Category Archives: Reviews

Review: Play it Again, by Tracy Krauss

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Play it Again, by Tracy Krauss (Strategic Book Publishing, 2011)

In the 1980’s, a one-night stand between a conservative accountant and a free-spirited younger woman may have been love at first sight, but neither can admit the possibility. Nor can they stop thinking about one another.

Russ Graham is punctual, successful, and always trying to measure up. Deanie Burton is impulsive, direct and never on time. They’ve both got a lot of baggage from disastrous past relationships.

Neither is a Christian, although Russ learned enough of “the rules” as a child to think he knows  it’s not for him. His mother is a woman of faith, but she plays the guilt card more than she should and tends to look no deeper than appearances.

Deanie’s father leads a jazz troupe, and Deanie herself has recently quit singing in a rock band. She’d love to go back to it, but she also wants a job with a steady income.

Play it Again is a romance, without the suspense that readers of author Tracy Krauss may expect from her previous novels. There’s still plenty of tension and some elements of danger. It’s very much a relationship story, and a coming-to-faith story.

There’s a fair bit of mild profanity, enough to put the novel into the “edgy Christian fiction” category, definitely enough that the more conservative readers of Christian fiction may want to give it a miss. There isn’t a lot of sexual content, and it’s discreetly “off-camera.”

While the language might make Russ, Deanie and their friends feel more realistic to non-Christian readers, I think those readers might have trouble accepting the number of characters who commit their hearts to Christ by the book’s end. Still, it could be a good book to pass to a non-Christian friend.

The basics of the faith are clearly presented in small portions as the characters themselves begin searching—after readers have watched them dig themselves into messes and have developed sympathy for them. And although the gospel message is very clear, I never felt readers were being preached at.

I found it interesting to look at the Christian characters through Russ and Deanie’s eyes and see how even the best intentions can be misconstrued. Deanie’s friend Holly shows how faith can be lived non-judgmentally but without compromise, and she’s a good example to us all.

Tracy Krauss is a Canadian author whose previous novels include And the Beat Goes On and My Mother the Man-Eater. Play it Again is the prequel to And the Beat Goes On. You can learn more about Tracy at her website or check out her blog, Expressions Express, about the creative process from a Christian perspective.

There’s an interesting interview with Tracy Krauss at Marcy Dyer’s Rollercoaster Suspense blog, where she talks about her philosophy in writing edgy Christian fiction.

[Review copy provided by the author in exchange for a fair review.]

Review: Spiritual Rhythm, by Mark Buchanan

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Spiritual Rhythm, by Mark Buchanan (Zondervan, 2010)

If spiritual life is measured by fruit, seasons make a good metaphor. Winter, spring and summer are all needed to produce a good harvest in the fall.

Just as one year’s growth cycle leads into the next, Mark Buchanan suggests our own trip through the seasons will be ongoing. This has been my experience, and I’m glad I’m not alone. Mark, who’s farther ahead in his spiritual maturity than I, began this book in a hard, cruel winter.

I suspect that  many who feel themselves most in need of this book’s help will be in wintertime. Perhaps that’s why chapter one opens there.

Recognizing and accepting the season we’re in—whether we progressed naturally from the previous one or were thrust into it by circumstances beyond our control—frees us to begin tending our spiritual lives in ways most suited to the time.

The first half of Spiritual Rhythm looks at the four seasons of the heart and at what life might look like in each one. It offers suggested activities (and inactivities) to make the most of each one and to encourage a healthy progression into the next. And it points us to Jesus, the Man for all seasons.

“I seek two things: Christ’s presence in season and out, to know that even the darkness cannot hide him and that by his light I see light. And Christ’s wisdom in season and out, to know how best to meet him, how best to make the most out of each season and each moment.” (Spiritual Rhythm, pages 18-19)

In the second half the focus is spiritual rhythm, covering topics like balance, abiding, seeking the Kingdom, walking in the light, perseverance, gratitude, worship, the Bible, prayer and friendship.

