You've Never Heard THIS Story (of the Chicago World's Fair)

It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist

The Story:

Gambling everything—including the family farm—Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the fair’s Machinery Hall makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.

The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

My Review:

I have read quite a few novels that take place surrounding the Chicago's World's Fair, and my interest was beginning to wane.  So when I began reading this story, and realized what a fresh perspective of the fair that this tale tells, it caught me by surprise.  I was hooked.  

Deeanne captures the street-level feel of the fair from within.  The authentic feel of this book showcases strong research, and the characters that come to life on its pages are intriguing.  

To use a cliche, I felt "swept-along" as I turned each page.  I was never tempted to put the book down.  It was a very satisfying read, and it left me wishing that I really could go back and experience the Chicago World's Fair for myself.

5 Stars

I received an eBook copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions rendered are my own.

Deeanne Gist is celebrating the release of It Happened at the Fair with an iPad Mini Giveaway and a Live Author Chat Webcast event {5/22}!

  One "fair" winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A $25 iTunes gift card

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 21st. Winner will be announced at the "It Happened at the Fair" Live Webcast Event on May 22nd. Connect with Deeanne for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Deeanne will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of It Happened at the Fair and join Deeanne and friends on the evening of May 22nd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!

Watch out for Poison

Last summer when I picked up Jordyn Redwood's first book Proof, I thought like it looked like it could be a pretty good read, but I was wrong --it was an absolutely amazing read.  In the wee hours of the next morning after reading it nonstop, I just wanted the book to keep going.  It was one of those "aargh" moments, not that she hadn't concluded the storyline, but because I saw hints of where the story was going to go next and I wanted to go there right then. Well I waited impatiently for six months and now it is here:  Poison.

Publisher's description:

Five years ago, Keelyn Samuels’s armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father’s frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI’s hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man’s delusions and end the standoff peacefully.

SWAT team member Lee Watson was there that day. He watched it all unfold and was able to pull Keelyn and Raven from the grip of their demon-possessed father. Though partially successful, his team had still failed, and the outcome of that day—and that tortured family—has continued to plague Lee ever since. Though unusual for SWAT to reconnect with survivors, Lee bumped into Keelyn two years after the crisis, and they both found some peace in their budding relationship. But peace is hard to maintain when the memory returns . . . in the flesh.

Lucent is back, and he’s no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven’s daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she and Lee can emerge unscathed a second time.

The highly anticipated second installment of the Bloodline Trilogy explores the boundaries of faith and family and what happens when both are put to the test.

My Review:

I must admit that I did get mad while reading this book.  Characters, like people, sometimes make horrible choices that lead them down paths you just don't want to see them go.  I was burdened, much like I would be if I were watching a friend spiral toward destruction.  But I was completely drawn into the book; it engaged me from page one until the very end.  It was suspense at its very best.  

5 Stars.  I highly recommend that you read this book. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Kregel Publications, for review purposes.  All opinions rendered are my own.

Stress Test

About Stress Test: 

They may not have enough evidence to convict him, but they have enough to ruin his life.

Dr. Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life in private practice for a better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as he left his last shift in the ER have no such plans-they just want him dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt's only thought is escape. He does so, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . . where he awakens to discover he's being charged with murder.

Sandra Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with doctors. But when Matt calls, she knows she can't walk away from defending someone who is truly innocent.

Matt's career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be next. But with the police convinced he's a murderer and the kidnappers still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth-and the faith to keep going-will be the toughest stress test Matt has ever endured.

My Review:

 I had been anticipating reading this book for quite some time, because I know from his past books that Richard Mabry writes impressive Medical Suspense. Not only was I not disappointed, I was completely wowed.  

 I was captivated the entire way through the book. I couldn't foresee a way for Matt to get out of this mess until the very end.  This is important to me, because since I read a lot of Suspense I am often able to figure out how the book will end before I am even halfway done.  I believe that Stress Test is Richard Mabry's best book yet. 

5 Stars

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.  All opinions rendered are my own.

Grave Consequences

Have you joined the Grand Tour yet?  

Grave Consequences is book 2 in the Grand Tour series by Lisa T. Bergen.  Here we once again meet up with former farm-girl Cora Diehl Kensington, her "new" siblings, and their friends as they traverse the continent.

Cora is starting to get used to the idea of being a copper king's daughter, and her siblings are finally treating her as one of their own.  Still, she worries that maybe she is betraying her mother and the father who raised her by settling into her new role. 

 It is not only doubts about her future plans that plague Cora, but matters of the heart as well.  Drawn to Will, a man who is forbidden to her, and pursued by Pierre, who seems like he should be far out of reach, Cora must guard her heart's desires for sake of the trip and the futures of those she loves.

The group leaves Paris and travels through Austria, France, and Italy hoping to leave danger behind them, but as any fiction fan can guess, that is not to be the case.  Whoever it is that caused the damage and death in Paris seems to still be following them, and before long they will be betrayed by someone close to them.

This is a really great book and I absolutely love the series, but I am going to tell you right away:  Please read book 1 before beginning this one!  

I really recommend that you to read this series.  It is so vivid.  You will feel as if you are traveling alongside the characters as they make their way across Europe.  The characters have depth and it is easy to grow to love them.   Even those that I disliked, I grew to care about.  

The only thing that I dislike about this book is the wait I now face until book 3 comes out in October.

5 Stars

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions rendered here are entirely my own.

