Category: reviews

February 5, 2016

Keeper of the Stars Book Review

In Keeper of the Stars, it’s not always love at first sight, sometimes we have to heal ourselves and forgive the past to feel love.

About Keeper of the Stars

When her mother died from pneumonia, Penny Cartwright was heartbroken. But now, after burying her younger brother just 12 years later, she is devastated. Anger, guilt, and sorrow cloud Penny’s mind, and the last thing she wants is to be reminded of her pain–but that’s exactly what happens when a stranger comes to town.

Trevor Reynolds has been chasing fame for more than a dozen years, but his musical career can’t get off the ground. While on the road, an accident kills his young drummer, Brad Cartwright. Trevor wasn’t behind the wheel, but he still blames himself . . . and so does Brad’s sister, Penny. Now Trevor finds himself in Kings Meadow, determined to follow through on his final promise to his friend.

Still feeling the pain of Brad’s death, Penny and Trevor must learn that forgiveness is the only thing that can heal their hearts. And if they do forgive, something beautiful may rise from the ashes of heartbreak.

My Thoughts

An extremely powerful, touching story of faith, forgiveness and healing. My heart was so sore for Penny, the pain she must have felt going through so much loss. She carries so much resentment and pain in her heart and lashes out at certain people who she feels are the cause of her pain, such as Trevor.

Trevor, who made a vow to visit Kings Meadow to his dying friend, has no idea what he is doing in Kings Meadow. He doesn’t feel like he belongs and doesn’t know quite how to act in such a different environment the small town of Kings Meadow is. He finds that he is more at peace in this small town then he has ever been in Nashville. He actually becomes close to God and finds his faith, not the faith that he grew up with (going to Church for show) but the faith that you feel deep in your heart, a faith of love, trust, hope and belief in God.

Their characters evolve and continuously grow throughout the novel. They may take two steps forward and one step back but we see this constant test of faith, hope and small acts of love. Keeper of the Stars was an awesome book from start to finish.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating:5/5

About the Author

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.

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

February 4, 2016

To Be A Child Book Review

In To Be A Child, give a child a cardboard box and his imagination will turn it into anything but!

About To Be A Child

Today, it is less common to see children playing in the streets, especially in urban areas. The plethora of ready-made toys should make any child happy. What usually happens is that the box the toy came in becomes the toy!

This book documents children at play (and at times at work) from 10 different countries. A child’s ingenuity never ceases to amaze me and I hope you will share these images with your children as well.

My Thoughts

I love children, they have this power to bring out about happiness, love and peace. They love with no boundaries and forgive without question. To Be A Child is a powerful photographic journal of children in action.

Debra captured the children from a variety of countries around the world from Canada to Nepal to Mongolia to China! My favourite sections were pets/animals and learn, with a close runner up in play. She captured children as they played on swings, mimiced their parents, played in playgrounds, in museums, horseback riding and more. She beautifully captures their innocence, their love and all of the things that matter to children.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and the author’s website.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

“My dad always carried a camera under the seat of his car and was constantly taking pictures. I think that his example, together with pouring over National Geographic magazines as a child fuelled my curiosity for the world around me.

I am a documentary photographer and street photography is my passion. Some of my images have been chosen by National Geographic as editor’s favourites and are on display in the National Geographic museum in Washington, DC. I also have an off-kilter sense of humour so I’m always looking for the unusual. Plus I usually have a lot of scars on my knees.

(le sigh…)

I live with my creative director, Miss Pickles (my budgie) in Victoria, BC, Canada. You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

February 2, 2016

The Greatest Prospector in the World

In The Greatest Prospector in the World, the death of her Father transports Laura to Chicago where she uncovers secrets about her Uncle and family.

About The Greatest Prospector in the World

Laura Dunagan, was born in the gold prospecting days of rustic Alaska in the early 1900’s. When Laura was 14 years old, her father was trapped under a mudslide while prospecting in a nearby river and died. Laura was forced to move to Chicago in the care of her rich Uncle Joe. Laura hated Uncle Joe because he forced her to leave the river, but also because he had left the family prospecting business to move to Chicago years before she was born.

Laura discovers that Uncle Joe made his fortune selling insurance and was the owner of the largest insurance company in Illinois. While wandering through the mansion one day, she found Uncle’s Joe personal den. In it, she discovered an entire new life that would lead her to heights that she would never had realized panning for gold in Alaska. Uncle Joe used the 6 gold prospecting rules for safety to prospect new clients for his insurance company and in doing so, discovered the secrets to wealth in selling.

My Thoughts

A very unique book that not only tells a tale but also six keys to success not only in sales but in life.

This book came to me at a very important time in my life. As I made the decision to push myself further in my career these six goals were essential in rediscovering myself and pushing myself out there to attain my goals. Sometimes it can be difficult to read books that are “self help” or work related but with the unique angle this novel took of tying these six rules into a heart warming story that puts the rules into action you will not want to put it down. We are able to witness the direct results of the six rules and how they help Laura in her own goals and dreams (especially during a time when women were not encouraged to own their business’). We are part of Laura’s fears, hopes, dreams and aspirations. I am positive you will find some of your own hidden in there too!

