You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

Misadventures in Travel: A Missionary’s Experience in Brazil

Hannibal Books (June 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Jennifer Nelson, PR Specialist, Hannibal Books for sending me a review copy.***

Far too often reading a missionary’s story is more about the horrors of living in far-away jungles. The heat, the bugs, the head-hunters become the focus of the tale. So much so the reader can begin to think that to serve in an overseas mission is about hardship and martyrdom rather than sharing the Gospel with the people they were sent to serve. Instead of inviting the reader to join the effort, many of these books repel people from the mission field.

Paula Edwards’ new book Misadventures in Travel: A Missionary’s Experience in Brazil changes that trend. This story of the Paula and her husband Van’s journeys through Brazil invites the reader to join them for an enjoyable adventure on the mission field.

The Edwards began their mission adventure later than most people, after their children were grown. At a time in life when most people start thinking about settling into retirement, Paula and Van pack up and head to South America. They signed on with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to map the need for churches in northeast Brazil.

Ms. Edwards tells of their experiences with the roads, or lack of roads, a car, or cars, that fail suddenly, and interesting people along the way. It is not a story; it is an adventure that the reader is invited to join.

To be sure, the Edwards have their share of trials and tribulations, not to mention lost in the jungle stories. But, Ms. Edwards does not portray their many trips along the east coast of Brazil as horrifying. If anything, I want to follow their trail.

I did find some of the escapades repetitive. Each chapter was about a different route. But, the themes of bad roads, shaky ferry boats, and vehicle break-downs were repeated. I would like to have read more about other aspects of their trips, such as misunderstandings due to language barriers. I also missed not being told more about the people and culture they encountered.

Humor is a pleasant change in this missionary’s story. Ms. Edwards’ wit and saucy attitude toward rough roads, no roads, and high water make for easy reading. Also, unlike many missionary books, Ms. Edwards in not afraid to share her emotions, even the “bad” ones. Because the Edwards are real and everyday people, the reader comes to believe that missionary work is not so bad after all.

I recommend this book to families. Children need to know that going to unreached populations doesn’t have to be harrowing or without some fun along the way. Parents, too, will benefit as they read and talk about these missionaries’ experience. Maybe more people will consider short-term or even long-term mission trips after reading these misadventures.

Paula Edwards, a native of the piney hills of north Louisiana, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Louisiana Tech University. Besides having served God on the mission field, Paula also has been a schoolteacher and enjoys riding and training horses. She and her husband, Van, are parents of two grown daughters. The Edwardses live in North Louisiana, in which Van serves as pastor.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.95
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Hannibal Books (June 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934749796
ISBN-13: 978-1934749791

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Set in 1989, with apartheid as the backdrop of No Greater Love by award-winning author Kathi Macias, gives the reader a taste of the injustice and struggles suffered by Black and mixed-race people in South Africa, all with the approval of the South African government.

Chioma, orphaned at the age of twelve, has every reason to hate the white ruling class of South Africa. At sixteen, she comes face to face with a possibility that was as foreign to her as it was illegal. Chioma finds herself falling in love with the son of the owner of the farm where she works. Her hate for white people and her love for Andrew throw her into struggles of life and death, violence and revenge, or forgiveness and selfless love.

Unlike many Christian novels, No Greater Love offers no formula answers or formula endings. Each time I thought I knew the outcome of Chioma’s life, I was surprised with something different and more compelling. This makes No Greater Love more than just a novel for pleasure reading; it is also a story that helps the reader examine whether such difficult decisions are possible in today’s America.

In that regard, No Greater Love gives the reader a chance to determine how to react if Christians become the target of such bigotry. The questions becomes more than just will Chioma find happiness; it becomes “Can I survive the struggles she has faced?” “How would I react to those same horrid conditions?”

This is a book that should be in history classes as well. Apartheid is given scant treatment in many history courses and the reality of such injustice is lost in the facts. Students can learn more about the meaning of racial inequality through this story than any textbook can convey.

No Greater Love is the first in Ms. Macias’ Extreme Devotion Series. The series will use romance, danger, and suspense to illustrate sacrificial love and victorious commitment. If this novel is a taste of the future books in the series, a winner has been born.

