The Reunion by Dan Walsh

Aaron Miller has spent a number of years as a handyman in a trailer park. That is all he is known for. But 40 years earlier, he saved the lives of three fellow comrades in Vietnam. But when he came home from the war, he lost everything - his job, his wife, his kids. But after 40 years, the men he saved are trying to find him.

Dave Russo is trying to write a book on heroes of Vietnam. When he goes to interview a man, that man tells him he needs to interview someone else, and he proceeds to tell Russo Aaron Miller's story. Russo is then hired to find Miller. If he does so, Russo will have enough money to finish his book.

Will Russo be able to find Aaron Miller. If so, will Miller want to meet the men he saved 40 years ago? Will he be able to regain anything he has lost over these last 40 years?

The Reunion was a very powerful book. It was not just about a search for a man who was a hero, but a restoration and a redeeming of one man's life. This is the second book by Dan Walsh that I have read, but I can't wait to read more by him. It was an excellent book and definitely a top book for 2012!

I received this book from Revell for the purpose of this review.

The Choice by Robert Whitlow

Sandy Lincoln is an unwed teen in 1974. She seemed to have the perfect life up until she got pregnant. Then everything changed. Forced to choose between having an abortion, which her boyfriend wants, and going to live with her aunt in Atlanta, she decides to move. But on the day of her move, she encounters a woman who gives her a prophecy and a warning. Unsure what to do, Sandy tries to make the best position possible, based on that information. But now she must live with the consequences.

The story then jumps ahead 30 years, and Sandy finds herself a teacher trying to help a young girl like she was, scared and pregnant. But in order to do so, Sandy comes face to face with the consequences of her own choice 30 years earlier.

This is one book I didn't want to put down. It was my first Whitlow book, and I loved every minute of it. I couldn't read this book fast enough. It was a great page turner. I give this book 5 stars! It was one of the best books I have read this year. 

I received this book from Booksneeze for the purpose of this review.

Band Of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke

Inspired/Encouraged to write a book about a contemporary issues, Cathy Gohlke, took a modern day issue of slavery and prostitution and set it in a historical setting.

Maureen O'Reilly and her sister, Olivia, leave their homeland of Ireland to head to America in order to came a promise given to their father even before they were born. Maureen survives Ellis Island and is able to leave before Olivia. But Maureen finds out that the family benefactor has died, and his family won't help the O'Reilly's. So Maureen decides to live a lie in order to stay in America. When Olivia is allowed to leave Ellis Island, She doesn't know all that Maureen has done to keep both of them in America. Both Maureen and Olivia see a need to fight for the injustices they see around them, but they don't see the other fighting the same way they are and get mad with each other. Will they be able to put aside their misunderstandings to remember who they are as a family?

I loved reading this book. Gohlke did a masterful job presenting a modern issue in a historical format. I give this book 5 stars! I received this book from Tyndale for the purpose of this review.

http://authorcathygohlke.com

Q&A With Cathy Gohlke
1. What motivated you to write Band of Sisters?
I’ve always been fascinated by the abolition of slavery and the civil rights
movement. But I was horrified to learn that there are more than twice as many men, women and children enslaved today than at the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This book was born of a passion to end modern-day slavery, and most of all, to ask, “What can I do to help in a need so desperate?”

