In All Things by Shawna K Williams ~ 5 stars

In All Things

Shawna K Williams

Sequel to No Other

Desert Breeze Publishing

About the book:

Jakob and Meri's story continues...

Meredith Louis's Hollywood career is at a point of transition. No longer under Majestic Studios control, Meri is free to broaden her appeal as an actress and finally earn the recognition she desires.

Meri and Jakob return to their hometown for the holidays where Meri hopes to reconcile with her parents after a decade of silence. But after a disastrous encounter, Meri is plunged into turmoil as old fears resurface in unexpected ways.

Jakob, already dealing with unresolved family issues of his own, is further burdened by his inability to help his wife. Can he learn to step aside and trust God's plan.Will Meri recognize what she already has?

My review:
I loved how this book continued the story from No Other (which I loved, by the way). This story addressed issues in the relationship between Meri and Jacob, but also in their personal relationship with God. I loved how this story took place somewhere completely different form the first book! In was a cool change of pace.

One thing that I noticed was a lot of the things that happened between Meri and Jacob could have been avoided if they had just talked openly and honestly with each other. Communication is something that is really important to me personally so that made the book appeal to me even more.

The things that could be improved were mainly grammar issues. (Like putting question marks where they should not be. I noticed that frequently.) But, this was an ARC, so hopefully that won’t be in the final version. :)

I loved the twists and turns of the plot, and how Shawna kept Jacob’s family involved in this book as well. In all, I loved this book. The message was great and well done. Really, guys! This message is something we all need to hear. And not just hear, but really apply in our own lives. God is our all. He is the One we turn to first. Just great!

First Love by Michelle Sutton ~ 4 stars

First Love

Michelle Sutton

Tombstone Treasures series #2

Desert Breeze Publishing

About the book:

Josiah and Tara had enjoyed acting in their high school plays. They had also been each others' first lover... in fact; most of the time they'd spent together had been in Tara's bed. When Josiah became a Christian, he left Tara to go to college and didn't look back.

Four years later, Josiah is back in town when his father has a near-fatal heart attack. When they meet up again they realize how much their separation had hurt each of them. But now Tara is a Christian and is trying to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Josiah wants Tara back, but neither knows how to relate to each other without the physical intimacy they once shared. They are determined to do things right this time, but find it more challenging than they'd anticipated.

My review:
*Since my review copy was an ARC, some of the things mentioned in my review might not be the same as in the final version.*

First, I’m just going to say that I loved the subject that Michelle dealt with in this book. It is about two teens who had sex outside of marriage, then broke up. Later, they meet and are both Christians who want to renew their relationship, except this time do everything God’s way. I thought Michelle did a great job of portraying their struggle to stay pure and honor God with their relationship. To me, reading the book was kind of like hearing about some friends of mine who kept messing up, and I felt like I wanted to help them understand it and stay strong but couldn’t.

Some of the dialogue could be changed to follow more logical patterns. (Such as characters saying seemingly random things to make the dialogue go in a new direction.) But, that was pretty minor and could easily be fixed. For the most part, the character’s emotions were realistically done and there were only a few places where I felt like an emotion would come up that wasn’t warranted by the situation. However, that was pretty minor as well.

All in all, I really liked this book and its message about purity in relationships. It gave me some stuff to think about in terms of relationships and boundaries when dating. (Just a warning though, due to the subject matter and writing style of the author, there are some steamy scenes between the characters. I would not recommend this to younger teens.)

No Other by Shawna K Williams ~ 5 stars + Favorite!

No Other

Shawna K Williams

Desert Breeze Publishing

About the book:

In the aftermath of WWII all Jakob Wilheimer wants is to get over his pain, get on with life, and if at all possible, forgive those who've wronged his family -- including himself. But it's hard to do when there are constant reminders. One of them being his former schoolmate, now teacher, Meri Parker -- Miss Port Delamar Pearl, Mayor's daughter, Belle of the town -- Meri Parker.

