Author: cvegnad

May 28, 2021

Destined for You Book Review

When tragedy brings Gloriana and Luke together in Destined for You, they help each other through their grief and soon find their lives inextricably linked. If they survive the trials ahead, could it be possible they’ve been destined for each other all along?

About Destined for You

In 1869, Gloriana Womack’s family is much smaller since smallpox killed her mother and two of her siblings. She lives in a modest cottage in Duluth, Minnesota, with her father and young brother, and she has dedicated her life to holding her tiny, fractured family together–especially as her father is frequently gone on long fishing trips. Their livelihood may come from the waters of Lake Superior, but storms on the lake can be dangerous, even to those who know it well.

Luke Carson has come to Duluth to help shepherd the arrival of the railroad to the city’s port, and he’s eager to be reunited with his brother, Scott, who recently moved there with his pregnant wife. Competition for the railroad is fierce, with the neighboring city of Superior, Wisconsin, fighting for the tracks to come through their town instead. But the real danger lies in a resident of Duluth who is determined to have his revenge upon Luke.

When tragedy brings Gloriana and Luke together, they help each other through their grief and soon find their lives inextricably linked. If they survive the trials ahead, could it be possible they’ve been destined for each other all along?

My Thoughts

Gloriana, despite her age, has faced great loss in her young life. She lost her mother and two of her siblings and at a young age she took on the role of caregiver to her surviving sibling in the harsh environment of Duluth, Minnesota. Despite all of this pain, she dedicates her time, passion and love to her Father and brother. While she carries her grief, she does so guarding it closely and without complaint. She is a genuinely good person, who loves her family and her beliefs (although at times she feels at odd with a God who causes pain).

Fate and tragedy are not done with this small fishing town. While the town has known tragedy due to the nature of their work, it does not ease the pain nor the suffering that arises when tragedy strikes. It is this pain that brings the small town Gloriana and the rich, city wise Luke together. What first appears to be a mutual friendship based on helping each other, soon becomes a bit more with both not too sure if they are ready to see this happen nor trust in their God who has taken so much away.

With the tragedy at the forefront and the possibility of a romance blooming, Tracie also ties in suspense and a scheme of destruction that could lead to disaster and possibly worse. This plot that develops alongside the main story, was incredibly interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. It also helps to bring our two main characters together as they struggle to deal with dishonesty, corruption and faith being tested.

This is a beautiful novel that gives hope – that although life can be difficult, hard to understand and sometimes we feel immense pain, out of this can come something beautiful and the knowledge that we are never alone.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana. Learn more at www.traciepeterson.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 28, 2021

Miriam’s Song Book Review

Follow Miriam’s journey in Miriam’s Song from childhood to motherhood, obscurity to notoriety, and yearning to fulfillment as she learns that what God promises he provides–in his own perfect timing.

About Miriam’s Song

In her eventful lifetime, Miriam was many things to many people: protective older sister, song leader, prophetess, leper. But between the highs and the lows, she was a girl who dreamed of freedom, a woman who longed for love, a leader who made mistakes, and a friend who valued connection.

With her impeccable research and keen eye for detail, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith offers this epic story to fill in the gaps and imagine how Miriam navigated the challenges of holding on to hope, building a family in the midst of incredible hardship, and serving as a leader of a difficult people, all while living in her brother’s shadow. Follow Miriam’s journey from childhood to motherhood, obscurity to notoriety, and yearning to fulfillment as she learns that what God promises he provides–in his own perfect timing.

My Thoughts

I love historical novels and the personal touch an author gives to an individual of significant importance. While I am somewhat familiar with the story of Moses, I cannot say I knew too much and especially not enough of Miriam (please don’t let my Mom and Dad see me admit to that!). For me, I could not wait to start to read about these individuals who are important figures in my religion.

What I loved the most is that the author made them human – Miriam was a woman first and foremost. She is a woman who loved, who hoped, who feared, who felt happiness and also great sorrow. She also felt her faith tested at many times under the extreme conditions her and her people found themselves in. This made her a character someone that you felt connected to despite the differences in time and expectations and roles of women then and now. Miriam had a great but quiet strength, she was humble and kind, but also had her flaws. She tried not to focus on Moses’ actions that she did not understand and focus on her faith instead, but like so many of us this is hard. I loved this intimate portrayal of her life as the author envisioned it.

The novel while following Miriam’s journey, also gives us a look into Moses’ journey to bring his people to freedom. The story covers many decades but Jill did an amazing job with covering each time frame, I never felt lost or not understanding any part of the story. This was a lovely story full of hope, inspiration and important lessons that we can all learn from.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King and Star of Persia: Esther’s Story. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us.Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 26, 2021

Act of Negligence: A Medical Thriller

In Act of Negligence, something unusual is going on with the dementia patients at Pleasant View Nursing Home and Doc Brady is determined to find out why.

