Danger in The Shadows

My church just had a ladies night where we discussed the book Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson.  Apparently it is a prequel to a series written by Henderson.  I had not read that series but I had read a couple by this author.

The book caught my interest from the very start.  Sara was a victim of a kidnapping in her childhood that resulted in her twin sister's death.  Now she is in witness protection.   She has successfully shut out most people from her life but she can't get rid of Adam Black quite so easy.

From Library Journal

Reclusive author Sara Walsh hides from the public for a reason. As a child, she was kidnapped (with her twin sister, Kim) and locked in a root cellar for nine days. Their father, a diplomat, balked at paying the ransom, and Kim died on the eighth day. Twenty-five years later, one of the kidnappers, who remains frustratingly elusive, regularly torments Sara by sending momentos of their time together. Sara is locked in a gilded cage, and the potential key, retired football player Adam Black, may be too explosive for a life lived in shadow, but he is convinced Sara is the answer to his prayers. 

I really enjoyed the book and read it quickly---it was hard to put down!  We had a great discussion centered mostly around what fear can do to a person.  

Take a Trip to Butternut Creek

I just finished book two of the Butternut Creek Series, The Matchmakers of Butternut Creek.    The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek is the first.  

Let me tell you, a journey to Butternut Creek is a joy.  If follows the life of new, young pastor Adam Jordan as he navigates his way through ministry in this small Texas town.    He doesn't have to do it alone, though---some ladies in the church who call themselves The Widows are there to help them out.  With Miss Birdie as their fearless leaders, The Widows work very hard to keep Pastor Adam in line.   Adam luckily has the good sense to listen to them.  Mostly.

In the second book The Widows are determined to marry Adam off to Gussie Milton.  Adam is very drawn to Gussie but an event in her past makes her keep Adam at arms length, much to the chagrin of The Widows.

You'll laugh and you'll be touched.  I can't wait for book 3, The Wedding Planners of Butternut Creek, to come out in November!


If you are a fan of the Mitford Series or my personal favorite, the Harmony Series, you'll love Butternut Creek!

What I Read on My Summer Vacation

So we were in Myrtle Beach not too long ago and I spent a lot of time under the umbrella and in the jacuzzi tub reading!  Thought I'd give you a little review of what I read.

1.  A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet by Sophie Hudson

I actually read this and discussed with a group of girls from my church.  I had read about half of it before we went to the beach and I finished it up while there.   This is actually not considered Christian Fiction.  It's more of a memoir even though she changed up some names of people and places.  The author has a blog, Boo Mama that I have followed off and on.  She's a pretty funny lady and the book didn't disappoint.  The subject was mostly family.  Among the humor there were a lot of really touching moments.  


2. Secrets Over Sweet Tea by Denise Hildreth Jones

Wow.  This book was a bit heavy (in a good way).  Though there were some funny moments--one of the characters is quite unique--it really dealt with three different marriages, two of which were in turmoil.   I found it riveting.  A bonus is that it's set in Franklin, TN....a place I've actually visited.

From the Back Cover

Secrets can be funny things . . .
We think they keep us safe, but more often than not, they spill out when we least expect and make a mess out of everything. It’s a truth Scarlett Jo Newberry knows all too well—a truth Grace Shepherd and Zach Craig are about to learn the hard way.

As the lives of this boisterous pastor’s wife, polished news anchor, and beleaguered divorce attorney intersect on the tree-lined streets of Franklin, Tennessee, scandal threatens to topple their carefully constructed worlds. Grasping at survival, they embark on a journey of friendship and courage, desperate to find a way back to laughter, love, and life.

3. Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble

This was the second in a series set in the fictional Hope Beach, somewhere in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  As much as I loved the first book, Tidewater Inn, this one was even better!  Great suspense with a little romance thrown in.

Rachel Hauck

I've seen books by Rachel Hauck over the years and mostly ignored them. I'm sure they are fine books but the chick-lit light romance type don't really entice me. Not long ago one of hers caught my eye....The Wedding Dress. Since I'm a sucker for anything wedding-related, I picked it up. Here is the blurb on the back cover:


Four brides. One Dress.