After enduring the stigma and isolation associated with the internment camp, the awkwardness of going back to school should've been a cake walk. But Jakob didn't expect to find himself inexplicably drawn to Meri. Or to discover that the pain and loneliness of her life surpassed his own. She needed to be rescued from the domineering family seeking to control her life. And more than anything, he needed to be the one to save her.

My review:

Oh. My. Gosh. I was amazed at how much I loved this book. There were things that could use some work. Grammar, phrasing, and little things like that. But, the writing was so good and the story was so powerful that all of those things melted away. This story evoked so much emotion from me that towards the end I was literally gasping, flinging my hands around, and on the edge of my seat because I did not know what would happen next. This is an author to watch, because she will definitely be going places.

Michelle Sutton ~ Interview + Giveaway!

**I have recently changed the rules for entering my giveaways and there are new ways to earn extra entries, so be sure to read that section at the bottom of this post. =)**

Today author Michelle Sutton is telling us about her new ebook, In Plain Sight. She has offered a copy of her ebook to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Michelle! Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a mom with two boys who are graduating from high school this year. I'm excited and sad that they'll be leaving at the same time. Wait a minute, this comment is not about myself as a novelist. Switching gears here… I've written over a dozen novels (I actually lost count) and have a ton of books coming out in the next two years. I love writing, but used to dread it when I was in school. My husband and boys are very supportive of my writing. That's a wonderful feeling…. But I write too fast for them so they can't keep up with my stories, LOL!

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I've got 14 books in the lineup total so far. And if two proposals I've got pending are taken, that will add two more to the lineup. Sweet, eh? I started writing in August of 2003. I've come a long way, baby. I would not want anyone to read my original books. Ick.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
My writing is similar to Karen Kingsbury, Lisa Samson, and Julie Lessman, but honestly, it's totally me. My books have a bit more edge in the sense that I am not as constrained by the requirements from typical CBA publishers so I am able to be more frank with my readers. And as far as ratings go…my lowest would be PG, with my summer release getting up into the R- for restricted zone. I like them hot.

In your own words tell us a little about In Plain Sight.
This story is the sequel to Danger at the Door. I wanted to name it Danger at the Diner but the publisher said it made her think of food poisoning. Anyway, In Plain Sight is about Bojan's sister from Danger at the Door. Here is a mini-blurb…

Abused by her gypsy ex-boyfriend and left for dead, Jovana moves to America seeking a new life; two handsome men desire her heart, but she must choose the right one or end up in a situation much worse than before.

Back cover blurb:

Jovana was held captive by her gypsy boyfriend for seven years, and when he abandons her she returns to her parents' home in Macedonia. Her brother Bojan introduces her to faith and offers her a new life in Arizona.

While in Arizona, she stays with her future sister-in-law, but as her brother's wedding approaches he is concerned that she will be unsafe staying alone. Her brother has his close friend, her boss Randy, stay with her while they are away to protect her, only she objects to being treated like a child. A handsome stranger is pursuing her and she likes it, but she has no idea his intentions are for her destruction.

On the other hand her boss, Randy, is a wholesome, good man who even speaks her language. She can't imagine a nice man like him wanting a woman with her history, so she pursues the dangerous man, but she gets in way over her head. At the same time she discovers a surprising attraction to Randy developing, and because she is afraid of her feelings toward him, she does everything she can think of to scare him off. But he's tough to shake loose, which is, of course, exactly what she needs to heal.

Here is the link to my review of In Plain Sight.

What made you want to write this story?
I really enjoyed Bojan's story and wanted to write about his sister's healing process. They are a passionate and unique family. I love the cultural elements in this book, too.

