"Second Chance"

by Eileen Hinkle Rife
GIVEAWAY!

Description

Mave wants the life back in her marriage. Dareece just wants a life. Could they be the answer to each other’s dream?
Mave Robertson, a recent empty nester, wants the fire back in her marriage, but her husband, Jerry, remains aloof. Is he having an affair? A midlife crisis? When a neighbor suggests she “get a life,” Mave accepts the challenge and volunteers at an inner-city teen ministry where she is thrown into a culture of drugs, gangs, and unwed teen moms. She soon discovers someone she can help, but might he also be the cure for both her stale marriage and her crumbling relationship with her father?
Dareece Jackson, a teen from the projects, wants something in Mave’s purse...and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. 

Biography

Eileen Rife is a veteran homeschool mom and author of several nonfiction books, as well as Second Chance, Masquerade, December Sunrise, and the Born for India fiction trilogy—Journey to Judah, Restored Hearts, and Chosen Ones (OakTara). Her byline has appeared in numerous magazines, including Marriage Partnership, Light & Life, Mature Living, On Mission, Discipleship Journal, and Christian Home & School. Eileen and her husband, Chuck, conduct marriage seminars in the states and overseas. In her pastime, Eileen enjoys reading, dancing with hubby, spending time with her three daughters and sons-in-law, and playing with her seven grandchildren.

My thoughts ~

Second Chance broaches a number of difficult issues, empty nest syndrome, inner city gangs, drug trafficking, teen pregnancy and lack of Christian belief. The characters throughout this book are well defined and believable. The locations throughout the book were very descriptive and easily imagined.

This book starts out with a number of difficult situations and moves along at a fast pace. The plot is believable and well depicted. There are very emotional moments that deeply affected me. Teens accepting Christ into their lives and a married couple bridging the gap in their mundane marriage were positive events in this book.

About halfway through this book the plot becomes somewhat predictable and too good to be true. I was a bit disappointed in that respect. I was hoping for more development of the story after the buildup and tension in the first half of the book. 

There are very strong Christian messages in this book, and I'm sure many will enjoy it. The book contains discussion questions in the back, as well as a 21-day study of the Song of Solomon and an exercise for marriage.

CONTEST GUIDELINES: Please leave a comment and your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address. Giveaways are limited to residents of the continental US only, please. I am not responsible for loss or damage through the postal service. Winners have one week to claim their prizes. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate all of your comments!

Optional: For additional chances to win this giveaway, share this contest through either Twitter or Facebook, and sign up to follow my blog. Please let me know what you did for extra chances to win. Deadline for this giveaway is Friday, 6-10-16.

 

 

"Broken Ground"

by Karen Halvorsen Schreck
GIVEAWAY!

Description

When a young oil rig widow escapes her grief and the Texas Dust Bowl, she discovers a surprising future—and new passion—awaiting her in California in this lyrically written romance by the author of Sing for Me.

Newly married to her childhood sweetheart, twenty-one-year-old Ruth Warren is settling into life in a Depression-era, East Texas oil town. She’s making a home when she learns that her young husband, Charlie, has been killed in an oil rig accident. Ruth is devastated, but then gets a chance for a fresh start: a scholarship from a college in Pasadena, CA. Ruth decides to take a risk and travel west, to pursue her one remaining dream to become a teacher.
At college Ruth tries to fit into campus life, but her grief holds her back. When she spends Christmas with some old family friends, she meets the striking and compelling Thomas Everly, whose own losses and struggles have instilled in him a commitment to social justice, and led him to work with Mexican migrant farmworkers in a camp just east of Los Angeles. With Thomas, Ruth sees another side of town, and another side of current events: the numerous forced deportations without due process of Mexicans, along with United States citizens of Mexican descent.
After Ruth is forced to leave school, she goes to visit Thomas and sees that he has cobbled together a night school for the farmworkers’ children. Ruth begins to work with the children, and establishes deep friendships with people in the camp. When the camp is raided and the workers and their families are rounded up and shipped back to Mexico, Ruth and Thomas decide to take a stand for the workers’ rights—all while promising to love and cherish one another.

