Radiant Lit

Review: Brandenburg

Amber — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:14 +0000

Brandenburg by Glenn Meade
Reviewed by: Amber McCallister
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Howard
Publication Date: April 2013

Brandenburg is a smart, unrelenting, fast-paced set of events that never let up until the end of the book. The highly-charged, action-packed plot will keep you guessing until all of the pieces of the puzzle finally come together. Unless you really know your history, you won’t ever see the end coming. This story was a true treasure that I was privileged to dive into and enjoy.

The premise behind this story will have you shaking your head and desperately trying to wrap your brain around what all is going on. This story spans two continents and all of the events are tightly woven together to bring about a spectacular ending full of the best type of fireworks. The detail in this story is staggering and very enjoyable to immerse yourself in. The characters that you will meet run the gamut from downright despicable to hauntingly heroic. They will pull you in and keep you thoroughly entertained throughout the complexity and seriousness of this high speed thriller.

This story was born from a mystery that Glenn Meade stumbled upon while doing research for an article. Although the details are sketchy and questionable at best, it was such an amazing plot for this story. While we can enjoy every exquisite ounce of this story, we can continue to hope that this mystery is not, in fact, true, or that there will at least be people around to stop the world from plunging into darkness once more.

I found Brandenburg to be a wonderfully entertaining and delightfully intriguing story. It was such a wonderful surprise that I had a hard time putting it down. Anyone who enjoys a mind-boggling and in-depth thriller will absolutely love Brandenburg. This is one story that will make you sit up and think about how close this could come to happening right now in our lifetime. I am eager to read more from this truly gifted and amazing writer.

Rated PG-13: Some adult topics and situations discussed in this book would be very sensitive for younger readers.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!

Sneak Peek: Follow The Heart by Kaye Dacus

nimda — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:55:39 +0000

Today’s Sneak Peek is from

Follow the Heart:
A Great Exhibition Novel

by Kaye Dacus

B&H Books (May 1, 2013)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing, Harvest House Publishers, and B&H Publishing. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a full-time academic advisor and part-time college composition instructor for a local university. To find out more about Kaye and her books, please visit her online at kayedacus.com.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Set during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851, Follow the Heart is a “sitting-room romance” with the feel of a Regency-era novel but the fashions and technological advances of the mid-Victorian age. Kate and Christopher Dearing’s lives turn upside down when their father loses everything in a railroad land speculation. The siblings are shipped off to their mother’s brother in England with one edict: marry money. At twenty-seven years old, Kate has the stigma of being passed over by eligible men many times—and that was before she had no dowry. Christopher would like nothing better than to make his own way in the world; and with a law degree and expertise in the burgeoning railroad industry, he was primed to do just that—in America. Though their uncle tries to ensure Kate and Christopher find matrimonial prospects only among the highest echelon of British society, their attentions stray to a gardener and a governess. While Christopher has options that would enable him to lay his affections where he chooses, he cannot let the burden of their family’s finances crush his sister. Trying to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy— gardener aside, Kate’s prospects brighten when a wealthy viscount shows interest in her. But is marrying for the financial security of her family the right thing to do, when her heart is telling her she’s making a mistake?

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: B&H Books (May 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1433677202

ISBN-13: 978-1433677205

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

SS Baltic

Off the Coast of England

February 9, 1851You should come back down to the saloon, where it’s warm.”

Kate did not turn from the vista of gray, choppy water in front of her at her brother’s voice. The last fourteen days seemed as nothing to Christopher—a lark, an adventure, not the exile Kate knew it to be.

An exile that came with an edict: Find someone wealthy to marry.

“I do not see the point in sitting in the grand saloon, pretending as though everything is fine when I know it is not. I have no talent at pretense.” Kate wrapped her thick woolen shawl closer about her head and shoulders at a gust of icy wind. “If any of those other passengers knew we were being sent to England as poor relations, they would shun us.”

Just as everyone in Philadelphia had. Word of Graham Dearing’s financial misfortune spread like last summer’s great fire that consumed the Vine Street Wharf—quickly and with almost as much destructive force. Kate and Christopher’s stepmother had been too embarrassed to come down to the train station to see them off to New York two weeks ago—too afraid she would see someone she recognized on the street and not be acknowledged. Only Father had come with them to New York to say good-bye. And to remind Kate why she was being sent to her mother’s brother: to find and marry a fortune that would save their family. The memory of their argument on the platform before she joined Christopher to board the ship burned through her like the coal that powered them closer to her destiny.

“What’s wrong with enjoying the trappings of money while we can?” Christopher sidled up beside her and leaned his forearms against the top railing. “Besides, from Uncle Anthony’s letter, it doesn’t sound like he plans to treat us any differently than his own children, just because we’re ‘poor relations,’ as you put it.”

“But they’ll know. Sir Anthony and his daughters and whatever house staff they have—they’ll know that we’re completely dependent upon their charity. It will be written in their eyes every time they look at us. Every time we sit down at a meal with them. Every time they take us to a ball or party. We will be creating additional expense for them.” Kate trembled, not just from the cold.

“You had no problem with our creating additional expense for Father when we lived at home. Why start worrying about it now?”

Kate finally turned to look—to gape—at her brother. Certainly he was younger than she, but only by three years. However, he was a qualified lawyer, a man full-grown at twenty-four years old. How could he speak so juvenile? Did he not realize what Father and Maud had done to afford to send them abroad? Had he not noticed the missing paintings, carpets, and silver—sold so Father could afford their passage? Kate had a suspicion that much of their stepmother’s heirloom jewelry had met the same fate. Not to mention Father’s sacrifice of pride in begging his first wife’s brother, the baronet Sir Anthony Buchanan, to take them in.

