Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

With the holidays drawing near, Charlotte is starting to feel the pinch of having three extra mouths to feed. A cooking demonstration, plus a little nudging from her good friends, inspires Charlotte to start a pie-baking business to bring in some extra income in this busy time of year. She decides to make it a family affair, hoping that teaching the kids to bake will bring the family together, but when her business takes off, the whole thing becomes bigger than any of them ever imagined—or wanted. Meanwhile, Sam is pining for a car, Emily is on a campaign to improve the food served at Bedford High, and Christopher befriends a lonely outsider whose one mistake leads to a life-and-death situation. In the midst of so many trials, will Charlotte be able to maintain a spirit of thankfulness? Will she even have anything to be thankful for? Nom nom nom. That's all I could say after reading this book. If I could eat what I read, this entire series would make me gain so much weight. This ...

Sarah Harper is driven to achieve success no matter what the cost. She wants to do good and not hurt the people she loves--especially her son, Mitchell, and her husband, Joe--but her desire to succeed in her career too often leaves little time for family. One cold, autumn afternoon, all of that changes when Sarah's car plunges off a bridge and into a river. She is pronounced clinically dead to those on the "outside," but Sarah's spirit is still very much alive. What she discovers on the other side transforms everything about Sarah's view of life--past, present, and future. When Sarah is revived, she is a changed woman. And the unsuspecting world around her will never be the same again. This book reminded me very much of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." The message is that we don't know how much time we have left, and that any minute we could be taken away. Cherish the time you have with your family and don't take them for granted. Throug...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Sharlene MacLaren and the book: Maggie Rose – 2nd in the Daughters of Jacob Kane series Whitaker House (June 8, 2009) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren graduated from Spring Arbor University, married her husband Cecil, and raised two daughters. She worked as a school teacher for over 30 years, then upon retirement began writing fiction, and now has six successful novels under her belt. The acclaimed T...

Gillian Kincade is a rising New York ballet star. When Jacob Ferrar—artistic director of a small, regional company—casts Gilly in his compelling ballet, it seems like a match made in heaven. But unexpected challenges and career conflicts soon have the couple questioning whether they’re truly following God’s direction – or their own. This was one of the most wonderful stories I have read in a while. It's been a while since I've been to see a ballet live and I really miss it. There's nothing like watching the beauty, grace and elegance of the dancers on stage and seeing the wonderful performance right before your eyes. This book made me feel like I was watching a carefully choreographed dance with words. Gilly and Jonathan had wonderful chemistry together and I could picture both of them dancing together on both stage and in real life. They were characters that grew throughout the book and their transformations were intriguing to read. I enjoyed learning about the ball...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Offworld Bethany House (July 1, 2009) by Robin Parrish ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robin Parrish had two great ambitions in his life: to have a family, and to be a published novelist. In March of 2005, he proposed to his future wife the same week he signed his first book contract with Bethany House Publishers. They contracted him for the rights to not only that first book, Relentless -- but two sequels including Fearless and Merciless . A trilogy that unfolded in the consecutive summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008. Robin Parrish is a journalist who's written about pop culture for more than a decade. Currently he serves as Senior Editor at XZOOSIA.com, a community portal that fuses social networking with magazine-style features about entertainment and culture. He and his wife, Karen and son live in North Carolina. ABOUT THE BOOK "Every Person on This Planet Has Disappeared." Commander Christopher Burke and his crew are h...

For years Dennis Shore has thrilled readers with his spooky bestselling novels. Now a widower, Dennis is finally alone in his house, his daughter attending college out of state. When he's stricken by a paralyzing case of writer's block and a looming deadline, Dennis becomes desperate. Against better judgment, he claims someone else's writing as his own, accepting undeserved accolades for the stolen work. He thinks he's gotten away with it . . . until he's greeted by a young man named Cillian Reed--the true author of the stolen manuscript. What begins as a minor case of harassment quickly spirals out of control. As Cillian's threats escalate, Dennis finds himself on the brink of losing his career, his sanity, and even his life. The horror he's spent years writing about has arrived on his doorstep, and Dennis has nowhere to run. Ghostwriters are interesting characters as it's hard to imagine the thought of working hard on something and then letting anoth...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Mary Connealy and the book: Montana Rose Barbour Publishing, Inc (July 1, 2009) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: An award-winning author, Mary Connealy lives on a Nebraska farm with her husband and is the mother of four grown daughters. She writes plays and shorts stories, and is the author of two other novels, Petticoat Ranch and Calico Canyon. Also an avid blogger, Mary is a GED instructor by day and an author by night. Visit the author's websit...

After the target of an investigative report storms a Virginia Beach news studio, he executes one of the anchors on live television before the SWAT team is able to take him down. Following the victims funeral, her family files a lawsuit against the gun company who manufactured the killers weapon of choice. The lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant Kelly Starling and Jason Noble are young, charismatic, and highly successful. They're also easy blackmail targets, each harboring a personal secret so devastating it could destroy their careers. Millions of dollars and more than a few lives are at stake. But as Kelly and Jason battle each other, they discover that the real fight is with unseen forces intent on controlling them both. This book was probably one of the most interesting law suspense novels I've ever read. It's a book that really makes you think about why you believe in certain things and how you came to have that viewpoint. In our country, the debate about gun contro...

All Beth Gallatin has really wanted out of life is to settle down in one town, with one man, and raise a family. But with her father's roaming ways, she's always been denied that dream; instead, she found solace in reading romantic books. With her father's passing, she can, for the first time, dare to claim the rugged Montana frontier as her home. Nick Lassiter has loved Beth since she first came to town, but she's always seemed to think of him more as a brother. Just when he finally gets Beth to consider him, however, a challenger threatens the affection growing between them. But neither Nick nor Beth is prepared when they must face the consequences of Nick's complicated past. As a past fraught with unwise choices and guilt invades their world, can Nick and Beth find a love that will last forever? This book continues the story of the Gallatin sisters and this book focus on Beth, the sister with the romantic dreams and wishes. She's an avid reader of dime sto...

When a mysterious relic is stolen from a Madrid museum, people are dying to discover its secrets. Literally.U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca returns from Conspiracy in Kiev to track down the stolen artwork, a small carving called The Piet' of Malta. It seems to be a simple assignment, but nothing about this job is simple, as the mysteries and legends surrounding the relic become increasingly complex with claims of supernatural power. As aggressive, relentless, and stubborn as ever, Alex crisscrosses Europe through a web of intrigue, danger, and betrayal, joined by a polished, mysterious new partner. With echoes of classic detective and suspense fiction from The Maltese Falcon to The Da Vinci Code, Midnight in Madrid takes the reader on a nonstop spellbinding chase through a modern world of terrorists, art thieves, and cold-blooded killers This was another excellent read from Noel Hynd. I had thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series due to its fast paced action sequences ...

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Tammy Barley and the book: Love’s Rescue (The Sierra Chronicles Book 1) Whitaker House (June 4, 2009) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tammy Barley’s roots run deep and wide across the United States. With Cherokee heritage and such ancestors as James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau, she inherited her literary vocation and her preferred setting: the Wild West. An avid equestrian, Tammy has ridden horseback over w...