Category Archives: Book Talk

A Moment Of Weakness By Karen Kingsbury

A Moment Of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Multnomah (March 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1576736164
ISBN-13: 978-1576736166

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I was up until two AM last Saturday finishing the novel. THAT’S MONUMENTAL FOR ME. I HAVEN’T STAYED UP SO LATE FINISHING A BOOK IN THREE YEARS!!

I’m aching to talk to somebody about it. I kind of miss the book clubs I used to belong to. When I was in the book clubs, we would all read a book a month, then we’d meet in a restaurant or somebody’s home and discuss the novel. This is one of those times I wish I could have a discussion with somebody about this!

From Amazon.com:
Book Description
Karen Kingsbury’s twelfth book, A Moment of Weakness, is a captivating story of human weakness and divine faithfulness. Jade and Tanner were childhood friends until scandal drove them apart. Then one golden summer they found each other again and shared dreams of forever. But in a moment of weakness they made a decision that would tear them apart for nearly a decade. Now, Jade’s unfaithful husband wants to destroy her in a custody battle that is about to shock the nation. Only one man can help her in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the secret about that summer — and the truth that can set them all free. Had they found each other again after all these years only to lose everything that matters most…?

As children, Jade Conner and Tanner Eastman were best friends—until scandal drove them apart. Then, one golden summer, they find each other again. Through endless days they share their hearts and souls and dreams of forever. Then—in a moment of weakness—they make a decision that will tear them apart for nearly a decade.

In their own separate corners of the country, Jade and Tanner have become fighters for religious freedom. Now Jade’s unfaithful husband is determined to destroy her in a custody battle that will rock the nation and shake people’s understanding of faith and freedom. Could Jade lose her only child because of her faith? Only one man can help her in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the secret about that summer and the truth that can set them all free.
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On one of my writers’ listservs, we were discussing the best book we’ve read in
2007, excluding the Bible. Hands down, I felt that A Moment of Weakness is the best book I’ve read for 2007. I’ve read two of Karen’s other novels, but I like this one the best. I plan on purchasing some more of her novels and writing my views about them on this blog.

Although this is a Christian novel, I felt Kingsbury did an awesome job of showing the sexual tension between Jade and Tanner. Also, I loved the way both characters “found” their way back to each other not once, but twice. Their relationship survived huge conflicts, conflicts that didn’t seem easily resolved. This is a great novel to read for those struggling with the mistakes they’ve made in the past, mistakes made from going against God’s word, even though those mistakes were made after their salvation.

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SPOILER BELOW:
Reading the novel got me to thinking about Christian dating relationships. Tanner and Jade, against their better judgment, made love the day before he was to leave to go to Hungary for three-week religious trip. I often wonder how many Christian couples are able to have a long-term dating relationship without having intercourse. I watched the couple struggling with their deep attraction during the course of their golden summer together, and I felt that Kingsbury did a great job of showing their attraction to one another.

I also loved the way God brought the couple together as young adults. When they were reunited in their early twenties, it was refreshing to see them together, falling in love. Tanner’s mother was a strong conflict in the relationship due to the bitter feelings she has for Jade’s mother. Jade’s mother has not only hurt Jade in the past, but has also hurt Tanner’s parents.

My heart cried as the couple was ripped apart again, leaving Jade pregnant and estranged from everyone. Her sudden marriage to Jim made her problems worse, not better, and her decision started me to thinking about how we sometimes take matters into our own hands, wanting to solve our problems without looking to God for guidance.

When Jade’s marriage falls apart, and she’s in danger of losing custody of her son because of her Christianity, Tanner again appears in her life. I especially loved the courtroom scene at the end of the novel! It was powerful and moving.

