Seeking with all Yur Heart

Title:  Certain Jeopardy Author:  Captain Jeff Struecker with Alton Gansky Pages:  381 Year:  2009 Publisher:  B&H Publishing Group My rating is 5 stars. Sgt. Major Eric Moyer is in charge of a six-man team of Special Operative soldiers who are sent on a mission to stop a nuclear scientist from being transported to Iran at all costs.  Upon arriving in-country in Venezuela, they soon discover their mission to be more complicated than they originally thought.  They travel undercover as businessmen so as to thwart some of the crooked people in the government who have kidnapped the nuclear scientist. Eric and his team put their plan into action, but encounter obstacle after obstacle.  Each time they seem to have a problem solved, another arises to take its’ place.  With boots on the ground, the team meets the bad guys head on with guns blazing!  There are car chases, gun fights, helicopters and submarines that kept the story moving at a quick pace.  Readers will read about these elit…

Title:  The Epistles of James, Peter, and Jude (Vol. #2) Author:  Trina Bresser Matous Pages:  80 Year:  2014 Publisher:  Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas My rating is 5 stars. Unlike other study guides I have reviewed, used and read, Trina Bresser Matous’s stands out from the others.  Why?  One can merely peruse the pages or quickly scan the pages to see how much time of study and prayer the author puts into what she presents to seekers.  Her first volume covers the writings of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, which is no easy feat! There is an introduction into the particular letter a person is studying followed by chapter by chapter of Background, Overview, and Insights that includes a couple of questions.  The way it is presented seems to spark the interest of the student, hoping that this is merely a jump off into deeper delving into the Word of God. Trina’s two books can be used either by an individual, between friends, or a group of people.  However, one chooses to u…

Title:  Deathwatch Author:  V.B. Tenery Pages:  294 Year:  2016 Publisher:  CreateSpace My rating is 4 stars. Note:  I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book from www.bookfun.org Commander Grey Hamilton, also known as Lord Amherst, though he tries to downplay his title, is a former serviceman in the navy of Great Britain.  He was injured in a battle at sea and forced to retire from active military service.  With his keen mind he was put to work for MI6.  He is awakened in the middle of the night as a dead body has been found.  The body is of a cryptanalyst, which is someone who tries to decode coded messages sent by Germans during WWII.  It is Grey’s job to discover if the cryptanalyst gave up any information to her murderer regarding Great Britain’s coding device before she was killed, so he has to find her murderer. Grace Sullivan is the daughter of a wealthy American man who has offered her service as a cryptanalyst to Great Britain to help in their war ef…

Title:  Mattie’s Pledge (Journey to Pleasant Valley #2) Author:  Jan Drexler Pages:  384 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Revell My rating is 5 stars. The Journey to Pleasant Valley series begins with Hannah’s Choice and coming in summer 2017 will continue; there is a sneak peek at the end of this novel.  The title for the third novel hasn’t been revealed, but I guarantee you don’t want to pass up reading such intriguing books!  In Hannah’s Choice, we meet the Yoder family and watch as they endure family tragedy along with Hannah courting and the father’s decision to travel west to Indiana. Here the main focus is Mattie Shrock and the intense internal war waging within between the pull to go to the Pacific Coast for adventure or being content with what Jacob Yoder is offering.  Mattie places her heart and eventually her life in danger when the various wagon trains traveling west run afoul of the nefarious intensions of the Bates brothers. While the Amish are pacifists in their views, a couple…

Title:  Hannah’s Choice (Journey to Pleasant Prairie #1) Author:  Jan Drexler Pages:  400 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Revell My rating is 5 stars. I read the book when it first released in January of 2016 and enjoyed it very much.  When I just finished reading it again in preparation for reading book two in the series, I was reminded how truly complex and intriguing is the story.  Readers will come to a shrinking Amish village in Pennsylvania where a family must choose whether to stay or move westward to Indiana.  The reasons for contemplating a move for the father of the Yoder family is that he sees the world becoming more of a threat to his children remaining in the Amish faith. Hannah is the oldest and her friend since childhood has been Adam, whose family farms near them.  However, when Adam’s family becomes Mennonite Hannah’s continuing friendship becomes a concern to her parents.  On top of that, unknown to her parents Adam along with his family is aiding in the Underground Railroa…