What research did you have to do for this book?
Not too much. I still had my Macedonian/English translation that I used for some of the words. I had a ton of research I did for the first book and still had that info including info about the culture from people who came to the US from Macedonia and Albania. They helped a lot with the particulars.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

Jake Gyllenhaal would play the hero, Randy

And the heroine, Jovana, would be played by Leighton Meester

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I am working on the sequel to First Impressions. The title of the second book in the Tombstone Treasures series is First Love

How can readers get in contact with you?
My website is www.michellesutton.net and I give away a book a week (and post book reviews) on my blog which is…

http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/

and for people who like edgier fiction, I have a ning group with over 660 members (both authors and readers) and the link is…

http://edgychristianfictionlovers.ning.com/

What are you currently reading?
Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
That I sleep? Um, I dunno.

If you could be any animal, which would you choose? Why?
Probably a dog because then I could sit on the lap of people I think are awesome and I could get all snuggly. Just kidding. I'd just snuggle my husband, and I'd probably lick everyone else's ears. Kidding again.

FAVORITES:

Color?
Mauve

Childhood memory?
Too many to count. It was pretty cool when I won the high school spelling bee in the 5th grade, though. Except I beat the most popular girl in school whose dad had just died so everyone wanted her to win, including me.

Era to write about?
Modern day anything. I am too lazy to research history and I don't want to tick off the historical snobs by getting something wrong.

What is/was this book’s release date?
April 1st, 2010

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Yes, on Goodreads…

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/62534-in-plain-sight-april-1st-2010

~~~~~

**This giveaway is open to residents of any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an ebook copy of In Plain Sight!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment.

*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you would not like to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

+2 Read and leave a comment on one of my recent book reviews.

**You can earn a total of 4 entries if you do all of the above requirements. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries.**

*The contest will run from today (April 9) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (April 15). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 16th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Marrying Mallory by Diane Craver ~ 3/5 stars

Marrying Mallory

Diane Craver

Desert Breeze Publishing

About the book:

Is Mallory Harrington jinxed because her name means luckless? Things have gone wrong for Mallory since she was a small child. All she ever wanted was to have a complete family and live happily ever after. It appears she has it all when she marries Toby Harrington and they have a son. Unfortunately, their marriage ends when Toby has an affair with his law partner. After their divorce, Mallory feels guilt that she couldn't forgive Toby for his affair. As a Christian, she should be able to forgive him for his sin.

Mallory decides to do something for herself, and get a surgical procedure that she's always wanted. What she doesn't expect is her instant attraction to her surgeon.

Sometimes faith is about accepting what can’t be changed and grabbing what God offers her. Life must go on.

My review:
I’m giving this book a three star rating, because of a couple inconsistencies in the story and the sometimes random parts in the dialogue. However, I understand that when writing an 86 page book, you would have to compress stuff and sometimes have the characters say seemingly random things to cut down on size, while still bringing up important issues. I think that this has the potential to be a great story, if only Diane didn’t have to skip so many important moments to meet her word count, or whatever her cut-off was. I liked the story line and characters, just not that it was so short and compressed.

Michelle Sutton ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today, author Michelle Sutton is telling us about her new e-book, First Impressions. She has offered to send a copy to one lucky commenter, so keep reading to find out more info about this great book! **Note: If you don't have an e-reader, don't worry! You can read this book on your computer using Adobe.**

Welcome, Michelle! Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm an author and mother of two teen boys, 18 and 16 respectively. I've been married almost 20 years and have written about 13 books and started many others. I love to read and especially love to write. When I'm not doing those things I'm blogging and writing book reviews.

How long have you been writing?
I started writing in August 2003.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
Um, well, eh… Okay, I write PG-13 + Christian fiction. Lots of tension and kissing. I can't think of anyone I write a lot like in the Christian fiction realm except maybe Karen Kingsbury when it comes to drama. I don't write sweet romances, but I do like a heavy romance with deep spiritual lessons and themes.

In your own words tell us a little about First Impressions.
First Impressions is the first of three e-books in my Tombstone Treasures series. I have a cute video on youtube and my website that gives you a snapshot of the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5qq1n0LfKI

Blurb:

Sammie Carpenter understands how a uniform influences behavior. Wearing her Army fatigues puts her in the mindset of a soldier and donning her Class-A Uniform always helps her shift into Captain Mode. So what harm could come from her dressing like a saloon girl and strutting through the streets of Tombstone? She didn't know how to flirt to save her life, and she wasn't getting any younger.

When she met the lonesome stud cowboy, Jimmy, she knew he was the one. So why was their communication always so awkward? Couldn't he see that she was interested in him? No matter how hard she tried to win him over, she couldn't seem to get him to see past his first impression of her. But Sammie didn't give up easily. Somehow she would make him see that they were meant to be together, but how can she do that when all of her plans keep falling apart?

Read my review HERE.

What made you want to write this story?
This was actually the first story I ever wrote. Silly me, but I thought Love Inspired would want it. I had no clue about their rules back then. At any rate, I'd visited Tombstone during one of their Helldorado Days celebrations and thought about the people who acted different parts and how fun it would be to write a romantic story about their lives outside of Tombstone.

What research did you have to do for this book?
The research was easy. My oldest son is graduating from Tombstone High School so I have access to the town at any time. I took all of the pictures for both of my book video trailers with my camera phone.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

I'd have Jessica Simpson play Sammie because she has the body for it and the pretty brown eyes. Plus, she has the vixen look.

And Chace Crawford would star as Jimmy. He's got that wholesome smile and the right features.

What are you working on now or going to write next?

I'm am wrapping up the sequel to Danger at the Door and it's called In Plain Sight and releases in April 2010.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Go to my website www.michellesutton.net to find out more or write to me at michelle@michellesutton.net

What are you currently reading?
In the Arms of Immortals by Ginger Garrett.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
My mother was a nun before she met my father.

If you could be any animal, which would you choose? Why?
Probably a puppy because I'm always into something.

FAVORITES:
TV show, and/or movie?
I don't watch TV much so I'd say my favorite movie is Charlotte Gray.

Place to go on vacation?
I like beaches. Anything with beautiful landscaping.

Book this year or month? Why?
I've read about a hundred books. That's a tough question. The last book I read and loved was Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Nope. But there is an excerpt on this page…

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-53/%3Ci%3ETombstone-Treasures-Book-One-cln-%3C-fdsh-i%3E/Detail.bok

First Impressions releases today!