As I read the second half of the book, I had to wonder if Kingsbury added Tanner’s older brother to the story after the book was written. I felt that Tanner’s older brother, who was only mentioned a few times in the story (I can’t even recall his name), was added to the story only to give Doris’s (Tanner’s mother) lies to Jade more credibility. What I mean is this: Doris hates Jade, so to break up her son and Jade, she lies to Jade, making false claims that her son is a womanizer and he has two children out of wedlock whom she sends money to each month. She shows Jade pictures of the children, who look just like Tanner. The photos cause Jade to believe Doris, making her abandon all thoughts of being with Tanner and hurriedly marrying Jim, so that she can have somebody to support her and her child. When Doris’s lies are exposed, Jade discovers that the children whom Doris has mentioned are actually Tanner’s older brother’s children! Tanner’s older brother is not in any scenes and when Tanner’s and Jade’s wedding occurs at the end of the story, Tanner’s brother is not mentioned as attending the wedding. I felt he would have at least attended the wedding. I was wondering if Kingsbury added the brother on later, to create a reason (the children who look like Tanner) to make Doris’s lies more believable to Jade. I emailed Kingsbury and asked her this yesterday, but, so far, no response.

You should read this book, if you haven’t done so already! I’m sure you’ll love this one!

Cecelia Dowdy

Boo Humbug by Rene Gutteridge

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Boo Humbug by Rene Gutteridge
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 11, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073537
ISBN-13: 978-1400073535
From Amazon.com
Book Description
It’s Christmastime in Skary, Indiana, but the holiday season has been hijacked by maverick director Lois Stepaphanopolis as she attempts to bring her horror-ific vision of A Christmas Carol to life. But the holly-decked path from page to stage is a thorny one, as Lois attempts to rally her skeptical cast, including new father Wolfe Boone, and then she learns that her reluctant marketing director, Alfred Tennison, is truly a Christmas Scrooge.

Alfred’s grassroots marketing plan proves more than successful as the buzz builds that Skary should anticipate an overflowing audience for their opening night– but a crucial miscommunication leaves the visiting theatergoers expecting of a very different Christmas production. As chaos ensues, can the actors pull off an improv miracle — and can the Skary community convince their own Scrooge to embrace the true meaning of Christmas?

Christmas comedy! That’s the best I can describe this novel! I found myself chuckling a little as I read the book. Two new fathers need to get out of the house. The trials of taking care of newborn babes take their toll on two new fathers, so they plan to spend time out of the house by working on Lois’s Christmas play. However, Wolfe and Oliver, find themselves estranged from their wives when their beloved spouses accidentally discover their reasons for undertaking parts in Lois’s weird and crazy play.

Melb and Ainsley struggle to raise their kids as Melb worries incessantly about the health and well-being of her child.

Then Lois’s scatter-brained idea to put on a new, updated version of Dicken’s Christmas classic will make you chuckle. However, when Alfred’s marketing plan creates a successful buzz for the play, it turns out he creates the wrong kind of buzz! With such a huge misunderstanding, Lois doesn’t know how she can turn her play around completely before the actors must perform to a packed audience.

However, perform they do, using a script with a highly unusual twist.

Enjoy this novel for the holidays!

Cecelia Dowdy

The Pastor’s Woman By Jacquelin Thomas

Interview With Angela Benson!

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I’m pleased to have Angela Benson on my blog today! I read her novel, The Amen Sisters, when it came out in hardcover a few years ago! You’ll want to read this one, if you don’t you’ll be missing a real treat!

A brief synopsis of the novel:
After witnessing the suicide of a church sister, Minister Francine Amen is disgusted with herself for turning against the young woman and refusing to accept her claim of abuse by their pastor. Now, after a short stay in a psychiatric hospital, Francine is trying to pull her life and her ministry back together. But first she must face all of the people she has hurt so deeply—including her younger sister, Dawn. But can Dawn trust her? Francine used to date Dawn’s husband, Sly—who now seems just a little too interested in Francine’s recovery. As far as Dawn is concerned, Sly would be better off spending his time making amends to her for his own sins.

Here’s an interview with Ms. Benson!

Can you tell us a little about your book?

The Amen Sisters is a story of recovery from an abusive church situation. The main character, Francine Amen, left her home and her family to follow a ministry that she believed was doing the work of God, only to find that the pastor and the church had secrets that would lead to the death of one of her closest friends. In her recovery, she has to return home and mend fences with her sister, Dawn (who’s now married to Francine’s ex-fiancé), the church family she left behind, and the family of her dead friend. Francine finds the world she left behind in a bit of turmoil and she can’t help but blame herself for some of the problems. As she tries to make things right in the present, she finds that she must first make peace with what happened in the past.

