Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury
Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury is a touching, beautifully written story published by Zondervan, copyright 2010. It's 320 pages with discussion questions that make it possible to use the novel for a study group. I smiled, laughed, and cried my way through it and didn't want to put it down.
Holden Harris is eighteen years old and locked away in a prison of autism. Ella Reynolds is a popular cheerleader who seems to live the ideal life and have everything a girl could want down to the football hero, until she catches him bullying and breaks up with him.
She's drawn to Holden, and his love of music and drama makes her decide to reach out to him. She discovers they're old friends while spending time with the family photo albums. The same music they shared as young children bring them together again, after a decade of being torn apart by their families. Ella and Holden's mothers were best friends until his autism drove their friendship apart. Ella and Holden's dads were friends until the same wedge planted itself between their relationship. Ella's mother and father grow apart. Holden's father finds escape on a shrimp boat in dangerous seas and risks his life to avoid a son he's unable to reach. Holden lost his Ella, but their relationship wasn't the only one lost.
Ella reaches out to a special-needs student at her school and finds the childhood friend who left her a decade earlier. He's never forgotten her, and music and drama bring them together again. Can Holden break the chains that hold him in his own private prison? Will Ella and the music he loves be the keys to unlock Holden Harris for the world?
This novel will rip your heart in two as Holden Harris transforms from the beast of autism into a prince. Bullying, suicide, and marriages falling apart are handled in such a way to make this a truly life-changing novel, and it's Holden Harris who changes lives and becomes an inspiration to so many. It didn't take Ella long to realize who the true prince of Fulton High was.
Though the disability in this book is autism, anyone who loves a child with special needs will enjoy this novel. It's a great adult and teen read. Ella wonders what happened to her family and discovers they all lost with Holden's loss, but God works a miracle and Holden is the instrument He uses to renew hope and bring these families together again. Their lives are unlocked with music, drama, Holden, and love, the type of love that despite all odds never goes away. Even when one mother pushes them all apart, the hearts carry that love locked away inside for over a decade, and Ella realizes Holden wasn't the only one who needed unlocking.
Deep reads that Touch the Heart. Characters come alive on the page.
Amazon Best-selling Historical Romance
Escape to a romantic period where love endured, grew, and flourished despite a Civil War.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A World of Chocolate: The Sweetest Place on Earth
A World of Chocolate: The Sweetest Place on Earth
by Barbara Russell-Robinson
Discover the sweetest place on earth. Visit Hershey’s Chocolate World Visitor Center, Hershey Park, and Zoo America and take a simulated tour of the Chocolate Factory on the Chocolate Ride. Stroll through a tropical jungle where cocoa beans are harvested. View the chocolate-making process during the ride and receive a free sample at the end. Explore the gift shops and restaurants and have ice cream Hershey style.
View the Really Big 3D Show and get a glimpse of the history of Hershey’s chocolate. The show is designed and produced by Landmark Entertainment, the group who designed Universal Studios “Terminator 2/3D," and free candy samples make the show even sweeter.
Take in 11 acres of wildlife, included with park admission, of Zoo America. The most amazing adventure for some will be Storm Runner in Hershey Park. It's the first hydraulic launch coaster with inversions and speeds off at 72 miles per hour. Discover the thrills of Great Bear, an inverted coaster with four inversions--vertical loop, camelback twist, and wing over that gives the sensation of flying through the air as your feet dangle.
Take lots of great pictures, even some of Hershey Kiss traffic lights. The streets are named after Hershey candy. Jolly Rancher candy is also a Hershey product, though it's not chocolate. White chocolate Hershey bars with almonds and white Kit Kat bars, which are so hard to find, are all available. Like they say, Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the sweetest place on earth; it's a world of chocolate right down to the traffic lights.
The above-captioned piece was written after a summer vacation a few years ago. A slightly different version was published in a local newspaper.
by Barbara Russell-Robinson
Discover the sweetest place on earth. Visit Hershey’s Chocolate World Visitor Center, Hershey Park, and Zoo America and take a simulated tour of the Chocolate Factory on the Chocolate Ride. Stroll through a tropical jungle where cocoa beans are harvested. View the chocolate-making process during the ride and receive a free sample at the end. Explore the gift shops and restaurants and have ice cream Hershey style.
View the Really Big 3D Show and get a glimpse of the history of Hershey’s chocolate. The show is designed and produced by Landmark Entertainment, the group who designed Universal Studios “Terminator 2/3D," and free candy samples make the show even sweeter.
Take in 11 acres of wildlife, included with park admission, of Zoo America. The most amazing adventure for some will be Storm Runner in Hershey Park. It's the first hydraulic launch coaster with inversions and speeds off at 72 miles per hour. Discover the thrills of Great Bear, an inverted coaster with four inversions--vertical loop, camelback twist, and wing over that gives the sensation of flying through the air as your feet dangle.
Take lots of great pictures, even some of Hershey Kiss traffic lights. The streets are named after Hershey candy. Jolly Rancher candy is also a Hershey product, though it's not chocolate. White chocolate Hershey bars with almonds and white Kit Kat bars, which are so hard to find, are all available. Like they say, Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the sweetest place on earth; it's a world of chocolate right down to the traffic lights.
The above-captioned piece was written after a summer vacation a few years ago. A slightly different version was published in a local newspaper.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Last Operative by Jerry B. Jenkins
The Last Operative by Jerry B. Jenkins is 23 chapters and 371 pages of riveting suspense published by Tyndale, copyright 2010 in hardcover. Jordan Kirkwood's top-notch career as an NSA intelligence operative cost him quality family time causing a rift between him and son until it cost him his wife's life. His daughter is more understanding, but will his son ever forgive him, so hearts can mend, and they can enjoy their time left together? He helplessly watches as he losses the love of his life, his wife, just when she was meeting him for some well-deserved quality time, and he faces a retirement decision. But, as much as he would like to just quit the job that has cost him his family in more ways than one, a larger threat rears its ugly head. He has two grown children and a country to protect, so he's not able to call it quits just yet.
A threat worse than 9/11 and someone at a top level in the NSA might be to blame. On his most dangerous mission, Jordan's deepest secret is revealed and his past confronts him head on, a secret he, himself, knew nothing about. The fate of his country hangs in the balance as he fights to discover who he can trust and depend upon, and his own life is at stake. The risks are high for homeland and family. He wants to be sure his son and daughter are protected and do not follow the same fate as his wife. He loses a best friend. His family home, where he raised his children, is blown to bits, and his uncle takes him in, only to have his own home bombed.
An old love returns during the worse time of his life with a surprise from the past. The book ends like a serial, so I hope we find out what happens to Jordan, Cydya--his former love, and Katrina--someone from the past, as well as his two grown children, Christa and Ken. But, the book is a retelling of his first standalone novel. I felt the ending was too abrupt unless he plans a serial, since it left me with a hunger for more. And, I think it has potential for a great serial. His readers will want to know what happens to these characters as a family, perhaps a family saga. When a reader becomes involved with the characters, they can't help but want to know what happens to them.
The Last Operative is available through Christian Writers Guild, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and many bookstores.
A threat worse than 9/11 and someone at a top level in the NSA might be to blame. On his most dangerous mission, Jordan's deepest secret is revealed and his past confronts him head on, a secret he, himself, knew nothing about. The fate of his country hangs in the balance as he fights to discover who he can trust and depend upon, and his own life is at stake. The risks are high for homeland and family. He wants to be sure his son and daughter are protected and do not follow the same fate as his wife. He loses a best friend. His family home, where he raised his children, is blown to bits, and his uncle takes him in, only to have his own home bombed.
An old love returns during the worse time of his life with a surprise from the past. The book ends like a serial, so I hope we find out what happens to Jordan, Cydya--his former love, and Katrina--someone from the past, as well as his two grown children, Christa and Ken. But, the book is a retelling of his first standalone novel. I felt the ending was too abrupt unless he plans a serial, since it left me with a hunger for more. And, I think it has potential for a great serial. His readers will want to know what happens to these characters as a family, perhaps a family saga. When a reader becomes involved with the characters, they can't help but want to know what happens to them.
The Last Operative is available through Christian Writers Guild, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and many bookstores.
Friday, July 30, 2010
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WRITING
What do I love about writing? Though there are many things, what I love the most is the opportunity it presents to reach out and help others. When you've written a story others can identify with, you have the opportunity to touch their lives, their hearts, and their souls. Writing also allows people to get to know each other, who otherwise never would. It allows you to really get to know yourself, because it becomes a process of self-discovery.
Through writing, I have met and shared stories with people from all over the United States and Canada. My family has learned more about me and who I really am as a person. I have even learned more about them. It allows me to share my heart and soul and my life with others. When I find out something I have written has touched another human being, or has helped them in some way, that is the greatest reward of all. I may never be a famous author, but I am a published one, who knows the feeling, the joy, and the reward of receiving this gift from God.
Writing is what I do because it's a part of me, and I thank God for the gift, the ability, and the benefits it brings every day, not monetary benefits, but people benefits. It is my way of reaching out to others and sharing my life experiences with them. If I only wrote for the money, I wouldn’t be writing. I love the feeling of knowing that somewhere someone may pick up something I wrote and learn about the personal relationship I share with God. Perhaps, they, too, will find the missing link in their lives and come to share that same productive relationship. For me, that is what writing is all about, and it brings joy to my soul.
I want to write to bring joy, hope, peace, faith, love, and life to others. The masses of people who really need to learn more about Jesus and the gift of eternal life may never be reached through a Sunday sermon. Just as Jesus used the art of storytelling, writers may reach lost sheep by following His example. If I can help just one discover Jesus, I will have made a big difference with my writing for another human being.