Vanished by Irene Hannon

Picture yourself driving down a dark windy road during a torrential rainstorm.  Just as you lose control of your vehicle a terrified face appears in your windshield.  You hear a thunk as your car keeps going.  When your car finally comes to a stop against a tree you are surprised as a man approaches, promising to call 911 and look for the woman you hit.  Before you know it, you pass out.  When you awaken it's to silence.  No police, no ambulance, rescuer, and strangest of all --no victim.  When you report what happened to the police they are dubious at best, and after a cursory look, they decide there is nothing to pursue.

This is reality for Moria Harrison who isn't sure where to turn, but knows she can't give up looking.  Her investigative journalist instincts tell her that she wasn't wrong, there was definitely a victim.  Unable to pursue the case on her own, Moriah hires Pheonix Private Investigators, and specifically Cal Burke.  Because he really believes her, Cal is willing to take the case even though Moriah has no way to pay the fees.

And I am not going to give away any more details, because I really want you to read this book.

 It's no surprise that Irene Hannon has written another 5 star page-turner.  Every book Irene has written has been top quality, and Vanished is no exception. While the suspense in this and each of her novels is riveting, it is the characters that always draw me to Irene's books.  It is easy to feel like these are people you know and care about going through life-altering and incredibly scary events. The only drawback to reading vanished was that it ended.  I wanted to keep getting to know the characters and to be a part of their lives for much longer.  Knowing Irene Hannon's penchant for series books I am hoping we will be able to do just that.

What are you waiting for get your copy of Vanished by Irene Hannon today.

This book was provided to me by the publisher.  Any and all opinions rendered are my own.

Placebo by Steven James

Synopsis:
As a well known magician, Jevin Banks made his living making people see what he wanted them to see, but the images imprinted in his mind on the last day he saw his family involve no slight of hand.  Reeling from the tragedy Jevin Banks has done a 180 and now finds himself hosting a television series where he exposes shams and trickery from those all too willing to take advantage of the audience before them.

Jevin's current assignment involves investigating a controversial neurological research program, focusing on mind to mind communication.  What he does not see yet are the tentacles reaching from the program to one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, an old secret government program, and powerful and corrupt individuals in both the public and private sector--individuals with no problem using any means necessary to take out those who get in their way.  Jevin Banks is most definitely in their way.

Review:
Steven James is definitely a master storyteller, and this is an excellent suspense novel.  It kept me on the edge of my seat and "looking over my shoulder."  I had no idea until the very end who was causing and controlling the worst of the evil, because there were quite a few well developed evil characters lurking about.  It is definitely a five star read, and I look forward to more in this series.

That being said,  I am trying hard not to measure this book by James' Patrick Bowers novels, because this one does not draw me quite as much.  Maybe it is just because I have not had as much time to get to know the characters, or maybe it is because being a medical thriller it involved a lot of educating the audience about the technical aspects of what was going on and because I have studied some of what was being said I felt like I just wanted him to get on with the story.  Whatever the cause is, I think if I had not begun reading this novel expecting the same oomph as the Patrick Bowers novels I would have had not thought anything was "off".

I do hope you buy this novel.  It is really a great story and was quite unique compared to other medical thrillers I have read in the past. I will most likely read it again at some point.  Get your copy of  Placebo today and know that you are definitely investing your "book dollars" wisely.

The publisher, Revell,  provided me with an electronic copy of this novel for review purposes.  All opinions rendered are my own.

Soul's Gate

What if you could travel inside another person's soul? To battle for them. To be part of Jesus healing their deepest wounds. To help set them free to step boldly into their divinely designed future.

 Thirty years ago that's exactly what Reece Roth did. Until tragedy shattered his life and ripped away his future.

 Now God has drawn Reece out of the shadows to fulfill a prophecy spoken over him three decades ago. A prophecy about four warriors with the potential to change the world . . . if Reece will face his deepest regret and teach them what he has learned.


My review:

Warning:  This is not a book that can be easily read in one sitting, nor should.  Souls Gate is a book that takes digesting and although each bite is delectable, it will benefit the reader to take small bites and take the time to fully taste each morsel.

As with each book that James Rubart has written the story is beyond amazing.  Is he stretching reality?  Of course, but the story is also packed with truth that bears considering and even contemplating.  It's not a story where the author is trying to force a story around a message,  rather it is a captivating tale that simply contains seeds of deep faith.

Do I think you will enjoy this book?  Well that depends on whether you are looking for a piece of fluff  to pass the time, or a solid read that will stay with you for a long time.  If it is the latter you are looking for, then yes, I believe you will love this book as much as I did.

Definitely 5 Star Worthy.
Click here to get your copy of Soul's Gate                                                                                


I received  a copy of this book from the publisher through Litfuse publicity for the purpose of review.  All opinions rendered here are my own.



About the Author:  

James L. Rubart is a professional marketer, speaker, and writer. While being the owner of Barefoot Marketing certainly keeps him on his toes, his passion is writing fiction. Rubart is an ECPA best-selling author who has been positively reviewed by both Publisher's Weekly and Romantic Times. His first novel, Rooms, won a Best Books 2011 award from USA Book News, as well as a Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award. His debut release was followed by Book of Days and The Chair. Soul's Gate is Rubart's fourth release. In addition to being an author, Rubart is also a photographer, guitarist, professional speaker, golfer and semi-pro magician. With all of this, he says that he barely sleeps. Rubart lives with his wife and sons in the Pacific Northwest. Find out more about Jim at http://jimrubart.com/.
 http://litfusegroup.com/author/JRubart