Wonderful Diversions
Time has brought a bit of sadness my way these past few
weeks. Although I’ve continued to edit my work in progress, Sarah: Laney’s
Angel, I decided it would be beneficial to retreat and read—an escape to
literature always brings me relief. And therefore
I bolted from routine. This last week or
so, I’ve read the following books. You
will enjoy each of them. A laugh or two awaits you; maybe a tear or two, but
most of all, you will find God between the pages.
All are fast breaks from busy days. The Shack, listed at the end, is not a
romance, but eighteen million people agree with me—it is a noble study.
I love all the covers.
Don’t you? When I decided to give
myself a break, I chose titles with fantastic art work, and the inside stories
didn’t disappoint.
Hope Pearson’s would-be killer rigged her brakes and caused
her car to careen out of control. Caleb
McBryde, a former Texas Ranger, and a hunk with a scar on his face as well as
one in his soul, stumbles into Hope’s life as a result of the accident. Can
Hope find her way back to God? After all, He disappointed her. Will Caleb
overcome his fear? How can Hope love a disfigured man?
Hart weaves valuable Christian insights into the undertaking
without overload on the preachy stuff.
The author doesn’t “tell” a story, she “shows” one. Since my goal in writing fiction is to “show,”
I look for books such as an Accident
Waiting to Happen. I will browse this
one a second time and I hope to discover more of Hart’s work.
Mary Ball’s Escape to
Big Fork Lake is another book with intrigue and Christian romance. Samantha
Blacker, also known as Sam, receives an unexpected
inheritance. The unforeseen bequest requires Sam, a city girl, to move to a
small, country town in Alabama. Sam falls in love with the inn on the lake, and
if she lives here for a year, it remains hers.
With no place in her heart for God,
a newfound, romantic, friend, Noah Frye patiently turns Sam’s thoughts toward
Him. Oops! Wait a minute. Sam is framed for murder. How
could God let such a thing happen? What
will this do to Sam’s budding romance with a mortal and her potential
relationship to God?
Who among us doesn’t want an
astonishing endowment from a kind benefactor?
Only in creative writing does it usually happen, but we can all hope,
anyway. Ball has taken a wish many of us have—to start over in a romantic,
gorgeous place, and added a nightmare—murder.
Donna and Mark Duboise are Christian gospel singers who face
trauma and marital discord. Through a
mission trip, God brings Donna back to a restored relationship to Him and her
husband. The difficult work of a missionary, even a temporary one, is brilliantly
described in these chapters. However, the rewards of such effort are detailed
also.
The Christmas Answer
is a story within a story. Jackson shows
how God works all things to our good. The reader will find encouragement in The Christmas Answer. What we do in our
everyday world touches others—and we may never know the merits of a word or
deed, until eternity, that is.
A widow, Celina
Innes, and her four-year old daughter live above her dress shop in Aspen,
Colorado. The year is 1886, a difficult era for a lone female entrepreneur.
Mikel, co-owner of Toussaint’s General Store, and a recent arrival to the
United States, admires Celina and adores the child. Keena, the young daughter,
suddenly develops an illness. Mikel is able to help, and Celina realizes her
love and need for him. This hero demonstrates his character with
actions, and provides pure romance to a reader.
Carroll-Bradd weaves an effective adventure into a
novella. The friendship between Mikel
and Celina moves along to a fast completion without leaving one feeling as
though something was missing—a difficult process in shorter literature.
A surprise to me? The price of a wedding ring in 1886.
A Change of Style
The Shack breaks away from the Romance Genre, but I
recommend this one as well.
After seeing the author interviewed, I decided to read his
book again. I loved it the first interval and the interview revealed facets I
might have missed. Here are a few aspects
that came to mind with this second reading.
God establishes a love relationship with us.
Forgiveness is a must in our lives.
God hates hypocrisy—especially in the established church.
On My To Read List
I look forward to this one.
I read Kim McMahill’s Marked in
Mexico, and it was a real page turner.
Big Horn Storm promises the
same.
My Books
Available now through
bookstores and Amazon.
To be released this
Spring by Prism Book Group
A great selection of stories. There's something for every reader here. Why watch reality TV when you can submerge yourself and live through a book? Bonnie McCune, author, "A Saint Comes Stumbling In"
ReplyDeleteThanks Bonnie, A Saint will soon be another choice for me. A Sain Comes Stumbling In is listed as a book full of humor. A good laugh is necessary these days. I'm gonna start your book this week.
ReplyDeleteNice job, Gay. I've enjoyed all of your selections, but one and it is on my to be read list. Love a good story!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gay. You packed a lot of information into this post--I'm still digesting it. I've read some of the books you highlighted and agree wholeheartedly with your assessments...meaning I should go and check out the rest of your recently-read list. I loved The Shack, found The Christmas Answer so touching, and am currently enjoying The Ring That Binds. Sarah: A Mission of Love was fun, too! With so much pure trash flooding the market, it's a relief to know Prism offers good reads that don't assault readers with junk posing as entertainment! Can't wait to read Laney!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words on my story, Gay. And for featuring Prism books on this informative blog. Check out The Ring That Binds on Kindle--#38 on the Western Romances list. Needless to say, I'm thrilled.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a top seller! It deserves to be there.
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