Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Hero's Lot by Patrick W. Carr (The Staff and The Sword Series)

I'm so glad my net is back! I am a wee bit later posting this than I would like to be! :(
The first book in this series is A Cast Of Stones. That was a wonderful book, and what fun to be able to put it down and pick up this one and just keep reading! PLEASE do read the first book first. This isn't a stand along second novel, but a continuation of a really good series!

Errol has had so very much happen in his life so far! He's found out he had talents he had no idea about, and had quite an epic journey of growth, learning and development in the first book. Now he has many enemies, and several of them want him dead.Padre Martin, and Luis are sent back to his home town. They are in search of what makes Errol, an orphan and thus a Stone, so important to the Kingdom. And to complicate matters, Errol's been convicted of consorting with spirits! HA! Nothing like that, but now Errol is under *another* compulsion. (Really I feel for this boy growing into a man going through a compulsion again!)
He has to go into enemy territory, to Merakh. His compulsion, his mission, is to find Sarin Valon and kill him. If Errol can survive this, he is really growing into a man, and there is a specially interesting girl. Hummm!

Girls aside, the Kingdom is in trouble and that kind of trouble isn't cured over night. Errol's life is getting more complicated. There are new people, ones who follow Aurae and not just whatever the church happens to say. They feel that it is not an issue to cast lots, but that the power of Deus and Aurae is stronger than all else.

I seriously await the third book in this series!

Carol :)

About the Book:

With the King Near Death, Will the Kingdom Fall?
When Sarin Valon, the corrupt and dangerous church leader, flees the city of Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But he and his friends still have dangerous enemies working against them in secrets and whispers. 

In a bid to keep them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom, and in that journey they discover amazing new secrets about the workings of Aurae.

Back in Erinon, Errol is unjustly accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon and kill him. To enforce their sentence, the church leaders place Errol under a compulsion--he must complete his task, or die trying.


About the Author:
Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee.  Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan.  Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
You can follow Patrick on FB HERE.
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. (And I am so glad I did!) 

A Cast of Stones -  http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Stones-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210432/ 
The Hero’s Lot http://www.amazon.com/Heros-Lot-The-Staff-Sword/dp/0764210440/
Author Website http://patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links  -
Julie Bihn
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Rachel Wyant

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Cast Of Stones by Patrick W. Carr (The Staff and The Sword Series)

If you are looking for something to keep you reading and not wishing for a break, this is it for right now!
A Cast Of Stones is the first book in this series, and I hope to post tomorrow about the second one, A Hero's Lot. While the title and the cover had me interested, the story sucked me right in.

Errol Stone. He is a "nobody", a drunk. A mere boy who lives in a tiny dot of a village and barely scrapes by. He lives from one day to the next to get enough ale to drown his emotions. Of course, all that changed, but it is how and the what, and the WHY it changed that is a tale worth reading. Errol, to get some money for ale, took a package to the hermit priest in the woods. On the way there, someone tried to kill him. On the way out, he and both priest fell from being poisoned! If that didn't get your attention, it should have! See Errol has a gift, he has a calling and he hasn't a clue! First he has to see if he can live his life with out being an alcoholic. If he can mange that, he might could mange to figure out how to deal with the pain inside of him, and what he is to do with the gift he has that could land him in so very much trouble.

He's only had two priests ever who cared about him, and one of them, well he isn't so sure about. The other priest might claim Deas's and Ellison's name - but they do not show love or kindness. The "unknowable" Aurae, being the third part of the Trinity has me lost as to why folks would think Him unknowable. However, the herb women know Him. I'm hoping for more enlightenment as I keep reading!

Errol's connection to the church is just thrust upon him, and I have been fascinated reading about how he is casting lots. Now I was always raised with "casting lots" like that being "drawing the short straw" or rolling dice. In A Cast Of Stones - lot casting is a whole different thing. It is, frankly, a gift and fascinating and sort of like prophecy and yet that is only the tip of it. I want you interested, because you should be at this point!

Errol is young, and green, and yet smart and bold. He is weak, but he is strong. He is lost, but yet he can find the One who can find him. I'm pretty sure of this as I keep reading his unfolding story!

