Sunday, December 31, 2017

Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason

Eason has given readers a somewhat complicated plot involving the mafia, gang warfare, and the police. It has plenty of action and some intense suspense. There is also a hint of romance.

Izzy is the focus of the story. She is on the Columbia, South Carolina police force. Several of her siblings are also on the force. Her mother, in fact, is the city's chief of police. Izzy's rookie partner, Kevin, makes a rash mistake and gets killed. She is devastated but wants to find the killer. Kevin's older brother, a policeman and Izzy's good friend, has her back.

I had difficulty liking Izzy. I don't like it when suspense is caused by the heroine doing something dumb. That happened a couple of times in this novel. At one point Izzy is so obvious the bad guy pulls a gun on her, seeing the “tell,” as it is called. Izzy made rash moves to the point that others had to control her. In general, she makes women police officers look too emotional and ineffective. I would much rather have had a strong female lead.

That being said, this is a good police procedure novel that is more character driven than investigative technique driven.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Lynette Eason is the best selling author of the Elite Guardian series. She has won numerous awards for her novels. She has a master's degree in education and lives in South Carolina with her husband and their two teens. You can find out more at http://lynetteeason.com/.

Revell, 368 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

The Far Away Brothers by Lauren Markham

Illegal immigration and border control has recently been a hot topic in the U.S. The influx of undocumented and unaccompanied minors has increased. What are these children risking and enduring to come to the U.S.? Markham has given us a human element to add to the discussion.

Markham has recreated the story of teen El Salvadoran twins who came into the U.S. illegally. We find out about the civil war in that country, gang violence, the pressure to join a gang, and the kidnappings for ransom. We find out the threats against the twins and their desperation to go north to find a safe future. We learn about the cost of the coyotes, parents going into debt to provide a future for their children. We follow the teens north in their dangerous journey and their struggle to find their way in a new country.

This book has provided much insight into why children are coming north, searching for a better life. Their life back home is horrible. Some cannot even take a bus ride without fear of being robbed. Others are merely looking for a place to live where they do not have to fear being killed.

I recommend this book to readers who would like to understand the circumstances behind some of the illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. and the struggles they face when they arrive here. This is not a heartwarming success story. It is a story of survival.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Lauren Markham is a writer based in Berkeley, California, focusing on issues related to youth, migration, and the environment. For over a decade, she has worked in the fields of refugee resettlement and immigrant education.

Crown Publishing, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Unstuck by Chris Dupre Blog Tour


About the Book 

Title: Unstuck  
Author: Chris Dupre  
Genre: Self-help, personal growth  
Release Date: November 14, 2017

Do you feel like you missed the boat? Are you burnt out? Have your feet been dragging the sidewalk? Do you catch yourself dreaming of what could have been? Of if-only-I-had, or if-only-I-hadn’t? This book is for anyone sitting in the audience who should be on stage, anyone reading blogs who should also be writing them, anyone supporting ministries who should be leading them. It’s for the Christians who know there is a better life, but who are just stuck in the one they’re living. Saved in the Jesus Movement of the seventies, Chris DuPré connected with countless Christians across the world. Yet too many of those Christians, Chris discovered, have years later lost the fire and stepped back from living out their faith. Why? Because they got stuck—stuck in rejection by others, stuck in fear of the unknown, stuck in loving a comfortable life, stuck in scores of similar ruts. What can set them free from their internal prisons? And what could Christians accomplish if we all just got unstuck?
Click here to purchase your copy!
My Review:

This is a good book of encouragement for people who know they are stuck but want to find a pathway through to freedom of ministry. It is easy to get stuck in our spiritual life and Dupre covers many areas, like fear, rejection, feeling too young or too old. One surprise place we get stuck is our own personality. Dupre reminds us how important it is to see ourselves as we really are. Dupre suggests many keys to get through the stuck areas. A surprise for me was humility.

Dupre has given us a very readable book. He gives many illustrations of his teaching from his own life and the lives of others, including biblical characters. This book would appeal to readers who enjoy lots of stories given as examples for living life as God has designed. You'll find good encouragement and many ideas to help you through the areas holding you back.

