Book Review: The Final Hour

 

The Final Hour

By Andrew Klavan

Thomas Nelson publishers

ISBN: 9781595547156

$14.99

General Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure

“You’re not alone. You’re never alone.”

The Final Hour completes the four-pack of Charlie West’s adventures with the Homelanders. Charlie is a high school student, perfectly normal in studies, a black belt in karate, a young man of great faith, with loving parents and a sister. His biggest problem is that he woke up one day with no memory. Accused and convicted of murdering one of his closest friends over a girl, he’s been on the run ever since.

This last novel begins with Charlie imprisoned in a federal petitionary with hardened criminals and guards who are only a little lower on the social scale. Sent to his knees on occasion with flashes of memory detailing the last several months, Charlie realizes that he’s been on an undercover mission for the US government to infiltrate a terrorist group who call themselves the Homelanders. But like an Impossible Mission gone wholly wrong, he’s been disavowed and his one living contact to the truth, Detective Rose, has no way to convince his superiors to clear Charlie now that the terrorist cell has been broken up.

When Rose reveals to Charlie that the leader of the cell has not been caught and Charlie must remain in prison where his treatment is less than fine, Charlie connects with his former karate master and friend, Sensei Mike.

In a desperate plan to thwart the terrorists final act of mass murder, the detective, the karate master, and the imprisoned high school student work together to get past not just the remaining zealous Homelanders, but the US government officials who refuse to believe in the danger.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and fingernail-biting action kept me reading the story until the last page. Klavan manages to make me hang on Charlie’s every decision, to root for him, groan in pain and despair with him, and pray with him when nothing else can possibly make a difference. If Charlie makes it in the Air Force, I bet he’ll be cooler than Jack Ryan. Recommended for junior high and up readers.

A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher.

New from Splashdown Books

Ebook Lovers

Ah, yes....a *SPECIAL OFFER*

The weekend of July 2-4...

...all Kindle books from Splashdown Books...

...will be 99 cents at AMAZON!

Don't miss your chance to get all the books you've been holding on your wish-list.

This weekend only - at http://amzn.to/splashdownkindle

And if you prefer another ebook format, we won't leave you behind - all formats are available at Smashwords.

If you want one of those, EMAIL ME here (or leave a comment

on the blog with your email address)

saying which book/s you're after, and I will send you a coupon for 99c.

New books, new worlds, old favorites...and special offers on ebooks*.

Do the impossible…Change the future…Save the world…

All you need is one odd little miracle.

We’re doing the miraculous at Splashdown Books this month. Or rather, publishing the miraculous stories of our own Fred Warren. Twenty-two bizarre tales—where odd is commonplace, little things make all the difference, and miracles are everywhere, if you know where to look...

 

Available July 1, 2011 from Splashdown Darkwater.

At Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Ebook versions coming soon.

LAUNCH CHAT WITH FRED WARREN

Tuesday July 5th, 8pm Central

at http://tinychat.com/splashdown

No login required. See you there!

 

Avenir Eclectia at Digital Dragon

This month's issue of Digital Dragon magazine is devoted to stories set in the world of Avenir Eclectia. Many of the same characters you've met already can be found in the pages of DDM—in longer stories than you'll find at http://www.avenireclectia.com/.

Check out stories by Kat Heckenbach, Greg Mitchell, Frank Creed, Walt Staples, Grace Bridges, Ed Erdelac, and Holly Heisey. And don't miss the interview with Avenir's artist and song writer, Eleon.

 

Splashdown's First Group Anthology

Coming soon is Splashdown's first group anthology, Aquasynthesis. Stories from all the current Splashdown authors fill the pages, and are linked together by a special narration from top Avenir Eclectia writer, Walt Staples.

Gizile follows her mysterious teacher, Tok, to contemplate a series of strange and mystical visions that appear upon the ice of an ocean pool: Astonishing tales of technology and transcendence, aliens and elves, space and time, dragons and demons, prophecies and scriptures, humor and horror, the gifted and the enslaved, virtual and supernatural reality, insanity and inspiration. Dive into the creations of the Splashdown wordsmiths. Cross the borders into novel worlds you love already, and taste their delights if you are new to Splashdown's universe.