No Greater Love
Kathi Macias
New Hope Publishers
ISBN:978-1596692770

History is often written around the politics of the time period or country. But there is more to the history of any nation or time period. To base history on the political events leads to a narrow and biased viewpoint.

Bennett served as Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan and was President George H. W. Bush’s drug czar. Although his political life began as a Democrat, in the mid-1980s he switched affiliation to the Republican party. He is well-known for his conservative political and cultural viewpoint. That viewpoint is not missed in A Century Turns.

The chronological listing of events is full of stories, which at times reads as though clipped from newspapers and magazines. Bennett also quotes from memos and correspondences of the people involved. Sometimes there is a lack of connection between incidences that are reported. The text is richly footnoted and there is a lengthy list of the sources of information.

Much of the “history” is a defense of policy decision made by both George H.W. and George W. Bush. While much is made of the misdeeds of President Clinton. This telling centers almost entirely on Washington D.C., with a few ventures out for such “historical” events at the O.J. Simpson trial.

Unlike his previous history books, America, The Last Great Hope Volumes 1 and 2, A Century Turns does not read as a thoughtful piece of writing. Nor does it include pieces of societal and cultural history that add color and depth to a history.

In the Introduction, Bennett writes that he only wrote this book at the continued request of history educators who happen to be using the curriculum that accompanies America, The Last Great Hope. He claims to have tried to fend off the request, but those who urged the next volume “remained persistent and unconvinced.” I suspect many of those who urged this premature volume are disappointed.

Many who consider themselves cultural conservative deride liberal slants to history. With important historical figures and events being written out of school textbooks, the complaint has validity. However, if A Century Turns was written with the intent of also being a textbook, it does the same type of historical re-writing, only from conservative slant.

If a reader is looking for explanations and criticisms of policies of the final three presidents of the twentieth century, this may be the book to read. If a teacher is looking for the narrow telling of history from inside the D.C. Beltway, and from a conservative retelling, this may be the book to use.

But, for the reader who is looking for a readable and interesting historical look at the end of the last century, A Century Turns is not the book to invest in.

A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears

William J. Bennett
Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 976-1-5955-5169-6
Hardback
Kindle

On the morning of July 12, 1992, my husband, Davey, left home like any other morning—he kissed my forehead and hugged our kids.That afternoon I answered a knock at the door, sensing something wasn’t quite right. When I glimpsed the faces of Davey’s two best friends—they didn’t have to speak—the looks on their faces said it all.

That day, after lunch with his race team, Davey had hopped into his helicopter and taken an unplanned trip to the nearby Talladega Superspeedway to watch a buddy practice. Attempting to land in the infield, he had lost control of his helicopter and crashed. Although paramedics airlifted Davey to a Birmingham hospital, sixteen hours later he was pronounced dead.

Immediately following Davey’s death, I had to work through my grief enough to plan his funeral and make hundreds of small-but-significant decisions, all while maintaining the time and energy to care for our two young children, ages one and three. Well-wishing friends hovered around me and frequently asked, “What can I do for you?

Most of the time, I could only respond with a blank stare. Looking back, my friends could have done many things for me, but they didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t know what to tell them.

I hope the insights I have gained during the aftermath of Davey’s death will help you as you struggle with your own grief.

—Liz
—————————————

Two weeks after my father suffered a mini-stroke, a massive stroke took his life. On the day of his funeral, my older brother, Ray, died of cancer. Over the next eighteen months, I lost two brothers-in-law and my mother.

On the Sunday after Dad’s and Ray’s funerals, a parishioner rushed up to me, hugged me, and said, “Pastor, I heard about the deaths. Were they saved?”

I honestly don’t remember what I answered, but I wanted to shout, “Does it matter right now? I hurt. I’m so filled with pain that I’m not sure I can handle the worship service today!”

In 2007, our house burned down. Our son-in-law, Alan, died in the fire. The next day, a neighbor pulled up in front of our burned house, got out of his car, and started to look around. “Where did he die?” he asked.