About the Author


Originally from Upstate New York, Chris moved to Kansas City to work alongside Mike Bickle in establishing the International House of Prayer. Chris recently served as Associate Pastor at Grace Center Church in Franklin TN, and is now an associate pastor of Life Center in Harrisburg, PA. A pastor, teacher, worship leader, traveling speaker, and spiritual father to many, Chris may be best known for his song “Dance With Me.” He has produced eight albums and published three books, including The Wild Heart of God (Whitaker House, 2016) and The Lost Art of Pure Worship with James Goll. Parents of three daughters and grandparents of four grandchildren, Chris and his wife, Laura, reside in Harrisburg, PA.


Guest Post from Chris Dupre


I grew up in a small town about 30 miles east of Rochester, NY. Winters there could be brutal. One year, I received beautiful new pair of boots which I loved, particularly for the joy with which they enabled me to engage in the marvelous sport of puddle jumping. One day when the ice and snow had begun to melt, I eyed a nice puddle and jumped in the middle sending a freezing splash in all directions. But wait, something was wrong — this was no ordinary puddle! This one was made to capture people, and I was captured! Frantic, I pulled one foot out, but no matter how much I tried, the other foot would not budge. My boot was stuck. I was stuck! I pulled and pulled until finally my foot came free in a soggy sock. My beautiful boot had been left behind, buried beneath the slush. My little mind was faced with a choice. Did I care enough about to do something? It only took a second to act. I loved those boots. I found a stick and began to fish. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally pulled out my boot. That’s the first time I ever went fishing and was glad to catch a boot instead of a fish. My desire with this book is to address some of those “stuck” moments we all face. I want to provide keys that will hopefully open a door or two that have held you back on the incredible journey of life. I say a door or two, or even three, because it’s almost always more than one thing that gets us stuck. Ah, but God—He is the change factor in all of this and in Him we can break free.


Blog Stops

Mary HakeDecember 28
A Reader’s BrainDecember 29
Carpe DiemDecember 29
New Horizon ReviewsJanuary 1
A Greater YesJanuary 5
Texas Book-aholicJanuary 6
BigreadersiteJanuary 9
Pursuing StacieJanuary 10


I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The View From Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble

Coble has crafted a good novel with a balance of character development, suspense, and romance. While the action is current, the roots of the suspense are in earlier events. Shauna is a private helicopter pilot whose husband had been killed in a climbing accident. He was climbing with his good friend Zach and Shauna blames him for the fact that she is a widow and single mother. People close to Shauna are being murdered and then it becomes apparent Shauna's life is in danger. When Zach comes to her aid, she has lots of pain and anger to work through. The suspense increases as Shauna and Zach find clues from the past, items someone is willing to kill to get.

The best part of the novel for me was the setting. I love it when I find a novel taking place in my native Washington State. The location for this one is the north part of the Olympic Peninsula where there are several lavender farms. The name Rainshadow Bay is descriptive as I live on an island that is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. I've included a photo I recently took of the very area Coble has chosen to set this novel. You can see the mountains that Shauna says take her breath away and a bay that might very well be Rainshadow Bay.

I recommend this novel to readers who like a good balance of character development, suspense and romance. There is a strong Christian message woven through the novel, encouragement to trust God when we are going through difficult times. You'll also find out a little about a very beautiful place.

Note: this book releases January 23, 2018.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Colleen Coble is an award winning author of Christian romantic suspense novels. She has nearly four million books in print. She and her husband live in Indiana. You can find out more at http://colleencoble.com/.

Thomas Nelson, 336 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Unimaginable by Jeremiah J Johnston

Johnston has written this book to show that the world would be a much darker place were it not for Christianity. (195) He includes great stories of the benefits Christianity has brought to humanity. He looks at atheists and how they have influenced the world. He includes critiques of their characters and works.

While there is much to like about this book, there were some aspects of it that disappointed me. One was some of the unfounded statements Johnston made. He writes, for example, “Readers should know that the gulf between science and faith has long been bridged. Christian scholars and scientists recognize how Scripture and science, in fact, complement one another.” (79) My goodness, I wish that were true. Truthfully, there is still much controversy in reconciling science and Scripture. This is evidenced by a recent critique of Theistic Evolution that is a thousand pages long.