2. Why did you choose NYC 1910-1911 to tell this story? And how does human trafficking in that era compare to human trafficking today?
I was inspired by an article I’d read about Alma Mathews. Alma was a small but determined woman who, armed with her umbrella and a hefty douse of fury, stood against dangerous men bent on exploiting immigrant women as they entered the U.S. through Castle Gardens, in old New York City. Alma ushered young women to her home, prepared them for employment, and helped them begin a safe new life in the city. It became a full time ministry involving many—all in the early days of the settlement house movement.
But my editor suggested that I set the story later, when immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island. As I researched that possibility, I found that the problem of exploitation and human trafficking had not only grown during those years, but that the strikes of NYC shirtwaist factory workers had made public the desperate need for women to make a living wage in safe circumstances. Necessary elements for the story and high drama were all a matter of public record—everything from the passing of the Mann Act to address the fear of white slavery to the Triangle Waist Factory fire.
Even though our technology, transportation, communication, etc., is different from the story’s era, many countries today are no further in providing rights and safeguards for women than the U.S. was in 1910. Some are further behind.
Many of the same ruses are used by traffickers to lure women into their snare now as they were then: better paying jobs for themselves and/or money for their families, flirtation, pretense of emotional caring and support, marriage, offers specifically for modeling jobs, offers for education, appeals for help of various kinds, plays on sympathies, etc.
In some cases, after having sex with someone they trusted, or after being drugged and forced into having sex, women or children are/were blackmailed. Fearful that their families will not believe them or will accuse them of promiscuity and reject them, they are afraid and feel compelled to sneak out and “service” men when called. Some are sold to traffickers or users by members of their own family, or by someone they trust.
Once trapped—sometimes after being unwittingly drugged and/or blackmailed— women are often transported far from their home (crossing borders to other states or countries). Held against their will through abuse, enforced poverty, lack of ID, lack of language skills, lack of visas or passports, they may simply not know who to trust or where to go for help in the country in which they find themselves. Isolation, threats to their person or their family, repeated brain washing that they are dirty, worthless,

Q&A for Band of Sisters/Gohlke 2

unwanted, unloved, and good for nothing but sex with paying customers are all tools that traffickers use to intimidate and control their victims.
Fear of what will happen if they try to escape, fear that they have ruined their lives and will have no other way to live, fear for themselves and loved ones, resulting health problems, feelings of hopelessness and a constantly reinforced sense of self- worthlessness all form formidable prisons for victims of trafficking. Even if it seems they can physically escape, they may not be able to break the emotional or mental chains that bind them.
All those things happened then, and they continue to happen to victims today.

3. What research did you do?
My research began with human trafficking today and the fight to abolish modern- day slavery through books, the internet, and through organizations and individuals that are helping in various ways—raising awareness, rescuing, restoring and healing victims, tracking down and prosecuting predators, education of men and boys re. the human rights and intrinsic worth of women, safe houses, etc., and those who fundraise to assist organizations or individuals who are already doing these things.
For historical background I watched documentaries and read (books, old newspapers, archives) about the growth of old New York, the social conditions and desperation of the poor and of immigrants in particular, the disadvantages to those who did not speak English, the unique problems of women and children—the opportunities for and difficulties of making a living wage outside of prostitution, the threats made to women and their families to coerce them into sexual service, of their economic desperation without a male provider, of their few legal rights, and of the unfair treatment women received in court. Those studies led me to the development of the sweatshops, the growth, expansion and revisions of the settlement house movement, the work of Jacob Riis in making the abject poverty of thousands known to the public.
Learning of those conditions led to a special interest in Irish immigrants—their cultural and social strengths and weaknesses, their views of family, their aptitude for and reception in different types of employment in America.
My husband and I made two trips to NYC. From there we conducted research at Ellis Island, took several tours in the Tenement Museum, and bought more research books and maps, including more on the Triangle Waist Factory fire.
Once I knew my storyline, I mapped out locations of the story and trekked through Manhattan, exploring old sites, especially between Mid-town Manhattan, through Washington Square and the surrounding NYU area (including the site of the Triangle fire), the Bowery and the Lower East Side. As I walked, photographed the city, explored, and talked with residents, the voices of my characters erupted. I gladly followed their lead.

4. Band of Sisters takes place in NYC. Do you think human trafficking is limited to large cities?
No. That is why raising awareness of the crime and education re. the methods used by traffickers is so important. Small, rural, isolated or poor communities are targets just as vulnerable as big cities. Traffickers often enter such communities with bogus offers of better jobs, modeling opportunities for young people, and offers for education. But those dreams are crushed when willing applicants are unwittingly sold as sex slaves or used for pornography, with no way to get back to their homes and families. In some cultures, once a girl has been so abused, she is no longer welcome to return to her family, thereby compounding the problem and sense of hopelessness. Education and understanding is desperately needed on all parts.

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Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz

Love's Reckoning is the first book in The Ballantyne Legacy series. In it, Silas Ballantyne is determined to finish his blacksmith apprenticeship, but to do so, he must go to York, Pennsylvania to work under master blacksmith Liege Lee. Lee has two daughters, and it has long been a custom to marry a daughter off to one's apprentice. Lee hopes to marry his oldest daughter off to Silas, but the two daughters are as different as night and day. Will Lee have his way, or will Silas be able to choose his own bride. Will a sibling rivalry turn one sister against the other in hopes of winning Silas' heart?