The seasonal activities and spiritual practices are practical and down-to-earth. The book also includes 29 short selections called “Time-ins” which allow readers to explore specific areas where we might benefit.

These aren’t touchy-feely questions, nor are they abstract theorizations. They offer the chance to go deeper into topics that may help. With that many to choose from, there should be a few that will resonate with anyone. If you’re inclined, you can work them through in a journal. If that scares you, just think about them a bit. Or at least read them. They don’t bite.

The book can be read straight through, or readers may dive in where they most feel the need. There’s minor recapping of previous material in places, so that a reader beginning there won’t miss the benefit.

No review of a Mark Buchanan book is complete without mention of the author’s lyrical writing style. Spiritual Rhythm even includes some of his poetry: brief, evocative, and real. His books are refreshing because of their spiritually-nutritious content and their beauty of delivery.

Mark knows how to tell stories that connect with ordinary people. Stories of ordinary people and of those who’ve walked paths many of us will safely avoid. He shares his own stories with an engaging transparency, and never lingers on them long enough to sound self-absorbed.

Spiritual Rhythm may be my favourite Mark Buchanan book yet. I’m not ready to be finished reading; I need to go back and revisit sections that still have more to say to me.

Mark Buchanan is a Canadian pastor, speaker and award-winning author. His previous books are Your God is Too Safe, Things Unseen, The Holy Wild, The Rest of God and Hidden in Plain Sight. Keep an eye out for Your Church is too Safe: Turning the World Upside Down, coming out in 2012, and Mark’s first novel, David, in 2013.

You can find Mark at his website. His sermons are also available as podcasts from the New Life Community Baptist Church.

Spiritual Rhythm is available in hardcover and ebook formats, online or through your local bookstore. You will want a copy you can highlight or underline.

[A shorter version of this review first appeared in Faith Today, Nov-Dec 2011. Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The Third Grace, by Deb Elkink

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The Third Grace book coverThe Third Grace, by Deb Elkink (Greenbrier Book Company, 2011)

Aglaia Klassen is a thirty-something single woman developing a strong reputation in the world of costume design. Her goal: become a “seasoned urban artist” and find the inner peace that’s eluding her.

Born Mary Grace Klassen, she left that name behind with the family farm and the Mennonite faith of her childhood. ‘Aglaia’ is the name of one of the Three Graces in Greek mythology, and it connects her to a major root of her inner turmoil: François Vivier, the young French exchange student who spent a summer on the farm—and who left with her heart.

An upcoming business trip to Paris, and François’ sensual notes in an old Bible, bring the past into the present and Aglaia develops an obsession with finding Francois again. If she can see him now, perhaps she can put the past to rest and find her true identity.

The main influences in Aglaia’s life are Dr. Lou Chapman, a self-focused feminist who wants to lure her away from her employer to work for Lou’s upscale university, and Ebenezer MacAdam, Aglaia’s gentle boss who’s been quietly grooming her as his replacement.

Aglaia may not know who she is, but everyone else seems to know who they want her to be. Lou pushes, Eb suggests, and François’ notes reveal his own agenda. Author Deb Elkink presents each character as him/herself without commentary and without judgement and lets the reader worry over whether Aglaia will find herself—or be shaped into someone else’s version of reality.

The Third Grace is women’s fiction with the introspection of a literary novel, and the central characters are well-realized and strong of voice.

This is a thinking reader’s novel, although it will satisfy those of us who read mainly for the story. The characters of Lou and François see the Bible as only one of the many valid sources of myth, and Lou is selective in the mythology she uses to prove her own view of the universe.

Eb remembers his own questions along those lines, but he’s found his personal satisfaction in the Bible as truth and he knows it means more than vague philosophy. He’s not threatened, and he’s comfortable to pray for others without trying to argue them into his understanding.