Through writing, I have met and shared stories with people from all over the United States and Canada. My family has learned more about me and who I really am as a person. I have even learned more about them. It allows me to share my heart and soul and my life with others. When I find out something I have written has touched another human being, or has helped them in some way, that is the greatest reward of all. I may never be a famous author, but I am a published one, who knows the feeling, the joy, and the reward of receiving this gift from God.
Writing is what I do because it's a part of me, and I thank God for the gift, the ability, and the benefits it brings every day, not monetary benefits, but people benefits. It is my way of reaching out to others and sharing my life experiences with them. If I only wrote for the money, I wouldn’t be writing. I love the feeling of knowing that somewhere someone may pick up something I wrote and learn about the personal relationship I share with God. Perhaps, they, too, will find the missing link in their lives and come to share that same productive relationship. For me, that is what writing is all about, and it brings joy to my soul.
I want to write to bring joy, hope, peace, faith, love, and life to others. The masses of people who really need to learn more about Jesus and the gift of eternal life may never be reached through a Sunday sermon. Just as Jesus used the art of storytelling, writers may reach lost sheep by following His example. If I can help just one discover Jesus, I will have made a big difference with my writing for another human being.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Great Wide Sea by M. H. Herlong
The Great Wide Sea by M. H. Herlong is 42 chapters and 283 pages of an ocean tale that will deplete the wind from your sails, as the reader holds his breath like being on the edge of a seat at the movie theater. Published by Puffin, an imprint of Penguin Group, the novel teaches life lessons about love, heartache, and pain, as well as science lessons about the ocean and stars.
The New Orleans authors weaves a tale of a family torn apart by an accident that leaves a father and three sons on their own. Trying to escape the pain of loss, the father uproots them by selling the family home and purchases a boat, but no matter how far they explore, the pain and heartache sails and docks with them.
Ben, the oldest brother is the narrator. Dylan, the middle one is wise about the stars, and his knowledge assists them in ocean navigation. Gerry, the youngest rides out the storms of the ocean and life still clinging to his blankie. Ben and his brothers love sailing on the smooth lake close to home, but an ocean is no smooth sail. When Dad disappears somewhere between the Bahamas and Bermuda, they are left to fend for themselves, not knowing what happened to their father. Ben thinks he committed suicide, but Dylan believes his dad fell from the boat by accident. Which brother is correct?
A treacherous storm forces both Ben and Dylan to take turns manning the tiller, but the storms of life they face force them both to become men while they're still mere boys. This tale of survival portrays relationships and family connections during crisis and is an equal match for other survival stories like Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain. If you like survival tales, this novel is a must read. Set in Florida, it's a Sunshine State book you'll long remember after the last page. It might make you want to stare at a star-studded night sky and quietly reflect on your own, when you picture Ben leaving young Gerry on an isolated island with Dylan dying.
The New Orleans authors weaves a tale of a family torn apart by an accident that leaves a father and three sons on their own. Trying to escape the pain of loss, the father uproots them by selling the family home and purchases a boat, but no matter how far they explore, the pain and heartache sails and docks with them.
Ben, the oldest brother is the narrator. Dylan, the middle one is wise about the stars, and his knowledge assists them in ocean navigation. Gerry, the youngest rides out the storms of the ocean and life still clinging to his blankie. Ben and his brothers love sailing on the smooth lake close to home, but an ocean is no smooth sail. When Dad disappears somewhere between the Bahamas and Bermuda, they are left to fend for themselves, not knowing what happened to their father. Ben thinks he committed suicide, but Dylan believes his dad fell from the boat by accident. Which brother is correct?
A treacherous storm forces both Ben and Dylan to take turns manning the tiller, but the storms of life they face force them both to become men while they're still mere boys. This tale of survival portrays relationships and family connections during crisis and is an equal match for other survival stories like Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain. If you like survival tales, this novel is a must read. Set in Florida, it's a Sunshine State book you'll long remember after the last page. It might make you want to stare at a star-studded night sky and quietly reflect on your own, when you picture Ben leaving young Gerry on an isolated island with Dylan dying.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer
The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer, a first-time novelist, is 21 chapters and 178 pages that will touch your heart about a Vietnam vet, Vernon Culligan, who fought three times for his country and came home to live the remainder of his life as a recluse, dead to his community before he passed. It's a Sunshine State book. The main character, Gabe Culligan Pace, lost his mother at a tender age and after a series of foster homes that never worked, ended up living with his Uncle Vernon. This is a middle-school novel published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House. English, language arts, or reading teachers can teach figurative language, the flashback technique, and connections using the novel. Social studies or history teachers can teach about the Vietnam War's aftermath to vets and connections as well. It's a rich story for teaching caring and compassion for the elderly as well as those who gave their lives for our country.
How would you feel if you returned from school to find your uncle's body? Gabe loses his Uncle Vernon to a heart attack, and a secret stranger becomes a friend through mailbox notes. His uncle's body disappears, and a dog named Guppy is left. He comes home from school one day to find his uncle's body. The next day, the body is gone. Another day, he comes home and finds a large black dog that befriends him.
He has a special English teacher, and a best friend named Webber, whose mother bakes the best pies. He and Webber would love to be brothers. Gabe does his best living alone and writes an essay about his beloved uncle. The situations he encounters along his journey and the ending of this novel will melt hearts and make people think twice about how the men who fight for our freedom are treated upon their return. Smitty, Gabe's mailbox friend, has good reason to hide from the world. He served in Vietnam with Vernon, and though Gabe never meets him in person until the end of the book, he comes to care about him through note correspondence and realizes he's a true, valued friend.
Will Gabe have to return to a foster home when the police and child services discover he's living alone? His social worker Maria Rodriguez visits. What's going to happen to Gabe since his only living relative is gone? He's too young to live on his own, though he's been keeping the place tidy, paying bills, and taking care of Guppy, his treasured companion. ISBN: 978-0-440-42134-4, paperback, $6.50 US, $7.99 CAN.
How would you feel if you returned from school to find your uncle's body? Gabe loses his Uncle Vernon to a heart attack, and a secret stranger becomes a friend through mailbox notes. His uncle's body disappears, and a dog named Guppy is left. He comes home from school one day to find his uncle's body. The next day, the body is gone. Another day, he comes home and finds a large black dog that befriends him.
He has a special English teacher, and a best friend named Webber, whose mother bakes the best pies. He and Webber would love to be brothers. Gabe does his best living alone and writes an essay about his beloved uncle. The situations he encounters along his journey and the ending of this novel will melt hearts and make people think twice about how the men who fight for our freedom are treated upon their return. Smitty, Gabe's mailbox friend, has good reason to hide from the world. He served in Vietnam with Vernon, and though Gabe never meets him in person until the end of the book, he comes to care about him through note correspondence and realizes he's a true, valued friend.
Will Gabe have to return to a foster home when the police and child services discover he's living alone? His social worker Maria Rodriguez visits. What's going to happen to Gabe since his only living relative is gone? He's too young to live on his own, though he's been keeping the place tidy, paying bills, and taking care of Guppy, his treasured companion. ISBN: 978-0-440-42134-4, paperback, $6.50 US, $7.99 CAN.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Deceit by Brandilyn Collins
Deceit by Brandilyn Collins is 62 chapters and 314 pages of riveting suspense. I didn't want to put this novel down. Published by Zondervan, copyright 2010, skip tracer Joanne Weeks is determined to make Baxter Jackson pay for her best friend's death, especially when his second wife is killed, and he collects a huge insurance policy. Linda, his first wife was Joanne's best friend, and she trusted her with a secret she shouldn't have kept, when she showed Joanne the bruises of abuse.
Linda and Baxter adopt a sixteen year old foster daughter, Melissa, and Linda thinks her presence will help, that her husband won't abuse her with a daughter in the house. But, it only gets worse, not better. The girl plays a game that ruins their lives when Linda decides to find out if her suspicions are right. And, they are.
With excellent visualization and characterization, this full-length novel will keep you on the edge of your seats and as Brandilyn says, it's a "Seatbelt Suspense", well written and well structured. It's a tale that vividly demonstrates just how much appearances can be deceiving as Linda hides her abuse and bruises to protect the man she loves and his reputation, while Melissa thinks her a wimp.
Baxter flings his life away when he forgets how much of a saint his wife is and turns elsewhere. He's a fine, church-going man, or so his friends think, since he sits in church each Sunday morning and Amens the preacher's sermon. And his best friend is the police chief. His personality proves just how deceiving appearances can be, as he drips graciousness until he's behind closed doors with his wife. Then, he's an entirely different character, one you wouldn't want to meet. His words don't gush out smooth and buttery with honey at home. Instead, they are cold and uncaring, and he allows the control freak he is to come out in all his glory, as he uses his wife for a punching bag to feed his ego.
When a hooded man warns Joanne that Melissa saw Baxter kill Linda, the wheels start spinning, so seatbelt yourself down for an exhilarating ride and find out just how important self control and loyalty really are. Melissa, a greedy teen, disappears, and Joanne's life depends on finding her. Will she locate her in time? This story ends with an unexpected twist and layers your mind. Baxter had deceit on his, but Joanne has Linda on hers. It's thought-provoking, to say the least. Look for Brandilyn's Deceit at online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, or check out Zondervan. ISBN: 978-0-310-32879-7.
Linda and Baxter adopt a sixteen year old foster daughter, Melissa, and Linda thinks her presence will help, that her husband won't abuse her with a daughter in the house. But, it only gets worse, not better. The girl plays a game that ruins their lives when Linda decides to find out if her suspicions are right. And, they are.
With excellent visualization and characterization, this full-length novel will keep you on the edge of your seats and as Brandilyn says, it's a "Seatbelt Suspense", well written and well structured. It's a tale that vividly demonstrates just how much appearances can be deceiving as Linda hides her abuse and bruises to protect the man she loves and his reputation, while Melissa thinks her a wimp.
