain-soaked fields of Mississippi and head for the wilds of the Colorado Rockies. As Millie tries to forget a dark secret, she hasn’t yet realized how drastically those past experiences will impact the coming days.

For most of Millie’s life, being free felt about as unlikely as the mountains moving. But she’s about to discover that sometimes in life, we are given second chances, and that the only thing bigger than her past … is her future.

Purchase at your local bookstore or these online locations:

http://www.deepershopping.com Paperback $9.74
http://www.amazon.com Paperback $11.48
http://www.barnesandnoble.com Paperback $11.48
http://www.christianbook.com Paperback $11.49

Biography

A speech language pathologist and literacy advocate, New York Times best-selling author Julie Cantrell was most recently editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review. She is author of the best-selling book Into the Free and two children’s books. Julie and her family live in Mississippi where they operate Valley House Farm.

My Review ~

Millie discovers hope in the opportunity to move forward with her life, far from atrocities of her past. Sadly, Millie's past is destined to become a major component of her future. Her choice between the two men she loves eventually creates questions in her mind regarding whether she has chosen the best course for her future. Opportunity awaits her and her new husband, Bump, as they set out to brave new worlds in the mountains of Colorado, far from the heartache in Mississippi. The challenges they face appear insurmountable when they realize that their "new" homestead is uninhabitable. Using every moment of daylight Millie and Bump attempt what appears to be the impossible, but their perseverance rewards them with an inhabitable farmstead and outbuildings with 5,000 acres of land to raise horses and beef cattle.

Julie Cantrell has received numerous awards for her debut novel, "Into The Free," which has been optioned by a production studio with hopes of bringing her story to the big screen! Julie's sequel to "Into The Free" surpassed my expectations! Her attention to detail is outstanding, and her characters are so well illustrated that I felt myself living Millie's life throughout the story! Vivid portrayals of the landscape throughout Millie and Bump's journey to the Rocky Mountains are eloquent, from the yellow flowers Millie so loves to the mountains that greet them. The hardships and disillusions they face are realistic and believable. As with Julie's debut novel, I feel that "When Mountains Move" is an exceptional work of artistic creativity. I highly recommend this inspiring book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and Wynn-Wynn Media in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

CONTEST GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Please comment about my review, leaving me feedback regarding your thoughts, rather than just stating that you want to win this book. Leave your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address, and please share my blog review with your friends in order to qualify for this contest. 

Author, Willard "Will" Carpenter's Perspectives on Writing!

Recently I had the pleasure of spending time visiting with Willard "Will" Carpenter and his lovely family. We discussed Will's philosophy regarding his writing. Author of two novels, "Prodigal: Part 1 Secrets of the Son (Volume 1)" and "Unveiling: Part 2 Secrets of the Son (Volume 2)," Will's initial interest in writing surfaced 40 years ago. He is currently working on three books, one a collection of poetry that his brother will be illustrating, secondly his contribution to Murray Pura's Cry of Freedom Series, Kentucky Rain, which is based on his grandfather's time in the Civil War in Richmond, VA. Mr. Carpenter's third work in progress is a stand-alone novel, but will share some of the characters from "Unveiling." Will's three novels are considered Amish inspirational works. "Samuel Hershberger," a key character in his books is based on someone in Will's life. He did not reveal the identity of that "character" to me.

Will states that Shelley Shepard Gray has been influential in his writing career. His first interest is fiction. Will is considered an Indie (independent) author with a focus in presenting valid, detailed, inspirational, thoroughly researched material. Will is a literary author whose goals are to present factual novels portraying realistic and graphic events and romantic relationships. Will places himself into the setting where his novel takes place, lending a true presentation of the interactions between his characters. His interest in the Amish stems from his geographical closeness to the Amish in the Lancaster, PA area, and the friendships he has developed. 

Three generations of Carpenters span 100 years, Will's grandfather who was age 60 when his father was born and Will's father who was age 40 when Will was born. Will and Michele have three grown children, two sons and one daughter. He is a former U.S. Army medic and retired registered nurse who now spends his days writing full time. His home is Gilbertsville, PA, and he and his wife own and operate Johnny's Hoagies where Will enjoys passing out "lollies" to the youngsters.

Thank you, Willard and family, for sharing your time and hospitality with me, and Will, for sharing your thoughts regarding your writing. 

I will be featuring Will's books in the future, so please join me as I share my reviews of his books with you.

You can get in touch with Willard "Will" Carpenter on Facebook or his website.

https://www.facebook.com/Will1953?fref=ts 

http://www.authorwillardcarpenter.com

By Appointment Only (Sal's Place) by Marianne Evans!

5.0 out of 5 stars
 Finding Hope!

Book Description

Political dynamo Matt Bellinger understands he has an unyielding responsibility to work hard for the betterment of his community and the world around him. Life, he believes, should be built strictly on effort and tangibles, not an elusive faith. But that belief is challenged when
a bill to spearhead volunteerism leads him to canvassing efforts at Detroit's legendary diner, Sal's Place, and a meeting with Heather Cavanaugh. His polar opposite, the street-smart beauty challenges his heart and perceptions. She's the head stylist at Optiva, a trendy, upscale hair salon in downtown Detroit, as well as a tireless volunteer giving back to the city she loves in honor of the God she serves.

Love blooms, gradually shifting Matt's perceptions. But when a life-threatening illness in his family challenges that fledgling faith, will he be able to hold fast to his newfound beliefs? Will he discover that faith makes all things possible and love makes all things beautiful?




Available for purchase at:
http://www.amazon.com $3.99 Kindle
http://www.barnesandnoble.com $3.99 Nook
http://www.christianbook.com $3.19 ebook
http://pelicanbookgroup.com $3.99
http://www.booksamillion.com $2.74

Biography

Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God's love through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laud her work as: 'Riveting.' 'Realistic and true to heart.' 'Compelling.'

Evans's novel, Hearts Communion, earned Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year honors in the Romance category as well as best inspirational romance by Ancient City Romance Authors, a chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Her novella Finding Home earned the prestigious Selah Award for excellence in Christian fiction. Evans has also earned acclaim in such RWA contests as The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence where she has been a finalist twice, and the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence contest.

A lifelong resident of Michigan, Evans is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. She's also active in American Christian Fiction Writers and the Michigan Literary Network.

Connect with Marianne:
Website: www.marianneevans.com
Blog: www.marianneevans.blogspot.com
Facebook Reader Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marianne-Evans/308711716744
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Marmo212

My Review ~

Heather Cavanaugh, hairdresser and dedicated volunteer to the needy of inner city Detroit, comes face to face with Matt Bellinger, an aspiring politician. Detroit's legendary diner, Sal's Place is the scene of Heather's challenge to ascertain if Matt is worthy of his claims to reach out to those in need, and truly make a difference. Coming from vastly different lifestyles the two face life-changing obstacles, and Matt faces personal battles more complex than any he has encountered in his political life.

Marianne Evans has once again proven that she has depth of insight into the hearts and souls of people that few can exemplify with such passion. Her characters are personified with an intensity that the reader becomes a part of the character. Reading this book challenged me spiritually to the point that my faith has become fortified. Marianne's use of biblical references is brilliant and spiritually challenging. By Appointment Only is impressive! 

Disclaimer: I received a PDF copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.