Book Reviews from Christian E-Authors

Christian E-Authors post excerpts and links to reviews of e-books and books from small presses. Books may be fiction or nonfiction; Christian or secular; adult, young adult, or children - but all recommended books will be family-friendly.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Autumn Crossroad by Cheryl N. Warner

I was feeling a little guilty that I decided to read Autumn Crossroad by Cheryl N. Warner this weekend rather than work on a freelance writing project, but I soon realized I made the right decision.

Workaholic Casey Wells has already sacrificed several relationships for her career when she moves to Hollywood to work for a high-powered public relations firm. Shawn Lafferty can't get her attention any other way, so her bets her five thousand dollars that she can't sustain a relationship with him while she wheels and deals her way up the ladder of success.

Casey's complex relationship with her Marine colonel father and Shawn's relationship with his cold mother Val - Casey's boss - add depth to the story. Casey strongly feels that she's right where God wants her to be, even though Shawn doesn't think much of the business of making often not-very-ethical-public-figures look good.

Casey starts out wanting to prove she can have it all - a career and a relationship, but when she eventually has to make a choice, her old ideas of success aren't as clear-cut as they originally were.

Autumn Crossroad is a wonderful story with many layers - the story of Casey and Shawn, the stories of the relationships of Casey and Shawn with their parents, and the story of Casey and Val finding what is really important in life.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Awake, My Love by Judy Boettcher

A gentle, inspirational romance, Awake, My Love by Judy Boettcher is Book One of The Loffington Twins, Private Investigators. Brad Loffington and Laney Williams meet when he rear-ends her car at at intersection. Brad makes an instant positive impression on Laney, while his twin sister and partner in his investigation agency, dressed for an undercover assignment, makes the opposite impression. When Brad addresses the tackily-dressed woman as Honey, Laney assumes the pair are a couple, not realizing that Honey is a name, not an endearment. Laney feels guilty for her attraction to a man who is "OCT (of-course-taken)" until she learns he isn't committed to anyone else.

After Brad hires her to redecorate his office, they grow closer. Laney realizes that Brad's parents had been devout Christians, but Brad and Honey had begun to doubt when their parents died and the twins were raised by a relative who never took them to church. Since her faith is an important part of her life, Brad's spiritual journey back to the Lord is an important part of the couple's story.

But the course of love doesn't always run smooth, and Laney finds herself snooping when she's working alone in Brad's office. Her snooping and what she finds out about Brad's involvement with her best friend's past threaten their relationship.

In Awake, My Love, Judy Boettcher weaves a gentle romance, a touch of mystery, a story of true friendship and loyalty, a little humor, and the message of God's love. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Honey Loffington's story in Book Two of The Loffington Twins, Private Investigators: Sweeter Than Honey.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Interesting Non-Fiction

Cancer: A Personal Challenge by Dr. Bob Rich


This is the first book I have read on the subject of
cancer, and I finished the final chapter with an
understanding of not only the physical challenges
patients face, but the mental and emotional ones as
well.

Dr. Bob Rich and his contributors take the reader from
diagnosis to healing, sprinkling the text with
emotional pieces written by real cancer sufferers. He
points out that there is no definitive cure; there is
no definitive cause. There are new-age-ish treatments
suggested I don’t necessarily agree with, but their
inclusion demonstrates how widespread the epidemic
really is and that each patient must ultimately decide
on his own course of action. But there definitely is
reason for hope, which makes this not a text-book or
self-help book, but a study into the effects of
disease on real people, and how a patient’s outlook
plays a part in his healing. I recommend this book to
anyone affected by cancer, or anyone who hopes to
never be.