The novel itself does not feel preachy or like a philosophical treatise (although Lou speaks that way because that’s who she is). It’s written by a Christian, perhaps more for wandering women than for those secure in the Kingdom, and portions of the content are more worldly than some Christian readers will find comfortable. Nothing is gratuitous, though, and each character’s thoughts and actions are true to who they are. That’s why the story worked so well for me even when bits were a bit out of my comfort zone.

The Third Grace is the story of one woman’s journey to reconcile with her past and find herself in the present.

You can learn more about Canadian author Deb Elkink at her website, or check out her blog, Rolled Scroll.

[Advance review copy provided by the Greenbrier Book Company in exchange for a fair review.]

Review: Lost Melody, by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

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Lost Melody cover artLost Melody, by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith (Zondervan, 2011)

Jillian King was a gifted concert pianist until an accident damaged her left hand. She’s spent the past year grieving and afraid to touch her piano. When she and her fiancé, Glen Bradford, decide on a Christmas wedding (one month away) and her grandmother sets her up with two piano students, the stress is enough to give anyone nightmares.

But Jill’s nightmare is realistic and recurring: fire and cold, a disaster that will devastate the small community of Seaside Cove where she lives. Is she going crazy? Or should she obey the dream and warn the citizens?

Going public wouldn’t simply embarrass Jill—it would damage Glen’s political campaign. But what if she keeps silent and disaster strikes?

Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith have written an intriguing story with a vibrant cast. It’s easy to empathize with Jill, and despite her grief she’s trying to move on with life so she’s in no way a depressing character.

Jill lives with her grandmother, a flamboyant lady whose good intentions sometimes have unexpected results. And Glen is a genuinely nice guy trying to do the right thing.

A bonus for me is the setting: how often do you see a US-published novel set in Canada, especially in Nova Scotia? Seaside Cove is a fictional community on the outskirts of Halifax. I imagine it being near Eastern Passage or a bit farther east along the coast.

There are a few minor wording choices that a local would notice (we never call the  harbour, even its mouth, a bay) but the descriptions give a genuine feel for the area and make it easy to visualize. I was pleased, through American Christian Fiction Writers, to answer some of the authors’ local research questions. Here’s hoping I didn’t lead them astray!

Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith are each well-established writers of Christian fiction. Lost Melody is their first collaboration, and they enjoyed the process so much that they’re doing two more books together: The Heart’s Frontier and A Plain and Simple Heart. Watch for both titles in 2012.

You can read the first chapter of Lost Melody on the authors’ shared website.

There’s also a section of bonus material including an alternate ending for the novel. The printed ending satisfied me, but I think I like the alternate one better. Can’t tell you why… spoilers.

[Review copy provided by the authors.]

 

Review: The Search for Significance, by Robert S. McGee

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The Search for Significance, by Robert S. McGee (Thomas Nelson, 1998, 2003)

“Seeing your true worth through God’s eyes” – a subtitle like that shows why this book would benefit most Christians worldwide. And with over two million copies in print, the demand is clearly there.

The introduction explains, “This book focuses on how our thoughts affect our emotional, relational, and spiritual development.” (p. x) It’s aimed at everyday Christians who may know the truths of Scripture but not know how to “apply God’s solutions to your search for significance.” (p. 6)

Through practical biblical teaching and illustrated by case studies, author Robert S. McGee aims to teach readers that “Our true value is based not on our behaviour or the approval of others but on what God’s Word says is true of us.” (p. 19)

That’s easy to say, but hard to internalize at the deepest level. Robert McGee simplifies the issue to suggest our problems rise from believing this basic lie:

Self-Worth = Performance + Others’ Opinions

And don’t most of us believe it, at least in part?

Is your life inhibited by fear of failure? Fear of rejection? Fear of punishment, or a need to blame others? Shame?

I didn’t realize how much these things affected me until I did the simple self-tests and began applying God’s truth instead of accepting the devil’s lies.