Baxter flings his life away when he forgets how much of a saint his wife is and turns elsewhere. He's a fine, church-going man, or so his friends think, since he sits in church each Sunday morning and Amens the preacher's sermon. And his best friend is the police chief. His personality proves just how deceiving appearances can be, as he drips graciousness until he's behind closed doors with his wife. Then, he's an entirely different character, one you wouldn't want to meet. His words don't gush out smooth and buttery with honey at home. Instead, they are cold and uncaring, and he allows the control freak he is to come out in all his glory, as he uses his wife for a punching bag to feed his ego.
When a hooded man warns Joanne that Melissa saw Baxter kill Linda, the wheels start spinning, so seatbelt yourself down for an exhilarating ride and find out just how important self control and loyalty really are. Melissa, a greedy teen, disappears, and Joanne's life depends on finding her. Will she locate her in time? This story ends with an unexpected twist and layers your mind. Baxter had deceit on his, but Joanne has Linda on hers. It's thought-provoking, to say the least. Look for Brandilyn's Deceit at online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, or check out Zondervan. ISBN: 978-0-310-32879-7.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
not a sparrow falls by Linda Nichols
Will Birdie fall?
not a sparrow falls by Linda Nichols is a 350 page awesome read published by Bethany House. From an empty shell of a life living with a drugged-out boyfriend, Mary Bridget Washburn becomes Birdie, takes on her mother's identity, and escapes to a small town.On the bus, the money she took from Jonas, so she could begin a new drug-free life, is stolen, and she's left to find work in a small-town grocery.
In a decades old church as she seeks sanctuary, a young girl's plea captures her heart and connects her to the local reverend. With a tainted past that opens her eyes, Birdie has insight and wisdom that she uses to help the pastor's family. His first wife died and left many unanswered questions, but journals discovered in the attic allow the young daughter she left behind to understand and know her mother. When Birdie discovers the hidden journals while looking for Christmas decorations, the teen takes them and asks her to read them with her. Behind the girl's behind door in privacy, Birdie helps her discover her mother as she reads entry after entry, and they devour every single journal, pictures, scrapes of material, and all.
Meanwhile, Birdie keeps an eye on her ex by checking a site on the computer to be sure he's still imprisoned, but her once empty life becomes so full that she carelessly stops. He is released from prison and tracks her down. He wants his money and his brain back.
Her new life becomes unraveled when he finds her, ranting about how she stole his brain. In the end, he realizes it was his heart, she took, not his brain. His drug-crazed frenzy takes Birdie home, but not in the way she hoped. With a gun to her head, she's forced to bring this demon into the house with her beloved grandma, who's a force to be reckoned with.
She provides Jonas with a story about who he's named after, Jonah in the Bible, and brings him out of his drug-induced stupor long enough to claim his attention. She says, "The Lord called Jonah, but instead of obeying, he run off from the presence of the Lord. Just like you're doing."
Birdie can hardly believe her ears, when Jonas blinks and responds, "Yes, ma'am." Grandma brings a memory of Vacation Bible School back to him, and he hangs his head.
"Don't you fall asleep while I'm talking to you," Granny rebukes. She tells him it's not too late to call upon the Lord, and he almost knocks over his chair, tells Birdie she's killing him, bolts out the door to his Plymouth and drives out of their lives.
Will he return to demand Birdie find the money she took once his drugged mind settles? Will the pastor and his family welcome Birdie back into their lives like a lost sheep, or will she remain the black sheep of the family she thought of herself as being? Can there be a future with the reverend and his family? Will his church be taken from him? Can he find the strength to start over? This novel holds the answers to these questions as well as many life-altering ones and would be a good read for young women, since it showcases how Birdie was pulled down in life with a drug addict boyfriend and how hard escaping that life was. It also conveys the problems of ministry when the flock wants a new preacher. What truly happened to the pastor's first wife? The deadly secret is revealed in her journals.
Don't miss not a sparrow falls. Look for it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com as well as many online bookstores. It's forty-two chapters that'll keep you on the edge of your seat and open doors to other worlds.
not a sparrow falls by Linda Nichols is a 350 page awesome read published by Bethany House. From an empty shell of a life living with a drugged-out boyfriend, Mary Bridget Washburn becomes Birdie, takes on her mother's identity, and escapes to a small town.On the bus, the money she took from Jonas, so she could begin a new drug-free life, is stolen, and she's left to find work in a small-town grocery.
In a decades old church as she seeks sanctuary, a young girl's plea captures her heart and connects her to the local reverend. With a tainted past that opens her eyes, Birdie has insight and wisdom that she uses to help the pastor's family. His first wife died and left many unanswered questions, but journals discovered in the attic allow the young daughter she left behind to understand and know her mother. When Birdie discovers the hidden journals while looking for Christmas decorations, the teen takes them and asks her to read them with her. Behind the girl's behind door in privacy, Birdie helps her discover her mother as she reads entry after entry, and they devour every single journal, pictures, scrapes of material, and all.
Meanwhile, Birdie keeps an eye on her ex by checking a site on the computer to be sure he's still imprisoned, but her once empty life becomes so full that she carelessly stops. He is released from prison and tracks her down. He wants his money and his brain back.
Her new life becomes unraveled when he finds her, ranting about how she stole his brain. In the end, he realizes it was his heart, she took, not his brain. His drug-crazed frenzy takes Birdie home, but not in the way she hoped. With a gun to her head, she's forced to bring this demon into the house with her beloved grandma, who's a force to be reckoned with.
She provides Jonas with a story about who he's named after, Jonah in the Bible, and brings him out of his drug-induced stupor long enough to claim his attention. She says, "The Lord called Jonah, but instead of obeying, he run off from the presence of the Lord. Just like you're doing."
Birdie can hardly believe her ears, when Jonas blinks and responds, "Yes, ma'am." Grandma brings a memory of Vacation Bible School back to him, and he hangs his head.
"Don't you fall asleep while I'm talking to you," Granny rebukes. She tells him it's not too late to call upon the Lord, and he almost knocks over his chair, tells Birdie she's killing him, bolts out the door to his Plymouth and drives out of their lives.
Will he return to demand Birdie find the money she took once his drugged mind settles? Will the pastor and his family welcome Birdie back into their lives like a lost sheep, or will she remain the black sheep of the family she thought of herself as being? Can there be a future with the reverend and his family? Will his church be taken from him? Can he find the strength to start over? This novel holds the answers to these questions as well as many life-altering ones and would be a good read for young women, since it showcases how Birdie was pulled down in life with a drug addict boyfriend and how hard escaping that life was. It also conveys the problems of ministry when the flock wants a new preacher. What truly happened to the pastor's first wife? The deadly secret is revealed in her journals.
Don't miss not a sparrow falls. Look for it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com as well as many online bookstores. It's forty-two chapters that'll keep you on the edge of your seat and open doors to other worlds.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunrise: Will the sun rise for Dayne, Cody, and John?
Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury is 301 pages and 27 chapters of living life and having faith published by Tyndale House in 2007. Dayne Matthews, a Hollywood movie star, rebuilds faith and relationships after a critical injury while being chased by the paparazzi. He finds the love of his life in Katy Har. This novel is an excellent read for teens and adults alike.
As it weaves a beautiful love story, it also teaches life lessons about drinking and watching out for boys who are players. I was hooked from the first chapter when a teen house guest of the Flanigans, Cody Coleman, is found nearly dead by alcohol poisoning. The ramifications of teen drinking impact the family, and Cody must make a choice--alcohol or the supportive Flanigan family.
Dayne and Katy must fight for a private life of their own as they plan their wedding without Hollywood, an outdoor wedding. Dayne makes it known he believes in God and credits him with his accomplishments in both acting and surviving the fast-paced rollercoaster world of Hollywood, and healing from his accident. He longs for a simpler life style and a home and family.
John Baxter deals with the death of his wife Elizabeth and must learn how to blend the past and present when his friendship with Elaine becomes important to him. Will his children accept her? Can he love again?
There's also a chapter on the importance of not pushing kids too hard in sports and allowing them to enjoy the fun and sportsmanship of the game. Flawed characters face difficult circumstances and find that God sees them through. I truly enjoyed Sunrise. Find it at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com. Discussion questions at the end of the book provide the possibility of using the book as a study group. Connect with Karen Kingsbury over Facebook
As it weaves a beautiful love story, it also teaches life lessons about drinking and watching out for boys who are players. I was hooked from the first chapter when a teen house guest of the Flanigans, Cody Coleman, is found nearly dead by alcohol poisoning. The ramifications of teen drinking impact the family, and Cody must make a choice--alcohol or the supportive Flanigan family.
Dayne and Katy must fight for a private life of their own as they plan their wedding without Hollywood, an outdoor wedding. Dayne makes it known he believes in God and credits him with his accomplishments in both acting and surviving the fast-paced rollercoaster world of Hollywood, and healing from his accident. He longs for a simpler life style and a home and family.
John Baxter deals with the death of his wife Elizabeth and must learn how to blend the past and present when his friendship with Elaine becomes important to him. Will his children accept her? Can he love again?
There's also a chapter on the importance of not pushing kids too hard in sports and allowing them to enjoy the fun and sportsmanship of the game. Flawed characters face difficult circumstances and find that God sees them through. I truly enjoyed Sunrise. Find it at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com. Discussion questions at the end of the book provide the possibility of using the book as a study group. Connect with Karen Kingsbury over Facebook
Sunday, May 9, 2010
This Fine Life--Which Life is the True Fine Life?
This Fine Life by Eva Marie Everson, published by Revell, copyright 2010, is a top-notch, five-star novel comparable to Lynn Austin's All She Ever Wanted. It's my favorite novel by the author. Last year's Things Left Unspoken was a great Southern novel, but this one outshines it.