Biography

Karen Halvorsen Schreck is the author of three previous novels, Sing for Me, Dream Journal, and While He Was Away. She received her doctorate in English and Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her short stories and articles have appeared in Literal Latté, Other Voices, Image, as well as other literary journals and magazines, and have received various awards, including a Pushcart Prize, an Illinois State Arts Council Grant, and in 2009, first prize awards for memoir and devotional magazine writing from the Evangelical Press Association. A freelance writer and frequent visiting professor of English at Wheaton College, Karen lives with her husband and two children in Wheaton, Illinois. 

My thoughts ~

In the mid-1930s newlyweds, Ruth and Charlie have just begun their lives together. Tragedy takes Charlie's life, leaving Ruth lost and alone, forced to make significant changes that will pattern her future.  

The author has created strong characters who traverse considerable misfortune and conflict. The plot moves at a steady pace and is unpredictable. Unexpected circumstances unfold as Ruth journeys through difficult times in her personal life, and the lives of those who affect her deeply.

The Mexican Repatriation becomes the focus as Ruth becomes involved with children and families whose very existence is questionable. At this point in the story the prejudices and appalling treatment of migrant workers is well documented and powerful. A great deal of research has brought to life the events surrounding the deportation of a people whose Mexican descent is more powerful than the citizenship papers and work papers they hold. 

Broken Ground is written with knowledge and passion, and the author is effective at projecting the atrocities of the human condition. I highly recommend this novel for the honest approach to shocking realities.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Howard Books 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 GUIDELINES: Please leave a comment and your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address. Giveaways are limited to residents of the continental US only, please. I am not responsible for loss or damage through the postal service. Winners have one week to claim their prizes. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate all of your comments!

Optional: For additional chances to win this giveaway, share this contest through either Twitter or Facebook, and sign up to follow my blog. Please let me know what you did for extra chances to win. Deadline for this giveaway is Monday, 6-6-16.

 

 

"The Other Side of the Bridge"

by Mary Lawson

Description

From the author of the beloved #1 national bestseller Crow Lake comes an exceptional new novel of jealously, rivalry and the dangerous power of obsession.

Two brothers, Arthur and Jake Dunn, are the sons of a farmer in the mid-1930s, when life is tough and another world war is looming. Arthur is reticent, solid, dutiful and set to inherit the farm and his father’s character; Jake is younger, attractive, mercurial and dangerous to know – the family misfit. When a beautiful young woman comes into the community, the fragile balance of sibling rivalry tips over the edge.

Then there is Ian, the family’s next generation, and far too sure he knows the difference between right and wrong. By now it is the fifties, and the world has changed – a little, but not enough.

These two generations in the small town of Struan, Ontario, are tragically interlocked, linked by fate and community but separated by a war which devours its young men – its unimaginable horror reaching right into the heart of this remote corner of an empire. With her astonishing ability to turn the ratchet of tension slowly and delicately, Lawson builds their story to a shocking climax. Taut with apprehension, surprising us with moments of tenderness and humour, The Other Side of the Bridge is a compelling, humane and vividly evoked novel with an irresistible emotional undertow.

Biography

Mary Lawson (born 1946) is a Canadian novelist.

Born in southwestern Ontario, she spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario (located between Sarnia and Brights Grove) and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables.

Lawson moved to England after graduating from McGill University with a psychology degree in 1968. She also married in Ontario, has two grown up sons and now lives in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey. Her three novels to date, both published by Knopf Canada were set in Northern Ontario.

My thoughts ~

Having recently read Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, I immediately purchased two more of her books. I'm impressed with the honesty and integrity with which this author weaves another earthy, gritty and realistic look at family relationships and friendship. Having grown up in a rural area, I could relate to the plights of farmers and the challenges they endured. This author has done her research and shared the hardships and family dynamics of rural life with credibility. Generations build upon one another in this haunting tale of the human condition.

There is incredible depth throughout this compelling story of dysfunctional families, sibling rivalry, friendships, jealousy and so much more. The description of the Canadian countryside is pictorial and vivid through Lawson's imagery. The characters portrayed are convincing and plausible.

I highly recommend The Other Side of the Bridge! It's a book that you won't want to put down. It will tug at your heartstrings and open your mind to a time in history that was oppressive for many.  