A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.

Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress…or feel certain she should marry Tim. Then Charlotte discovers a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new—shimmering with pearls and satin, hand-stitched and timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Who welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been “redeemed.”

Charlotte’s search for the gown’s history—and its new bride—begins as a distraction
from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who

have worn the dress. Emily from 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within 

the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte’s heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the timeless beauty of finding true love.

“The story of four loveable women, miraculously bound by one gown, whose lives span a century . . . will take your breath away.” —Beth Webb Hart, bestselling author of Love, Charleston


Needless to say I bought the novel and read it. I found the plot very intriguing and I really enjoyed every page. 

Just about a month ago I was browsing in the bookstore and say another of hers called Once Upon a Prince (Royal Wedding Series). I picked it up and while it was much more predictable and less mysterious I still enjoyed it. I plan to continue reading the series.

I've discovered a great author!

If you like suspense (which I do!), you need to check out Brandilyn Collins.
http://www.brandilyncollins.com/books.html

The book club read Deceit last year and we all enjoyed it.  This year we read Gone to Ground and I thought it was a excellent read.   I actually read the entire book in two hours (while in the bathtub!)
I liked the way she presented the story. Each chapter began with a newspaper article and the story was told in the voices of three women who were involved in the mystery in some way.

Shortly after finishing that one I found Brink of Death at Goodwill and picked it up.  It was well worth the dollar I paid for it.  It's the first in a series and I look forward to reading more.  This book centered around a former courtroom artist who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation of a neighbor.  The local police ask her to work with the surviving victim to make a sketch of the suspect.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.  I like the way she subtly weaves in the Christian aspect of each story.  The plots are engaging and the characters are interesting!

Way behind on Left Behind

No one would accuse me of ever being on the cutting edge of ANYTHING, even reading.  I've been voraciously reading Christian fiction for over 8 years now, and I've just now decided to read the Left Behind series.  I know, I know!  Way behind on Left Behind.  I always avoided it because there was some controversy over it.  And let's face it, no one really knows what will happen at the Rapture.  But since I'm now an expert on have done a study on Revelation with Beth Moore (not actually WITH her, of course) I felt ready to handle it.  I actually like it so far.  I'm on the 3rd book and finding them hard to put down.  If you read my post about cliff hangers, you know that I am really impatient in waiting for the next book in a series I'm reading.  So it's actually good for me to read a series after ALL the books have been written.  It seems that the authors are sticking true to the prophesies found in Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc.  There is just a lot that has to be made up because, well, it hasn't happened yet. (If it has, ya'll, we're in trouble!).  

Anyone else want to add thoughts on this series?  Anyone?

Still here and still reading

Well, the holidays (and the 6 or so weeks after) were busy and I neglected this little blog.  I'm sure the 3 of you who actually read it were checking diligently each day to see if  I updated.  I feel terrible about the disappointment this must have caused you, but I'm back now and I did read while I was busy so there will be many book reviews to make up for the time lost. (Totally kidding.  Except for the reading part).

I said I was going to post some reviews of all the Christmas-themed books I read but since tomorrow is already Valentines Day I will put that off for awhile.  Probably until next November.

I've mentioned before that I like Biblical fiction.  Last year the book club read Abigail, one of Jill Eileen Smith's Wives of King David series.  I liked that one so much I went back and read the other two (Michal and Bathsheba).  Her new endeavor is the Wives of the Patriarchs series.  This month in book club we read Sarai. I really enjoyed it.  Smith does such a good job of  staying as close as possible to the Bible.  When she has to stray because the Bible doesn't give the information she uses a plot line that is very plausible.  Of course after I read that one I had to get the next book, Rebekah.  Rebekah was good but there isn't as much about her in Scripture so most of the book is invented.  The author did a a good job, I just didn't find it as intriguing.  I am looking forward to seeing what she does with Leah and Rachel.

