CSFF August Blog Tour ~ A Cast of Stones Day 1

A Cast of Stones
The Staff and The Sword Book 1
By Patrick W. Carr

A Cast of Stones is Errol Stone's story.  It opens with a young man who is a drunk and has been since he was 14 years old.  A tragic lost destroyed him and his image of himself and he turned to ale.  But when a simple task of delivering a message turns into a life and death struggle Errol's life is about to change forever.

In a series of events that threaten to end his life early Errol manages to survive.  But the question top-most on the minds of those most closely related to this lost young man is why would anyone be targeting him. Of what importance is Errol Stone an orphan with no skills but drinking ale?

But each experience strengthens Errol and allows him to grow as a person.  But this is how all experiences in our lives should be - moments of trial should allow us to grow, to be refined.  A Cast of Stones actually brought to mind two songs The Refiner's Fire and the following lines:

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from my sin

Deep within

The second song is Find Us Faithful and the following lines:

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

A Cast of Stones is a fantastic series debut and it left me wanting to read book 2 The Hero's Lot which I can happily say I am doing.  Come back tomorrow for more CSFF Blog Tour insights.


I was provided a copy of A Cast of Stones in exchange for my honest review and for this blog tour.

Get a free eBook of A Cast of Stones here until August 31st!

Be sure to check out all the tour participants who will be posting throughout the 3 day (Aug 26-28) CSFF Blog Tour!

Julie Bihn   Jennifer Bogart   Keanan Brand   Beckie Burnham 

Jeff Chapman   Laure Covert   Pauline Creeden   Emma or Audrey Engel 

April Erwin   Nikole Hahn   Jason Joyner   Carol Keen 

Krystine Kercher   Shannon McDermott   Meagan @ Blooming with Books 

Rebecca LuElla Miller   Writer Rani   Nathan Reimer   Chawna Schroeder 

Jojo Sutis   Steve Trower   Phyllis Wheeler   Rachel Wyant

You can buy the first 2 books of The Staff and The Sword series at the following 

A Cast of Stones    The Hero’s Lot 

Be sure to check-out author Patrick Carr's Website 

The Candle Classic Bible ~ Review

The Candle Classic Bible
Retold in 365 Stories

The Candle Classic Bible is a condensed version of the Bible that would make a perfect gift for a new reader who wants to read through the Bible in a year.  No this is not an in depth exhaustive Bible, but it is one that will appeal to the 7 - 10 year old who wants to read the Bible and not get hung up in some of the more confusing aspects (such as the detailed laws of Israel and multiple names for people and places).

Opening with Creation and ending with John's vision on Patmos your child will be introduced to all the major points of the Bible in an easily understandable book.  Days 1 through 260 cover the Old Testament.  Day 261 touches on the time between the Testaments.  And Day 262 through 365 covers the New Testament with Day 262 to 337 focusing on the Gospel message.

This Bible would be perfect for a gift (birthday, Christmas, or Confirmation/ First Communion) or for family daily devotions.  With illustrations on most pages The Candle Classic Bible is sure to capture even the youngest reader's attention.

I was provided a copy of this title by Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: A Bible story for every day-365 of the best-loved Bible stories fully illustrated in a classic style will become favorites for children and parents alike, with each story divided into easy-to-read sections with the day, heading, and Scripture reference. Children are encouraged to spend family time together reading a new story each day.

Old Testament: From the Story of Creation to Isaac, from Joseph to Ruth, from Job to David, from Elisha to the Prophets.

New Testament: From John the Baptist to the story of Jesus, to the story of the Apostles, to John's Vision of Heaven.

Grace's Pictures ~ Review

Grace's Pictures
An Ellis Island Novel
By Cindy Thomson

America is Grace McCaffery's opportunity for a new life.  An opportunity to get out of the workhouse.  An opportunity to bring her mother to America.  But first Grace needs to get a job and start earning money so she can free her mother from the man she married.  But a workhouse upbringing hasn't prepared her for life in America.

With the help of an immigrant outreach group Grace has a chance at the new life promised her.  Soon Grace is employed by a family as a nanny/housekeeper.  As Grace adjusts to this new life she takes an interest in photography.  When Kodak comes out with its $1.00 Brownie camera, this may be the opportunity that Grace has been hoping for.

But this interest soon places Grace right in the path of danger when she starts taking pictures.  Policeman Owen McNulty is determined to help Grace and other newly arrived immigrants from the dangers that are infiltrating the city.  But Grace has a deep seated fear and distrust of police.  But when trouble finds Grace can she determine who she can trust before it is too late?  Or will she lose those she has come to care for in America too?