Mariette Puttnam graduates boarding school in 1959 used to a privileged life, unsure of plans for her future. She figures she'll enjoy her summer and decide if she should opt for a career and more schooling to please her father, or marry into the right social family to make her mother happy. None of those options feel right. Something's missing, and she finds him, Thayne Scott, working as a mail clerk in her father's factory. They fall in love and can't bear to be apart, though her mother and father forbid the relationship.
Though she's attended church all her life, Mariette lacks a personal relationship with God, but Thayne talks to Him in his church in the woods and decides to go into ministry. Mariette always feels she's "on the outside looking in" and doesn't really belong. She can't bake pies and fry chicken, which seem to be main requirements for a preacher's wife. She can't answer Thayne's question about where she stands with God; yet, she's supposed to be a preacher's wife.
Through the hardships of his first ministry, Thayne promises her he'll be able to provide her a fine life one day. But, she must endure snobby busybodies in the small town where he receives his first assignment, and they can't even have a husband and wife disagreement in private.
Journey with a young woman destined to become a preacher's wife, as she endures the loss of her firstborn, a daughter they name Rachel, and her second birth of a son named Gabe, when she learns how to talk to God in earnest. Discover the joys of a simple life with her. When she moves into their first real home, a guest cottage for the small-town preacher, Mariette throws herself into making the place a home and redecorates until she depletes the bank account. She moves to Logan's Creek and hates the place, where she has no friends or family, and no television or phone until her mother sends someone to install one and gifts them with a color set for Christmas. Still, they can't enjoy the present because they can't afford an antenna.
This is the story of a young woman who grows, develops a personal relatonship with God through her struggles, and matures during her small-town journey as she finds ways to keep herself busy in a town so tiny it doesn't even have a library. She devours books and must depend on her mother to keep her stocked. When her husband is offered his second assignment, they have an opportunity to have the fine life he promised her in the form of a two-story brick home with five bedrooms and three baths, and she can finally escape Logan's Creek. Which life will they choose? Will it be the true fine life? Can Mariette ever really make a preacher's wife, or will she remain one in name only?
If you love Southern novels, you'll find this one awesome. I didn't want to put it down. Eva Marie Everson evokes feelings as she tugs at a reader's heart and mind. I laughed, and I cried, both requirements of a five-star novel. If the book doesn't make me feel for the characters, it hasn't accomplished its goal, and it's not for me. I love character-driven Southern novels like this one. Grab it today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. You'll be glad you did. Sip sweet tea and taste this novel. Don't think I've told you everything; I saved the best twists and surprises for your own journey. This novel is realistic because the characters are so real-to-life.
About the Author: Eva Marie Everson is an award-winning author, writing mentor for the Christian Writers Guild, and a popular and gifted speaker and radio personality.
Visit Eva at her beautiful, inspiring Website http://www.evamarieeverson.com/ or her blog at http://evamarieeverson.blogspot.com/.
Mariette Puttnam graduates boarding school in 1959 used to a privileged life, unsure of plans for her future. She figures she'll enjoy her summer and decide if she should opt for a career and more schooling to please her father, or marry into the right social family to make her mother happy. None of those options feel right. Something's missing, and she finds him, Thayne Scott, working as a mail clerk in her father's factory. They fall in love and can't bear to be apart, though her mother and father forbid the relationship.
Though she's attended church all her life, Mariette lacks a personal relationship with God, but Thayne talks to Him in his church in the woods and decides to go into ministry. Mariette always feels she's "on the outside looking in" and doesn't really belong. She can't bake pies and fry chicken, which seem to be main requirements for a preacher's wife. She can't answer Thayne's question about where she stands with God; yet, she's supposed to be a preacher's wife.
Through the hardships of his first ministry, Thayne promises her he'll be able to provide her a fine life one day. But, she must endure snobby busybodies in the small town where he receives his first assignment, and they can't even have a husband and wife disagreement in private.
Journey with a young woman destined to become a preacher's wife, as she endures the loss of her firstborn, a daughter they name Rachel, and her second birth of a son named Gabe, when she learns how to talk to God in earnest. Discover the joys of a simple life with her. When she moves into their first real home, a guest cottage for the small-town preacher, Mariette throws herself into making the place a home and redecorates until she depletes the bank account. She moves to Logan's Creek and hates the place, where she has no friends or family, and no television or phone until her mother sends someone to install one and gifts them with a color set for Christmas. Still, they can't enjoy the present because they can't afford an antenna.
This is the story of a young woman who grows, develops a personal relatonship with God through her struggles, and matures during her small-town journey as she finds ways to keep herself busy in a town so tiny it doesn't even have a library. She devours books and must depend on her mother to keep her stocked. When her husband is offered his second assignment, they have an opportunity to have the fine life he promised her in the form of a two-story brick home with five bedrooms and three baths, and she can finally escape Logan's Creek. Which life will they choose? Will it be the true fine life? Can Mariette ever really make a preacher's wife, or will she remain one in name only?
If you love Southern novels, you'll find this one awesome. I didn't want to put it down. Eva Marie Everson evokes feelings as she tugs at a reader's heart and mind. I laughed, and I cried, both requirements of a five-star novel. If the book doesn't make me feel for the characters, it hasn't accomplished its goal, and it's not for me. I love character-driven Southern novels like this one. Grab it today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. You'll be glad you did. Sip sweet tea and taste this novel. Don't think I've told you everything; I saved the best twists and surprises for your own journey. This novel is realistic because the characters are so real-to-life.
About the Author: Eva Marie Everson is an award-winning author, writing mentor for the Christian Writers Guild, and a popular and gifted speaker and radio personality.
Visit Eva at her beautiful, inspiring Website http://www.evamarieeverson.com/ or her blog at http://evamarieeverson.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Walk by Richard Paul Evans
The Walk by Richard Paul Evans, published by Simon & Schuster, copyright 2010 is a beautiful hardbound book of 289 pages and 37 chapters, along with a prologue and epilogue. It's the first novel in a series, and I guarantee you don't want to miss it. I started reading The Walk Monday and completed it on Wednesday evening. I didn't want to put it down. The novel is spun in first person and hooked me. I cried. I felt. I identified. And, I was touched. A nature lover myself, I enjoyed the descriptions of woods and mountains the main character, Alan, travels through on his walkabout to Key West, Florida. The book is vivid with descriptions and offers a well-told story of true love, loss, pain, and heartache.
Alan goes from having everything a man could want, expensive cars, luxury home, beautiful furniture, his own successful business, and a beautiful love-of-his-life wife, McKale to a widower and a jobless, homeless wanderer in a short period of time. When he loses his beloved, Alan doesn't want to live and feels there's nothing left, but she made him promise to live. His heart is stabbed with grief and guilt because she asked him to call in sick and stay home with her the day of her accident, but he had an important business deal he couldn't miss. She'd planned a surprise weekend and promised he'd never forget it. Instead, he got a shocking surprise he'd never forget, and he learned the dearest lesson in life--people are more important than things. Without his best friend and wife to share them, material objects mean nothing.
Heartsick, Alan strikes out to walk to Key West, Florida, and encounters people along his journey of life. He discovers that none of those expensive "things" he worked so hard to earn mean anything without McKale. They'd been young and in a hurry to possess it all. She'd wanted children, but he'd talked her into waiting until they were secure. Another twinge of guilt pricks his heart. Now, she's gone, and he'll never father the children she wanted.
This is an inspirational, spiritual story with an out-of-body experience a wise old woman shares with Alan at a bed and breakfast. He crosses the path of a lady in distress and helps her, but turns down the ride she offers. He faces a gang, and on the brink of death, realizes he wants to live. Will the lady in distress turn out to be an angel? This novel illustrates how suddenly life can change, in the blink of an eye, by careless choices and decisions. It teaches not to rely on the assumption of tomorrow; there may not be one.
I felt as though I walked the journey with Alan, in his shoes. If I hadn't had to work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I'd have completed this book in one day. I hated to put it aside to leave for work in the morning, and I grabbed it to complete it when I returned home. It will touch your heart and grip your soul. Get your copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. Visit the author on Facebook and follow his fan page to keep abreast of this series. Personally, I can't wait for the next one. This novel has hit the New York Times bestseller list for three weeks in a row! I give it 5 stars. I cried with Alan through his journey of betrayal and loss, enjoyed woods and mountains with him, and found renewed hope through his walk. He is the author of The Christmas Box and all 14 of his novels have made the bestseller list!
Alan goes from having everything a man could want, expensive cars, luxury home, beautiful furniture, his own successful business, and a beautiful love-of-his-life wife, McKale to a widower and a jobless, homeless wanderer in a short period of time. When he loses his beloved, Alan doesn't want to live and feels there's nothing left, but she made him promise to live. His heart is stabbed with grief and guilt because she asked him to call in sick and stay home with her the day of her accident, but he had an important business deal he couldn't miss. She'd planned a surprise weekend and promised he'd never forget it. Instead, he got a shocking surprise he'd never forget, and he learned the dearest lesson in life--people are more important than things. Without his best friend and wife to share them, material objects mean nothing.
Heartsick, Alan strikes out to walk to Key West, Florida, and encounters people along his journey of life. He discovers that none of those expensive "things" he worked so hard to earn mean anything without McKale. They'd been young and in a hurry to possess it all. She'd wanted children, but he'd talked her into waiting until they were secure. Another twinge of guilt pricks his heart. Now, she's gone, and he'll never father the children she wanted.
This is an inspirational, spiritual story with an out-of-body experience a wise old woman shares with Alan at a bed and breakfast. He crosses the path of a lady in distress and helps her, but turns down the ride she offers. He faces a gang, and on the brink of death, realizes he wants to live. Will the lady in distress turn out to be an angel? This novel illustrates how suddenly life can change, in the blink of an eye, by careless choices and decisions. It teaches not to rely on the assumption of tomorrow; there may not be one.
