Jonathan C. Leicht

Dear Readers,

Every once in a while I read a book that is totally different than anything else I have read.  Behemoth by Jonathan C. Leicht was that type of book.  The impression I got from the book is that Jonathan wanted to point out flaws in the evolution theory, but in spite of some of the preaching in it, it has a fun little plot line.

What if dinosaurs still actually walked the planet?  What if the only reason we don’t know this is because we don’t believe the natives in Africa that there are behemoths still wandering the jungles?  Would the discovery of dinosaurs actually set the whole evolutionary belief on its ear? 

Jim Thompson finds 3 of the elephants on a game preserve slaughtered in a very violent way.  For something to kill an elephant in that manner, it would have to be something very big.   No animal that Jim knows of could kill in that way.  Jim needs to discover what it is before it wipes out his elephant herd.   His journey of discovery leads him to answers that he finds hard to believe.

To be honest I just wasn’t so sure how much I would like the book, but since I got a chance to get it for free to read and review I thought I would take a chance with it.  I am glad I did.  It was a fun little read that once I set aside some big flaws in the reasoning behind us not knowing the dinosaurs were there, I really did enjoy it.  

Happy Reading.

P.S.  Right now I can only find this book in electronic form.  Sorry, but I was asked to review this book by Nelson and needed to put the review on my blog. 

T.L. Higley

Dear Readers,

I really enjoy reading T.L. Higley’s books.  I always learn something about the culture she writes about.  Pompeii is her most recent book, but I put off reading it until it was closer to when my book club was going to read it.  I am so glad I got a chance to read it and I can’t wait to discuss it with the ladies as they all have different views of the book and what they liked and didn’t like. 

Of course this is set in Pompeii just before the mountain erupts on them all.  In some ways I don’t like that as I do know how the book will end.  Then Vesuvius does blow and destroy the town.  It kills thousands of people.  Pompeii was a beautiful playground for the idle rich back in the time of the Roman Empire.   Because of the way the disaster happened, we have been able to see a lot about the Roman life which we may never have learned otherwise.  Things, people, and animals were all preserved in the ash that poured out of the mountain, waiting for us to find years later. 

Ariella runs from an owner who used her for his own perverted pleasure.  She trades her life as a woman for that of a young boy learning the gladiator trade.  She has learned not to trust anyone with her life and plans except herself.  

Cato has fled Rome in disgrace.  His plans for his political future are in ashes behind him.  He vows to not be drawn into the politics of Pompeii, he just wants to run and own his vineyard and grow good grapes and make great wine.  That is until he meets the guy who is charge of Pompeii. Cato realizes that Maius runs the city through threats, blackmail and extortion.  Cato’s sense of justice rises to the surface and he is faced with the choice on whether the gods led him here just for this reason.

I found out lots about Roman life I really didn’t know, but there were other things I read that I already knew.  The corruption and greed of the ruling class in the Roman Empire was great.  The little guys had no way to get out from under their thumbs.  The way the rich pursued any and all avenues of entertainment was amazing.  Because they had someone or something to do their work for them, they were just bored and looking for a new way to be excited by something.   It all was just a little chilling if you want to draw parallels between Rome and the USA.  I had to remind myself a couple of times that no this was not a book about modern times, as close as it seemed sometimes. 

Happy Reading.

New Releases March 26 - 31

Dear Readers,

When we as a store were talking about doing a remodel, one thing we all agreed on was - no author visits this year as we didn't feel we could do them justice.   So in the spirit of the decision the fiction department is bringing in its second author in two months. 

Irene Hannon will be in our store next week Thursday April 12th at 7:00 P.M.  She will be speaking and then signing her books. 

Irene entered the Christian market to fill a niche that was left open when Dee Henderson took a break from writing.  She writes romantic suspense that is action packed with a lovely mix of romance.   Both the series she is working on now and her first one keep your attention and leaving you wanting to read the next book.

Her first series. Heroes of Quantico, includes the titles Against All Odds – hostage rescue, An Eye for an Eye – tracking a sniper, In Harm’s Way -an abducted child.  They all follow experiences of agents with the FBI. 

Her second series, Guardians of Justice, will conclude in August with the release of Lethal Legacy, book #3.  Book #1, Fatal Judgment and book #2, Deadly Pursuit once again plunge readers into the world of law enforcement.  You meet characters that are ex-military but now stand on the lines of saving people from criminals. 

I can’t tell you how much fun it is to listen to an author.  To hear about their writing experiences and to understand why they write what they write. 

Happy Reading 

Missing - Shelley Shepard Gray - The Secrets of Crittenden County #1 - Can two young people survive the suspicions of the friends and neighbors when tragedy strikes a close knit Amish community?