~~~~~

**This giveaway is open to any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win a copy of Michelle Sutton's new e-book, First Impressions!

To enter:
*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (Jan. 1) until 10:30 CST on Thursday (Jan. 7). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 8th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

First Impressions by Michelle Sutton ~ 5/5 stars + Favorite

First Impressions

Michelle Sutton

Tombstone Treasures, #1

Desert Breeze Publishing

*E-Book*

About the book:

Sammie Carpenter understands how a uniform influences behavior. Wearing her Army fatigues puts her in the mindset of a soldier and donning her Class-A Uniform always helps her shift into Captain Mode. So what harm could come from her dressing like a saloon girl and strutting through the streets of Tombstone? She didn't know how to flirt to save her life, and she wasn't getting any younger.

When she met the lonesome stud cowboy, Jimmy, she knew he was the one. So why was their communication always so awkward? Couldn't he see that she was interested in him? No matter how hard she tried to win him over, she couldn't seem to get him to see past his first impression of her. But Sammie didn't give up easily. Somehow she would make him see that they were meant to be together, but how can she do that when all of her plans keep falling apart?

My review:

First of all, I want to say that this is definitely for mature teens and up. This is very steamy and not to be read by younger people. But, the message in this book is priceless. First Impressions so completely stresses the importance of handling relationships God’s way that it will make you examine yourself and your walk with the Lord. Michelle is one of those authors that really touches you because she understands the importance of being real. Yes, the book is fiction and fun to read, but it deals with real issues that are usually not addressed in such a straight-forward, understandable way. There are consequences for doing things our way instead of God’s. Not because He gets angry and decides to ruin our life since we didn’t do what He told us to, but because God’s way is best. He created us and He knows how we work. When we follow His guidelines, it keeps us from ruining our own lives. I loved this book and think that Sutton is just getting better and better as a writer. I look forward to seeing the amazing ways that God will continue to use her writing to reach people.