The Search for Significance explores the consequences of believing the false self-worth equation above, and most importantly it offers God’s perspective from His Word, which we can choose to believe instead. With practice, in time, we can replace the lies with truth.

This is one of the most liberating books I’ve read in a long time. My copy is filled with sticky notes highlighting key passages. I have the revised and expanded book and workbook in one volume, a 337-page trade paperback. The first half is the teaching, and the second has questions for reflection and/or discussion to complement each chapter.

Robert McGee has extensive background in counselling, and he’s quick to clarify that the book’s scope doesn’t include problems or disorders tied to physiological issues, which require extra help. Many of us, however, will benefit from a prayerful reading and even from taking this journey in company with a trusted friend.

You can watch a two-part video on relationships and our search for significance at the McGee family’s ministry site, Rapha Resources.

[Review copy from my personal library, and it’s a keeper.]

Review: The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, by Jeff Gerke

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The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction cover artThe Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction, by Jeff Gerke (Marcher Lord Press, 2009)

This book is subtitled “The complete guide to finding your story, honing your skills, and glorifying God in your novel,” and it lives up to what it promises.

The material is divided into three sections: The Spiritual Heart of Writing Christian Fiction; Strategizing Yourself, Strategizing Your Fiction; and Writing Your Novel. The third section fills half the book and provides a comprehensive overview of the craft.

The writing and strategizing material is mostly aimed at beginners. These two sections cover characters, show and tell, point of view, description and dialogue. As we learn, we’ll want other books on the craft to give advanced teaching, but this is a great place to start, filled with practical instruction.

But this is not just a book for beginners. The first 40 pages offer something I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else in writing-focused books.

Jeff Gerke asks some penetrating questions before getting into the “how” of writing. Whose approval are we writing for, at the deepest level? God’s or man’s? Will publication—or a best-seller—provide what we need for contentment? What’s our calling as Christian novelists?

This part of the book justified the purchase price, and it’s something I’ll come back to again and again. I think it applies to writers of all stages of experience.

For new writers, another key benefit in this opening section is Jeff’s up-front warning that not all writing teachers agree. Instead of trying to reinvent ourselves to match each one’s view, we need to listen, learn, and then discern what works best for our own stories. Knowing this can prevent severe confusion.

Jeff himself recommends taking up to the first half of a novel before moving into the second act of a three-act structure. Traditionally this mark is closer to the one-third mark, which fits better for me. But he likes prologues when many don’t, and I’m  happy to agree there!

The book’s spiritual grounding, big-picture strategizing and techniques will benefit Christians no matter what their fiction genre. For those writing for the Christian market, there are genre-specific tips and advice, including options on conveying profanity without being banned from the Christian bookstore.

The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is an essential book for the Christian writer’s library. It’s clear, easy to understand and put into practice, and there’s enough humour to make it a fun read.

[Review copy from my personal library. Review originally appeared in FellowScript, August 2011.]

Review: Legacy of Lies, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

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Legacy of Lies cover artLegacy of Lies, by Jill Elizabeth Nelson (Love Inspired Suspense, 2010)

When recently-widowed Nicole Keller-Mattson moves in with her elderly grandmother in small-town Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to discover an infant’s bones that will reopen a 50-year-old investigation and incriminate the grandparents she’s always loved and admired.

Police chief Rich Hendricks is already swamped with a spate of robberies and no clues in sight, but he needs to see justice done for the baby’s family… even though they’re a dysfunctional and secretive brood who’d like to see him fail.

Nicole is the first woman Rich has noticed since his wife died, but she’s determined not to marry another cop. And if he has to arrest her grandmother, forget the chances of a relationship.

Jill Elizabeth Nelson is a strong suspense writer who has proven herself able to craft longer novels (with her “To Catch a Thief” series) and although I’ve followed her to Love Inspired, it limits her scope. Despite the smaller word count and the genre-specific need to focus on the hero and heroine’s mutual attraction that faces insurmountable obstacles, she delivers richly-crafted characters, a complex suspense plot, and some fun and fresh writing.

