Friday, July 31, 2009

Gone with the Groom


Gone with the Groom
By: Janice A Thompson


I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. I love to find out if I'm right - and this time I was!! Granted, she had me guessing and unsure at times, but in the end my gut was right. I love it when that happens!

Unlike the first one in the series, this one does not have too much self-talk. There was nothing about this story that seemed to bog you down. It is a pleasant book to read that you will have lots of trouble putting down!


Back of the Book:
The Pleasure of Your Company Is Requested at
Prewedding Mayhem and Mystery
Annie Peterson's daughter Brandi is getting hitched. But there's a glitch: Scott, the groom-to-be, has disappeared--and just two weeks before the wedding! Have cold feet prompted the fiance to take flight, or are more sinister forces at work? Surely Annie can solve the riddle and get the groom to the church on time. But who could be behind this disappearing caper?

Perhaps Scott's college buddies have carried him off as a practical joke, with plans to return him just in time for the big day. Or maybe it's MKinley Pharmaceuticals, looking for information about the drug Scott's working on. But then again, it could be Otis, Scott's deadbeat dad, who's only recently resurfaced. Yet the shifty Malcolm Pfifer, local wedding photographer, could definitely be a suspect. But then so could the "political enemies" of Scott's mother, Nadine Cunningham.

Suspects abound as Annie, with the help of her wackie friend Sheila, begins to search for clues. Will she recover the missing groom before it's too late? Or will she suffer "regrets only"?




Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Wedding Caper



The Wedding Caper
By: Janice A Thompson



I really liked the theory of this book, but got bogged down with how it was done. You are put into the mind of this woman who decides she needs to figure out who committed a crime at the local bank. Her first suspect is her husband, which adds a lot of drama to the Peterson household. Annie Peterson considers everyone a suspect until proven otherwise. Along the way she meets some great people and learns some very important lessons.

While there is a great story-line, her constant worry and self-talk are a bit of a bummer at times. Janice Thompson did a great job with the 'who done it?'. I really didn't have it figured out completely until she revealed it at the end.


Back of the Book:

When a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson has reason to be concerned - and to assume the role of amateur sleuth. Her husband's job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can't imagine him guilty of a misdemeanor, much less a felony. Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in.

Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals, and two weddings are pending. Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than, doesn't she?

Just about the time Annie things she can wriggle Warren off the suspect hook, he shows up with enough cash to cover the cost of both weddings.

Annie dives into the investigation, and the suspects pile up. One by one they fall, leaving her with only one logical choice. Who will it be: a somber-faced loan officer, a security guard with a shady past, a drifter with local ties - or the man she loves.




Friday, July 10, 2009

The Light Across the River





The Light Across the River
By: Stephanie Reed


This book is the sequel to Across the Wide River. This time Stephanie focused on the seventh Rankin child, Johnny. Johnny likes to tell people stories and doesn't understand why his family can't tell about how they are helping so many people. He doesn't fully understand the danger involved with the slave hunters. At one point his family sends him to Cincinnati for school, but while he's there he tells one of the biggest secrets the Rankin family has ever had to keep.

I love how she told this story through the eyes of a child and the eyes of a slave. Experiencing everything right along side them and putting yourself in their shoes gives a new light to this time in history.

This book is not just a book about slavery, but it also can be an encouragement to people going through hard times. Eliza led a hard life, but her trust in the Lord, determination, and strong will ended up saving her whole family from slavery. Given the many obstacles that they faced this was truly a miracle.

There are always important lessons to learn as you grow up and Johnny's major lesson was learning when to speak and when to keep quiet. As well as building trust in his relationships with other people. Not always an easy thing - no one likes to feel like they aren't trusted, but as he grew up and helped his father God was able to use Johnny Rankin in amazing ways. And because of him Eliza's story will be remembered for years to come. The woman he talked to was Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

I highly recommend these books. Stephanie has quickly become a favorite on my list of authors.


Back of the Book:
Why couldn't Father see how wrong
it was to keep quiet? It seemed so
simple to Johnny. If only people
could know how horrible slavery
was! If only they knew the great
risks men took to be free!

It's 1837 and the Rankin home continues to be a beacon of freedom along the Underground Railroad. Johnny, the seventh of the thirteen Rankin children, is eager to help his family in their fight for freedom, but his father and his older brother, Lowry, tell him he is too young to keep a secret as important as the Underground Railroad. Johnny knows he should keep his mouth shut, but he cares so much about what his family does that he can't keep quiet.

Finally, Johnny is called upon to help a woman escape to freedom. Will Eliza reach the North, or has Johnny let the wrong secret slip out at the wrong time? The intense and touching sequel to Across the Wide River offers another glimpse into a dark period of America's past, and profiles the courageous and godly people who helped bring slavery to an end.


About the Author, Stephanie Reed:

During her childhood, Stephanie Reed’s family would often pass through Ripley on their way to her grandparents’ home. The signs she read there about the Rankin house were what prompted her to write this story. After working for nearly a decade with the Dayton Metro Library, Stephanie is currently a volunteer spotter for the National Weather Service. She lives with her husband and two children, in Dublin, Ohio.


Author Website: www.homeschoolblogger.com/Stef--


Publishers Website: http://store.kregel.com/searchproducts.cfm







Monday, July 6, 2009

Across the Wide River





Across the Wide River
By: Stephanie Reed


I love learning more about history in story format. Something to make it real to me. That is exactly what author Stephanie Reed has done in this book by putting you into the mind of a child and getting his perspective. That made this story very interesting and captivating. My favorite part was when he found out about his family being part of the Underground. He actually helped a slave escape without knowing it!

As Lowry grows up he shares his family's views of slavery, but isn't so sure that he is cut out to be an abolishionist preacher like his father. He even goes to seminary just to return home shortly after very tired and very discouraged. Lowry doesn't realize just how much he has done for the Lord and thinks that God could never use him even though He has been for years.

This book is an encouragment to those who feel that they can't do anything for the Lord. Sometimes God is using us and we don't even realize it because we have our focus on the wrong thing. Keep in tune with the Lord and keep your eyes open for how you can help Him. God is at work all around us, we just need to join Him.


Stay tuned for a review of the sequel "The Light Across the River".


Back of the Book:

Freedom.
Some take it for granted.
Others consider it worth dying for.

Lowry Rankin knows all too well the cost of freedom; after all, his family's red brick home is the first stop on the Underground Railroad north of the Ohio River.

He's seen friends beaten for the color of their skin. He's watched simple farmers make a difference. He's even risked his own life transporting escaped slaves to the next "station". But will Lowry be able to conquer his greatest fear when he's called to speak out?


About Author, Stephanie Reed:

During her childhood, Stephanie Reed’s family would often pass through Ripley on their way to her grandparents’ home. The signs she read there about the Rankin house were what prompted her to write this story. After working for nearly a decade with the Dayton Metro Library, Stephanie is currently a volunteer spotter for the National Weather Service. She lives with her husband and two children, in Dublin, Ohio.

Author Website: www.homeschoolblogger.com/Stef--

Publishers Website: http://store.kregel.com/searchproducts.cfm



Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.