Christopher’s light-brown eyes twinkled and danced. “Come on, Kate. I’ve heard that wealthy men can be plucked up on every corner in England, so you’ve nothing to worry about. They will take one look at you and be lining up at Uncle Anthony’s door to court you.”

Heat flared in her cheeks. “You can stop that nonsensical flattery right now, Christopher Dearing. It will get you nowhere.” But she couldn’t stop the smile that forced its way through her worry.

“It got me exactly what I wanted.” He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze, then turned and forced her to walk back toward the stairs leading down to the grand saloon on the deck below. “We will be docking in a few hours, and you’ve been sulking the entire voyage. I insist you come below and enjoy yourself, just for a little while. Or pretend, on my account.”

Tiny snowflakes floated down and landed on Kate’s shawl and the mittened hand holding it to her chin. “Oh, all right. I will come. But only to get warm before we dock.”

It took her eyes several moments to adjust to the darkness of the stairwell. Reaching the grand saloon, Kate slowed and waited for Christopher to regain her side. Though not yet noon, the candles in the hanging lamps and wall sconces had been lit against the gloomy gray skies outside. The large, etched-glass columns in the middle of the room, which connected to the skylights above, brought in little light to reflect from the mirrors lining the walls between the doors to the sleeping cabins.

Several younger men, playing cards in the corner near the foot of the stairs, called out to Christopher, entreating him to come join the game.

He waved them off with a laugh and then offered Kate his arm. “Come, there are a few people who would like to speak to you.”

At the opposite end of the long room, partially hidden by one of the glass pillars from the card players near the stairs, sat a group of middle-aged women and a few men. The rest of the men, she assumed, were in the smoking room.

“Ah, here is your beloved sister, Mr. Dearing.” An older lady patted the seat of the settee beside her. “Do, come sit, Miss Dearing.” Mrs. Headington’s clipped British accent made Kate more nervous than she usually felt before strangers. That, and learning the woman had been governess to their cousins many years ago. Mrs. Headington was so particular and exacting, Kate worried she and Christopher would disappoint their extended family at every turn.

Kate removed her mittens and shawl and perched on the edge of the sofa. “Thank you, Mrs. Headington.”

“We were just speaking of the Great Exhibition.” The plump former governess waved a fan in front of her flushed, moist face, her more-than-ample bosom heaving against her straining bodice with each breath.

“The Great Exhibition?” Kate folded the shawl and set it on her lap, where she rested her still-cold hands on it.

“Oh, Kate, I’ve told you all about it. Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition. It’s to be the largest display of industry and arts from all over the world.” Christopher’s eyes took on the same gleam as when he talked about laws governing the railroads. “Imagine—delegations are coming from as far as India, Algiers, and Australia and bringing displays of their industry and manufacturing, their artwork. Some are even bringing wild animals.”

He lost the dreamy expression for a moment. “And I have heard there will be agricultural exhibits, Kate. You may find some exotic plants for the garden.”

She smiled at the memory of her garden, her favorite place in the world—but melancholy and reality struck down the moment of joy. She might never see her garden again. For either she would marry some wealthy Englishman and stay in England for the rest of her life, or Father would be forced to sell the house.

Talk continued around her, rumors of fantastical exhibits and inventions supposedly coming to this great world’s fair, which would open in just under three months.

What would she be doing by then? What about Father and Maud and the girls? She shook her head, trying to stave off the unwanted visions of her father, stepmother, and little sisters begging on the streets of Philadelphia.

The steward entered the saloon and called everyone to follow him in to luncheon. Christopher offered Kate his hand. When she gained her feet, he bent over, placing his mouth close to her ear, as if to place a kiss on her cheek.

“I know what you’re thinking about. Don’t let it get you down. Everything will be all right. You’ll see.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and led her through the steward’s pantry, where the beautiful silver trays and chargers displayed there winked in the candlelight, mocking her with their opulence.

Mrs. Headington invited them to sit at her table for the meal, and Kate sank gratefully into the chair Christopher held for her. Though her brother knew almost all of the hundred or so first-class passengers traveling with them, Kate had kept to herself most of the voyage, unable to laugh and flirt and pretend the way Christopher could.

“You appear sad, Miss Dearing.” Mrs. Headington gave Kate a knowing look. “Is it a young man you have left back home who occupies your thoughts?”

Kate latched on to the question. “I had—have a suitor, ma’am. He courted me for over a year. I believed he would propose before . . . before Christopher and I left for England. But alas, he did not.”

Christopher’s jaw slackened, and Kate felt a kindling of amusement at his astonishment over her ability to spin the story in such a manner. Perhaps she did share some of his abilities, buried deep within.

“I do not know what the fellow could have been thinking, allowing a woman like you to slip away with no firm commitment. Does he realize how easily he could lose you to one of our fine English gentlemen?”

If only Mrs. Headington knew what Devlin Montgomery knew.

“If the blighter is not man enough to propose before you left, you should consider yourself free to accept other suitors, Miss Dearing. Though you must allow me to caution you against those wicked men who want nothing more than to ruin virtuous young women like you.” Mrs. Headington raised her teacup in emphatic punctuation to her warning, though speculation filled her gaze. “There are plenty of lords who will look beyond the lack of a title when it comes to a pretty face, so long as she has a substantial dowry.”

