A Stitch in Time

A Stitch in Time
By: Cathy Marie Hake, Tracy V. Bateman, Vickie McDonough, Carol Cox

I love books that give a lot of family dynamics. This book reminds me of Lori Wick's Rocky Mountain Memories and A Place Called Home series (which I also highly recommend and will be reviewing sometime in the near future). You get to know everyone in the family and their own unique personalities and interests. This book is easy to read and very enjoyable.

A family of 3 young men, 1 young lady and their grandmother who are very set in their ways have their world turned upside down by the 4 soon-to-be additions. Micah is very set in his ways and doesn't like change. He also doesn't think Deborah can survive in No Man's Land, but she is a much stronger woman than she's given credit for.

Louisa (Lou) falls in love with 2 very special boys and is quite attracted to their guardian, as well. A surprising match for sure!

Josh feels bad for a boy and his sick grandfather that he finds camping on Stafford land. This teenage boy has a big secret and it isn't long before Josh finds out what it is.

Sam, being the last one left is constantly being matched up with the few women available in No Man's Land. The whole town comes together to get him together with the most likely candidate.

The only thing I didn't like was that 'stitchery' is not really a major theme carried throughout.


Back of the Book:

Raised in No Man's Land - a wide-open tract west of the Oklahoma territory - the Stafford siblings stitch together a legacy of faith and family history. But each one struggles to recognize the arrival of true love:

• Micah can't imagine falling for the refined visitor from the East who "can't ride a horse or shoot a gun."
• Louisa, a tomboy, almost loses a chance at love by trading her holster for ribbons and bows.
• Josh is surprised to find the "young man" he rescued is actually Rachel Donovan, disguised to survive the harsh pioneer terrain.
• Sam takes a closer look - through God-colored spectacles - and discovers a sweet, soft spirit in his bumbling bride-to-be.

In spite of the prejudices, false assumptions, and misleading disguises, God can tie up the loose threads of these lives and bestow His own plan - the unexpected perfection of love.

Eretzel

This month, CFRB is proud to present "Eretzel" by William McGrath

Synopsis:

The story continues where Asulon, the first book in The Sword of Fire
series, left off. The travelers: Prince Daniel of Asulon, the grim
swordmaster Moor, the traveling priest and wise man Simon and princess
Rachel of Eretzel have escaped from the evil Antiochus, Emperor of
Unicornia and slayer of Anak, last of the Earthbound angels.
They sail for Eretzel, the land where East meets West and where the
nations of the earth will gather for war. Also aboard the ship are the
Anakim, the giant sons of Anak. They have sworn vengeance upon the
murderer of their father. But can a being who has slain an angel be
killed by mere giants?

Eretzel sits at the crossroads of the earth, between the merchants of
the West, the warriors of the North, the vast and hungry populations
of the East and the gold-rich lands of the South. Antiochus desires to
rule the world and his path to conquest runs through Eretzel.



My Thoughts:

This series is a great way to get teenagers and adults interested in the history of the Bible as well as the prophecy; mixing a lot of history in the Bible into the setting of the end times in Revelation. Antiochus, the Antichrist is trying to take over the world and Daniel of Asulon is trying to stop him. With him is the princess (whom he loves), his uncles (the Anakim), the priest (Simon), and his instructor (Moor). Join Daniel as he strives to do what Yeshua commands and overcome the evil forces.

An amazing amount of research was put into the making of this series. William McGrath has an amazing way of making biblical times come to life in the readers mind. His word pictures really help you see in your mind what the creatures and places he's describing look like.

For more information visit William's website, The Sword of Fire.

For more information, check out the following this week:

Veterans Way

Veterans Way
By: Robin Lee Hatcher

It was great to read a book about an older couple. A lot of us feel the same way that Stephanie and Jimmy's children feel about older people getting married. We only talk about love among teenagers and people in their twenties. It was refreshing to experience an older, more mature love in a book.

I also love small town charm. I have such a vivid picture in my mind of the diner that they eat at and the beautiful old homes they live in. Robin did such a great job of putting you right in the midst of their lives. I recommend this book and look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Inside Cover of the Book:
Jimmy Scott just moved back to his hometown of Hart's Crossing. And it's just as he remembered. Then he bumps into an old friend-Stephanie Watson, a childhood sweetheart he had once planned on marrying. As forgotten memories flood back, James wonders what might have happened if he hadn't left for the war in Korea. Was it possible that he could still have feeling for this woman?