 

"The Steeplechase"

(A Love's Sporting Chance Novella)

by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Description

Martha Osborne fears for her six-year-old brother, who was shuffled off to boarding school when his British mother departed to England.
Set in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in the build-up to the War of 1812, expert rider Martha plans to substitute for her older brother in a “race to the steeple” to win the prize—and a bet with Phillip Paulson, equestrian trainer at Yorkview Academy, to help have her little brother returned home. When Phillip stumbles upon the real reasons behind the secret race he finds he may not be able to keep his end of the bargain. Can he save Martha and her brother? And will his heart be lost in the process? 

Biography

Carrie Fancett Pagels is a multi-published award-winning author of Christian historical romance. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! She resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which is perfect for her love of history. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time! 







My thoughts~

This is a detailed and complicated story. There was so much developing throughout the plot,  I would have loved for this novella to be developed into a full length novel. With so many characters I was a bit overwhelmed in the early stages of the story, but as I became more comfortable with the plot and characters I found myself truly drawn into the book.

The characters within this novella are well depicted, and believable. This author has a talent for descriptive elements, and developing charming relationships. There is nothing ordinary in Ms. Pagel's books. A deep and intricate plot is woven throughout. 

As stated, I would like to see Ms. Pagels develop her novellas with even more substance to draw her stories into full length novels.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Carrie Fancett Pagels for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

 

 

 

"Seaside Secrets" 

(Pacific Coast Private Eyes, #2)

by Dana Mentink

 

Description

IN THE LINE OF FIRE

Navy chaplain Angela Gallagher wants to put the past behind her, but she's still haunted by the wartime death of her assistant. So when his brother claims he's in danger and pleads for her to use her family's private detective company's resources to help him stay alive, she can't turn him down. But someone will stop at nothing—even murder—to keep her from revealing their secrets. She'll have to depend on a military colleague to keep her head above water. Dr. Dan Blackwell was in the field with her when her assistant died, and he's determined to keep her safe. Can they sift through the web of lies to find the truth without losing their lives?

Pacific Coast Private Eyes: Sisters fighting crime.

 

Biography

Dana is an award winning author of Christian fiction. Her novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, won a 2010 Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and she was pleased to win the 2013 Carol Award for Lost Legacy and a Holt Medallion Merit Award. She's authored more than twelve novels to date for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line. Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her at www.danamentink.com  

My thoughts ~

The second in the Pacific Coast Private Eyes series, Seaside Secrets is no disappointment! Dana Mentink never ceases to amaze me with her creativity in the suspense genre. This book can stand alone rather than as part of the series, but there are connections to the characters that enhance this book and brings some clarity to the plot.

This is a very fast paced suspense that kept me up past my bedtime, but there is so much action that I was unable to stop reading. One more chapter, then another, until my eyes were burning and I had to give it up. I commend this author for her ability to keep a plot moving at such a pace that the action never slows down. I found myself holding my breath at times! 

Characters are deeply developed, lovable and unlikable. Personalities are varied and very diverse. Don't miss this great book. I look forward to Dana's Love Inspired Suspense books, and I'm already looking forward to the next in this series! 

Disclaimer: Thank you to Dana Mentink for gifting me with a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no compensation was received for this review. 

 

"Jump"

by Michel Sauret

Edgy Christian Fiction

Description

International Book Awards winning author of Amidst Traffic, Michel Sauret, delivers a bold, human novel confronting the challenges of embracing faith in a world of free-fall.
Ever since he was a boy, Christopher's parents made him jump off the tree in the backyard. This was to test his faith. Land safely and he might have enough faith to please God. But one year, Christopher breaks his leg, and suddenly it’s his little sister who seems to please their parents best. Distance grows between him and his father, especially as a sexual addiction takes root in his heart, launching him into a dangerous free-fall. Desperate for escape, Christopher looks to college, thinking he might find God on his own terms. Yet as he becomes entrenched in the secular haven of higher education, he discovers the “Cathedral of Learning” is no more of a savior than a tree. He flees once more, hitchhiking with an atheist set on his own spiritual journey. But as they end up in Selma, Alabama, Christopher and his new friend land in a church that won’t let them get away.

