The Telling by Mike Duran (Part Three of a Three Part Blogging Event!)

Hi Again,

I am almost sad! This is the third and final post for The Telling on my blog. I have *really* enjoyed this three part review. As I said before, there is just SO MUCH that is covered in this book, or that leads to deeper thinking, or ideas popping up. I am mostly covering main ones, obvious ones in some ways if you have read this wonderful book.

Most of us believe, or even know from first hand experiences, that Angels and Demons are real. Even non-followers of Christ will say they believe in Angels. Biblical background tells us that the evil spirits we call demons are fallen angels. They were cast down from God's presence, from Heaven, when they choose to follow an angel who thought he could be better than God and could take God's place. The Telling has Angels, and it has some major Demons as well.

Many books, good stories, and rather interesting theories spring from one verse in the Bible. Genesis 6:1-8 basically says; "And it came to pass that men were multiplying on the Earth, and bearing daughters. The sons of God saw that they were beautiful, and starting taking them as wives. (One version says sleeping with them.) {God was getting pretty fed up with the way things were at this time and said that is it! Humans are now limited to 120 year life-spans. Prior to this there are records of 400 years or more in a person's life!}

At this time the Nephilim were on Earth, and also after that, and when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men they bore children. The giants were born, as well as the men of old and mighty renown. And at this point things had gotten so bad that God was ready to destroy the entire world!
Another example is in Genesis 19. Here we find Lot, in Sodom. He has two angels show up and he hides them out at his house. The men of the town start flocking to his house. All these men wanted one thing, they wanted to um.....let's say "go all the way"..... with the angels! Lot told them that that was very wicked, wrong, and the answer was no. Lot even offered up his own daughters to pacify them. (Ewww!) The angles wound up blinding the men outside to stay safe and to keep Lot safe.

O.k. Hang in here with me, because I am going somewhere with this! In The Telling we have some really really vicious demons. They are able to take on human form by stealing that human's spirit, the "breath of God" that was breathed into Adam to give the human race life. Way out there? Or not so way out there at one time? I think that it was a bit more common than we care to think about that humans and angels were able to "cross-breed". The results of that was the Giants, we know that for sure. The results of this were also called the Nephilim and what they were exactly is a bit lost to us. However, if you care to stretch your thinking a bit, if this were possible, a "hybrid" of human and angel DNA - what could the results be? One answer to that is the host of fallen beings that are attacking Endurance and the Remnant that is trying to be strong in God and have faith.

Little Weaver, is a very special character in this book. I loved his dialogue, and his part in The Telling.
There is so much more I want to share with you, but I want you to read this book! I will tell you this much more. The ending, was very good. I did have to re-read it twice because the first time I thought I missed something. The second time I got it, and it was superb. You have to think, and dig just a bit to get it, but I have no complaints, only smiles.

I also want to remind people that this type, this book genera is called Speculative Christian Fiction for a reason. There are often things in this genera that make you go, what?, or what if??? This is thought provoking and, I would hope, causes the reader to dig deeper. It should be a catalyst for learning, growth and change.
Mike Duran pulled all that off very very nicely!

I *highly* recommend The Telling.

Carol :)

Mike Duran talking about his own book - The Telling.


Book link -   http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/ 
Author Blog - http://www.mikeduran.com/
Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/cerebralgrump

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. 

Jim Armstrong
Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Brenda Castro
Jeff Chapman
Christine
Theresa Dunlap
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Emileigh Latham
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Anna Mittower
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Dona Watson
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler

The Telling by Mike Duran (Part Two of a Three Part Review!)

Hello Again!

Yesterday I started you with the first part of my three day posting about The Telling. This wonderful book by Mike Duran covers so very much! Tonight I will cover part of the book that seems to have thrown a few people off kilter thus far. (I have been reading other people's reviews you see!)

One aspect of this book is a very nice government cover up, or as I normally call it, a Conspiracy Theory. I tell you these things do happen! Probably not exactly as it was described in this book, but some powers that  be are recorded having done horrific experiments. Monstrous things that were done during Hiller's regime come to mind. Many of those mind control techniques and much more didn't come to light till years later, and they were backed by the government at that time. Very sad, but true.

