Not Your Average Christian Fiction

I will admit that I never would have read this book if Barnes and Noble had labeled it as Christian fiction when it was offered as a free NOOK book one Friday. Although I consider myself to be a Christian, I am not a teatotalling, Bible thumpimg, antichoicer like this author obviously is. Still the tale was quite gripping and I couldn't put it down. Although some of the phrasing made me want to roll my eyes (terminating a pregnancy was referred to as "getting rid of the baby"), the story was very well written overall. Perhaps some might think that the ending was a bit pollyannaish, but I am a sucker for a happy ending and enjoyed seeing Meg brought though the darkest point of her life by her renewed faith.

I wouldn't recommend this book for everyone, but if you are tolerant of different beliefs or share the author's beliefs this book is definitely worth a read.

God Is Calling...

Billy Graham, named after the famous televangelist, has been called by God himself to make a very special movie, a movie that will bring forth "the rapture." Faithful Christian that he is, Billy is willing to do whatever it takes to get "God's movie" made. Lying, stealing, and abandoning his family are all sanctioned by God in order for Billy to be able to get the movie made. God even shows him the way to pilfer the things that he needs the most and provides him with adequate lies to cover his divine misdeeds. Slowly, things began to unravel and Billy is forced to face the consequences of his actions and rethink his relationship with God.

This novel by Frank Schaeffer is both insightful and humorous. The outlandishly stereotypical characters made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. The outrageousness of the things Billy feels that God is calling him to do, and the feeling that the other characters in "New Midian" were more caricature than character made me laugh. The fact that I could name some folks that I know who strongly resemble these characters made me want to cry.

The ending is bittersweet, but I won't give it away. Read it to the very last page yourself. You'll be glad that you did.

Family Ties

Ben Slocum had no idea that he had a son until Claire Chastain turns up at his doorstep. The boy has gone missing and Claire has come to the conclusion that his former Navy SEAL father is just the one to help find him. Once Ben comes to grips with the fact that he does have a son, nothing is going to stop him from finding the boy and bringing him home. Claire, who is very close to the boy and was a good friend to his late mother, is beside Ben every step of the way. The two face many dangers as they track down the boy, both physical dangers and dangers of the heart...

This story has a good balance of high action and romance. Ben must use many of the skills he learned as a SEAL to bring home his son, but he must learn other skills to bring home Claire's heart.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I do wish that the author would have researched the city of Pittsburgh, PA before deciding to make it Ben's hometown. Ben could not have graduated from or met his son's mother at Pittsburgh Community College because this institution does not exist. Perhaps these events occured at Allegheny County Community College. As for that job in the steel mill that Ben took after graduation, most ot the steel mills in the Pittsburgh area closed in the late 70s and early 80s. The few remaining do very little hiring. Although the city still clings to its heritage as The Steel City it has been a long time since there has been a booming steel business there. For Ben to have easily found a job in the mill he would have to be in his late 50s or early 60s. Of course, I only noticed these things because I am a lifetime resident of the Pittsburgh area. Others would accept them in the blink of an eye.

I would reccomend this novel to anyone who enjoys a real action packed romance.

Betrayed

I waited patiently for the release of the latest book in Nicky Charles' Lycan series. It was well worth the wait! Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. There are just so many things about this book and all of the Law of the Lycan series that I love. The female characters are smart, strong and independent. Male characters are just as likely to make a potentially disastrous error as their female counterparts. In short, male and female characters are equals.

I'm not a big fan of straight up romances, so the fact that there is also a strong storyline to go along with the romance is a big plus for me. The tensions between the shifters and fae, and the threat of the purists are just as important to the story as the relationship evolving between Eve and Rafe.

Yet another pleasant surprise was the reappearance of Reno and Brandi from The Bonding. It's always nice to revisit my old favorite characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to any fan of paranormal stories.

Adam & Steve

Adam More is a successful wedding planner. His life partner, Steven Worth, is a writer for The (Gay) New York Times. Life is good until Adam realizes that he is spending his life planning for others something that he is forbidden by law to have for himself, a wedding! The fight for marriage equality is on. Adam quits planning weddings and decides to boycott all weddings until he and Steve are able to have a wedding of their own.

Inspired by his partner's convictions, Steven writes a series of articles about the boycott for the newspaper. Others begin to join the cause; florists, caterers, bakers... When a trade show for the wedding industry comes to town, Adam and Steven organize a peaceful protest.

Our heroes find their resolve tested when Adam's sister and Steven's brother announce their engagement. Should Adam and Steven make an exception and attend their siblings' wedding? Will their decisions about attending draw them closer together or drive them apart?

This book is a lighthearted look at the very serious issue of marriage equality. Never preachy and full of delightful characters, both gay and straight, it drives home all the reasons why marriage rights should be extended to all loving couples. If you are a member of the LGBT community or a straight ally this book is a must-read. If you are on the fence about marriage equality, please read this book with an open mind. It may open your eyes as well.

I have one request for author, Ken O'Neill. Since marriage equality is now a reality in New York state, can we have a sequel, pretty please?

Outfoxed!

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg teamed up to write this delightful tale of a gung-ho, tough gal FBI agent (Kate O'Hare) who finds herself "persuaded" to work with her nemesis, con man extrordinaire (Nicholas Fox). What could possibly go wrong, besides everything?!

With characters that are all larger than life, this book will ensure that you remain captivated from the first page to the very last. None of the cast of characters do anything in a small way. From a busty blonde going through a serious midlife crisis, to an actor whois all about becoming his character, the secondary characters are just as amusing and well developed as the mains.

Should you read this book? If you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum novels or any of the USA network "Characters Welcome" series, by all means, yes. If you're not, read it anyway. It's fast paced and loads of fun. The ony people who should steer clear of this novel are those who prefer realism. Not much of that to be found here.

Things Are Not Always What They Seem

Cece Campbell is a research assistant to Dr. Anthony Kline when he is murdered in his own home and all all of his computers are wiped clean. Matters become worse for Cece when she returns to her family home to find it burned to the ground in a presumed arson. Two bodies are found inside. Cece knows that she must run before her would be killer discovers that neither of the bodies is hers.

Taking to the streets, Cece has only her own wits and the aid of two Hilton Head police officers to keep her one step ahead of an assassin. But how long can she stay ahead of a killer? And if the copies of the reasearch her employer was doing were the reason she was being targeted for a hit, who issued the order?

This mystery was a real page turner for me, mostly because Cece Campbell was a perfect heroine, strong, smart, and not looking for someone else to save her. Although at one point in the story it is necessary for others to save her, she would have never remained alive to be saved if not for her quick wits.

There is a slight romantic subplot to the story, but it remains just that. It is enough to keep readers who enjoy a bit of romance reading, but not enough to turn away readers who are but fond of that sort of thing. It is a perfect blend of mystery and romance. The lack of any sexual encounters also makes this a good book for readers of any age.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.