Title:  When Love Arrives (A Novel: Misty Willow #2) Author: Johnnie Alexander Pages:  368 Year: 2016 Publisher: Revell My rating is 5 stars. Johnnie Alexander has crafted a heart touching sequel to the first novel in the series titled “Where She Belongs” where the story line begins.  In book one we meet Shelby recently widowed with two little girls and her move to Misty willows. Also there is a young man named A.J. who through various seasons of his relationship with Shelby as it comes to an exciting and wonderful conclusion.  There are other characters and happenings in the book; one character who takes the center stage in book 2 is A.J.’s cousin Brett. Brett at first is a love and leave ‘em kind of man used to having money to spare and no cares about how he treats others until his life becomes more complicated by unforeseen changes.  Brett’s self-centered personality begins to change as he wonders if he will ever get to see his son and meets a single woman named Dani.  What he doe…

Title:  Catching Heat (Cold Justice Case #3) Author:  Janice Cantore Pages:  432 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Tyndale My rating is 5+ stars. Readers meet Detective Abby Hart in the opening novel of the series, Burning Proof.  In the novel, the stage is set for the mystery of a fire where Abby’s parents and another man lost their lives.  Abby is saved from death by the cook when two officers unblock the back door.  The author then takes readers into the background of Abby and other characters’ lives in the second story titled, Drawing Fire.  In each book, there is suspense, a case that is a mystery unsolved for two decades and perhaps a budding romance between Abby with a local P. I., Michael Murphy. What adds tension to the storyline is the addition of suspicion of the Governor’s possible connection to the cold case known as The Triple Seven murders.  I loved how Janice Cantore added various characters or twists and turns into the plot that surprised me and added new direction in the nove…

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Title:  The Raven (Coffey & Hill #2) Author:  Mike Nappa Pages:  432 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Revell My rating is 3 stars. Trudi Coffey has a case to work on with her ex-husband, Samuel Hill.  He is now a detective with the Atlanta PD and has arrested a gang member who mentions a nebulous nefarious event known as Nevermore.  The gangbanger knows nothing more, but Samuel feels compelled to investigate what could be a potential terrorist threat to Atlanta.  He makes contact with an old acquaintance, Mama Bliss, who knows everything about a portion of the city as well as keeps many secrets.  He asks her to put out feelers about this Nevermore plot.  After a few days, she tells him it must be a hoax as everyone she has asked has never heard of it.  Samuel and Trudi both feel in their guts that there is something more going on, but are stymied on how to proceed. Meanwhile, Trudi has a new admirer, The Raven.  He is a street magician; make that deception specialist, who picks pockets so…

Title:  Blood & Justice:  P.I. Mystery Series (A Jake & Anne Lincoln Thriller #1) Author:  Rayven T. Hill Pages:  304 Year:  2014 Publisher:  Ray of Joy Publishing My rating is 5 stars. While perusing online outlets for new authors I haven’t read or books being promoted various ways that looked interesting, I came across this series.  Now, the author is on book # 11, which is to come out soon and I hope in print form.  I thought it would be prudent to begin where the characters’ stories begin.  Blood and Justice introduces us to a husband and wife team who become private investigators just starting out and while they begin with small tasks their lives and business are about to blossom! Jeremy is our antagonist in the story, and the author does a great job showing us his story with the use of flashbacks.  We learn how he was raised, who his parents were and their story as it impacts Jeremy.  We also learn how Jeremy views some people who deserve what he dishes out and why he c…

Title:  Passing Through Perfect Author:  Bette Lee Crosby Pages:  252 Year:  2014 Publisher:  Bent Pine My rating is 4 stars. One attribute about Bette Lee Crosby’s novels is that she allows her characters to explore a variety of lifelike experiences, and her characters are really well crafted.  A book such as this is fun to get engaged in and then look at the clock only to learn so much time has passed with the conclusion of the tale right around the corner. As a reader it was quite easy to enter the time era in which the story is placed along with the ups and downs, joys and sorrows experienced by the main character named Benjamin.  Sometimes, because of the era and the issues of that era, it reminded me of a movie I love to watch with Cuba Gooding, Jr. titled, Men of Honor.  While the movie was based on an actual person and his life story, the book seemed just as realistic even though it was fiction. The only part that was hard for me was the switching between various characters p…

