T J and the Time Stumblers: Yikes!!! by Bill Myers (Review)

Age Range: 8 and up

Paperback: 176 pages

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; Reprint edition (February 14, 2012)

ISBN-13: 978-1414334585

In an effort to find the last of the fuel ingredients for their time pod, 23rd-century goofballs Tuna and Herby transport themselves to Africa. Unfortunately, they also transport TJ Finkelstein and half of her 7th-grade science class, including TV star Hesper Breakahart and dreamy Chad Steel. In the jungle, the Time Stumblers' usual mayhem jumps to a new level as Herby is adopted by a mother gorilla, Tuna is transformed into an ostrich chick, and the students are taken in by an African tribe. When Hesper tries to escape by leaping into a raging river, TJ finds that it's time to begin showing the leadership qualities that Tuna and Herby claim she'll have someday as a world leader. Thanks to her, everyone makes it home safely, and the Time Stumblers fuel up their time pod, leaving with laughter, tears . . . and one last zany surprise for TJ.


My Review:

This was a good conclusion to the T J and the Time Stumblers series. This is book six and you can read it on its own but it makes more sense read in order. It is interesting and filled with action. There were many fun moments in the midst of the trouble they find themselves in. Tuna and Herby are almost done with TJ. She has one last lesson to learn. She learns it while figuring out a way for them to get home. She has to take charge, come up with the plan, and get everyone to follow it. I was sad to see this series end. Even though it is for the upper elementary crowd I still enjoyed reading about the adventures of TJ, Tuna, and Herby. Recommended.

A Bride for All Seasons by Various (Review)

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 18, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-1401688530

1800s mail-order bride catalogs facilitated many happy marriages. Here are the stories of four couples who owe their wedded bliss to creative editing by The Hitching Post publisher.

“And Then Came Spring”—Margaret Brownley

Sheriff Tom Garrett wants vengeance on his brother’s murderers, but he must think of his orphaned nephew. Then Mary-Jo shows up, swearing she married Tom’s brother by proxy and he’d neglected to mention a son.

“An Ever-After Summer”—Debra Clopton

Widower Matt McConnell wrote his ad with no room for misunderstanding—Bible believers need not apply. But Bible-thumping Ellie shows up on his doorstep. Matt’s so desperate for her help that he accepts.

“Autumn’s Angel”—Robin Lee Hatcher

Luvena Abbott is a singing sensation in New York. But as guardian to her brother’s children, she has few options to provide a home. Clay Birch won an abandoned theater in a poker game. The Hitching Post editor thinks they’ll make a perfect match.

“Winter Wedding Bells”—Mary Connealy

David Laramie is looking for a woman to care for his children. In exchange he’ll make her financially comfortable for life. But no woman wants to marry a dying man. Then Megan responds to his ad. It seems his “edited” letter contained no mention of him dying.

My Review:

I enjoyed this Christian historical fiction book. There are four novellas in the book. They are all sweet and well written. Melvin Hitchcock is the owner and editor of The Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogue. He is the one who reads the letters of potential bride and grooms. In these stories he changes and leaves out some important things to match the couples up. The couples are not aware of these changes until they meet. In the end it works out okay and the couples stay together. The in between are good stories with interesting plots and characters. There are several fun and hilarious moments in with the serious. Recommended especially for fans of Christian historical fiction.


Review copy provided by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Harvest of Gold River North; New Edition edition (July 1, 2013) by Tessa Afshar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

TESSA AFSHAR was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy, too. There is another point she did not count on in her marriage-Sarah has grown to love her husband. Sarah has wealth, property, honor, and power, but her husband's love still seems unattainable.

Although his mother was an Israelite, Darius remains skeptical that his Jewish wife is the right choice for him, particularly when she conspires with her cousin Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Ordered to assist in the effort, the couple begins a journey to the homeland of his mother's people. Will the road filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories, help Darius to see the hand of God at work in his life-and even in his marriage?

A hidden message, treachery, opposition, and a God-given success, will lead to an unlikely bounty.

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Harvest of Gold, go HERE.

Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge (Review)

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (July 22, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-1414349336

Don’t tell me it’s terrifying. Terrify me.

Filled with grief, Jules Belleno rarely leaves the house since her husband’s death while on duty as a police officer. Other than the reviews Jules writes on her blog, she has little contact with the outside world.

But one day when she ventures out to the local grocery store, Jules bumps into a fellow customer . . . and recognizes him as her favorite author, Patrick Reagan. Jules gushes and thoroughly embarrasses herself before Regan graciously talks with her.

And that’s the last thing she remembers until she wakes up in a strange room with a splitting headache. She’s been kidnapped. And what she discovers will change everything she believed about her husband’s death . . . her career . . . and her faith.


