Monday, May 16, 2011

Mission of Mercy Series - a Litfuse Review

I was given the opportunity to read the Mission of Mercy Series (January 2011, March 2011, and May 2011 Love Inspired Suspense novels) for review. The books were easily read, and Susan May Warren is the author of all of these books.
Point of No Return is a story about Chet Stryker, head of Stryker International security team and Mae Lund, experienced flyer. When Mae's nephew Josh goes on a mission trip and then turns up missing at the same time as a young lady ends up missing. Chet is asked by the CIA to find the young lady and Josh, and Mae Lund ends up finding him in Georgia. Mae and Chet, no strangers, reluctantly band together to find the two missing young people. A brush with terrorists and Chet's own "shoot-to-kill" status in the country of Georgia (due to his previous experience in Georgia causing him to be an unpopular guy there) makes their situation a little complicated. Or should I say, VERY complicated!
I highly recommend this book if you like suspense.

Mission: Out of Control is the second story that I read in this series. Brody "Wick" Wickham is an ex-Green Beret now on the payroll of Stryker International security team. He has been assigned the job of protecting a Senator's daughter. Veronica "Vonya" Wagner, American rock star, becomes a thorn in Wick's side as he discovers that she is very stubborn and independent and wants to forge her own life. After she finally realizes that her life is in danger, though, she's forced to allow Wick to keep her safe from harm. What neither of them wants to happen though is for there to be feelings to be developed. But they find that that's the one thing Wick can't protect them from!
This is another suspense novel that I think would be a great read for those of you who like that and a little romance thrown in, too.
Undercover Pursuit, the third and final book that I read in this series, involves another individual from the Stryker International security team. Luke Dekker has been assigned to protect the fiancee of a druglord's nephew. He's also been assigned to work with another individual--a woman named Stacey who will act as the bride's maid of honor and also help keep the bride safe. When Luke comes in contact with Scarlett Hanson, he believes that she's Stacey, the agent he's supposed to work with.
Scarlett Hanson is due to help her sister with her wedding. When Scarlett's flight lands, she finds Luke in her marked taxi, believing him to be the date her sister has fixed her up with for the wedding. What she doesn't realize is that Luke thinks she's an agent to help protect another woman's wedding--not her sister's wedding!
I thoroughly enjoyed all three of these books, and I highly recommend them for individuals who like suspense with a little clean romance mixed in.

If you're interested in reading more reviews on these books, go here


Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her 3 book Missions of Mercy series!

Three heroes, all on missions of mercy, who discover that God not only saves us from evil, but from the darkness inside.

Point of No Return: Can God deliver us from our mistakes? This question is posed to Chet and Mae as they race to save Mae’s nephew from an evil warlord in the Republic of Georgia. More here.

Mission: Out of Control: Does God turn his back on us when we fail? Brody and Vonya discover the answer as they conspire to capture an international smuggler and free a child soldier from war. More here.

Undercover Pursuit: What if we deliberately sin and harbor bitterness in our hearts? Is there a rescue from the dark places inside? Luke and Scarlett find out as they work to protect a bride-turned-informant whose courage could dismantle a human trafficking web. More here.





To celebrate the series, Susan is giving away a Missions of Mercy Prize Pack worth over $200! One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new FLIP HD Camera
* The entire Missions of Mercy series

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. You may enter once per email, facebook, and twitter. The contest ends on May 31st. Tell your friends! Winner will be announced on June 1st at the Litfuse Publicity site and at Susan May Warren's website. (While you're there, check out her rockin' new website!)


Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter


I received the Mission of Mercy series as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity Group.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Dragons of the Valley - a Multnomah Review

Dragons of the Valley, by Donita K. Paul, was an enjoyable read. I had trouble visualizing the characters at first: several different races at different sizes and names and descriptions. . . . It took a couple of chapters before I was able to realize who was whom. (It doesn't help that I hadn't read the first book in the series before I read this one.)

The story takes place in a fictional land named Chiril. The peace in the land comes to a brutal halt when an enemy invades the land. The land's most prized possessions are three statues, and when it is decided that the statues must be hidden, a remarkable journey to the Valley of the Dragons becomes a struggle.

The people of Chiril embark not only on a journey to remain safe, but they also find that on this journey their creator, whom they have little knowledge of, Wulder becomes more real to them. In their struggle to regain peace, they also learn what it means to trust and desire a relationship with Wulder, their creator.

This has been a captivating novel, and I hope to read the first of the series soon!

I received Dragons of the Valley as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. My comments and opinions are my own.

How Huge the Night - a Litfuse Review

How Huge the Night, a teen book written by Heather and Lydia Munn, convincingly captures what it was like for young adolescents in Nazi-controlled France. This story captivated me, and it was hard for me to put it down. The characters were well portrayed, and the events that occurred in the story felt "real".

The mainly encompasses the stories of two families, though other characters' situations are also brought in. Julien Losier, a fifteen-year-old French boy, and his family find themselves responsible for a young Jewish teen who seemed quite difficult to interact with. Julien struggles with wanting to fit in at school, but with a Jew living in his home, Julien finds that he's ostracized and fights to make his place at school. His struggle to fit in becomes his undoing as he realizes that self isn't as important as the protection and safety of others.

In Austria, fifteen-year-old Nina and her brother Gustav watch their father pass away, and then it is up to them to escape into France to what they believe will be safety. What they're unprepared for is the immense struggles they will have to endure on this journey from Austria to France. From hunger to near death, Nina and Gustav struggle to hold on to what they hold dear.

I received How Huge the Night as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity Group.



Kregel Publications is sponsoring an $50 Amazon.com giveaway open to my blog readers.
About the Giveaway!
To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about How Huge the Night or share about it on Facebook!
If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use the hashtag (#litfuse). If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy. (All Litfuse bloggers who post a review are automatically entered and do NOT need to email us.)
Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea.
TWEET THIS: How Huge the Night - compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens and adults alike turning the pages! #litfuse http://ow.ly/4RBXc
FACEBOOK THIS: How Huge the Night by Heather & Lydia Munn is a compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens and adults alike turning the pages late into the night! http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13181161

About the Munn's:
Heather Munn was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in southern France where her parents were missionaries like their parents before them. She has a BA in literature from Wheaton College and now lives in a Christian intentional community in rural Illinois , where she and her husband, Paul, host free spiritual retreats for the poor, especially those transitioning out of homelessness or addiction. When not writing or hosting, she works on the communal farm.
Lydia Munn, daughter of missionary parents, grew up in Brazil . She received a BA in literature from Wheaton College , and an MA in Bible from Columbia Graduate School of Bible and Missions. With her husband, Jim, she has worked in church planting and Bible teaching since 1983, notably in St. Etienne, near the small town in the central mountains of France which forms the background of How Huge the Night. The Munns now live in Grenoble, France.