Title:  Within the Candles Glow Author:  Karen Campbell Prough Pages:  265 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Firefly Southern Fiction My rating is 5+ stars. If you’re a reader or movie watcher for instance and a sequel comes along, have you ever discovered the sequel to be the best yet?  Well, here is an example of such a sequel that was top notch following the first book The Girl Called Ella Dessa.  The story and characters we meet in the first book come back a few years later in the sequel and are still living in the cove.  Within the Candles Glow really was quite interesting and engaged me from the beginning till I turned the last page. The main character is Ella Dessa who has scares from a panther attack as a young girl, but that is just what is seen.  Now, as a budding woman, she is wondering if any man would or could love her with the internal scars besides the external ones.  There is a man who shows up during a church picnic named Josh and while most are wary of him Ella isn’t, but may…

Title:  The Girl Called Ella Dessa Author: Karen Campbell Prough Pages:  300 Year:  2015 Publisher:  Firefly Southern Fiction My rating is 5 stars. The year is 1836 and the setting is Beckler’s Cove where people live in small logged homes and day-to-day survival is a premium.  Ella Dessa is the main female character who loves her mother and is abused by her father.  When her mother is getting ready to give birth, Ella Dessa is expected to handle it all alone as her father leaves the home till the babe is born.  From there on, the life Ella Dessa knew is about to be radically challenged many times over. At the start of the novel, she is a preteen whose family is very poor.  Now she is all alone and expected to stay in the cove without even her father.  When Ella begins to read the Bible, a letter falls out and the letter contains a surprise Ella can’t ignore.  She isn’t sure how it will change her life. Other families in the cove struggle too and so far Ella knows only one family that…

Title:  Exalting Jesus in Ecclesiastes (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary)  Author:  Dr. Daniel L. Akin & Jonathan Akin Ph. D. Pages:  288 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Holman Reference My rating is 4 stars. The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes is packed with much wisdom and visuals that can be unpacked to be able to understand and apply in our daily lives.  The commentary is another helpful aid in studying the writing of Solomon’s wisdom gained from all he saw or did in his lifetime.  The authors use a little too many references or summations based on music or movies.  I prefer understanding the historical timeframe, ancient people and religious society at the time Solomon was alive. There is much I can and did appreciate in what the authors shared along with the questions at the end of the chapters that would help for small group or personal use.  While it’s true the authors mainly wrote to help pastors teach Biblical truths, let’s not forget that we are all called to be Bereans…

Title:  The Fifth Column (The Blitz Detective #2) Author:  Mike Hollow Pages:  326 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Lion Fiction My rating is 4 stars. Detective Inspector Jago and Detective Constable Cradock are called to the scene of a recent bombing where the body of a young woman is found.  The strange thing is that when the men charged with helping clear the area after a bombing tell Jago that when they cleared the area there was no body, but when they returned to the scene to finish up, there she was.  Jago must identify the woman as there is no identification on the body, then notify the next of kin and track down a killer. There seems to be another mystery as well with missing parts from a company that is working on secret projects for the government.  It just so happens that once the woman is identified, it is also discovered that she works for the company that is losing inventory.  Jago must determine if the two mysteries are related.  If they are, does that narrow the field of possi…

Title:  While My Child is Away (My Prayers for When We are Apart) Author:  Edie Melson Pages:  240 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Worthy My rating is 5 stars. When my sons were born, I knew that someday they would leave the nest and go wherever the Lord led them.  Now, with one son having flown and another on the verge, I have been wondering how I can become a more effective prayer warrior.  I don’t think a mom’s job is ever done because her heart is always bound and poured into the lives of her children.  Plus, the more one sees, hears or experiences in today’s society, the greater the spiritual battle seems for the hearts of this generation. Therefore, what an aid is While My Child is Away to parents even grandparents in praying for their grown children/grandchildren.  The book is also a devotional that helps anyone who uses it to see how God worked in another family and to take courage or receive hope.  Sometimes there are words of wisdom shared on the page and other times a Scripture ve…

