"Many Happy Returns!"

So, this isn't originally a new year's wish.  It is in fact, a birthday wish from young maid Becky to the sadly misplaced Sara in Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess.*

However, I've decided that this will be my 2011 greeting for you all. May you have many more years to greet.  May they always begin with love, joy and faith. May they be filled to overflowing with every good and perfect gift.  May all of your steps be ordered by God.  May you be blessed beyond measure in every facet of your life.

Many Happy Returns!

*PS-If you've never read A Little Princess, I recommend you run out and buy, borrow or download a copy ASAP.  It's a beautiful work. 

Another Book Review: Jungle Warfare by Christopher A. Cunningham

Jungle Warfare by Christopher A. Cunningham allows the reader a unique perspective on the sales industry. Subtitled “A Basic Field Manuel for Christians in Sales,” Cunningham uses instructions from an old WWI jungle warfare field guide as a parallel to the guidelines a Christian in the industry should follow. The book is brief, set in a 22 day devotional style with an FAQ section in the back.

While I found the concept intriguing, I must say that the description is a little misleading. As someone who is considering sales as a future job, I expected more of a how to survive style of instruction. What I found was more of a daily discipleship devotional. Each of the points presented should impact a Christian regardless of job field. Though Cunningham did attempt to tailor the topics to sales experiences, overall the subject was too broad to specifically address the sales industry.

I give this book 3 ½ stars for discipleship. Only 2 stars as a sales guide.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Our Prayer in the Desert...

...Make that our prayer in the jungle. There's not a lot of desert in Panama. We four ladies who went to Panama this summer have declared this our theme song. It always helps to remember that "God is my Victory and He is here."

Greater Love by Robert Whitlow

Greater Love is the story of a VERY conservative young woman who begins her "real life" away from home. After being introduced to the secular collegiate world, Tami Taylor graduates and starts looking for her place in an established law firm. She quickly learns that all though some decisions seem right, they are not always God's choice for us. Drama and a bit of intrigue lead the reader to see that Tami's faith influenced not only her work ethic, but her clients and colleagues as well.

Well written, Whitlow has brought this home to the South.

As I have not had opportunity to read the first and second books of the series (Deeper Water and Higher Hope), it took me a while to grow accustomed to Tami's very sheltered point of view. A refreshing look from a point of view not often explored by writers of any genre.

The mystery element was a little bit sparse. The story really focused more on Tami and her decisions than it did on the mystery that was woven throughout the story. A little more detail, a resolution that took a litlle more effort, would have enhanced the story.

Overall, well done. Thank you, Thomas Nelson, for the free copy. I enjoyed the read and have found a new author to consider.

Panama...Kuna Yala

A Beautiful Place...


A Beautiful People...


An Intense Journey.


Panama Mission 2010.

Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Revenge? Hate crime? Terrorist attack?

Opening with murder by mail, Hand of Fate grips the reader in a quickly paced story that revolves around the death of radio talk show host, Jim Fate. Three women, Prosecutor Allison, Special Agent Nicole and Crime Reporter Cassidy – previously united in Face of Betrayal – work together to unravel the mystery. But could one of them be holding back critical information?

I confess to being skeptical of the endorsements on the cover. Pulse-pounding? Major twists? Delivers big? We’ll see.

I’m glad to report that it’s true. Wiehl’s second Triple Threat Novel does deliver big. From the first, I was never quite able to form an opinion on “Whodunit?” I would decide who had not done it, only to revise that opinion further into the story. With a well developed plot carried through with great writing, Hand of Fate definitely goes on the shelf to be read again. Highly recommended.

New Book - A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus

There is no better way to spend a rainstorm than curled up with a good book. Coffee is optional.

In that light, here are the details on my most recent read.

Set in the small Louisiana town of Bonneterre, A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus takes a look at the struggle between ethics and family ties, small town retailers and corporate advancement. Attorney Forbes Guidry takes on a pro bono case that puts him in direct conflict with the largest company in town. Did we mention that Boudreaux-Guidry Enterprises is owned by his parents? Of course, a bonus to the case is that it puts him in close contact with Alaine Delacroix, the TV personality he’s wanted to meet for years.

Throw in dance lessons, a matchmaking company, a boss who does not garner the reader’s sympathy and you come up with a delightful read.

A Case for Love is the third in Dacus’ “Brides of Bonneterre” series, following Stand-in Groom and Menu for Romance.

Things I like about Kaye’s work:
A) The main characters have never been married before.
B) They do not have children.
C) They are not right out of high school/college.
D) She does not write in first person.

It seems that 2/3 of the books I pick up today are about widows/widowers, divorcees or parents. Oh, or they are pining for their High School/ College sweetheart. Now, as I have never been married, am not a parent and am approaching a new decade, these are not my preference for entertainment. There is something about identifying with a character that draws me into the story.

The first person point of view, well that could be a whole other post.

Great job, Kaye!

This grabbed my attention...

"A simple illustration provides a pithy parallel to our situation: a ship in the sea is all right; the sea in a ship is all wrong. In the same way, the church in the world is all right; the world in the church is all wrong. If there is too much of the sea in a ship, it will sink. I believe the ship of today's church is so near sinking that every individual who becomes a believer and accepts Christianity is set to bailing water with everyone else to keep the church afloat."

