Blog Tour Review: Imperfect Justice by Cara Putman

Imperfect Justice by Cara C. Putman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The police say the woman was a murderer. Emilie Wesley knows they can't be talking about her client . . . can they?

To the world it seems obvious: Kaylene Adams killed her daughter and then was shot by police. Attorney Emilie Wesley knows a different story: Kaylene would never hurt anyone and was looking for a way out of a controlling, abusive relationship. Her death shakes Emilie's belief that she can make a difference for women in violent marriages. Self-doubt plagues her as she struggles to continue her work in the wake of the tragedy.

Reid Billings thought he knew his sister-right up until he learned how she died. He discovers a letter from Kaylene begging him to fight for custody of her daughters if anything should happen to her. No attorney in her right mind would support an uncle instead of the father in a custody case, but Kaylene's letter claims Emilie Wesley will help him.

Thrown together in a race to save Kaylene's surviving daughter, Emily and Reid pursue the constantly evasive truth. If they can hang on to hope together, can they save a young girl-and find a future for themselves in the process?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Cara Putman is the author of more than 25 legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels. She has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing's BEST Award. Cara graduated high school at 16, college at 20, completed her law degree at 27, and recently received her MBA. She is a practicing attorney, teaches undergraduate and graduate law courses at a Big Ten business school, and is a homeschooling mom of four. She lives with her husband and children in Indiana.

Find out more about Cara at

http://caraputman.com. 

This is a legal thriller that deals with an issue that will grab at your heart - an abusive marriage, a murder including children, and an uncle trying to save his niece from the same fate.   The inclusion of a stalker for the heroine will keep you on the edge of your seat.  I enjoyed the intense way this book was written and the light romance that gives you a little bit of relief from the mystery of everything else going on.  This is the second book in a series and I did not read the first one before reading this one.  There was a little bit of the story that might have been easier to understand if you read the first book first, but for the most part I didn't have any problems reading this one first.

*Thanks to Litfuse for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not paid nor required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

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 Imperfect Justice
  

Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway: All Things Now Living by Rondi Bauer Olson

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Her whole life Amy has been taught the people of New Lithisle deserve to die, but when she falls for Daniel, she determines to save him.

Sixteen-year-old Amy doesn't like anything to die, she won't even eat the goats or chickens her mama has butchered every fall, but she can't let herself pity the inhabitants of New Lithisle. In a few short months the dome they built to isolate themselves from the deadly pandemic is predicted to collapse, but her whole life Amy has been taught it's God's will they die. They traded their souls for immunity to the swine flu virus, brought God's curse upon themselves by adding pig genes to their own.

Then, while on a scavenging trip with her father, Amy is accidentally trapped in New Lithisle. At first her only goal is to escape, but when she meets Daniel, a New Lithisle boy, she begins to question how less-than-human the people of New Lithisle are.

Amy's feelings grow even more conflicted when she learns she didn't end up in New Lithisle by mistake. Her father is secretly a sympathizer, and was trying to prevent the coming destruction.

Now time is running short and Amy has to decide if she will bring the computer program her father wrote to his contact or save herself. Installing the program could prevent the dome's collapse, but if Amy doesn't find her father's contact in time, she'll die, along with everyone else.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Rondi Bauer Olson is a reader and writer from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where she lives on a hobby farm with her husband, Kurt. She has four grown children, works as a nurse, and also owns a gift shop within view of beautiful Lake Superior.

Find out more about Rondi at http://rondibauerolson.weebly.com.

Interview with Rondi Olson

Author of All Things Now Living

Tell us a bit about the story behind your latest novel. Where did you find inspiration?

Years ago, as a new nurse, I was assigned a patient who was refusing a life-saving medical treatment due to religious beliefs. On one hand, I admired his devotion, and I felt I could take good care of my patient while respecting his decision. On the other hand, watching him die was awful. This experience has haunted me, and over the years I have wondered about the depths of my religious belief, and how far I would go to save myself, or my children. I quickly realized things I would not do to save myself I would readily do to save one of my children. This lead me to the idea of genetic engineering, specifically, inserting animal genes into people, and I imagined a post-apocalyptic world where entire societies were living with the consequences of having made such a decision, one way or the other. Would people be compassionate toward those who made a different choice, or would they choose to hate, and how would that manifest itself?

What was the hardest part about writing your novel: Getting started? Keeping it going? Finding the perfect ending?

I have the worst time getting started, or rather, I start over and over again and am never happy with it. I guess you could say starting right is a skill I am still working on.

What trait do you love most about your main character?

Her compassion.

When readers get to the last page, what do you hope they take away from the story?

I hope readers will examine more closely what love is, and what love does, not just in terms of the main characters and their romance, but also Amy’s transformation from someone who fought her empathy because she’d been taught she had to, to someone who realized her compassion was not bad but a gift from God, and something to be embraced.

What are you working on next?

The sequel to All Things Now Living, The Stars in Their Courses, as well as a medieval superhero series.

While on a scavenging trip with her father, Amy is accidentally trapped in New Lithisle in Rondi Bauer Olson's All Things Now Living. At first her only goal is to escape, but when she meets Daniel, a New Lithisle boy, she begins to question how less-than-human the people of New Lithisle are. Amy's feelings grow even more conflicted when she learns she didn't end up in New Lithisle by mistake. Her father is secretly a sympathizer. Time is running short and Amy has to decide if she will bring the computer program her father wrote to his contact or save herself. Installing the program could prevent the dome's collapse, but if Amy doesn't find her father's contact in time, she'll die, along with everyone else.

Stay up all night reading this thrilling new book from Rondi and enter to win a Kindle Fire!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of All Things Now Living
• A Kindle Fire

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on December 14. The winner will be announced December 15 on the Litfuse blog.

Litfuse Blog Tour landing page for
 All Things Now Living
  

This book wasn't for me but it would be a wonderful book for a teen who is interested in dystopian stories. 

*Thanks to LitFuse for a complimentary copy of this book.  I was not paid nor required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: KJV Know the Word Study Bible

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Gain a greater understanding of the Bible book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic.

The study of God's Word can be easy and rewarding if you break down the Bible into easy-to-understand segments. The KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers three easy ways to begin studying Scripture and helps individuals transition from being a casual reader of the Bible to becoming a regular student of the Bible. You can choose to study the Bible book-by-book, verse-by-verse, or topic-by-topic; each path offers powerful insights that will help you develop a daily routine of Bible study.

The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God's Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.

Features include:

-King James Version Bible text
-Three easy approaches to study the Bible: 1. Book by Book; 2. Verse by Verse; 3. Topic by Topic
-Insightful introductions for each book of Scripture
-Words of Jesus in red
-Beautiful two-color interior page design
-Comprehensive list of theological notes
-Concordance
-Full-color maps
-8-point type size

Learn more and purchase a copy.

About the publisher:

In business since 1798, Thomas Nelson is one of the oldest Bible publishers in the world and the largest publisher of the King James Version. Their mission is to inspire the world by using our talents, assets, opportunities, and influence to engage and equip people with Scripture and draw people to a deeper study and understanding of God's Word.

Find out more about Thomas at https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com.

Blog Tour Review: Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would. . . .

In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare and their four-year old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail.

When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son . . . especially when her second child is moments away from being born.

Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob's life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do-be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn't writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of "Burning Sky," recipient of three Christy Awards, "The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn," Christy-nominee "The Wood's Edge," and "A Flight of Arrows."

Find out more about Lori at http://loribenton.blogspot.com.

Oh my heart!!  This book is so emotionally engaging!  As I've come to expect from Lori Benton's books, you'll be drawn into this story, and the life lessons it teaches, with a depth of feeling that will leave you quietly pondering your own life and the ways God works for our good, even though it sometimes hurts.

I very much admired Clare's grit and determination to go after her son.  Oh my word, she was determined!!  And after just having a baby, too!  Wow!   My heart just hurt for the things she goes through in her pursuit of getting her son back.  She struggles throughout the book with her faith and who can blame her?  Thankfully, God sends Jeremiah her way and he patiently guides her and becomes her protector amongst the Indians.  Jeremiah understands what she is going through and has learned to trust God through his own life experiences. 

This book is not a light read but I have no doubt you'll be captivated once you start.  Lori Benton is a very skilled writer and her awesome talent with words will keep you engaged and emotional as you read about this time in American history that our generation can probably never fully comprehend.

*Thanks to LitFuse for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not paid or required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.*

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

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 Many Sparrows
  

Blog Tour Review: A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White

A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

She's out to steal his name. Will he steal her heart instead?

Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets-now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary's challenge of a lifetime comes when she's assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family's history, their very name?

Rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can't help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the crown-so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well- credentialed historian, Peter believes she's the right person to help him dig through his family's past.

Anger and danger continue to mount, though, and both realize they're in a race against time to discover the truth-about Peter's past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

 

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Grounded Hearts by Jeanne M. Dickson

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Grounded Hearts by Jeanne M. Dickson

My rating: 3 1/2 of 5 stars

A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.

In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself neutral. Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter which side they are fighting for. When midwife Nan O'Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she's taking a huge risk by letting him in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant, she'll face imprisonment.

Still, something compels Nan to take in "flyboy" Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection-and an unbreakable bond.

But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with guilt since her husband's death and made her question ever loving again. As Nan and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

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The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

My rating: 4 of 5 stars