Another area was a sort of white washing of Christianity where it has not been practiced correctly and has not been as good as it could have been. An example is marital infidelity. Johnston makes a big deal about the marriage failures of atheists. Yet he never mentions similar marriage failures among Christians, especially pastors. Nor does he mention the recent sexual molestation scandals involving Roman Catholic priests. While he mentions that Dawkins was molested at a young age in an Anglican boarding school, he does not take ownership of that event as an example the failure of Christianity as it is sometimes practiced. (104)

He writes about how slavery was not done away with in secular societies. While he mentions how Christians in the U.S. south referenced the Bible to defend their use of slaves and their continued practice of slavery, he says we are not to take such errant use of Scriptures as the norm for Christianity. Never mind that those Christians did not think their use of Scripture was errant at the time.

He has glowing remarks for Christianity and racism yet I saw hatred and extreme racism from “Christians” in the last U.S. presidential campaign and election. He writes about how women are treated so terribly in non-Christian societies yet never addresses how, even in the “Christian” United States, women had to fight for the right to vote, the right to own property, and the right to equal pay.

This is a book for Christians to make them feel good about Christianity and its role in history. Unfortunately, since Christianity is lived out by imperfect people and that was not pointed out by Johnston, there is much in this book atheists will be able to criticize. If we are going to draw attention to all of the good things done in the name of Christianity over the centuries, we need to own up to the bad things too. Be sure to know that critics of Christianity will point them out to us if we do not recognize them ourselves.

If we lived in a world where Christianity was lived out perfectly, now that would be truly unimaginable.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Jeremiah J. Johnston is a New Testament scholar and frequent contributor to national publications and shows. He ministers internationally in partnership with the Museum of the Bible and is president of the Christian Thinkers Society, a resident institute at Houston Baptist University, where he serves as Associate Professor of Early Christianity. He and his family live in Houston, Texas.

Bethany House, 240 pages.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Operation Hail Storm by Brett Arquette

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is a good combination of advanced technology, suspense, and character interaction.

It takes place sometime in the near future. There had been a terrorist attack two years previously, shooting down five passenger airplanes in a variety of countries. Marshall had lost his wife and children. He is billionaire and Nobel Prize wining physicist and has developed a means of using nuclear waste to provide power to developing countries at next to no cost. But he is also out to avenge the death of his family. The possibility comes his way when he partners with the U.S. government to stop North Korea from acquiring missiles.

Since Marshall is an innovative physicist and a billionaire, there is lots of advanced technology in this novel. Most of it centers on drones but also includes communication, remote flying a helicopter, an amazing ship Marshall lives on, and more. I was fascinated with that aspect of the novel.

There is suspense in the novel but it is remote. Marshall pretty much accomplishes everything through drones so he is never in danger. Nonetheless, there are tense times involved in the operation. The plot is right up to date with North Korea acquiring missiles.

When Marshall agrees to do an operation with the U.S. government, the CIA insists an agent be in on the operation. Their top infiltrating agent is a seductive woman and there is some interesting psychological interaction between her and Marshall.

I do recommend this novel to readers who enjoy advanced technical gadgets, a dark operation, and characters that have past hurts that need to be overcome. There is a drastic twist at the end that means a sequel had better be arriving soon. I'll be looking for it.

My rating: 5/5

Brett Arquette has worked as the Chief Technology Officer for one of the largest circuit court systems in Florida. He published his first book in 2002 and has since written several others. He and his family life in Florida. You can find out more here.

Lulu.com, 406 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

The Truth Matters by Bruce Bartlett

Having recently experienced a presidential campaign where truth took a back seat, this book caught my interest. During my years of schooling, I was taught how to evaluate sources of information. It seems to be a skill lost for many in the contemporary American public.

Unlike a generation ago, there is now a plethora of news sources. Bartlett wants readers to be able to discern truth in the midst of it all. He shares methods he has used for decades. He looks at the rise of various media outlets. He helps us identify primary and secondary sources. He advocates the testing of a writer's credibility, such as paying attention to documentation.

Bartlett notes that material from satirical websites has been quoted as as factual, an example of not thoroughly checking a source. He saw where “experts” wrote on a subject when they were not at all an expert on the topic.

He offers some good strategy, such as using the resources at the local library. He suggests many websites for checking out the truth of a claim. He clarifies financial and statistical terms authors use. He tackles political terms, polls, Wikipedia, fake news, editorials, and more.