Biography

Michel Sauret was born in Rome, Italy, and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh's English Writing department. He is the winner of the International Book Award (2013) for his short story collection, "Amidst Traffic" which was also a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the Indie Excellence Book Awards.

He is currently serving in the U.S. Army as a public affairs communications professional. His Army writing earned him the title of Army Journalist of the Year in 2008, and earned him several Keith L. Ware awards. His photography and articles have been published internationally and featured by the National Geographic, Army Times and USA Today.

Website:  http://www.msauret.com/

My thoughts ~

This coming of age chronicle of Christopher's struggle with God is powerful! Christopher's story begins with his childhood and the developments pivotal to his growth as a young man as he questions his faith and his sexuality. 

Christopher's experiences with Christianity and cults further confuse his faith and where he stands in his relationship with God. He is raised in a dysfunctional family, and his feelings of inferiority contribute to his confusion and unsettling concerns about his interest in pornographic materials. His faith is refuted even more strongly as he continues to question his sexuality.

Secular events in Christopher's life confuse him even more, essentially breaking him, and bringing him to the brink of a drastic change in his life. Leaving the past behind takes him on a journey that radically changes him, robbing him of any trust.

Jump is an impressive look into faith, Christianity, coming of age, finding oneself and overcoming past feelings of inadequacy due to his dysfunctional parentage. I highly recommend this novel! It's a revelation into a young man's world, and how his past has affected his future.

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

 

"A Lady In Defiance"

(Romance in the Rockies: #1)

by Heather Blanton

Description

Charles McIntyre owns everything and everyone in the lawless, godless mining town of Defiance. When three good, Christian sisters from his beloved South show up stranded, alone, and offering to open a "nice" hotel, he is intrigued enough to let them stay...especially since he sees feisty middle sister Naomi as a possible conquest. But Naomi, angry with God for widowing her, wants no part of Defiance or the saloon-owning, prostitute-keeping Mr. McIntyre. It would seem however, that God has gone to elaborate lengths to bring them together. The question is, "Why?" Does God really have a plan for each and every life? Written with gritty, but not gratuitous, realism uncharacteristic of historical Christian romances, A Lady in Defiance is edgy Christian fiction that gives a nod to both Pride and Prejudice and Redeeming Love. Based on true events, it is also an ensemble piece that deftly weaves together the relationships of the three sisters and the rowdy residents of Defiance. 

Purchase at the following locations:

http://www.amazon.com

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

 

Biography

I love Christian Western Romance because this is the genre that lets me write about strong, pioneer women and men who struggle to find God and then live out their faith in real ways. Romance is always a strong element in my stories because it is such a beautiful gift from God, and a perfect reflection of how he loves us: sacrificially and lavishly. My stories aren't preachy or cheesy, but I hope they are inspirational, heart-warming, realistic, illuminating, and glorifying to God. Like good old fashioned Westerns, there is always justice, a moral message, American values, lots of high adventure, unexpected plot twists, and more than a touch of suspense. I am a huge researcher, as well, and you will find hints of historical romances inspired by true stories in my novels!

I grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina on a steady diet of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and John Wayne Westerns. My most fond childhood memory is of sitting next to my daddy, munching on popcorn, and watching Lucas McCain unload that Winchester! I love exploring out West, especially ghost towns and museums. I've walked parts of the Oregon Trail, ridden horses through the Rockies, climbed to the top of Independence Rock, and even held an outlaw's note in my hand.

"I believe Christian fiction should be messy and gritty, because the human condition is ... and God loves us anyway." -- Heather Blanton 

My thoughts ~

Heather Blanton is a new author to me, and a very good one at that. Reading A Lady in Defiance was like going back in time to the days when I watched "Westerns" on black and white television with my family. Those were good old days! During that era people watched those programs without concern for the outlaws, drunks, gunfights and loose women with low-cut gowns and heavy makeup. They were just good old television shows that we all knew were not indicative of our lives. They were entertainment! We didn't take them seriously. At the same time, reading Heather's book left me with those same feelings of past Westerns. 

Varied characters created a depth of humanity and acceptance of the differences in individuals. All types of characters were represented in honest and down-to-earth techniques. This novel is very descriptive and incited many emotions as the story moved along, at a fast pace with no room for boredom. 