Life Support/Life Everlasting by Robert Whitlow

This author is so good.  I love legal thrillers anyway, and he is just as good if not better than Grisham, Patterson, and the like.

The first book of this 2-book series is Life Support.  Baxter Richardson is pushed off a cliff by his wife Rena, who is shocked to discover that he survives the accident.  Baxter is now in a coma and Rena wants to terminate life support.  She claims that her husband would have wanted that, but the reader knows the real reason Rena wants him dead.  Baxter's husband, the very wealthy Ezra Richardson, wants to keep his son alive to protect his own interests.

Meanwhile lawyer Alex Lindale is sent by her firm to help the Richardson's sort out their disagreements about Baxter's power of attorney.  She ends up representing Rena without knowing the truth about Baxter's fall.  This leads to a "conflict of interest" with her firm and she is fired.  Alex decides to open her own practice.

As this is all happening Alex meets music minister Ted Morgan, whose faith and giftedness on the piano draw her in.  Alex has never had a strong faith but begins to learn more about what it means to trust in God.  She sure needs a lot of help in representing Rena Richardson.

All of these characters and story lines are woven together creating an intriguing plot.  I was racing to the end only to discover the dreaded cliffhanger!  After a few days of impatiently waiting I had book number two, Life Everlasting.  I won't go into too much detail because it will spoil the ending of book one.  Let's just say Rena's lies get more and more complicated and Alex is struggling to keep up with her.  Her relationship with Ted is becoming more serious, and Baxter's life is still on the line.

Beware of the Cliffhanger!

After I read Water's Edge by Robert Whitlow I decided to get some more of his novels.  I went to the Paperback Swap (more on that later), looked him up, and ordered the first one I saw.  

The book was Life Support and it was great!  I finished it in one evening.  But....it ended in a cliffhanger!  I didn't even realize this was a 2-book series.  I immediately ordered the next one, but it took over a week to get to me.  I've been not-so-patiently waiting to see how the story ends. I finally got it today.....so you know what I'm reading tonight!

By the way, the title is Life Everlasting.  I'll be reviewing both books soon!

The Zion Covenant Series

The Zion Covenant Series by Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced  Tay-nee) is a nine book saga of life for Jewish people in the time leading up to World War II and throughout the war.

The titles are:
Vienna Prelude
Prague Counterpoint
Munich Signature
Jerusalem Interlude
Danzig Passage
Warsaw Requiem
London Refrain
Paris Encore
Dunkirk Crescendo

In the first novel, the main character of the story is Elisa Lindheim, a German violinist living and working in Vienna.  Elisa's father is of Jewish heritage but has become a Christian.  When Elisa comes to Germany to visit she discovers that her father has been targeted by the Nazis.  He has sent her mother and brothers away and plans to do the same with Elisa.  As they try to leave Germany her father is arrested.

Because Elisa has Aryan features she is safe from persecution for the time being.  She uses this to help her Jewish friends and becomes part of an underground plan to help Jewish children get to safety.  The next few books highlight Elisa, her friends Leah and Shimon, her husband John Murphy, and others who are a part of the underground.  Each book brings in new characters and they are included and featured as the series moves on.

This series does an exceptional job of painting the picture of the terror that followed the Jews and their helpers throughout Hitler's reign.  It also gives an inside look of how he planned to slowly take over Europe.  We read about the take over in Vienna, Prague, Warsaw, and others.  There are triumphs and tragedies as some are saved and some are not.

I had some knowledge of life in Europe during this time but very little of what was happening in Jerusalem and how Hitler was working with the Islamic leaders to persecute Jews there as well.  Parts of the series show the struggles there for both natives and those who have arrived hoping for refuge.

The first six books are the original series, and due to reader demand the authors re-worked some of their other novels with characters from these to complete 9 books.  I enjoyed all nine; however, the last three were certainly my least favorite.  They focused much less on the characters I had come to love in the first six.

One really unique thing about this series are the prologues.  These are actually flash-forwards and focus on what happened to the instruments (Elisa and many of her friends are part of the Vienna Orchestra) as they outlive their former players.  I love how music is a part of each novel.