Saturday, May 28, 2011

Saturday Night Special

Each Saturday, I venture out of my "comfort" reading zone of Suspense/thriller/mystery/romantic suspense to bring you a recommendation in a different genre. This week, I'm pleased to suggest Fade to Blue by Julie Carobini



How do you restore a soul? One brush stroke at a time ...

Suz Mitchell is a determined dreamer, and won't allow her ex-husband's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, Suz moves with her child across the country to California's central coast, and lands a job restoring priceless art for the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the sea.

But even dreams have shocking twists. To her surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, works at the castle and jumbles the new aspirations in Suz's heart. While sorting through their past and a palette of spiritual differences, an even bigger brush with yesterday awaits.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

Acclaim for Julie Carobini's Otter Bay Novels:"The perfect combination of playfulness, charm and enrichment. Julie Carobini has a winner on her hands."

--Relz Reviewz (Sweet Waters)

"A creative and fun story about trying to honor and preserve God's creation . . . I almost expected to shake out sand from between the pages."

--Author's Choice Reviews (A Shore Thing)

"Carobini has a talent for creating characters that come alive." (4 stars)

--RT Book Reviews (Fade to Blue)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Robin's Wednesday's Recommended Reading

Today's recommendation is Fallen Angel by Major Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky



Major Jeff Struecker (a real life Black Hawk Down veteran) and his award-winning coauthor tell a space-based intelligence story of intense extremes in their new novel, Fallen Angel, named for the "Angel-12" American satellite that is ambushed by China and falls 22,000 miles to land in remote Siberia. U.S. Sgt. Major Eric Moyer and his Special Ops unit are deployed to find Angel-12 and keep its advanced nuclear fuel from enemy hands-and there are many. A Russian shadow government bent on restoring the former USSR pursues the satellite as does the Chinese special forces group that knocked it from the sky. A rash of military and domestic hostage concerns ensues as the stark truth looms: three nations are racing to the satellite, but only one will get there first.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Saturday Night Special

Each Saturday, I venture out of my "comfort" reading zone of Suspense/thriller/mystery/romantic suspense to bring you a recommendation in a different genre. This week, I'm pleased to suggest this:

Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer



Raised among the Amish of Indiana, 18-year-old Marianna Sommer plans to get baptized into the church, marry Aaron Zook, and set up life in the only community she has ever known. But when her older brother chooses the world’s path following his rumschpringe, and a younger sibling begins showing interest in Englisch ways, Marianna’s parents move the family to Montana.

Although she is also in her rumschpringe years and not obligated to move, Marianna makes the journey to dutifully help her mother who is expecting another child. Surprisingly, from strangers on the cross-country train ride to the less rigid stance of the new Montana community, many Englisch influences awaken within Marianna—and even her father—the desire to pursue a deeper kind of joy and love for God.

After an accident, Marianna tells her friend Ben a defining story about the Sommer family, and his response further illumines the active relationship God seeks with His followers. In due time, she learns the move from Indiana was not about losing anything, but finding out who God really is. Despite all the shake-ups, Marianna feels a sweet peace, like still waters, in her soul.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Signing at Christian Life Tapes & Books-Shreveport

I also had a recent signing at Christian Life Tapes & Books while I was in Shreveport. Here are some photos there to share!





Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Robin's Wednesday's Recommended Reading

The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir



How much money would it take for you to betray the truth?

Ex-homicide detective Ray Quinn never had glamorous thoughts of the life of a private investigator—but being cornered in a bathroom stall by the enraged philandering husband of a client? That’s something he could live without. Retired from homicide and living with a painful disability, Ray’s options are limited. Stick to the job, keep impetuous sidekick Crevis alive, and spend quiet evenings with trusted pal Jim Beam, that’s about the best he can hope for.

As a new client emerges, Ray finds himself in an impossibly large boardroom holding a check with enough zeros to finally lift him from his financial pit. The job seems easy enough: find Logan Ramsey, an ex-cop turned security officer who’s taken off with sensitive corporate information. But few things are easy in Ray’s world, regardless of the amount of zeros in the check.

In what should be an open-and-shut case, Ray stumbles across Logan Ramsey in a seedy motel room. Only Ray wasn’t the first to find him. Now Logan’s dead, the client’s information is nowhere to be found, and Ray’s employer is less than forthcoming with the details. Suddenly the line between the good guys and bad guys isn’t so clear. With a foot in both worlds and an illuminating look at an unhappy ending that could well be his own, which will Ray choose?

My take: “With the return of beloved character Ray Quinn, The Corruptible is a prime example of a book that grabs you from the beginning and won’t let you go. Mark Mynheir has created another flip-the-pages and stay-up-late-to-finish-the-novel story with characters so real they become your friends and a plot that will make your heart hammer. Don’t miss this fantastic read!”

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Recent Signing-LifeWay, Shreveport, LA

I had so much fun signing at the Shreveport, Louisiana LifeWay with Tricia Goyer! Here are some photos from our signing!