Shadow Eyes ~ Review

About the Book:

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil. But she is the only one who can see them. She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters. First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

There is an opportunity for some GREAT GIVEAWAYS at the bottom of this post :)

My Thoughts:

Sometimes I am contacted by the author directly asking if I would review their book and that can be a very good thing! In the case of Shadow Eyes, it was an excellent thing! Dusty Crabtree has been a delight to work with and her book is AWESOME! I love reading a book that when, and IF, you MUST put the book down, you realize that time has just slipped by... Shadow Eyes is one of those books! The story is captivating and deals with teens and the many issues they face today...Some, I can even remember dealing with myself!

The mystery of what happened to Iris on her 14th Birthday and caused her to start seeing these "shadows" was so intriguing, and honestly, kept me turning pages well into the night! This tragic event began a journey for Iris that was, at times, soo intense, and the outcome left me sooo shocked! The friendships, the love interests, and family life for Iris is typical for todays' teen but when you add in the spiritual aspect, in this case, the shadows, it takes on a entirely new light. Spiritual warfare is very real and I feel Dusty opened a door to this that I hope in future books she will delve into a little deeper. But most importantly, I hope she shares where the Victory of that warfare lies... in the hands of Christ.

Shadow Eyes is a great read for any age! I look forward to reading more from Dusty! Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your novel in exchange for my honest review!


There is More from this talented Author!


Dusty Crabtree is hosting a giveaway and a few other exciting things through a Rafflecopter! You can enter below - just click on this link:


a Rafflecopter giveaway


To read Dusty's blog you can go Here
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To PURCHASE Shadow Eyes!! go here


Enjoy the video for Shadow Eyes!
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Strands of Deception

I just received Strands of Deception in the mail today so my review will have to come at a later date! This is one I have been waiting anxiously for!! Robin Carroll is definitely one of my FAVORITE authors for sure!!

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingStrands of DeceptionB&H Books (March 1, 2013)
byRobin Caroll

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin’s mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage—two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books.



When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty-plus years, her 3 beautiful daughters, 2 precious grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else?

ABOUT THE BOOK



When Gina Ford, the daughter of a prominent Tennessee politician, goes missing from the University of Memphis a week after another girl was murdered on the same campus, police call in the FBI. Nick Hagar, married to his job as Special Agent in Charge, is assigned to the case, and when Gina’s body is found, her father demands justice.




Maddie Baxter is the forensic expert running DNA tests from the crime scene. When they come back without a match, Nick asks her to do a familial DNA run that yields a shocking result: the prime suspect is Adam Alexander, the very same guy who broke Maddie’s heart when she was in college.



But do scientific advancements tell the whole story? Strand of Deception offers romance, suspense, and a lively debate about the impact of DNA testing, for better or worse, on the United States justice system.





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

The Return of Cassandra Todd - Review

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Return of Cassandra ToddRealms (February 5, 2013)
byDarrel Nelson



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a schoolteacher by profession and have taught school for (thir—ahem!) years. I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school and serving a two-year mission to Japan. During university, I met and married Marsha Smith, and we are the parents of four children, which has grown to include their spouses and our ten grandchildren.



I have always loved to write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers). But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a difference in the world.



I’ve had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and have written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. I won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running, and have had one of my songs receive international airplay. I have written four novels intended for the juvenile market. They are unpublished as yet, but I read them annually to my fourth grade students and my students tell me they love them, the darlings.



ABOUT THE BOOK

When the girl he hated in high school suddenly reenters his life, little son in tow, and asks for his help, Turner must put the past behind him if they are to survive.



Turner Caldwell works at a local motel as a handyman while attending college full-time. On his way to class one day, he passes the bus depot just as Cassandra Todd and her young son arrive. He is shocked to see her, remembering how cruel she was to him in high school. She was the popular head cheerleader and he the target of her mean-spirited pranks.
Turner could never have imagined that the outdoor training and survival skills he learned at Camp Kopawanee, a summer youth camp where he worked three years as a leader, would one day become so crucial. But when Cassandra and her son check into the motel where he works and she asks for his help in eluding her abusive husband, Turner finds himself entangled in a situation that will require every skill he has in order to survive.






If you'd like to read the first chapter of The Return of Cassandra Todd, go HERE.




MY THOUGHTS:

Once I requested this book, I could NOT wait to receive it! It just sounded like one of those books that I KNEW I was going to love! I was right! Once I turned the first page, I was lost in the story of Cassandra Todd.

I have to say I am so happy the author Darrel Nelson has retired and is writing now! HE IS GOOD YA'LL!! He tackles some very important issues in this book - bullying, domestic abuse, and coming face to face with your past behavior and judgments and learn they were soooo wrong!