Where did you find the inspiration for this story?

The idea for The Amen Sisters came to me in 1990, about the time that I was able to start talking about the abusive church situation I had experienced a few years earlier. I had a story I wanted to tell, but I had no idea I’d tell it in a novel. I wasn’t even a published author at the time!

How long did it take you to bring this book from the first draft to the final published product?

The Amen Sisters took the long road to publication. The story began in 2001 as Enduring Love, the third book in the Genesis House Christian romance series that I was writing for Tyndale House. Tyndale loved the first book in the series, Awakening Mercy, and thought I had perfectly hit the tone they wanted in a Christian romance novel.

Their response to Abiding Hope, the second book in the series, was not as enthusiastic. They sent it back to me with the recommendation that I make it more romance-y, more like Awakening Mercy. That’s when I began to wonder whether I had another Christian romance in me. Thankfully, I was able to revise Abiding Hope enough to make it the Christian romance my publisher and readers expected. When I turned in Enduring Love a year later, my publisher and I knew we were at the end of our road together. The book had a romantic element but it was definitely not a romance along the lines of Awakening Mercy and Abiding Hope. Enduring Love was the first incarnation of The Amen Sisters.
The good news is that around this time the publisher at Walk Worthy Press was interested in having me do women’s fiction for her new publishing venture with Warner Books. Seemed like at perfect match, right?
Well, sorta. Though my new publisher and I talked about what a women’s fiction version of Enduring Love would look like, it became apparent after about a year of revisions that we were miles apart in our visions for the book. At the end of my rope, I made a fateful call to my new publisher, fully prepared to terminate the contract and re-pay the advance. Imagine my surprise when my publisher said, “Write your book, Angela,” or some words to that effect. Those words freed me up, and seven months later, I turned in The Amen Sisters.
Tell us about your main characters. Why will readers relate to them? What will they like about them? Is there anything they will dislike about them?

My main characters are twin sisters, Dawn and Francine Amen. Their lives are sent into a spiral after the deaths of their deaths of the grandparents, who reared them. Dawn, “the wild child,” reins herself in and strives to be the good woman that her grandmother always wanted her to be but feared she’d never become. She takes an active role in the running of the funeral home that was left to her and her sister. Francine, the “good girl,” tries to become even better by leaving the family business and her home church to join a travelling ministry.

I think readers will like them because they’re honest with each other. While the sister love is there, you’ll also find a bit a jealousy, anger, and resentment. Their relationship is complicated, as the relationship with most siblings, so readers should relate to the realness.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Readers can find The Amen Sisters at most online bookstores, including Amazon.com, BN.com, and ChristianBook.com. Your local bookstore should also have copies. If it’s out of stock, they can easily re-order it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

You all have a special invitation to visit with me on the web. You can reach my blog and website on the web at www.angelabenson.com and www.theamensisters.com

I also have pages at MySpace (www.myspace.com/angelabenson), Shelfari (www.shelfari.com/angelabenson) and Shoutlife (www.shoutlife.com/angelabenson)