I checked out a site he recommended, https://www.realclearpolitics.com/. It has latest poll results and articles from both sides of the political aisle. Once I got past the pop up ads, it looked like a very informative site. I also found out how to set up a Feedly news feed with my favorite news sources.

I would put this book in an introductory category. Considering the number of people I know who got taken in by and repeated unfounded “news,” I think this book is needed by many. It seems critical thinking is a skill many lack today. I used my local library to obtain this book. You can do that too. I recommend it.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Bruce Bartlett s a commentator, economist, best-selling author, former Forbes columnist and New York Times Economix blogger, presidential adviser, and political independent.

Ten Speed Press, 144 pages.

Devil's Bargain by Joshua Green

I read this book in my continuing quest to understand the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Green argues that all the attempts to explain it have missed an essential element, Steve Bannon.

A crucial time in the run up to the election was after Trump had received the Republican nomination and was falling drastically in the polls. A wealthy and influential contributor, Rebekah Mercer, approached him and suggested that an aggressive person was needed to run his campaign. She knew just the person, Steve Bannon. Bannon took over the floundering campaign in August. For Bannon, there would be no holding back. (209) The result was a campaign like no other.

I learned a great deal about the campaign and the election from this book. I had no idea of Bannon's history and influence. He was bent on ruining Hillary Clinton, the person he saw as the greatest threat to his populist-nationalist ideas. I had no idea that the aim of his communication would be to arouse shock and intense feeling, not communicate truth. (148)

I was amazed at the hatred towards the Clintons by many on the right. I was amazed at the amount of money billionaires put towards the Trump campaign. I was amazed at the behavior of Trump himself. I was disappointed that leaders in the Republican Party did nothing to control Trump's inciting and inflammatory rhetoric even though many were “privately appalled by his behavior.” (40) I was shocked by Trump's birther crusade and him knowing “that a racist attack targeting a black president was the surest way to ingratiate himself with grass roots Republican voters.” (101)

Reading this book helped me to understand a bit more how this unusual presidential campaign and election developed. I also received some insight into the character of Trump, a man Green describes as “an opportunist driven by a desire for public acclaim, rather than a politician with any fixed principles.” (241) I do recommend the book.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Joshua Green is a senior national correspondent for Bloomberg Businessweek, focusing on political coverage for the magazine and Bloomberg News. Previously, her was senior editor of the Atlantic, a weekly political columnist for the Boston Globe, and an editor at the Washington Monthly. He has also written for a number of major publications.

Penguin Press, 288 pages.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD

Rest? Who can rest when there is so much to do? If I'm not accomplishing something, I feel guilty. Isn't it all about productivity?

Dalton-Smith was on that treadmill with a successful and busy medical practice. She found out that there is a better way of living. We need rest. We need several kinds of rest (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, creative). If we don't get the rest we need and are designed for, we suffer burnout.

There were some surprises in this book. Sleep is not rest. In fact, our sleep may be quite restless. Sleep is just a physical aspect of our lives and does not touch the other kinds of rest we need. There were some surprises when Dalton-Smith described the kinds of rest too. For example, “Isolation and loneliness are the two most common forms of social restlessness.” (78) Social rest is rather making space for those relationships that revive us. (79)

I love her section on creative rest. She writes about hikes in the mountains or urban trails, seeing God's work in creation. “Studies have shown our brains are most at rest in natural environments like the beach.” (101)

Rest can be uncomfortable. It opens us up and reveals things about ourselves. (111) Maybe that's why some people surround themselves with noise, activity, or social media, even if those are things that never truly satisfy.

Dalton-Smith writes about the benefits or gifts of rest in the second part of the book. One is allowing the soul room to expand and grow. (177) There are spiritual benefits. “Rest is knowing that you are preapproved for all of God's blessings.” (140)

I highly recommend this book. Dalton-Smith shows that rest is a biblical mandate supported by medical research. She has great teaching on rest and how it affects all of life. She includes a rest deficit assessment so you can evaluate yourself too.

You can sign up for her newsletter, take the rest quiz, and visit her blog at http://ichoosemybestlife.com/.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Saundra Dalton-Smith is a board-certified internal medicine physician. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Baker College and Davenport University in Michigan and is a media resource on the mind, body, spirit connection. She has appeared on many media outlets. She lives in Alabama with her husband and their two boys.

