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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jul 13, 2021 (Updated Jul 13, 2021)  
Watch a video interview with author Susie Finkbeiner, and enter the giveaway to win a $10 Starbucks gift card, a print copy of the Christian contemporary fiction novel The Nature of Small Birds, and a puzzle on my blog!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/07/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-nature-of.html


**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.

Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy's sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.

Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.
      
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Sep 9, 2020  
Sneak a peek at THE EDGE OF BELONGING, a Christian contemporary fiction novel, by Amanda Cox on my blog. Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY to win a copy of the book, a fern tote bag, and a $25 or $10 Barnes & Noble gift card - three winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/09/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-edge-of.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee her late grandmother's estate sale, she soon discovers that the woman left behind more than trinkets and photo frames—she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he's ever loved.

In this dual-timeline story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth—both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others—takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.
      
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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Door (Seventh Dimenson #1) in Books

Nov 12, 2019  
The Door (Seventh Dimenson #1)
The Door (Seventh Dimenson #1)
Lorilyn Roberts | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Religion
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Shale Snyder is a troubled teenager. Her father left her mother when she was little, she has alienated almost all of the other children around her and has problems at school. Following yet another incident she is suspended and feels totally cast adrift. At this point she finds a door and hears a voice calling her to enter...

There is quite a clever concept at the heart of this book; that the Holy Land at the time of Jesus is a sort of dimensional nexus where those who are called can travel and gain spiritual help for themselves as well as the other travellers. It is a fine blending of both science fiction and Christian concepts.

There is also much of The Pilgrim's Progress about this, with Shale's journey and the characters she meets. And although she is living near Nazareth and does encounter Jesus (and other people mentioned in the bible) the religious side is not forced but comes naturally from the narrative. There is also a fair smattering of The Wizard of Oz, as the dimensional copy of the Holy Land from 2000 years ago also contains versions of people that Shale knows from home.

The result is a book that shows how even a little faith by someone as lost as Shale can give her the will to turn her life around and make herself and those around her better people. It is a very positive message, though not gained without significant trials.

There are a couple of negatives. Sometimes the narrative thread can be a little confusing, a side-effect of the dimension-hopping aspect of the story. Also some of the characters appear to serve little purpose, but perhaps as this is the first of a series they will come into play in later books. There is also one comment from her friend Daniel (another traveller from modern-day Israel) that did concern me, I hope this is due to his personal experience rather than a theme of future books.

Overall this is an engrossing read, managing to deliver a positive Christian message without labouring the point and providing a good story arc for Shale to keep the reader invested in the story
  
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Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The House at Saltwater Point (Lavender Tides #2) in Books

Feb 27, 2019  
TH
The House at Saltwater Point (Lavender Tides #2)
Colleen Coble | 2018
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another cover love novel from the hands of Mrs. Colleen Coble, a gem among the Christian Fiction authors I review books by! I struggled just a bit with the first 3 chapters, trying to get engrossed, but once I did......boy, this novel flew by for me! The characters were wonderfully chiseled and the theme of the story was suspenseful, just as the first. 

This book, to me, while having amazing characters, started off too slow for me. It wasn't until about chapter 4 that I became fully engrossed and flew through the book with lightening speed, following Ellie and Grayson through their story. There was unique twists and turns through the story once I got engrossed in it. Those twists and turns left me on the edge of my seat on a few occasions.

This book, filled with terrorism, truths that don't add up, and characters that are perfect for their roles, will leave you ready to get book three in your hands to find out what happens next. This is definitely a 4 star worthy novel and one that I will recommend to all who love a good, faith filled, thrilling suspense page turner. Mrs. Coble's talented hands have once again created a thrilling addition to her Lavender Tides series! Well done!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under not obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*