Saturday, February 29, 2020

Review & Giveaway! 'Ishmael Covenant' - Empires of Armageddon 1 - by Terry Brennan

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About the book:

His marriage in tatters and his career ruined by lies, Diplomatic Security Service agent Brian Mullaney is at the end of his rope. Banished to Israel as punishment by his agency, he's assigned to guard a US ambassador and an insignificant box. Little does he know that this new job will propel him straight into a crisis of global proportions.

Inside the box is a messianic prophecy about the fate of the world. And a dark enemy known as The Turk and the forces of evil at his command are determined to destroy the box, the prophecy, and the Middle East as we know it. When Ambassador Cleveland gets in the way, his life and his daughter's life are threatened--and Mullaney must act fast.

Now agents of three ancient empires have launched covert operations to secure nuclear weapons, in direct defiance of the startling peace treaty Israel and its Arab neighbors have signed. And a traitor in the US State Department is leaking critical information to a foreign power. It's up to Mullaney--still struggling with his own broken future--to protect the embassy staff, thwart the clandestine conspiracies, and unmask a traitor--before the desert is turned into a radioactive wasteland.

Fans of Joel C. Rosenberg, Steven James, and Ted Dekker will relish the deadly whirlpool of international intrigue and end-times prophecy in Ishmael Covenant--and will eagerly await the rest of this new trilogy.


My review:

This was an interesting story with some good action, supernatural elements and international politics intertwined.  I have to say this wasn't my favorite kind of story as I'm not a big fan of politics and I didn't feel like I got to know the characters very well.  It was interesting learning more about the history of the Middle East and how the different countries have interacted over the years.  Mullaney was a man struggling with his faith as it seemed like his world was falling apart; Ambassador Cleveland was a man of deep faith and I admired him as he really went through the wringer in this book but was determined to trust God through it all.  There were some good conversations about faith.  There were a lot of people mentioned in different countries or from different nationalities and it was a little hard to keep track of them all.  There were some good action sequences and some creepy supernatural occurrences.  I knew this was part of a trilogy but I didn't realize how much of a cliffhanger it would end on.  I like the author's notes where he explained some of the true facts he used in the book.  If this sounds like your kind of story, you should check it out!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publications.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Read an excerpt by clicking here!


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About the author:

Terry Brennan is the award-winning author of The Sacred Cipher, The Brotherhood Conspiracy, and The Aleppo Code, the three books in The Jerusalem Prophecies series. His latest release, Ishmael Covenant is the first in his new series, Empires of Armageddon.

A Pulitzer Prize is one of the many awards Brennan accumulated during his 22-year newspaper career. The Pottstown (PA) Mercury won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for a two-year series published while he led the team as the newspaper’s Editor.

Starting out as a sportswriter in Philadelphia, Brennan became an editor and publisher for newspapers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York and later moved to the corporate staff of Ingersoll Publications (400 newspapers in the U.S., Ireland and England) as Executive Editor of all U.S. newspaper titles.

In 1996, Brennan transitioned into the nonprofit sector, spending 12 years as VP Operations for The Bowery Mission and six years as Chief Administrative Officer for Care for the Homeless,  both in New York City.

Terry and his wife, Andrea, now live in Danbury, CT.

More on Brennan can be found at www.terrybrennanauthor.com. He is also on Facebook (Terry Brennan) and Twitter (@terrbrennan1)

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Wonderful! 'The Land Beneath Us' - Sunrise at Normandy 3 - by Sarah Sundin

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About the book:

In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers' betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for--fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.

Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family--the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.

After Clay saves Leah's life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay's recurring dream comes true?

My review:

This was another wonderful story by Sarah Sundin!  I can't say how much I loved Clay and Leah!  Clay was such an honorable man, so caring and generous.  Yet he wasn't perfect as he struggled to forgive his brothers for betraying him and changing the course of his life.  Leah really reminded me of Pollyanna but even more so, always looking for the good in everything, even though she suffered so much tragedy throughout her life.  She, too, had her struggles, though, as she felt like she didn't belong and wasn't worthy because of the comments she'd heard all of her life about orphans.  It's despicable to learn how most people used to view orphans, like something must be wrong with them or like all of their parents were immoral, though they didn't have any idea of the circumstances of their birth, and that they must all be thieves, etc.  The story also dealt with people's prejudice over Clay's skin color, as he was part Mexican and darker skinned.  The book was wonderfully written and I especially enjoyed the letters Clay and Leah wrote to each other.  There were a couple romantic moments and some action, including training and combat.  There was also the question of if they were going to catch Leah's attacker.  Leah had such a strong faith and really depended on God to get her through the hard times.  She knew He was all she needed and that's such a good reminder.  Clay, too, was a strong Christian but had to deal with his unforgiveness.  I loved learning more about Normandy, especially since I was just there in August.  It was amazing to picture the scene having seen the real thing.  Even though this was book three, it worked well as a stand-alone.  I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

  1. Sarah Sundin
    Marci Seither

    Sarah Sundin

    Sarah Sundin is the author of The Sea Before Us and The Sky Above Us, as well as the Waves of Freedom, Wings of the Nightingale, and Wings of Glory series. Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and...
    Continue reading about Sarah Sundin 

Monday, February 24, 2020

Fascinating! 'Collision of Lies' - by Tom Threadgill

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About the book:

The case was tragic. But it was an accident. Right?
Three years ago, a collision between a fast-moving freight train and a school bus full of kids led to devastation and grief on an unimaginable scale. But a fresh clue leads San Antonio police detective Amara Alvarez to the unlikely conclusion that one of the children may still be alive. If she's correct, everything law enforcement believes about the accident is a lie.