I felt as though I walked the journey with Alan, in his shoes. If I hadn't had to work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I'd have completed this book in one day. I hated to put it aside to leave for work in the morning, and I grabbed it to complete it when I returned home. It will touch your heart and grip your soul. Get your copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. Visit the author on Facebook and follow his fan page to keep abreast of this series. Personally, I can't wait for the next one. This novel has hit the New York Times bestseller list for three weeks in a row! I give it 5 stars. I cried with Alan through his journey of betrayal and loss, enjoyed woods and mountains with him, and found renewed hope through his walk. He is the author of The Christmas Box and all 14 of his novels have made the bestseller list!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Mighty Inspiration: Love Letters From God by Barbara Bernard Miller
Mighty Inspiration: Love Letters From God by Barbara Bernard Miller, a beautiful, hardcover book, is a powerful 15 chapters and 115 pages published by Eloquent Books of New York, copyright 2009. I could actually feel God's presence as I read this amazing book, written as though God is speaking to you, and He is through the words He instructed Barbara to write.
Chapter 3 on Gifts is an encouraging, thought-provoking one. The first lesson is to choose your gifts correctly--for the good of mankind, see God in everything you do, and send Him your cares and worries, so He will send you peace and joy.
Barbara writes with such intensity that you become lost in the words and feel God's presence. At least, I did as I read. Chapter 4 on Joy reveals how all things, even tragic and sad events, provide an opportunity to become closer to God. She never uses the word God in the book and uses only capitalized pronouns like He I, or Me, so I substitute God or Jesus as I read. The book explains why God doesn't prevent all things from happening, because if He did so, He'd take away CHOICE. Choice provides growth and development. This chapter says that learning is lifelong and knowledge is the cornerstone for development. As the book says, "Teach as you learn, and you will be doubly blessed. Seek Me."
Chapter 5 is about passion and reminds me of my passions of reading, writing, and teaching. It says, "Your passion for your gifts will give them power and sustain them in your life." It goes on to explain how we've been given passion for some things and not for others, so our gifts will grow, develop, and be used. According to this chapter, the mind is for imagination and reasoning, and the heart is for passion and belief. Ideas sprout in the mind, but they must be planted in the heart and can only blossom there. God gave us so much power when He gave us the power of CHOICE, but many times we do not realize how powerful choice can be. We do not have the power to change others, but we have the freedom of choice to change ourselves by changing how we think, act, and react. We need our quiet time for reflection. I know this personally, and I value those quiet moments with God and time to pause and reflect. "I weave My messages into the hearts and minds of those who will reach out to Me. They pass the message along throughout the world in those momentary touches with other lives." In this way, we all have the power to make a true difference in the world.
As I read about God's message being woven into minds and hearts, I was reminded of using a weaving loom as a young girl and how carefully I had to weave the brightly-colored yarn to make a product, to make a difference, to make something that would benefit and withstand. As a farmer tills the soil and adds fertilizer to make the ground fertile, we must till our minds and fertilize them with God's Word. Only then, will we experience real, true peace and joy. Only then, can we truly make a real difference.
Won't you let this powerful book speak to you, so you can feel God's love and mercy? It's available at online bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com, and it has the power between the covers to make a difference in your life, which can ripple through other lives and make a true difference in our world. Check out the reviews. I feel blessed for having read this riveting book, and I pray it will bless many others as it has me. It is also available at www.mightyinspiration.com. Barbara is on Facebook, so you can connect with her there.
About the Author:
Barbara Bernard Miller is a writer and Human Resource Manager for a large corporation. She lives with her two children in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is her first book, and her personal wish for blessings to all who read it and take its message to heart.
Chapter 3 on Gifts is an encouraging, thought-provoking one. The first lesson is to choose your gifts correctly--for the good of mankind, see God in everything you do, and send Him your cares and worries, so He will send you peace and joy.
Barbara writes with such intensity that you become lost in the words and feel God's presence. At least, I did as I read. Chapter 4 on Joy reveals how all things, even tragic and sad events, provide an opportunity to become closer to God. She never uses the word God in the book and uses only capitalized pronouns like He I, or Me, so I substitute God or Jesus as I read. The book explains why God doesn't prevent all things from happening, because if He did so, He'd take away CHOICE. Choice provides growth and development. This chapter says that learning is lifelong and knowledge is the cornerstone for development. As the book says, "Teach as you learn, and you will be doubly blessed. Seek Me."
Chapter 5 is about passion and reminds me of my passions of reading, writing, and teaching. It says, "Your passion for your gifts will give them power and sustain them in your life." It goes on to explain how we've been given passion for some things and not for others, so our gifts will grow, develop, and be used. According to this chapter, the mind is for imagination and reasoning, and the heart is for passion and belief. Ideas sprout in the mind, but they must be planted in the heart and can only blossom there. God gave us so much power when He gave us the power of CHOICE, but many times we do not realize how powerful choice can be. We do not have the power to change others, but we have the freedom of choice to change ourselves by changing how we think, act, and react. We need our quiet time for reflection. I know this personally, and I value those quiet moments with God and time to pause and reflect. "I weave My messages into the hearts and minds of those who will reach out to Me. They pass the message along throughout the world in those momentary touches with other lives." In this way, we all have the power to make a true difference in the world.
As I read about God's message being woven into minds and hearts, I was reminded of using a weaving loom as a young girl and how carefully I had to weave the brightly-colored yarn to make a product, to make a difference, to make something that would benefit and withstand. As a farmer tills the soil and adds fertilizer to make the ground fertile, we must till our minds and fertilize them with God's Word. Only then, will we experience real, true peace and joy. Only then, can we truly make a real difference.
Won't you let this powerful book speak to you, so you can feel God's love and mercy? It's available at online bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com, and it has the power between the covers to make a difference in your life, which can ripple through other lives and make a true difference in our world. Check out the reviews. I feel blessed for having read this riveting book, and I pray it will bless many others as it has me. It is also available at www.mightyinspiration.com. Barbara is on Facebook, so you can connect with her there.
About the Author:
Barbara Bernard Miller is a writer and Human Resource Manager for a large corporation. She lives with her two children in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is her first book, and her personal wish for blessings to all who read it and take its message to heart.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson
Eva Marie Everson served as my writing mentor for three years when I was a student in the Christian Writers Guild. She mentored me through both the Apprentice and the Journeyman levels of the courses. I am proud to call her my writing mentor, and I can truly say I learned much from her as well as from my American Christian Fiction Writer (ACFW) critique group members, Karen O'Connor, also a writing instructor, and Tracy Ruckman, an edtior. I also took a dialogue course with Eva through Tracy's company. I feel God placed all these people in my life to help me on my writing journey, and I am eternally grateful to each and every single one of them. Cynthia Hickey was a most active ACFW critique partner. And, I don't want to forget Janet Eckles, a dear friend, who though blind, still critiques for friends and has more insight than many sighted people. I hope you enjoy the review, but more importantly, I hope you enjoy THINGS LEFT UNSPOKEN and watch for Eva Marie Everson's upcoming Cedar Key series of three novels. There is an entry about Cedar Key, if you scroll down. Also, there's a detailed review of a newly released novel by Michael J. Sullivan, Necessary Heartbreak, and you don't want to miss that one either!
Things Left Unspoken
Author: Eva Marie Everson
Reviewer: Barbara J. Robinson
http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com/
Five Stars
To Purchase: Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble (See reviews there also)
Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson is three hundred and eighty-one pages of pure Southern delight. The novel allows the reader to adventure through life, romance, true love, wisdom gained with age and life experiences, dealing with life’s curve balls, conflicts of love and life, heartaches that make us stronger, and God’s fingerprints on our lives to make us the people He wants us to become. If you enjoy Southern fiction, you’ll love this novel. I devoured it in a couple of days.
Jo Lynn Hunter and her Aunt Stella make it women’s fiction. Jo Lynn deals with current marriage problems and feels she’s not at home in the life her husband has chosen for them. Something is missing and leaves her feeling empty inside. At life’s crossroads, she takes on a project to rebuild an old Southern family home and finds herself restored in the process. Family secrets reveal their ugly challenges and place Jo Lynn in extreme danger. She rises to the challenge and refuses to be chased from her project of love.
Aunt Stella illustrates true love and the wisdom of ripe old age. Valentine, her teenage love, grows into a wise elderly man, who declares if the foundation is strong, anything can be rebuilt. Jo Lynn learns the secrets of the past and the treasures for a happy future, even as she learns some things are best left unspoken.
Things Left Unspoken
Author: Eva Marie Everson
Reviewer: Barbara J. Robinson
http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com/
Five Stars
To Purchase: Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble (See reviews there also)
Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson is three hundred and eighty-one pages of pure Southern delight. The novel allows the reader to adventure through life, romance, true love, wisdom gained with age and life experiences, dealing with life’s curve balls, conflicts of love and life, heartaches that make us stronger, and God’s fingerprints on our lives to make us the people He wants us to become. If you enjoy Southern fiction, you’ll love this novel. I devoured it in a couple of days.
Jo Lynn Hunter and her Aunt Stella make it women’s fiction. Jo Lynn deals with current marriage problems and feels she’s not at home in the life her husband has chosen for them. Something is missing and leaves her feeling empty inside. At life’s crossroads, she takes on a project to rebuild an old Southern family home and finds herself restored in the process. Family secrets reveal their ugly challenges and place Jo Lynn in extreme danger. She rises to the challenge and refuses to be chased from her project of love.
Aunt Stella illustrates true love and the wisdom of ripe old age. Valentine, her teenage love, grows into a wise elderly man, who declares if the foundation is strong, anything can be rebuilt. Jo Lynn learns the secrets of the past and the treasures for a happy future, even as she learns some things are best left unspoken.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
How Does Your Writing Flow?
