My Review of "The Dead Rise First, Rapture Countdown" by Alton Ragan & Robert D. McLaughlin

This is a work of fiction, based on scriptures as they are interpreted by the authors. While not everyone will believe exactly like the authors, the end result is the same. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (KJV)

The Authors, Alton & Robert

This book reminded me of the Left Behind series because it deals with the end times, at the time of the Rapture. We meet several different people who are startled awake by a loud “boom” during the night. In the morning they discover that nothing electrical is working. Their cars won’t start, garage doors won’t open automatically, coffee pots aren’t working, no air conditioning, etc. A few of the men decide to walk into town to see if they can get more information on what is happening. The common thought is that they are under terrorist attack.

After several of the men meet together in town, they decide it would be better for everyone to unite in one central place, pooling their food, water, and other survival supplies together. If this is a terrorist attack, being united in one place will afford better protection for everyone. They decide to use the church of Pastor Jack, who is among the men trying to find out what is going on.

Throughout the story, people who have died are showing up and talking to their loved ones. Can you imagine?? Of course it is hard for the people to understand why this can be happening. Some do remember their bible teaching and know this is probably the “end”. Others believe they are going crazy! There are empty graves and then there are some that loved ones thought should be empty that never opened at all! How sad that would be!

None of us know exactly how, or when, the end will happen. What we do know is that we must be prepared. I really liked the book. As a mother who had to bury her 27 year old daughter, I was thrilled to read that we may get to walk and talk with our loved ones who went before us. I’m not sure if this is how it will happen or not. I just know I’ll see her again, whether here or in heaven.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

If you would be interested in obtaining a copy of this book, here is the information:

Website: http://www.thedeadrisefirst.com/

Vessel Publishers

P.O. Box 3731

Shawnee, OK 74802-3731

*****there is no book giveaway with this review, sorry!*****

Winner of "Disaster Status" by Candace Calvert!!

WENDY you have won!! Congratulations!! I'll be sending you an email shortly.

Thanks to all who entered! God bless!

A New Look

I have changed my look. I tend to get tired of the "same old thing" after a bit so, it was time for a change. And since pink is my favorite color, it had to have that as the major color. So, I would love to hear what everyone thinks, please! Just leave me a comment and let me know if you like it or, should I try something else?
God bless!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

The winner of "For Time & Eternity" by Allison Pittman is....................
Patsy!  Congratulations!!

My Review of "Disaster Status" by Candace Calvert

Disaster Status, by author Candace Calvert. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 2010. The main characters in “Disaster Status” are Erin Quinn, ER charge nurse, and fire captain Scott McKenna. I loved this book! As a retired nurse, I’m a sucker for a good medical story!

It’s Erin’s day off and she is enjoying it. Working out with her punching bag, thinking about the rest of the day and what she and her grandmother would be doing. Her cell phone rings and changes Erin’s plans in a huge way.

Scott rushes into the ER with a child in his arms. She is having a seizure and needs immediate help. The little girl, who is only 6 or 7, falls into a coma. Her family comes in and there is a language barrier. They speak only Spanish. The parents do get across one thing…there are many more sick people.


When Erin gets to the ER, she has forgotten her ID badge and Scott is in charge of security. He won’t let her pass. Finally, she gets into the hospital and is thrown into a critical situation. More people are brought into the ER with similar symptoms as the little 6 year old girl. Things get really tense when one of the nurses becomes symptomatic. Erin is thrown together with Scott in trying to find out what is causing all of this mayhem. Neither one is really happy about it at first but later, sparks begin to fly between them.


Erin came to the California coast and Pacific Mercy Hospital to escape personal turmoil and a cheating husband. Scott is recovering from his own personal tragedy. His sister was killed in a car wreck, when her husband ran the car into a tree. Their son, Cody, was terribly injured and is in Pacific Mercy Hospital. Scott feels like he could’ve prevented the accident if only he would have called his sister back that day.


I highly recommend “Disaster Status” to everyone. Wonderful story of overcoming life’s disasters with God’s help.

 

If you would like to win a copy of this book, leave a comment with your email address and you will be entered. The winner will be announced and contacted on Wednesday, 9-22-10.  Thanks and God bless!