Excerpt from Protection From Deception by Derek Prince

Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman

Plain Pursuit tells the story of Carley Marek, a young woman healing from the grief, pain and mental stress of a car accident that stole her mother's life. Carley spends a month of mandatory vacation by going to visit with Englischer turned Amish friend Lillian (whose story is told in Wiseman's Plain Perfect).

The tale that unfolds from there is an enlightening, heartwarming tale of a Noah Stoltzfus who followed the call of God to become a Doctor and the shunning that ensued. Wrapped up in the tale of his rejection are the conflicting emotions of his immediate family and the illness of a nephew he has never been allowed to meet.
Wiseman does a beautiful job of going beyond the conventional Englisch perception of an Amish shunning. The reader comes away with a better understanding of the faith and community which exemplify the Amish way of life.

It was nice to pick up a book billed as Amish fiction and find a contemporary story that doesn’t focus on the long lost daughter of the one who was shunned. Likewise, Wiseman’s story was a nice departure from the predictable. I look forward to finding out if the rest of the Daughters of Promise series exhibit a similar style and feeling. Well done.

New Book: Green by Ted Dekker

Followed by the books Black, Red and White, Green begins and ends Dekker’s circle series. Our Hero: Thomas Hunter, common man in modern time, leader of “The Circle” in an alternate future. Our Villians: Ba’al (future) and Billy (modern). Green is an interesting, but sometimes confusing story of good and evil.

With vivid description and multiple characters of interest, Dekker paints a new and frightening world. A bit edgy and disturbing in places, hopeful and encouraging in others. Aside from the battle between good and evil, Green does bring to mind the matter of second chances. Do we all get them? Do we realize it when we do? Do we make the same mistakes?

While I think that Green may wrap this series up well, this was my first acquaintance with Ted Dekker's work. By default, Green represented the beginning of the circle for me. Unfortunately, I think this was the wrong choice. Apparently so much had gone before, that I was unable to get an accurate picture and found myself confused at points. In Lord of the Rings style, there were new terms to learn and a new world to understand. Mixed in were chapters and references to a time in the not too distant future. In order to really appreciate Green, it seems beneficial to read it as a conclusion. It does seem that this book could begin the series again, just reads as an awkward first time beginning. IMHO.

Two Hits & A Miss

So, as I mentioned before, I'm a big reader. But I've been taking a break over the last month or two. Busy life yields little time for the library. I did however, manage to sneak a quick trip in last Sunday. All three books I brought home were by authors I didn't really have a previous acquaintance with. Hit or miss, right?

Thankfully, two of these turned out to be gems.

The first, Gone to Green by Judy Christie, is about a big city editor who gets stuck with the ownership of a small town paper. Committed for a year to small town Louisianna, Lois Barker has to figure out how to fight prejudice and inject change into both the paper and the town. Great read. I look forward to picking up the sequal.

The second book was by author Kristen Heitzmann. Now I had read Halos before, and though enjoyable, it didn't really leave me with a strong affinity for her work. This book changed my mind. Finally, a good Christian author who doesn't try to wrap things up in a tidy package of 250 pages or less.

A Rush of Wings tells the tale of a woman on the run.

From something.

About picking up her life.

Somewhere.

About her personal journey.

Oh, yeah, and her romances.

Though, I must say at the end, I was thinking, "But what happens to the other guy?!?"

Thankfully, I've discovered she wrote his story too. That's on my list for the next drive by at the library.

Oh? You want to know about the third book? Well, I've struggled to get through the first chapter. It just hasn't grabbed me yet. I may give it another try. Or it may go back for some other lucky reader to snatch up.

An Unexpected Conversation

Here I am in my friendly, neighborhood bookstore mega mart. Trying to get out of the house and take advantage of free wi-fi while I do a little work.

It looks as though there are several others doing the same. Laptops, ipods and text books seem to be the order of the day. Who knows? Maybe I sit among industrious college students or those with the freedom to work virtually. Perhaps I sit with the unemployed masses, searching for jobs over the world wide web.

Either way, I was delighted to look up from my screen, take out my earbuds and greet a dear friend.

An hour later, I'm encouraged. Our conversation was serious, though there were laughs aplenty.

There's something to be said for sharing from the heart. The emotions and feelings that can be trusted to a dear friend. Knowing that whatever is said will be taken solemnly. Knowing that prayers will be offered in earnest.

Thanks for taking the time to talk, friend.

I won't deny it.

I am a reader. Not just a casual reader. A voracious reader.

As such, I am constantly searching for the next great read.

Now, before you go making suggestions, there's something you should know.

I read G, with the occasional foray into PG, books only.

No graphic scenes.

No obscenities.

You get the picture.

Sadly, this limits the selection.

So yesterday on my way home from work, I stopped by the book exchange and picked up a few quick reads from the Love Inspired line.

I was pleased to find Crescent City Courtship by Elizabeth White to be an execellent story with fully developed characters and story lines.

When I finished the book, I read the author's notes. (I don't always do so, which should be indicative of how much I enjoyed this.)

What did I discover? That this story was written as White's thesis for her Master's in Creative Writing.

That brings a whole new perspective to writing a thesis for the intent of publication.