Kate hoped one of them would also look beyond the lack of a dowry. Rather than let Mrs. Headington’s unintentional disparagement send her back into the doldrums she’d been in since that awful discovery on New Year’s Eve, Kate continued smiling and trying to engage in conversation with Mrs. Headington and the other travelers who joined them at the marble-topped table.

It would do her no good to show up on England’s shores dour-faced and hung all around with melancholy. She had little enough to work with as it was—being too tall, with average looks, and angular features. Oddly enough, for Kate, the Old World meant a new life. Here, where no one knew her, where no one could recount the names of the men who had courted her and then decided not to marry her, she could forget the past, forget her failure to find a husband. In England, she could become Katharine Dearing, the woman who could not only carry on a conversation about botany or politics with any man, but who could dance and flirt as well.

For ten years, since her debut at seventeen, she’d turned her nose up at the young women who simpered and giggled and flattered all the young men. Well, most of those young women were now married with families of their own.

She glanced around the table and studied the interactions between married couples and among the few unmarried young women and men. Could she remake herself in the image of the debutante across from her with the blonde ringlets, whose coy, soft eyes and sweet smiles drew the men’s attention like bees to nectar?

To her right, Mrs. Headington argued with Christopher about the politics surrounding the Great Exhibition and the worry of many that Prince Albert would bankrupt the country with the lavish display of agriculture and industry.

Kate Dearing would have joined in the conversation of politics. Katharine Dearing, however, turned to the balding, middle-aged man on her left. “What part of England are you from, Mr. Fitch?”

She lowered her chin and blinked a few times, trying to imitate the blonde’s batting eyelashes. The man beside her almost choked on his wine before setting down the goblet to answer, obviously no more accustomed to being flirted with than Kate was to flirting.

Dowry or no dowry, she must and would find a wealthy husband. And as her stepmother was so fond of saying, practice makes perfect.

Andrew Lawton drew his coat collar higher around the lower part of his face and pulled his hat down, wishing it would cover his ears, exposed as they were to the frigid winter air. Beyond the inn’s small front porch, snow blew and swirled on the indecisive wind—first toward, then away; left, then right. White dust skittered this way and that on the cobblestone street.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, longing for spring and the orderliness and discipline he would bring to the gardens at Wakesdown Manor. He had the plans all laid out on paper and was prepared to begin construction of the new gardens so they would be ready to burst into bloom when warm weather arrived. But instead, he was in Liverpool. And on a Sunday, no less.

Who would choose to travel by steamship in the middle of winter?

He’d only just managed to get away from Mr. Paxton and the Crystal Palace in time to catch the train from London to Liverpool yesterday. Eleven hours on an unforgiving wooden seat in the unheated third-class car—not wanting to part with his hard-earned wages in order to ride in the warmth and comfort of second class or the luxury of first—followed by a night on a lumpy bed in a freezing inn had done his back and his temper no favors.

Rather than go to the expense of a hiring a cab for the mile walk back to the train station, Andrew adjusted his collar again, hooked the handle of his valise over his left wrist, stuffed his gloved hands into his coat pockets, and leaned into the swirling wind with a brisk pace. The inn’s distance from the station had made it economically attractive for the overnight stay—half the cost of those within a block or two of both the train station and the Mersey River ports, where everything and everyone came in and out of Liverpool.

By the time he reached his destination, the swirling white dust had turned to hard, pelting ice. According to the timetable written on the board in the ticket office, the Baltic had docked ten minutes ago, shortly after one o’clock.

If he caught the two o’clock train, he would arrive in Oxford near eleven tonight. He desperately wanted to sleep in his own bed after so many nights away. He purchased three first-class tickets, as per his employer’s instructions, tucked them into his waistcoat pocket, then went to the telegraph office and wired Sir Anthony so he would know to be expecting his guests to arrive tonight.

Back out on the platform, he noticed the ferry from the steamship had landed at the far end. Passengers disembarked while crew unloaded baggage through a lower-deck portal.

He scanned the passengers coming toward him, looking for a young man and young woman traveling together. Americans. That was all Andrew knew. Dismissing several older people and a couple of women traveling alone, Andrew released his breath in frustration.

“You look lost, young man.” A woman in a dress too tight and juvenile for her ample form and age stopped in front of him.

Andrew doffed his round-crowned bowler hat—and the woman frowned at it a moment. If Andrew had known he would be making this side trip when he left Wakesdown, he would have packed his top hat, since the more serviceable bowler served to emphasize his working-class roots.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Andrew tucked the hat under his elbow. “I am supposed to be meeting a Mr. and Miss Dearing. You do not, perhaps—”

“Christopher and Kate. Of course I met them. It is hard not to get to know all the other passengers on a two-week voyage.”

Andrew inclined his head in relief. “Would you mind pointing them out to me?”

“No, not at all.” She squinted at the ferry. “Yes, there they are. Good-looking fellow in the indigo coat. The young woman is, alas, much plainer than her brother.” The woman leaned closer and dropped her voice. “And if what I heard in Philadelphia is true, their father, wicked man, just lost all his considerable fortune in a railway speculation that failed. Poor dear. Only way she would have caught a husband at her age and with her lack of beauty would have been with a substantial dowry.”

