Robert Whitlow

Dear Readers,

Argh!!  This is the third time I have started this review.  It is totally me not the book or author.  I want to do the book justice, but seem to not be able to get it right. 

Robert Whitlow is one of my favorite authors and he is on my to-read list.  I don't always pick his books up the day they come out, but will get them read within a few weeks of their release date. 

Water's Edge is the story of Tom and all he is trying to do is close his father's law office after dad is killed in a tragic boating accident.  Tom is sure it will be an easy thing to do, that is until he uncovers a trust account with 1.75 million dollars in it and no record of where that money came from.

With this being a mystery I am not going to say any more about the story line as I don't want to give anything away.  It is actually an easy recommend, as if you like Robert's earlier books you will like this one.  Or, if you like John Grishom's novels I recommend Robert's books to you. 

The one thing I did want to mention and this doesn't give away the plot at all, but in one part Tom and his friends go white water rafting in the Ocoee River.  I personally have white water rafted the Ocoee River in the very spot Robert is talking with the rafting company he mentions.  I would recommend that if you are in that part of the Georgia, take the time and white water raft that very excitng part of the river. 

Happy Reading

New Releases July 18-23

Dear Readers,

As I am writing this over half the country is locked in a heatwave.   Temps have sored into the 90's and higher with humidity just about as bad.  It is hot muggy and uncomfortable, a great time to sit and do nothing but turn pages. 

Sunday when the heat started building that is what I did.  I read a new Susan Meissner book.  It releases later this fall and is titled A Sound Among the Trees.  It is written about a house that survies the Civil War and the battle of Fredericksburg, VA.  It was a good one to read in the heat but while sitting by the pool watching the grandgirls swim.

Happy Reading

Under a Desert Sky - Diann Mills
Shadows on the Sand - Gayle Roper
Restless in Carolina - Tamara Leigh
Shadows on the Sand -Gayle Roper
Courageous - Randy Alcorn - Based on the Screenplay for the Courageous Movie releasing Sept. 13
Sweet Sanctuary - Sheila Walsh/Cindy Martinusen Coloma
Healing Hearts - Beth Wiseman - three Amish Novellas

MaryBeth Whalen

Dear Readers,

I have been waiting to read MaryBeth Whalen's newest book She Makes it Look Easy.  I wanted to wait for a chance to just enjoy the book and relax through it all.  This past weekend was that chance.  It was worth the wait, but I also wish I had been able to read it earlier.

Ariel Baxter thinks she can become the perfect wife and mother, it just takes a bit of work.  When her family moves into the Essex Falls neighborhood, Ariel think she is almost there.  Once she meets her "backyard" neighbor she just knows she will be able to get her life on track.

Justine's life looks perfect.  She is ultra-organized, her girls are always in cute, clean and pressed dresses.  She has a handsome husband who adores her and she never seems to forget anything.  Ariel wants to be just like her, in fact she can't wait to learn how to do it herself and Justine is the perfect person to do it.  Or so it would seem.

I really want to say more about the plot line, but can't as that would take away from your enjoyment of reading it.   

For those that remember you know I wasn't all the excited about reading MaryBeth's first book, The Mailbox, and then quickly fell in love with it.  I didn't have the "not wanting to read it" problem this time.  I so enjoyed this book that I didn't want it to end.  The characters are people that I would want to hang out with and get to know.  They are people who live in our own neighborhoods and go to our churches. 

This is not a light read.  It deals with several major issues, but it is not such a heavy book that makes you feel like MaryBeth is trying to teach you something.   It does in fact have several times that you might laugh out loud because it is a 'real' life book.  I could almost move into that neighborhood except I am not huge on neighborhood associations. 

This is one of those books that would lend itself well to a book club read or just a quiet read at the beach or sitting by the pool.