The first half of the book went rather slow for me. It was easy to put down, but once I got halfway into it, I didn't want the book to end. I look forward to the other books coming out and following Silas Ballantyne and his family through the next 50+ years to the end of the Civil War.

I give this book 4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Revell for the purpose of this review.

House of Mercy by Erin Healy

Beth wants to become a vet to help their family run their cattle ranch. But one foolish decision threatens to destroy everything her family has worked for over several generations. While Beth tries to do everything she can to fix her mistake, things only seem to get more complicated. Beth feels that her only hope is to go find the grandfather she never met. But she must journey across the mountains on horseback, guided by a wild wolf. Will she find the answers she is looking for? Will her grandfather help her reunite her family?

I had a hard time getting into this book. It seemed too slow for me at the beginning. But I was in the midst of a move when I was reading it, so that didn't help things. I do look forward to going back and reading Healy's previous book, The Baker's Wife, before making any judgments.

I give this book 3.5 stars. I received this book from the B&B Media Group for the purpose of this review.

Tangled Ashes by Michele Phoenix

From the Back Cover

After invading Lamorlaye, France, Nazi officials don’t hesitate to take over the beautiful Meunier manor as their headquarters, hiring two young Frenchwomen, Marie and Elise, who clean and launder to help supplement their families’ meager incomes. But the girls begin to grow suspicious when medical equipment arrives, followed by an influx of pregnant women. As the Nazis’ plans for the manor become clear, the girls must decide where their loyalties truly lie.

More than fifty years later . . .
Architect Marshall Becker arrives in Lamorlaye to begin the massive renovation of a Renaissance-era castle. The project that was meant to provide an escape for Becker instead becomes a gripping glimpse into the human drama that unfolded during the Nazi occupation and seems to live on in midnight disturbances and bizarre acts of vandalism.

Becker explores the castle’s shadowy history as he seeks to cope with the demons from his own past. Only Jade, the feisty nanny of the owner’s children, is willing to stand up to him. But Becker soon discovers that every one of the château’s inhabitants seems to have something to hide and something to protect—and something worth fighting for.

My Review: I enjoyed reading about the renovation of the castle, but this was another book that had me more interested in the secondary, historical story, more than the contemporary story, until they intersected at the very end. I enjoyed both stories, but I could not wait to get to the next section that was set in the 1940's.

I received the ARC of this book from the author. This book comes out Oct 1, 2012. I give this book 4 stars.

Yesterday's Stardust by Becky Melby

Yesterday's Stardust is the second book in the Lost Sanctuary Series, with the first being Tomorrow's Sun. In this book, Dani Gallagher, a journalist, is trying to write some articles about a local gang, and decides to essentially go undercover to get the real scoop. In the process she finds an old diary from the 1920's that contain clues to a lost treasure. Dani doesn't know enough of the history of the people to figure out these clues on her own, so she enlists a local chef and her neighbor, Nicky Firorini, to help her, as Nicky's family is mentioned in the diary. But things are just not as easy as Dani hopes. 

I enjoyed reading the book, and loved the history of the characters from the Roaring Twenties. In fact, I enjoyed reading the diary portions of the book more than the rest of the book. But I found Tomorrow's Sun, the first book in the series to be more interesting overall. I give this book 4 stars.
I received this book from the author herself for this review.

Food Family Style by Leigh Oliver Vickery

This cookbook, by "Queso Queen" Leigh Oliver Vickery, is filled with family friendly recipes. There are designations for recipes that are easy for kids to help with, double easily, freeze well, are gluten-free or vegetarian, made in a slow cooker and more. Vickery's books also includes tips on involving kids in the meal preparation, and even conversations starters.

I was excited by this cookbook when i saw it. I thought there would be a lot of recipes I wanted to try. But when we picked out a couple recipes to try, they didn't come out as good as I was hoping they would. The three recipes we tried were the Lemon Punch Cake (page 241), Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash (page 72), and Tater Tot Casserole (page 30).

The Lemon cake didn't have the flavor that we hoped it would, and the glaze didn't penetrate the cake. The Tater tot casserole had too much milk in it, for it to set in the given time. The Sweet Potato Hash was probably the best of the meals. 

