Releasing Today: the next Triple Threat Club murder mystery

This time, it's one of their own.

Eyes of Justice, a Triple Threat Novel

By Lis Wiehl, with April Henry

Inspirational Suspense

Thomas Nelson

c. 2012

ISBN: 9781404163537

ISBN: 9781595547088 - hardcover

$14.84

Stepping into the fourth title of this series is like meeting old friends and being utterly shocked by the turn of events. I am torn about reading the first books.

An FBI agent, a federal prosecutor, and a local Portland Oregon television news crime reporter have a special relationship, and together they call themselves the “Triple Threat Club.” There are lines not to cross, sources and resources to share, family problems and faith, and deep commitment to justice amongst them—and now, someone is out to seek revenge on all of them.

Cassidy Shaw is a bundle of energy, seesawing through an exciting life of revolving boyfriends, recognition as a local celebrity, the high stakes of investigating and reporting on criminal activity. To her friends Nicole Hedges, a single mother, and Allison Pierce, she’s the former cheerleader who loves an audience as much as putting a sleazebag behind bars. When Cassidy is super-late to dinner, the girls are shocked to their core at the reason.

The balance of this novel is a challenging investigation involving Nicole pushing the limits of her new boss in the local FBI field office and her career as she forces and fast-talks her way into the middle of an investigation which is clearly not hers. The fact that the local cops may have reason not to be as cautious as Nicole might be only fuels her determination to find justice. Allison is in similar hot water in her office when her boss, who is considering seeking higher elected office, receives a complaint from the police for meddling in police business. But how can they ignore evidence, especially when it appears they’re next? Tragic murder, a framed cop, a stalker, a stripper, and an emotionally detached skip tracer all provide pieces of the puzzle that make up the Eyes of Justice.

Fully developed characters that feel familiar, excellent without being overwhelming detail and breath-taking action will keep the reader turning pages. Told in the viewpoints of Nicole and Allison, the authors occasionally introduce other point of view characters beginning half-way into the story which aren’t entirely necessary to advance the story, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. Those who enjoy Lynette Eason and Vickie Hinz and other female crime investigator novels will love the Triple Threat novels.

An electronic copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.

New From Delia Latham - Gypsy's Game

Book 3 in The Solomon's Gate series

Gypsy Lovell stands to inherit an enormous amount of money from a father who never gave her anything but a ridiculous name. Even now, he doesn’t make it easy. A stipulation in the man’s will demands that Gypsy be married in order to claim what is hers.

Desperate for the monetary windfall that could save her ailing mother’s life, Gypsy visits a Christian dating agency, hoping to find a temporary husband. Someone easy to handle for the required six months, and easy to get rid of when she no longer needs him.

Jal Garridan is neither of those things, but he's willing to take on the challenge presented by the beautiful stranger—on his own terms.

What Gypsy doesn’t know is that Solomon’s Gate is a dating agency with a Divine connection. What she finds there may save more than her mother’s life. It may save Gypsy’s soul.

I'm so excited about this finale to the Solomon's Gate books, and look forward to hearing what you think of it. :)

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Book Review: Give Us This Day with June Foster

Give Us This Day

By June Foster

Bellewood Series, Book One

Desert Breeze Publishing

c. February 1, 2012

eBook $4.99

ISBN 9781612521343

From the moment Holly gets stuck in an elevator with neighbor Jess and his heartfelt prayers to God, neither of them let her go.

Dental hygienist Holly Harrison is running from more than her past. Even handsome Jess Colton, a systems analyst, who makes her keep her promise to attend church if she survived the elevator, can’t force her into forgiving herself, let alone trust him – or God.

Overweight Jess uses food as a crutch, never dreaming Holly’s secret is close to his own. Compensating for stress, girlfriend and family issues, Jess had let himself overcompensate with an unhealthy lifestyle that only allows him to beat himself up. Will anything help he get out of this terribly self-destructive cycle?

When Jess’s preoccupation with food and its consolation threaten his livelihood, and Holly’s fears of revelation keep her prisoner from enjoying life to its fullest, these two souls turn to each other. But is love and faith enough to overcome their deepest doubts in themselves and each other?

Give Us This Day is a wonderful story that lets readers explore our insecurities without the fears of getting burned or judged – exactly what’s needed in a fantasy world of twenty-something cuties, wounded widows, endless Amish, and prairie dust. Thank you, June!

With wonderful sensory images, the surprises keep unfolding in this delightful and refreshing romance of unlikely souls learning to love themselves as well as each other.

Gems of Wisdom for a Treasure-Filled Life

Angela Breidenbach

Gems of Wisdom for a Treasure-filled Life

Journey Press, a division of Sheaf House

c. 2011

ISBN: 9781936438044

$14.99 paperback

Gems of Wisdom is a non-fiction journey to healing of feelings of Injustice and Unfairness of life through stories and questions and journaling.

Filled with personal stories, the author shows the reader how to read “Fairness” through “Pique Points,” “Pirates,”  “Pondering Points,” and “Polishing Points.”

Normality, loss, reason, acceptance and empathy are all relative and everyone comes to recognize life according to her experiences. Those who started on a sure and firm foundation have a different conclusion of how life is meant to be lived and enjoyed than those who grew up in uncertainty and lack of mature adult role models.

Identifying negative attitudes (pirates) the author offers real gems and their accompanying healing concepts to fill your treasure chest with new practices. Gems of Wisdom includes personal resolutions to cope, grow up, learn from pain and reach out to others.

