Portrait of Vengeance

Carrie Stuart Parks is an award-winning fine artist and internationally known forensic artist. She teaches forensic art courses to law enforcement professionals and is the author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing. Carrie began to write fiction while battling breast cancer and was mentored by New York Times bestselling author Frank Peretti.  Now in remission, she continues to encourage other women struggling with cancer.

Connect with Carrie on her website: CarrieStuartParks.com

You can also follow her on Facebook:  CarrieStuartParksAuthor and Twitter: @CarrieParks

An unsolved case.
A tempest of memories.
The future's at stake - and time is running out...

Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details keep surfacing that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas.  She doesn't believe in coincidences.  So what's going on here?

No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai.  Gwen finds herself an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation even more difficult.  The questions keep piling up, but answers are slow in coming - and the clock is ticking for a missing little girl.  Meanwhile, Gwen's ex-husband is threatening to take sole custody of their daughter.

As Gwen's past and present collide, she's in a desperate race for the truth.  Because only the truth will ensure she still has a future.

My Thoughts:
Carrie Stuart Parks has knocked it out of the ballpark once again!  Her Gwen Marcey novels have everything I love in a good book/story:  genuine characters, real life situations, unique locations, and mystery/suspense.  Portrait of Vengeance is a for sure page-turner.  Gwen Marcey is such an endearing and strong woman and her sense of humor is infectious.  This particular story is personal as Gwen's past and present collide. Readers can't help but love her! She's genuine and her characteristics jump off the page and into the reader's mind and heart.  Reading this story almost felt like I was experiencing this journey with Gwen.  I was invested from page one.

You don't want to miss these novels!

*I received a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions stated here are my own.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Churches and Ministries

G.R.A.C.E (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) is a nonprofit organization made up of highly trained, experienced multidisciplinary professionals who seek to educate and empower the Christian community to identify, confront, and respond to the sin of child abuse.

Find out more about GRACE at http://netgrace.org. 

Churches have always sought to be a safe haven for children and families, but many today are dealing with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse.

This handbook, authored and edited by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, is designed for use by a group that will be formulating policies and procedures to protect children and deal with possible child abuse in their ministry, school, and/or church. Working through this book will assist churches and ministries to assess their current child abuse polices and then guide them through each step they need to take to address the safety of children under their care. It will cover vitally important topics including:

-Protecting the children in a Christian environment from child abuse
-The warning signs of child abuse
-Crafting and implement a child protection policy
-Responding to abuse allegations
-Caring for victims of child abuse
-The legal implications and requirements for churches and Christian ministries

Written by a GRACE team with multi-disciplinary knowledge, headed by Boz Tchividjian, a lawyer and former child abuse prosecutor, this handbook will be an invaluable resource to Christians who are seeking to educate themselves and others about child abuse and how to best protect the little ones under their care.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

My Thoughts:,

Basyle Tchividjian and Shira M. Berkovits (authors) and New Growth Press (publishers) have compiled an invaluable resource for churches.  Tchividjian, a former child-abuse prosecutor, and Berkovits, founder and CEO of Sacred Spaces, a cross-denominational initiative to create systemic solutions to abuse in communal institutions, have teamed up to help places of worship take care of the most vulnerable among us...our little ones.

Because we understand the great responsibility of protecting our children and because of the unavoidable dangers in our world, The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide is needed, now more than ever.  This well organized and detailed guide can be used alone or in conjunction with GRACE's Child Safeguarding Certification.  This book holds everything a church staff needs to understand the need, train volunteers, and implement policies that will help a church body protect and love children.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions here are my own.

Blessings,

Jennifer

Secrets

Jonathan Daugherty is the founder of Be Broken Ministries, and founder of Gateway to Freedom workshop for men. He also hosts the weekly radio broadcast, Pure Sex Radio, and is in demand nationally as a speaker on sexual purity and men s issues. He has appeared on multiple radio and television media, both local and national. He has authored "Grace-Based Recovery," "The 4 Pillars of Purity," and other works. Jonathan lives with his wife and three children in San Antonio, Texas.

