Book Review: Bringing Maggie Home

A book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

About the Book:

Decades of loss, an unsolved mystery, and a rift spanning three generations.

Hazel DeFord is a woman haunted by her past. While berry picking in a blackberry thicket in 1943, ten-year old Hazel momentarily turns her back on her three-year old sister Maggie and the young girl disappears.

Almost seventy years later, the mystery remains unsolved and the secret guilt Hazel carries has alienated her from her daughter Diane, who can't understand her mother's overprotectiveness and near paranoia. While Diane resents her mother's inexplicable eccentricities, her daughter Meghan-a cold case agent-cherishes her grandmother's lavish attention and affection.

When a traffic accident forces Meghan to take a six-week leave-of-absence to recover, all three generations of DeFord women find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof. Meghan knows she will have to act as a mediator between the two headstrong and contentious women. But when they uncover Hazel's painful secret, will Meghan also be able to use her investigative prowess to solve the family mystery and help both women recover all that's been lost?

About the author:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed, best-selling author with more than one million books in print, in several different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope and redemption. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and grandchildren.

Find out more about Kim at http://www.kimvogelsawyer.com/.

My Opinion

This book by Kim Vogel Sawyer was so complex and deep and had so many facets! However, it was written so well that you could keep all the stories straight and it was such a great book!

It was filled with suspense, drama, mystery, love and faith that withstands it all! It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to read and read until I found out what happened! It was definitely a great read and I recommend!

Buy It:

You can purchase Bringing Maggie Home for $10.39 from Amazon.com

* Disclosure - This book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Book Review: Keeper of the Stars

A book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

About the book:

Because it's not always love at first sight!

When her mother died from pneumonia, Penny Cartwright was heartbroken. But now, after burying her younger brother just 12 years later, she is devastated. Anger, guilt, and sorrow cloud Penny's mind, and the last thing she wants is to be reminded of her pain---but that's exactly what happens when a stranger comes to town.

Trevor Reynolds has been chasing fame for more than a dozen years, but his musical career can't get off the ground. While on the road, an accident kills his young drummer, Brad Cartwright. Trevor wasn't behind the wheel, but he still blames himself . . . and so does Brad's sister, Penny. Now Trevor finds himself in Kings Meadow, determined to follow through on his final promise to his friend.

Still feeling the pain of Brad's death, Penny and Trevor must learn that forgiveness is the only thing that can heal their hearts. And if they do forgive, something beautiful may rise from the ashes of heartbreak.

Read a sample chapter: http://bit.ly/1X0pYQ6

About the author:

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.

My Opinion

Authors don't get much better than Robin Lee Hatcher and she has proven book after book to be one of the top Christian fiction authors out there!

Keeper of the Stars is such a moving book that had my heart feeling so much for the characters - pain and sadness from death in the family, blossoming love and survival mode for family left behind after deaths. This book was such a great reminder of the power of forgiveness, the destruction of hate, anger and blame, and the peace only God can give when we trust him with our lives and leave our burdens on his shoulders instead of our own!

This book was written beautifully and had me holding me breath hoping for pain to be replaced with love! Hatcher never disappoints!

Buy It:

You can purchase Keeper of the Stars for $7.97 from Amazon.com

*Disclosure - This book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Book Review: The Methuselah Project

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

About the book: 

Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended.

Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed---until the day he's shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy.

When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success---but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn't aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn't Captain America---just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible prov ides the only reliable anchor for Roger's sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there's no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It's 2015---and the world has become an unrecognizable place.
Katherine Mueller---crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle---offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he's trying to flee?

Thrown right into pulse-pounding action from the first page, readers will find themselves transported back in time to a believable, full-colored past, and then catapulted into the present once more. The historical back-and-forth adds a constantly moving element of suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

About the author:

Rick Barry is the author of Gunner's Run, another World War II novel, Kiriath's Quest, and over 200 articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a World War II buff, he is the director of church planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry operating in Eastern Europe. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks Russian, and has visited Europe more than fifty times. Rick lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

My Opinion

Lately, I have really wanted to branch out and read books that I wouldn't have normally been drawn to.

The Methuselah Project sounded very interesting to me and something new and unique and ended up being a mix of historical fiction and modern day fiction so it really was a mix of new and what I normally like to read.

However, the subject matter was so interesting and unique and really made me think "What if?" the entire book. It really drew me in and made me want to finish as fast as I could to see how the book ends! And then when it ended, I wanted a sequel to see how it continues! :)

The Methuselah Project was a mix of romance, intrigue, murder, faith, mystery, science, history and so much more! It really is a book for all readers of all kinds of genres and it is very well written and interesting! It really makes you think about life and the fountain of youth. Is it really something you would want? Is it worth what everyone in the history of time has sacrificed to find it?

Buy It:

You can purchase The Methuselah Project for $13.17 from Amazon.com

*Disclosure - This book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Book Review: The Butterfly and the Violin

A book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

About the book: 

A mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz---and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl---a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover, the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul, who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together, Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: in the grim camps of Auschwitz and in the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

About the author: 

Kristy Cambron has been fascinated with the WWII era since hearing her grandfather's stories of the war. She holds an art history degree from Indiana University and received the Outstanding Art History Student Award. Kristy writes WWII and Regency era fiction and has placed first in the 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations and 2012 FCRW Beacon contests, and is a 2013 Laurie finalist. Kristy makes her home in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons.

My Opinion

I have mentioned before how much I LOVE WWII based books so when I saw the story line of The Butterfly and the Violin, I was excited to read it! It was a great mix of modern day and historical fiction and I loved how they intertwined together!

This book was written so well and I felt so many emotions as I read it...but mostly it was heartbreak for the Jews and others in the concentration camps! I also learned about art from WWII and how there was art made and hidden away in the camps - so interesting!

I have never read a book by Kristy Cambron but I am so glad I did - I highly recommend if you love art history or WWII based books!

Buy It: You can purchase The Butterfly and the Violin for $11.66 from Amazon.com

Welcome to the launch campaign for debut novelist Kristy Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin. Romantic Times had this to say: "Alternating points of view skillfully blend contemporary and historical fiction in this debut novel that is almost impossible to put down. Well-researched yet heartbreaking. . . ."

Kristy is celebrating the release of the first book in her series, A Hidden Masterpiece, with a fun Kindle Fire giveaway and meeting her readers during an August 7th Facebook author chat party.

 One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 7th. Winner will be announced at The Butterfly and the Violin Author Chat Party. Kristy will be connecting with readers and answering questions, sharing some of the fascinating research behind the book, hosting a fun book chat, and giving away some GREAT prizes. She will also be giving an exclusive look at the next book in the series, A Sparrow in Terezin!

So grab your copy of The Butterfly and the Violin and join Kristy on the evening of August 7th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 7th!

* Disclosure - This book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*