Book Review - When Twilight Breaks

Following her passion for writing the important news and following her leads has not been easy for Evelyn Brand, but it has gotten her assigned to Munich, Germany as an ANS reporter in 1938. It is a time of prosperity for the average person, with the end of communism and a season of economic recovery, but Evelyn sees that there are good, honest people whose livelihoods and whose lives are at risk simply because of their race. It doesn't sit well with Evelyn and she has the opportunity to bring this information to the American people, if only she can get it out of Germany. Determined not to be held back by the fact that she's a woman in a profession that is predominantly male, or by getting too emotionally attached to her sources, she chooses to stay in Munich and report truth even though her situation there is becoming increasingly precarious.

Fully believing that any enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine, Peter Lang's doctorate research on campus of the university in Munich, fine German name and handsome Aryan features make him a popular addition to the campus Nazi organization. His research makes him desirable to them, and although not without some misgivings, the experiences of his past make some of their doctrines seem desirable to him. Getting to know Evelyn is the first step toward removing the scales from his eyes and realizing that sometimes your enemy's enemy is still your enemy.

When Twilight Breaks is the latest release from author Sarah Sundin, whose amazing research and passion for the WW2 era and incredible story building talents never cease to amaze me. She handles the complexities so very delicately, bringing about character development that runs deep into the storyline and challenges the reader to look past face value and really see the people around them. What happens when Evelyn and Peter have to challenge the popular social system and stand up for their beliefs is an intense adventure with a delicate touch of romance that will have you turning pages as fast as you can. In my opinion, it's well worth staying up all night to finish When Twilight Breaks... once you get into it, you won't be able to sleep until the end, anyway!

When Twilight Breaks is currently available from your favorite local bookseller or online at:

Christian Book     Barnes & Noble     Amazon

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Active Defense

Heather Fontaine knows split second decisions and intense situations. In one of those intense situations, she makes the split second decision to to use her skills as a military field surgeon try to save the life of a young man who was sent into the field hospital with a bomb strapped to his chest. This moment will change Heather's life in unimaginable ways, even after her discharge from the military and her return to civilian life.

Growing up with a volatile father and a string of foster placements that didn't work out taught Heather to rely on herself. Don't drag anyone down with you. Anyone who wants to help must have an ulterior motive. This philosophy is tested when Heather's friends find out that someone is stalking her. It gets even more real when she realizes that she has inadvertently put her friends in harm's way. Now, she has to find out who is doing this and stop them before anyone else gets hurt.

Taking no for an answer isn't going to work for Travis Walker. The security firm he owns allows the resources Travis needs to find the answers that will help him protect Heather and her friends, because her situation has escalated from stalking to kidnapping at an alarming pace. Someone has a problem with Heather, and that's a problem for Travis.

Lynette Eason is back with her third book in the Danger Never Sleeps series, continuing the stories of the friend group of patriots we've come to know as our own. The action flies as fast as the punches and flows in Eason's typical style. Of course, the pages fly and leave the reader longing for more at the end. I suppose that's a good thing, since Eason is slated to deliver book number four to her faithful readers in the future.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Find Active Defense by Lynette Eason at your favorite local bookseller or use the links below to order online:

Christian Book: https://tinyurl.com/CBActiveDefense

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/BNActiveDefense

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/AZActiveDefense

Book Review - To Read or Not To Read

A LITERARY JOURNAL FOR THE BOOK LOVER'S SOUL

I'm a book lover! I have a soul! To Read or Not To Read was created just for me!

This beautifully bound volume fits perfectly in the hand and the richly jewel toned cover hints at the treasures within. The wide open spaces of the table of contents allow the user to create their own record of the book titles detailed within, and journaling spaces for each book give space to document and reflect upon each one's finer points. Quizzes and author highlights, quotes and reflective spaces, create a book lover's paradise between the covers. Book lists of several types and a list of bookish holidays open a wide array of possibilities for literary exploration and celebration.

To Read or Not To Read is a fully interactive book journaling experience that should not be missed. I've already been gifting copies of this beauty, and you can order your own copies to keep and to share at your favorite local bookseller or online in the following locations:

Christian Book: https://tinyurl.com/CBToRead

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/BNToRead

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/AZToRead

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Interview with Kimberly Brook Williamson, Coloring Book Artist

In case y'all haven't noticed, I love my people. That's why I felt a bit chagrined when I realized I have failed to introduce one who a) has been there for me forever and ever amen, and b) happens to be published! She has been my sidekick and instigator, my editor, my study partner, my co-worker, my roommate, and always my friend. This phenomenal woman is fiercely faithful, legit full of grit, and super talented. On that note, I introduce you to my dear friend Kimberly Brook Williamson.

Woman by Grace Interviews Kimberly Brook Williamson

WBG: Biography points I shouldn’t miss:

KBW: Lifelong resident of Arkansas, almost life-long friend of yours! I come from a long line of creative and musical people, and drawing makes me feel connected to them.

WBG: I have enjoyed your artwork for years. When did you decide to publish your doodles as a coloring book?

KBW: Thank you! I started publishing my doodles about 4 years ago, though I have been drawing for ages. I began drawing pretty regularly in around 2014. I have always doodled, and suddenly it became ‘my medium’ through an interesting series of events.

WBG: Where did you get the idea to compile your doodles into a coloring book?

KBW: I started posting my doodles to my Facebook page, and a lot of people said they were good.   The drawings kept coming, and I hated for them to just sit on a shelf in a book, when they could be shared with others who might appreciate the option of adding their own color. I love to color too, but I can draw a lot more places than I can color. Drawing is just a more portable and compact art form for me. 

WBG: Where do you find inspiration for your doodles?

KBW: Sometimes I just start drawing lines. Sometimes I fold the paper in random ways; sometimes measured and symmetrical. I might have an interestingly shaped item on my desk that I could trace that gives me a jumping-off point. I might get a prompt from a friend!  Some of my best work came about by request. :D

WBG: Are there hidden gems or themes in your doodles?

KBW: There are generally little gems that you might catch, and as far as themes, yes. I like to work with the elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Air. Sometimes North, South, East and West. Sometimes sun and moon. Sometimes I just put on an audio book and start drawing. I always have really interesting outcomes when I do that. For example: While listening to Harry Potter, I was just sort-of mindlessly drawing and suddenly realized that there were owl shapes in my piece. 

WBG: Do you color your doodles?

KBW: Yes. But I never color one before I scan a picture of it in black and white for a future book. It seems rude not to share :)

WBG: How many designs are featured in your coloring books?

KBW: There are usually around 40 drawings in each book, but I don’t have a set number.

WBG: What do you hope others get from your coloring books?

KBW: I want people to relax. This world is chaotic. It needs peace and color. Drawing is my therapy. If someone else finds a benefit to adding color, then it can be their Color Therapy.

WBG: Are there other places people can find your art?

KBW: Actually yes :) I painted a couple of quilt squares during this year for the Arkansas Quilt Trail.  You can find a link to it online if you would like to drive around and see these squares in person (I think I saw some in Goshen on my last visit to your house!) And they will also be on the AQT website eventually. :) I love a good project, and anything I earn goes to support future artistic endeavors, basic needs, whatever happens to be most pressing at the time. :) 

Find this gem along the Arkansas Quilt Trail.

Arkansas Quilt Trail square by Kimberly Brook Williamson.

WBG: Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?

KBW: I have some pretty significant mobility issues, and drawing is one of the things I can do when I can’t do much else. It helps keep my mind sharp and my heart soft; my troubles dull and my purpose clear.

WBG: Do you like to drink coffee or tea while you create?

KBW: I do like a good cuppa. Either will do! Coffee with cream and Tea with honey!

WBG: What other creative outlets do you enjoy?

KBW: I play the piano. I sing. I hum some sort of tune almost constantly. (sorry to those who tire of that! :p)I paint. I crochet. I write. My current writing project is a piece about my son Riley, who has some special needs of his own. I am up to his tenth year in the book, and he is currently 15. Every time I make a little progress in the book, he gets older! I imagine 10 is as good a place as any to stop. The entire book is a poem. I have been rhyming since I could write! If I ever wrap that up and get it published, maybe you can ask me about it. 

For now, it will have to suffice to say-that’s a tale for another day!

Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to do this. It means a lot to me to be able to share joy, especially in a world so easily darkened with fear and worry. I appreciate the opportunity to increase my reach. I just want to be a blessing, and want you to know that you are one! :)

Kimberly's coloring books make great gifts and are currently available on Amazon. Visit her author page here ✎ or click the images of her coloring books below to link directly to them. You can also find Kimberly online at the following social media links:

Blog * Facebook * Instagram * YouTube

Volume 1

 

Volume 2

Volume 3

Thank you, Kimberly, for taking the time to share your talents with my readers. And for the many years of friendship, both behind us and before us. May God continue to bless you and yours!