Andrew scanned the passengers coming off the boat. There—a young man in a dark blue overcoat. But that could not be Christopher Dearing. For the woman beside the man in the blue coat was anything but plain. Not beautiful like Sir Anthony’s daughters—but far from plain. A straw-brimmed bonnet hid her hair, but her brown cloak and shawl emphasized her bright blue eyes, even from this distance.

“Now, if you will excuse me, I must arrange my travel to London.”

Andrew gave the older woman a slight bow, then stepped forward to meet the Dearings.

Andrew stepped into the man’s path. “Are you Mr. Dearing?”

A smile replaced the look of consternation. He stuck out his gloved hand, which Andrew shook in greeting.

“Christopher Dearing.” He pulled the arm of the young woman in the brown cloak, who’d stopped a full pace behind him. “And this is my sister, Kate—I mean, Katharine.”

Katharine gave a slight curtsy, red tingeing her cheeks.

“Andrew Lawton.” He inclined his head, then dragged his gaze from the woman—whose face was, perhaps, a bit too square for her to be considered truly handsome—back to her brother. “Sir Anthony sends his apologies for not coming to meet you personally. But his youngest daughter fell ill two days ago, and he did not want to leave her.” He glanced back at Katharine Dearing, to keep her from feeling excluded from the apology.

Concern flooded her striking blue eyes. “I hope it isn’t a grave illness.”

Andrew reminded himself that Miss Dearing was Sir Anthony’s niece and, therefore, no one who should garner his interest in any capacity other than as one of the masters—fortune or no. “When last Sir Anthony wired, he did not believe it to be more than a fever due to the wet winter we are having and Miss Florence’s insistence on riding every day no matter what the weather.”

“I am sorry she’s ill, but it is good to know it isn’t dire.” Katharine looked as if she wanted to say more, but at the last moment lost her nerve.

“So . . . did I hear you correctly?” Christopher asked. “The name is pronounced Antony and not Anthony?”

“Yes, Mr. Dearing, you heard correctly.”

Miss Dearing transferred a tapestry bag from one hand to the other.

“May I take that for you, miss?” Andrew pushed his hat back down on his head and reached for her bag.

“Oh, you don’t—” But she let the protest die and handed him the bag with a sudden doe-eyed smile. “Why, thank you, Mr. Lawton. We arranged with the steward to have our trunks transferred directly to the Oxford train. The schedule they had aboard ship indicated there is one that leaves at two o’clock.”

“Yes, that is our train.”

Katharine looked up at her brother. “We should get our tickets now so that we are ready when it’s time to board.”

“No need.” Andrew shifted her bag to his left hand, along with his own, and patted the waistcoat pocket through his frock and overcoat. “I have already taken care of the tickets. The train arrived just moments ago, so we can go find a compartment.” He motioned with his free hand for Christopher and Katharine to join him, and he led them down the platform.

“My, but you have already thought of everything, haven’t you?” Katharine’s flirtatious expression seemed odd, like a daisy growing from a rosebush.

And the look of confusion on her brother’s face only added to Andrew’s. Surely she realized from his humble attire he wasn’t anyone who could offer her the wealth she apparently needed in a husband. So why would she overtly flirt with him?

“How long a trip is it from here to Oxford?” Christopher asked.

“Almost nine hours, so long as the tracks are clear.” Andrew looked past the roof of the station. Snow mixed with the icy precipitation from half an hour before, and it looked to start piling up quickly. Hopefully, traveling south and inland from here would mean away from the snow.

He found a compartment in the first-class car, set his and Katharine’s valises on the seat, and turned to assist her in. She thanked him profusely. Once she was settled, he and Christopher lifted the small valises onto the shelf over the seat opposite Katharine, and then sat, facing her.

Katharine wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders and arms. Christopher leaned over and opened the grate of the small heater and stoked the glowing red coal. “I’d hoped maybe to see one of those new heaters I’ve been reading about—where steam heat is pumped from the fire in the locomotive throughout the cars in the train.”

“Have you an interest in the railway, Mr. Dearing?” Though he had no desire to make the sister feel left out of the conversation, Andrew was in great danger of allowing himself to stare at her now that she was in such close proximity. Upon second thought, the squareness of her jaw did not detract from but added to the symmetry of her face. And above all else, Andrew appreciated symmetry.

“Yes—my apprenticeship was with a firm that specializes in railway law. It’s fascinating to see how, in a matter of just ten or twenty years, the railroad has changed our way of life.” Christopher stretched his lanky frame into a position of repose, obviously accustomed to the comforts of first-class accommodations.

“I was twenty years old when the railroad came to Derby—my home—in the year ’40. It has quite changed the way of life for everyone there.” Andrew removed his hat and gloves and set them on the seat beside him.

Christopher’s eyes—brown, rather than blue like his sister’s—flashed with curiosity. “Really? I hardly remember when the first railroad opened in Philadelphia in 1832.”

“That’s because you were not quite six years old when it came.” Katharine’s soft voice reminded them of her presence—as if Andrew needed reminding. “I remember it well. Father took us to the parade and to see the locomotive take off. It was the first time we were all happy since Mother and Emma died.” Katharine’s focus drifted far away along with her voice.

Andrew stared at her. In the space of mere minutes, she had changed entirely. No longer did she seem a vapid flirt, but a woman one might like to converse with.

Katharine’s eyes came back into focus. “I do apologize. I didn’t mean to cast a melancholy pall over the conversation.” The strangely foreign flirtatious smile reappeared. “What is it that you do for Sir Anthony, Mr. Lawton? You must hold quite the position of importance for him to have sent you to meet us and escort us to Wakesdown.” Her long eyelashes fluttered as she blinked rapidly a few times.

