Vanished

By: Irene Hannon

 www.revellbooks.com





In this story we are introduced to reporter Moira Harrison. She is traveling on her way home one stormy night when she sees a women standing in the middle of the road but it is to late. While trying to avoid hitting her she crashes into a tree and little does she know the events that this accident will lead to.

Enter Private Investigator Cal and the plot thickens as he takes on Moira's case when the police fail to find any sign of the woman or any evidence of the man that stopped to help. As Cal and Moira set out to find the truth they are unprepared for the facts that they uncover and the unlikely suspect. Throw into this a strong attraction and you have the makings of a great story that is hard to put down.


I really enjoyed reading this book and it kept me hooked until the very end. This book was full of amazing twists and turns that will keep you guessing. If you are a person who likes a good myster then this is the book for you.


available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Sarai

By: Jill Eileen Smith


http://www.revellbookks.com


In this story we are introduced to Abraham and Sarai and walk wit them through their lives as husband and wife. As many may recall from reading the bible story of Abraham, he and Sarai whose name was later changed to Sarah had trouble conceiving a child even though the Lord promised them that it would be so and that Abraham would be the father of many nations. In this book we not only meet these two wonderful people but we are also introduced to Lot and his wife as well and are witness to their story unfolding also.


I really enjoy reading these Biblical stories that are made into novels and this book Sarai is no exception. I love how the authors are able to stay true to what the Bible says but at the same time they are able to pull the reader into the actual emotions that the people must have been feeling as they were going through hard times. In this stiry we see how hard it was for Sarah to not be able to bare her husband a child and we also see Abraham's faith that God will indeed grant them a childin his time. We are also able to see that God is true to his word and that he will never leave us no matter how bad things may seem at the time. God does not work in our time but his time and he is always right on time.


Available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Remembering Christmas

By: Dan Walsh

http://www.revellbooks.com


In this story we are introduced to Rick Denton who has been living life the way that he pleases and with no one to answer to.Things take a turn for Rick when he receives a desperate call from his mom asking him to please come and help run the family store as his stepfather is seriously ill and she really needs his help. Little does Rick know that what started out as a short term job turns into weeks worth of work as his stepfather takes a turn for the worse. Rick has to come to terms with the things of his past and must also look deep inside for the new him if he wishes to achieve the happiness that awaits him in the future.



Dan Walsh has done it again and I am once again very pleased with the story that he has written. I think that many of us who have been through some of the things that these characters have faced will really get a lot of insight from this story. I especially love the message of Faith in this story and the Belief that no matter the situation God has it all in control. We must all learn to have faith in God and to believe that if He has said something in his word that he will fulfill it to the letter. There is no problem to hard for God and no situation that he can not turn around and make it into a blessing. There are a lot of people out there who wonder and ask the question, Why is this happening to me? Sometimes the Lord allows things to happen to us not because of any particular thing that we have done but as a wake up call to others who may be around and watching how we handle things. Everything that happens to us can be used as a testimony to show others the way to God and that he is but testing our faith and commitment to him.


Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Christmas Shoppe

By: Melody Carlson

http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Susanna Elton who is working as the city manager of Parrish Springs ans she has just completed the sell of a building in town to Parrish Springs newest citizen, Matilda Honeycutt. Little does Susanna realize that this one step will completely alter not only her life but that of Parrish Springs and its residents as well. Matilda is an eccentric older woman who really gets the town in an uproar when she opens her business with what they see as little more than junk and all without the proper permits required by law. Add to the mix angry business owners and a councilman out to line his own pockets and you have a recipe for disaster. Matilda, however has a special magic all her own and begins to reveal to certain people what it is that they really need in each of their lives.

I really enjoyed reading this story although it did take me a while to get into the rhythm of it. I really liked how Matilda was a lady who did not care about what others thought about her and that she set out to achieve a certain purpose and was not afraid to go for it. I loved how she took what other people saw as just junk but it touched the lives of different people. This story brings to life the saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure. This story also shows how important it is to really look deep inside ourselves and see what it is that we really need and what better time to put this into practice than this holiday season. We must all learn to forgive, be patient, open our hearts, and realize the true meaning of the holiday season. Pick up this book and follow along with the citizens of Parrish Springs as they begin to realize that things are not always as they appear.

Available November 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

The Measure of Katie Calloway

By: Serena Miller



http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Katie Calloway who has survived the rigors of the Civil War in Georgia only to have to deal with a husband who is abusive and having a hard time dealing with the loss of his family home. Fearing for her life and that of her brother who she is taking care of after the death of their parents Katie grabs a few of her belonging and flees what is left of her husbands home. Can Katie build a new life for her and her brother or will he husband succeed in his plans for her?