This is not just Cassandra's story but also Turner's as well. Turner was bullied in school by Cassandra and all of her other popular friends, but he thought he had worked through it all and had moved past it, until one day when he saw Cassandra and all the emotions came right back! Seeing Cassandra in town brought back all of those horrible days when he was tormented emotionally, and all he could do was wonder why in the world Cassandra was here!

The Suspense in this book is CRAZY!! You really can't turn the pages quick enough and finding a place that you can put the book down, can, at times, just be impossible! Cassandra and Turner will each face their demons and fight them with all they have. Cassandra faces her younger self and the choices and judgments she made that have affected Turner and as she learns, they were completely wrong! She also faces her abusive husband and stands on her Faith and God to show her what to do! As Turner and Cassandra work together to help Cassandra and her Son escape the abuse and get to a place of safety they learn so much about one another that they never had known all those years ago. But Cassandra's husband is on the hunt and has help. Will they catch them and if they do can Cassandra and Turner survive long enough to ever be totally free?

The Return of Cassandra Todd is an excellent book!! I LOVED it and would recommend it to any and all!

Happy Reading!

Picture Perfect ~ Review

About the Book:

Feisty wedding photographer Hannah McDermott has dealt with her share of difficult brides. But none can compare to the ultimate Bridezilla she's dealing with now. Still, she's trying desperately to impress Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most sought-after wedding planner, so she can take the top spot in Bella's list of recommended photographers--a spot currently occupied by her arch-rival, Drew Kincaid. What she doesn't count on, however, is falling head over heels for the competition.

My Thoughts:

This is my first time to read a book by Janice Thompson and I really enjoyed it! Picture Perfect is a feel good story that captures perfectly, the love and joy of family, falling in love, and the ups and downs of discovering who we are! Bella is a very successful photographer, however, she feels in life she may never get past the disappointments and the "almosts" that she has faced and recalled endlessly in her mind. It seems with every amazing opportunity she is given, she always seems to fall just short of where she should be. It doesn't help when Bella is given yet another phenomenal opportunity to photograph a wedding, but also in the running is her #1 competitor, Drew Kincaid, who also happens to be oh so handsome! Will Bella be able to believe in herself or will she come up short yet again??

Janice Thompson introduces us to some awesome people and families that would be a blast to spend time with! I could just hear the clanging of the dishes, the laughter and conversations as they all sat around the dinner table and I felt like I could just see the beautiful shots Bella captured through the eyes of her camera. I truly appreciated Bella's journey and how her awareness of who she is in Christ was portrayed. She shared her feelings of doubt and like so many of us, it took time to believe just how much we have to offer and how very special we are in Gods eyes!

I recommend Picture Perfect for any and all! If you have any teens that love to read, this would be a GREAT series for them to begin!

Thank you Donna and Revell books for allowing me this complimentary issue in exchange for my honest review!

The Bracelet

About the book:
Newly heartbroken and searching for purpose in her life, Abby Monroe is determined to make her mark as a UN worker in one of the world's most unstable cities: Peshawar, Pakistan. But after witnessing the brutal murder of a woman thrown from a building, she is haunted by the memory of an intricate and sparkling bracelet that adorned the victim's wrist.

At a local women's shelter, Abby meets former sex slaves who have miraculously escaped their captors. As she gains the girls' trust and documents their horrifying accounts of unspeakable pain and betrayal, she joins forces with a dashing New York Times reporter who believes he can incriminate the shadowy leader of the vicious human trafficking ring. Inspired by the women's remarkable bravery -- and the mysterious reappearance of the bracelet -- the duo traces evidence that spreads from remote villages of South Asia to the most powerful corners of the West, risking their lives to offer a voice to the countless innocents in bondage.

Author Bio
Roberta Gately, author of The Bracelet, has served as a nurse and humanitarian aid worker in war zones ranging from Afghanistan to Africa, about which she wrote a series of articles for the BBC World News Online. She is also the author of the novel Lipstick in Afghanistan.


My thoughts:

Oh my! The Bracelet is Soooo good! I absolutely could NOT put it down! At times I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't read fast enough LOL. I wouldn't normally pick up a book like this but I am sooo glad I was given the opportunity to review it! I just fell in love Abby Monroe and her journey is one that will inspire and astound you! After witnessing a horrible murder, she just can't let it go. Through Abby, author Roberta Gately, shares the horrific and devastating life of human trafficking. The leaders and those who are forced to live this life will break your heart and anger you all at the same time. Although this book focuses on this serious issue, there is also a bit of a romance that is just perfect!

I highly recommend The Bracelet and I soo look forward to more from Roberta Gately! Thank you so much Leyane Jerejian for allowing me this complimentary book in exchange for my honest review!


Happy Reading!

Gods of Mischief

The high-octane, no-holds-barred, true story of a bad guy turned good who infiltrated one of the most violent outlaw motorcycle gangs in history to take them down.