Happy Reading

New Releases July 11-16

Dear Readers,

I don't know about you but there is something about opening a new fiction book that is so very exciting to me.  I don't know if it is because if the new adventure I might find in the pages or if it is because of the new friends I will meet.  Whatever it is it is one of those things that if you say it to a person who is not a fiction readers, you actually do sound a little insane.  That is ok with me, I just try to remember and not say things like that when I am amoung people who don't understand. 

Happy Reading

Livvie's Song - Sharlene MacLaren - #1 River of Hope series.
River's Song - Melody Carlson - #1 The Inn at Shining Waters
Rally Round Green - Judy Christie - #3 the Green series
Over the Edge - Brandilyn Collins
Pompeii: City on Fire - T.L. Higley
Beside Still Waters - Tricia Goyer
Fade to Blue - Julie Carobini
Target Down - Bob Hamer
From Ashes to Honor - Loree Lough
The Faith of Ashish - Kay Marshall Strom

Ronie Kendig

Dear Readers,

One of the genres that I thought the Christian fiction market has long been lacking is a good spy novelist.  There have been many good attempts, but the books themselves seem to always bog down in the characters' problems with being a spy and a Christian at the same time.  This is not what the fans of Robert Ludlem and Tom Clancy are looking for.  We are looking for a fast-paced, keep us interested type book. 

Imagine my surprise in finding this type of book from one of the newest publishing houses to enter the fiction market.  Abingdon press entered the Christian fiction pool in just the last year or so and they are making quite a ripple.  In fact I have been telling readers that if the book is from Abingdon it is probably a good read. 

Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig was one of the first fiction books published by Abingdon and I am not exactly sure why I never got it read before this.  It could be as simple as the cover was trying too hard to be intriguing or maybe because I didn't get a free copy, who really knows, but whatever it was, I am glad I got a chance read it.

Shiloh Blake is doing exactly what she wants to do.  She is on an archaeological dive just off the coast of India.  Her best friend Kahlid is one of the dive team and Shiloh has made a couple very interesting discoveries.  One of them being a canister that doesn't really make sense to her.  That is until the bodies start falling in the water when their ship is attacked. 

Whether Shiloh wants to be or not, she is thrust into the middle of an international nuclear clash.  She knows that she is in danger and she needs to run for her life, but who can she trust?  Those that seem to want the best for her may actually be the ones putting her in the most danger.

This is a fast paced book.  All (nearly) 500 pages kept my interest.  I am going to say there was a couple different times that something did make me roll my eyes, but over all it was a very good read.  Even though Ronie is a woman author I feel like men will enjoy this very good spy novel. 

Happy Reading

New Releases July 4 - 9

Dear Readers,

For being a holiday shortened week it has been a long week.  The sad part of it is I am actually writing this on Tuesday.  :-)  Which makes me laugh, but the 3 day weekend was so busy and filled with fun stuff I believe I came back to work to rest.  LOL 

It might have been busy but it was a good busy and I still got a couple books read or at least mostly read.  There will be reviews of each coming soon.  One is on the shelves already and the other releaseses in Sept.  I know a couple of the books that released this week are on my to read list.  How about yours?

Happy Reading

Forever After - Deborah Raney - #2 of the Hanover Falls novels.
Ransome's Quest - Kaye Dacus - #3 The Ransome Trilogy
The Mountian Between Us - Charles Martin - Paperback
Unbridled Hope - Loree Lough - #3in Lonestar Legends series
The One Who waits for Me - Lori Copeland
The First Gardener - Denise Hildreth Jones
Love Finds a Home - Wanda Brunstetter - 3 in 1
The 12th Imam - Joel Rosenberg - paperback
Dancing on Glass - Pamela Binnings Ewen
A River to Cross - Yvonne Harris
Out of Control - Mary Connealy -  - #1  the Kincaid Brides
Wings of Promise - Bonnie Leon - #2 Alaskan Skies
The Colonel's Lady  - Laura Frantz
Blue Skies Tomorrow - Sarah Sundin
A Most Unsuitable Match - Stephanie Grace Whitson

Vickie McDonough

Dear Readers,

Luke's welcome home to Lookout, Texas is not what he expects.  He hoped to ride in quietly and settle into the Marshall postion with little fuss.  He instead is greeted by 3 hooligans who throw rocks at him and his horse.  When he catches up with one, it turns out the "boy" is really the daughter of the one person he wanted to avoid most.