Title:  Forever Gentleman Author:  Roland Colton Pages:  480 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Anaphora Literary Press My rating is 5 stars. The first piece of information I found interesting was who the author is; he is a man of many talents and gifts.  I believe his attention to detail as a classical pianist and attorney shaped his ability to tell a riveting story with such detail.  I found it quite intriguing that the main character in the story is a male named Nathan Sinclair and readers will be able to see the humanness built into his life, personality and experiences. I love historical fiction and this type of book is a first for me as I usually prefer the Old West.  However, occasionally I love to break out of the mold so to speak and try something new.  Here is where I did just that and I am grateful to the author for his story.  The tale from page one reaches out and pulls the readers back to the Victorian era not simply as a romantic story, but more so with the mystery and suspense t…

Forever Gentleman by Roland Colton ISBN: 978-1681142296 Publisher: Anaphora Literary Press Release Date: July 11, 2016 $29.99       www.amazon.com www.rolandcolton.com www.anaphoraliterary.com



Frequently Asked Questions 1. At the beginning of Forever Gentleman, struggling architect andpianist, Nathan Sinclair, encounters the glamourous and beautiful heiress, Jocelyn Charlesworth. What draws Nathan to Jocelyn, and how does she respond to him when they first meet?
Although he has no expectation of an introduction, Nathan is intrigued enough to see if Ms. Charlesworth’s beauty is as extraordinary as the Sunday Times portrays it. Despite his protestations, the mistress of the estate insists on introducing Nathan to Jocelyn.  Once he observes her beauty firsthand, an intoxication of senses sweeps over him—never before has he seen a woman of such unimaginable beauty. Jocelyn’s reaction to Nathan is one of boredom, having endured countless stares from past star-struck suitors. She toys with him, lo…

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Title:  This Road We Traveled Author:  Jane Kirkpatrick Pages:  352 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Revell My rating is 5 stars. If ever a novel were to remind us of the hardships endured by early settlers heading west and the high price paid to establish a new land, here is the novel that excels in doing so!  While it is a fictional story set in the mid-1800s about families traveling the Oregon Trail and their encounters, at the end of the book the author shares what was factual in the story.  For me this book caused me to slow down and become entangled in the journey of the Brown family. The matriarch of the Brown family is a woman named Tabby, who is by her own admission sometimes sharp-tongued and not one to sit down and watch life go by.  No, Tabby, even though she has a limp from a childhood accident, continues to ask the Lord what He has for her to do.  Once she discovers His will, nothing and no one can stop her.  Readers will become amazed at the way Tabby perseveres and at her hear…

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Title:  Jubilee’s Journey (Wyattsville Series #2) Author:  Bette Lee Crosby Pages:  300 Year:  2013 Publisher:  Bent Pine Publishing My rating is 4-1/2 stars. When you look up the novel to purchase and read, you might notice that there is a prior book titled, Spare Change.  According to the author, if you’re going to read Passing through Perfect, which is the 3rd book in the series, it is important to read the 2nd book first.  I was reminded when I started Spare Change that some novels just aren’t conducive to a reader.  However, that doesn’t mean all books by that author aren’t worth reading as I discovered. If you remember Loretta Lynn along with the movie that gave fans a glimpse into her life, A Coal Miner’s Daughter released in 1988, you’re going to enjoy Jubilee’s Journey.  I did because it starts with the opening scene of two people falling in love (Benjamin & Ruth) and then due to life events beyond their control the father works in a coal mine.  Benjamin promised his fat…

Title:  A Lesson in Love & Murder (Herringford & Watts Mysteries #2) Author:  Rachel McMillan Pages:  217 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Harvest House Publishers My rating is 5 stars. Merinda Herringford and Jemima DeLuca, formerly Jemima Watts, are hired by a Royal Mountie, Benny, to find his cousin.  The said cousin is suspected of bombing some trolley cars in a couple of cities during rallies of people trying to gain support for equality among social classes, genders, etc.  Merinda and Jem soon don their disguises as men to seek clues.  They also face more danger to their lives in this case than in any other.  Jasper Forth is once again at their sides, but finds himself in competition with the Royal Mountie for Merinda’s attention.  Jasper has been waiting patiently for Merinda to use that deductive reasoning she extols and see how much he cares for her.  Merinda has never allowed herself to feel much emotion, has never intended to get married and can’t understand why she becomes…