Through the years, I’ve met many like those two people. Maybe they didn’t know what to say. Perhaps they were so focused on what they cared about that they were unaware of my pain. Instead of helping me, those comments made me feel even worse. What I needed was compassion. I didn’t get that from either of them, but I can offer it to you.

That’s why we’ve written this book.

—Cec

———-

About Words of Comfort for Times of Loss

Through great personal loss, authors Cecil Murphey and Liz Allison have gained insight to share with others who
are going through uncertainty, depression, and loneliness after losing a loved one. They also offer advice for those
comforting someone who is grieving.

Among comforting paintings by artist Michal Sparks, brief stories, personal experiences, and prayers offer a meaningful path toward healing for readers when they:

• feel alone and lost in their grief and want to reconnect with others and to life
• seek to make sense of their loss alongside their sense of faith, purpose, and God
• want to honor their loved one without clinging to the past in unhealthy ways

Readers are given gentle permission to grapple with doubt, seek peace, and reflect on loss in their own way without judgment and with understanding and hope. A perfect gift for a loved one dealing with loss and grief.

Table of Contents

• Little Joys
• You’re Not Alone
• One Simple Thing
• Accepting Help
• Make It Go Away
• Why Did You Leave Me?
• If Only I Had
• What’s Wrong With Self-pity?
• Perfect Grieving
• Am I Crazy?
• Material Possessions
• Facing Those Special Days

About the Authors:

Liz Allison was married to NASCAR driver Davey Allison until his tragic death in 1993. Widowed at 28 with two young children to raise, Liz faced the long journey of pain, loss, and grief with great faith. Committed to encouraging others, she returned to her work in TV reporting, has published eight books, and hosts a weekly radio show. Please visit www.lizallison.com

Cecil Murphey is an international speaker and bestselling author who has written more than 100 books, including New York Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper). No stranger himself to loss and grief, Cecil has served as a pastor and hospital chaplain for many years, and through his ministry and books he has brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world.
Please visit www.cecilmurphey.com

The Grand Prize Give Away

Leave a comment for a chance to win the Grand Prize Giveaway. Drawing will be held on April 9.

Grand Prize Giveaway includes:

This special grand prize giveaway is designed especially for someone going through a difficult time. The winner can keep or pass along to someone who could use the pick-me-up.

• Words of Comfort for Times of Loss
• Heaven Is Real
• Gift Edition, 90 Minutes in Heaven
• Journal
• Pens
• Potato soup
• Oyster crackers
• Dove silky smooth milk chocolate
• Dove silky smooth dark chocolate
• Ultra-plush spa socks
• Large gel eye mask

Ms. DeMuth’s memoir is less about her and more about leading the reader to recognize the thin places in life.

Even though I decided that this was not the typical Christian memoir, I still wondered if anything in her story of an abused and neglected child would have meaning for me. Was there anything that I could touch? Yep, there sure was.

In Celtic tradition, a thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God. Each of us has those thin places in our lives; we need to learn to recognize them. DeMuth, in telling her story, helps us to look for the times in our own lives where heaven has been inches away but we didn’t see. The times when we are so close to the throne of God we can almost touch him.

As I continued reading, since I had gotten to the place where I couldn’t put this book down, I began to see my own thin places. I realized I could relate to DeMuth’s awful, dysfunctional family she grew up in. I didn’t grow up in the horrid conditions that DeMuth did, but there were dysfunctions nonetheless. And God’s face was shining through to me then, and now.

Ms. DeMuth has a way with words that I haven’t seen in recent years. Her descriptions are not only unique, they evoke the emotion of the moment. She writes, “Growing up, I find myself in a scrawny sort-of body—legs thin as broomsticks interrupted by knees so knobby they bang into each other as I walk.” I not only see this scrawny little girl, I feel her humiliation that her upbringing has given her.

Unlike other Christian memoirs, DeMuth doesn’t end with “I met Jesus and my life is wonderful now.” In fact, throughout her tale she confesses her continued struggles, the same struggles that many of us live through. She doesn’t offer any quick answers to the dilemmas of life. DeMuth, however, points the reader to the thin place to look for the moment at heaven peeking through. It is those moments that are a starting place for healing.