What this means for this book is that a cover up of this magnitude is not so far out there as to render it an issue for this book. Also, those who are like me, and love The X-Files will find the plot much to their liking in this area. When you are reading about Endurance, and the rift....Otto's Rift, you find that more people knew about what was happening there than you had considered. More people are interconnected with the secrets that lie in the rift than had been suspected. This brings me to the Ninth Gate of Hell. I know that isn't a spoiler because it is mentioned on the back of the book.

How can we say that ties into anything "Christian"? I am so glad you asked! I figure it works like this. Heaven has gates. They are spoken of in Revelations 21:21 where we read that there are 12 gates there, and that each made out of a giant single pearl! Matthew 16:18 says "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." In Revelation 1:18 we find Christ saying "I hold the keys to death and hell." These and other verses give us the strong visual impact of both Heaven and Hell having gates, and that Hell has a key to keep it locked. This premise of Hell being sort of "inside" or accessible on Earth is not foreign to me. I was younger when I first heard about the team that was doing some major deep deep drilling, much like the mine in The Telling, and wound up recording screams that sound like they are from Hell. Below are two links about that.
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/branton/russhaft.html
http://www.amightywind.com/hell/aboutsounds.htm

So what all really lies inside of Otto's Rift, what it is doing to the land, and the people who live there is no small thing. It is massive, it is major, and it is not at all what you think. Even so, I am still drawn a good bit back to my first post's topic for The Telling. If you speak the Word, will you not also have a great part in saving lives from the gates of Hell?

More tomorrow night!

Carol


Book link -   http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/ 
Author Blog - http://www.mikeduran.com/
Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/cerebralgrump

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. 

Jim Armstrong
Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Brenda Castro
Jeff Chapman
Christine
Theresa Dunlap
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Emileigh Latham
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Anna Mittower
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Dona Watson
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler

The Telling by Mike Duran (A Three Part Post is Planned!)

Oh EVERYONE,

Mike Duran has top his last book! The Resurrection was good. It stayed on my book shelf, so that means it made the "grade" with me. However, The Telling is incredible! Now I an happily have two of Mike Duran's books snugged up side by side on my bookshelf. Yeah! Warning: You are not getting my "normal" post today.

Those of you who read my blog know I love to read, but it is sort of lackluster if the book I read doesn't stick with me, or change me in some way. If that is the case then all I have done is occupy myself for a while. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I prefer books that change me, inspire me, make me think. Books that months later pop into my mind when least expected, still hard at work on the mind and heart of their reader. Those are the really good books, and this is one of them.

Everything we know, everything we are, started with a word. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God." John 1:1 That ties to Genesis 1:3 where we find God up to something. "God said - "Light Be!" And so, light was!" Light became tangible in our dimension and reality. Light became something we can see, something we can use to see, something we can feel the warmth of the sun as it generates light. We miss the light when it is absent, and strive to turn on when needed so we don't flail about in the dark.  So it was with Zephaniah Walker, Zeph for short and for other reasons.

Zeph hears words, and when he speaks them, things happen. This gift, or curse depending on who and what happened from the words spoken, has been with Zeph since he was a young child. He calls it "the Telling". His entire life has been altered because of the Telling. Yet, Zeph is tired. He is hurt. He is torn. Zeph is broken. He has even been brutally physically scared! Daily in the mirror he confronts a huge scar, a line virtually dividing his face in half, gouged into his face by  his own stepmother! From that, and other scars much deeper and more painful than the one on his face, the Prophets of the Plains simply shut down. He stopped. Zeph stopped using the Telling. He stopped being anything but a broken husk of something that he wasn't sure of to start with. In doing so he tucked himself away as a recluse; to live out his days in grief, pain, heartache, and despair.

But as sure as the rock are able to cry out if we remain silent, Zeph can not stay silent forever with out a cost greater than he can even fathom. The gifts and callings of God are with out repentance, they don't leave, they don't go away. Thus - "A prophet never loses his calling, only his way." This prophet must decide if he is going to find his way again, or stay lost at a cost that would be catastrophic, and fatal to millions.