This is the high-octane, no-holds-barred, true story of a bad guy turned good who busted open one of the most violent outlaw motorcycle gangs in history.
George Rowe’s gritty and harrowing story offers not only a glimpse into the violent world of the motorcycle outlaw, but a gripping tale of self-sacrifice and human redemption that would be the stuff of great fiction—if it weren’t all true. Rowe had been a drug dealer, crystal meth addict, barroom brawler, and convicted felon, but when he witnessed the Vagos brutally and senselessly beat his friend over a pool game, everything changed.
Rowe decided to pay back his Southern California hometown for the sins of his past by taking down the gang that was terrorizing it. He volunteered himself as an undercover informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and vowed to dismantle the brotherhood from the inside out, becoming history’s first private citizen to voluntarily infiltrate an outlaw motorcycle gang for the U.S. government.
As “Big George,” a full-patched member of the Vagos, Rowe spent three brutal years juggling a double life—riding, fighting, and nearly dying alongside the brothers who he secretly hoped to put away for good. During this time, Rowe also became entwined in a tumultuous relationship with a struggling addict named Jenna, never once revealing that he was actually working for the Feds. The road to redemption was not an easy ride. Rowe lost everything: his family, his business, his home—even his identity.
To this day, under protection by the U.S. government, Rowe still looks over his shoulder, keeping watch for the brothers he put behind bars. They’ve vowed to search for him until the day they die.

MY THOUGHTS:
Let me start of by saying...This book is NOT for everyone! It is definitely R rated! George Rowe tells his story, in his language, and shares his sex life at times, in great detail, so if that might be offensive then this book is NOT for you!

George Rowe's story is incredible. When I was given the option to review it and I read the excerpt, I was intrigued. I'm not sure what I expected but I can tell you I am still just shaking my head as to how this man was able to first survive the "prospect phase" while trying to become a Vagos member and secondly, living with them while working with the Feds to take them out and not being busted!!

It seems George had a rough life from the start. His parents split, his mother was an alcoholic and took George from bar to bar as she found a new "lover" every chance she got. The court granted his Father custody and when George was just a young kindergartner, his father removed him from school and took him away to live in the Cascades. His Father taught George many things that would prove to help him in his future but sadly, his father became ill and he and George had to move back to Southern California where he later passed away. He and George were watching tv when his father slumped over into George's lap and died. George was only 10 years old.

After a friend of George's went missing and he knew "who" was involved in his disappearance, he had to do something. He agreed to work with the Federal Government to bring down the Vagos. Honestly, everything that George had to do to "become" a Vagos was more than most people can endure in a lifetime, George endured it all in 3 very long years. Add to that, the stress of every single day wondering if you would live or die or even worse, be found out by those you are helping to put away!

His story is fascinating, but I have to wonder...If George happened to ever read this review, I don't think he would appreciate my choice of words. His story is far more than fascinating, it is an incredible story of a man who gave everything he had and in the end lost even more than that.with George did so much for his community, for his friend who disappeared, and for those who were abused, intimidated, and far worse by the Vagos. But George will live forever with one eye open wondering if the Vagos' have finally found him and have come to get their revenge.

I will not soon forget George Rowe or his story.

Thank you Ashley Hewlett and Touchstone Publishers for allowing me this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Redeeming Grace Review

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRedeeming GraceLighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas;
1st edition (February 28, 2013)
byWard Tanneberg



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ward Tanneberg is a pastor/writer/novelist who has given more than 50 years to evangelism, youth, college and pastoral ministry, including two Pacific Northwest churches and 23 years as the senior pastor at Valley Christian Center in Dublin, CA. In 2008, he was named President/Executive Director of The CASA Network. Ward speaks extensively at 50+ retreats and ministry leadership events in the USA and elsewhere. When at home he meets weekly with a group of business and professional leaders. He and Dixie have 2 children, 3 grandchildren, 4 step-grandchildren and a great grandson.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Seven years ago, Grace Grafton died in a boating accident while partying on the Georgia, South Carolina coast. Was her death the result of alcohol and drugs or something more sinister? Nobody knows: her body was never recovered. Now years later, a woman reads in disbelief the note addressed to her: Hello Grace, did you think we wouldn't find you?




Those nine chilling words end Grafton's self-imposed sanctuary of witness protection. Now she and everyone she loves are in grave danger. Long believed dead, she has a secret that can change the world. She knows the man running for president is guilty of a double murder! But who will believe her?




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





MY THOUGHTS:

When this book arrived in the mail for review, I was a bit nervous when I opened the package! It was HUGE-600 pages HUGE! But once I started reading, I couldn't stop! This is my first novel by author Ward Tanneberg and it certainly won't be last!

Redeeming Grace is a fast paced thriller, full of suspense and a great message to boot! I highly recommend!

Thanks To Bonnie @ Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for allowing me this complimentary book in exchange for my honest review!

Happy Reading