Video on \”Seeing Things\” by Patti Hill

Product Description
Lissa Randall’s future was bright with academic promise until the tragic accident that took her mother’s life–and brought her own plans to a screeching halt. Eighteen months later, she still can’t get back behind the wheel.A casual recommendation to Ev McAllistair’s driving school sets in motion a cascade of events… until Lissa begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, life isn’t as random as she’s thought.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lookout Mountain, TN, Words Unspoken weaves together a vibrant cast of characters whose intertwining stories of courage, choice, heartbreak, and hope will hold you captive until the final page. 

About the Author
Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon’s editors. Searching for Eternity is her sixth novel.

Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon’s editors.

My Review:  I felt depressed when I began this book, but it got better as it went along.  The book dealt with depression and anxiety; there was also a little mystery thrown in.  I’m interested in reading more by this author.  She doesn’t give pat answers or create perfect characters.  Yet the characters solve their problems through faith, using mostly constructive means.  I took a day and read this whole book.  I felt satisfied at the ending, although there were times throughout when I wasn’t sure I would be, and that kept me reading.

Product Description
When Rebecca Kauffman’s older sister, who left the Amish community when she was a teenager, dies in an automobile accident, Rebecca is left custody of her two modern non-Amish teenage nieces, Jessica and Lindsay. Will she be able to reconcile the two worlds in her home—or will the clash of cultures tear her world, including her marriage, apart?

From the Back Cover
Rebecca Kauffman’s tranquil Old Order Amish life is transformed when she suddenly has custody of her two teenage nieces after her “English” sister and brother-in-law are killed in an automobile accident. Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and a heartache. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife.

Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica’s rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating for her nieces, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God.

My Review:  Books about Amish life are so fascinating to me; including this new one by Amy Clipston.  Imagine two teenage girls being transported from normal American life with all the advantages and perks we have to a simple, basic life in an Amish community.  Imagine a young married Amish woman unable to have children of her own inheriting these two girls. Imagine her husband getting pressure from the Amish community to control those girls.  Sounds like disaster ready to happen, right?  First of all, the girls lose both of their parents in an automobile accident.  This seems like quite a bit to deal with, would you agree?  The result is an interesting, quick read that pulls at your emotions.  I look forward to more books by this author!

Product Description:The second book in the Above the Line series finds independent filmmakers Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison at the center of Hollywood wheeling and dealing. The two friends discover that all that glitters is not gold—and that success in Tinsel Town could cost them everything—their relationships as well as their ideals. 
From the Back Cover
Filmmakers Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison have completed their first feature film, and Hollywood is buzzing with the news. In the wake of that excitement, the producers acquire rights to a novel that has all the ingredients they want for their next project. At the same time they cross paths with a well-connected player who introduces them to the right people, and suddenly every studio in town wants to talk to Chase and Keith. The producers’ dreams are on the verge of coming true, but Chase’s marriage is strained and Keith’s daughter — Andi Ellison — is making questionable choices in her quest for stardom. The producers are gaining respect and are on the verge of truly changing culture through the power of film — but is the change worth the cost? 

My Review:  Check out the promo video on YouTube for a good preview of the book.  As always, Karen Kingsbury has a winner.  She seems to connect well to her reader.  If I had a middle school or high school daughter at home still, I would not hesitate to give them this book.   Even as a grandmother, I enjoyed it!  The book deals with real life issues of love, family, temptation, sin, and the human condition.  Kingsbury has a way of keeping you reading and wanting more.  I think living near L.A. and recently seeing the moving Fireproof and all of  it’s sequels, this book was especially interesting to me.  The main characters in this book want to make a difference with their films, just like the church in Georgia wants to make a difference with their films.  I recommend this book highly – another great summer read!

From back cover:  After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER.  She’s determined to make a fresh start–new hospital, new career in nursing education–move forward, no turning back.  But her plans fall apart when she’s called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion.  Worse, she’s forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a wast of time.  He demands his staff be as tough as he is.  Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator…who just might teach him the true meaning of healing.

My Review:  I enjoyed this book and the hospital setting.  It is a Christian romance novel and followed along the familiar Christian romance pattern.  It was also based on the Grey’s Anatomy model, with characters such as McSnarley, and McMuffin.  If you enjoy that television program but long to see something cleaner, you will love this book.  Hope is offered in difficult situations.  Our female main character is beautiful, but doesn’t realize it.  She has fears that need to be conquered due to her tremendous nursing skills.  Our male main character recognizes those skills immediately, and although he understands the reasons behind those fears, still wants Avery for his nurse.  Christianity plays a huge role in the healing of our characters in a believable way.   This book is written by an ER nurse with personal experience in this type of setting.  I look forward to more books by her in the future.

Product Description
It’s 1876, and 20-year-old Mattie Flynn is determined to make a fresh start after fleeing from her sinister boss in the gambling house where she was employed as a singer. Mattie travels to Deadwood, South Dakota, in search of her younger brother, who went ahead of her in hopes of making a fortune in the gold mines.All Mattie wants is a safe and respectable life for the two of them, but that doesn’t seem to be her destiny as she faces more heartache and trials. Will the suspicious bottles of gold dust from her brother’s claim be the key to her future…or does the handsome street preacher, who is always turning the other cheek, truly hold the answers to her deepest longings?

My Review:  

I found this book slow to begin with but by the time I finished the first chapter I was totally engaged.  I became interested initially because I love the cover, and for some reason, the author looks familiar to me.  The main character travels to be with her brother and only living relative in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  She was also escaping nightmarish treatment from her boss in Abilene, where the family originated.  Mattie is a very likeable character.  She pitches in to help and wants to make her own way.  She makes a lot of new friends in Deadwood.  Some of these new friends have a real faith in Jesus, which Mattie did not share.  This is classic historical Christian fiction with romance and adventure.  I learned a little about history as well – seeing the time period from the view of the main character.   I have never read this author before, but will now check out more books by her!

Product Description