Prayer and Pawprints - Diann Hunt - Tales from Grace Chapel Inn - Two special dogs join the citizens of Acorn Hill.

Empty Nest - Pam Hanson/ Barbara Andrews - Tales from Grace Chapel Inn - Spring is in the air and with it comes the arrival of a dreamy poet that drives everyone crazy.

The Chase - Diann Mills - To the FBI it's a cold case.  To Kariss it's a hot story... a story that needs to be told.

Special Delivery - Kathi Macias - Freedom Series #2 - Mara and Josh's story continues in this sequel to Deliver Me from Evil. 

Need You Now - Beth Wiseman - When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene move their teens from Houston to Round Top, Texas.  Small town life has a whole set of it's own problems.

Brush of Angel's Wings - Beth Reid - He doesn't plan to stay Amish.  She doesn't have a plan.  Then an angel draws their hearts toward God...and each other.

Heart of Glass - Jill Marie Landis - Irish Angel #3 - Will Colin's hovering darkness ever lift?  And can Kate's persistent love and faith transform their uncertian future?

Charlene Ann Baumbich

Dear Readers,

I occasionally read Charlene Ann Baumbich's books.  I completely enjoy them, who can forget the Dearest Dorothy books?  I mean to read them when they come out, but I am usually reading something else at the time and then I forget about them.  Once I get a chance to pick one up and read it, I tell myself "why have you waited so long to read another one of Charlene’s books?" 

I received a free advanced copy of Finding Our Way Home and needed something to relax with after reading a very intense book.  It was Christmas time and this book fit perfectly, even though it is set during the summer.  Finding Our Way Home is one of the Snow globe Connection series.  The nice thing about this series is that it doesn't have to be read in any order, even though you will meet several characters in each book. 

Sasha was forced into retirement from ballet dancing because of a terrible accident.  Her recovery has been slow and quite tedious.  She has shut herself off from the world, her loved ones and friends.  She figures it was better to make a clean break from them all so they wouldn't have to watch her suffer and she wouldn't have to see them dance.

Evelyn enters Sasha's life because Sasha needs help with everything.  She can't drive, she can't cook, she can't anything.  Evelyn is like her complete opposite.  She is outgoing, she is helpful and friendly and as delicate as Sasha is, Evelyn is big boned.  They make a very interesting pair.   

This was just a wonderful read for those days when you need something that is a quiet read.  It isn't going to surprise you in any way, but it will teach you a bit about yourself and how we can and do treat others.   

There are several little sideline stories.  They still deal with Evelyn or Sasha, but they flesh out this story perfectly.  The story of Evelyn and her fiancé is a neat little aside and so is the one that explains the way Sasha believes how others see her.  They are each part of these stories that we all can probably relate to in one way or another. 

Happy Reading

New Releases March 19-24

Dear Readers,

The renovation has begun in earnest now.  Our front offices, which are where we run our internet sales, has now moved out of their space into the retail space.  It is a huge change for them.  They are used to pretty much being able to just talk to each other freely as they are not really part of the everyday flow of the retail part of the store.  Now with their cubicles set in the store, they will have to learn that yelling across to each other just won’t due.

On the other hand, us here in the retail part of the store have to get use to them being here with us.  In some ways this will be nice as we won’t have so far to walk when we need something from them.  It also means that we will get a chance to see if they really do work up there. (Just kidding guys, you work very very hard) J  It really just means we are all starting to squeeze down in to a smaller space before we get a chance to once again spread out. 

The excitement is building, the tense is getting higher, but it all for such a great reason.  I so can’t wait to show off the “new’ store come this fall.

Happy Reading

Finding Our Way Home - Charlene Ann Baumbich - When the road home becomes daunting- sometime a very capable girl on a bicycle can help find the way.

The Key on the Quilt - Stephanie Grace Whitson -Three women form an unlikely friendship that takes them to the end of themselves and on a journey that proves prison walls can neither frustrate God's plans nor keep love out.

Hazel Creek - Walt Larimore - A cast of colorful characters collide in a gripping struggle of good and evil amid eruptions of violence and tragedy.

The Mother Road - Jennifer Allee - Within the course of a week, marriage expert Natalie is dumped by her husband, receives an urgent call home from her father, and discovers her estranged sister.  A road trip on Route 66 may not help, but it couldn't hurt.

The Hardest Thing To Do - Penelope Wilcock

Always the Designer never the Bride - Sandra D. Bricker - How many dresses can a designer design before she finally designs her own?

Shakespeare's Lady - Alexa Schnee - For centuries, readers have debated the identity of the mysterious Dark Lady in William Shakespeare's sonnets.  Emilia Bassano - lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth and one of the first women poets in England - could be the answer

The Restless Heart - Barbara Cameron - Mary Katherine is caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life.

