One Step Away - Eric Wilson

Brett and Sara have lived a life of counting pennies to get through each day; wondering when the Lord would see fit to provide a raise to the people who remained faithful to Him.  They believed that the Lord would provide abundance to those who were faithful in their lives and giving; and they had given more than what hurt; but they still struggled through each day.  Little did they know, Satan was planning their destruction with a large sum of money.  When a patient who Sara had been helping for years dies, he leaves his entire 6 million dollar fortune to her.  Will Brett and Sara remain true to the Lord with everything at their fingertips?  Will what they believe to be the ultimate provision actually be their destruction?

            The Bible says several times, in different ways, that money is the root of all evil.  It can lead to a person’s eternal destruction.  One Step Away is encouraging for Christians everywhere who have wondered why God has not provided for them in the way that they have wished.  I was able to relate to the Vreeland family to the point where it actually hurt me every time someone said they were not faithful enough; because if they were, God would have given them an abundance.  The Word says that those who are faithful with a little will be put in charge of a lot; but some of the most faithful Christians are struggling.  There are Christians who have lost everything and are being persecuted in other countries.  There are starving families who remain faithful even when they don’t get to eat for days.  The story was a reminder that Elyon has a reason for everything.  We can never understand His reasons; but He always provides what He sees fit to provide at the time.  He is faithful and He knows what He is doing; but those of us who struggle are often considered to be less of Christians than those who are not struggling.  This couldn’t be less true.   

            It was great to read a story about a normal every day family who was trying to live a life worthy of the gospel they carry.  There was nothing fake about these characters.  They are real to the reader.  It was also a reminder of Satan’s activity in the world.  We are being constantly tested to prove our faith.  Will we be able to pass the test?

            “One Step Away” did not disappoint!  If you are looking for a book that will challenge your faith and encourage you to build your armor against the enemy, this book is for you.  If you are looking for an amazing page-turner, this book is for you.  If you want a book that will keep you anxious to know what happens next, you have to read this book!  I’ve never read a book by Eric Wilson before; but I am sure to read more in the future!  I can’t wait to read his next book “Two Seconds Late”.   Both “One Step Away” and “Two Seconds Late” are part of his “By the Numbers” series.  In the “By the Numbers” series, Eric Wilson is writing modern-day stories that relate to old Biblical stories.  In “One Step Away”, Eric explored the story of Job.  In “Two Seconds Late”, he will explore Esther.  I am very excited about the next book!  I hope to see many more fans of Eric Wilson soon!

*I received a copy of "One Step Away" from Bay Forest Books in exchange for my honest review*

"The Sparrow's Cry"

Hey everyone!
I'm currently 11,000 words into my current novel, "The Sparrow's Cry".  I'm taking advantage of NaNoWriMo and taking the incentive to write...a lot! I've written 11,000 words in less than 4 days!  It's a blast and I wouldn't trade it for anything right now!  Be on the look out for more reviews in a few weeks since I'm dedicating a good portion of my time to my writing.  I have several books that I've committed to review in the next couple months! 

For those of you who are interested, here's a brief (and very rough) summary of "The Sparrow's Cry"!  I'm not very good at summaries because I have to try so hard not to give anything away so please forgive me for my lack of a great and catchy summary!  I'll keep you updated as the novel progresses!

3 years ago, Joleigh woke up in the middle of an abandoned road after having been held hostage with her sister by a cult for 7 years. She was troubled by the broken memories and the fact that she knew they still had her sister; and she swore to find them and her sister; but she had so many holes in her memory because of a very heinous and gruesome 7 years, that she didn't know where to start.
3 years later, Joleigh wakes up to her house on fire and barely escapes with her mother. She wakes up in the hospital to find out that her Mom is in a coma and they don't expect her to come out of it. Broken-hearted after losing the only person she had left, Joleigh is determined to find and kill the men who have her sister (who she also believes to have started the fire). During her mission, Joleigh meets an older Christian woman, who also has a painful past, and the younger man who works for her and finds that maybe she can begin to trust again. She and the man are attracted to each other and he pursues her but she struggles to open up; but will the traumas of her past come back to destroy everything just when she begins to open up? Will Joleigh ever be the same after killing even the most evil of people? In the meantime, Joleigh's horrible nightmares change to dreams of a supernatural battle. Are her dreams pointing her in the right direction? Will they be enough to reveal her sister? Or will they just bring back everything that her mind was determined to hide?