“I am a landscape architect. I am redesigning all of the gardens and parks on Sir Anthony’s estate.”

At the mention of gardens, something miraculous happened. A warmth, a genuine curiosity, overtook Katharine Dearing’s blue eyes. Ah, there was the rose pushing the daisy out of its way.

“You’ve done it now.” Christopher sighed dramatically. “One mention of gardening, and Kate will talk your ears off about plants and flowers and weeds and soil and sun and shade.”

Katharine gave a gasp of indignation, but quickly covered it with the flirtatious smile again. “I am certain I do not know what you mean, Christopher. I would never think to importune Mr. Lawton in such a manner.” She crossed her arms and turned to gaze out the window.

The train lurched and chugged and slowly made its way from the station.

Andrew couldn’t tell if Katharine was truly angry at her brother or not, but he determined a change of subject might be in order. “Will you continue to read the law, Mr. Dearing?”

Christopher nodded. “I brought some books with me to study, yes. And I expect I’ll pick up many more on the British legal system while I’m here.”

Andrew opened his mouth to ask if Christopher were joking with him—but then pressed his lips together. Perhaps they had a different term in America for the pursuit of education in the legal system other than read. “Will you seek out a lawyer to apprentice with?”

“If Uncle Anthony doesn’t mind, I might do that just to keep myself busy.”

Katharine made a sharp sound in the back of her throat.

“Oh, right, I’m supposed to call him Sir Anthony until he gives us permission to call him uncle.” Christopher grinned at Andrew. “Though really, in this modern era, why anyone would stand on such formality is beyond me.”

Under the wide brim of her bonnet, Katharine rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, now freed from the mittens she’d worn earlier. Upon first seeing the Dearings, he’d assumed Christopher the older and Katharine the younger—from the way Katharine hovered behind her brother when they first met. Now, however, from Katharine’s memory of something that happened almost nineteen years ago, she was obviously the older sibling. And if Christopher had been six years old in 1832, that meant he was now around five-and-twenty. Meaning Katharine must be in her late twenties, if not already Andrew’s age of thirty.

That was what the woman he’d met at the station meant by “at her age.” Andrew was not certain how things were done in America, but here in England, Miss Dearing would be considered well past the prime marriageable age. And if the rumors that woman heard in Philadelphia were true, without a substantial dowry, Katharine had no chance of marrying well.

For the first time in his life, Andrew felt true pity for another person. The last thing he’d promised his mother before she died of lung rot was that he would not end up like her—condemned to live out her days in the poorhouse. He’d worked hard to get where he was today, and he would do whatever it took to continue bettering himself and his condition.

He thanked God he had not been born a woman.

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!
***Special thanks to Laurel Teague for sending us a review copy.***

Review: It Happened At The Fair

Amber — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

It Happened At The Fair by Deeanne Gist
Reviewed by: Samantha Kinkade
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Publisher: Howard
Publication Date: April 2013

Cullen McNamara, cotton farmer turned inventor risks everything as he travels to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. With the future of the family farm hanging in the balance, Cullen must find a way to sell his latest invention before time runs out – or his hearing does. The increasing noise in the machinery hall is too much for his already poor hearing and he quietly enlists the help of a teacher to the deaf.

Della Wentworth and her beautiful lips are quite the distraction for Cullen. With a girl back home waiting on his return, he struggles to settle his thoughts on anything but his new tutor.

But, as he struggles to cope with the social enormities of his hearing loss, he finds a solace in Della’s quiet words. Touring together they encounter amazing attractions, ingenious inventions, loss and love, failure and triumph – it all Happened At The Fair!

I was simply delighted by Deeanne Gist’s tale of Cullen and Della. From sipping hot cocoa in the quiet corner of a chocolatier to soaring through twists and turns on an automated toboggan ride, they saw it all. Ms. Gist’s knack for brilliantly weaving the historical nuggets of the actual fair in with that of her book is truly wonderful. Never have I felt so completely connected with the setting of an historical novel.

As for Cullen and Della, their characters fit so perfectly together – so complimentary. While all plots require a certain amount of conflict and resolution, the author left little time for the annoyances that often come with simple misunderstandings. This, I very much enjoyed.

Whether I was caught up in swirls of chocolatey steam or holding my breath as blazing fires took hold of entire exhibitions, I was quite captivated by Deanne Gist’s writing. Not overly heavy on the concepts of faith, instead a quiet yet consistent testament to God and His provisions.

Bits of comedy intertwined with a gentle seriousness, Cullen and Della’s story is wonderful to imagine and I found myself daydreaming of their adventures at the fair long after I’d turned the final page.

Rated PG: A wonderful read geared toward an older audience. Elements of the story such as the social ramifications of those with disabilities and the warm romance between Cullen and Della were, in my opinion, not suitable for younger readers.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!

Review: Unwritten: A Novel

Amber — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:39 +0000

Unwritten: A Novel by Charles Martin
Reviewed by: Samantha Kinkade
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Center Street
Publication Date: 2013

Katie Quinn is an actress on the run. On the run from her very own life, that is. Standing high on a pedestal in the constant spotlight has brought her to the end of what her heart can handle. Attempting to take her life, a constant friend rescues her from her ill-fated thoughts. Steady has convinced her, for the moment, that she may have another alternative.