Grace's Pictures is a well-written historical fiction that brings the plight of the newly arrived to light.  Seeking a better life many immigrants were trapped in a life of drudgery and poverty from the moment they sent foot in New York City.  When the very people assigned to protect them take part in this extortion or look the other way and system of mistrust took hold, but there were those who sought to right the wrongs in the city and Grace's Pictures shares this effort.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.  


About the Book:
Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.

Blowing on Dandelions ~ Review

Blowing on Dandelions
Love Blossoms in Oregon Book 1
By Miralee Ferrell

Katherine Galloway has been making a life for herself and her daughters Lucy and Amanda in the 3 years since her husband's death.  But when her mother decides that Katherine needs her help Katherine is about to get more than she can possibly handle on her own!  All Katherine really wants from her mother is her love and respect, is that too much to ask?

Looking to make a fresh start widower Micah Jones has just recently moved to Baker City, Oregon with his son Zachary.  Micah is angry with God, blaming him for the pain and loses that he has experienced starting with his wife's death.

When Katherine and Micah meet they are drawn to one another, but neither is interested in pursuing romance or the possibility of a second marriage.  Complicating this situation is the "friendship" of Lucy and Zachary.  Throw in Katherine's overbearing mother and a house full of boarders and you're just asking for some overblown misunderstandings.

Blowing on Dandelions looks at how families deal with their disappointments and losses.  Our faith in God goes a long way in determining how we face the challenges of life and and how we respond to those around us.  Respecting and honoring our parents is important but the same is true for how parents deal with their own children.

There is an unexpected depth to Blowing on Dandelions that is hidden within the covers.  A valuable lesson to look beneath the surface of a person's personality to see the true person is wrapped up in a delightfully entertaining story.  I for one look forward to reading the future installments of this series and learning more about the people of Baker City, Oregon.

I was provided a copy of this title by the the publisher David C. Cook and BookFun.org in exchange for my honest review.


Do Dandelion Wishes Actually Come True?

Katherine Galloway knew this moment of calm wouldn’t last, blown away like the dandelion seeds she scattered as a girl. In 1880, three years after her husband’s death, she struggles to run an Oregon boardinghouse and raise two girls alone. Things don't get easier when her critical, domineering mother moves in. Katherine must make the situation work, but standing up for herself and her family while honoring her mother isn't easy. And with a daughter entering the teenage years, the pressure on Katherine becomes close to overwhelming. Then she crosses paths with Micah Jacobs, a widower who could reignite her heart, but she fears a relationship with him might send things over the edge. She must find the strength, wisdom, hope, and faith to remake her life, for everything is about to change.

About Miralee Ferrell

I love life, love my family, love writing and reading and riding, LOL~ did you catch that? Riding my horse, that is, and sailing with my husband, reading other awesome books by Christian authors and puttering in my garden are all ways I relax. I often have my little 6 lb Chihuahua, Lacey, on my lap when I'm working--there's nothing like a warm ball of love on your lap to act as a stress reliever!

First and foremost I'm a child of God and daughter of the King. I've been involved in women's ministries for years, and serve on staff at our small church. I'm married to a wonderful man, have two grown children, two cats, two dogs and an Arabian mare. We live about 9 miles from the nearest town on 11 acres, in a peaceful setting surrounded by trees.

I started writing shortly after I turned 50, and discovered I loved it so much I don't want to stop. I have six books out & a 7th releasing June, 2013, the first in a three-book series. I write both women's contemporary fiction and historical romance. One of my Western romances, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, was awarded the Will Rogers Medallion for Western Fiction.

Welcome to Last Chance ~ Review

Welcome to Last Chance
A Place to Call Home Book 1
By Cathleen Armstrong

When Lainie Davis decides to leave her life in California behind and get a new start in El Paso, the last thing she expected was getting stranded in Last Chance, New Mexico.  But a dead car in the middle of nowhere town called Last Chance seems about Lainie's luck.

But Lainie is about to experience something she never expected - a town full of caring people.  But does Lainie want to become part of a town where everyone knows what you are doing before you do.  Or does she want to get lost in a big city where no one knows or cares about you?

But Last Chance won't leave Lainie alone as they take her in by offering her a home, a job, and friendship.  But after spending a lifetime of never being able to trust or rely on anyone Lainie isn't sure what to make of Last Chance.  But as the town and some of the residents start to make in-roads in Lainie's life, she worries that her past may catch up with her.

Last Chance reminds me a little of the town where I live, though not so out in the middle of nowhere.  It is the kind of place you wish you could say born and raised here.  I enjoyed Welcome to Last Chance and in fact stayed up late to read just one more chapter and instead finished the book.  I'm looking forward to future installments in this series.  Lainie reminds me of some people I've known - hurting people who are searching for something more.  Welcome to Last Chance is a book of hope and great series debut.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About

She's learned you can't count on anyone--but she didn't count on landing in Last Chance.
The red warning light on her car dashboard may have driven Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico, but as she meets the people who make this one-horse town their home, it's her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life--especially since she's on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.