Find out more about Jonathan at http://www.jonathandaugherty.com.

 

Everyone has a secret or two, a part of their life they would rather not share with the rest of the world.

But for Jonathan Daugherty, his secret was so life-altering and relationship-ending that he fought to keep it hidden at all costs. And it did cost him. His secret kept him from contentment, peace, and the possibility of being known and loved for who he truly is. That's what any secret addiction can do-but in particular a sex addiction.

After his wife finally discovered his secret, their marriage appeared to be over. In Secrets, Jonathan honestly and courageously shares his story of addiction to pornography and how he lost everything to it.

But that's not how the story ends. While Jonathan struggled, someone else was at work-his heavenly Father. At the lowest possible moment of his life, God stepped in and brought him hope and healing. This is a story of both loss and redemption that gives hope to anyone who has ever experienced the power and struggle of addiction and its life-destroying effects.

Addiction doesn't have the final say over Jonathan's life or in his marriage. The God who finds the lost, heals the sick, and brings life from death has the last, victorious word.

-A courageous, honest and open account of life as a sex addict and how sex addiction destroys marriages.
-A life-affirming and personal story of recovery and redemption that will inspire readers.
-Offers hope to all who struggle with pornography and sex addiction.
-Each chapter includes a "Living in the Light" section designed to equip and help readers find freedom from addiction.
-Suitable as a study for support groups of addicts and those who care about them.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

My Thoughts:

I can't say enough how I appreciate the transparency of Jonathan Daughtery in his book Secrets.  While he doesn't share the rawest of details of his journey with pornography, he has offered readers a picture of God's work of restoration and redemption.  I especially appreciated his treatment of his wife's journey through this with him.  

Daughtery's writing style is personable and intimate and even humorous in places.  In one word, he is:  genuine.  His heart for his restoration and God's story of grace and redemption and healing shine through on every page.

Daughtery not only tells his story of hope, the book includes a wealth of practical help for those along similar journeys.  Daughtery includes resources for those who are ready to do battle with pornography.  

*I received a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions are my own.

Blessings,

Jennifer

A Matter of Trust

Susan May Warren is the ECPA and CBA bestselling author of over fifty novels with more than one million books sold.  Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT and numerous Reader's Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas.  

She can be found online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook at SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @susanmaywarren.

It's those we love who have the power to hurt us most...

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans.  After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponsorships, he's remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana's rugged mountains, as well as serving on the FEAK Rescue team.  But he can't seem to find his footing - or forget the woman who betrayed him.

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the public eye as one of the youngest senators in the country.  But she has a secret - one that cost Gage his career.  More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track.

When Ella's brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park's most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue.  But Gage isn't so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life.  More, when she insists on joining the search, he'll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother - a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain.

My Thoughts:
When Warren's pen touches the page, you can expect an adventure like no other.  I believe she gets better with every story she writes.  A Matter of Trust is the third book in Warren's Montana Rescue series.  I fell in love with this cast of characters, the PEAK rescue team, in the first book, Wild Montana Skies.
I'm not sure there is anyone who can write a series that holds the reader's interest like Warren.  Her characters are well developed and come with complex back stories and have a depth to them that draws readers in quickly.  Each of Warren's stories is multi-layered with not only the main characters' journey but also with side stories that give you just a hint of what's to come in the following books.  I strongly encourage you to read the series in order as each builds upon the previous story.  You will miss so much by not reading the series as a whole.
A Matter of Trust tells Ella and Gage's story and it is one fast-paced adventure.  Warren really tackles the issue and importance of trust in relationships.  This one will pull at your heartstrings and have you turning pages as fast as you can.  And as always, Warren weaves faith into the story that encourages and challenges your own.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions are my own.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

To the Farthest Shores

Elizabeth Camden is the author of nine historical novels and has been honored with the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and the Carol Award.  With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night.  She lives with her husband in Florida.

Connect with Camden at www.elizabethcamden.com.