Don’t expect a gory retelling of an abused child. Don’t expect a fairy-tale, all-is-right-in-the-world ending. Expect to see your own thin places, and be moved by them.

I recommend this story to everyone, because everyone has a moment they can relate to in DeMuth’s story. I recommend not just reading it, but also feeling. Go back to your moment, and live the thin place in your life.

Thin Places: A Memoir
Mary DeMuth
Zondervan
ISBN: 978-0310284185
Paperback
Kindle

Welcome to our book discussion of The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom. This book is the first in the Grace in Africa series.

We will be using the questions in the book as we talk about this novel. I will post the question each Monday. Comment any time during the week, and I’ll wrap it up on Friday.

Let’s begin:

In The Call of Zulina, the first book in the Grace in Africa series, Grace Winslow straddles two worlds. Do you see her as more African or more English? On what do you base your opinion?

Read my review of The Call of Zulina

Need a copy of The Call of Zulina (affiliate link)

Benjamin Merkle provides a compete history of not just the man, but also the culture and society of Britain during the 800s. I learned about Alfred’s family, the conditions of the society, the origins of customs, and origins of words. As a finale to the historical account of Alfred’s life, Merkle carefully traces how Alfred brought education to his country and restored Christianity.

The story of King Alfred exemplifies providential history. Some describe Alfred as an unlikely hero. While that may be true, it’s more accurate to say he was an unlikely king. Although the son of a ruling monarch, Alfred was last in line for the throne. Because of the deaths of his older brothers, Alfred rose to throne.

His childhood didn’t prepare him for ruling the kingdom. Being the youngest, it was thought highly unlikely that he would need that training. Alfred was instead a daydreamer of winning battles, which would account for the description as an unlikely hero.

Alfred also enjoyed a good story and poetry. His mother gave him a small book of poetry, which he could not read. But he was able to commit it to memory by having it read to him. This became the foundation for the revival of education and Christianity he spurred later in life.

It did take me a long time to get through this book, though. Merkle writes as a historian would—like he’s writing a history textbook. There was little action or personality to draw me from one chapter to the next. Although the details of fighting the battles were interesting, the scenes were dry and technical. One explanation of battle strategy would have been enough. More action would have intrigued me more.

Merkle also annoyingly goes off on rabbit trails of information. Interrupting the flow with some detail that would be better suited for an endnote. Sometimes I got the feeling that the author wanted to put every bit of his research in the book, but couldn’t quite figure out how to do it smoothly.

For the romantic, there is none to be speak of. Through tales of Lancelot we’ve come to look for tender romances and marriages for this time period. Merkle squelches that notion with details of planned marriages for the sake of political gain or protection from invading Vikings. Some marriages were arranged with royalty in other countries for monetary benefits. Again, he resorted to little rabbit trails that interrupted what might have been a good story.

The White Horse King is an excellent history book for students studying early British history. Through the life of Alfred much is learned about Britian before the smaller kingdoms became one country. Students will also learn how King Alfred brought stability to all of kingdoms with innovative military strategies. Although written as a historical treatise, it has more detail than a typical history text.

For the reader looking for a creative and exciting story, this book is not the one.

The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great
Benjamin Merkle
Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1595552525
Available for Kindle

I started reading The Call of Zulina (Grace in Africa)after I settled in my seat and I kept reading after arriving at my destination. The story and characters were so engaging I couldn’t wait for the return flight to finish.

Kay Marshall Strom’s story is somewhat based on fact – a white slave-trader married to an African. That in of itself makes a compelling reason to read the book of eighteenth-century slave trade in West African. It is, however, their daughter Grace who is the focus of the story.

Grace is the couple’s only child and is raised to be a proper English lady. Her life changes dramatically when her father promises her in marriage as part of a business arrangement.

When Grace runs away from the marriage, and from her home, she learns the truth behind her father’s wealth and her mother’s anger. Thrown suddenly into the world of kidnapped natives as an African, Grace is respected by some of the captives because of her attempts to help them. Others distrust her because she’s their captor’s daughter.