I long to write with a perfect view and sweet peace and quite in an unrushed space of time, so I can get my thoughts and feelings down on paper and later refine them. I notice POV shifts as I read now, so I realize I’ve made progress as a writer. God gave me a season of growth, and I used it to learn.
With the spring renewal, I feel ready to burst forth and rise on the writing scene, like a new green shoot sprouts from the cold, barren earth. Lord willing, my writing time has come. Lord willing, I’ll soon be able to tie together the three great passions of my life, reading, writing, and teaching.
Once so motivated, I put my thoughts and feelings in storage, on hold, for quite some time, but I feel it’s time I unlock them and let them do the work God intended. He gave me these three passions and heart’s desires for a reason, and I want to glorify Him with them. I pray for God’s guidance and direction and for Him to show me how to burst forth on the writing scene in the right way to glorify Him in all His glory and lead others to come to know, believe in, and trust Him as I do. God, please show me how to reach and touch the hearts and minds of readers.
Lord, I long for days of writing that will make a true difference. Lord, please lift me as a person, a human being, a writer, and a reader, so I may glorify You through my work and all I do. In Jesus’s name, I pray. AMEN.
How do I write? With Jesus as my sweet companion. I must have time for deep thought and silence for reflection, for I hear him whisper to me in the quietness of an early morning. I’m a morning person and do my best writing in the wee hours. I need to be isolated with nothing but God as my companion and sweet peace and quiet when I write fiction. I can write timed writings in any place and any time, but for deep thought processing, I need my quiet time. However, I'm not spinning my wheels, or rather spinning my blue pen when I time write, because I always find some nuggets of gold to pull out and refine. In fact, some of my best writing has come from quick writes, when I'm focusing on getting my thoughts and ideas down on paper and just letting the writing flow and come what may. This is a technique I learned from author Natalie Goldberg.
My writing space is an L-shaped oak desk with a large picture window overlooking a large back yard with a canal and trees. Sometimes my feathered friends pay me a visit. I can watch squirrels play and listen to the sweetest natural music in the world, the prettiest choir, birds singing their happy tunes. In spring, it sounds like they’re singing, “Easter, Easter, Easter.” Perhaps, they know Jesus has risen, and they’re celebrating.
How do I write–with sweet peace of mind in Jesus, at least for quality writing. How do you write? Describe your writing space and what works best for you.
With the spring renewal, I feel ready to burst forth and rise on the writing scene, like a new green shoot sprouts from the cold, barren earth. Lord willing, my writing time has come. Lord willing, I’ll soon be able to tie together the three great passions of my life, reading, writing, and teaching.
Once so motivated, I put my thoughts and feelings in storage, on hold, for quite some time, but I feel it’s time I unlock them and let them do the work God intended. He gave me these three passions and heart’s desires for a reason, and I want to glorify Him with them. I pray for God’s guidance and direction and for Him to show me how to burst forth on the writing scene in the right way to glorify Him in all His glory and lead others to come to know, believe in, and trust Him as I do. God, please show me how to reach and touch the hearts and minds of readers.
Lord, I long for days of writing that will make a true difference. Lord, please lift me as a person, a human being, a writer, and a reader, so I may glorify You through my work and all I do. In Jesus’s name, I pray. AMEN.
How do I write? With Jesus as my sweet companion. I must have time for deep thought and silence for reflection, for I hear him whisper to me in the quietness of an early morning. I’m a morning person and do my best writing in the wee hours. I need to be isolated with nothing but God as my companion and sweet peace and quiet when I write fiction. I can write timed writings in any place and any time, but for deep thought processing, I need my quiet time. However, I'm not spinning my wheels, or rather spinning my blue pen when I time write, because I always find some nuggets of gold to pull out and refine. In fact, some of my best writing has come from quick writes, when I'm focusing on getting my thoughts and ideas down on paper and just letting the writing flow and come what may. This is a technique I learned from author Natalie Goldberg.
My writing space is an L-shaped oak desk with a large picture window overlooking a large back yard with a canal and trees. Sometimes my feathered friends pay me a visit. I can watch squirrels play and listen to the sweetest natural music in the world, the prettiest choir, birds singing their happy tunes. In spring, it sounds like they’re singing, “Easter, Easter, Easter.” Perhaps, they know Jesus has risen, and they’re celebrating.
How do I write–with sweet peace of mind in Jesus, at least for quality writing. How do you write? Describe your writing space and what works best for you.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
True Hidden Treasures--Finally Completed
I've completed my novel True Hidden Treasures and have an idea for a generational family saga, a series of three. I plan to begin work on a new novel and come back to this one after receiving some additonal feedback. This is not a first draft. I've had the first ten pages professionally critiqued by Christian Writers Guild, and I've had bits and pieces discussed with my writing mentor, Eva Marie Everson, during lessons with the Christian Writers Guild. I've also had Tracy Ruckman edit the first ten or twelve chapters. Perhaps beginning a new novel will provide me with layers for this one when I let it rest and return to it later. Happy writing :)
Thank you, God, for inspiring me to write.
Lord, I long for days of writing that will make a true difference. Lord, please lift me as a person, a human being, a writer, and a reader, so I may glorify You through my work and all I do.
Thank you, God, for inspiring me to write.
Lord, I long for days of writing that will make a true difference. Lord, please lift me as a person, a human being, a writer, and a reader, so I may glorify You through my work and all I do.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Cedar Key, FL
I get off work March 26, 2010, and my husband, Scott, drives us to Cedar Key, Florida, where he rents a cottage at Pirate's Cove for the weekend. He surpised me by phoning and making reversations. I brought along a good read for the trip, Mike J. Sullivan's Necessary Heartbreak, newly released. The review is below this entry. It is the book you see me holding in the picture, and a yellow highlighter is my marker. We stop at Mickey D's on the way, and I try the Mac-rib. Delicious. On the ride, I tell him about my writing mentor, Eva Marie Everson, and how she's writing a series of novels set in Cedar Key.
Our blue cottage greets us with a sliding-glass door view of the bay, beautiful at high tide. An orange tabby cat with a stub tail welcomes us and proves to be a friendly kitty, but Sunflower, my cocker spaniel, scares it until they finally make friends. Sunflower enjoys the sliding-door view like her mother, and she keeps an eye out for the cat who visits the back deck.
Saturday morning, I sip French Vanilla Dunkin Donut coffee and feast on donuts, as I watch a flock of birds fly over from my window-to-the-world glass doors. A small deck juts out from the patio doors and a table invites one to sit and enjoy the view, but I like the swing and the green, green grass underfoot. The wooden frame swing faces the bay. Sweet peace and quiet. Beautiful. A gentle breeze blows the leaves of bushes lining the bank. A large tree overhangs the deck offering shade when it's green, but it sleeps a long winter's nap, and bare arms and stark, skinny fingers loom over the deck. The sun rises in an orange glow as a V of birds fly across the bay. Then, a long line of birds follow and others join in and break the V-formation. The tide's out, and Sunflower enjoys watching the outside view, as she keeps her eyes out for the orange tabby cat pictured on the Internet.
I long to write with a perfect view and sweet peace and quite in an unrushed space of time, so I can get my thoughts and feelings down on paper and later refine them. I notice POV shifts as I read now, so I realize I've made progress as a writer. God gave me a season of growth, and I used it to learn.
With the spring renewal, I feel ready to burst forth and rise on the writing scene, like a new green shoot sprouts from the cold, barren earth. Lord willing, my writing time has come. Lord willing, I'll soon be able to tie together the three great passions of my life, reading, writing, and teaching.
Once so motivated, I put my thoughts and feelings in storage, on hold, for quite some time, but I feel it's time I unlock them and let them do the work God intended. He gave me these three passions and heart's desires for a reason, and I want to glorify Him with them. I pray for God's guidance and direction and for Him to show me how to burst forth on the writing scene in the right way to glorify Him in all His glory and lead others to come to know, believe in, and trust Him as I do. God, please show me how to reach and touch the hearts and minds of readers.
Lord, I long for days of writing that will make a true difference. Lord, please lift me as a person, a human being, a writer, and a reader, so I may glorify You through my work and all I do. In Jesus's name, I pray. AMEN.
Written March 27, 2010, as I watch the outside world and sip coffee.
After coffee and donuts, my husband and I go to the pier, and he fishes while I enjoy the pelicans and Michael J. Sullivan's new release, Necessary Heartbreak. Read the detailed review below. I've had many compliments on it. I began reading it as we drove to Cedar Key Friday evening and completed it as we drove home on Sunday.
Hubby catches fish left and right, and we fish on the pier until 8:00 P.M. The pelicans wait for fish, but don't want catfish. They seem to know when he catches one and keep their distance. But, when he hooks the other fish, they swarm and become beggars. I watch him toss a small fish into one's large beak, and the pelican swallows it whole.
My writing mentor, Eva Marie Everson, is writing a series of three novels set in Cedar Key, and I can't wait to read them. Cedar Key became writing bait for her, and I hope you're hooked on her writing as I am. Visit her at http://evamarieeverson.blogspot.com.
Our blue cottage greets us with a sliding-glass door view of the bay, beautiful at high tide. An orange tabby cat with a stub tail welcomes us and proves to be a friendly kitty, but Sunflower, my cocker spaniel, scares it until they finally make friends. Sunflower enjoys the sliding-door view like her mother, and she keeps an eye out for the cat who visits the back deck.