Here is an excerpt for all of you to enjoy!
EXCERPT
“You’re a liar, Toni,” Francine Amen said, forcing a calmness she didn’t feel to project in her voice. She pressed her palms down on the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room in the two-bedroom apartment that she shared with her childhood friend Toni Roberts. “I don’t believe you.”
Toni, standing on the dining room side of the counter, took a step closer to her roommate. “Why would I lie to you, Francie? Tell me that.”
The plea in her friend’s soft brown eyes was almost more than Francine could bear. “I know you, remember? You and me go way back. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve lied about something like this.” Francine didn’t turn away from the stricken look on her friend’s face. She knew her words needed to be spoken. “Well, if we’re talking about truth here, we should talk about truth.”
Toni wrapped her arms around her midsection and said, “You may not believe me, Francie, but I am pregnant and Bishop Payne is the father. We’ve been having an affair for months.”
Francine laughed a dry laugh. “An affair? Come off it, Toni. Bishop told us all how you’ve been coming on to him. And you know what? He didn’t condemn you for it. He asked us to pray for you. And what do you do to him in return? You come up with these lies. I pray to God you haven’t told anyone else this pack of garbage. That man has a wife and kids, and all of them have done nothing but love you. You have to know the damage these lies of yours will do to them.”
“I’m not lying, Francie,” Toni said, her eyes clouding with tears. “You know me,” she pleaded. “You have to believe me. I knew nobody else would believe me. I’ve known for weeks now, and I’ve wanted to tell you so badly, but I just couldn’t. I know what people say about me around here. I’ve overheard them saying I’m not a real Christian, that I don’t have the fire. I heard it from them, but I never thought I’d hear it from you. You’re the one who shared the gospel with me. You’re the one who told me that life in Christ could be different. You know I’ve changed.”
Francine’s heart ached for her friend, but she couldn’t let emotions deter her. Toni had to suffer the consequences of her actions. Tough love was exactly that—tough. “If you’ve been having an affair with Bishop like you say you have, then you haven’t changed that much, after all, have you?”
Toni turned away, seeming to deflate right before Francine’s eyes. “You know how he is, Francie. He can be so charming. I loved him as the man of God he seemed to be, and then I simply loved him. It was like I couldn’t help myself.”
“I don’t believe you and neither will anyone else. I don’t know what you think you’re going to get out of this.”
Toni turned back to her. “I need a friend, Francie. I need someone to hear me out, be on my side. He wants me to have an abortion. He said he’ll deny anything ever happened between us.”
“I can’t help you, Toni. I won’t be a party to whatever game it is you’re playing.”
“But you’re all I have,” Toni pleaded. “I can’t go back home now. This would kill George and Momma. I have nowhere else to turn.”
Francine inhaled deeply. “Not this time, Toni. Not this time. I’ve stood by you through a lot of your drama, most of it of your own making, but not this time. This time you’re on your own.”
Toni opened her mouth as if to defend herself, but then she shook her head. “What does it matter?” she said, the defeat in her voice wrenching Francine’s heart.
As Francine watched, Toni turned her petite frame away and headed off, shoulders slumped, toward her bedroom. Francine closed her eyes and issued a brief prayer on Toni’s behalf. She didn’t know what had gotten into Toni, but she prayed her friend would soon see the error of her ways and repent. Francine loved her, but she couldn’t support her. Not this time. She and Toni had grown up together, been friends for as long as Francine could remember, but Francine had to face facts. Toni wasn’t ready to give her life to the Lord, and Francine couldn’t be held back because of it. She heaved a deep sigh, knowing that even though it hurt, she had done the right thing. She could have ignored Toni’s actions, but that would not have been love. She knew from Psalms that the harsh truth from a friend was better than sweet words from an enemy.
As she reached for the phone to call Cassandra, her friend and prayer partner, to tell her about the conversation with Toni, Francine heard what sounded like the backfire of a car, followed by a loud thump, both coming from the direction of Toni’s room. Wondering what Toni was doing to make such noise, Francine forgot the phone and headed for her friend’s room. When she got no answer to her knock, she turned the doorknob. She screamed as she realized the sound she’d heard hadn’t been the backfire of a car at all.

Thanks for being on my blog today, Ms. Benson! I’m a big fan of your novels and I look forward to reading more of your books in the future!

Cecelia Dowdy

Prologue From My Next Novel

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Here’s the prologue from my next novel:
John’s Quest
Publisher: Barbour – Heartsong Presents
Release date: March 2008
ISBN: 978-1-60260-006-5

Unfortunately, I don’t have a cover to show yet. But I’m sure that’ll come in due time! Enjoy!