Sunday is a man unnoticed. And he likes it that way. With tracks nearly impossible to follow, he leads a solitary life on the water off the coast of Florida. When Steady petitions him to help him with the young actress, Sunday may just blow his cover – and hers in the process.
As Sunday helps Katie to confront her past, he may end up with his own long-buried secrets to deal with as well.

At first glance, I wasn’t quite sold on Charles Martin’s newest novel. But, the first chapter captured me and I finished the manuscript in just one sitting. After so many historical fiction pieces, I thought I would have a hard time travelling back to the present age for this very modern tale. However, I found myself completely mesmerized by Martin’s prose and by Katie and Sunday’s story.

This book definitely requires a mind engaged. The emotional issues and moral decisions that fill the pages proved to be both engaging and thought provoking. I read each page wondering – what would I do in a situation like theirs? How would I find myself interacting, running, deciding?

Katie is a woman with many faces, none that belong to her. (Oh, and aren’t we all?) Desiring to hide her true self from the world, she took up acting at a young age and charmed a generation with her talent. As the story unwinds, there are many opportunities to see Katie in a different light – taking to the sea, motoring through Paris – but not until she’s traversed to the French countryside do we find the real Katie. Raw. Unrestrained. Broken.

As for Sunday, he has scars of his own. In coming to Katie’s aid, in his efforts to bandage her wounds, he must come to grips with his as well. In many ways this is Sunday’s story, too.

Charles Martin’s novel could be read, I suppose, as all other novels are – with a nonchalant desire for entertainment. Or you could, and I encourage you to, pick this book out from the pile of many others and read with an open heart. Take a moment to look into another’s broken (albeit, fictional) life, observe what you may, and glean as much as your heart will allow.

I found a sharp cry from the hurting, a deep sorrow from the lost, an overflowing reservoir of pain within these pages. And yet, the story is not one of sadness, but of hope – finding that the walls have crashed down and the floor has fallen out, and yet, we still stand – we still have the strength to continue. To reclaim what once composed us, to walk from brokenness into the light. The Lord may not be at the center of its words, but Unwritten certainly cries out for the hand of God.

Rated NC-17: I wouldn’t call this Christian fiction, and some pretty heavy topics are discussed such as suicide and great emotion trauma, but this is a book worth reading and a story worth remembering.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!

Review: The One Good Thing

Amber — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:57 +0000

The One Good Thing by Kevin Alan Milne
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Olmedo
Genre: Drama
Publisher: Center Street
Publication Date: March 2013

Halley, Ty, and Alice’s lives are shattered when a tragic accident rips their husband and father out of their lives. Everyone remembers Nathan as a loving, selfless, and caring man, even toward complete strangers. For years, he carried six small stones in his pocket as a reminder. With each act of kindness he’d move a stone from one pocket to the other. Now his family is forced to continue without him.

While struggling to cope, they discover a Facebook page where people are sharing stories of how Nathan helped them in their times of need. One post captures their attention. A woman none of them know claims Nathan saved her life. Shortly after, Halley stumbles upon years worth of e-mails this woman sent Nathan in which she several times refers to “our little girl.”

Reeling from the shock, pain, and sense of betrayal, Halley and Ty struggle to understand and forgive their husband and father. Only Alice believes in his innocence, and she is determined to prove it.

The One Good Thing is an emotionally harrowing story that reaches deep into the reader and stays long after the last page is turned. Kevin Alan Milne touches the emotions in a way few writers can. My throat and heart often constricted as Nathan became just as much my loss as Halley, Ty, and Alice’s.

Truly a bittersweet tale, The One Good Thing is a novel brimming with beauty, sorrow, and inspiration. I strongly recommend this book. Especially to those willing to be challenged. By the end, the reader will want to run out and find his/her own set of pebbles to carry around as a reminder to do good to others. However, due to some heavy themes such as bullying, child abuse, rape, abortion, etc, I wouldn’t suggest handing it to young readers. Though handled very tactfully, they are not easy topics to read.

Rated R: Heavy topics are discussed such as bullying, child abuse, rape, abortion, etc…

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!

Review: The New Jewish Table

Amber — Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:07 +0000

The New Jewish Table by Todd and Ellen Gray
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Olmedo
Genre: Cookbook
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: March 2013

When I visited Israel six years ago, I bought a small cookbook which I have loved. For some time now, though, I’ve wanted to try out new Jewish recipes. So when I stumbled across The New Jewish Table online, I knew I just had to review it. Little did I realize the treat I was in for.

The first surprise came as soon as I retrieved it from the package. It is a beautiful, hardcover book, heavy with mouth-watering recipes. The next surprise was discovering it’s more than just a cookbook. The first few pages are an introduction in which Todd and Ellen Gray tell you a little about their story and how the blending of Jewish and non-Jewish cooking came about in their home and restaurant. Before every recipe, they share some thoughts on it. In case you were wondering, it is possible to stay up into the wee hours of the morning engrossed in the reading of a cookbook!

The Grays divided the book into seasons — Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer — to encourage readers to support local farmers and food artisans. Each season is then split into six chapters — Brunch, Starters, Lunch, Dinner, Sides, and Desserts. Finally, every recipe is marked in one of four ways — Dairy, Parve, Meat, and Mixed. This is especially helpful for families who keep Kosher.

For the sake of this review, I chose recipes from each season to offer a broader feel for the cookbook. I’ll share a few thoughts on some of my family’s favorites so far.