About Act of Negligence

Dr. Jim Bob Brady, Houston orthopedic surgeon and amateur sleuth, finds himself in the midst of a different type of medical mystery. His friend and colleague, Dr. James Morgenstern, refers him a series of dementia patients with orthopedic problems from Pleasant View Nursing Home. Each patient dies, irrespective of the treatment, a situation that Doc Brady is unaccustomed to.

Each death prompts an autopsy, performed by another Brady colleague, Dr. Jeff Clarke, who discovers unusual brain pathology in each patient. Some of the tissue samples show nerve regeneration, a finding unheard of in dementia patients.

Doc Brady, enraged by the loss of his patients and obsessively curious about the pathologic findings, begins to investigate the nursing home, as well as its owner and CEO, Dr. Theodore Frazier. This leads Brady and Clarke on an adventure to discover the happenings at Pleasant View—an adventure that sees them running for their lives.

My Thoughts

I have thoroughly enjoyed the other books in the Doc Brady series so I jumped on this one and dived into the novel right away (I could not put it down!). John Bishop did not disappoint – this novel exceeded all of my expectations.

In this novel, the story centres around Pleasant View Nursing Home and the patients that are arriving in Dr. Brady’s care and who are passing away from typical every day orthopedic procedures (very unusual for him and his practice). Dr. Brady is not satisfied with the obvious reasons given for their passing (age and comorbidities) especially when they all have in common: dementia, thyroid issues and the same nursing home. Something just doesn’t add up to him and despite multiple warning signs, he is determined to seek justice for his patients.

What he uncovers blows your mind away – unethical practices, lies, murder and even medical success (but with great cost and not done ethically). Once again, Doc Brady puts his own life on the line to defend and protect his patients and to bring to justice those who have harmed them.

I loved the plot in this story although it hurt me to see someone prey on the emotions of the elderly and their children, who just want to see their parents in their ‘normal’ state again. We learn about nerve regeneration in this novel, something that sounds almost too incredible for words which makes me understand why some would go to the extend we see in this novel but this does not make it right. And while there are technical terms in the novel especially as tied to the nerve regeneration (I had to reread some of the very excited Pathologist sentences over to make sure I understood), it does not take away from the intensity and plot.

This novel is intense, well paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The plot is unique and I love the way he brings Doc Brady to life. He is just a naturally curious, down to earth, good person who loves to question why (which is always to the betterment of his patients!). I loved every moment of this book and can’t wait to see what Doc Brady gets up to next!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

John Bishop is an orthopedic surgeon from Houston, Texas. When he isn’t dreaming up new Doc Brady exploits, you can find him on the golf course or playing his piano. Act of Negligence is the fourth book in the Doc Brady Mystery series

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 24, 2021

The Girl in the Gold Dress

In The Girl in the Gold Dress, Hannah’s Korean name literally means “Gold Dress,” so why doesn’t she want to be seen wearing her gold hanbok dress?

About The Girl in the Gold Dress

Hannah’s Korean name literally means “Gold Dress,” so why doesn’t she want to be seen wearing her gold hanbok dress?

10-year-old Hannah is facing a big performance for her school’s talent show. The trouble is, she’s ashamed of her dress, the dance, even the music – they’re too different, too Korean! What if everyone makes fun of her? Will Hannah be brave enough to perform, or will she run off stage like she did at rehearsal? First, she must learn about the gold dress she’s wearing and its mysterious connection to her name and her family’s past in Korea: starting with a desperate escape from war and a secret wish hidden for decades in an envelope. Can Hannah make that wish finally come true?

In this touching children’s story that spans four generations, a Korean American girl overcomes her embarrassment of her heritage to step forward with pride and share her culture with others.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and BookBaby.

About the Author

Christine still remembers the butterflies in the pit of her stomach as she performed traditional Korean fan dances as a 12-year-old growing up in Southern California. She never dreamed that over 30 years later, she would be channeling her inner fan dancer to write Hannah’s story. Christine is a second generation Korean American wife and mother of two, living in San Diego.

Christine loves telling stories for a living, which started with a 15-year career in TV news and continues today in public relations. She is the winner of six news Emmys and multiple PR awards. Christine was always an avid reader, but wished there were more Asian American book characters she could relate to (besides Claudia Kishi from The Babysitter’s Club). So she decided to create her own! Christine also enjoys singing karaoke, photography, and baking. You can learn more about Christine at www.christinepaik.com

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

Enter to win a signed copy of The Girl in the Gold Dress here.

Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 17, 2021

Belief: Ricepaper Magazine Books

“I would not know where to begin healing
were it not for my ancestors
in whose great shadows
that reached across
oceans and islands
I took solace, when the scars stung under the sun.
We have inherited our parents’ scars, still hurting but – ” Karen-Luz Sison, “To Heal, To Be Healing“

About Belief: Ricepaper Magazine Books

A new anthology from Canada’s renowned Ricepaper Magazine, this third collection in the Ricepaper Magazine series includes a wide range of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction by writers of Asian descent from across the world. The theme which binds the collection is “belief,” a notion personal to each individual sharing a piece of themselves in their works.

“This book is a platform for both established and new writers to share their voices in a publishing landscape that is often difficult for racialized writers to navigate,” co-editor Allan Cho comments. Co-editor JF Garrard adds, “In light of anti-Asian hate which has been occurring throughout the years and is only newsworthy now; we hope that this book allows people to better understand and feel empathy with the Asian community and to make a connection, since we all want to transform our society to be a better place.”

Within the Belief anthology, the honorable Joy Kogawa shares her lifelong lessons scribbled in her diary, Carmen Chan shares the trauma experienced by the women in her family in the new world, Felix Wong shares a strange serendipitous experience of witnessing a wedding of strangers, and Garry Engkent describes how introducing the egg roll at his family’s restaurant causes a heated controversy in Thibeault Falls. The late Jim Wong-Chu reflects on what the first railway workers would have thought about the ritual of Christmas.

Each author contributing to this new collection shares a conviction of truth shaping the reality of life in the Asian diaspora.

Contributors to Belief include:

Nastasha Alli – Moni Brar – Carmen Chan – Taeyin Cho-Glueck – Steven Chua – Ingrid Cui – Erica Dionara – Garry Engkent – Ken Lem, translated by Lei Jin – Daisy Kioko Moriyama – Joy Kogawa – Janika Oza – Kathy Pham – Cindy Phan – Emi Sasagawa – Karen-Luz Sison – Bianca Weeko Martin – Kevin Wong – Felix Wong – Jim Wong-Chu – Christine Wu – Kailin Yang – Peter KS Yu – Michelle Zhang

My Thoughts

Wow, that was my first thought reading through these powerful writings. I found myself reading it from start to finish, started over again and then read through it a third time. I cannot even pick one favourite, as they all touched my heart in different ways.

In the editor’s introduction, we are told that “a story is a piece of a writer’s heart, written to inspire, change and challenge the thoughts of their friends, peers, children and the world”. That really stuck with me as I read through each story, poem and nonfiction. We are given a very real, raw, honest look into each author’s life, moment in time, feelings and family history. Some of these moments made me pause and reflect and other times, you could feel their pain (and the hurt that they hid) from their words.

From those who feel isolated and lost after immigrating to North America, feeling a need for their home and those who came as skilled workers but cannot actually use those skills. From family divides to the power of your name. Each page carries an important story and lesson not only for those of Asian descent but individuals of all backgrounds. These collections will hit home to those of Asian descent and I am sure will remind them of their family members or even moments in their own life, making each story very relatable and possibly bring understanding. My husband found a connection to the story around immigrants who have come to North America but cannot use the skills and degrees that they achieved overseas. He immigrated from Zimbabwe and faced many barriers with his education being recognized and really struggled in the first five years of being in Canada.

It is so important to listen, to learn and to be mindful of our own words and the impact that they can have on others. So many times individuals from another culture cannot understand nor appreciate the sacrifices and the history of a family and this is why it is important to speak those words and to write them down. I found the afterword just as important as it contained information about health as it pertains to Asians titled, ‘Save a Life, Stop Being Asian” and given the context of the pandemic that we are in this is so important. Especially as we see the same themes of stoicism, politeness and the family hierarchy. JF Garrard gives a very personal and real approach to handling health crisis’ in the family, especially with parents.

This is a very special anthology that has had a great impact on me. It was honest, it was raw and it was full of feeling and wisdom – a definite must read.

You can purchase a copy of Belief on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About Ricepaper Magazine

Ricepaper Magazine is a Vancouver-based Canadian literary magazine which has showcased Asian Canadian literature, culture, and the arts since 1994.

Ricepaper Magazine publishes new poetry, fiction, drama, graphic novels, translation, as well as cultural reviews of books, theatre, and film. Ricepaper Magazine also publishes original art and photography.

Ricepaper first began in 1994 as a newsletter for the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW) – eight pages which were photocopied back-to-back and stapled together. Ricepaper was a way for ACWW members to communicate amongst each other as well as celebrate each other’s successes. ACWW, a non-profit organization, continues to publish Ricepaper today. From these humble beginnings, Ricepaper became a quarterly magazine that was distributed coast-to-coast, publishing the new voices coming out of the Asian Canadian arts and literary community. With advancements in technology, Ricepaper has moved online affording writers a much wider audience and far richer medium to deliver ideas. Ricepaper Magazine continues to be the longest running literary magazine of its kind with an Asian Canadian perspective.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Belief in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.