For this post I give you this to think upon:
What price do others pay when you are silent? What will the end results of your silence be? What would really happen if you just open your heart, your mind, your mouth, and spoke of the Light that is inside of you?

Carol

Book link -   http://www.amazon.com/Telling-Mike-Duran/dp/1616386940/ 
Author Blog - http://www.mikeduran.com/
Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/cerebralgrump

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. 

Jim Armstrong
Noah Arsenault
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Brenda Castro
Jeff Chapman
Christine
Theresa Dunlap
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Emileigh Latham
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Anna Mittower
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Dona Watson
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler

A Heartbeat Away by Harry Kraus

Hello Everybody,

This book also failed to show up so that I could read it! HOWEVER, I wound up with a Kindle copy, so I was able to read it after all! This book has a very interesting, but not totally un-plausible premise. Dr. Tori Taylor is a surgeon, mainly for cancer patients. However, her childhood and teen-age traumas have shut down all her emotions. She is hard on her staff, cold, distant and she has almost no friendships with anyone. In short, brilliant and gifted Dr. Tori is a failure in life skills, even though her patients, who are alive because of her skills adore her for helping them. Then the change comes. Tori has a heart transplant. This is the other end of the spectrum. The one where she is at the mercy of her doctors, and her nurses. But way deeper than these changes, nightmares have begun. 

Now Tori finds herself changing faster than she can keep up! It has to be the heart transplant. Who's memories is she reliving? They can't be her own, as she has no recall of these events, and she has never met the people she is seeing in her sleep. It will not back down, it will not let go, and it will not let up. So Tori decides she must find out what happened to her donor. Who was this person who gave her life, a beating healthy heart, but that with that heart also came a flood of emotions, touch, openness, and two new gifts that Tori never even considered. 

This was quite a good read, and I loved the changes, character growth, and mystery involved. I will admit to having caught onto and figured out a good bit of the mystery early on, but that is how I am. Perhaps it is one of my gifts. I did like the twists and turns that were worked in, and the over all message was very, very good. 

Carol 

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Heartbeat Away David C. Cook (September 1, 2012) by Harry Kraus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A Word from Harry:

I started writing my first novel during my last year of surgery training at UK. I was a chief resident, and started writing Stainless Steal Hearts in a call room at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Lexington. It was a crazy time to write! I had a very demanding schedule, often spending days and nights in the hospital. I had two sons at that time, and I recognized the wisdom in my wife's urging: "Now doesn't seem the right time for this dream."

My experience as a writer is far from typical. Having received my formal training in biology and chemistry and medicine, my only preparation for a writing career was a love for reading. The longest thing I'd written before my first novel was a term paper in undergraduate school. My first novel was accepted by Crossway Books and published in 1994, and it wasn't until after I had FOUR published novels that I even opened a book of instruction about the craft of writing fiction. This is not what I recommend to others! Yes, I was successful, but I was bending the "rules" without knowing it. I had a natural talent for plotting, but I realize my initial success may have stunted my growth as a writer. I'd have made faster progress if I'd have gone to the fiction teachers sooner.

I have three sons: Joel, Evan, and Samuel. Look closely in all of my books and you'll see them there. My lovely wife, Kris, provides the basic composition for all those beautiful, athletic, dedicated women in my novels.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When a brilliant surgeon undergoes a heart transplant, her life transforms as she begins experiencing memories of a murder she never witnessed.

The residents worship her. Nurses step out of her way. Her colleagues respect and sometimes even fear her. But surgeon Tori Taylor never expected to end up on this side of the operating table.

Now she has a new heart. This life that was formerly controlled and predictable is now chaotic. Dr. Taylor had famously protected herself from love or commitment, but her walls are beginning to crumble.

And strangest of all, memories surface that will take her on a journey out of the operating room and into a murder investigation.

Where there once was a heart of stone, there is a heart of flesh. And there is no going back.

If you'd like to read the first chapter excerpt of A Heartbeat Away, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/143470257X 

Found by Shelley Shepard Gray (Book Three in the Crittenden County Series)

Hello Readers!

Return for the last book in this series to find out who really did kill Perry and how did he really die? Which relationships will make it through all this, and who's will come apart?

In the third and final book of this series we get all sorts of new relationships, answers to questions, history about Perry's family and sister, and a very close and in depth look at how this all came about. Of course, the perpetrator of the crime is found as well. At the same time it is a bit sad when you do find out! Ms. Gray might have to give us a different book about what happened to that person once they were arrested! Jacob isn't who you might have thought he is, but I am not about to tell you "who-done-it". You have to read it for yourself!

I rather don't like that the next series in her books is set somewhere else, but the first part of the book that is included at this end of this one showed a very strong female lead for the next series. I will have to decide if I really want to read that or not, but meanwhile I really enjoyed these three books! Missing is the first book, and The Search is the second. Click on either name to see my reviews.

Carol

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Found Avon Inspire; Original edition (September 4, 2012) by Shelley Shepard Gray

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold over thirty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, Abingdon Press, and Avon Inspire. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club. Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.

When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.

Check out Shelley's Facebook Fan page

ABOUT THE BOOK  

A murder is solved and a quiet Amish community must deal with the repercussions. Amid the surprising revelations, can a newfound love survive?

As the search for Perry Borntrager's killer continues, Jacob Schrock feels like his world is about to crumble. Right before Perry went missing, he and Jacob got into a fistfight. Jacob never told anyone what happened that terrible night. He's good at keeping secrets—including his love for Deborah, Perry's sister. But when Deborah takes a job at his family's store and their friendship blossoms, Jacob senses everything is about to be revealed.

Deborah has been searching for a slice of happiness ever since her brother's body was discovered. When the police start questioning Jacob, Deborah can't believe that the one person she's finally allowed in could be the one responsible for her brother's death. Will she believe what everyone seems to think is the truth . . . or listen to her heart, and hope there is still one more person who is keeping secrets in Crittenden County?

If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of Found, go HERE.

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062089757

The Reunion by Dan Walsh (AND a GIVE-A-WAY!)

Hello Everyone,

 FIRST of all - check this out! 

5 winners will receive autographed copies of both of The Reunion and The Deepest Waters! 

For the for the next week, starting today and running till next Monday, September 17^th, Dan Walsh is celebrating the release of his new novel, The Reunion, with a 10-book giveaway contest! Five winners will each receive a signed copy of The Reunion, as well as his third novel, The Deepest Waters. (He’s  including this book because it was named a finalist for an ACFW Carol Award for book-of-the-year). Click on the link below to see how easily you can enter the contest!

 http://danwalshbooks.com/the-reunion-book-giveaway-contest/

This is the third book I have read by Dan Walsh. Since he has written six so far, that isn't a bad overall sampling of an Author's work. So far, this is the best of the three books I have read. You can see my review of Remembering Christmas by clicking on it, and The Discovery by clicking on that book title as well.

This book was very moving, touching, sad, glad, weak and strong. Dan Walsh managed to pack all that into the story of a war hero who doesn't even acknowledged what he did. In fact, Arron Miller just considers himself loved by God and a wash as a Father and he grieves his failed marriage and the lost off his children. Unknown to him, two men who's lives he saved in the war want to find him. They hire David to find Arron Miller, and so David sets off on a very fascinating and moving journey to find Arron. In the process all sorts of amazing things occur, including healing, romance, bravery and recognition of valor even if the one who was doing it had no idea what he had set in motion. 

This is the best one of Dan Walsh's book that I have read so far! 
Carol 

About the Book:

Click  to -  Read First Chapter 

There are people in this world we pass right by without giving a second thought. They are almost invisible. Yet some of them have amazing stories to tell, if we’d only take the time to listen . . .Aaron Miller was an old, worn-out Vietnam vet, a handyman in a trailer park. Forty years prior, he saved the lives of three young men in the field only to come home from the war and lose everything. But God is a master at finding and redeeming the lost things of life. Aaron is about to be found. And the one who finds him just might find the love of his life as well.

Expert storyteller Dan Walsh pens a new tale filled with the things his fans have come to love–forgiveness, redemption, love, and that certain bittersweet quality that few authors ever truly master. Fans old and new will find themselves drawn into this latest story about how God cares for everyone. 