Saturday morning, I sip French Vanilla Dunkin Donut coffee and feast on donuts, as I watch a flock of birds fly over from my window-to-the-world glass doors. A small deck juts out from the patio doors and a table invites one to sit and enjoy the view, but I like the swing and the green, green grass underfoot. The wooden frame swing faces the bay. Sweet peace and quiet. Beautiful. A gentle breeze blows the leaves of bushes lining the bank. A large tree overhangs the deck offering shade when it's green, but it sleeps a long winter's nap, and bare arms and stark, skinny fingers loom over the deck. The sun rises in an orange glow as a V of birds fly across the bay. Then, a long line of birds follow and others join in and break the V-formation. The tide's out, and Sunflower enjoys watching the outside view, as she keeps her eyes out for the orange tabby cat pictured on the Internet.
I long to write with a perfect view and sweet peace and quite in an unrushed space of time, so I can get my thoughts and feelings down on paper and later refine them. I notice POV shifts as I read now, so I realize I've made progress as a writer. God gave me a season of growth, and I used it to learn.
With the spring renewal, I feel ready to burst forth and rise on the writing scene, like a new green shoot sprouts from the cold, barren earth. Lord willing, my writing time has come. Lord willing, I'll soon be able to tie together the three great passions of my life, reading, writing, and teaching.
Once so motivated, I put my thoughts and feelings in storage, on hold, for quite some time, but I feel it's time I unlock them and let them do the work God intended. He gave me these three passions and heart's desires for a reason, and I want to glorify Him with them. I pray for God's guidance and direction and for Him to show me how to burst forth on the writing scene in the right way to glorify Him in all His glory and lead others to come to know, believe in, and trust Him as I do. God, please show me how to reach and touch the hearts and minds of readers.
Lord, I long for days of writing that will make a true difference. Lord, please lift me as a person, a human being, a writer, and a reader, so I may glorify You through my work and all I do. In Jesus's name, I pray. AMEN.
Written March 27, 2010, as I watch the outside world and sip coffee.
After coffee and donuts, my husband and I go to the pier, and he fishes while I enjoy the pelicans and Michael J. Sullivan's new release, Necessary Heartbreak. Read the detailed review below. I've had many compliments on it. I began reading it as we drove to Cedar Key Friday evening and completed it as we drove home on Sunday.
Hubby catches fish left and right, and we fish on the pier until 8:00 P.M. The pelicans wait for fish, but don't want catfish. They seem to know when he catches one and keep their distance. But, when he hooks the other fish, they swarm and become beggars. I watch him toss a small fish into one's large beak, and the pelican swallows it whole.
My writing mentor, Eva Marie Everson, is writing a series of three novels set in Cedar Key, and I can't wait to read them. Cedar Key became writing bait for her, and I hope you're hooked on her writing as I am. Visit her at http://evamarieeverson.blogspot.com.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Is Heartbreak Necessary?
Necessary Heartbreak by Michael J. Sullivan published by Gallery Books, copyright 2010 is a novel you can't miss. I couldn't put it down once I started reading, since I was hooked from the first chapter. The main characters are a single dad and his daughter, Michael and Elizabeth. Journey with them through life's obstacle course in the world, as we know it today, as well as through first-century Jerusalem. Michael losses two important women in his life, loves of his life, his mother and his wife. Left with his daughter to raise, he strives to do the best he can and vows never to leave her or allow anyone to hurt her. But, in Jerusalem, Roman soldiers threaten to overpower him, and one wants Elizabeth for his wife. She's only 14, not even allowed to kiss, so Michael is determined not to let this solider have his way with his daughter, but can he save her?
While helping the local church with food pantry items, Elizabeth finds a trap door and explores while Michael goes back upstairs for more items. He returns and follows his daughter through the hole in the basement floor to a world that's only existed in the pages of the Bible. After the loss of his mother and living on New York streets homeless, his faith is shaken, but he soon discovers Jesus is real when Jesus looks at him and says, "Heartbreak is necessary for one to understand how great God's gift of time truly is." He asks Michael if he's there to lift his burden, or to help Jesus with his. Then, Jesus informs him that he shouldn't look too far, since his daughter can lift his burden.
Without the help of a beautiful green-eyed lady in Jerusalem, Leah, Michael and his daughter would have been easy prey for the Roman soldiers, but will her help be enough to save Elizabeth from marrying an unknown Roman soldier, or will she be forced to become his wife to save herself and her father?
A novel that truly mixes life's problems of today and blends them with history, this book will enrich your life and soul. It's a pleasurable read I started late on a Friday evening and completed on the following Sunday. And, it deciphers today's teens well, always in a hurry with earbuds tucked in their ears. Parents of today compete with Ipods, cell phones, and electronics for attention. But, Michael and Elizabeth are whisked back in time and history where no electronic gadgets can aid their rescue, and Liz, as she's called by her friends, has to learn to deal with life on a very humble level without her cell phone. She's grateful for her father and never wants him to leave her side. Will their world ever return to normal? If it does, will Leah be a part of it, or will they be forced to leave her to the Roman soldiers? Will heartbreak be necessary for all of them to survive?
Back Cover Material: An extraordinary journey back in time shows a struggling single dad that the faith he's lost is still alive--and stronger than ever . . . . Michael Stewart has weathered his share of hardships: a troubled childhood, the loss of his mother, even the degradation of living on the city streets. Now, he's raising his teenaged daughter, Elizabeth, on his own and doing the best he can at work and at home. But he's turned his back on his faith--that is, until the morning Michael and Elizabeth volunteer for a food pantry at their local church. While storing boxes in the basement, they step through a mysterious door. . . and find themselves in first-century Jerusalem during the tumultuous last week of Jesus Christ's life. It is a dangerous and violent place, where doing what your heart tells you is right can get you imprisoned--or worse--and they are thankful to take refuge with a kind widow. But when they come face-to-face with Judas Iscariot and the condemned Christ himself, Michael realizes that before they can escape Jerusalem, he must experience history's most necessary and shattering heartbreak--and that pain and loss must happen if Michael is to be set free: to live, love, and reclaim the blessings he has in the present day.
About the Author, Michael J. Sullivan: Michael, a sports journalist and author of sports-themed books for children, started the novel decades ago and some of the flashbacks came from that time period. In May 2007, he began to earnestly work to complete Necessary Heartbreak. After the first draft was completed, he acquired an editor. He says he believes there are people who walk the earth who step into your life for reasons, and he had the help of such people in completing his novel, which is based upon his life experiences.
While on vacation in Orlando, Florida, he received a phone call from Simon & Schuster. Their interest was in publishing a revised edition. He found the perfect fit and the support he needed for the trilogy, was placed in the hands of a capable editor, and took a year to write, re-write, revise, and re-write the novel. He thanks his wife for her help and support as well as all others who played a hand in the outcome of its publication. The appendix contains a Reading Group Guide.
Michael lives in New York City and hosts several sports radio shows. He's worked with ESPN and Sporting News. He's a graduate of St. John's University. Visit him at www.whentimeforgets.com. There's also an ebook edition available.
In my humble and honest opinion, this is one of the best books I've read since last summer when I read Lynn Austin's All She Ever Wanted and Chris Fabry's Dogwood. I urge you to grab Necessary Heartbreak for a read you won't soon forget. It's available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com and hit local bookstores last March 31! If you haven't read it yet, don't miss it on its anniversary!
While helping the local church with food pantry items, Elizabeth finds a trap door and explores while Michael goes back upstairs for more items. He returns and follows his daughter through the hole in the basement floor to a world that's only existed in the pages of the Bible. After the loss of his mother and living on New York streets homeless, his faith is shaken, but he soon discovers Jesus is real when Jesus looks at him and says, "Heartbreak is necessary for one to understand how great God's gift of time truly is." He asks Michael if he's there to lift his burden, or to help Jesus with his. Then, Jesus informs him that he shouldn't look too far, since his daughter can lift his burden.
Without the help of a beautiful green-eyed lady in Jerusalem, Leah, Michael and his daughter would have been easy prey for the Roman soldiers, but will her help be enough to save Elizabeth from marrying an unknown Roman soldier, or will she be forced to become his wife to save herself and her father?
A novel that truly mixes life's problems of today and blends them with history, this book will enrich your life and soul. It's a pleasurable read I started late on a Friday evening and completed on the following Sunday. And, it deciphers today's teens well, always in a hurry with earbuds tucked in their ears. Parents of today compete with Ipods, cell phones, and electronics for attention. But, Michael and Elizabeth are whisked back in time and history where no electronic gadgets can aid their rescue, and Liz, as she's called by her friends, has to learn to deal with life on a very humble level without her cell phone. She's grateful for her father and never wants him to leave her side. Will their world ever return to normal? If it does, will Leah be a part of it, or will they be forced to leave her to the Roman soldiers? Will heartbreak be necessary for all of them to survive?
Back Cover Material: An extraordinary journey back in time shows a struggling single dad that the faith he's lost is still alive--and stronger than ever . . . . Michael Stewart has weathered his share of hardships: a troubled childhood, the loss of his mother, even the degradation of living on the city streets. Now, he's raising his teenaged daughter, Elizabeth, on his own and doing the best he can at work and at home. But he's turned his back on his faith--that is, until the morning Michael and Elizabeth volunteer for a food pantry at their local church. While storing boxes in the basement, they step through a mysterious door. . . and find themselves in first-century Jerusalem during the tumultuous last week of Jesus Christ's life. It is a dangerous and violent place, where doing what your heart tells you is right can get you imprisoned--or worse--and they are thankful to take refuge with a kind widow. But when they come face-to-face with Judas Iscariot and the condemned Christ himself, Michael realizes that before they can escape Jerusalem, he must experience history's most necessary and shattering heartbreak--and that pain and loss must happen if Michael is to be set free: to live, love, and reclaim the blessings he has in the present day.