Cooking the Books - Bonnie S. Calhoun - It's not easy being Sloane Templeton.  She has a bookstore she didn't plan on owning, she has a strange bunch of people in her neighborhood and now she is getting cyber threats.

Arms of Love - Kelly Long - The year is 1777. America is in turmoil and Amish life is far different than today.

The 13th Tribe - Robert Liparulo - Immortal vigilanted from the time of Moses have planned the unthinkable.  But how can you stop what you can't see?

The Dog that Talked to God - Jim Kraus - Sometimes the Least Expected can be the Most Amazing.

R.J. Larson

Dear Readers,

A few weeks ago I read a book that I had declared would probably be my book of the year for 2012.  The publishing houses and authors must have taken that as a challenge as I have since read two other books that could easily make it to the top of the list.  What a wonderful problem to have!

Prophet by R.J. Larson has been promoted several different ways to me.  The one that made me hesitant on it was that they were saying it is for fans of the Hunger Games.  I have always had a problem with books that compare themselves to classics or say they are great for fans of...  I always figure it takes time to prove themselves first. 

Now personally I can’t speak to whether or not it is as good as or better than the Hunger Games books as I have not read them.  But I did ask my daughter, who has read them, to read this book and let me know what she thought.  I will simply say, she loved it and is not happy that she has to wait until later this year for book number 2 to release and then wait until next year for book 3. 

When Ela accepts the Infinite’s call to be his Prophet she knows it is with lots of risks involved, as the saying goes, “A silver-haired prophet has failed.”  She doesn’t understand why he would want her.  She is undignified, kind of clumsy, bad tempered and only 17.  Who will listen to her anyways?  She is sure that no one will and that she will be killed instantly by the first group of people she confronts with the Infinite’s warning.  

Now most of that you can find on the back of the book, but to talk about any more will give away a lot of the story.  Because this story flows so well and each item hinges on what happens in the story before, I really can’t talk about it as it won’t make sense without having to tell you most of the story.  It is frustrating for me.  This might have to be one of those times I say, ‘trust me on this book, it is that good.”

Oh let me say this though – I would have gotten in line for a destroyer. 

Happy Reading

New Releases March 12 - 17

Dear Readers,

This past Thursday we had a the pleasure of hosting Julie Lessman at the store.  It is one of the perks of my job that I never expected.  The chance to talk to authors and hear their hearts for their stories.  To listen to someone talk about their job that they are passionate about is so awesome.  It never ceases to amaze me that once I hear an author speak, I love their books even more, or if for some reason I didn’t enjoy their books (this is rare ;-) then it makes me understand them and maybe even like them at that point.

Julie’s visit was a bit unique in that she shared her testimony, which by the way was awesome to hear, but also she shared exactly why she writes the type of books that she writes.  She writes the specifically to try to reach the young ladies out there that may not be living a life style that is pleasing to God even though they profess to be Christians.  She wants to show them there is a different way to live than what society wants them to think. 

She also wants these girls to know that no matter what their past is, God still loves them.  No matter what.  That was part of her circumstances that made the so very important to her and something she had to learn.  Know she has taken the gift that God gave her and she is sharing that message with anyone who reads her books.  Wow

And here I was just reading a simple romance book.   

Happy Reading

Beckon - Tom Pawlik - Some things weren't meant to be discovered, but once they're unleashed there's no turning back.

The Irish Healer - Nancy Herriman - 1830s London is rich with promise and fraught with peril.  Rachel sunne and James Edmunds are about to discover that love is too.

A Perfect Square - Vannetta Chapman - #2 in a Shipshewanan Amish Mystery - There's more to the quaint town of Shipshewana than handcrafted quiltes

Frantic - Mike Dellosso - Can a deranged serial killer be stopped before it's too late?

Beyond Hope's Valley - Tricia Goyer - A Big Sky #3 - Marianna returns to Indiana and the Amish community she grew up in, but her heart is back in Montana.

Coming Home - Stacy Hawkins Adams - The Winds of Change #1 - If forgiving your ex-husband was easy, everybody would do it.

Prophet - R.J.Larson - Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified and bad-tempered, and at age seventeen she's much too young.

Hiding in Plain Sight - Amy Wallace - Place of Refuge Series - Peace eludes Ashley until she realizes the answers she seeks aren’t found in starting over but in returning to the simple truth that it’s God who overcomes the world, not her.

The Discovery - Dan Walsh - Michael discovers a story unlike any other that his grandfather has written.  Instead of a suspense story it is a love story and it is better than anything Michael has ever read before.