Edgy Inspirational Author

My review of Skinny by Laura L. Smith

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:09:57 GMT

Skinny by Laura L. Smith

About the book:

For honor student Melissa, life at Spring Hill High is one long competition---against herself and others---for excellent grades, friendships, and the perfect boyfriend. But when dance team auditions are announced, the pressure steps up and Melissa begins dieting obsessively. A challenging faith-based look at self-image and eating disorders for teens and young adults.

My review:

I read Skinny from start to finish while on the plane to New York. It's an easy read and geared toward young teens, which the "voice" definitely fits. It's a bit young for me, but I can see young teens loving it. The stress young teens face is very well reflected in the theme and emotion of the story. I had a cousin and several friends with eating disorders and the author portrays a realistic scenario with this story. However, the character in the book actually recovered fairly quickly and usually that is not the case. But God can do amazing things when people are willing. I was surprised that main characters had such a warped perspective regarding food, dieting, and the Bible, but then again it made sense that she would see things through that twisted lens. Sometimes young people learn bad behavior from reading these types of books, but I don't see this book as promoting unhealthy eating, but doing just the opposite. I applaud the author for communicating that well.

Skinny was published by NavPress and released in September 2008.

Review of A Constant Heart by Siri Mitchell

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:25:18 GMT

About the book:

Born with the face of an angel, Marget Barnardsen is blessed. Her father is a knight and now she is to be married to the Earl of Lytham. Her destiny is guaranteed...at least, it would seem so. But when her introduction to court goes awry and Queen Elizabeth despises her, Marget fears she's lost her husband forever. Desperate to win him back, she'll do whatever it takes to discover how she failed and capture the love of a man bound to the queen.

My review:

First, let me say that the cover is the most beautiful historical fiction cover I have ever seen. Second, I don't recommend reading this book if there are a lot of distractions. To get the full effect of the author's voice and the setting you need to be in a place where your concentration is not easily broken. Do this and you'll get sucked right in. I had to set aside blocks of time read to this book because it's not the kind where you can just read a page here and there. Once I got a chance to really read it, I became distressed that I had to wait to finish it. But life gets busy. At any rate, this book kept calling me to read it and that rarely happens to me with books, which is why I gave it five + stars.

Siri writes real thoughts and real life. The ugliness of that time...black plague, people being quartered and beheaded, etc. was not glossed over, nor was it written for shock value. It was simply told truthfully and that made the setting feel more real to me. Someone mentioned there being less content about God and faith than in secular novels. I disagree. I saw more content with a spiritual thread than is even found in some CBA fiction. However, the content was limited to the era and thus constrained by the culture. To write a viewpoint much different from how Siri wrote it, well, that would not have worked and would have blow the author's credibility. She had to show the way it really was.
I found this story very romantic as well. At first I wanted to smack Lytham around, but Siri redeemed him well. He became quite the hero, but was still flawed. Some of the marital conflict was hilarious and overall quite entertaining. I could feel their emotion and it was fabulously written. The love scenes were realistic, too, but tastefully done.

I despised the older woman who was continually advising Marget. And what happened with Lytham's former wife was simply tragic. Marget was innocent and the advice given nearly ruined her. The grieving she experienced was so real to me that I cried for Marget several times. It wasn't a heavy, lingering feeling from her pain, though, because I had not experienced the same thing. But I could identify with her. And like in the story about the Titanic, where you know the ship will sink, I kept reading with the anxious feeling of knowing that the cosmetics were poisoning her and I couldn't stop her from returning to court. I totally bought into the tension in this story.

Siri always makes me think about our culture and other cultures when she writes. I could see how women over the centuries have done just about anything to look beautiful. I found that concept fascinating and told many people about this story because of it. What a great premise! I'd always wondered why courtiers had such a high rate of infertility. If you wanted to be a mother, chances were better if you stayed far away from the queen and her court.

I also found the portrayal of Queen Elizabeth to be very well done. There was so much richness and depth to this story, I could go on for hours. But in short, the definition of love and faithfulness is explored in detail in A Constant Heart, and the way the author showed the many different perspectives was nothing short of brilliant. If you love realistic historical fiction that is honest and contains some edgy content, you'll want to devour this book!

Review of When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:55:00 GMT

ABOUT THE BOOK

Returning to the home she fled in disgrace, will Hannah find healing for the wounds of the past?

After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood.

Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, she finally has settled into a satisfying role in the Englischer world. She also has found love and a new family with the wealthy Martin Palmer and the children she is helping him raise. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl's Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her, including her headstrong father, reopens old wounds.

As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah's mental health, hidden truths surface about events during Hannah's absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life-and perhaps to her first love?

My review:

What a fabulous conclusion to a strong series. When the Soul Mends is as deep an compulsively readable as the rest of the series. You could try reading it as a stand-alone but I think it's much more effective if it's read within the series. The author did a great job in regards to drawing me in. I was as confused as Hannah was about who I wanted her to end up with. But the author made such as great case for each situation that I changed my mind several times over the course of the series. I am ecstatic with how it ended, too. It seemed impossible, but Cindy pulled it off.