Yet in spite of herself, Lainie is increasingly drawn into the small-town dramas and to a handsome local guy with a secret of his own. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?

Death be not Proud ~ Review

Death Be Not Proud
The Secret of the Journal Book 2
By C.F. Dunn

Emma D'Eresby has returned to England with her parents where she seems to be almost in a stupor as she tries to make sense of both Matthew and what occurred in Maine.  As Emma searches for answers she comes across evidence that points to Matthew being even more unique than she first thought.

When Emma sends Matthew a cryptic message she fears that she has driven him away.  But to her surprise Matthew shows up in England and wants her to return to Maine and celebrate Christmas with his family as they had planned.  Emma agrees to this plan, but before they spend the holiday with Matthew's family they speak of what Emma has discovered and its impact on their present and possible future together.

I have to say the first part of the book seemed to drag as Emma dealt with the mental fallout of her experience and her parents were on the verge of having her committed.  But the second half picked up after Matthew came on the scene.  I would definitely urge the reader to read book 1 - Mortal Fire before read this book as it will help the reader's understanding of the book.  This is not to say you have to read the first book, but it is highly recommended for your comprehension.  And who wants to start a series part way into it? 

I was provided a copy of this book by Kregel in exchange for my honest review.


About the book: 
Following the vicious attack by a psychotic colleague, and reeling from the suspicion that Matthew Lynes is not all that he seems, Professor Emma D'Eresby flees her college teaching position in Maine to her hometown in England--taking the mysterious seventeenth--century journal she stole from the college's archives with her.

Broken physically and emotionally, Emma drifts until, fearing for their daughter's sanity, her parents invite a family friend to assess her. In the course of their conversation, Emma discovers that he spoke to Matthew over thirty years before.

This finally spurs her into action and soon, when she finds what certainly must be a reference to Matthew in the journal, she begins to understand Matthew's profound secret.

But when Matthew arrives to confess his love for her, she must decide if she can trust him--and he must decide if he can share his extraordinary secret with her. Drawn by a deep connection that both feel but don't quite understand they find they must set aside their doubts and trust each other.

Readers will be thrilled by the second installment in The Secret of the Journal from British author C. F. Dunn. Mixing suspense, romance, and the supernatural, Death Be Not Proud explores the profound moral implications of a life seemingly invulnerable to time.

Captives ~ Review

Captives

The Safe Lands 1

By Jill Williamson

Levi is the favored son of Justin of Elias.  He is to marry for love.  He is a hunter.  He can go on scavenging trips to Denver City.  And he has earned the respect of his father, something that his younger brothers cannot do no matter how hard they try.

Mason has decided that trying to earn his father's respect and trust is an impossible tasks though he tries his best to please him.  But Omar is determined to win it no matter what the cost, but does he know how much he is going to pay?

The Safe Lands were designed to protect the people from a plague, but what was to be a safety has turned into an even greater danger.  The city is the plague and there is no way to stop it or to save the city without drastic measures.  And Omar and the people of Glenrock may be the Safe Lands last hope.

Omar in an act of betrayal destroys Glenrock and rips Jemma and Levi apart just days before their marriage.  Can Levi find a way to get within the city and free those who have been taken against their will?  

The ease of life in the Safe Lands is a powerful draw, but is the loss of their freedom and the chance of becoming infected a reasonable trade?  But the Safe Lands is home to people whose wild ways may have lead to the plague's spread through what was suppose to be a fortress of safety from the plague.   

Mason has been put in a position within the Safe Lands where he is able to study the problem of the plague up close.  Can he use the skills he developed in Glenrock and stop the plague?  Can he bring hope where there is none or will it merely be false hope?

As Mason struggles to cure the plague and to save the people of Glenrock from forced surrogacy, Levi is working on a plan of escape.  Meanwhile Omar is falling into all that the Safe Lands has to offer in an attempt to hide from his guilt over what went wrong with his grand plan.  

If you liked the Hunger Games or The Sky Chasers series but wanted books that offered something more you will love Captives.  Captives has a belief in something more than self and learning to accept the person God made you to be.  Captives will tug at your heart as you experience the unhappiness that fills the Safe Lands.  The only problem I have is now I have to wait until book 2 is published!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  

Link to book map.

 

About the book:

One choice could destroy them all.

When eighteen-year-old Levi returned from Denver City with his latest scavenged finds, he never imagined he’d find his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many—including his fiancée, Jem–taken captive. Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.

Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Land has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago … and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar’s dreams.

Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only his people, but also find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone inside the Safe Lands.

Can Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Land’s façade before it’s too late?