As much as we had some issues with the recipes, I want to keep trying more recipes. It was a cookbook that I wanted to try every recipe in it. While I may not do that, I will try more in the future. I give this cookbook 4 stars.

Hide and Seek by Maj. (Ret.) Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky

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 authors are:

Jeff Struecker

and
Alton L. Gansky

and the book:

Hide and Seek

B&H Books (July 1, 2012)

***Special thanks to Rick Roberson, The B&B Media Group, Inc for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeff Struecker was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa. At age 18, he enlisted the US Army as an infantryman and retired as a Chaplain with over 22 years of active federal service. He currently serves as Associate Pastor of Ministry Development at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, GA. Throughout his career Jeff has attended numerous professional military schools and has received many awards and commendations. His combat experience includes participation in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Iris Gold in Kuwait, Operation Gothic Serpent, in Mogadishu, Somalia, and multiple tours in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jeff holds a Master of Divinity Degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, a Bachelor of Science Degree and Associate of Science Degree from Troy University in Alabama. Jeff and his wife, Dawn, have five children: Aaron, Jacob, Joseph, Abigail and Lydia.
Visit the author's website.

Alton L. Gansky is the author of 23 novels and 7 nonfiction works, as well as principle writer of 7 novels and 2 nonfiction books. He has been a Christie Award finalist (A Ship Possessed) and an Angel Award winner (Terminal Justice). He holds a BA and MA in biblical studies. He lives in central California with his wife.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:


Amelia Lennon no longer wears a uniform or carries a weapon. An Army trained Foreign Affairs Officer, she's negotiating a dispute with the Kyrgyzstan government that threatens to leave the U.S. without an airbase in that region. She traded her gun for the power of words, but now she needs both. While following her government contact-Jildiz Oskonbaeva, the lawyer daughter of Kyrgyzstan's president-Amelia witnesses an attempt to abduct her. She manages to prevent the kidnapping, but now the two women are on the run in a city that's erupting into chaos.

Master Sergeant J.J. Bartley is the Special Operations team leader tasked to rescue Amelia and Jildiz. With two new members in his unit-one with a secret that could endanger everyone's life-J.J. must soldier his unit through crazed mobs intent on overthrowing the government. Back home, his pregnant wife is misinformed that her husband and the team have been killed. But before this is over, Bartley will find out that's the least of his problems.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: B&H Books (July 1, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1433671425

ISBN-13: 978-1433671425

My review: This book took a little while to set up the stories but once they intersected, they came together beautifully and I really enjoyed reading the book. The author made me really feel for the characters and I wanted to see them triumph in their struggles to survive. The three different story lines were intriguing. I especially thought about the story line of J.J.'s wife and wondered what I would do in that situation. This was a book that I knew how I wanted it to end, but I wasn't sure what was going to happen when I turned each page. I give this book 4.5 stars.

The Romanov Conspiracy by Glenn Meade

The Romanov Royal Family

What really happened on that night in July 1918 when the Romanov royal family was executed. Did they all die that night, or did Princess Anastasia and her brother escape? Dr. Laura Pavlov, an American forensic archaeologist, and an international team are digging in the outskirts of Ekaterinburg, Russia where the Royal family was executed. In one of the mine shafts, Pavlov and her team find a perfectly preserved body. Laura then leaves Russia in search of answers because of what was found on the body. She finds a clue that takes her to Ireland to understand what happened in the days leading up to the Romanov family execution.

I've learned about the history of Russia first taking a Russian literature class in high school and then visiting Belarus as a freshman in college. So when i saw this book was available for a blog tour, I had to get it! I was a little taken aback by the length (over 500 pages), but I as I read it, I was hooked from the beginning. It was a little slow going just trying to concentrate on all that was happening and keeping all the characters straight. I found myself having to reread a page or two when I got distracted so I could keep up with the story. I planned on reading just one part a day, figuring the book would take me all week, but I finished it in just over 3 days. I did not want to put the book down! The story line of the Romanov family intrigued me. The author put in twists and turns that I would have never figured out. I'd love to sit down and read this book again!

I give this book 4.5 stars. I received The Romanov Conspiracy from Howard for the purpose of this review.