Title:  Black Friday Author:  William W.  Johnstone Pages:  384 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Pinnacle My rating is 5 stars. What a captivating and heart-pumping novel about a fictional terrorist attack in a mall in the USA.  While this was totally fictional it brings to the forefront why we must stay vigilant of America’s enemies.  The story takes readers into various characters’ lives that will soon become entangled while shopping at stores the day after Thanksgiving.  The action really seemed realistic and so did the cost of fighting those who were attempting to take out many lives. One of the reasons I love Johnstone novels is the American patriotism that is so clear and touching throughout the story.  The characters that unknowingly met and united against the terrorists ranged from a wheelchair bound vet from WWII to a young man who had no direction in life but trouble.  Another character was a vet who had served three tours overseas before being injured and having an honorary dischar…

Title:  Finding Father Christmas & Engaging Father Christmas Author:  Robin Jones Gunn Pages:  352 Year:  2016 Publisher:  FaithWords My rating is 5 stars. Miranda is the main character in both stories whose home life is anything but ideal, but she learns to go with the flow.  However, when her mother dies during a practice run of a play she starred in, Miranda goes to live with an older woman.  Again, within a few years this woman passes away, but before she does her faith in Christ becomes a reality and impacts Miranda’s heart.  There is a hole in Miranda’s heart as she never could get the name of her father from her mother until she discovers a birth certificate and a small portrait. Miranda eventually leaves the life she built for herself to fly to England in order to locate her father with the hopes of meeting him.  What happens when she gets there starts an adventure that includes meeting unusual people who reach out to her, offering her their hearth and heart.  Though when…

Title:  The Long Journey to Jake Palmer Author:  James L. Rubart Pages:  400 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Thomas Nelson My rating is 5 stars. I just finished this novel and it is an exceptional book that really touched my heart and had a powerful spiritual message inside!  The main character is a man named Jake Palmer who has broken places in the soul that seem to spur his work and company titled, Read Your Label, Inc.  One night after a long flight on his way home he makes a decision that without knowing it is going to radically change his future. The message to me in the book is how we all have scarred places in our souls and we try to mask or hide them in many ways.  In the book, I was reminded that sometimes adults forget to believe the impossible or that God is able to do more than we think or ask.  We, as humans, tend to believe whatever lies some people speak, think or we may act differently toward those who are perceived as anything but “normal”. I loved the author’s use of C. S. …

Title:  Paul’s Letters to the Early Church (Christian Living Bible Study Series) Author:  Trina Bresser Matous Pages:  326 Year:  2014 Publisher:  Lighthouse of the Carolinas Publishing My rating is 5 stars. One of the best aspects of the study is it doesn’t center on any particular version, but just plainly being in the Bible!  I approach a study by reading the whole book or letter before going chapter by chapter with the author.  The format is such that the author gives information introducing the various letters Paul wrote that help participants understand before studying the particular book and chapter.  Then, the author takes the student chapter by chapter with relevant information and helps bring it to a point where it can then be applied to the individual student’s life. There are a couple of questions after each chapter is studied that can be used in a group setting or for an individual.  I think the author creates a great foundation to start a study of each of Paul’s writing…

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We Will Never, Ever Forget! God Bless America

Title:  The Christmas Angel Project Author:  Melody Carlson Pages:  176 Year:  2016 Publisher:  Revell My rating is 5 stars. The story is not the usual perky or cute type of tale published for the holidays.  However, it is a very touching book and I highly recommend it!  What starts out as a book group with five women becomes a group of four women trying to regroup after the loss of one of the ladies who the other four leaned on.  From there evolves a tale of how God works in the hearts and lives of these four women that not only changes them, but impacts others too. The book begins to be filled with hope as the women come in contact with what was left for each of them by their former leader who went home to be with the Lord.  Each of the four women really becomes a different person from the inside out, and the people they come in contact with and what happens grabs my heart.  I think it’s an excellent book too as we are reminded that not everyone has the best of holidays, and how Go…