Take this description, where she doesn’t stop with telling us Nicole’s sensation but expands until we feel it too: “Nicole’s skin crawled as if tiny bugs scampered across her flesh.” (p. 106)

And the way Nicole describes one of the other characters: “Fern’s a good half a bubble off-centre…” (p. 156) If you’ve never used a carpenter’s level you might miss that one, but it’s new to me and I liked it.

Legacy of Lies is a hard novel to put down. Most of the chapters end with a stakes-raising twist that will have you reading the next page before you know it.

Love Inspired books only stay on store shelves for the month of release, but you can order them as paperbacks, large-print paperbacks, or ebooks through the major online retailers.

You can learn more about Jill Elizabeth Nelson at her website. To get a feel for Legacy of Lies, check out this excerpt. I’ve reviewed some of her previous books: Reluctant Burglar and Reluctant Smuggler.

Watch for her newest title, Season of Danger, with Christy-Award-winning author Hannah Alexander, releasing November 29, 2011. From the Amazon listing, it looks like the book has two short novellas, one from each author: Silent Night, Deadly Night and Mistletoe Mayhem.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Rescued, by Donna Dawson

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Rescued, by Donna Dawson (Word Alive Press, 2010)

Daphne Barrie won’t survive her pregnancy—and she’d rather die with her baby than make a hurried choice she could regret for a lifetime. Desperate for another option, she pushes for a chance at a radical new procedure that would transfer her microscopic embryo into the womb of a healthy recipient, Charlene McTaggart.

Embryonic micromanipulation has been a reality in livestock for years. Rescued is Donna Dawson’s exploration of what it might mean if it were possible for humans.

This is clearly an “issue” novel, but Donna Dawson is too skilled a writer to let it slide into propaganda. And it’s a look at an alternative to abortion—not an argument for or against abortion itself. Both pro-life and pro-choice readers will find it interesting as long as they’re comfortable with a book where some of the characters talk about their faith.

Daphne and Charlene are thinking, feeling characters who draw reader empathy. The supporting doctors, the helpful reporter and the tabloid hack all have parts to play in exploring the ramifications of such a radical procedure. And the extremist villain whose goal is to eliminate the “abomination” that is Daphne’s/Charlene’s developing baby shows another side to the picture—and keeps the tension high.

In places the book is very technical as the doctors try to help the public and their patients (and readers) understand the procedure. It’s also a poignant look at a teen who knows she’ll never deliver a baby and a woman who had lost hope of ever being pregnant. The bond that grows between them is touching, and it strengthens them both.

Because the novel focuses on the one key issue, we don’t get much of a feel for the supporting characters, including Charlene’s husband. We do get to see pro-choice and pro-life activists working together for a common goal.

As the novel points out, human embryonic micromanipulation would need careful regulation to protect against things like black market embryo sales and inept surgery. I think it’s worth doing, and I’m a bit angry that the medical and research community hasn’t already been working for this.

Industry professionals have said that a procedure like this could work. “Possible but cost-prohibitive” is what one source told the author. The cost of research and development would be high, but what’s too high a price for an alternative to abortion?

The emotionally-volatile argument would continue, because some would still choose abortion and others would oppose that choice, but what if there really could be another option?

Rescued is an informative and thought-provoking novel. The first part is more human interest: the fight to save Daphne’s life. The second part is more suspenseful: the fight to protect Charlene’s life as the religious extremist increases his pressure. With short chapters and a fast pace, it’s hard to put down. The only negative is that it didn’t have enough copy-editing, and readers who notice these things will at times be jolted out of the story.

Canadian author Donna Dawson is an award-winning novelist, speaker, writing instructor and the creator of the popular writing advice blog with Duke the Chihuahua. She’s also a singer. Rescued is her fifth novel. You can watch a video interview with Donna at Talk On The Way. Here’s a link to the trailer for Rescued.