Look for it in print and ebook August 1, 2011.

 

Congrats to Keven Newsome

Our release of Winter by Keven Newsome couldn't have been better. An instant in-house best-seller, Winter has been met with enthusiastic readers and amazing reviews.

Great job, Keven!

Winter is available from Splashdown Darkwater in print and ebook formats.

 

Splashdown's Soundtracks: ELEON

CONTINUUM on Amazon - includes our theme song SPLASHDOWN!

~Continuum on iTunes~

 

Wasll Scrawls

Literary Journal Selects Best for Wall Scrawls

Los Angeles, CA--Editors of the literary journal Solo Novo Wall Scrawls Vol 1 was just published. It will include the poetry of UCLA Extension Writers’ Program instructor Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

The journal is published by Solo Novo Press, Carpinteria, CA and North Wilkesboro, NC. Editor Paula C. Lowe says, “Wall Scrawls” is inspired by an Iowa farm house wall. Eighty years abandoned and orphaned, it is a “hive of letters, a busy kitchen of words. Every kid with a can of spray paint somehow gets here and leaves his or her native tongue on the walls.” One of those walls has become the cover art of this journal.

The selected poem by Howard-Johnson is "Inevitably Walls.” It is inspired by the poet’s extensive travels where she has come upon walls that only occasionally impart hope for the future of mankind. A quote from the poem:

[This wall] like the one we foundyears ago when we lost our way

in a dark forest somewherein Germany, cried when we

found it there—unexpected…

Howard-Johnson’s poetry has appeared in literary journals like the Mochila Review, Banyan Review, Pear Noir, Manzanita and Poetic Voices. One of her poems won a reader award at The Pedestal Magazine.

Howard-Johnson has studied at UCLA with Suzanne Lummis, editor of Speechless the Magazine (http://www.speechlessthemagazine.org/ ) which featured her chapbook Tracings, winner of Military Writers Society of America’s Award of Excellence and published by Finishing Line Press.

The poet's literary novel, This Is the Place, won eight awards. Her book of creative nonfiction has won three. She is developing a new Celebration Series of poetry chapbooks with Magdalena Ball. Among them are She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook) and Cherished Pulse: Unconventional Love Poetry (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse ). She also advocates with authors as the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers (www.howtodoitfrugally.com).

Learn more about Solo Novo and how to order a copy at: http://www.solopress.com .

Learn more about Carolyn Howard-Johnson at http://carolynhoward-johnson.com.

Reflecting Him

Do you remember the last time you opened the door to your junk closet? You know, the place where you put things you don’t want left out in the open. Maybe an item is old and worn out, so you throw it in this closet. Or, possibly it’s broken, and you don’t know what to do with it.

In my Bible Study, Reflecting Him, I invite readers to take a guided tour through various rooms in our homes, and compare these areas to our spiritual lives. The first day of the tour focuses on the closet—that hidden, dark place no one enters but you. “Out of sight, out of mind” might describe those items tucked away in that small space; but couldn’t the phrase also depict the things we hide in the backs of our minds and hearts? Broken, worn out, or sinful thoughts weigh heavily on our souls, and we need to let go, so they can be replaced by God’s light of love, grace and mercy. June 23^rd is National “Let It Go” Day. I encourage you to find something in your spiritual “junk closet” and let it go.

Do you harbor bitterness for past hurts against you? Does sin linger in the crevices of your heart and mind? Are you in need of God’s forgiveness? We are all sinners, but we can be free from the closet of sin if we confess and ask for His forgiveness. Let go, and let God shine His light on you.

Just like cleaning out the junk closet, once you let go of those spiritual messes in your life, you’ll be left with room for the new. God’s all about making things new. A new heart. A new life. A new you. It all starts with letting go of those things that fall short of His plan.

When you organize a junk closet, you might choose to use special organizers or aids to make it all work together better. Or perhaps you even hire a professional organizer. In your spiritual closet, don’t forget that you can find all the assistance you’ll ever need through the help of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

Are you ready to let God take the tour through the various rooms of your spiritual “house”? When you open the closet, what mess falls out? Give it to Him and see what happens!

