Against All Odds by Irene Hannon ~ Sharing My Review

Against All Odds, Book 1, Heroes of Quantico

About the book ~
For FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Evan Cooper and his partner, dignitary protection duty should have been a piece of cake. Unfortunately, Monica Callahan isn’t making it easy. Estranged from her diplomat father, who is involved in a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East, she refuses to be intimidated by a related terrorist threat back in the States…until a chilling warning convinces her that the danger is very real—and escalating. As Coop and his partner do their best to keep her safe, David Callahan continues his work—triggering an abduction that puts his daughter’s life at risk. And with every second that ticks by, Coop knows that the odds of saving the only woman who has ever managed to breach the walls around his heart are dropping. Because terrorists aren’t known for their patience—or their mercy.

Sharing my humble opinion~
FBI Hostage Rescue Team Member Evan Cooper is content to work hard and party even harder, and with plenty of available, attractive women, he avoids commitments and emotional entanglements...until he's assigned to protect Monica Callahan. Monica's gentle prodding breaks down the barriers he's erected since his mother's death and father’s subsequent emotional withdrawal.

Estranged from her father after his abandonment to pursue his diplomatic ambitions, Monica overcame hurt and betrayal, earning a PhD in communications and forging a successful career. If she ever commits to a relationship, she intends it to be with a man who communicates well, someone who doesn't put his career first. Not Coop. But, she finds herself drawn to the quiet, determined-to-protect-her man.

I like how Monica, a believer, struggles with the issue of forgiveness towards her absentee father. Considering forgiveness a tenet for Christianity, Coop doesn’t understand, and calls her on it. She admits that’s her biggest failing, and in doing so, opens the door for several conversations. I found her honesty refreshing and their discussions on faith realistic.

Monica’s father attempts to reconcile his moral principle of not negotiating with terrorists with his desire to save his daughter. He's never told his daughter he loves her, yet now she hears his unspoken message. I love how this unfolds during the story.

Wow! With a fast paced, action-packed, nail-biting plot, you might be tempted to sail through this book in a few hours. But I'd recommend against that. This book is flavored with spiritual and moral issues, juicy nuggets I preferred to chew on for a few days. Although it lacks the physical intensity (um, more displays of affection) I generally prefer, Against All Odds more than compensates in emotional and spiritual depth as love and forgiveness transform Monica and Coop. Action, suspense, a tender romance~this book has it all! Definitely a keeper!
 

Purchase Link

Do you believe it's possible for a person to communicate love 

without saying the actual words?

Has a family member hurt you with their choice?

Do you wrestle with forgiveness?

Disclaimer: I purchased this book. No monies were received in exchange for my fair and unbiased review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

A HOUSE FULL OF HOPE by Missy Tippens ~ Sharing My Review

A House Full of Hope
by Missy Tippens

About the book~
Before becoming a Christian, Mark Ryker ran with a bad crowd and broke hearts. Including his father's. Now a successful businessman, Mark has come home to Corinthia, Georgia, to make amends. But no one will forgive him. So when the widowed mother of four renting his dad's run-down house needs help fixing up the place, Mark gets to work. Pretty Hannah Hughes and her sweet kids have him longing to be part of the clan, but Hannah isn't ready to let go of the past. Still, they are working together on a house full of hope—and that's all Mark needs.

Sharing my humble opinion~
Wow! I can see why this book is a RITA finalist! Missy Tippens really knows how to ratchet up the emotional conflict. 

After overcoming a troubled youth and building up a successful business in Seattle, Mark Ryker returns to Georgia to apologize to his father for his past. Saddened by his father's rejection but knowing he's right where God wants him to be, Mark determines to stay in town until he can get his father to talk to him. To pass the time while his father works, Mark makes some much needed repairs to the family homestead. 

Widow Hannah Hughes only wants to provide for her four children, and a home of their own is her top priority. Mark's return upsets her. She can't possibly afford another house as big as the one they're renting from Mark's dad, and what if Mark decides to move back? But there's another reason she gives Mark grief for coming back. Her family suffered tremendous loss from Mark's youthful indiscretions. An apology doesn't erase the past, and forgiveness doesn't come easy, but her children don't share that issue. Mark's easy, gentle way with them wins their love, and that's a sure way to win a mother's heart.

This is one of those books where you wonder most of the way through how the hero and heroine can possibly find their happily-ever-after. Several conflicts and obstacles threaten to tear them apart, including vicious town gossips and Hannah's own mother. At times, I wanted to shake some sense into both Mark and Hannah, but with their past hurts and present emotions, I could understand why they reacted the way they did. Overall, A House Full of Hope won me over. I'll definitely be reading more books by Missy Tippens.

Purchase Link

In real life, I don't think most prickly familial discord resolves quite so quickly, but this is a work of fiction with a definite theme of forgiveness.  

Have you experienced family conflict? How do you deal with it?

Disclaimer: I purchased this book. No monies were received in exchange for my fair and unbiased review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Pelican Book Group announces the return of Easter Lilies

------------Permission to forward------------

Pelican Book Group announces the return of Easter Lilies. While Easter Lilies was originally run as a short story contest, the resurrected Easter Lilies will not be a contest, but conducted as an annual special release much like our Christmas Holiday Extravaganza. Each year, one Easter Lilies story will be released on each day of the Easter Triduum. (Yes, only three stories per year.) 

2013 Defining Scripture for Easter Lilies is: Solomon 2:2 "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens."

Submission Guidelines:

Easter Lilies are historical or contemporary romances. In addition to adhering to the guidelines for the White Rose imprint, the following is also necessary: 

• The defining Scripture for the year must be used as a basis for the story. (This scripture will change each year on October 1st) 

• Stories should be between 15,000 and 25,000 words. 

• Both the hero's and heroine's points of view may be incorporated, however, we'd like these stories to be "hero-driven", so ideally, stories should focus on the hero's love developing for his heroine. These stories may be historical or contemporary, but they must be set around the Easter holiday. 

• Heroes and Heroines should be between the ages of 25 and 35. 

• In addition to using the current year Easter Lilies scripture as the reference, some symbol of the Easter Lily must also be incorporated. Easter lilies have long been a symbol of purity, motherhood, the trumpet herald of the Angel Gabriel as he visited the Virgin Mary, of resurrection, and more. (Feel free to research and use different symbols. These are listed as example only). How you incorporate any of the symbols is up to you. Whether it's an actual flower that the hero gives to the heroine (or vice-versa), or a piece of jewelry, or a spiritual experience. The use is up to you. Perhaps your hero is a Christian musician who plays the trumpet. Perhaps your heroine has lily earrings that have been passed through her family. Perhaps your hero had a "resurrection" of his faith through some experience past or present, or maybe your heroine is a mother. How you incorporate the Easter lily symbolism is up to you. It can be subtle or overt, but it has to be there.

Submissions for Easter Lilies are accepted August 1st through September 30th each year. Submissions for Easter Lilies that are received outside this time frame will be discarded without response.

These guidelines and submission information can be found at: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/submission-guidelines/easter-lilies-submission-guidelines

An Eye on the Creator

During my parents' last visit, my dad commented about his latest visit to the eye doctor. He'd been experiencing some blurred vision and assumed it was a natural progression of cataracts that the doctor had warned him about previously.

To check the condition of his eye the doctor inserted dye into his arm. 

Huh? I'm still shaking my head over that one. But apparently the veins rocket the dye fairly quickly throughout the body.

For someone who rarely made trips to the doctor and never saw the miracle of watching his kids develop via sonogram, my dad was amazed at the process. His diagnosis wasn't the original cataracts that he suspected, but something a bit more serious that will require more medical attention.

Most days, I take for granted that my body functions properly. Why is that? Why shouldn't I be more in awe of my Creator's intricate design?

I mean, really. My heart's basically a pump, shooting blood, which carries vital materials to the places that need it. When it shuts down, my body won't survive for long. My brain sends signals to my legs or arms to move when I want them to. It's divided into sections or lobes. Lobes are each responsible for different tasks like motor function, sensation, memory, and visual processing. And the eye? The eye converts light into energy, then transmits neurological signals to the brain. Awesome, huh? 

Little Man

Think about all that has to happen for a baby to form (so not going there! lol) and grow inside a mother's womb. Here's my grandson, all snug and happy in Mommy's tummy --------->>

Little Man with Daddy

<<----And now Little Man is almost three, holding a picture of his daddy who was just a couple years older than he is now. 

I could keep going, but you probably get the idea by now. Do you think this happens by accident?

Are you amazed? Grateful?

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Ps 139:13-14 NIV

Do you ever contemplate how each individual part of your body works together as a whole unit?

God, I know I don't thank You nearly enough for the proper functions of my body. Thank You for designing us so intricately that we can't help but be drawn to You.

TERRI by Sharon Srock ~ Sharing My Review

Terri by Sharon Srock

About the book~

Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve, or does God have another plan in store?

Sharing my humble opinion~

This series is set around four friends and their friendship. The first book introduced Callie and the women of Valley View while this book picks up with Terri, a single owner of a day care center and new foster mother, but you'll connect with all the friends again. This author writes multiple characters well, and I was never confused at any point in the book with how many characters were on scene at any given time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of the story line and the conflicts, including the romance thread. I won't spoil the ending for you, but it caught me unaware, and I love that! This isn't a book to curl up with for one night. As with Callie, Terri's a book that you'll chew and digest over a few readings. Packed with a powerful message of God's redeeming love and His desire to heal fractured relationships, Terri will satisfy romance and women's fiction lovers alike.

Purchase Link

Disclosure: I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.

Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon’s debut novel, The Women of Valley View: Callie released in October 2012. The second in the series, The Women of Valley View: Terri releases in April 2013.

Connect with her here:

Blog: http://www.womenofvalleyview.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock

SHORT-STRAW BRIDE by Karen Witemeyer ~ Sharing My Review

About the book~

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.

Years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.

Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?

Sharing My Humble Opinion~

A young Meredith (Meri) Hayes trespasses on the infamous Archer land to retrieve her lunch box after a bully tosses it over the fence. Travis Archer promised his dying father that he'd protect his three brothers and the land they'd grown up on. After all, it was his fault that his father died. When he rescues Meri, he breaks that promise to take her home, but that's the only time he ever left the Archer land. Travis's kind, compassionate spirit sparks dreams in tiny Meri's heart and she never forgets him, even when another man proposes. When Meri overhears a plot to possibly harm the Archers, she risks trespassing again to warn Travis and his brothers.

Although I felt the prologue made for a slow beginning, I'm so glad I didn't put Short-Straw Bride aside. It was so worth it! 

I love how the author wove subtle themes into this book, like how Meri rushed headlong into difficult situations, without thinking or praying. How many times do I plow ahead, only praying for guidance after I'm in the midst of the situation? And Meri helped Travis realize that he had been depending on himself to protect his family, rather than trusting God. How many times have I done the same thing? 

I loved Short-Straw Bride! I read it through in two sittings, barely allowing myself to be distracted except to sleep. It had the perfect blend of romance laced with passion, humor and suspense to keep me turning pages long past my bedtime. Can't wait to get my hands on another Witemeyer book!

Purchase Link

How often do we proceed with our own plans and only then ask for God's blessings rather than seeking His will first? 

Disclaimer: I snagged this book when it was offered free on Amazon. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

TERRI's Lasagna

Meet Terri: 
Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child.  She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve? Or does God have another plan in store?

I can't wait to share my review for Terri, but if you'd like a FREE preview of the Women of Valley View, click here. And if you'd like to purchase, Terri, you can do that here.

Terri so graciously volunteered to share her lasagna recipe, which is included in the book. Thank you, Terri!

Lasagna

2 pounds browned hamburger

2 Cans tomato soup

2 Cans tomato sauce

2 envelopes spaghetti sauce mix

1 Jar sliced mushrooms

Garlic salt

Onion salt

Table salt

1 Large can Italian tomato paste

8 oz. Cottage cheese

1 1/2 Cup Grated cheddar cheese

1 1/2 Cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

1 Box Lasagna noodles

Prepare noodles according to package directions and set aside.

Brown meat and drain. Mix in soup, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, tomato paste, and salts to taste. Simmer over low heat.

In a separate bowl combine cottage cheese and both grated cheeses.

In a 9X13 pan layer noodles, meat and cheese. Repeat layers. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon’s debut novel, The Women of Valley View: Callie released in October 2012. The second in the series, The Women of Valley View: Terri releases in April 2013.

Connect with her here:

Blog http://www.womenofvalleyview.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock