The Deposit Slip

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Deposit Slip Bethany House Publishers (July 1, 2012)
by Todd M. Johnson

 

Todd M. Johnson has practiced as an attorney for over 30 years, specializing as a trial lawyer. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Minnesota Law School, he also taught for two years as adjunct professor of International Law and served as a US diplomat in Hong Kong.
 

The Deposit Slip is his debut novel. He lives outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife Cathy, and children Ian and Libby.

 

Todd can be reached through the Contact link on his Website

 

 $10,000,000 Is Missing.

Erin Larson is running out of options. In the wake of her father's death, she found a slim piece of paper--a deposit slip--with an unbelievable amount on it. Only the bank claims they have no record of the money, and trying to hire a lawyer has brought only intimidation and threats. Erin's last chance is Jared Neaton.

How Far Will One Lawyer Go to Find the Money?

When Jared wearied of the shady ethics of his big law firm and started his own, he never expected the wheels to fly off so quickly. One big loss has pushed him to the brink, and it's all he can do to scrape by.

And How Far Will Someone Go to Stop Him?

He's not sure if Erin's case is worth the risk, but if the money is real, all his problems could vanish. When digging deeper unleashes something far more dangerous than just threats, both Jared and Erin must decide the cost they're willing to pay to discover the truth.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Deposit Slip, go HERE.

 

My Thoughts About The Book:

It is always exciting to discover a new author.  Mr. Johnson has earned himself a standing with Grisham and Singer with this debut novel.  While starting off a bit slow, the story just got better the further I read.  The chapters were short and Johnson keeps the story moving.  The storyline between Jared and his dad added a nice depth to the overall plot.  I'll certainly be looking to read more from Mr. Johnson in this genre!

 

Blessings,

Jennifer

 

Fearless

Now, if that doesn't give you chills...

Eric Blehm is a New York Times bestselling author of nonfiction books.  He is the author of The Only Thing Worth Dying For and The Last Season. 

You can learn more about his writing and connect with him at his website located at www.ericblehm.com and on Facebook.



Eric has written the amazing and inspiring story of Adam Brown, Navy SEAL Team Six Operator in his latest book Fearless published by WaterBrook Multnomah.  Adam's story is one of the most moving accounts I have read in quite some time.  I appreciate that Blehm wrote with such care to riveting detail and held nothing back.  After finishing the book, I felt as if I knew the Brown's personally and as if Adam Brown was a friend.  With so much controversy over the war our nation has been in for several years now, Fearless is a sobering reminder of the ones who are fighting this war;  right or wrong, they are fighting this war.  These courageous and fearless men and women that we sometimes forget about in the midst of our war discussions; they are fighting!

I am challenged to pray more and pray harder for these men and women who sacrifice so much.  Adam was not a perfect man (you'll read about that in the book), but he was a man transformed and carried by God's amazing grace; an unlikely hero and true warrior. 

You can read chapter one of the book by going HERE.

Listen to the song "Fearless" inspired by Adam's story by Mark Dowdy HERE.

Thank you WaterBrook for sending me a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review.  WaterBrook will enter you for a chance to win a copy of Fearless if you take a moment to rank this review by using the box below:
 

Blessings,
Jennifer

Mexican Meatloaf

I love coming across versatile recipes and I came across such a recipe on a recent trip back home to MS/AL to visit family.  As I was perusing my mother-in-law's recipes, I stumbled upon one that just sounded yummy to me:  Mexican Meatloaf.  As I read through the ingredients, I knew it was one I wanted to try.  My family loves anything with a Mexican flare.  So here is the recipe:

Mexican Meatloaf

• 2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can of water
• 1 1/2 cups of instant rice (uncooked)
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 8 ounces taco sauce
• 1 can rotel tomatoes
• 1 bag Doritos
• 2 cups of a Mexican blend cheese - grated

Brown the ground beef and onion together.  Drain all the grease from the beef/onion mixture.  Add the cream of chicken, tomato, and mushroom soups along with the one can of water.  I substituted one can of Campbell's Fiesta Cheese soup for the cream of mushroom.  Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the instant rice, taco seasoning, taco sauce and the rotel tomatoes.
In 9X13 pan, layer the bag of Doritos (crushed) on the bottom.

Top with the meat mixture.

Bake uncovered in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with the grated cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

As you can tell by the pictures, this really comes out more like a casserole than a meatloaf.  My family loved this dish!  And as stated before, I like the versatility of this recipe.  You could always spice it up with a can of chopped jalapenos or substitute chicken for the ground beef or even add a can of black beans and/or corn!

What kinds of versatile recipes does your family enjoy?  I'm always looking for a good recipe to play around with!

Blessings,
Jennifer

What's Been Goin' On 'Round Here...

We've been fishing...

and gettin' a make-over by big sister...

Skateboardin'...

and we've been being the "big boy" to the "little guy"...

That's Bentley with Jeshua; he's a little guy from church.  They both had their SpiderMan shirts on!

We've also been helping with Back Yard Bible Clubs...

and hosting "Living Room Bible Clubs" thanks to Hurricane Debby...

And then on the Fourth of July, we just plain acted silly...

Yep, that's what we've been up to!

Blessings,
Jennifer

Hope Springs

In a small Southern community where everyone is holding tight to something, the biggest challenge may be learning to let go.
Hope Springs, North Carolina, is the epitome of small town life—a place filled with quiet streets where families have been friends for generations, a place where there’s not a lot of change. Until three women suddenly find themselves planted there for a season.
Janelle Evans hasn’t gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn’t long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened. And when Janelle proposes a Bible study a the local diner--and invites both African American and Caucasian women she has met--the group quickly forms a spiritual bond . . . and inadvertently adds to underlying tension in the community.
Becca Anderson is finally on the trajectory she’s longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she’s been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women’s conference. But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father’s church in Hope Springs. Will small town living affect her big ministry dreams?
And Stephanie London has the ideal life—married to a doctor in St. Louis with absolutely nothing she has to do. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels strangely compelled to do the same. It’s a decision that will forever change her.
As these women come together, facing disappointments both public and private, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches that have long been divided along racial lines. God's plan for them in Hope Springs—and for Hope Springs itself—is bigger than they ever imagined.

Kim Cash Tate is the author of Cherished, Faithful, Heavenly Places, and the memoir More Christian Than African-American.  A former practicing attorney, she is also the founder of Colored in Christ Ministries.  She and her husband have two children.

You can read more about Kim and her ministry as well as her writing at her website found at KimCashTate.com.   You can also connect with her on facebook by going HERE.

My Thoughts About The Book:
As an avid reader and book reviewer, I am always excited to discover a new author.  Especially an author that can write an excellent story with the added faith element.  Tate has accomplished that in Hope Springs.  Having grown up in a small Southern town myself, the story of Hope Springs and Janelle, Becca, Stephanie resonated with me and was very believable.  Tate developed the characters well.  You know you've read a good story when you turn the last page and feel a little sad to let the characters go.  There were many times in the story that I was driven to get my Bible out and look up a certain passage of Scripture being alluded to.  Good Christian fiction doesn't get much better than that!  I'll be looking to read more from Tate.

Hope Springs can be found at Amazon.com by going HERE.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy for the purpose of this review.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

Nothing To Hide

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Nothing to Hide Bethany House Publishers (July 1, 2012)
by J. Mark Bertrand 

J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years,
earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after
one hurricane too many he left for South Dakota. Mark has been arrested
for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of one hung jury and served
on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an
honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead.

You will want to visit Bertrand's website, which can be found HERE.

A grisly homicide. An international threat.
The stakes have never been higher for
Detective Roland March.

The victim's head is missing, but what intrigues Detective Roland March
is the hand. The pointing finger must be a clue--but to what? According
to the FBI, the dead man was an undercover asset tracking the flow of
illegal arms to the Mexican cartels. To protect the operation, they want
March to play along with the cover story. With a little digging, though, he
discovers the Feds are lying. And they're not the only ones.

In an upside-down world of paranoia and conspiracy, March finds himself
dogged by injury and haunted by a tragic failure. Forced to take justice into
his own hands, his twisting investigation leads him into the very heart of
darkness, leaving March with nothing to lose--and nothing to hide.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Nothing to Hide, go HERE.

My Thoughts About The Book:

If you were to look up the word brilliant in the dictionary, I have no doubt you'd find J. Mark Bertrand's photo there.  I am so excited about discovering this author.  Nothing to Hide is the third book in the Roland March Mystery series...the previous books are Back on Murder and Pattern of Wounds.  I reviewed Pattern of Wounds and you can read that review HERE.

While any of the books can be read alone, your experience with Bertrand will be richer by reading the series as a whole.  I'm not ready to let go of Roland March (protagonists in this series)!  Bertrand weaves a story full of twists and turns with intrigue and suspense on every page.  He keeps you turning the page until the very last one.  My daughter has started reading the first novel in this series, Back on Murder.  When she picked it up night before last, I told her:  "Don't start that book right before bed, unless you intend on being up all night!"  Once you begin a Bertrand novel, you won't be satisfied until you've finished it!

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

Exposed: Inexcusable Me...Irreplaceable Him

I love that title!  That title alone is what made me want to read this book.  God is truly irreplaceable.  When our lives are broken as Shannon's was, God is the only Person who is able to put us back together again - to restore us - to give us beauty for ashes.  He is irreplaceable!

Shannon M. Deitz is the founder of Hopeful Hearts Ministry and a world-wide speaker reaching out through personal testimony to offer the hope of Christ's light and love to those who are suffering.  Through this ministry, Shannon offers presentations to groups such as women's penitentiaries, women's shelters, women's clinics and teen shelters.

From Shannon's Story, which can be found on her website www.shannonmdeitz.com:
"What did it take for me to get over myself?
Death of my first love in high school, rape when I was seventeen and then yet again my freshman year in college, self-abuse (physical and substance), depression, utter despair, and an imminent threat of a chronic physical ailment – rheumatoid arthritis, and ultimately realizing I had no ‘real’ control over my own flesh and blood as I tried to deal with my first born who was finally diagnosed with ADHD and Impulsivity Disorder.
At the age of 27, after6 years of marriage to Neal and two beautiful boys, Ryan and Seth, I finally let it all go.  I couldn’t live anymore.  Face down on my bedroom floor I had my moment in life where I knew it was time to die.  Die to self.
All of my fears were no more because I’d already lived through hell.
For the first time since I was a young girl I felt peaceful.  Nothing CHANGED in my life at that very moment but my PERSPECTIVE changed because I no longer had the weight of the outcome resting on my spirit.
Eleven years later God has literally, physically, put me on the path he originally had planned for me when he created me in my mother’s womb.  Not long after the moment of surrender on my bedroom floor I felt a strange tug to teach the teens at the church and to simultaneously figure out what there was to our Catholic faith BEYOND the tradition.
In two years time we found answers for my son, my marriage survived a near divorce, and I was led into full time youth ministry."

 In Exposed:  Inexcusable Me...Irreplaceable Him, Shannon tells her story.  And it is an amazing story of her courageous journey and how she experienced God's healing grace.  This is not your typical biography.  Shannon tells her story in a very unique way by sharing her memories "in the perception of the age in which they were experienced."

I appreciate Shannon's transparency and candor in telling her story.  Some parts are hard to read.  I applaud Shannon and her courage.  Many times we don't like to talk about such things as what she shares in her book...things too messy...things we'd rather push away and not deal with.

This book is a blessing, because it not only tells the story of a broken life, but it also tells the story of a God whose amazing grace reaches to the depths of depravity and raises up a mighty and beautiful warrior for Him!  It shines the Light into the dark places.

I encourage you to get this book, especially if you've been involved in any kind of abuse or know someone who has.  Those involved in women's ministry would be particularly helped by this book as it provides a vivid picture of the suffering of many who you may have the opportunity to minister.

A portion of the proceeds of the book goes directly to help survivors of abuse through the Maria Goretti Network.

Exposed can be purchased at Amazon.com by going HERE.

SHANNON ANSWERING EMAIL QUESTIONS FROM A YOUNG WOMAN:


SHANNON EXPLAINING A BIT MORE ABOUT HOPEFUL HEARTS MINISTRY:


Thank you B&B Media for sending me a copy of the book for the purpose of this review.

Blessings,
Jennifer