___

CARLA MCDOUGAL is founder of Reflective Life Ministries headquartered in the Houston, Texas area. Her true passion for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, shines brightly, whether she is speaking or writing. She shares experiences from her own life to encourage women to live every day for Him. God is sending Carla around the world to speak to women from all walks of life—those living in the best of circumstances to those who have hit rock bottom. Carla’s book, Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It, pulls back the veil so you can see yourself and your Lord more clearly and reflect Him with transparency when interacting with others. This 10-week study exposes the dark corners of your life, opening your eyes and heart to what Jesus wants you to see. Carla’s refreshing authenticity and humorous style will lift you up from a heaviness you didn’t even know weighed you down. For more information on a growing number of products from Reflective Life Ministries, and to see about booking Carla for an event or interview, go to: http://www.reflectivelifeministries.org

Teenagers! Are You Wasting Your Summer?

 Is Your Teenager Wasting His Summer?

By Carol Topp, CPA

Summer is a great time for a teenager to earn some money working a temporary job, but most jobs are a waste of time. Summer jobs are usually low-skill jobs with tedious tasks like running a cash register or cleaning up bits of paper at an amusement park. These jobs pay poorly and do not usually offer any paths to advance or grow. They do nothing to help a teenager develop his gifts or prepare him for a future career. The best that can be said about a summer job is that it keeps a teenager busy and pays him a bit of money.

What if there was a way for your teenager to make some money, learn a lot and test a future career this summer? It would be a much better use of his time. What if your teenager learned time management, practiced math and writing skills, and grew in confidence and responsibility? That would be a very rewarding summer.

Instead of telling your teenager to get a job, encourage him to start a micro business. A micro business is a one-person business that can be started easily, usually without any up-front cash, using what a teenager already owns. Micro businesses are usually home-based and very flexible so a busy student can keep up with other interests, sports and a social life.

Teenagers can use their skills to develop businesses such as teaching guitar lessons, doing web design or caring for children. Some teenagers have started micro businesses by offering services such as house cleaning, pet care, and lawn mowing. One easy-to-start micro business is tutoring. Students can tutor math, Spanish, computer programs or any subject that they are good at.

The quickest way to get your teenager started is to look for a need he can fill such as teaching a subject he knows well. Edgar is bi-lingual, since his family speaks Spanish in their home. He is tutoring another student in Spanish as a micro business.

Other teenagers can turn their interests into a micro business. Kristin combined her love of reading and childcare. She assembled a small group of children one morning a week and in a two hour block of time read them a story, planned a craft, and fed them a snack. She charged $5 per child per week and conducted a six-week mini-camp one summer. It was so popular, she offered an afternoon reading camp as well.

One benefit of running a micro business during the summer over working a job is that a teenager can try out an idea and see if they want to pursue it as a career. Joel has a talent for computer web design. He is teaching himself software like InDesign and makes money by creating buttons and banners for websites. His web design micro business will help Joel determine if her wants to be a full time graphic designer. Meanwhile he is learning time management and customer service skills while getting paid.

So don't saddle your teenager with another summer of working a boring, tedious job that offers no challenges or opportunities for growth. Instead, encourage him to have his best summer yet by starting a micro business.

This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. You are welcome to place this article on your site or in your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its entirety, 2) the full bio is also used, and 3) you previously request permission through KCWC at russ@kathycarltonwillis.com. All other standard copyrights apply.

Do Dads Ever Sleep?

Do Dads Ever Sleep?

By Dr. Charles Page

Considering the pace of our modern world—dads probably shouldn’t sleep. Who’s got time?

·         Unpaid bills.

·         Undone tasks.

·         Unrealistic deadlines.

·         Untimely interruptions.

Even when fathers prepare for rest there are too many thoughts racing through a dad’s mind:

·         Unkept promises.

·         Unfamiliar circumstances.

·         Unpredictable people.

·         Unforgotten failures.

Sometimes in sleepless desperation dads can feel like throwing in the towel—wondering if they will ever be good enough to meet the challenge of living in our nanosecond culture.

Instead of looking around at the challenges facing them or within at their own inadequacies, dads must learn to look up. When we look up toward our Heavenly Father, the whole equation changes:

·         Unchanging God.

·         Unsearchable wisdom.

·         Undeserving grace.

