Francine Rivers

Dear Readers,

I know I don't recommend books that release more than a month after my post, but I have got to tell you about Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers. I finished my copy over the weekend and loved it. It took me a few pages to warm up to the main character Marta, but it was one of those books I didn't want to stop reading.

It is a story of a mother's love and how sometimes what we do in love can be seen as the opposite. Hildiemara believes her mother does not love her. This is the story of the two of them and how their relationship isn't the easiest one.

Her Mother's Hope releases March 16th. It is available at our store for special order or even a pre-pay for that special reader in your life.

Her Daughter's Dream (title so far) releases in Oct. of 2010 and I already can't wait to get my hands on a copy. :-)

Happy Reading

Melody Carlson

Dear Readers,

Limelight by Melody Carlson is a bit different for her. It isn't one of her serious gritty novels and yet there were several different spots where I stopped to think about what she had written

Claudette Fiore' had it all. She was rich and beautiful. She had fame and a wonderful husband who took care of her in life and after he passed. Well except the part about a crooked accountant who didn't pay the IRS and now she has lost everything. When she realizes that it is all gone, she tries to kill herself.

When we pick up her story she is about to be released from the hospital and isn't sure she really cares. Her step son Michael helps her set up home in her mother's house that was left to her at her mother's death. Claudette on the other hand isn't quite as excited as he is. But live there she must. It isn't a house with happy memories for her. She plotted and planned to leave town as fast as she could when she was a teen and now she is back again.

I wasn't sure I liked Claudette at first, but I felt sorry for her in many ways. Of course her learning to do the wash and cleaning etc... was amusing. I can also imagine that grocery shopping was not the easiest thing to learn either.

Claudette learned that sometimes God has different plans for us that we have for ourselves. He wants to get our attention and sometimes that means our plans for our future will not be what really happens. This is a story that is funny, sad and triumphant.

Happy Reading

Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Readers,

I just wanted to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for each and everyone of you. Your comments etc... have encouraged me through out the year. I pray that each of you will enjoy the holiday season and even during this busy time, take time to relax and rest.

Happy Reading.

Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey

Dear Readers,

I never know what to expect when a fiction & non-fiction writers get together to write a fiction book. I am happy to report in this case with Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey it work very well.

The Swiss Courier is set in Switzerland towards the end of WWII. The Germans are desperately trying to invent the weapon that will win the war for them. They are still seeking Jews to kill and blame for the attack on Hitler. When it is found that one of the scientists close to the Wunderwaffe - wonder weapon - is Jewish, he is put on the list of people the Gestapo needs to capture. The Allies, especially the Americans, want him rescued and brought to their side. Will they be able to get him out?

Gabi Muller works for the American office of Strategic Services in Riehen Switzerland, a forerunner to the CIA. She is found to have a unique talent that the Allies can really use. She wants to help on the right side and is sick of typing up translations of letters and such from the Axis. But is she ready for what is in store for her?

There are no big secrets in this story. You find out who the "bad" guys are, besides the German military guys. The big thing is you are never sure whom to trust. It seemed to be that about the time I could trust someone, they had a secret that changed everything. :-)

I have been recommending this to readers who like the Zion Chronicles and Zion Covenant series by Brock and Brodie Thoene. It doesn't have the "history" in it like they include, but it is a good historical story. To be honest I hope this combination writes another story as this one is a good read.

Happy spying... er Reading

Melody Carlson visit

Dear Readers,

I just wanted to remind you that Melody Carlson will be here in the store on Friday Nov. 20 @ 7:00 p.m. . I know that I am looking forward to meeting her. I have read her for years and find it very interesting the different styles of writing that she has.

Her most recent adult fiction is Limelight and her most recent teed fiction New York Debut. I hope you can make it as it promises to be a very interesting evening. She is planning on speaking and doing some Q & A followed by her signing books.

Happy Reading

Patti Hill

Dear Readers,

Sometimes when you read a book, you find yourself between the covers, other times you find friends or family members. In Seeing Things by Patti Hill, I found my mother. Not that my mother is having eye problems or finds herself talking to Huckleberry Finn, but the streak of independence a mile wide is my mother. :-)

Birdie is very independent in spite of having Macular Degeneration. She still hikes mountains, cooks pie and goes dancing with a rather dreamy guy who is younger than her. Nothing will slow her down, until the day she falls down the stairs and breaks her ankle. Then her son insists that she comes live with him and his family in Denver. Birdie is only willing to go if they will take her dog Bee also.

Things start to get very interesting when Birdie starts seeing Huckleberry Finn. She isn't sure what to make of him. He doesn't act how she expects him to and when he finally speaks to her, she is really worried that she is going insane.

Fletcher, Birdie's grandson is the one bright spot in her day. They spend time listening to Huckleberry Finn on her Ipod as he needs to read it for school, driving lessons are next on the list and dog training lessons for a little fluff ball so Fletcher can meet the dog's owner.

So maybe now you can understand why I liked this book. I figure anyone of that age and with Macular Degeneration who is that active has got to be someone I need to meet. What fun! But Birdie knows she doesn't have all the answers and is surprised by some of the things she learns about herself and even others.