Robert Frost owns a lumber camp and is in need a cook that can help him feed his men since the cook that he had broke his arm in a fight. When Robert meets Katie and gets a taste of her cooking he knows that he has found the perfect cook for his camp. The only problem is that he is not sure if Katie will be able to handle the demands that will be placed on her as cook and how she will handle the isolation and being the only woman around.



I really enjoyed reading this novel and I really admired Katie's inner strength and her willingness to venture into the unknown to save not only her life but that of her brother as well. I think that there are several people who can learn a lot from Katie about when to say enough is enough in an abusive relationship. This is especially true in relationships where kids are involved. It is up to the adults in the relationship to put the welfare of the child above that of their feelings for the abusive person. Katie was able to tap into her inner core of strength and to create a new life for her and her younger brother and was able to make the best out of her situation.



Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Deeply Devoted

By: Maggie Brendan

http://www.revellbooks.com/




In this book you will meet Catherine Olsen who is leaving her home and everything that she knows to become a mail order bride. After the death of her parents in a tragic accident she alone is left to care for her two sisters but she is also dealing with another tragedy from her past as well. Catherine is also dealing with the fact that she has kept certain secrets from her future husband and is trying to determine when to break the news. Can she over come the tragedy of her past and find love in the arms of her new husband or will she loose her one chance at love and happiness?


Peter Andersen can't wait to pick up his future bride when she arrives but is shocked to find that she is not alone. As they get to know each other Peter becomes worried that he won't be able to support both Catherine and her sisters. He also becomes worried that he will not be able to keep his wife happy as he is a simple farmer and she is use to a life of luxury. Add into the mix that his mother is none to happy to find her plans for his future interrupted and you have a recipe for trouble. Can Peter over come his mother's suspicions and open his heart to find the love of a lifetime? Pick up this story and find out what happens when these two worlds collide.



I really enjoyed reading this book and was touched by the tragedy that Catherine has suffered and how it still haunts her life. There are many people today who are still being plagued by things that happened to them in the past and it still causes problems in their lives today. One of the biggest things that people do wrong is that they keep things bottled up and hidden inside and it festers inside until they can no longer function. If the person you are with truly loves you then they will love you no matter what you have done in the past. The important thing is to learn from the mistakes of the past and to move on in to the future with the knowledge that you will not let it happen again.



Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Heart Revealed

By: Julie Lessman


http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Emma Malloy who has left Dublin and an abusive husband ten years ago for a fresh start in America. In this time Emma has drawn closer to God and has found completeness in running her own business and in taking care of those that are close and dear to her heart. During the past ten years that she has spent in Boston she has drawn close to the O'Connor family and she has become really good friends with Sean O'Connor but she is afraid to look any further at her feelings due to her refusal to break her vows to her husband.



Sean O'Connor is a confirmed bachelor who refuses to give any thought to finding the right woman and settling down in wedded bliss. So it comes as no surprise when his sisters and their husbands conspire to trick him into catching the garter at his sister's wedding. Sean is dealing with a lot of secrets from his past and has a hard time moving on from some of the terrible things that happened to him and has spent his life trying to make up for them. When the loss of his job causes him to help Emma in her store he begins to realize that Emma could be the type of woman that could make him change his mind about remaining single. Can Sean and Emma learn to forgive themselves and move on from the sins of their past? Pick up this story and find out.


I really enjoyed reading this story and it kept me hooked until the last page was read and even then I was looking for more. There are so many great points in this story that I will only be able to pick out a few to expound on in this review. First and foremost I really loved the theme of forgiveness that was shown throughout this whole book. Not only did the characters have to learn to forgive each other but they also had to learn to forgive themselves for the things that they had done wrong as well. Like Emma and Sean there are a lot of people that feel that because they have done wrong in the past that they don't deserve to be forgiven and to find happiness in their lives. We are all human and have done wrong but we should learn from the things that we have done wrong and change them so that we have a chance at a better future. I also liked how the author showed how forgiveness and compromise should work in a marriage. When you marry someone you don't look to change them but you look to find a middle ground that will make each person happy. The biggest thing is to remember to communicate and to compromise when troubles arise. Put pride aside when needed and admit when you are wrong because silence and anger can cause more harm to a marriage but if you look deep and remember why you married that person and always PUT GOD FIRST things will work out for your good. Pick up this book and let God talk to you through the characters and the words found within.


Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group