The unpredictability of her upbringing prepared army nurse Jenny Bennett to face any challenge at the Presidio Army base, but the sudden reappearance in her life of the dashing naval officer who broke her heart six years ago is enough to rattle even her.

Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher is one of the few men in the world qualified to carry out a daring government mission overseas - an assignment that destroyed his reputation and broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved.  Honor-bound never to reveal where he was during those years he can't tell Jenny the truth, or it will endanger an ongoing mission and put thousands of lives at risk.

Ryan thinks he may have finally found a solution to his impossible situation, but he needs Jenny's help.  While her loyalty to her country compels her to agree, she was too badly hurt to fall for Ryan again despite his determination to win her back.  When an unknown threat from Ryan's past puts everything at risk  - including his life - can they overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against them in time?

My Thoughts:
I don't typically love Historical Fiction as a whole; however, I really enjoy Camden's writing.  Her stories are fluid and not stiff.  I absolutely adored Ryan and Jenny's journey in To The Farthest Shores.  Camden's research brings the time period to life with believable characters and vivid description.  Tenuous circumstances, crises of faith, and real love that endures make this one of Camden's best to-date.

*I was given a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions stated here are my own.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

His Guilt: The Amish of Hart County

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

   

A suspenseful tale of an Amish man who will risk all to protect the woman he loves.

Mark Fisher has returned home to Hart County, determined to put the past behind him. Two years ago, after being wrongly accused of assault, he left the Amish community, though never forgot his home. When the one person who had helped him through his rough times asks for help, Mark returns. But it is pretty Waneta Cain who makes him want to stay...

Neeta is one of the few people in Hart County who doesn't believe Mark is guilty of hurting anyone. However, his worldliness and tough exterior do make her uneasy. As she begins to see the real man behind all the gossip and prejudice, she wonders if he is the man for her.

Just when Mark starts to believe a new life is possible, a close friend of Neeta's is attacked. Once again, everyone in the community seems to believe he is guilty. But what hurts most is Neeta's sudden wariness around him. When another woman is hurt, a woman who is close to both Neeta and himself, Mark fears he knows the real culprit. And time is running out. Will Mark be able to find him before Neeta becomes his next victim?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

My Thoughts:

I've almost stopped reading Amish themed books because they all have begun to sound the same.  I was interested in reading His Guilt due to the suspense/mystery hinted at in the synopsis.  Gray did provide a strong suspense thread in the book; however, it was a little predictable before I reached the halfway point of the book. The characters lacked the depth I was looking for.  With all of that said, I did enjoy the fact that Gray didn't shy away from some heavy themes and wrote without compromise the reality of these dangers.  

*I was provided a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions here are my own.

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

Beneath Copper Falls

Colleen Coble is a USA Today bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her romantic suspense novels, including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series.

Visit her at www.colleencoble.com.

Twitter:  @colleencoble

Facebook:  colleencoblebooks

Dana has already learned that love isn't safe...but could it be different in Rock Harbor?

As a 911 dispatcher, Dana Newell takes pride in being calm in tough circumstances.  In addition to her emotionally-charged career, she's faced enough emergencies in her own life.  She recently escaped her abusive fiance to move to tranquil Rock Harbor where she hopes life will be more peaceful.

But the idyllic town hides more danger and secrets than it first appeared.  Dana is continually drawn to her new friend Boone, who has scars inside and out.  Then she answers a call at her job only to hear a friend's desperate screams on the other end.  Soon the pain in her past collides with the mysteries of her new home - and threatens to keep her from the future she's always wanted.

My Thoughts:
In Beneath Copper Falls, author Colleen Coble welcomes readers back to Rock Harbor and drops them right smack into the story on page one.  In typical Coble fashion, which I never tire of, this most recent visit to Rock Harbor contains everything I love...mystery, intrigue, well-thought out characters, and a story I became easily invested in that kept my attention until the last page.  I love the dialogue between the characters and how Coble keeps the story moving.  And of course, the romance piece is always on point.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!  Don't miss this one!
*I received a complimentary copy of the book.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer