So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Book Reviews (catching up)
I've finished a couple of books that I promised a review for. So today is catch-up day.
The first one is Pirate Hunter by Tom Morrisey. The original post for this is here.
The blend of historical and contemporary stories kept my attention all the way through the book. I've read several books that use this technique, but I believe the author of Pirate Hunter has done it seemlessly. So cool the way it all came together in the end. The characters were well-written. I felt like I was saying a reluctant good-bye to old friends at the end of the book. I would have liked to have their stories continue. If you like a good adventure, then Pirate Hunter will be a satifactory read for you. I look forward to reading more of Tom Morissey's books.
The second book is The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan. The original post is here.
This blog tour was scheduled during the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference earlier this month. Which was really excellent timing, since I met Terry at this conference two years ago. He and I were in the same clinic with Angela Hunt and Nancy Rue. In reading each other's submissions to the clinic, I was caught up into Terry's book right away. Great things happened for Terry at that conference, and a year later he not only had an agent, he also had a book contract with Kregel. So I've looked forward to reading the complete book for two years. Terry and I were both on faculty at this year's conference. What a wonderful blessing he and his wife Andrea are to me. I count them among my good friends and always look forward to seeing them at the conference.
The small portion I read as part of the clinic was the prologue of this book—the historical part, the back story to set up the premise of the book. And the story itself didn't disappoint. What a wonderful adventure that started with the discovery in NYC and led to Jerusalem. I loved the characters. And while it is fiction, it felt like it was a documentary of something that really occurred. A good documentary, much more enjoyable to read than the usual reporter's style. Terry's experience as a journalist brought a sense of immediacy to the story, something that could be happening right now. My only disappointment with the book came from my own experience as an editor. Several times I was tripped up by issues that should have been caught in the editing process. But, to be fair, they were issues that I tend to focus on that other editors aren't bothered by. So . . . don't let it keep you from reading this book. I look forward to Terry's next book, and I hope he's planning to use many of the same characters. I'd love to learn more of their stories.
The first one is Pirate Hunter by Tom Morrisey. The original post for this is here.
The blend of historical and contemporary stories kept my attention all the way through the book. I've read several books that use this technique, but I believe the author of Pirate Hunter has done it seemlessly. So cool the way it all came together in the end. The characters were well-written. I felt like I was saying a reluctant good-bye to old friends at the end of the book. I would have liked to have their stories continue. If you like a good adventure, then Pirate Hunter will be a satifactory read for you. I look forward to reading more of Tom Morissey's books.
The second book is The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan. The original post is here.
This blog tour was scheduled during the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference earlier this month. Which was really excellent timing, since I met Terry at this conference two years ago. He and I were in the same clinic with Angela Hunt and Nancy Rue. In reading each other's submissions to the clinic, I was caught up into Terry's book right away. Great things happened for Terry at that conference, and a year later he not only had an agent, he also had a book contract with Kregel. So I've looked forward to reading the complete book for two years. Terry and I were both on faculty at this year's conference. What a wonderful blessing he and his wife Andrea are to me. I count them among my good friends and always look forward to seeing them at the conference.
The small portion I read as part of the clinic was the prologue of this book—the historical part, the back story to set up the premise of the book. And the story itself didn't disappoint. What a wonderful adventure that started with the discovery in NYC and led to Jerusalem. I loved the characters. And while it is fiction, it felt like it was a documentary of something that really occurred. A good documentary, much more enjoyable to read than the usual reporter's style. Terry's experience as a journalist brought a sense of immediacy to the story, something that could be happening right now. My only disappointment with the book came from my own experience as an editor. Several times I was tripped up by issues that should have been caught in the editing process. But, to be fair, they were issues that I tend to focus on that other editors aren't bothered by. So . . . don't let it keep you from reading this book. I look forward to Terry's next book, and I hope he's planning to use many of the same characters. I'd love to learn more of their stories.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Verse of the Day
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; (Psalm 46:1–2 NASB)
Friday, August 28, 2009
Verse of the Day
"No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." (Luke 18:27 MSG)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Verse of the Day
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. (Joshua 1:8 NLT)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Surrender the Wind by Rita Gerlach
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rita Gerlach has published three historical novels plus articles in Writers Gazette, Write to Inspire, Will Write 4 Food, and The Christian Communicator. She also is the editor of Stepping Stones Magazine, an online website focused on writing, marketing, and promotion for writers. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and The Western Maryland Writers Guild.
She currently lives in Frederick, Maryland. You can also visit her at her Blog
ABOUT THE BOOK
Seth Braxton, a patriot of the American Revolution, unexpectedly inherits his loyalist grandfather's estate in England. Seth is torn between the land he fought for and the prospect of reuniting with his sister Caroline, who was a motherless child taken to England at the onset of the war. With no intention of staying permanently, Seth arrives to find his sister grieving over the death of her young son. In the midst of such tragedy, Seth meets Juleah, the daughter of an eccentric landed gentleman. Her independent spirit and gentle soul steal Seth's heart. After a brief courtship, they marry and she takes her place as the lady of Ten Width Manor, enraging the man who once sought her hand and schemed to make Ten Width his own. From the Virginia wilderness to the dark halls of an isolated English estate, Seth and his beloved Juleah inherit more than an ancestral home. They uncover a sinister plot that leads to murder, abduction, and betrayal--an ominous threat to their new life, love, and faith.
If you would like to reas the Prologue of Surrender The Wind, go HERE
Watch the trailer:
Margie's comments: I haven't finished reading Surrender the Wind, but it won't be long. Rita Gerlach has done a great job with the pacing of the novel . . . and tells a wonderful story while doing it. One of the main reasons I'm enjoying this book is because of the setting . . . England in the late 1700s. After the American Revolution. I love historicals (well, almost any genre) set in what is now the UK. (I am such an Anglophile. *smile*) This is the first book I've read by this author, but I look forward to reading many more in the future. I recommend Surrender the Wind to those who like fast-paced historicals and intriguing characters set in America and England.
Verse of the Day
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. . . . Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15–16 NIV)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Welcome Home by Kimberley Woodhouse
Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER. Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, releases from Tyndale House Publishers September first. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children’s books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly “extreme” home. www.kimberleywoodhouse.com
Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.
Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?
How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery’s Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show’s all-time best episodes!).
Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.
Peak inside the Woodhouse family’s life (and their famous house) with a 16-page photo insert.
Kim and her family truly live out James 1:2–4. Joy radiates from every one of them. It's so neat to see an entire family who truly strive to be Christlike in all they do. Welcome Home is their story of how God has brought them to this point. It's not a sugarcoated lesson in joyful Christian living. Kim is honest about the struggles they face on a day by day basis. I've been in their Extreme Makeover home several times and witnessed this family in action. They are transparent and open in their relationships with each other and in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
While I had heard most of the story in bits and pieces over the years I've known Kim and I watched the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show they were featured on, I'm so thankful that Kim has written this out in book form. It's an amazing testimony of God's love, faithfulness, and goodness. Much of their faith, while still evident in their segment, was edited out of the show when it aired. But in her book she is able to fully cover the spiritual journey her family is on. What a blessing and encouragement they are to me to persevere on the path the Lord has for me and my family. I highly recommend Welcome Home.
Verse of the Day
"[To] everyone who is victorious, I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it." (Revelation 2:17 NLT)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Verse of the Day
But He knows the way that I take [He has concern for it, appreciates, and pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous]. (Job 23:10 AMP)
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