I enjoyed all aspects of this novel. There is an earthy, authentic, coarseness to the community of Defiance. This is definitely a good versus evil kind of book that kept my attention right through to the end. I highly recommend A Lady in Defiance, and look forward to the sequel!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from The Book Club Network's For Readers Only program in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review. 

CONTEST GUIDELINES: Please leave a comment and your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address. Giveaways are limited to residents of the continental US only, please. I am not responsible for loss or damage through the postal service. Winners have one week to claim their prizes. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate all of your comments!

Optional: For additional chances to win this giveaway, share this contest through either Twitter or Facebook, and sign up to follow my blog. Please let me know what you did for extra chances to win. Deadline for this giveaway is Friday, May 13, 2016. 

 

"Sit, Stay, Love"

A Novel

by Dana Mentink

 Description

Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love...Tippy style.

Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service.
Gina isn't thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.

As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too…

Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.




 
Biography

Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet. 

Home Page: http://www.danamentink.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dana-Mentinks-Reader-Page-340390520776/?fref=ts








My thoughts ~

I'm a cat person, through and through. Dogs and I just don't gel. Well, Tippy  has altered my feelings about dogs! Sit, Stay, Love is a sweet, tender, and lovable story of a dog who brings a whole community together. 

An estranged and broken family is held together by an old dog. Tippy provided love and devotion to a dying woman suffering the ravages of cancer. Upon her death young pro baseball player, Cal Crawford does everything he can think of to keep the dog out of his reach, even hiring an adorable dog sitter to take care of Tippy. The story of Tippy, Cal and dog sitter Gina, is absolutely heartwarming.

The events in this story could be real. The personalities depicted in this book are authentic and relatable, captivating my heart throughout an unpredictable and entertaining fashion. It's lighthearted, compassionate, and forgiving all rolled up in one warm and cozy read.

I highly recommend this highly enjoyable book about a very special dog and his humans! I loved it!

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

 

"Crow Lake"

by Mary Lawson

 Description

 Crow Lake is that rare find, a first novel so quietly assured, so emotionally pitch perfect, you know from the opening page that this is the real thing—a literary experience in which to lose yourself, by an author of immense talent.

Here is a gorgeous, slow-burning story set in the rural “badlands” of northern Ontario, where heartbreak and hardship are mirrored in the landscape. For the farming Pye family, life is a Greek tragedy where the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons, and terrible events occur—offstage.

Centerstage are the Morrisons, whose tragedy looks more immediate if less brutal, but is, in reality, insidious and divisive. Orphaned young, Kate Morrison was her older brother Matt’s protegee, her fascination for pond life fed by his passionate interest in the natural world. Now a zoologist, she can identify organisms under a microscope but seems blind to the state of her own emotional life. And she thinks she’s outgrown her siblings—Luke, Matt, and Bo—who were once her entire world.

In this universal drama of family love and misunderstandings, of resentments harbored and driven underground, Lawson ratchets up the tension with heartbreaking humor and consummate control, continually overturning one’s expectations right to the very end. Tragic, funny, unforgettable, Crow Lake is a quiet tour de force that will catapult Mary Lawson to the forefront of fiction writers today.

Biography

Mary Lawson (born 1946) is a Canadian novelist.

Born in southwestern Ontario, she spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario (located between Sarnia and Brights Grove) and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables.

Lawson moved to England after graduating from McGill University with a psychology degree in 1968. She also married in Ontario, has two grown up sons and now lives in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey. Her three novels to date, both published by Knopf Canada were set in Northern Ontario.

My thoughts ~

Crow Lake is a book that will change the way you look at family, and life in general. The Morrison family is broken, gritty, but loyal to a fault. The challenges faced by this family over the years are heart rending, overwhelming, yet credible.  

The characters in the community are authentic, pragmatic, and represent humanity at its basic level. They rise to the occasion consistently, practicing their generosity as a way of life. There is depth to personalities that transcends the norm.

I'm still reeling from this incredibly well-written novel. The undercurrents that are evident throughout the book become the pinnacles that bring the story to a powerful ending. I highly recommend this earthy, poignant, and dynamic book.