This is a fantastic book not only for those in sales but also for those who want to make a change in their personal and professional lives. You will not be disappointed!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Ken Dunn is one of the leadership training world’s up and coming great speakers and trainers. An incredible hunger to learn and teach others has led Ken successfully through five different professional careers in the past 25 years.

Ken began a policing career at the age of 18. He was involved in the policing world’s most exhilarating and challenging disciplines, including undercover drug and surveillance work, S.W.A.T. teamwork, aggravated child abuse, frauds, aggravated assaults, illegal weapons smuggling and homicides.

Today, Ken regularly speaks to groups in the direct sales, mortgage, insurance and banking industries. He uses humor and his own experiences to inspire audiences around the world. Ken lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife, Julie, and children Matthew and Laura. Connect with him on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

February 1, 2016

Worst Laid Plans Book Review

In Worst Laid Plans, all Maddox wants to do is hide from the storm of life but this is not in her near future as her plans soon go awry.

About Worst Laid Plans

All Maddox Storm wanted was to come home and hide from the world in peaceful solitude for a few short weeks. Oh, and give her soon-to-be ex cheating scumbag husband a fat headache while she’s at it. He hates all small towns, and Silver Firs in particular, with the kind of passion most men reserve for the bedroom.

So call it revenge, or poetic justice, but investing his savings in the town’s founding inn seemed like the perfect plan for all her needs and more.

But everything goes out the window when Maddox finds her arch-nemesis dead in the kitchen downstairs.

Before she knows it, she’s embroiled in a murder investigation and tangling with the smoky-eyed detective on the case. Not that she doesn’t trust him to do his job, but he may not be quite as motivated as she is to bring the guilty party to justice. After all, she’s the one who unwittingly incriminated upstanding townsfolk and worse, she may be living under the same roof as a pair of unlikely murderers.

My Thoughts

Murder, mystery, suspense and an absolutely hilarious main character in Maddox mixed in with an ending that you never see coming! I loved every moment of Worst Laid Plans. From the get go, I knew I was in for a treat with her spunky humour and sense of adventure. She literally made me laugh out loud at times! Especially when it came to her small home town life.

She comes up with the sweetest revenge to get back at her soon to be ex-husband but who would have ever guessed what would happen when she arrived there? While still recovering from the drive to her ‘new’ home, she discovers a murder! This murder throws quite the wrench in her plans as she works to uncover the murderer (much to the displeasure of the police on the case!).

I fell in love with Claire’s easy writing, quick humour and unique plot line. I could not put this novel down – I just had to know what was going to happen to Claire. The ending made me crave even more – I can’t wait for the second book to come out!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Claire loves to write mystery, romance and adventure, cause sometimes one life really can have it all (between the pages of a book, at least.) When she is not thigh-deep in laundry, shopping, cooking and general crowd control, you’ll find her head-and-heart-deep in the tangled lives of her characters.

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

January 28, 2016

Beyond The Silence Book Review

In Beyond The Silence, the shadows over this olive grove hide more than just the truth.

About Beyond The Silence

Lillian Porter has always wanted to fulfill her mother’s dream of going west, so when she hears about a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her grandfather and takes a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders if she made the right choice. Murky rumors swirl around Woodward Colton, her new employer, but the gossip doesn’t match the man Lillian comes to know.

Still, something dark did happen in the family’s past. Lillian’s seven-year-old charge hasn’t spoken in over a year. Gently, Lillian tries to coax him out of his shell, hoping he’ll one day feel safe enough to share what scared him. But the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious damage done to the farm. When the housekeeper is brutally attacked, the town once again suspects the worst. Will discovering the truth help Lillian clear the name of the man she has come to love–or will it endanger her even more?

My Thoughts

In this story we have several key characters and stories woven around them. We have Lillian who yearns for independence and freedom – to follow her parents dream. This dream forces her to defy the only family she has known and head out on her own (something not heard of much in those days!). She is forced to learn about herself and simple life skills she never had to deal with being from a wealthy family.
Woodward Colton her new employer has been plagued by vicious rumours and a terrible tragedy. The small town he lives in is awful to him and we witness this through out the story and how he holds his head above it all. The worst tragedy for him is that his son will no longer speak due to the family’s past tragedy.

It is this history that is brought to the forefront of the story as the novel progresses. We learn more about the past and how it is woven into the future. We watch our characters grow in emotional and spiritual strength as they cling together in order to make it through the most difficult times that they have ever faced. Beyond The Silence was a fantastic story from start to finish, that I just could not (and did not want to!) put down.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About The Authors

Kimberley Woodhouse is a multipublished author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker/teacher, she’s shared her theme of Joy Through Trials with over 150,000 people at more than a thousand venues across the country. She lives, writes, and homeschools with her husband of twenty-plus years and their two awesome teens live in Colorado.

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.

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