The Heart Mender

While digging up a withering wax myrtle tree beside his waterfront home on the Gulf Coast, author Andy Andrews unearths a rusted metal container filled with Nazi artifacts and begins an intriguing investigation that unlocks an unspoken past that took place in his backyard...literally.

In the summer of 1942, as the country gears us for a full-scale commitment to WWII, German subs are dispatched to the Gulf of Mexico to sink U.S. vessels carrying goods and fuel for the war. While taking a late-night walk along the coastline, Helen Mason - recently widowed by the realities of war-discovers the near-lifeless body of a German sailor. Enraged at the site of Josef Landermann's uniform, Helen is prepared to leave the lieutenant to die when an unusual phrase, faintly uttered, changes her mind.

Set in a period simmering with anger and suspicion, The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews offers the very real chronicle of a small town preparing itself for the worst the world has to offer. As cargo from torpedoed ships begins to wash up on the beach, Josef and Helen must reconcile their pasts in order to create a future.

My Review:

I loved this book! After reading Andy Andrew's last book, The Noticer, I knew I had to read this one. Set in the 1940's during WWII, the story takes place right here in our own country just along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico. There are two stories that take place in this story, the fate of Josef and Helen, and the discovery of the Nazi artifacts by Andy Andrews. While the names and places have been changed to protect the people whom this story is about, it remains true for reasons you will discover upon reading the book in it's entirety, and once more Andy Andrews does not disappoint.

I received this book compliments from Thomas Nelson Publishers and must say I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves American History, WWII, romance and spy like thrillers. Trust me, add this one to your library.

A Century Turns

Where is America going? Just look at the decades between 1988 and 2008.

As America collectively exhaled at the end of the Cold War, we loosened our grip on the fear of nuclear confrontation for the first time since WWII. Some scholars even characterized the collapse of the Soviet Union as the end of history itself. Peace as palpable.

In A Century Turns, by William J. Bennett explores America’s recent and momentous history – the contentious election of 1988, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of global Communism, the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton, the technological and commercial boom of the 1990’s, the war on terror, and the election of America’s first black president.

I received this book compliments from Thomas Nelson Publishers and besides just being another history book this one provides you with so much detail and behind the scenes information that I never knew before. He really gets in depth with the key players and discusses the success and failures that has made history in America what it is today. For me it provided me with a profound look at history the way our current school book are missing.

For more information on this book, including where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595551697&title=A_Century_Turns

Revolve 2010 ~ Book Review

As a teenager attending a public school one of the things that all of us Christians would love would be a way for us to bring a Bible to school and not be harassed. Not that I am not afraid to defend my faith to anyone but just the thought of having God's word so close gives me an extra added assurance when I may need it.

So just for that situation is Revolve 2010 Biblezine. When I first received this from Thomas Nelson publishers to review I thought it was a magazine. Yet upon further inspection I found out that this was the entire New Testament in a magazine layout. It's amazing. Now my problem about bringing a Bible to school was solved. Not only that because it looks like a magazine, my friends are likely to pick it up and look through it. Perfect witnessing opportunity for me with them and a way to open doors that I may not have know how to open any other way.

The magazine is loaded full of colorful pictures, quizzes, dating advice, interviews with Christian teens like Chad Eastham and Jordin Sparks, right alongside the New Testament. Even the Bible based part of this magazine has great insight and notes to introduce you to the authors of the books of the New Testament.

The one extra I discovered is music downloads from my favorite Christian artists so I have more ways of keeping God's words and love close to my heart. This is a must have for any Christian teen and for anyone looking for a unique way to keep their Bible close to them. You've got to pick this up. I've even checked out my parents reading it so it's definitely something interesting to look through.

The one thing my parents came across was a challenge to teens to forgo their technology for one week. At first, I was thinking this may be easy but when I read, no emails, no phones, no texting, no TV, no Ipods or radios or even gaming systems, I am rethinking if I can do this. My parents have issued the challenge, just not sure if I can manage it. I mean think of all the people I would have to wait to talk to??

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the Revolve 2010 to review for Thomas Nelson Publishers and I must say, I would get one!

Buried Alive by Roy Hallums

I must say that I was a little unsure when I first picked up this book to review. It is a true story of a kidnapping, captivity and rescue of a man named Roy Hallums from Iraq.

What I must say is that I loved the opening of the book. It provided you the historical background of where the United States and Iraq were during 2004. It was at the beginning of the US led invasion of Iraq, where countless numbers of people were being kidnapped from not only various countries but from the United States as well. The primary reason for doing this was to fund the insurgent groups that were responsible for the kidnapping. The ransoms that were paid out depended on a variety of factors from who you were, who you worked for, why you were in Iraq, and what country you were from.

This was at a time when the US did not negotiate payment of ransoms for kidnapping. So it was extremely difficult for the kidnappers to get any money from the US government. This book follows the true life story of Roy Hallums who lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years before being transferred to Iraq to assist with food operations during the rebuilding efforts.

The book chronicles the life of Roy during his 311 days of waiting for his release from his kidnappers, never knowing if he would make it out alive or not, and also the story of what his family went through trying to negotiate his release as well.

To tell you that I recommend this book is a bit of an understatement. I picked it up and didn’t put it down until I finished it, all in one day. It was that great! I felt like the entire time, I was right there with Roy going through some of the worst situations imaginable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great book to read that you won’t be able to put down!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book to review by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Green by Ted Dekker

Imagine the ability to travel back and forth in time 2000 years either way? Imagine you have the amazing ability to change the world for better or for worse. Imagine you lived a dual life in both places in time. Imagine if you could witness part of the coming judgement on man? Imagine if you had the ability to rewrite history any way you wish just by penning your words in a book?

All these things are part of the newest book release called Green by Ted Dekker and published by Thomas Nelson. It takes place in two worlds both separated by a span of 2000 years. One world in much like ours in the current time and place as we know it. The other remains in the future 2000 years ahead. One world still can not seen the good and evil that take place on a daily basis and in the future world those veils are removed.

Yet one man holds the power to change events in either world. His name is Thomas Hunter. He lives a dual life depending on which world he finds himself in. He has family in both. However, evil finds a way to try and gain that same control that Thomas yields as well, the very same power that could swing the odds in their favor and thereby change the history of the world.

If you are a lover of fiction based books dealing with the end times or even Science Fiction, then this is a must read for you. I found the book a bit difficult to get going but once I got past the first few chapters and understood the time travel variables and the dualities of the lives, I couldn’t put it down. Good is portrayed in a very poetic way with Eloyn representing God, and Teelah is the opposite of the very evil in our world.

I won’t spoil the ending for you but you will definitely enjoy it and want to pick up either of the 3 sequels to this amazing series by Ted Dekker. His writing style is very similar to Stephen King and he really draws you into the story and captivates your attention from beginning to end. This book is truly one of the best in my opinion.

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah

We know that at this very moment we are living in the prophetic end days the Bible predicted thousands of years ago. We see an oil crisis in the Middle East, the resurgence of Russia, and a new axis of evil forming, Israel’s importance as well as new powers forming in the European Union. Yet in the midst of these world crises, how as Christians do we deal with them?

This is a great book I read and finished in the same day by Thomas Nelson publishers. It gives insight in how to deal with the very things, we in the United States, are dealing with right now. The loss of jobs, the foreclosures of homes everywhere, and even the huge losses in the financial industry, yet, we can rejoice. We have a hope that outlasts this world into our future home in heaven.

This book offers the biblical answers of what as Christians we should be doing each and every day to prevent the stresses and anxiety from overwhelming us. The book takes you through the ten steps, every Christian must know in facing the coming signs. The book offers Biblical instruction to guide you through handling each and every situation as well as real world headlines to show how others didn’t handle it so well. From the banking and financial turmoil striking our banks and mortgage industries we are shown how some such as Adolf Merckle, heir to the Merck & Co. pharmaceutical company, took his own life rather than deal with the issues at hand.

There are stories ripped right from the headlines today, such as the conviction of Laura Ling and Euna Lee in North Korea for spying when they were there just to report on human trafficking; how a family in San Diego was informed that they could no longer conduct a Bible Study in their home, due to unlawful religious assembly without a permit; or the constant persecution by the media and Hollywood of the Christian religion and the mockery of Jesus Christ. The current North Korean and Iran nuclear programs are discussed as well as past histories of some of the holocaust survivors and how they handled adversity that we too are finding ourselves dealing with.

The back cover suggests the answers to the most urgent questions, including

• How can we weather this storm with a calm heart?
• What does it truly mean to "wait on the Lord"?
• What is Jesus saying to our chaotic world today?
• How on earth did we get into this mess?
• Can we take a broken world and rebuild it into something fruitful?
  

The book is a must read. It has completely changed my entire outlook on the lives, we as Christians, should be living up until that day that our Lord returns. Each day that passes is one day closer to His imminent return and He is coming back. The choice for the believer is how do we want to be seen living our last days when He does come back for us.