Book Review - To Dwell Among Cedars

Y'all know I can get misty eyed and a bit emotional over pretty much anything; I'm not going to deny it. However, there is a short list of books that actually hit so hard that I have to put them down, cry it out, and pick them back up again. Exceptionally well written biblical fiction does that to me. It happens when an author plucks facts from the Bible and weaves them carefully and prayerfully into a story so well written that I am carried into the events. It happens when the lightning strikes and I can feel it in my chest, when a tree is engulfed in flames and I can feel the heat, when guilt and shame reverberate in my own soul and when understanding, mercy, and grace are poured out so that I can feel them on my own head. All of these experiences accompanied my reading of To Dwell Among Cedars, the first book of The Covenant House series and latest release from Connilyn Cossette.

 Arisa and Lukio are just children when the Ark of the Covenant is hauled into their Philistine city of Ashdod and unceremoniously dumped at the feet of their patron god, Dagon. Arisa recognizes it as the subject of tales and songs long shared with them by their Hebrew slave, and faithfully heeds Azuvah's urgent pleading to follow the Ark, which the Philistines return to the Hebrew people when they realize it seems to have brought a curse upon them. Arisa's reverence for the Ark and its power lead her to a place of peace.

To Dwell Among Cedars is the kind of book I prefer to read in print so that I can easily highlight and reference quotes that really stick out for me. Here are a few of the many:

✐"My mother reached up to cup my cheeks in her palms, her diminutive size no match for the large heart that lived inside her chest." What a beautiful sentiment! Lord, may I be that kind of mother!

✐"You were there in that valley eight years ago. You know who protects the Ark." Praise the Lord! The One who protects the Ark also protects my loved ones!

✐"But you are not his God, Eliora. You cannot save him from himself. That task is Yahweh's alone." That's one to cling to when you're the kind of person who wants to fix everything for everyone. It's the kind of fish-slapping truth I need to be reminded of fairly often; can I get an "Amen!" there?

To Dwell Among Cedars is now available for purchase from your favorite bookseller. You can find it locally or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - Burden of Proof

 Legal thriller? Yes. Quantum physics and time travel? Really? Well, yes. Prodigal with the mother of all second chances, who broke my heart and caused me to put a major dent in a box of tissues? Yes to that, as well.

Davis Bunn delivers all of the above in Burden of Proof. Ethan has spent his life living the way he wanted, doing what he wanted, and running from his regrets. But then he is given a chance to right those wrongs, an opportunity to care for and show unselfish love for those he hurt most. The question is, will he be able to right those wrongs and heal those wounds before time runs out?

I got a bit worried when Sonya started talking about mind-body states and transitioning, but Bunn has a knack for building characters and setting scenes that make the theoretical work. It is exactly this theoretical vs. literal gap that works with the emotional turmoil and hits you right in the prodigal to make Burden of Proof a solid read.

Burden of Proof by Davis Bunn is available now from your favorite bookseller. Find it at your local store or order it online from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book. 

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Softly Blows the Bugle

When Elizabeth Kaufman's brother, Jonas, returns from the Civil War with a friend in tow, Aaron Zook is a broken man. His missing limb is the only visible reminder that life after the war is very different from his life before, but it is not the only thing gone from Aaron's life. His father, grandfather, and family farm are gone as well, leaving Aaron as untethered and unsure as he is unsteady. Elizabeth knows she shouldn't be glad that her husband, Reuben, is a casualty. However, she is relieved that she is no longer subject to his cruelty. She has found peace in her singleness and is prepared to live the rest of her life taking care of her parents, siblings, and their families. She certainly has no feelings for Aaron Zook, and Aaron has no intentions to stay in Weaver's Creek. Of course, our feelings and intentions are pliable in the Author's hands.

Jan Drexler offers up this story as the third installment in her series, The Amish of Weaver's Creek. While I try to read series books in order, even going to the very beginning before reading a book for review, I managed to look over that tidbit before beginning Softly Blows the Bugle. I was well into the book before I realized the oversight, and too committed to stop long enough to read the first two books, The Sound of Distant Thunder and The Roll of the Drums. There were a few instances that I felt I might have gained some insight by reading those books first, but Softly Blows the Bugle reads well as a stand alone book. The author builds Weaver's Creek in a way that is beautifully mapped in my mind. Her characters have depth and quickly become familiar to the reader.

Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler is currently available from your favorite bookseller. Feel free to click the links below to by from these online retailers:

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/AmazonBugle

Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/BNSoftlyBlowsBugle

Christian Book: https://tinyurl.com/CBBugle

Thank you to the publisher and the author for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions within this review are my own and are completely genuine.