Cecelia Dowdy

Prologue
The loud banging at Monica Crawford’s front door awakened her. Forcing herself out of bed, she glanced at the clock and saw it was two in the morning.
“I’m coming!”
She ran to the door. Looking through the peephole, Monica saw her little sister Gina smiling at her.
Her heart pounded as she opened the door, gripping the knob. “What are you doing here?” Playing an internal game of tug-of-war, she wondered if she should hug her sister or slam the door in her face. Humid heat rushed into the air-conditioned living room. She stared at Gina, still awaiting her response.
“It’s nice to see you too, sister.” Gina pursed her full, red-painted lips and motioned at the child standing beside her. “Go on in, Scotty.”
Gina had brought her seven-year-old son with her. Dark shades hid his sightless eyes. “Aunt Monica!” he called.
Monica released a small cry as she dropped to her knees and embraced him. “I’m here, Scotty.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she hugged the child. Since Gina had cut herself off from immediate family for the last two years, Monica had wondered when she would see Scotty again. “You remember me?” Her heart continued to pound as she stared at her nephew. His light, coffee-colored skin glowed.
“Yeah, I remember you. When mom said I was going to live here, I wanted to come so we could go to the beach in Ocean City.”
Shocked, Monica stared at Gina who was rummaging through her purse. Gina pulled out a cigarette and lighter. Seconds later she was puffing away, gazing into the living room. “You got an ashtray?”
Monica silently prayed, hoping she wouldn’t lose her temper. “Gina, you know I don’t allow smoking in this house.”
Gina shrugged. After a bit of coaxing, she dropped the cigarette on the top step and ground it beneath the heel of her shoe. “I need to talk to you about something.”
Scotty entered the house and wandered through the room, ignoring the adults as he touched objects with his fingers. After Monica fed Scotty a snack and let him fall asleep in the guest bedroom, she confronted Gina.
“Where have you been for the last two years?”
Gina strutted around the living room in her tight jeans, her high heels making small imprints in the plush carpet. “I’ve been around. I was mad because Mom and Dad tried to get custody of Scotty, tried to take me to court and say I was an unfit mother.”
Groaning, Monica plopped onto the couch, holding her head in her hands. “That’s why you haven’t been speaking to me or Mom and Dad for two years?” When Gina sat beside her, Monica took her sister’s chin into her hand and looked into her eyes. “You know you were wrong. Mom and Dad tried to find you. They were worried about Scotty.”
Jerking away, Gina placed a few inches between herself and Monica. “They might have cared about Scotty, but they didn’t care about me.” Gina swore under her breath and rummaged in her purse. Removing a mint, she popped it into her mouth.
“They were worried about you and Scotty,” Monica explained. “You were living with that terrible man. He didn’t work, and he was high on drugs. We didn’t want anything to happen to the two of you.”
Gina’s lips curled into a bitter smirk. “Humph. Me and Scotty are just fine.” She glanced up the stairs. “You saw him. Does he look neglected to you?”
She continued to stare at Gina, still not believing she was here to visit in the middle of the night. “What do you want? What did Scotty mean when he said he was coming here to live?”
Gina frowned as she toyed with the strap of her purse. “I want you to keep Scotty for me. Will you?”
Monica jerked back. “What? Why can’t you take care of your own son? Did that crackhead you were living with finally go off the deep end?”
Gina shook her head. “No, we’re not even together anymore. It’s just that. . .” She paused, staring at the crystal vase of red roses adorning the coffee table. “I’m getting married.”
Monica’s heart skipped a beat. “Married?”
Gina nodded, her long minibraids moving with the motion of her head. “Yeah, his name is Randy, and he’s outside now, waiting for me in the car.”
Monica raised her eyebrows, suddenly suspicious. “Why didn’t you bring him inside? Are you ashamed of him?”
Gina shook her head. “No. But we’re in a hurry tonight, and I didn’t want to waste time with formalities.”
“You still haven’t told me why you can’t keep Scotty. Does your fiancé have a problem with having a blind child in his house?”
Gina scowled as she clutched her purse, her dark eyes darting around the room. “No, that’s not it at all.”
“Uh-huh, whatever you say.” She could always sense when Gina was lying. Her body language said it all.
“Really, it’s not Scotty’s blindness that bothers Randy. It’s just that—he’s a trapeze artist in the National African-American Circus and they’re traveling around constantly.” Her dark eyes lit up as she talked about her fiancé. “This year they’ll be going international. Can you imagine me traveling around the globe with Randy? We’ll be going to Paris, London, Rome—all those fancy European places!” She grabbed Monica’s arm. “We’d love to take Scotty, but we can’t afford to hire a tutor for him to travel with us.”
“You’re going to marry some man and travel with a circus?!” Monica shook her head, wondering when her sister would grow up. At twenty-seven, she acted as if she were still a teenager. Since Monica was ten years older, she’d always been the responsible sibling, making sure Gina behaved herself.
Gina grabbed Monica’s shoulder. “But I’m in love with him!” Her eyes slid over Monica as if assessing her. “You’ve never been in love? I think it’s odd that you’re thirty-seven and you never got married.”
Monica closed her eyes for a brief second as thoughts of her single life filled her mind. Since her breakup with her serious boyfriend two years ago, she’d accepted that God wanted her to remain single, and she spent her free time at church in various ministries. She filled her time praising God and serving Him, and she had no regrets for the life she led. But whenever one of the church sisters announced an engagement, she couldn’t stop the pang of envy that sliced through her.
Forcing the thoughts from her mind, she focused on Gina again. “This discussion is not about me. It’s about you. You can’t abandon Scotty. He loves you.”
Gina turned away, as if ashamed of her actions. “I know he does, and I love him, too. But I really want things to work out with Randy, and it won’t work with Scotty on the road with us. He needs special education since he’s blind.”
Her heart immediately went out to Scotty. She touched Gina’s shoulder. “Scotty knows you’re getting married?”
Gina nodded. “I didn’t tell him how long I would be gone, but I told him I’d call and visit. Please do this for me.” Her sister touched her arm, and her dark eyes pleaded with her. She opened her purse and gave Monica some papers. “I’ve already had the power of attorney papers signed and notarized so that you can take care of him.” She pressed the papers into Monica’s hand.
“How long will you be gone?” asked Monica.
“The power of attorney lasts for six months. Hopefully by then me and Randy will be more settled. I’m hoping after the world tour he’ll leave the circus and find a regular job.”
Monica frowned, still clutching the legal documents.
“Please do this for me, Monica,” she pleaded again.
She reluctantly nodded. If she didn’t take care of Scotty, she didn’t know who would.

