This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Betrayed
Tyndale House Publishers (February 6, 2008)
by
Jeanette Windle

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As the child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than twenty. She has more than a dozen books in print, including political/suspense best-seller CrossFire and the Parker Twins series.











ABOUT THE BOOK


Fires smolder endlessly below the dangerous surface of Guatemala City’s municipal dump.

Deadlier fires seethe beneath the tenuous calm of a nation recovering from brutal civil war. Anthropologist Vicki Andrews is researching Guatemala’s “garbage people” when she stumbles across a human body. Curiosity turns to horror as she uncovers no stranger, but an American environmentalist—Vicki’s only sister, Holly.

With authorities dismissing the death as another street crime, Vicki begins tracing Holly’s last steps, a pilgrimage leading from slum squalor to the breathtaking and endangered cloud forests of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere. But every unraveled thread raises more questions. What betrayal connects Holly’s murder, the recent massacre of a Mayan village, and the long-ago deaths of Vicki’s own parents?

Nor is Vicki the only one demanding answers. Before her search reaches its startling end, the conflagration has spilled across international borders to threaten an American administration and the current war on terror. With no one turning out to be who they’d seemed, who can Vicki trust and who should she fear?

A politically relevant tale of international intrigue and God’s redemptive beauty and hope.

For Pete's Sake

For Pete's Sake is a book by Linda Windsor and is an Avon Inspired novel. I'm not sure if that means if is inspired by make-up (Avon) or something else. :)

What happens when the Ice Princess, who is engaged to the most eligible bachelor meets the landscape artist who has been hired by the bachelor? Do sparks fly or just fur?

Ellen, landscape artist, befriends Peter, "Pete" the son of her new neighbor, Adrian. Adrian is engaged to Selena, the ice princess. Ellen and Adrian meet quite by accident, between a motorcycle and a Corvette. You'll have to read the book to find out if there were any injuries and just what happened.

Peter is a high-functioning autistic child of 11. Adrian isn't sure what to do with him as a single dad. Selena would love nothing more than to send him to boarding school as soon as she says "I do." Ellen just loves the boy. And Peter loves Ellen. And can't stand Selena.

But what about Adrian? Who does he love?

You'll just have to get the book and find out for yourself. Just let me tell you one thing, things are not always as they seem.

63 words

Speedtest

Fantastic Fantasy

I do not normally enjoy reading fantasy. It's generally not my favorite genre. I've tried to read Lord of the Rings a few times and I just can't seem to get into it. My brother at one time decided if I could only watch the movie I would surely fall in love and read the books. Needless to say it didn't happen. I did try but left the room after the first 15 minutes. I have read The Chronicles of Narnia. I can't say I list them as my favorite books, but I have read them. I even own and have watched The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe dvd. I've watched it once.

But this book, now this book is hugely different. I was not able to put On The Edge of The Dark Sea of Darkness down. This book by singer/songwriter and recording artist, Andrew Peterson. (yes, it is that Andrew Peterson, the one you hear on the radio. At least my dear man plays his music.)

In this book you are introduced to Toothy cows, horned hounds and the Fangs of Dang. This book has parts that are absolutely tummy splitting hilarious and other parts that heart racing scary...no scary isn't the word. Intense, edge of you seat action that leave you breathless and a little chagrined you were so worried. You find yourself giggling the little giggle that is so common to humans when we've just been scared half to death.

This is a must-read book for 2008! Out of 5 stars I'll give it 10!

Sweet stuff

Caroline Sweeney is one who has always done the right thing. The smart thing. The thing that benefits those around her and not necessarily herself. She has given up hopes and dreams to follow others hopes and dreams. She has decided to take care of others first.

Noble? Yes. But right? Not always.

Caroline, the heroine of Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck, inherits a run-down, almost to the point of falling down cafe from her boss. A kind old man but a little on the odd side of life. Just prior to the reading of the will Caroline lands a dream job in Barcelona, Spain. She can't wait.

She does have a choice. She can accept her inheritance and stay, or she can refuse it and it will be sold...immediately. Which is exactly what she does. For about 4 hours, when she has a change of heart brought on by the looks and attitudes of her staff. Oh and the fact that they left her alone.

She goes through probate knowing a group wants to purchase the cafe and she has every intention of selling. But are they speaking the truth to her? Will she actually sell it?

And what about Barcelona and the job of a lifetime? Not to mention Mitch, the man of her dreams? What will happen to it all?

You'll just have to read the book to find out for your own self, because I'm not telling.

Perfection?

I just read The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher. It was well written but not at all what I have come to expect from Robin. It almost had a fake feeling to it. In the first couple of chapters I continually found myself looking at the cover to be sure I wasn't reading a Lori Wick novel.

A couple has been married for almost 25 years, he owns his own ministry/company that buys houses to restore for families who would not have a home otherwise. They have two girls, both grown, married and pregnant.

A few years before the start of the book Brad had to fire a female employee because he wasn't interested in her "in that way". She decided to seek revenge. On the night he would be awarded humanitarian of the year she contacted the media. She told them it would behoove them to look into the financial practices of his company.

A few days later she admits to a newscaster that Brad and she had an affair. He made promises to leave his wife and marry her. But he broke that promise, as well as all the other promises he made to her throughout their affair.

Katherine, Brad's wife, was devastated as would anyone. Brad maintains his innocence to her and everyone else. One daughter believes him, the other one just wants her mom to divorce him and move on. Katherine doesn't know what to think. She can't imagine Brad would have an affair, but is she wrong? Did he?

A couple of good quotes from the book.

Since the day of Nicole's appearance on channel 5, I'd wanted--no, expected--God to rescue me, to make the trouble stop and go away, to restore my life to what it used to be. But here in this room on my knees, I realized that I needed God more than I needed rescuing. I needed to draw closer to Him in the storm more than I needed to be taken out of the storm.

I wanted to feel His presence. I wanted to hear His voice. Would He speak to me? I'd been content to read the Bible and be obedient but I had never experienced what it meant to abide. I'd been content to let Him speak to others. Had I missed the chance to hear Him for myself? What was it Jesus told the Jewish leaders? "My sheep recognize My voice; I know them, and they follow Me." Was I among the sheep who knew the Savior's voice?

Those two quotes made the book a worthwhile read for me. I wished Robin had gone into more detail of the working out of those. Maybe there will be a sequel where that is fleshed out?

Book Review

I am in the process of reading Truffles By The Sea by Julie Carobini. My dear man asked me tonight if I had finished it and I told him, "Technically yes and technically no. Technically yes, because I've read all I'm going to read of it. Which is enough to write a good review on. Technically no, because I've not read every word on every page."

Gabby Flores owns a Flower shop called Floraly Yours. At the beginning of the book you find Gabby trying to put her life back together after a fire and an employee that pretty much wiped her out.

She finds a loft apartment to rent, discovers it comes complete with meddling neighbors and womanizers. In attempting to get her life back on track, put food on the table and compete with other florists she finds out a disgruntled bride is suing her. And just might take her store along with her shirt.

The man she is dating turns out to be another Mr. Wrong, when she is searching so hard to find Mr. Right. But find him she does. Where? Right under her nose. Literally.

This book is a bit predictable but is an excellent read.