[Book provided by the author in exchange for an unbiased review. A shorter version of this review first appeared in Faith Today’s online July/August 2011 issue.]

Review: There You’ll Find Me, by Jenny B. Jones

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There You’ll Find Me, by Jenny B. Jones (Thomas Nelson, 2011)

Two years ago, Finley Sinclair’s older brother Will died in a terrorist attack while doing humanitarian work. She’s 18 now, and still broken. Her family hopes that a year as an exchange student in Ireland will bring her some closure, as she follows the steps Will recorded in his travel journal. Visiting the sites he loved will help her finish the music she’s composing in tribute, which will be her audition piece for entry into the New York Conservatory.

Teen actor Beckett Rush offers to be her driver—if she’ll work as his assistant. Beckett has charm, good looks, and a bad-boy reputation. She can’t finish her music without his truck, but can she resist his charms? And survive the venom of a jealous classmate?

Although Finley tries to talk to God, He’s been silent for a long time. Her music teacher, Sister Maria, is one safe place in the chaos around her. Her school community service project, visiting a hostile senior citizen, is not.

There You’ll Find Me is a young adult novel, and I’m hardly the target audience. But I’d heartily recommend it for teen girls and women of all ages. An unexpected bonus for me is that Finley is Alex’s younger sister from the author’s adult novel, Save the Date. I’d forgotten her name and was part way through the novel when I put the clues together, and I was so pleased to see her again and to get some news of the rest of the family.

Teens would enjoy Save the Date as well, but it’s not required. Each novel stands alone. Where one follows the other time-wise, reading There You’ll Find Me first would give away one or two key aspects of the first novel’s ending.

Jenny B. Jones is one of my favourite authors. Her characters come to life with a mix of spunk, sass and wit. There You’ll Find Me is funny, touching, and real. And the Ireland it portrays is beautiful. The Thomas Nelson product page has links to a sample chapter and to a discussion guide.

You can find Jenny at her website and her blog. While she’s best known for her young adults’ “Charmed Life” series, (which are good fun for adults as well) she’s also written two novels for adults (safe for teens too). I’ve reviewed them here: Just Between You and Me and Save the Date.

[Complimentary electronic review copy provided by the publisher through BookSneeze®]

Review: Deep Cover, by Sandra Orchard

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Deep Cover book coverDeep Cover, by Sandra Orchard (Love Inspired, 2011)

Ginny Bryson’s time—and salary—go to support her dying mother and her special-needs sister, Lori. When she takes on the public-relations role for her uncle’s new group home project that will house Lori, the last person she expects to meet is Rick Gray, the man who deceived her and broke her heart.

Rick isn’t even going by his own name now. He calls himself Duke Black and he’s the construction foreman at the group home building site.

What she doesn’t know is that Rick’s an undercover cop. He let her walk away before out of fear his enemies would try to reach him through her. Now he’s back in town to bring down her uncle for the murder of a police officer—Rick’s partner—as well as for insurance fraud.

How can he lie to Ginny and keep his cover? But she knows he lied before, and she thinks her uncle’s an upstanding citizen.

Deep Cover is Canadian author Sandra Orchard’s first novel, set in a small town in southern Ontario. Be warned, most chapters end with a hook that has you reading the next page before you know it. The pace is fast, the characters believably conflicted, and the writing strong with plenty of word pictures.

My favourite line: “Rick chewed on the inside of his cheek and Ginny could almost see the little mice racing inside his brain, trying to find a way out of this one.” (p.78)

Deep Cover is the first title in Sandra Orchard’s “Undercover Cops” series. The next book, Shades of Truth, releases in March 2012. Sandra blogs at Conversations About Characters, and you can learn more about her at her website. You might also want to check out my interview with Sandra Orchard.

[Book from my personal library.]