·         Unfathomable love.

Christian dads can sleep because God’s got their back. Dads who understand that God’s eyes never close can rest in calm assurance as they lie down to sleep (Psalm 121:1-6). God’s got your back, Dad and He never slumbers or sleeps. And if God’s staying up anyway there’s no reason why you should miss out on rest. As we look up to God our helper we are reminded of several truths that give our hearts calm assurance as we lay our heads on our pillows.

1. Trust in God’s providence as we lie down to sleep.

Whatever circumstances we face—they pass through the hands of a loving, all knowing God.

2. Trust in God’s provision as we lie down to sleep. For most dads the greatest challenge is the “to do” lists that burden our minds as we lie down for rest. As dads we must learn to trust God to finish the things left undone in His way and in His time.
3. Trust in God’s protection as we lie down to sleep. Dad, you can rely on God to surround you and your family with a hedge of protection as you rest. Psalm 121 reminds us that God is watching or guarding our lives—day and night. The one who never slumbers or sleeps has your back while you close your eyes for rest.

Your Heavenly Father always knows best, allowing you to rest in the truth of the verse “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). As you close your eyes for sleep, you can trust in God’s providence, provision and protection. Allow God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself while awake. The One whose eyes never close in slumber created you to surrender. Fall to sleep in His arms.

Author Bio:
Dr. Charles Page is a sleep-deprived surgeon who completed medical school and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He and his wife Joanna live in Texas with their five children. He is the author of Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective, which releases later this summer. When the project goes live, you can find more information at: www.surrenderedsleep.com/.

Splashdown Darkwater

"It's been four and a half years since the first words of Winter were written. I started this book as a hack wannabe, but somewhere along the road I learned enough about writing to get Splashdown to notice. And then my editors promptly reminded me that I still had a long way to go! But writing is rewriting, and being an author is a process of growing and learning. I am a better writer today than I was just two months ago. And I will be a better writer still, by the end of the summer.

Winter is the story of a broken and unlovable person being transformed by God into something amazing. It's fun, suspenseful, and heart-breaking. Please join me as we officially begin the journey into Winter's extraordinary life...a journey that will take several years as the series progresses. Writing this book changed me. And it is my hope that you'll close the cover, gently set the book on the table, and sigh...having been changed just a little, too."

--Keven Newsome

Read a sample: http://www.splashdownbooks.com/wintersample.html

See the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5r8Lb6Er_A

AMAZON CAMPAIGNAmazon updates its bestseller lists every hour, and we'd like to be on one! So, if you plan to order Winter with us on June 1, could you plan to do it between 5-8 pm Central time? And if possible, narrow it further and order in the 7 o'clock hour. Order as many as you want - don't forget shipping is free if you order two copies! Invite your friends and family! Order for birthdays and Christmas! Let's make this a day to remember!

Link: Winter on Amazon

THE MAKING OF...

You've seen the Winter trailer. Now you can see behind the scenes and even see parts that didn't make it into the final version. Meet the cast and crew, find out how to make fake blood, and hear the demon-fighting heroine extol the virtues of her favourite drink!

http://www.facebook.com/v/2055179464390 (no login required)

AUTHOR CHAT

The Launch Party for Winter is in the usual place: http://tinychat.com/splashdown (no login required, or you can use Facebook or Twitter) at 8pm Central time on Thursday June 2nd. Come along, join in the fun, talk with the author and publisher, maybe even some editors, and yes, we'll be doing some ebook giveaways right there in chat as well - starting with the person who brings the most friends!

FANS OF CAPRICE HOKSTAD

Caprice is gearing up to begin writing Book 3 of the Ascendancy Trilogy, the long-awaited follow-on to Nor Iron Bars a Cage. Are you as curious as I am to see what Duke Vahn and Keedrina make of the kingdom? Now's your chance. Check out Caprice's blog post here and sign up to receive the chapters as she writes them! How cool is that!

COMING IN JULY

Odd Little Miracles, a collection of 22 short stories by Fred Warren... You may have read a few of these online, or even quite a lot, but now we gather them together into a book for the first time! From wizards to aliens, funny to pensive, this collection is one you won't want to miss. In print: $5.98 and as an ebook: $2.99.