The author is a former Mrs. Montana and is certified in mentor/peer counseling. She is a speaker and sales from the supporting Gems of Wisdom jewelry line supports the Sanctuary of Hope Homes in Kenya.

Find out more about the author at www.AngelaBreidenbach.com

Melding Family and Immagination: Night of the Cossack

Thomas Blubaugh, Night of the Cossack review

c.2011 Bound by Faith Publishers

Print $15 and Ebook $6.75

ISBN: 978-0982902929

Blubaugh's novel is based on the imagined life of his Jewish grandfather in the Ukraine, as a Cossack, before immigrating to the United States in 1910.

Sixteen-year-old Nathan and his younger brother Israel are wakened by the invasion of their Georgian village, Gagra, near the Caucasus mountains. They feel with their mother, only the clothes on their backs and weapons they can snatch. Kidnapped into a Cossack patrol, Nathan is forced to accept a new name, Stepan Ivanov, and a new faith – Christian Orthodoxy.

For Stepan, learning to become a mercenary extortionist Cossack means full adoption into a new life in their village of Aksay and even a bit of brainwashing in order to learn the ways of the soldiers. But on the eve of the programs and the Revolution, the Cossacks of Aksay are drafted into the Russian army. Terrible choices, tragedy and betrayal cause Stepan to head west to a different fate. When his past catches up to him, trust doesn’t come easy.

With great sensory details and descriptions that tickle your nose and fancy, Blubaugh’s novel will enrich your library as he takes you back to a time of danger and adventure in a culture far, far away.

March is International Ideas Month, with Kathy Carlton Willis

Kathy Carlton Willis Marketing Coordinator CLASS Christian Writers Conference March is International Ideas Month Idea Starters By Kathy Carlton Willis Have you ever wondered where ideas originate? I love cooking up ideas, so it’s a natural fit for me to celebrate International Ideas Month in March. I recently joined Pinterest—a social networking site for members to share virtual bulletin boards. You can pin images and ideas on your board to share a variety of interests. How brilliant! And it all started with an idea to save, share, and swap more ideas. Have you ever asked God to give you an idea? As a writer, I designate time for brainstorming. During some of these think tanks, my thoughts surge so fast and furious, I call them brain tsunamis. Other times an idea hits when we least expect it—and we have to be ready to jot it down. I’ve had ideas strike at red lights, the bank drive-thru, waiting rooms, and during church. I’ve learned to capture the gist of the idea in my idea notebook because just as quickly as ideas appear in my mind, they can disappear. I hate it when that happens! The best evidence of ideas is when I’m speaking to a group and I see faces light up. I can be fairly certain they’ve just experienced an “aha moment.” See why I celebrate ideas? We can miss two important steps with ideas though. First, we have to make sure it’s a God idea if we want to be operating in His purpose and for His glory. How can you be certain it’s a God idea, not merely a good idea? I ask Him to show me a green light in the form of peace if my brainstorm is from Him and give me a red light in the form of doubt if it doesn’t fit with His direction for my life. The final step to ideas that often gets overlooked is fulfillment. Some people have fun conceiving ideas, but have a harder time working the idea through—taking action steps to bring to completion what started as a brilliant concept. Ideas are only wishes until we act on them and see them accomplished. Can you think of those uncompleted projects that seem to hang out forever on your To Do List? Ask God to lead the way. May He: Inspire the idea. Endorse it so you know it’s from Him. Give you the resources to complete the idea. Give you the discipline to stick to it when you’re tempted to quit. Then praise God when you experience the reward of checking off the idea from your list and you can say, “It is finished!” Never forget, God will complete us as one of His good ideas, too. “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6 (NKJV). Kathy Carlton Willis serves as publicist, author and coach at KCW Communications. She shines, whether she's shining the light on her clients, or reflecting God's light during her speaking engagements. See: http://e2.ma/click/f92dd/v5a6i/7ypyx Visit the CLASS website to learn more information about the 2012 Christian Writers Conference. Come meet Kathy and the rest of the CLASS faculty there!

Book Review: George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver

A Christian Encounters series biography from Thomas Nelson

By John Perry
c. 2011
Thomas Nelson Publishers
ISBN 978-1-59555-026-2 1

During the US Civil War, a childless, Missouri farm couple Moses Carver and his wife Susan, former slave owners, took two orphaned boys to raise when their mother has kidnapped and disappeared. The boys grew up as if blood sons, taking the Carver name. The older boy, Jim, was strong and a hard worker, but George, born premature and never in good health, turned to less physical pursuits, including developing a passion for gardening, education, and the Christian faith.

After finishing grammar school, George moved to Kansas and took work as a housekeeper to save for higher education. He continued to move around Kansas and eventually developed a laundry business, then a stenography business. With a desire to establish a home, he attempted homesteading, but didn’t stick out the harsh weather.

In 1887 he came to Iowa and was accepted in a small college, eventually settling on agricultural sciences and received his degree in 1894. While considering graduate degrees and missionary work, he received more than one offer to teach. He chose to work at Tuskegee University in Alabama, and met Booker T. Washington, whose story is also briefly told here. Although the experience Carver had initially at the college wasn’t what he hoped, he did find success in research and the respected bulletins he prepared on the results were sent to farmers to offer advice for better and economical practices.

Perry’s account of Carver continuess to detail his rise in respected research circles. Meticulous detail, dates, places, census records and purchase prices, subsequent letters, known speeches and interaction with other famous people such as Thomas Edison, enrich this account of one of America’s most important and influential personages. Told in a matter of fact report-style, readers of biographies will learn all pertinent facts about George Washington Carver.