FaithWords, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Nourish by Katie Farrell

This is a good book for those who want to have a body that gives honor to God. Perhaps dieting has been a frustration. Maybe we wonder if there is any hope.

I like that Farrell has drawn our attention to the relationship between our spirituality and our body. She encourages us to develop an intimate relationship with God, allowing Him to change our hearts. She encourages us to recognize God's presence when we eat. She also writes about surrendering, praying for wisdom, responding to our emotions, finding freedom, being healthy from the inside out, and more.

In addition to spiritual encouragement, Farrell gives information on food and suggests what she calls clean eating. She encourages us to reduce our intake of processed foods. She provides recipes too.

She tells us her story, including her own battle with an eating disorder. She had a life changing experience when she was confronted by her sisters. That began her journey to understand how to have a healthy body. She helps readers on that journey too, such as adding a Scripture reflection, reflection questions, and a prayer at the end of each chapter.

I recommend this book to those who want to understand how important their relationship to God is when it comes to having a right attitude toward food and one's body. Farrell has given me much to think about and work on. She has also given me a good strategy and plan for working toward glorifying God in my eating and physical condition.

You can find out more about Farrell and what she offers toward healthy eating at https://dashingdish.com/.

Food for thought: “When we make the choice to run to God instead of food, He will meet our needs and satisfy our souls in a way that only He can.” (119)

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Katie Farrell worked as a registered nurse, providing health and nutrition education to her community. She is the owner and founder of Dashing Dish, Inc., a web based nutrition business dealing with meal planning, life skills, and nutritional counseling. You can find out more at https://dashingdish.com/.

FaithWords, 208 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Hope Travels Through by Lori Kemper Moore Blog Tour


About the Book


Name of book: Hope Travels Through  
Author: Loni Kemper Moore
Genre: Contemporary Lit

TeJae Smythe gave up on God and her hometown of Evansville, Indiana, ten years ago, but a deep personal loss requires her to return to both. Her life as a stewardess is going to be perfect. She has a plan. If only life would stick to it. In Hope Travels Through, TeJae finds the biggest challenge comes from the conflict within herself. Will she hold it all together? Or will she fall apart and embrace the beauty in the midst of disaster? Based on actual events of December 13, 1977, a date most people don’t remember, but one many living in the Ohio River Valley will never forget, the crash of the University of Evansville men’s basketball team plane.

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Review

This is a good debut novel that takes readers back to an important time in Indiana sports history. Female readers who enjoy basketball will find this novel particularly interesting.

The novel is a bit long and I felt the plot was somewhat repetitive. I found it difficult to identify with the characters. TeJae is not a strong character and made some really unwise decisions. That's not something I like to see, even when the character is going through a difficult growth process. Mikel was just odd enough for me not to like him. He never used contractions, for example, when he spoke. He also made odd decisions, like withholding information from TeJae that would have made their relationship smoother. But that did make for more obstacles to their relationship and a longer plot line.

Readers who enjoy historical novels centered on recent events will like this novel. You'll get a real sense of Evansville, Indiana in 1977, basketball and all.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author


Loni Kemper Moore is a Denver-Broncos cheering, Diet-Pepsi sipping, Rocky Mountain adventure-seeking kind of girl. She’s passionate for God and wants to share His beautiful love through life’s ugliness with remarkable women around the globe. Her writing came alive seven years ago after she broker her ankle. The crazy time of being laid up forced her to flip through decades of diaries which inspired the story that became Hope Travels Through. When she’s not writing, she’s an entertainer, technical support analyst; mom of a teenager named Adam; traveler with Robert, her dear “Hugsband,” stepmom to University of Evansville alumna Becca and her husband, Anthony; and spender of way too much time on Facebook. With her experiences of learning to trust God through tragedy, being employed by travel agencies and Delta Air Lines, and attending University of Evansville graduate school, she’s the best person to tell this story.


Guest Post from Loni Moore


What Made Me Write Hope Travels Through?