For Time & Eternity

Blurb from the back of the book:


All Camilla Deardon knows of the Mormons camping nearby is the songs she hears floating on the breeze. Never did she imagine he would be so handsome, so charming, especially after Mama and Papa’s warnings to stay away. Though she knows she should obey her parents, Camilla can’t refuse her heart. But even Nathan’s promises cannot prepare her for what she will face in Utah.

After Nathan woos Camilla over to the Mormon side, she is taken in by a family until she and Nathan can be married. Having been raised as a Christian and being familiar with the Bible, Camilla was confused by the differences. Of course she was told that the Bible was full of errors and the truth can only be found in the Book of Mormon. Even though Camilla has questions, she is so enamored with Nathan that she just goes along with him.

Before they reach Utah, Camilla is baptized into the Mormon church and she and Nathan are married. The morning of her wedding she was feeling sad that her parents wouldn’t be there but when she saw all of her Mormon family gathered, it erased any sad feelings she had. She was fully taken with her Mormon family.

They settle in Utah, have 2 little girls, and everything seems right with the world. Camilla has a little problem delivering her third baby, a little boy. He dies after a few days and things begin to change. Nathan begins to want more. He doesn’t believe that his little family can fulfill the wishes of Heavenly Father. He begins to “hint” around that one man plus one woman just can’t fulfill the kingdom. He’s wanting to take a second wife and Camilla is dead set against it.

I loved this book!! I stayed up late to finish it. The characters are developed and believable. I found myself feeling Camilla’s pain and frustration. I believe Allison did a wonderful job of writing this book! The only negative I would have to state is that having to wait a year until the next in the series comes out is too long! We need to know much sooner what happens!

I was provided a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

For a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book, please leave a comment, with your email address. A winner will be chosen, at random, on Friday, 9-17.  Contest open to US residents only, sorry!  God bless and good luck!

Do We Have Any Vampire Fans Out There?

I know, you are probably thinking....what is a Christian blogger doing talking about vampires?  I kinda thought the same thing until I met an author online that writes just that......Curiously Spiritual Vampire stories.  I'm talking about Ellen C. Maze. She has taken a subject that a lot of people are interested in and given it a spiritual thread. I read "Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider" a while back and I couldn't put it down! I loved how she gives the reader all of the vampire "stuff" with a Christian thread running through it. Don't get me wrong here, there is blood, violence, and murder. You have to have that in a vampire story! But God's redeeming love shines through. (I will be doing a review of "Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider" soon)

 

Ellen is having a contest right now to win her latest vampire novel, "The Judging". She is giving away 5 signed copies of this book!  To enter, go to the Contest box up in the top right corner of the blog.  You won't be sorry!

(I will also be reviewing this book, after I've read it of course!)

My Review of "The Boy Who Changed the World"

***there is no giveaway with the review, sorry!***

The Boy Who Changed The World was written by Andy Andrews. Published in 2010 by Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.


In this story we meet several people, who through their unselfish actions, helped to change the world. The author refers to this as the “Butterfly Effect”. What we do can have a ripple effect around the world!

We meet Norman, who develops special seeds that feed billions, then we meet Henry Wallace. Henry and George, an employee of his father’s, love to study plants. Henry loves plants to much he grows up and becomes the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Then Henry becomes Vice-President of the United States. He hires a man named Norman to help the world grow more food. And yes, it’s the same Norman who developed the seeds.

Henry’s friend, George, is the next one we meet. George Washington Carver. He grew up and became a teacher and inventor. He invented many different ways to use peanuts and sweet potatoes. When he was in college he had a professor named Mr. Wallace. George and Mr. Wallace’s son would go on long walks together, looking at plants. His son’s name was Henry.

The book was very enjoyable and easy for children to understand. I liked how all of the characters in the book were tied together. I also loved how the book shows that God made us so important that everything we do matters. Everything we do, whether big or small, can have an effect on someone or something else in the world.

I was provided an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

***there is no giveaway with this review, sorry!***

"Beyond Summer" review and e-book giveaway

I am so excited to have Carie Lawson, author of "Beyond Summer", with us today. Thanks, Carie, for taking time to let us know a little bit about you.