So starts Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough.  It is the first book in the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series.   It is a one of those books and series that will make a wonderful summer reads.  It is a light fun romance that is always perfect for reading on vacation or sitting by the pool somewhere. 

It didn't take me long to read it, but I did enjoy it.  It has cowboys, the rugged west and lots of funny little things that go wrong, what else could you need.

Book #2 is Second Chance Bride and #3 is Finally the Bride.

Happy Reading

New Releases June 27 - July 2

Dear Readers,

Happy Independence Day at least here in America.  Can you believe our country is already 235 years old.  It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating our bicentennial.  Actually I do remember the bicentennial as I was in elementary school at the time and there were parades and activities in our little town all year long.

This year my big activity is to get my daughter and her girls out of town so my husband and a friend can surprise them with steps off their deck.  My daughter is my editor (not this post or it would give it all away) and this is just a way for us to say thank you.  I can hardly wait to see her reaction.  The fun thing about getting her and the girls out of town is I am taking them to the beach and that means I will get lots of reading done.  I love those days, spending time with the grandkids and reading.  Life is good.

Happy Reading

Thunder of Heaven - Tim LaHaye/Craig Parshall - #2 in Joshua Jordan series
Dandelion Summer - Lisa Wingate - #4 in Blue Sky Hill series
Water's Edge - Robert Whitlow
Wolfsbane - Ronie Kendig - #3 in the Discarded Heroes series

Taking Chance

Dear Readers,

I am not sure you will ever see a review like this on this site again. Of course I can't say for sure because one never knows, but right now there isn't another like it. At least on this blog.

Taking Chance is actually a DVD not a book.  I know, shocking, I actually do other things besides read.  :-D  It isn't one I expected to like, but it is one I recommend all the time here at the store and one day I thought I should write a review of it. 

Our brave young men and woman have for hundreds of years have been willing to sacrifice themselves for our freedom.  In recent years this has become something that is constantly on the news.  Whether because a local person was killed or because there are people out there that believe they can capitalize from someone else's sadness, the news has made sure we always know what is going on.  I hate to admit it, maybe am even ashamed to admit it, but in some ways it makes me not appreciate it as much as I should.  This movie changed that.

Chance is a young PFC (private first class) fighting in Iraq when he is killed in a fire fight.  Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, played by Kevin Bacon, hears about it and volunteers to escort Chance home.  This is the story of that trip home.  It is the story of how Chance's story affects Michael, but also how the different people he meets along the way show respect and gratitude towards a fallen hero. 

This movie is a wonderful look at the heart of America and the people who live there.  It is a moving story of one man's rediscovery of why he loves his country. 

There are no big secrets in this movie so I am not worried about giving anything away by talking about this scene.  There is a scene filmed at one of the airports on the way home.  Chance's body is being off loaded from the plane.  Michael is standing by getting ready to salute and the men and women working in that area of the airport realize what is going on and stop what they are doing to stand quietly by the airplane while the body is being moved.  They don't say anything they just stand there very respectfully watching.  It was an very very amazing scene.  There are several others like it in the film, but I don't want to mention them all as I want you to be able get the full impact of the movie. 

I will admit I didn't think that a movie could move me everytime I watch it, and I have seen this one here at the store several times now, and every time I almost come to tears at certain parts.  In fact there is one scene I still refuse to watch because I would be sitting in the middle of the store crying and I don't really want to do that. 

Yes I did time this review to release on 4th of July weekend.  It would be the perfect time to watch this movie, of course anytime would be a great time to watch this movie.  If you are not proud of your country once you get done watching it, then maybe you should watch it again. 

Happy (watching)