About the Author:

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of The Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, and The Deepest Waters. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.

Dan's  Web Site: http://danwalshbooks.com/

The Book Link is: http://www.amazon.com/The-Reunion-Novel-Dan-Walsh/dp/1469213931

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Proof by Jordyn Redwood

Hi Folks,

Well - I have no review for you because my copy of this book did not show up!!!

I am disappointed about that and it was a Kregal Publications even. The last ones I had from them I really enjoyed. So here is the standard information. It is all I can offer you just now, and my apologies to Jordyn Redwood, as I would have loved to have given her my thoughts on her book.

Carol :(

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Proof Kregel Publications (June 1, 2012) by Jordyn Redwood
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jordyn Redwood has served patients and their families for nearly twenty years and currently works as a pediatric ER nurse. As a self-professed medical nerd and trauma junkie, she was drawn to the controlled chaotic environments of critical care and emergency nursing. Her love of teaching developed early and she was among the youngest CPR instructors for the American Red Cross at the age of seventeen. Since then, she has continued to teach advanced resuscitation classes to participants ranging from first responders to MD’s.

Her discovery that she also had a fondness for answering medical questions for authors led to the creation of Redwood’s Medical Edge at http://jordynredwood.com/. This blog is devoted to helping contemporary and historical authors write medically accurate fiction.

Jordyn lives in Colorado with her husband, two daughters, and one crazy hound dog. In her spare time she also enjoys reading her favorite authors, quilting, and cross-stitching.


ABOUT THE BOOK 

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?



Endorsements:

“Jordyn Redwood makes quite a splash with her debut novel. PROOF is a hard-edged mix of medical thriller and crime chiller that grabs you on the first page and doesn’t let go until the end. This one will keep you up way past your bedtime.” 

—Rick Acker, best-selling author of When the Devil Whistles

“From the very first chapter, the first page even, Jordyn Redwood pulls the reader into a story that won’t let go. PROOF is proof enough for me that Jordyn is the real deal: an author who knows how to weave a tight story, write descriptive, authentic prose, and deal with some pretty hefty issues. I’m a fan!”

—Mike Dellosso, author of Frantic and Rearview (a 7 Hours story)

“Debut novelist Jordyn Redwood has used her experience as an ER and ICU nurse to craft a blend of medical thriller and police procedural with twists and turns to keep fans of either genre turning pages.”

—Richard L. Mabry, MD, author of Lethal Remedy and the Prescription for Trouble series

“A rollercoaster of a story. Jordyn Redwood’s PROOF has everything you could want in a thriller—believable characters, a villain who makes your skin crawl, a touch of humor, and a twisting plot—all bound by fascinating medical and scientific details. What a fabulous debut!”

—Sarah Sundin, award-winning author of the Wings of Glory series

“Jordyn Redwood may be new on the scene, but she writes like a seasoned pro. PROOF is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time with well-drawn characters including a villain I despised and a hero and heroine I rooted for. I thought I would just take a peek at the first chapter and finish the story later. I thought wrong. I read late into the night, lost sleep, and put off my own writing to finish this book. I’m eagerly awaiting Jordyn’s second book and will be first in line to purchase it the day it releases.”

— Lynnette Eason, best-selling author of The Women of Justice series

“I love a great medical thriller and I’m glad to add another author to my list. Jordyn Redwood writes like the medical insider she is. A gripping tale laced with realism, sleep-robbing excitement, and something every reader loves: hope.”

—Harry Kraus, MD, best-selling author of The Six-Liter Club

“PROOF by Jordyn Redwood is a gripping medical thriller written with vivid detail from an author who knows her subject firsthand. A serial rapist is at large in the town—in the hospital, even? Can Lilly trust anyone? Even her closest friend? And just when you think you can relax, the stakes get even higher.”

—Donna Fletcher Crow, author of The Monastery Murders

“Jordyn Redwood’s debut novel is a page-turner with an ingenious premise and solid Christian values. A satisfying read.”

—Frank J. Edwards, Medical Director, Delphi Emergency Physicians,
author of the medical thriller Final Mercy

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

The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825442389