Carie Lawson, author

How long have you been writing and when was your first book published?


I've been writing seven years and my first book, Beyond Africa, was published by Desert Breeze in March of this year.


What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?

Here's my big, profound answer--You have to love it. If you don't, the work wouldn't be worth it. Discovering that I loved to write as much as I love to read was the first step in a journey that was a little harrowing and a lot of fun. The opportunity to share my writing is a blessing.


Where do you get ideas for stories?

Through the characters. They form in my mind long before they have a story.


Has anything surprised you about being an author?

Everything! After I started writing, I was very surprised to realize all that I didn't know about it. I was a business major in college, so I had very few resources when I began writing. I homeschool my kids and constantly learn something new about grammar. That started when my oldest was in the third grade.


Tell us how you come up with characters.

I start with basic strengths and weaknesses. For instance, Zane, our hero in Beyond Summer, would be one who struggled with his keeping his temper in check. To balance him, I gave him this need to nurture and protect. One without the other wouldn't have been a very interesting or likeable character.


What is a typical writing day like for you?

I try to work in an hour a day for writing. It's not much so I'm pretty protective of that hour. If I can get one day a week where I have a two or three hour block, that helps. For me writing has to work in to my life, because my full time job is being mom.


How long does it normally take you to write a book?

About eight months, a little less if I can stretch those one hour slots into two.


Where is your favorite place to write?

Panera Bread. I like to have a snack and never ending coffee. The crowd noise is easy to ignore, and I don't feel the pull of laundry that needs to be folded or dishes that should be loaded. But most days I'm in my bedroom with the door closed while enforcing the "don't come in unless someone is bleeding" rule.


What is your favorite genre of Christian fiction?

Romance. It's fun and relaxing. And I really like happy endings.


What are you reading right now?

I can't read anything until the weekend. Shawna William's No Other is at the top of my list so that I can be ready for the book club discussion this month.


What is your favorite thing to do to relax?

Read. A good book, a fireplace, a cup of hot tea. Ah!


What is your favorite movie?

You've Got Mail. I love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. It's fun to go back and watch what was, at the time, very technologically advanced.


What 3 things would you rather not be without?

My Bible, my family and a good book.


If you had the time and the money, what would you like to do?

I HATE to fly, but I'd love to see Europe. Rome, Ireland, the south of France.


How can readers and fans contact you? (website, blog, face book, twitter, etc)

I'm still a pretty basic girl. I've got a website carielawsonbooks.com and try to hit Facebook once a day. My fan page is Carie Lawson Books.

Thanks so much for having me. It's been a lot of fun:)

Carie

 Desert Breeze Publishing, 2010

My review of "Beyond Summer"......

Beyond Summer is book number 2 in the Twisted Roots series. Zane McCord is back from Africa, working from home and raising his son, Daniel. His sister-in-law, Libby, helps him care for his son since Daniel’s mom left several years ago. Libby, her husband and his family are going back to Africa to take some supplies to the orphanage and clinic Libby used to work at. With Libby gone Zane will need someone to help with Daniel and Libby has just the person. She has the idea that Carly, her college roommate, and her 2 girls, can stay in Libby’s home while she’s away and help Zane care for Daniel.


I enjoyed Zane’s reaction to Carly when he met her. She is a very beautiful woman, model quality. He has sworn off this “type” of woman since his wife left him and Daniel. Of course he tries to act nonchalant around her but when he steps outside and meets her 2 little girls, his heart is captured.

Carly is married but separated from her husband at the moment. Just what is the story behind this separation? She certainly doesn’t want to talk about it. And her oldest daughter, Anna, seems to be a little scared about something. She doesn’t want much to do with Zane, preferring to stick close to her mother. Brie, Carly’s youngest, immediately takes to Zane and everyone else.

Carie has done a superb job of developing her characters and their situations. You are drawn into the book, and become a part of the families. This is one of those books that I didn’t want to put down! It was worth just a few hours of sleep to finish the book. I highly recommend this and also the first in the series, “Beyond Africa”. You won’t be disappointed.

If you would like to enter for a chance to win an electronic copy of "Beyond Summer", please leave a comment with your email address.  A winner will be announced on Saturday, 9/11/10.  Good luck and God bless!