More tomorrow!
Carol :)
QUICK for now you can get this free for your Kindle! A Cast of Stones is currently free on Amazon, but you had better move as fast as Errol's staff if you want to get hooked on this series like this! ;) 

About the Book:
In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone’s search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he’s joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom’s dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

About the Author:
Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee.  Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan.  Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
You can follow Patrick on FB HERE.
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. (And I am so glad I did!) 

A Cast of Stones -  http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Stones-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210432/ (
The Hero’s Lot http://www.amazon.com/Heros-Lot-The-Staff-Sword/dp/0764210440/
Author Website http://patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links  -
Julie Bihn
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Jeff Chapman
Laure Covert
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
April Erwin
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Rachel Wyant

Friday, August 23, 2013

Into The Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden

Mollie never dreamed her life would change so drastically. Only six short days ago she was trying to make major decisions about her company. Mollie runs the 57th Illinois watch company. Her Father started it, and she was interested in watch making by age 10. Even more so, her employees are like family to her. Several of them are "cast offs" from the war. Her lawyer is blind, her polisher frequently drops about $100.00 worth of diamond dust on the floor, and that is just to name a few of her special people.

Zack is an up and coming lawyer and he has just offered to buy Mollie's watch company. He tends to be an aggressive street smart man, who grew up very poor. If  Mollie sells, it would bring her much needed relief from financial and mental pressures. She would still work there, and could keep her work crew. However, she isn't quite sure that this is what she needs to do, if it is the right choice. She has a week to think it over. The problem is if she doesn't except, she will loose the biggest account, the one keeping her business going because Zack also works for those people. Zack's offer is a good one, but why is he doing this? What is the motive behind this sudden pressure? He is falling in love with her, but there is a great deal of ramifications to be considered.

Things can change in a day, or week, and in this case, it is Chicago. It is on fire. Real literal, burning to the ground fire. There is a deed that Zack hasn't told Mollie about, and the fire has left Mollie in the position of rebuilding her life, her company, and her heart. Her life has become a whirlwind, spinning her around and around when she least expects it. Mollie has to hear and follow that still small voice that leads us if she is to follow her heart into the future that she and many others are counting on.

Carol :) 

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Into the Whirlwind
Baker Publishing Group (August 15, 2013)
by
Elizabeth Camden


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A research librarian and associate professor, Elizabeth Camden has a master’s in history from the University of Virginia and a master’s in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband in central Florida.





ABOUT THE BOOK
After her father's death, Mollie Knox takes over his watchmaking company and uses her head for business to solidify the good name of the 57th Illinois Watch Company. Her future looks bright until the night her beloved city is destroyed in the legendary Great Chicago Fire. With her world crumbling around her, Molly must do whatever it takes to save her company in the aftermath of the devastating fire.

Zack Kazmarek is an influential attorney with powerful ties to the political, mercantile, and ethnic roots of Chicago. His only weakness is Mollie Knox, a woman who has always been just beyond his reach. However, all bets are off after the fire destroys Chicago, and Mollie is in desperate need of assistance. Just as Zack finally begins to pursue the woman he loves, competition arises in the form of a hero from her past who can provide the help she needs to rise from the ashes.

While Mollie struggles to rebuild, the two men battle for her heart. One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her. In the race to rebuild the city, can she survive with her business and her heart intact?

If you would like to read the first chapter of  Into the Whirlwind, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210246 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Icing on the Cake by Janice Thompson (Weddings by Design Series)

The Icing On The Cake is the second book in this series. Picture Perfect was the first one. 

In this book Scarlet, friends with Hannah from the first book, is working on her bakery and cake business  She is going to be creating the wedding cake for Hannah, and she is working so hard to impress her Aunt "Willy" - Wilhelmina. Scarlet is single, and very concerned with her looks. Her Aunt calls her rump her "sticky buns" and she is very self-conscious, and rather hates her hips.

So as Scarlet is working to open her new store, get ready for huge events, her friends are also working to make sure she doesn't stay single and love-less in the romance area. Armando, who we met in the first book, has changed some. Or has he? He still has those dashing looks that make Scarlet's heart pound, but he seems to despise "good girls". She has the safe, sweet, Christian guy who works with her, but who she has no spark, chemistry, or really life long draw to be with. Should she run away from Armando and force herself to try to fall in love with Kenny? When Armando starts to help out the pizza place next door, will everything be as sweet success, or melt and run? 

Full of humor, and cake quotes, this book was as much fun as the first one, and yet different.