Heartsong Presents At Barnes And Noble!

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When I was away for Thanksgiving, I visited a Barnes and Noble in Durham, NC, near Crabtree mall. It was the first time I saw the Heartsong Presents titles in a Barnes and Noble! Also, the titles were recent, published in 2007. I don’t recall the titles right now since I’m tired. The books are upstairs, so I’ll be sure to post about the HP titles and authors I purchased at Barnes And Noble.

As far as Barbour titles are concerned, I usually see the novella collections and the re-released HP’s (it’s usually 2 or 3 Heartsongs re-released under one cover) at both secular and Christian bookstores all the time. However, when I was at ACFW last September, I did learn that some Christian bookstores are starting to shelve recent Heartsong Presents titles.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Heartsong Presents bookclub, you can find more information on this website:

Heartsong Presents

My next novel is being released via Barbour’s Heartsong Presents line!

Cecelia Dowdy

The Spinster Brides Of Cactus Corner

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The Spinster Brides Of Cactus Corner
By: Frances Devine, Lena Nelson Dooley, Vickie McDonough, and Jeri Odell

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (April 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597895830
ISBN-13: 978-1597895835

From Amazon.com
Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Historical Romance: Four Cactus Corner, Arizona, women-unmarried by choice or circumstance-find fulfillment in volunteering at the town orphanage. That is until romance changes the course of their lives. India Cunningham is happy running her father’s ranch until a childhood acquaintance arrives, trying to take over things. Can she trust him? Lawyer Anika Windsor is pitted in court against her first and only love. Elaine Daly has dedicated her life to caring for orphaned children and has no desire for a husband until a new doctor comes to town. Jody McMillan is determined to raise enough money to expand the overcrowded orphanage. Can she come to an agreement with the man who owns the next-door property?

I read this book over the Thanksgiving holiday and I really enjoyed it. I won this title a few months ago from commenting on the blog of another author. I enjoyed this title because it took me backwards in time, back when women were considered spinsters after they’d reached a certain age.

I enjoyed reading about women’s suffrage, which was the main conflict in one of the novellas which entailed the dispute between Anika Windsor and her old law-school love, Tucker Truesdale: he doesn’t believe in the suffrage movement, and she does. He is determined to seek out God’s word in regards to suffrage. I love the court scene where Anika is a voice for single women, women who are not allowed to own property, and they don’t have husbands or fathers to take care of them. Anika and Tucker go to battle over the issue of land and women’s suffrage.