Fall:

RED CABBAGE COLESLAW: Coleslaw may sound like a common enough recipe, but the mixture of toasted seeds in it, makes this anything but common. Several people asked me what I put in it to get such a distinct flavor.

Winter:

CUCUMBER SALAD: I must confess, initially the thought of cucumber, onion, and raisins worried me. I actually considered leaving out the raisins. I’m so glad I didn’t. They provided the salad with a perfect, slightly sweet flavor. Everyone else must have agreed because when I returned for seconds an empty bowl awaited me.

Spring:

CABBAGE STUFFED WITH GROUND BEEF AND ONION: This dish was another winner, even amongst the pickiest eaters. My youngest brother, who would usually balk at veggies like hot, cooked cabbage, took one look at it and stated it didn’t look that bad and proceeded to eat without a single complaint. That’s no small miracle!

Summer:

SUMMER TOMATO SALAD WITH CRISPY ONION: So far this one has been my favorite. I admit what initially drew me in was the gorgeous, full-page image. So colorful! But once I tried the first bite…oh my! It’s heavenly. The Balsamic Vinaigrette is to die for. Even after the salad disappeared, and quickly I might add, everyone used their bread to soak up every last drop of the Vinaigrette. It was that good!

BBQ’D SALMON: If you are looking for a dish to impress, this one will definitely do the trick. By the time I set it before my family, I felt like I was serving something taken right out of a five-star menu. Two tasty sauces, a deliciously colorful corn salad, and the fresh salmon made for one elegant dish that earned many compliments. Thank you Todd and Ellen for making me look good!

Whether you are looking for good kosher recipes, or simply want new ideas to try out in the kitchen, I highly recommend The New Jewish Table. It is truly a cookbook bound to please.

Rated G: Nothing to worry about here.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!

Review: Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise, Book 1)

Amber — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:17 +0000

Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise, Book 1) by MaryLu Tyndall
Reviewed by: Renee Chaw
Genre: Fiction/Christian/Romance
Publisher: Barbour
Publication Date: March 1, 2013

Both Eliza Crawford and Colonel Blake Wallace face enemies at every turn — be it the discovery of carefully hidden pasts, the treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean, or calculating and manipulative fellow shipmates. Eliza, no longer having a reason to stay in the United States after the Civil War, seeks to make a new life for herself in Brazil. Blake, seeking an escape from the horrors of war and the flashbacks of the battlefield befriends Eliza against his better judgment. Their relationship is tenuous at best. When Eliza’s secret comes out, not just Blake but the entire crew and passengers onboard the New Hope turn against her and vote to keep her out of Brazil and away from their new colony. In spite of being excluded and threatened with exile, Eliza is the only person on the ship with nursing and doctoring experience so she feels compelled to give aide to those who would literally toss her overboard.

As with most shipboard stories where everyone is kept in close quarters Eliza and Blake aren’t the only people we meet. Southern plantation owners, former slaves, a pastor, a war widow, and a doctor who becomes nauseated at the sight of blood are just a few of the characters who are just as interesting as Eliza and Blake. There’s every kind of person you can imagine which will certainly make for an interesting start once they settle in their Brazilian “Utopia”.

Each and every book by MaryluTyndall is pretty much guaranteed to be an adventure. Forsaken Dreams, her latest high seas set novel is just that. With her trademark flair for romance and characters with deep-seeded faith Tyndall tells a tale that won’t soon be forgotten. Eliza and Colonel Blake are as intriguing and stubborn as any of her previous characters and reminded me strongly of the series that started off my love affair with this author, Legacy of the King’s Pirates. Both Blake and Eliza battle with their pasts and the bitterness that threatens to take over their lives which is something that will always be relevant, now or a 100 years from now. This book is a great start to a series that is sure to please all fans of MaryLu’s work and Christian romance in general.

Rated PG: Some references to assault, violence, and alcohol use.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!

YA Review: The Remedy

Amber — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:58 +0000

The Remedy by Serena Chase
Reviewed by: Lori Twichell
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Publication Date: April 20, 2013

Princess Rynnaia is almost ready to step into her role of leadership in her kingdom of E’veria. After being raised by friends and not knowing who her father was and then discovering (quite suddenly) in the last book that she’s a princess, she’s done remarkably well adapting to her new situation.

The Remedy finds her preparing to set out on her next leg of the journey, following an ancient prophecy to find the remedy for the curse of the Cobelds on her land. Couched in ancient language that reads like a poem, the prophecy is anything but plain or clear, yet Rynnaia knows if she’s going to save her kingdom and her mother, this is something she must do.

So along with a small entourage of knights, wisemen and bodyguards, Rynnaia sets out on the most dangerous and frighteningly important mission she could ever imagine. Across areas of the land she’s never visited, Rynnaia learns what it means to be a leader, to trust those around you, and how to love someone with respect and honor.

Serena Chase’s second book, The Remedy, has all of the excitement, adventure, romance and fantasy of the first book and more. The more time I spent with these characters, the more I loved them. Even in moments of agonizing embarrassment, difficulty or heart wrenching danger, I found myself cheering them on and eagerly awaiting the next steps.

It’s difficult to write a follow up and have it be just as exciting as the first. Oftentimes you’ll find authors overcompensating in an attempt to ‘ramp it up’ for the second book or you’ll find things slowing down or faltering in long rambling backstory to ‘deepen’ the adventure. The Remedy suffers from neither of these issues. With even pacing, a storyline that’s deep enough to engage our imagination and a plot that moves nicely along without stumbles, Chase has not disappointed.