My Review:

I read this book in one afternoon. It was a great Christian suspense/mystery book. The characters and plot are interesting and unique. It is well written and held my attention from the beginning. Jules is a widow whose husband was a cop and died on a call. She lives mostly on the Internet through her blog. One day she goes to the grocery store and sees her favorite author. She wakes up at his remote mountain house. What follows next is not what you expect. There are several twists and turns. It is not scary though. Her favorite author discovered information about her husband's death she never suspected. Also present is her husband's old partner in the force Chris who feels responsible for her. He won't give up with trying to figure out what happened to her once her father who is a drunk convinced him she was missing. The conclusion is satisfying and breath taking. Recommended.

Rene Gutteridge is the author of nineteen novels including Listen, Possession, the Storm series, the Boo series, the Occupational Hazards series, and the novelization of the movie The Ultimate Gift. Rene and her husband have two children and live in Oklahoma.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a Review Copy free from the Tyndale blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A Big Year for Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher and Mary Ann Kinsinger (Review)

Age Range: 8 and up

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Revell (July 1, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-0800721343

Lily Lapp's family has settled into their new home in Pennsylvania, but life still holds big changes and big steps for Lily. Good changes, like once again living close to her beloved cousin and best friend, Hannah. Bad changes, like a mean girl who plays tricks on her. And no change at all where Lily would most want one--Aaron Yoder sits near her in school and relentlessly teases her. Surprises are in store for Lily as she learns, with Mama and Papa's help, to manage the ups and downs of growing up Amish.

The third of four charming novels that chronicle the gentle way of the Amish through the eyes of a young girl, A Big Year for Lily gives children ages 8-12 a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Amish--and lots of fun and laughter along the way. It combines Mary Ann Kinsinger's real-life stories of growing up Amish and the bestselling writing of Amish fiction and nonfiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher. With charming line drawings in each book, this series captures the hearts of readers young and old.


My Review:

I enjoyed reading this book chronicling the journey of young Amish girl Lily as she grows up. I think it is too hard for 8 year olds to read on their own and they might need help though. The chapters are long with a lot of words. I thought the story was interesting and well written. I liked seeing what happened next to Lily and her family. They have mostly good lives. Lily has a few things that drive her crazy like Aaron Yoder who picks on her and Effie who bullies her. This is a sweet charming Amish book for the younger crowd. Recommended.





Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days, and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to pass on her warm childhood memories to her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, A Lancaster County Christmas, The Keeper, and The Haven, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award finalist. She is the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom, which boasts 15,000 downloads a month, and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Find out more
at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Available July 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Dolled Up to Die by Lorena McCourtney (Review)

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Revell (July 15, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-0800721596

Cate's not sure just what she expected . . . but she knows it certainly wasn't this.
When Cate Kinkaid receives a frantic call about a triple homicide, she drives to the scene against her better judgment--aren't triple homicides more up the police department's alley?--only to find that the victims are not quite who she expects. Now she has a new rule to add to everything she's learned in her short stint as an assistant private investigator: always find out if the victims have human DNA. Because these three do not.

But who would shoot this nice lady's dolls? What possible reason could the shooter have? And then there's the startling discovery of another victim, who definitely does have human DNA . . .

With tension that is matched only by humor, Dolled Up to Die is the exciting second book in Lorena McCourtney's Cate Kinkaid Files. You won't find a place to stop and take a breath in this fast-paced story.


My Review:

This was a good Christian cozy mystery. It is the second in the Cate Kincaid files. The first was Dying to Read which I enjoyed also. I was a little scared when I read that the dolls were life like and the victims. It ended up not being freaky. There were also human victims so Cate has her hands full with this case. There are some characters from the first book like Cate's boyfriend who is still not too happy with her job and the risks she takes. Her Aunt and Uncle are also still there. Her Uncle owns the detective business and he is okay with her being an associate now. There was a lot of funny in it too. It is not a super serious book. Recommended.



Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In Golden Splendor by Michael Reynolds

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing In Golden Splendor • B&H Books (July 15, 2013) by Michael Reynolds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael K. Reynolds is the writer and producer of Emmy and Telly Award-winning film campaigns and has more than two decades of experience in fiction, journalism, copywriting, and documentary production. He owns Global Studio, a marketing agency, and is also an active leader in church and business, speaking in both ministry and corporate settings. Michael lives with his wife and three children in Reno, Nevada.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Irish immigrant Seamus Hanley is a lost soul, haunted by his past as a U.S. Army deserter and living alone in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in 1849. But after witnessing a deadly stage coach crash, he finds purpose in the scattered wreckage -- a letter with a picture of a beautiful and captivating woman named Ashlyn living in San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush. Moved by her written plea for help, he abandons all and sets out on an epic journey across the wild and picturesque American frontier. While being pursued by those who want to hang him, Seamus encounters fascinating characters including a young Pauite Indian who makes the ultimate sacrifice in helping Seamus to cross the snowy Yosemite Valley. Battered but changed for the better, Seamus reaches San Francisco on Christmas Eve as the city burns in the tragic fire of 1849. But there is little time for rest, as an even greater, more harrowing adventure involving Ashlyn is about to begin.


If you would like to read the first chapter of In Golden Splendor, go HERE