I loved the spiritual thread, which was subtle, yet effective. The part about forgiveness was very well done and portrayed the way life really is. It's one thing to say you should forgive someone and an entirely different thing to follow through with your intenstions. I also really enjoyed the roles the minor characters played in the story. It gave it a richer quality. I just wish the series didn't have to end. This is the kind of story that makes you want to pick up the phone when you turn the last page and talk to someone about it. I highly recommend When the Soul Mends.

When the Soul Mends was published by Waterbrook and released in Sept 2008.

My review of In the Shadow of Lions by Ginger Garrett

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:27:05 GMT

About the Book:

"I am the first writer, The Scribe. My books lie open before the Throne, and someday will be the only witness of your people and their time in this world." So begins the narration of one such angel in this sweeping historical tale set during the reign of England's Henry VIII. It is the story of two women, their guardian angels, and a mysterious, subversive book . . . a book that outrages some, inspires others, and launches the Protestant Reformation.The devout Anne Boleyn catches the eye of a powerful king and uses her influence to champion an English translation of the Bible. Meanwhile, Rose, a broken, suicidal woman of the streets, is moved to seek God when she witnesses Thomas More's public displays of Christian charity, ignorant of his secret life spent eradicating the same book, persecuting anyone who dares read it. Historic figures come alive in this thrilling story of heroes and villains, saints and sinners, angels and mortals . . . and the sacred book that will inspire you anew.

My review:

What an amazing story! I hated for it to end. The only thing I didn't care for was the current "scribe" scenes. I totally loved the scenes from the past and Anne Boleyn's story. It amazes me when I think about how incredibly fickle people were in those days, and how ignorant. For Henry to kill or cast off each wife that wouldn't bear him a son, oy! How sad! I felt sorry for the women because it wasn't their fault. What difficult times they lived in. I found the accounts of the persecution fascinating and also hard to stomach because the story was so well-written I felt like I was there. To think that reading the Bible was enough to get you brutally totured to the point of death... I shudder when I ponder it too long. So if you love fiction that transports you back in time with realism and cultural flair, you will want to read In the Shadow of Lions. Awesome and compelling storytelling.

In the Shadow of Lions was published by Cook Communications and released in Sept 2008.

My review of Table for One by Georgiana Daniels

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:40:21 GMT

Product Description

Successful stockbroker Lucy Brocklehurst hasn't had a date in four years. In a town where the ratio of single women to men is 7:1, she's determined to wait on God for the perfect mate-as long as it's the hot new youth pastor at her church. Lucy will do anything to get his attention, including volunteering for the youth group. Through a series of misadventures on the teen outings, Lucy finds herself falling in love with a kindhearted chaperone named Edgar Flowers. But when their relationship grows serious, Lucy discovers the lengths his recently-widowed mother will go to in order to keep them apart. What starts out as harmless interference turns into an all out tug of war, with Edgar as the prize! Will Lucy crumble under the scrutiny of her would-be mother-in-law? Or can Lucy and Edgar's budding romance survive the schemes of his meddling mom?

My review:

Table for One was laugh out loud funny. I mean really funny. I felt bad for poor Lucy who seemed to make more bad decisions than good ones, but I loved her anyway. She was a great heroine. Edgar was a fabulous hero, too, even if he was a momma's boy. I don't think I would've handled his mother as graciously as Lucy had. My favorite line in the story is Cricket. Cricket. That is during a part of the story where everything stops and no one makes a sound. Isn't that a fabulous way to describe how things go quiet and everyone stares at you. :) I totally loved the author's voice and I think she did a great job with the first person present tense point of view. That is very difficult, but she pulled it off. And this story was mercifully free of cliches. The hilarious thoughts and comments that Lucy had were incredibly well-thought out and very funny. This story touched my heart and tickled my funny bone at the same time. The spiritual arc was superb. I just can't say enough good things about Table for One. I'm thoroughly impressed!

My review of A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:11:25 GMT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Lessman is a debut author who has already garnered writing acclaim, including ten Romance Writers of America awards. She is a commercial writer for Maritz Travel, a published poet and a Golden Heart Finalist. Julie has a heart to write "Mainstream Inspirational," reaching the 21st-century woman with compelling love stories laced with God's precepts. She resides in Missouri with her husband and their golden retriever, and has two grown children and a daughter-in-law. A Passion Most Pure was her first novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

No man can resist her charms. Or so she thought. Charity O'Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. Her stunning beauty and flirtatious ways have always succeeded with men. Until Mitch Dennehy, that is.

Brilliant and dangerously handsome, Mitch is a no-nonsense newspaperman who wants nothing to do with her. Charity burned him once, destroying his engagement to the only woman he ever truly loved. He won't play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants--one way or another.

Or does she? Will her best-laid schemes win his love? Or will her seductive ways drive him away forever? Book 2 in the Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Redeemed will captivate your heart and stir your soul with a story of faith and redemption rising from the ashes of temptation, desire, and shame.