I was thrilled to follow Rynnaia on these adventures and watch how she grows into a completely new life. The romance between her and Julien is perfectly handled and done with such beauty that it’s hard to imagine how it could be done better. Experiencing this difficult adventure puts their relationship through the paces just as one would go through special ops training in order to get Rynnaia ready for her service as princess

These books delight the imagination. Characters that are realistic, honest and likeable get placed in situations that seem impossible to fathom and yet, with grace and style we follow their journeys and applaud all along the way.

Anyone who loves romance, history, medieval stories, fantasy, fairy tales or YA fiction should add these books to their collection – and quickly! Serena Chase is someone to watch, admire, and follow. I will happily take a front row seat to whatever adventure she’d like to take me on next!

Rated PG-13: Though this is a fabulously written series – there are some difficult situations that might be tense for younger readers.

Review copy provided by the author. Thank you!

Article: ‘Tween You And Me

Amber — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:08 +0000

Radiant Lit Blog Post #2 – For Tweens

Hello, Mini-Women!

That’s absolutely what you are, you know. You’re no longer those little baby girlfriends (like my granddaughter Maeryn) who have to be reminded to go potty and don’t yet understand the absolute importance of a BFF. And you haven’t completely lost your mind yet and become a teenager. You might be practicing to be one – maybe some eye-rolling, or using the word “whatever” ever other minute – but you’re still a tween girl, and that is my favorite brand of kid.

Seriously. You can make your own peanut butter and pickle sandwich, but you can also still giggle until you can’t breathe. You can put together an outfit that doesn’t look like you’re color blind, but one of your fave places to sit is still your dad’s lap. You can read the Bible and pray by yourself, but you still like the crafts you do in Sunday school. You’re at such a great age, I love hanging out with you. That must be why I write books for you . . .

However, it has come to my attention – and probably yours! – that being a tween girl isn’t all fun all the time. Okay, yeah, it’s great when you and your BFF are speaking (or you HAVE a BFF) and no absurd little creep boys are making you nuts and you and your mom are agreeing on that swimsuit for this summer. But have you noticed there are more, well, shall we say, “challenges” than there used to be? Maybe–

There are some changes going on with your body these days. Like . . . it’s not the same as it was a year ago. Or a month ago. Or even yesterday!

You’ve started to think more about the way you look. And comparing how you look to the way other girls look. And wondering if you are pretty, cute, or just not a gorilla.

The way you feel changes, like, every seven seconds. You can be laughing hysterically one minute and sobbing your heart out the next and you have no idea why.

Friendship is harder, as in girls are gossiping, spreading rumors, deciding who’s in and who’s out, what’s cool and what’s not – until you’re so confused you want to hide under something, except then you wouldn’t be with your friends . . .

You’re just not sure who you are right now, and if one more person says, “Just be yourself,” you’re going to throw something

The good news is, that’s all pretty normal. The even better news is, we talk about all of that stuff all the time on the Tween You and Me blog, designed just for girls like you who want to share the growing up stuff with other Christian tweens. If you want to join us, just go to www.tweenyouandme.typepad.com/tween_you_and_me/ Introduce yourself and you will get a HUGE welcome from your fellow mini-women, and from me. Can’t wait to see you there!

Blessings,
Nancy Rue

Review: Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift: An Independent Woman’s Advice on Living within One’s Means

Amber — Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:58 +0000

Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift: An Independent Woman’s Advice on Living within One’s Means by Kathleen Anderson
Reviewed by: Lori Twichell
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: April 2013

Do you like Jane Austen? Yeah. Me too. And I also tend to be somewhat of a…thrifty shopper. Before the advent of smart phones, I had been known to drive from store to store to find the best bargain before I would make a single purchase. So when I received an email about Jane Austen’s Guide to Thrift, I knew that I needed to have this book.

With precision, wit and a good bit of sense, Kathleen Anderson researches Jane Austen’s most famous characters and comes to the conclusion that not only the characters, but Jane herself, show themselves to be thrifty women who would be incredibly smart shoppers.

In this book you will find guides to:

*Clever investing
*Keeping up appearances on a budget
*Giving and receiving graciously
*Finding treasures at flea markets and church rummage sales
*Planning a party that only looks extravagant
*And more

Though some books (and films) have explored what would happen if Jane Austen or her characters were suddenly thrust into current society, none have taken this angle. Would Elizabeth Bennett have looked at a service like Match.com to find her perfect match? Would any of Austen’s characters have spent their time pouring over fashion magazines or spending $$ to get the right look?

With today’s economy, many people are looking to stretch budgets and tighten their belts. Kathleen Anderson offers tips on fashion, health…even relationships! All of the advice is taken from the actions, conversations and characteristics of our favorite Austen characters.

I enjoyed reading this. It’s a good reference guide and brings up many suggestions that I hadn’t considered previously and the best advice for how to implement them. With a fun sort of Austen-esque tone, the book takes you through all of your favorite Austen books and plotlines and delves into the characteristics of each – giving each one a specific set of ideals that would work in the modern world.

Even letters between Jane and her own sister are given the treatment, opening more ideas for ways that you can save money like Jane Austen would.

If you love Jane Austen or the regency period and you tend to be thrifty (or are looking for ways to be so), this is a great book for you!

Rated G: Nothing to worry about here!

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you!