The weathered orthopedic surgeon shook his head and stared at the x-rays. Without making eye-contact, he said, “I usually work on Olympians and professional athletes. This doesn’t look good. She’s going to have arthritis and limp for the rest of her life.” I hadn’t had anything stronger than Tylenol since the entire weight of my 128 (at the time) pounds crunched my left ankle, 24 hours earlier. Robert, aka Dear Hugsband, had told me, so very graciously, when we arrived at Skate City, “Once you’re over 50, you shouldn’t roller skate.” But our son, Adam was 10 and I wondered how many more years he’d want me to hang out with him, so I’d strapped on the skates and joined the crowd of skaters. I avoided landing on the body of the five-year old who cut me off. Didn’t that count for something? However, none of that mattered at that moment. I needed drugs, and Robert agreed to whatever that surgeon said to get my prescriptions. One afternoon, my stomach growled on a gurney as I waited in the surgery center with IVs in my hands until a perky nurse announced, “The doctor will need to reschedule because something came up.” REALLY? After waiting 10 days, he no-shows? I’ve never loved Robert’s New York attitude more than the next day when by 7 pm that evening I was at Red Robin, post-surgery, eating a celebratory French Onion soup. Thanks to a nerve blocker the new, cute surgeon had provided after rebreaking bones and inserting pins. Adam was able to complete his homeschool work with little interference from my drug infested brain and I occupied my time by flipping through decades of accumulated diaries. The story of a woman surviving tough times percolated in my brain and I remembered my mother saying, “Everyone has a Great American Novel in her. You just need to take time to write it.” As my leg healed leaving no arthritis nor limp, I returned to the million things life demands, including a visit to our Becca at the University of Evansville, where I’d done my graduate work. As she showed us the Weeping Basketball, my protagonist informed me the story began in 1976, not 2011. The story climaxed when the university’s men’s basketball team plane crashed, but I was too busy to spend much time on it. Three days before Christmas that year, my younger sister passed away from Lyme complications, I could barely breathe. I’ve seen it a dozen times someone’s busy life prevents her from taking care of herself until something stops them in their tracks and they cannot move on. That happened to me. At the time, Dear Hugsband programmed Coca-Cola’s Freestyle machine (you’re welcome), so Adam and I joined him in Atlanta for several months. During that time without the cooking-cleaning-requirements and Adam insisting he preferred independence of his homeschool curriculum with minimal input from me, I processed my grief by putting the story that became Hope Travels Through on my computer. “In a weak moment, I have written a book.” Margaret Mitchell – Gone With The Wind Dear Hugsband loved his project with Coca-Cola and enjoyed everything about working in Atlanta except the humidity, the traffic and the commute. Typically, he worked in Georgia every other week, and was home every weekend. But occasionally, he’d be forced to stay in Atlanta over the weekend and tried to find something to entertain himself. One weekend, after seeing every movie running, he decided to go to the Margaret Mitchell House Museum where one of my favorite books, Gone With The Wind, was written. He bought me a mug with the above quote on it which he said was to encourage me in my writing, along with several commonalities between myself and the famous author.
  1. She was short—I am 5 feet tall, if I stretch;
  2. Her husband was over 6 feet tall—mine is 6’3 1/2”;
  3. She started writing her novel, after an ankle injury– I started writing after I a similar injury;
  4. She used a typewriter—I use a computer;
  5. Her mother gave her the quotes she used about how to survive in an upside-down world – my mom had a Bible verse for every occasion. I think her favorite was Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind, Loni to whomever…”;
  6. It took Margaret ten years to complete her novel – I’m not far behind, at nearly eight years.
Obviously, I don’t have one commonality with Margaret, in that she died at the age of 48 in a traffic accident, but his conclusions are precious. I’m well aware the odds of my little novel being successful, without the industry connections Margaret had, are low, but it’s been a fun journey even if no one buys a copy!

Blog Stops

Karen Sue Hadley, December 16
Jami’s WordsDecember 17
Quiet QuilterDecember 18
Texas Book-aholicDecember 19
Radiant LightDecember 20
Carpe DiemDecember 21
A Reader’s BrainDecember 22
A Greater YesDecember 23
Blogging With CarolDecember 23
SusanLovesBooksDecember 25
RemembrancyDecember 26
Mary HakeDecember 26
Janices book reviewDecember 27
The Power of WordsDecember 28
Just Jo’AnneDecember 29

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.