Wait until you meet the other degenerates or Bats as they go by or even Lupe, Birdie's son's maid. I really enjoyed this book and will find myself missing Birdie, Fletch and ole' Huck when I am done.

Happy Reading

Michael Landon Jr and Cindy Kelly

Dear Readers,

What do you do with a book you weren't prepared to like, but did and I still can't figure out why. The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley is that book for me. I can't really tell you why I liked it, but like it I did. In fact I had a hard time putting it down several times.

Mary and her son Patrick flee their home and the abusive relationship with Jerry, their husband/father. Mary finds out Jerry is planning on leaving her and he has taken all their savings out of the bank. She steals the money, and she and Patrick jump in a delivery truck headed to Chicago, with no plan other than to get out of town.

The money is lost and they find themselves staying at the Salvation Army shelter. Shortly after, Mary discovers Patrick has a special gift, one that can only have come from God.

I don't want to say too much more as it takes away from the story, but know there are no surprising twist or turns in this story. It is just a really well written book that makes you want to continue reading it. It is set in the Depression and yet it isn't really a story about the Depression, it just happens during that period. Which I did have to remind myself that they didn't have cell phones back then so calling while in trouble was out. :-)

On my blog while I was reading it wrote this little tidbit, "It is a bit of a puzzle, it has spiritual warfare, it has family issues and it has trust issues and in the midst of it all is a beautiful deaf mute boy. I still think that is a good way to summarize the story.

Happy Reading

Dan Walsh

Dear Readers,

Christmas novels are not my favorite. For one thing they are usually very sappy and way too short to really give the characters a good chance to develop. Some years I do have to read one to get in the mood. This year I read The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh mostly on the recommendation of a couple different people that made me just curious enough to read it. I have to admit that because there is a sequel coming in 2010 also kind of pushed me to read it. The Homecoming is going to be a regular fiction release and I thought maybe I should read the first one so I know what is going on so I can read that one.

Patrick lost his mother in a tragic car accident. To make matter worse, his father is off fighting in the war against the Nazis. Child Protective Services has no choice but to bring him to his grandfather who has never met him. Ian Collins hasn't spoken to his son since one terrible day when they fought and Ian told his to not come back.

Shawn is over in England flying missions into Germany. He has no idea that his wife is gone or that his son is now living with the man he has refused to forgive even at his mother's pleading.

I don't want to give too much more away. This is not a huge stretch away from "normal" Christmas books. It is a plain and simple feel good book. There is not any plot twist that you won't see coming, but it was a very good book to read this past weekend while the wind was blowing and the rain was coming down. It is that kind of book.

I am very interested in where The Homecoming will go. I do have a couple guesses and I enjoyed "Gift" enough to want to know the end of the story.

Happy Reading

Reminder

Steven James is coming to our store on Friday. He is planning on speaking and signing his books. If you or anyone you know loves his book, here is a chance to meet Steven.

Personally he is one of those authors that I will actually stop reading someone else's book to pick his up. I don't say that about many authors, but ...

If you have never read one of his start with the Pawn. He appeals to those of us who love CSI books. Patricia Cornwell is one author I have often thought he could easily compete with. I have also had fans of Dean Koontz really like his books. I know personally I can't wait for The Bishop to arrive in August.

Hope to see you in the store on Friday evening at 7.

Ginger Garrett

Dear Readers,

Sometimes you go to read a novel and totally miss the point. I finally understand what Ginger Garrett is doing in her Chronicles of the Scribe series. In the Arms of Immortals she takes us back to Sicily in 1347. It is the time where the Black Plague is just starting it's march across Europe.

We start the story in modern times where Mariskka Curtis has struck it rich. Her first novel has made her an over night sensation. She doesn't miss her old life and is plenty glad to use her new millions to completely enjoy this life. The only problem is it isn't her novel, she stole the manuscript from a dying patient. She is the only one who knows that or so she thought until the night Mbube shows up at her door.

Mariskka is sent to live her new story. It is not a place she wants to be. She doesn't speak the language and isn't dressed correctly. She is quickly labeled as a crazy old lady and is cast as an outcast. She knows how to help the victims, not necessarily cure them, but at least make them comfortable. The problem is she can't communicate that.

For those that are sharper than I and remember things like this, you will recognize Mariskka for the end of In the Shadow of Lions. She is in the last chapter stealing the book that the Scribe is writing. Her problems begin when she doesn't realize what she has in her hands. Our next main character will be named... Oh wait I don't want to give that away. :-)

It was an interesting look at a period of time in the church history where they lost control of the sciences. Before, the doctoring and such was done by the church as healing could only happen when you prayed also. I do believe that, but I also believe that I can pray myself, I don't need the church to do it for me. I also believe that I don't need last rites to go to heaven, and the time of the black plague changed that for the Catholic Church in that before only priest or men could pray the prayers and words of the last rights, but because of the rapid pace people were dying, the church announced that woman could also give last rites. Interesting.

This is definitely not my favorite period of history. It is dark and a tough time to survive. So I am not that excited to find out about it, but this book may have changed my mind a bit. It isn't a close look at everyday life and yet gives you small glimpses into everyday life in a village.

I know this isn't going to be a book that everyone likes. But it is an interesting, thought provoking book about our history.

Happy Reading
Chris