Stephanie Watson loves this sleepy little town on the plains of Southern Idaho. Between the Thimbleberry Quilting Club, trips to the hair parlor, and her grandchildren, she's kept pretty busy. While surprised by Jimmy's return, she enjoys reminiscing about the good times they had. But could this friendship be turning into something more? And could Stephanie possibly be so lucky as to fall in love with the same man twice?

Blind Dates

Blind Dates
By:Kristen Billerbeck, Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, and Bev Huston

I just want to start by saying - I love grandma's!! They always mean well, but we don't always appreciate their methods. In this book a grandma cares about her 4 granddaughters very much and wants to see them happily married, as she was. So, she does what she can to set them up with a perfect blind date. However, most people including Melissa, Chelsea, Callie and Mattie, don't like to go on blind dates. All 4 resist, but eventually grandma gets what she wants and the adventures begin.

Get something hot to drink and enjoy!! I hadn't read any books of this sort until a couple of months ago and now I love them! When there are 4 shorter stories to read it somehow makes time pass so much faster. Before you know it you're done. They were all easy to read and enjoyable. I love the common thread and how each story takes a different route with twists and turns that we can all relate to. I highly recommend this book!

Back of the Book:
Mattie Stevens has forgotten about Jeff Weatherly. After all, its' been years since the two were an item. . . but Grandma certainly remembers. What can Mattie do when Jeff returns to town and Grandma pushes her back toward "the one who got away"?

As a successful interior designer, Callie's tired of men who pursue her for her money. . .so she's said good-bye to love. But Grandma insists she go on just one date with a particular architect-after all, he doesn't like "hard-headed" businesswomen! Will love unexpectedly enter their plans?

When Grandma's latest "eligible young man" skips the blind date Chelsea agreed to, Chelsea send a poisonous e-mail before learning what actually happened. Later, when his company renovates her apartment, she meets the man and finds attraction building. How can seh win his heart. . . without divulging her secret of the ugly e-mail?

Melissa puts on a wild woman act to drive off the latest blind date Grandma's arranged. But wait-who's that guy waiting for her in the living room? Will in-line skates help her get on track with the right man?

Don't miss these charming stories of reluctant romance, spurred by a grandma who knows God has a perfect love for each of her four granddaughters.

Vengeance

Vengeance
by: Donna Dawson

FBI agent James Kirk Benedict (yes, that is his name, Star Trek fans) goes on what he believes will be a relaxing vacation. He ends up in the middle of a case fearing for his own life, as well as all those on board the cruise ship. Dr. Julie Holding, James' girlfriend, is back on land trying to help a little girl James saved in his last case while trying not to worry about him. The agency is working very hard to help James figure out who is behind the mysterious murders and bring him back safely. This book will certainly keep you guessing!

Vengeance is a great mix of mystery and romance. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next while giving you the satisfaction of a well-written romance. The book was definitely well-researched. Her characters come alive as you experience life right along side of them. There is a good amount of history from the Vietnam War that puts what you learned in school on a much more personal level.

The underlying message of the book is definitely that vengeance is not ours for the taking. Donna does a great job of including this message without overpowering her readers.

Romans 12:19&21 "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. . .Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. "

Back of the Book:
FBI agent James Benedict thought he was going on vacation. He thought he would have two weeks of relaxation and rest aboard the cruise ship bound for Hawaii. But he was wrong. Within hours of setting sail, a passenger dies, covered in horrendous boils that have eaten deep into flesh and bone. When another dies of the same strange condition, it is feared that a virus has been let loose. James is the only one who can find out if there is a connection between the select few chosen to die--if he doesn't die himself.

Dr. Julie Holding struggles to focus on her own FBI-appointed tasks while the man she loves is stuck in the Pacific aboard a floating time bomb. Little does she know that she, too, will become embroiled in the conspiracy and intrigue that has taken hold of the ship and its passengers.

Vengeance will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover the atrocities hidden in the pages of history and the struggle to keep faith and focus in a crazy world.

Visit the author's website: Donna Dawson

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