With time running out, Amara must convince others--and herself--that despite all evidence to the contrary, the boy is alive. And she will do everything in her power to bring him home.

A fresh voice in suspense, Tom Threadgill will have you questioning everything as you fly through the pages of this enthralling story.

My review:

This was a wonderful story full of humor, suspense and a fascinating investigation into a closed case.  I loved Amara!  She was witty; there was such fun banter with her co-workers. She had a pet iguana; how cool is that!  She was incredibly smart as time and time again she thought of an idea or discovered a clue that helped move their case along and she was incredibly brave.  We get hints here and there into her private life as we discover she's divorced from a man who cheated on her and that she's close to her family.  She's also incredibly health-conscious.  Her co-workers are both a hoot and the medical examiner is quite the character.  One of her co-workers is interested in a guy and she starts to wonder if she could be, too, but there's not really any romance to the story.  The investigation was the focus with some action thrown in.  I didn't notice a spiritual aspect, which was the only disappointing part of the story for me.  I'm looking forward to reading the next one and seeing where Amara's story takes us.  Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

  1. Tom Threadgill
    © David M. Humphrey

    Tom Threadgill

    Tom Threadgill is a full-time author and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). He is currently on the suspense/thriller publishing board for LPC Books, a division of Iron Stream Media. He lives with his wife in rural Tennessee.
    Continue reading about Tom Threadgill 

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Two Steps Forward - The Deacon's Family 3 - by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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About the book:

Sylvie needs a man of substance to help her run her business.

What she gets is Jimmy Fisher.

Back and broke in Stoney Ridge, Jimmy Fisher has coasted through life as long as he could on charm, good looks, and deep-set dimples. They always worked just fine for him--until they didn't. His smile has no effect on the violet-eyed beauty he met at the Bent N' Dent, the one with that stunning horse. She's offered him a job, but nothing else.

The last thing Sylvie Schrock King needs around Rising Star Farm is a grown boy working for her, especially her neighbor Edith's son. The woman holds a serious grudge against Sylvie, and hiring Jimmy Fisher will only fan the flames of Edith's rancor. But Sylvie is desperate for help on the farm, and Jimmy understands horses like no one else.

While Jimmy's lazy smile and teasing ways steal Sylvie's heart, Edith is working on a way to claim her land. Has Sylvie made another terrible mistake?

My review:

This was an amusing story as we see Jimmy finally start to grow up.  I was somewhat familiar with Jimmy as I've read a few other books he was in but I hadn't read all of them.  I loved Sylvie as she cared so much for her son and wanted to make a good life for him, even at the expense of her own happiness.  She also had a funny way of thinking she was quoting the Bible but usually wasn't and had some winking happening from stress that caused some misunderstandings.  I also liked the other story line about her cousin, Luke, and his wife, Izzy.  She was struggling with growing up in foster care and still not having a father in her life.  She also felt God was calling their Amish community to step up and help pregnant women so it was interesting to see where that led.  Edith, Jimmy's mother, was annoying and her husband, Hank, was both amusing and annoying.  David, the bishop, was wise and had good advice for so many.  I like how their faith seems so much more alive than in a lot of other Amish books I've read.  There was a medical situation where we learned about "golden blood," which was fascinating and not something I had heard about before.  There were some cute romantic moments.  I would recommend this story if you like Amish stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

  1. Suzanne Woods Fisher
    © Dan Davis Photography

    Suzanne Woods Fisher

    Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty books, including On a Summer Tide, as well as the Nantucket Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop's Family, The Deacon's Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, among...

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Enjoyable and Unique Romance! 'More Than Enough' - by Lorna Seilstad

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About the book:

Quirky Fiona McGrath loves her job as a Child Life Specialist at a Dunedin, Florida hospital. As a former foster child, she understands trauma and wants to ensure no child ever faces the same kind of fears she once did. But are fears truly in the past?
Gabe Cavenaugh’s life is right on schedule. As the youngest assistant Chief Financial Officer in the hospital’s history, he has much to prove, but he’s confident he can do anything he’s asked. After all, he’s secure in his faith and has the constant support of his family.
When Gabe is directed to make cuts in order to balance the hospital’s budget, his search leads him to the Child Life Program and to Fiona. How can this crazy, hat-wearing woman, who rides around on a sparkly scooter possibly be a vital member of the medical team?
As Fiona works to persuade Gabe about her job’s necessity, he begins to see there’s more to her and her work with young patients than wacky clothes.
But will she be enough to save her program? And could she possibly be enough for a man like Gabe?


My review:

This was an enjoyable story about a fun lady with a job you don't usually hear about.  I really enjoyed learning about this unique job and what a difference they make in the lives of children.  I also liked that issues were portrayed, such as panic attacks, and coping strategies were shown for that along with therapy sessions Fiona has because of the trauma she had gone through growing up.  It was nice to see someone who wasn't perfect and didn't have it all together.  I loved Fiona immediately; she was funny and caring and put the kids first, even if she looked silly doing it.  I hard a harder time with Gabe.  I liked that he wanted to find out what a child life specialist does before cutting the job but he seemed so stubborn about what he believed about the job.  He also was quick to jump to conclusions about Fiona's intentions and would accuse her of things.  He also seemed indecisive about his feelings for Fiona.  I finally warmed up to him as he warmed up to her.  They both had a strong faith though Fiona had a harder time accepting that she was enough, that God's promises were for her and that circumstances weren't her fault.  There were a few good conversations about that.  There was some suspense and some sweet romance.  I would recommend this book if you like fun contemporary romance with a hint of serious issues thrown in.

I received this complimentary ebook from JustRead Tours.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.