The Call of Zulina is the first in the Grace in Africa trilogy. This series is more than a good story. Ms. Storm is attempting to use story telling to shine a light on the continued problem of slavery.

She notes on her website (www.kaystrom.com) that although its been more than 200 years since the first anti-slavery law was passed, it continues under nicer names of sex trafficking, human trafficking, bonded labor, or child labor. Ms. Strom says, “ . . . today slavery is against the law in every country of the world. It is up to us to demand that those laws be enforced.”

The book includes a lexicon of words used by native African people and slave traders. I didn’t refer to the lexicon while reading because Ms. Strom’s writing makes each one clear within context.

Discussion question are also included, which are ideal for a book club, and for high school students. Students can learn about the humanity behind the facts of slave trade.

Don’t wait for a flight across country to read The Call of Zulina. Do prepare to be so enthralled with Grace’s tale that you don’t want to leave.

The Call of Zulina

Kay Marshall Strom
Abingdon Press
ISBN: 978-1-4267-0069-9

Join the discussion of The Call of Zulina on January 18, 2010.

Interview with Kay Marshall Strom

I am extremely privileged to have the opportunity today to talk to my friend and co-author, Cecil “Cec” Murphey, and to chat about our upcoming book, Christmas Miracles.*

Marley:  Cec, thanks for spending some time with me today.

Cec:    Marley, it’s great that you could take time away from important things like making a living to spend a little time with me.

Marley:  I’m so jazzed about our Christmas Miracles book that’s coming out soon. I’ve had a lot of questions from folks wanting to know how we met, what brought us together, etc. So, I thought we’d do a back and forth on how it all came to be. Of course, I have to give props to our amazing agent and friend, Deidre Knight, for bringing us together. For those of you who don’t know, Cec co-authored the runaway New York Times bestselling hit 90 Minutes in Heaven with Don Piper.

Cec:  I have to say thanks to Deidre Knight as well. Between Deidre and my assistant, Twila Belk, I’ve been able to sell quite a few books. 90 Minutes in Heaven has been my big book. I’m also proud of a book I wrote in 1990 called Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. The book has never been out of print and has hit close to four million in sales. Early this year, Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in the made-for-TV film version.

Marley:  That’s amazing! You are truly prophetic and definitely “the man behind the words.” Now, people ask how we teamed up. Sadly, there was a personal tragedy that brought Cec and me together as friends.

Cec:  True. In early 2007, our house burned and our son-in-law died. Aside from the grief over Alan, we lost everything. Deidre and Jan, my-then-assistant, sent the word out of our tragedy without telling me. I’m immensely grateful for every gift people sent, but I probably wouldn’t have admitted I needed help and wouldn’t have asked. They taught me how much we need other people.

Marley:  Deidre put out a call to other clients of The Knight Agency, to help Cec and his family out in any way in their time of need. At the time, my company was moving and we were cleaning house. We had a ton of office supplies that we were either going to throw away or give to some of the charities the company worked with.  I got my boss’ permission to send a large care package to Cec…full of office supplies for him to re-stock his writer’s office. You name it…post-its, staples, paper clips, pens, pencils, markers, white out, ruler, scissors, paper, notebooks, notepads, envelopes, a laptop case, tape, glue, folders, binder clips…etc. A veritable potpourri of office delights.  I was hoping that it would help Cec have a sense of getting his office back so he could keep working.

Cec: Marley’s gift was the most unexpected I received. We hadn’t met, although Deidre Knight had spoken of her many times and kept telling me she was wonderful. I wonder if you can imagine what it was like for me to open that box from someone I didn’t know. I saw all those practical things for my office and yelled for my wife.  I felt as if I were reading a first-grade book. “Look! Look and see! Oh, look!” I was overwhelmed by the gift and even more to receive it from a stranger. Those supplies were the most practical gift anyone could have given me. I’m still using black paper clips and red folders from Marley.