Carol :) 

Scarlet isn't sure if she has just the right ingredients for true love--or utter disaster
Scarlet Lindsey is busy making her dreams come true. She's moved her bakery to a prime spot on Galveston's most popular street, she's planning an extravagant cake for her best friend's wedding, and she has a great relationship with Bella Neeley, the island's most popular wedding coordinator. Business is booming and Scarlet is enjoying the ride.

But when Bella's dangerously handsome brother Armando breezes into her life, Scarlet is faced with a sticky situation. Should she stay with the safe, sweet guy who's been a fixture in her life for years? Or will this brash Italian hunk melt her guarded heart?

Fan favorite Janice Thompson is back with more wit, more weddings, and more of what you love best--bridal-business drama laced with laughs.

  About the Author:

Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experiences as a wedding planner. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and the Backstage Pass series. She lives in Texas.
Her web site is: http://janiceathompson.com/blog/

The book link:
http://www.amazon.com/Icing-Cake-The-Weddings-Design/dp/0800721535

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering (Yes I posted this twice!)

Ever have an OPPS?! 

Good! I knew I was not the only not perfect person. (Big Grin!) 
I manged to order this book twice! I'm not at all sorry I did, but thanks for this copy goes to 
Bethany House Publishers  (A Division of Baker Publishing Group) who sent it to me for review, and had no idea that I would find it so interesting just from the write up that I would mange to order it twice! (Blush!) I shall be more careful to double check and not have this complication in the future.Meanwhile, my review for both groups for this book is the same. 

Rules of Murder is the first book I have read by Julianna Deering.

Drew is a young man who is the next in line to inherit his family's estate, and the family business. His best friend is Nick, who's father happens to be the trusted family butler/servant who helped raised Drew. Drew's step-father is Mason. Drew and Nick are home for a visit. Upon their arrival his Mother, Constance, is hosting a large party and even their rooms are full. That had to be um, settled, and in the midst of all the going-ons Mason's niece Madeline Parker arrives. Madeline is from America. As it comes about, she, Nick, and Drew all like murder mysteries very much. They are soon discussing Father Knox's rules for writing murder mysteries. These three are soon boon companions, drawn together, but yet pushed apart by nothing short of murder!

Lincoln, a scandalous man, is found dead in the greenhouse after the fireworks by none other than Drew and Madeline. That was quite a shock, but many people had reasons to remove him. He was rumored in an affair with Drew's Mother and things just got more tangled from there! Before they can even start to sort out the depths Lincoln had sunk into, Drew's mother is found dead in her room. This can not be a coincidence, but who is the killer? Step-father / Uncle Mason? He's such a kind sort, it is so hard to sort out. The police keep saying let us handle it, but that is not good enough for Drew, nor Nick and Madeline is not about to be left out!

With a large list of suspects, and a few good discoveries surely this group can solve these crimes before it tears apart more lives. Drew and Madeline are falling in love, but she can't trust Drew if he can't give his heart to God. That is no way to live a lifetime,

VERY well written, I wouldn't mind reading it again! Drew is wonderful portrayed and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Carol :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JULIANNA DEERING has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, 2014).



 ABOUT THE BOOK
Downton Abbey Meets Agatha Christie in This Sparkling Mystery

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew's stepfather's company come to light and it's clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this game.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Rules of Murder, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210955 

Rules Of Murder by Julianna Deering (A Drew Farthering Mystery)

Rules of Murder is the first book I have read by Julianna Deering.

Drew is a young man who is the next in line to inherit his family's estate, and the family business. His best friend is Nick, who's father happens to be the trusted family butler/servant who helped raised Drew. Drew's step-father is Mason. Drew and Nick are home for a visit. Upon their arrival his Mother, Constance, is hosting a large party and even their rooms are full. That had to be um, settled, and in the midst of all the going-ons Mason's niece Madeline Parker arrives. Madeline is from America. As it comes about, she, Nick, and Drew all like murder mysteries very much. They are soon discussing Father Knox's rules for writing murder mysteries. These three are soon boon companions, drawn together, but yet pushed apart by nothing short of murder!