I enjoyed reading about the kids in the orphanage, and about how these four women were determined to help the youngsters. One of the novellas focused on a medical epidemic that swept through Cactus Corner. Elaine Daly does not want the saloon girls to help in the orphanage during the epidemic, even though their help is needed. Her judgemental attitude causes Dan Murray, the doctor and love interest, to question whether they are suitably matched to one another. Dan has a secret of his own that he’s hiding, and he’s worried that the heroine will not accept him once she finds out the truth about his background.

The other two stories were good, also. I especially liked how Lena Dooley used one of my favorite romantic storylines: childhood sweetheart/romance. India Cunningham knows Joshua Dillilnger from her childhood, and he comes back to see if she can handle running the ranch on her own. She worries about his intentions: Did he come back to steal her ranch?

The last novella was about a woman who wants to purchase the vacant property to expand the orphanage, however, Aaron Garrett has beat her to the deal. She can’t trust him, however, unbeknownst to Jody, Aaron wants what’s best for the orphans. He says they should re-locate the orphanage, and Jody wonders about his intentions. Is he only suggesting relocating since he does not want to anger Jody about his recent property purchase?

I recommend this book to those who enjoy a good historical romance.

Cecelia Dowdy

Sticks And Stones By Susan Meissner

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Sticks and Stones (a Rachel Flynn Mystery) by Susan Meissner

(Paperback)

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Pub. Date: January 2007
ISBN-13: 9780736919159
300pp

From Amazon.com
Book Description

Critically acclaimed author Susan Meissners Rachael Flynn mystery series started with the popular Widows and Orphans. In the second serving of intrigue, Sticks and Stones, lawyer Rachael Flynn receives an unsigned, heart-stopping letter:

They’re going to find a body at the Prairie Bluff construction site. He deserved what he got, but it wasn’t supposed to happen. It was an accident.

When the body is uncovered, Rachael and Detective Will Pendleton discover that the fifteen-year old victim, Randall Buckett, had been buried twenty-five years before. Is the letter writer and the killer the same person? Why would someone speak up now? And why are they telling Rachael?

Susan Meissners ability to weave a fascinating tale will leave readers wanting more.

================================

To tell you the truth, I don’t believe I’ve ever read a cozy mystery. I’m not sure if this would be categorized as a cozy, but it reminds me a little bit of the way a cozy is defined.

This book was good, and it was suspenseful without being too scary. Also, although the characters were Christians, it wasn’t a very preachy book. I think people who read secular fiction would enjoy this book a lot, too.

One thing that happened in this story reminded me of the Brandilyn Collins novel, Eyes of Elisha – Rachael has a supernatural ability from God to sense danger, it’s an ability she realizes she’s received since the birth of her child.

As you read the story, you’ll find yourself sympathizing with the children Bucky tormented twenty-five years ago. You’ll find yourself drawn into the story, mesmerized, wanting to know who sent Rachael the three letters tipping her off about the death a quarter of a century later.

There are also some secondary characters that provide comic relief to this serious mystery. You have Trace, Rachael’s artistic husband, as well as Trace’s artistic cronies. Trace and his friends give their opinions using words and drawings to imagine what might have happened to Ronald Buckett.

Rachael’s uncanny ability is tested when she realizes that something dreadful has happened in the cellar of a house in Bucky’s neighborhood. The house has been burned down long ago, and is now replaced by another dwelling. However, although the serious crime happened long ago, Racheal can still sense that there was pain and anguish behind Bucky’s death.

This is a good read to grab for a rainy day, when you just want to curl up in front of the fire with an intriguing and suspenseful story.

Cecelia Dowdy

Terri Blackstock’s Cape Refuge Series

2 Replies

I found some old books lying around my basement. This was one of them:

I enjoyed reading this book, and the others in the series. If you like a good suspenseful book then you should check out this series. The stories grabbed me, and didn’t want to let me go! I read them a long time ago, so I can’t give a full analysis like I usually do. Just suffice to say that there’s usually a murder or dead body in each story! So check out Terri Blackstock’s Cape Refuge Series. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Enjoy!

Cecelia Dowdy

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