Marley:  Awww…thanks, Cec! I didn’t have to think twice about doing it. Writing is such a solitary “sport,” but the writing community always astounds me with how they help their own.  Not long after that, over plates of spinach and Gouda omelets, Deidre introduced me to Cec in person and I was thrilled to finally meet the man behind the words. Deidre knew we needed to work on a project together and thus began our brainstorming. What did you think of that first meeting, Cec, and cooking up the idea to work together?

Cec:  Deidre and I had already spoken about a Christmas book and I had some idea about what it should contain, but nothing had come together. One day Deidre told me that Marley was coming to visit her and she wanted us to work together on a Christmas project. Marley and I talked before we ate and again during the meal. Everything felt right to me. I knew my strengths and Marley knew hers (and Deidre knew both of us). Everything clicked. Marley, a far better networker than I am, immediately sent out the word for submissions. Within days she had almost four times more than we could use. (She read every one of them!)

Marley:  I was truly impressed with the submissions we received and it was hard narrowing it down to the ones we chose for the book. We’re fortunate to have such a go-getter agent in Deidre Knight. Cec, can you share how the whole idea of Christmas Miracles came about and what you thought of the project originally?

Cec:  For me, it actually started while I was on the rapid-rail train from the Atlanta airport when I listened to teens talk about Christmas and it was mostly about gifts. I had the idea then, but nothing really came together. Months later when Deidre I and had a meeting, she brought up the idea of a compilation and mentioned my working with Marley. I’ve been Deidre Knight’s client since 1997 and I’ve learned to listen carefully when she comes up with an idea. I said yes before she gave me all the information.

Marley:  That’s the truth about Deidre! Getting back to those submissions, I want to say we got more than two hundred submissions for Christmas Miracles. So many wonderful stories to read through and select for the book. It was a challenge to pick and choose which ones were right for the book, but I loved every minute of it. After I chose the entries that would go into the book, Cec toiled long hours editing the works for a unified voice. What was the biggest challenge you found in the editing process, Cec?

Cec:   I’ve been a ghostwriter and collaborator for twenty-plus years and this was a switch to give the book a unified voice—which was mine. It would have been easier to stay with each writer’s voice, but the book—like many compilations—would have been uneven in tone and quality. When I discussed this via email with our delightful editor, Rose Hilliard, she was (to my surprise) familiar with my work. She told me she liked the warm tone of my writing and that I don’t waste words. “That’s the voice we want,” she said. It still wasn’t easy, but it was an exciting challenge. After Marley and I agreed on the stories and gave them that unified voice, our editor pulled six contributions. Although different, Rose felt they were too similar to other stories.

Marley:  Can you give our readers a preview of the book? A favorite story perhaps…or one that moved you to tears?  (I have to say the little boy who wished for nothing but to be able to read a book all the way through because of his stutter had me bawling when I read the submission.)

Cec:  That’s not fair! I liked them all. The one that touched me most, however, is the last story in the book, “Sean’s Question.” We had almost finished the book and I was teaching at a conference in Florida. I felt we needed one strong story at the end. Despite all the good ones, I didn’t feel fully satisfied to conclude the book. On the last day of the conference, I met a conferee named Sara Zinn for a consultation. As we talked, I mentioned Christmas Miracles and that I still needed one more story. “I have a Christmas story,” she said and told me about Sean. As I listened, tears filled my eyes—but, being the macho type I am, I was sure it was an allergy. Sara wrote the story, and it became the one I sought.

Marley:  Oh yes…that one is an emotional one all right. It was meant to be in the book because of how you met at the conference. Now, you and I have both had challenges in our lives that others might have found too much to take, but we are both very strong in our faith and our relationship with God. How do you think Christmas Miracles is going to help others feel closer to God and experience His miracles in their own lives?

Cec: Awareness and appreciation are the two things I want readers to grasp. Awareness means for them to realize that they’re never totally alone in life. Those unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary events remind us of that. Appreciation means to be thankful for what we already have. Too often, and especially at Christmas, we focus on what we’d like or what is supposed to make us happy. Christmas Miracles gently reminds readers of both.

Marley:  In this day and age when our country is fighting two wars, unemployment is high, and a lot of people have a lack of hope and faith for their future, what do you want readers of the book to take away from Christmas Miracles and how can the stories in our book help provide comfort to those struggling?