Praise for the first book in the series:

"Full of romance, humor, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page." --Historical Novels Review "Superb! Incredible!

"I loved Julie Lessman's A Passion Most Pure from the second I picked it up until the very last moment I stopped reading." --Armchair Interviews

"I devoured this book and loved every single page. . . . This is a thick, juicy read, and one I would pick up again in a heartbeat." --christianreviewofbooks.com

My Review:

Lessman has a knack for drama and angst with a heavy dose of passion. This story is no exception. And like a soap opera, you never quite know who will end up with whom and what will happen next. There is not a boring page in this entire novel. The tension rocks. There is a lot of pain and anger, as well as joy and deep sorrow. But the longing is what gets to me.

Don't we all long for love? And poor Charity was operating from a faulty point of view from the get-go. I found that quite profound, and well done. Charity had reasons for being sensual, complex, needy, and rejecting. She had deep-seated reasons for being manipulative as well. I've known so many girls and women like Charity, whose issues caused them to do insane things at times to try to get their way. But their behavior always stemmed from a profound fear of abandonment. I loved how the author portrayed this with such emotion.

I also loved how the romance between Charity's parents continued and enjoyed some of the profound talks--and interruptions--they had at night. In regards to the male point of view, Lessman does this well. They say the average man thinks about sex at least once every few minutes. If that is true (and I wouldn't know as I'm not a man) then she has that nailed as well.

While this story seemed more heavy on the physical attraction than a Passion Most Pure, it made sense given Charity's extreme beauty and seductive behavior that men would feel somewhat tortured around her. And like most women who've been hurt at a very young age, she blames herself for what happened with Rigan. While I didn't like it, that is so like real life situations.

Toward the end I was really hoping another relationship would work out, but I've discovered that with Lessman's Passion series, things don't usually change course and stay there, but the diversion still plays a large part in the healing. So even though I was a tad disappointed at the end, I know that means the third book will resolve that for me. I grew to care so much about one character that I wanted to see him happy. Not gonna happen in this book, but there is always potential in the next novel in the series. So I was still satisfied. But unfortunately, whenever I finish one of Lessman's books I am tortured by having to wait for the next installment.

Oh, and when it comes to sensual tension, this author does it better than anyone in the Christian fiction world today. And she has definitely extended the boundaries of what is "allowed" in the CBA, giving hope to other authors like myself, who see passion as being the spice of life and a true gift from God. :) Encore!

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www.michellesutton.net

Review of Dogwood by Chris Fabry

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 03:53:01 GMT

About the book:

In the small town of Dogwood, West Virginia, Karin has buried her shattered dreams by settling for a faithful husband whose emotional distance from her deep passions and conflicts leaves her isolated. Loaded with guilt, she tries to raise three small children and "do life" the best she can.

Will returns to Dogwood intent on pursuing the only woman he has ever loved--only to find there is far more standing in his way than lost years in prison. The secrets of Will and Karin's past begin to emerge through Danny Boyd, a young boy who wishes he hadn't survived the tragedy that knit those two together as well as tore them apart.

The trigger that will lay their pain bare and force them to face it rather than flee is the unlikely figure of Ruthie Bowles, a withered, wiry old woman who leads Karin so deep into her anger against God that it forces unexpected consequences.

My review:

What an amazing story! While there were several different characters and viewpoints, for the most part they were distinct enough where I could keep track of them. At any rate, this story was a page turner. I loved how the author dropped little clues on a trail which led to the culmination of the story. While not perfect or super-spiritual, the ending was still gratifying despite the tragic undertones. For the majority of the story, you aren't quite sure what the whole issue is with Karin, but begin to suspect a little bit more as the story moves along. It's so bittersweet, yet surprising. And beautiful.

This story left me wanting to mull over the the details even after I finished it. Kind of like I did with the movie "Summersby" starring Jodi Foster and Richard Gear. Yet Dogwood didn't leave me with a "bummer" feeling like some novels have. In fact, I grew more fond of Will as the story progressed, despite what had allegedly occurred before he went to prison. And kind of like in the movie "Dead Man Walking," I wanted to obsess over what could have happened differently to prevent the incident in the first place. My heart ached for him.

Then as the truth slowly came out, a tragic sense of loss hit me deep inside, but it mingled with rejoicing as things were revealed. There were some intense moments in the story when I thought for sure it was over for Will. The suspense was killing me as was his unrequited love and longing for Karin. The scenes that went back to that tragic year were particularly powerful. The emotion was totally gripping, and it was so precious to get to know Will's heart so much that he felt like a real person to me.

I can see this movie becoming a Hollywood feature film. In fact, it was so well done I felt like I was living in Dogwood as I read the story. Rarely does a novel strike such a deep chord in me like this one had. This story is not only well worth reading, but sharing with friends, too. It would make a fabulous book club selection because it was so thought-provoking and edgy. And I SO love edgy because I love anything that makes me think and feel things on a deeper level.

Dogwood was published by Tyndale and released in August 2008.

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