About the Author, Michael J. Sullivan: Michael, a sports journalist and author of sports-themed books for children, started the novel decades ago and some of the flashbacks came from that time period. In May 2007, he began to earnestly work to complete Necessary Heartbreak. After the first draft was completed, he acquired an editor. He says he believes there are people who walk the earth who step into your life for reasons, and he had the help of such people in completing his novel, which is based upon his life experiences.
While on vacation in Orlando, Florida, he received a phone call from Simon & Schuster. Their interest was in publishing a revised edition. He found the perfect fit and the support he needed for the trilogy, was placed in the hands of a capable editor, and took a year to write, re-write, revise, and re-write the novel. He thanks his wife for her help and support as well as all others who played a hand in the outcome of its publication. The appendix contains a Reading Group Guide.
Michael lives in New York City and hosts several sports radio shows. He's worked with ESPN and Sporting News. He's a graduate of St. John's University. Visit him at www.whentimeforgets.com. There's also an ebook edition available.
In my humble and honest opinion, this is one of the best books I've read since last summer when I read Lynn Austin's All She Ever Wanted and Chris Fabry's Dogwood. I urge you to grab Necessary Heartbreak for a read you won't soon forget. It's available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com and hit local bookstores last March 31! If you haven't read it yet, don't miss it on its anniversary!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Free Books-Sign to Follow my Blog and Participate
Thank you for following my blog. I will post new book reviews on some of the latest books being published through Bethany House and other well-known publishers. To be eligible to win them, please post comments and respond to the reader's survey below. This week's free book is the one reviewed below: The Rewards of Simplicity. I will notify the winner and post the winner's name on my blog. Just leave a comment beneath to answer the short questions to be eligible.
Reader's Survey:
1) What type of book is your favorite read?
2) Do you have a favorite author? If so, why is this person your favorite author?
3) What makes you pick up a book and buy it?
4) What makes a book a keeper?
Thanks for participating. I look forward to reading your responses!
Barb
Reader's Survey:
1) What type of book is your favorite read?
2) Do you have a favorite author? If so, why is this person your favorite author?
3) What makes you pick up a book and buy it?
4) What makes a book a keeper?
Thanks for participating. I look forward to reading your responses!
Barb
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Choose the Simple Life
The Rewards of simplicity: A Practical and Spiritual Approach by Pam and Chuck D. Pierce is 194 pages devoted to helping you clear the clutter from your life. It's published by Chosen, a division of the Baker Publishing Group, copyrighted 2010. Pam and Chuck are ordained ministers who've been married for 36 years. The book contains a notes section in the back. If you've ever felt your life was chaos and been under pressure and stress, let this spiritual guide help you. In Part I, Pam writes on practical and spiritual simplicity in seven chapters. In Part II, Chuck writes on how to simplify life by overcoming anxiety in five chapters.
Jan says, "Walking humbly with our God, . . .provides us with opportunities to experience simplicity in the midst of our busy, often chaotic lives." Personally, I find the simple pleasures in life refreshing and peaceful, like flowers blooming, birds singing, and the earth turning green once again after winter. God speaks to me through these simple life expressions and eases my tired mind.
Chuck says we all go through trials, and it's the fodder for our faith. He says the problem is allowing the stress to overtake us because we don't co-labor with the Holy Spirit through the hard moments of our lives. He says the key question we must ask in order to leave a life of anxiety and cross over to one of faith is how we can escape a trauma-filled past and restore our childlike faith? Chuck provides biblical examples and discusses how Jesus was different.
From the back cover: "We've all wished for that extra hour or two in our day. . . . Yet the simple days we long for are within our reach." This book is interwoven with biblical teaching, personal experience, and practical tips and you are gently guided to simplify your life, your house, and your soul. As the back cover says, "You don't have to be stressed out. You can experience peace and rest. Start today to reap the rewards of living simply."
God is in control, but we have the freedom of choice. So, will you choose God and peace, or a life of stressed-out chaos? This spiritual guide book is available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com for approximately $13.99, depending upon the store you select. This book is for a Christian living audience or those who wish to discover the peace through crossing over.
Jan says, "Walking humbly with our God, . . .provides us with opportunities to experience simplicity in the midst of our busy, often chaotic lives." Personally, I find the simple pleasures in life refreshing and peaceful, like flowers blooming, birds singing, and the earth turning green once again after winter. God speaks to me through these simple life expressions and eases my tired mind.
Chuck says we all go through trials, and it's the fodder for our faith. He says the problem is allowing the stress to overtake us because we don't co-labor with the Holy Spirit through the hard moments of our lives. He says the key question we must ask in order to leave a life of anxiety and cross over to one of faith is how we can escape a trauma-filled past and restore our childlike faith? Chuck provides biblical examples and discusses how Jesus was different.
From the back cover: "We've all wished for that extra hour or two in our day. . . . Yet the simple days we long for are within our reach." This book is interwoven with biblical teaching, personal experience, and practical tips and you are gently guided to simplify your life, your house, and your soul. As the back cover says, "You don't have to be stressed out. You can experience peace and rest. Start today to reap the rewards of living simply."
God is in control, but we have the freedom of choice. So, will you choose God and peace, or a life of stressed-out chaos? This spiritual guide book is available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com for approximately $13.99, depending upon the store you select. This book is for a Christian living audience or those who wish to discover the peace through crossing over.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Forever, Until we Meet
Forever Means How Long - Forever, Until We Meet
Author: Vicki M. Taylor
A Review by Barbara J. Robinson of Forever Until We Meet by Vicki M. Taylor
From the mountains of Wyoming to the sunshine of Florida, Taylor spins a web of excitement through the journey of James and Patricia, who meet via the Internet. This book is a must read for women who seek love and companionship over electronic lines, a tale of a woman who didn't give up on love, though each time she laid her heart on the line, it meant more pain and heartbreak.
Refusing to give up on love and knowing that she was a better person than the shallow James who would spend his life looking for a woman who didn't exist, "the perfect woman," existing only in his mind, Patricia finds true love just when she vows to be herself and enjoy life to its fullest. Ironically, she meets true love head on when her heart takes wings back to Wyoming. On the same day she was supposed to have met James for the first time, she realizes he’s the one who is losing and will never have a full, complete life, or a real true love because he is unable to get past "the perfect woman" his mind has created, who is nothing more than a shallow fairy tale.
James is the true loser in this tale because he is destined to a life of disappointment while he plays out his fun and games of chasing his illusion over the Internet, a game of chase he will never win. Patricia prefers a man of depth and reality to a shallow fairy-tale version of the man she thought was the man of her dreams. Giving up her fairy tale, she discovers a man of solid depth with whom she is truly compatible, while James is right back on the Internet searching for a woman who doesn't even exist, except in his mind. Patricia sees that he wastes no time in chasing his next illusion at an even faster pace. Time will run out for James as his Internet fantasy and games catch up with him, while time marches on for Patricia, time worth living in the real world where strong women such as Patricia never give up on making their dreams come true.
Taylor has captured the Internet Romeo in James and the many lonely women seeking true love and companionship in Patricia. This book could be the book that makes a difference for you, if you are one of those lonely women, so don't miss life's lessons on love so cleverly woven in this tale of romantic suspense which has the reader on the edge, wondering if this romance will make it. This is a book the reader won't want to put down until the end.
For you men out there, if you are an Internet Romeo, you might not want to pass this book up because you might find yourselves learning some lessons from dear old James which could prove valuable tools during your Internet fantasies of fairy tales. Ironically, James offers to bring Patricia to Disneyland, a place where fairy tales are supposed to come true, but Patricia's shoe didn't fit. Forever Until we Meet is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. It’s a must-have educational tool for being Internet savy.
Author: Vicki M. Taylor
A Review by Barbara J. Robinson of Forever Until We Meet by Vicki M. Taylor
From the mountains of Wyoming to the sunshine of Florida, Taylor spins a web of excitement through the journey of James and Patricia, who meet via the Internet. This book is a must read for women who seek love and companionship over electronic lines, a tale of a woman who didn't give up on love, though each time she laid her heart on the line, it meant more pain and heartbreak.
Refusing to give up on love and knowing that she was a better person than the shallow James who would spend his life looking for a woman who didn't exist, "the perfect woman," existing only in his mind, Patricia finds true love just when she vows to be herself and enjoy life to its fullest. Ironically, she meets true love head on when her heart takes wings back to Wyoming. On the same day she was supposed to have met James for the first time, she realizes he’s the one who is losing and will never have a full, complete life, or a real true love because he is unable to get past "the perfect woman" his mind has created, who is nothing more than a shallow fairy tale.
James is the true loser in this tale because he is destined to a life of disappointment while he plays out his fun and games of chasing his illusion over the Internet, a game of chase he will never win. Patricia prefers a man of depth and reality to a shallow fairy-tale version of the man she thought was the man of her dreams. Giving up her fairy tale, she discovers a man of solid depth with whom she is truly compatible, while James is right back on the Internet searching for a woman who doesn't even exist, except in his mind. Patricia sees that he wastes no time in chasing his next illusion at an even faster pace. Time will run out for James as his Internet fantasy and games catch up with him, while time marches on for Patricia, time worth living in the real world where strong women such as Patricia never give up on making their dreams come true.
Taylor has captured the Internet Romeo in James and the many lonely women seeking true love and companionship in Patricia. This book could be the book that makes a difference for you, if you are one of those lonely women, so don't miss life's lessons on love so cleverly woven in this tale of romantic suspense which has the reader on the edge, wondering if this romance will make it. This is a book the reader won't want to put down until the end.
For you men out there, if you are an Internet Romeo, you might not want to pass this book up because you might find yourselves learning some lessons from dear old James which could prove valuable tools during your Internet fantasies of fairy tales. Ironically, James offers to bring Patricia to Disneyland, a place where fairy tales are supposed to come true, but Patricia's shoe didn't fit. Forever Until we Meet is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. It’s a must-have educational tool for being Internet savy.
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