The Baker's Wife - Erin Healy

            Only a few months ago, Geoff was a Pastor and his wife was the ideal pastor’s wife with a very unique and special gift that has connected her to many people; but then, when the church is stirred to fury by a rumor spread by an elder, Geoff is banned from the church and from ever seeking a position as a pastor in another church.  Now Geoff, Audrey, and their son Ed have to start over.  Turning to their love of baking, they open a bakery; but only a few months later, while they are still in pain and trying to heal from the horrible lie that destroyed everything they once had, Audrey and Ed are in an accident.  Trying to drive in the fog that never seems to break during this time of year, Audrey hits something that she discovers to be the scooter that belongs to the wife of the church elder who destroyed her husband’s career.  What makes everything worse is that there is blood everywhere—and the blood is confirmed to belong to his wife…but where is Jack’s wife?  She has disappeared and Jack, the church elder, is determined that Audrey has everything to do with her disappearance.  In desperation, Jack takes Geoff, Ed, and 3 others as his hostages in the bakery—with the promise that he will start killing if Audrey does not tell the truth and bring his wife back to him.  Will Audrey be able to use the unique gift that she doesn’t always appreciate to find Jack’s wife before he destroys everything she has left?

            “The Baker’s Wife” is a beautiful story with characters that find a place in the heart of each reader.  In a country where 95% of the population claim to be Christian, but only about 1/3 of those people actually live the life of a follower of Christ, it is refreshing to read about a family that shows Christ in every aspect of their lives—even though they are fictional characters.  Audrey is the perfect example of a godly woman and an image for women to aspire to match in their daily lives.  All Christians like to say they trust God with everything, but very few trust God like Geoff, who lives in full submission and humility, aware of his inability to understand the ways of God and fix matters that only God can repair.  Ed is the typical teenager who tries to follow Christ but still makes typical teenage mistakes—except that he has faith that can move mountains and he lives a life of repentance.  How many teenagers do we see who live that kind of lifestyle?  These beautiful god-fearing characters are not the only characters that the reader will not soon forget, however, since the reader is also introduced to characters who are seriously disturbed.  I really enjoyed analyzing Jack, who is the first person to quote scripture in every other sentence, but creeps the reader out when he quotes scripture since his theology is very off, he lacks a true understanding of the words that he speaks, and he takes drastic ungodly measures to bring about what he sees as justice.  As a strong law-enforcement officer who emphasizes works, Jack is a great demonstration of the danger of legalism; but at the same time, his character reminds the reader of the beauty of grace!

            While “The Baker’s Wife” was very predictable and didn’t present a lot of surprises, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more by Erin Healy in the future!  It was a beautiful and page-turning story that I couldn’t put down!  I ended up reading the majority of the book in 1 day because once I got about a third of the way through, I couldn’t put it down and just kept reading until I was finished!  I found that the majority of my interest was captured by the characters who were so fascinating!  As a psychology grad student, I was thoroughly entertained with the task of analyzing every single one of them (haha!). This is a story that I will not soon forget! 4 stars!

*Thomas Nelson publishing provided an advanced copy of "The Baker's Wife" in exchange for my honest review*

"Waking Hours" - Lis Wiehl

            Tommy and Dani are re-united after nearly 12 years apart after their graduation from High School—where Dani was able to resist Tommy’s charms and the connection she felt at the homecoming dance.  Now, 12 years later, they partner to help solve a gruesome and tragic crime—the shocking and gory murder of a local high school girl.  The only suspects are other teenagers who were at a party with the girl; however, none of them claim to have known her well and none of them can remember what happened that night.  It becomes apparent to Dani and Tommy that there is more to this case than meets the eye and that supernatural and spiritual connections can no longer be considered impossible.  One thing they do know is that it would take a very disturbed and evil person to do what was done to Julie Leonard.  Is it possible that the killer isn’t even human?  The case forces Dani and Tommy to evaluate everything they believe in and face the possibility that the murder that they are trying to solve may have a demonic connection to the unseen.

            As I began reading “Waking Hours”, I felt like the story that Lis Wiehl was most likely going for was very interesting; however, it didn’t take me long to realize that she may have not been able to accomplish all of her ideas for this story.  While the concept of demonic activity in relations to a murder was interesting, and her portrayal of the unseen was extremely creepy and, at many points, definitely scared me to the point to where I nearly stopped reading and strongly considered writing a review stating that I was incapable of finishing the book, it seemed as if, overall, nothing ever really happened throughout the story.  The plot was weak and the ending was borderline intense and was over in an instant.  I expected that with a story about demonic influences on a human, that the ending would be almost too much for me to handle; but as soon as the “intense” ending started, it was over within 2 pages.  I think the story had a lot of potential if written by the right author; however, I think it may have been a little much for Lis Wiehl. 

            I did love the characters of Dani and Tommy.  As a matter of fact, it was their characters that kept me reading and gave me the will to finish the book even though it creeped me out.  Tommy is every girl’s dream and I found that with every page, I wished more and more that he was real haha.  The growing relationship between Dani and Tommy is very sweet but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who likes a good love story because that is just on the side.  Someone who favors love stories would be more likely to not be able to handle the creepiness and the demonic aspects of the story.

            Also, as a psychology student who has strongly considered forensic psychology several times throughout my education, I really enjoyed Dani’s character as a forensic psychologist.  If you like crime-solving stories and tv-shows that only focus on the solving of a crime but don’t really go anywhere, then this is your kind of book.  The crime-solving aspect was very interesting and it kept me wanting to know what happened next enough to keep me motivated to read; however, if you are looking for a well-developed plot, you won’t find it in “Waking Hours”. 

            Overall, I’d say I’d give the book 3 stars.  I give it that because I did LOVE the characters of Dani and Tommy and I enjoyed the crime-solving—since I enjoy a couple of more comical crime-solving stories and tv-shows such as “The Mentalist” and “Psych”; and I could see myself as possibly reading the rest of the series for the characters and crime-solving; however, mainly it’s because I try not to start a series and not finish it; so it’s possible that you may see reviews for the rest of the series as they are released.  Also, the last page (I can’t provide information without a spoiler), only added more to the possibilities of the story line.  Can Lis Wiehl salvage this story and do everything that she has most likely imagined for the story?

There are many authors much higher on my “to-read” list for now; so if I ever do pick up another book for this series by Lis Wiehl, hopefully she will have found a way to strengthen the plot. 

*Thomas Nelson Publishing provided an advanced copy of "Waking Hours" in exchange for my honest review*

Truth Be Told Facebook Page

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Vigilante - Robin Parrish

Nobody would ever understand the nightmare that Nolan Gray lived for two years while he was held hostage during the war. It was a nightmare that nobody could even imagine—something so horrible that he wished he could just forget; but unlike other trauma victims, Nolan was highly trained in almost every type of combat. As a matter of fact, nobody on earth was trained as he was; so he pushed back all of the memories, and took action. For the past ten years, he has been working on a plan—a plan that would put a stop to the evil that was destroying New York City.  After ten years of intense preparation, Nolan became the hope that New York had been waiting for; but at what cost? Nolan becomes obsessed with finding the man who is responsible for the worst evil in New York City; but is the man he is searching the only man who can stand in his way? Will confrontations with evil bring his past back to destroy him? Will he have to sacrifice everything he values to destroy the evil of New York? Is it even possible that the cost of destroying the biggest crime boss of New York would be everything that Nolan has ever loved and valued? And of course, will Nolan’s faith be destroyed by the Vigilante mission he has taken?

With his unique skills and training, and high tech gadgets created for his mission, Nolan Gray gives off the superhero persona that makes this book very unique and keeps you hanging on every word.  Unlike actual superhero stories, Nolan is not truly a superhero; but to the people of New York, he becomes one as he seems to appear or fly out of nowhere just when help is needed most. I absolutely loved this aspect of the book and I feel like it is something that really makes the book stand out among other stories of this type.

I have heard from many people that they felt like the story would be too similar to "The Priest's Graveyard". To respond to that belief, I would say that although the two books have similar qualities since both characters come from a tragic past and feel as if they can personally defeat evil, the books also have many differences, including the superhero aspect of "Vigilante" and the difference in the ways that Nolan and Danny handle their "victims". In "The Priest's Graveyard", Danny killed his victims if they were not willing to admit to their wrongs and repent; whereas in "Vigilante", Nolan has a very strong (though controversial) faith, and doesn't begin with the thought of killing any of his victims, but instead exposing them so that they can be punished and the streets of New York can be free of their influence and destruction.

(I promise the following tangent has a point; but if you really just want to skip this then go down to the last 2 paragraphs)
Initially, I chose “Vigilante” for my next review because it had a quote by my favorite author (and author of "The Priest's Graveyard", Ted Dekker on the front: “Parrish’s stories are sure to shape fiction for years to come.” I was searching for another book that would be of a similar caliber of the adrenaline producing thrillers and the unforgettable fantasy that I have grown accustomed to as a fan of Ted Dekker. It is obvious to anyone who knows me, that I have a passion for discovering and exposing truth. This passion is something that I have always been interested in; but it became so much stronger when I began reading books by Ted Dekker. My entire life changed when I was introduced to his books because, until then, I had never read a book that was so real—a book that exposed evil for what it really was, and didn’t try to make it into something easier on the eye. Considering my past, it is very important to me that people do not become desensitized to the horrible realities in this world.

I have become obsessed with books that expose the war that goes on around us every moment of every day. I search for truth in books—often a truth that is ignored by many of the typical sheltered Americans because it is too gruesome for them to accept as reality.

            As a reader, a writer, and a student, I try to live by a particular quote that I always keep in mind.

