The “Old West” is a setting familiar to all and beloved by many. In Maggie Brendan’s newest book published by Revell, entitled “A Sweet Misfortune”, all of the prerequisites for a great old-time western story are clearly in place. But is that enough to allow the story to leap out of the pages and come to life in our imaginations? Continue reading
Revell
You Won’t Be Able to Put it Down (Or Turn Off the Lights!)
“Intensity. Skill. Tenacity. The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.”
With this tagline, you can’t help but be intrigued; especially when you realize that all of the bodyguards in the agency are women! “Always Watching” is the first book in Lynette Eason’s new series from Revell, aptly entitled “Elite Guardians”. Written from several perspectives, this romantic suspense novel is impossible to put down. It is also fast-paced enough to leave you breathless, and so vividly creepy that you just may want to sleep with the lights on for, say, a WEEK! (Hypothetically speaking, of course, because I definitely didn’t feel that way myself… Well, maybe just a little!) Continue reading
Absorbing and Suspenseful
Are you looking for a fast-paced, intense story filled with intrigue, mystery, and shocking twists at every turn? Or perhaps you enjoy clean Christian romances that also contain all the elements of suspense and thrilling action. Well, if either instance sounds like your kind of novel, look no further than book number two in Irene Hannon’s “Men of Valor” series, published by Revell and entitled Thin Ice.
This can’t put-it-down novel has it all; a compelling cast of characters, a gripping, twisting, and unexpected plot, and a climax that will take your breath away and have you reading long into the night! Continue reading
Generated More Questions Than Answers…
Called to Pray: Astounding Stories of Answered Prayer was written by award-winning author and popular speaker Linda Evans Shepherd, and published by Revell in the later portion of 2015. As the title suggests, this book is filled to overflowing with examples of dynamic, unexpected, and miraculous answers to prayer in the lives of ordinary people. What did all these people have in common? They simply had the faith to heed God’s call to pray, and witnessed extraordinary events in their lives as a result.
Without question, this book is an inspiration and an invitation to pray more often, for more people, and in every situation that we find ourselves. Conveniently divided into ten sections with titles such as “Called to Pray for Protection”, “Called to Pray for Needs”, “Called to Pray for Encouragement”, etc., the book holds dozens of stories that bring the power of prayer to life in vivid detail. My personal favorites were Continue reading
Illuminates the Wisdom of Proverbs!
We are all familiar with the wellspring of wisdom offered in the Biblical book of Proverbs. Many people, myself included, often read this book over the course of a month since it conveniently contains 31 chapters. Sometimes, however, it can be a little more difficult to actually incorporate that wisdom into our daily lives. If you seek to make the practical guidance of Proverbs a deeper part of your inner life, I am so excited to share a new, certain-to-be treasured book with you…
Proverbs Prayers: Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs for Your Life was written by minister, speaker, and best-selling author John Mason, and published by Revell in the fall of 2015. This little book contains the full text of Proverbs, divided chapter by chapter. What is the unique part, you ask? Why not just read the book in your Bible? Continue reading
Not On My Read-Again List
“Nothing is more beautiful than family”. With this theme as its tagline, Keeping Christmas is Dan Walsh’s newest Christmas novel released by Revell. Ultimately, it is a story of heartache and depression which ultimately transform into joy and hope. Empty-nesters Stan and Judith Winters are facing their first Christmas with none of their children or grandchildren able to come home. As the 25th of December draws nearer, Judith becomes more depressed and despondent. Stan, beside himself to help his wife, is faced with a difficult decision that will fill their home with Christmas joy once again, while simultaneously letting down a friend and crushing a dream.
With this plot in place, it is easy to see the setup for a heartwarming, sweet surprise at the end of the story. A reader’s journey along the way, however, is slightly tedious, a little unbelievable, and even somewhat depressing. To begin with, Continue reading
An Incredibly Well-Done Suspense Novel
Vendetta, written by Lisa Harris and published by Revell in the fall of 2015, is the first book in a new series entitled “The Nikki Boyd Files”. As a mystery and romantic thriller, this novel has it all – heart-pounding action, emotional drama, and suspense that is enough to make you a little (or a lot) hesitant to read it after dark! Of course if you are like me, you WILL still read it after the sun goes down, because the suspense will just be too much to bear, and you will HAVE to find out what happens next.
Vendetta is very reminiscent of various crime shows on television, just in book format. In similar television fashion, it seems the series will have an ongoing story woven between the books. Of course, this first book also contains a separate-but-related mystery that is solved by the end. With this technique in play, I’m sure you realize that after reading Vendetta you will be anxiously waiting for the next book in the series, set to be released in July 2016! Continue reading
An Interesting Story of an Unsuspecting Little Town…
Isn’t it fun to open the pages of a new book and immediately be transported to that location? Well, if you open the pages of Ann H. Gabhart’s newest release from Revell entitled Murder at the Courthouse, you will undoubtedly find yourself visiting the small town of Hidden Springs, Kentucky. It is a pleasant-enough town, with your average number of busybodies, family feuds, and personal histories that are known by everyone. One unique thing about this town, however, is the fact that it is home to a murderer. And not just any murderer, but one who leaves their victim on the front steps of the courthouse – in broad daylight! As you can see, Hidden Springs may not be such an ordinary town after all… Continue reading
A Tricky Book to Review
The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After is a unique, fun and breezy little book written by a young husband-and-wife duo, and aimed towards an audience of teenage girls and college-age young women. Friendly, Christian-based advice on relationships, romance, and living your own happily-ever-after story are the main cornerstones of purpose for this book. The two perspectives add dimension to the insights and personal stories, but the overall tone remains very light and bubbly… At times so light and bubbly that older members of the target audience may find it slightly juvenile and repetitive.
On the flipside, however, some of the content is arguably too mature for very young ladies, especially in the chapter entitled “Worth the Wait”. Many of the thoughts that Kyle and Kelsey share in this section of the book were, for me, uncomfortable to read and I was disappointed to see a specific word pop up in the sentences over and over again. Of course, I understand that in many circumstances today girls NEED to read insight like this from a Christian viewpoint. However, I have found there to be very few books about relationships available for young women who wish to avoid this topic, and focus instead on how to nurture godly relationships before marriage. I was hoping The Chase might be one of those, but I was sadly mistaken.
Apart from the issue mentioned above, this book DOES contain much in the way of good advice, encouragement, and hope. Certainly Continue reading
Certain to Change Your View of Change
“If God’s love for us is unchanging, then his desire to use change to benefit and bless us is unchanging too. If God’s love for us is unchanging, then his desire to help us accept change and thrive through it is unchanging too. Yes, it’s hard to see that in the early blur and the murky middle. But I can look once again to God’s history with me and see how my testimony brims with proof of his unchanging loving-kindness.”
These words give a peek into the heart and soul of a beautiful, strength-and-hope-filled little book recently released from Revell Publishers, and written by Kristen Strong. “Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You through Life’s Transitions” shares insight into a topic rarely discussed, but experienced by everyone at one time or another. Change often brings stress, disappointment, and fear, but Kristen says it doesn’t have to be this way. What if we started looking at change as an opportunity to grow closer to God, and as a blessing from a loving Father who will work through it alongside us? Continue reading
Prairie Sky Book Reviews 