Lincoln, a scandalous man, is found dead in the greenhouse after the fireworks by none other than Drew and Madeline. That was quite a shock, but many people had reasons to remove him. He was rumored in an affair with Drew's Mother and things just got more tangled from there! Before they can even start to sort out the depths Lincoln had sunk into, Drew's mother is found dead in her room. This can not be a coincidence, but who is the killer? Step-father / Uncle Mason? He's such a kind sort, it is so hard to sort out. The police keep saying let us handle it, but that is not good enough for Drew, nor Nick and Madeline is not about to be left out!

With a large list of suspects, and a few good discoveries surely this group can solve these crimes before it tears apart more lives. Drew and Madeline are falling in love, but she can't trust Drew if he can't give his heart to God. That is no way to live a lifetime,

VERY well written, I wouldn't mind reading it again! Drew is wonderful portrayed and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Carol :)

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Rules of Murder
Bethany House Publishers (August 1, 2013)
by
Julianna Deering


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JULIANNA DEERING has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, 2014).



 ABOUT THE BOOK
Downton Abbey Meets Agatha Christie in This Sparkling Mystery

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew's stepfather's company come to light and it's clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this game.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Rules of Murder, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210955 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Captives by Jill Williamson

I have read other books by Jill Williamson, but this one, Captives, captivated me from the start.
There is an infection, or something that is contagious, and it has rendered the inhabitants of The Safe Lands relativity unable to have children. Well, at least children that aren't infected.

Out side of The Safe Lands dwell little villages of people, and these people are not infected. So Enforcers from The Safe Lands are being dispatched to go see if anyone wants to live in The Safe Lands. They aren't suppose to force them to relocate, just convenience them to come to a "better life".

This brings us to three brothers. Omar, who is very artistic. That happens to be shunned because they need hunters. This makes him very hard to match off for a wife. Levi, who is the oldest of the three brothers and soon to be wed. He is favored and his match of a wife is idea for him. Then there is Mason. He is studying to be a doctor, and like his brother Omar, he isn't in favor because of this. Women are doctors, what is wrong with this guy that he wants to to be doctor and not a hunter? His father and village elders have matched him off to a potential wife who does't like him and has a sharp tongue. She didn't want a husband who wasn't a hunter and instead has a different calling.

This is just the start of things! When the Enforcers come, life as everyone in this village has know it is changed forever! Levi comes back from a trip that Omar sent him on to find Jem, his fiance has been kidnapped, and Mason and Omar are now in The Safe Lands. A land that isn't so safe, if you ask me, and has deep secrets that Mason is working to uncover. His goal is to protect those he loves, and he is in a bit of a race for time as well. The girls have been put in Harems to be "Queens" while the boys get to choose to pretty much donate what is needed from their bodies, or die. "Liberation" is what they call death. These children raised Glenrock, in the Old Ways that include God are here to "save" a culture from the Thin Plauge. The reason for the plague will hit home with today's world.

And while our brave or misguided villagers choose to follow God and the older ways, or fall prey to the drugged and not what it seems life styles lived in The Safe Lands, including marks that are placed in the hands and on the forehead, love is not all lost. In fact, I was surprised and rather tickled to find some quotes from The Princess Bride mixed in here and there. I'm going to tell you have to read this book and see where those gems were tucked in.

A really good read, you will not be disappointed in the depth that Jill Williamson tucked into Captives.

Carol :)

The Safe Lands is a dystopian series in which earth’s population is divided between the infected and the uninfected; the infected live short, cushy lifestyles within walled cities of unending entertainment, while the uninfected live primitively off the land; when the virus mutates and becomes uncontrollable, the uninfected become the hunted; it is believed they hold the cure. Based on Daniel chapter one.



Captives The Safe LandsBook one: Captives (March 2013)
One choice could destroy them all.
When eighteen-year-old Levi returned from Denver City with his latest scavenged finds, he never imagined he’d find his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many—including his fiancée, Jem–taken captive. Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.
Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Land has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago … and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar’s dreams.
Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only his people, but also find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone inside the Safe Lands.
Can Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Land’s façade before it’s too late?

Captives - http://www.amazon.com/Captives-Safe-Lands-Jill-Williamson/dp/0310724228/  

Author’s website - http://www.jillwilliamson.com/

Participants’ links:
Julie Bihn
Thomas Fletcher 
Booher
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
Pauline Creeden
Emma or Audrey Engel
Victor Gentile
Timothy Hicks
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Asha Marie Pena
Nathan Reimer
Chawna Schroeder
Jojo Sutis
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Rachel Wyant