“We Christian writers must paint evil with the blackest of brushes, not to sow fear, but to call out the monsters to be scattered by our light. If Satan cloaks himself as an angel of white, intent on deceiving the world, any attempt on our parts to minimize evil is only complicit with his strategy... Turn to the light; don’t fear the shadows it creates.”
-Ted Dekker

  

Evil is darker than the darkest you can imagine. It can't be cleaned up and made pretty for the books you read or the movies you watch. It's real...intense...terrifying. Our world is a battle between a gruesome enemy and the Savior who defends us; and we all know that battles are never pretty; but if we ignore it, we never truly understand the power of Yeshua on the cross and His authority to destroy the darkest of darkness. We can’t ignore evil; we have to expose it; and we can’t fear evil, but instead we must destroy it in His name.

Even with the hundreds of books I have read throughout my life, I have never been able to find an author who portrayed truth through story as accurately as Ted Dekker.  That was until I read “Vigilante” by Robin Parrish. This was the first book by Robin Parrish that I have read. To say that I was amazed would be an understatement. Robin Parrish peels back the layer of comfort that many Americans live behind so that they do not have to accept the true terror of evil. Robin Parrish exposes evil for what it really is—gruesome, terrifying, dirty, and sickening. I must warn anyone who is considering this book that it is definitely not for someone who would like to continue living a sheltered life, unaware of what is going on in the world—both the beautiful and good and the ugly and sickening. There were several times toward the end of “Vigilante” that I had to put down the book, take some deep breathes and calm down before continuing. The intensity and the feeling of truth in the story makes you feel like you are actually IN the story—as if you were actually the main character and the story was your story.  The story literally became my story since I felt such a connection to Nolan because of his suppression of the events of his past--a past too terrible for him to live with.  I appreciated being able to read about a character who I could understand--and since the story felt so real, a character that represented a person who I felt could understand me (I can think of only 1 group of people who will understand what I just said there so don't feel bad if that made no sense ^_^).

"Vigilante" also provokes a lot of thought about what and, more importantly, Who can truly defeat the heart of evil. Evil is not something that can be destroyed by destroying 1 evil man, even though Nolan believes that this man is solely responsible for all of the problems in the city of New York. While Vasko (the crime boss) is clearly being used by the enemy to cause a lot of turmoil in New York, the real issue of New York is the problem of sin.

Sometimes I laughed; or I cried; or I felt like I was going to pass out from dizziness from the overload of emotions and the fast-paced plot.  “Vigilante” has earned a spot on my list of favorite books of all time and I am sure to be watching for any future books by Robin Parrish!

 *I received an Advanced copy of "Vigilante" from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review.*

The Great Books Reader - John Mark Reynolds

I write.  I create ideas…stories…things.  I bring life to characters and I give them a purpose…a story.  I am passionate and my characters reveal my heart.  I hide in my dungeon to escape into a story that is not my own…to discover something new.

I read.  I dive deep into Elyon’s red waters in Other Earth.  I’ve been locked in prison with a persecuted Chinese Christian.  I’ve experienced a world where humans have been stripped of every emotion except for fear.  A demon has told me his story.

I study.  I explore the mind in the study of Psychology and I study and debate Theology with other students. 

I search.  I search for truth, knowledge, and understanding.  Unfortunately, I have found that truth is often buried over time.  It is buried with the people who made it their lives to discover that truth—a truth that was too easily forgotten.  I have dreamed of debating theology with Thomas Aquinas or John Calvin, of exploring the mind of Homer to discover one man’s unique reality, of studying with Socrates, of arguing with Freud.  To be in the company of some of the most influential writers, philosophers, psychologists, and theologians of all time is something I can only imagine; but here’s a thought: we, as Christians, will one day be in the presence of some of these influential people—at least the ones who stood for a common purpose: Elyon.  We will be a part of the great debate; a great conversation.

“The Great Books Reader” gives you a taste of this anticipated conversation.  Compiled in a single book are excerpts from works of 28 different authors who have made discoveries and contributions so significant that they have earned their places on a list of people who have shaped the world that we live in today.  The book is complete with essays on each work, written by students who study these writers who are worthy of our attention, and thought-provoking introductions by John Mark Reynolds.  You will begin a journey of discovery and you will be disappointed when you have to leave the debate that forms in your imagination for each individual work.  As you read “The Great Books Reader”, you feel as if you are in a room with these influential writers and fellow students who are anxious to understand every word and debate the significance, truth, and journey of the author.  When you enter into the journey eager and ready to explore something new, and come out changed and anxious to read the complete works of all of these incredible writers, then the book has served its purpose.

“The Great Books Reader” is a great addition to any library; and I am certain that you will find yourself reading, studying and exploring the book over and over again.  It is an excellent book for someone who has a lot of time to spend lost in thought since every word grabs at your attention; but it is also perfect for someone who has very little time and needs something that can be read slowly.  As a grad student, I enjoyed the feeling of being lost in a conversation about an author and a work, but then being able to put the book down at the completion of that particular debate, only to pick it up again later for the next debate! 

*This book was provided by Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.