**Come back this Friday when Michelle Sutton will be giving away a copy of this e-book**

Angel with a Ray Gun by Deborah Kinnard ~ 4/5 stars

Angel with a Ray Gun

Deborah Kinnard

Desert Breeze Publishing

About the book:

Matt Greenlee has managed to mix an active ministry with his secret life as a science fiction writer. When he's assigned a new -- female -- editor, Matt senses disaster. What sort of damage will she do his next bestseller? And once he sees her, he wonders what kind of damage she could do to his heart.

AJ Mercer edits books for a living, and she's good at it. But, Pastor Matt is a challenge as an author, and as a man, even more so. Her wingy, crystal-power, anything-goes mother advises her to go with the flow. AJ's offbeat upbringing has left her wary of both Christianity and men, but she's attracted to her client. The gloves are off -- his biases versus her need for success.

When these two mix it up over a book, can they find happiness, either loving or literary?

My review:

Angel with a Ray Gun is unlike anything I've ever read. Congrats to Kinnard on the original and out-of-the-box plot. Matt is a likeable character with lots of love to offer. A.J. grew up with a hippie mom, and no father, which has caused her to struggle with some areas in life. I really liked reading their story. However, I was ready to shoot some of those church Elders, which is probably unchristian of me, but cannot be helped. I hate characters that go on power-trips, think they know everything, refuse to listen to reason and are in general completely illogical, unreasonable people. Okay, I’m done ranting. The conflict was resolved very nicely though, with the “bad guy” playing a part (though forced) in the fixing of the problem, which I liked. I also thought that A.J.’s real name was absolute genius! I laughed out loud. I really liked the ending too! It was a great way to finish the book.

Danger at the Door by Michelle Sutton ~ 4/5 stars

Danger at the Door

by Michelle Sutton

Desert Breeze Publishing

August 1, 2009

About the book:

Upon her fiancé's death, Laney became a recluse who only left her home for emergencies. She managed to survive - barely - on food delivery service and her work-at-home job. When she tries to move on from her grief, the commemorative meal she orders is ruined. However, it leads to an unlikely friendship with an attractive man, Bojan, who speaks little English.

As he befriends Laney he continually says the wrong things, but he doesn't give up trying to win her trust. Meanwhile, she has this strange feeling of being watched and wonders if she's losing her mind.

Complicating things further, every time she leaves her house something bad happens, confirming that she is safer at home. Can Bojan convince Laney she'll be safe with him, or will his presence put her in further danger? Will he be able to protect the woman he loves before it's too late?

My review:
Danger at the Door was really good. I’m giving it 4 stars not because the story was in any way lacking, but because I wish it could have been a little longer, and the crisis a little more drawn-out. I don’t normally read suspense, but this was not too scary, even for me. It isn’t horror at all. This was very different from her other book “Its Not About Me”, as that one is written more toward teens, and this one more toward adults. Though, any age group older teen and up can relate to Sutton’s books, I believe. The romance in this book was more warm/sweet than her other book, though, in typical Sutton-style, she has one very romantic kiss. It seemed to me like the actual conflict with the stalker was a little rushed, but that might be because I was imagining all kinds of long, horrible battles in my mind. I loved Bojan! He is hilarious, and I loved how she used their communication barrier to create funny, awkward, and other kinds of situations throughout the book. Laney’s fears were dealt with in a very unique way, and she is also an amazing character. One thing I love about Sutton’s books is that she always includes God. He becomes another character in the story, not just a deity casually mentioned whenever she thought she had not done so in a while. In our real lives, it should be they same way. He should be a main character, comfortable and familiar. Sutton did a great job of showing everyone’s need for God, while not shoving “religion” down people’s throats.