Cec:  I want readers to see that miracles do happen—sometimes simple, unexpected blessings or those that involve the supernatural (as in one of Marley’s stories). I call myself a serious Christian. For me, the world’s greatest miracle began with the birth of Jesus. Regardless of a person’s religion, this book encourages readers to think about life during the Christmas season and see that life as more than gifts and celebrations. It’s also a reminder that God loves us and hears our needy cries.

Marley:  Beautifully put, Cec, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Can we share what’s next after Christmas Miracles?

Cec:  Why it’s the Cec and Marley show, of course. Because of our go-getter agent and our enthusiastic editor, we’ve already received thumbs up for The Christmas Spirit. This will be stories of people who express the true spirit of Christmas by acts of love and kindness, for release in the fall of 2011.

Marley:  And I can’t wait to start working on that project!  Thank you so much for your time, Cec, and answering my questions. It was a privilege and honor to work with you and I look forward to our future projects together. You’ve helped me along during a trying time and I appreciate your friendship and support.

Cec:  I liked this project because Marley had to send out the word, collect submissions, read them, and discard the weaker ones. I get to see only the better-written stories. (Don’t tell her that I have the better job.) Although I mentioned only one story, all of those in the book touched me because of the poignancy of their situations and the miraculous answers. I won’t say the stories increased my faith, but they increased my appreciation for the delightful mix of human need and divine intervention.

Marley: Thanks again, Cec! God Bless! And to our readers, please be sure to pick up a copy of CHRISTMAS MIRACLES, out October 13, 2009 from St. Martin’s Press. It’s a great stocking stuffer or gift basket filler. Christmas MiraclesWe hope you, too, will discover your own Christmas Miracles in your life.

Marley Gibson is a young adult author whose first published books in the Sorority 101 series were released by Penguin Group in 2008 under the pen name of Kate Harmon. She has a new Ghost Huntress series with Houghton Mifflin written under her own name. She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com.

* All book title links are Amazon links.</p>

Green by Ted Dekker is subtitled “The Circle – Book Zero – The Beginning and The End.” The book’s description say the reader can begin reading The Circle series with Green, or read it as the end of the series. Maybe it works to end the series, but it doesn’t work as the beginning book.

The opening prologue and chapters introduce a future world that has been brought back to an uncivilized state with bands of people roaming forest and deserts. The reader also meets the religious people and their enemies, along with the deity Elyon. The conflict between good and evil is set.

Suddenly though the scene, setting, characters, and story change. I muddled through some chapters that were set in the present wondering if a chapter from another book had been accidently bound in this hardcover. One character from the beginning is mentioned in this unconnected chapter. Just as quickly, the story goes back to the future.

Throughout the book, the reader is thrown back in time to what seems to be a different story with a few of the same characters. Although I was tempted to skip the present chapters, I keep reading them to try and tie this story line to the main futuristic apocalyptic story. Didn’t happen.

Unlike most series, Dekker doesn’t provide the reader with sufficient context to tie the whole story together. The reader has a few choices: Skip the chapters that don’t fit the current tale. Go buy and read the other three books of the series, which according to Dekker’s website begins with Black. Use the money on another book. I recommend the third option.

Had Dekker left out the pointless time travel, the future tale of good and evil would have been a good read. I guess the time travel is important if you’ve read the other three books of the series. In reading Green as the beginning of The Circle, there is no context for it.

The thin illusions to Biblical references are relevant only to readers who know what they mean. As a Christian I understand “drowning” in the red the lake. A non-Christian may not. I know from my study of the Bible that Elyon is Eloheim of the Old Testament. A causal reader may not.

Not having this knowledge doesn’t ruin the story. However, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was written vaguely to attract a Christian audience while being vague enough to not put off a general audience.

Admittedly this is the first Dekker novel I’ve read. I didn’t find the story or writing so compelling that I’d return for more. If another of his novels floats my way, I’ll skip it unless it is truly the first of a series.

Green
Ted Dekker
Thomas Nelson Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-59554-288-5