Reviewed By Deborah Stone for Readers' Favorite

In After the Thaw by Therese Heckenkamp, Charlene Perigard is still in the process of trying to put her life together after being kidnapped and traumatized three years earlier. She is in love with a fire fighter named Ben and she is making plans for the future, but first she must fulfill a deathbed promise that will force her to revisit her past. She must deliver a letter to Clay, the brother of her kidnapper and the man who saved her life. Her life becomes steeped in threats and violence and she has to find some place safe, away from family and the people she knows. As she fights to stay alive and find a way to live in peace, as she struggles with possible feelings for Clay, her relationship with Ben begins to fall apart. If Charlene can survive this current nightmare, she will have to make a choice.

Therese Heckenkamp develops a story with descriptive language and sub-plots that draw you deep into this tale of intrigue, romance and terror. After the Thaw is riveting and hard to put down. The characters are vivid and well defined, the emotions are intense, and the story carries you along on a tumultuous journey of love, hate, terror, revenge, regret and more. Charlene Perigard's dark and dangerous present, things that nightmares are made of, force her to rely on her faith, her God that can see her through anything and who is the only one that can keep her alive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Excellent.

Reviewed By Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

Beth Green’s A Rose for Jonathan is an enlightening story revealing the power of prayer and scriptural declaration. Standing guard on a hill above the city are three angels ... a sword pierces the ground, the earth shakes, yet no one notices except for one small two-year-old child. Suddenly, a car crash occurs, traumatically impacting the lives of all those involved. The watching angels flee to their charges. As a result of this accident, a ripple effect unseen by human eyes begins in the atmosphere. A divine plan begins to unfold. The gift within little Rose Louise traverses time and transforms lives. Her donation of life gifts the lives of three others and releases a light, a shimmering glow, into a darkened community. Thirty-five years later, one man’s eyes are opened to the truth. Tension has been building; the spiritual battle has been raging. Standing in front of his congregation, Pastor John Miles prepares to share the incredible story of Rose Louise. Is it a story of mere irony, or is it divine destiny? Will his congregation embrace and believe, or will they shun him, considering him a fool. Looking at his audience, he begins to share the events that transpired to bring him to this moment of time. “I stand before you because of a gift...”

The quote by Alexander Pope, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” whispered in my head as I read A Rose for Jonathan. Contrarily, Beth Green depicts the angelic realm with boundless and fervent bravery, ever watching over their assigned humans, and graciously heeding the voice of the Father. In this compassionate story, the angels fear nothing; instead, they dare the angels of darkness to tread lightly. Beth Green does a wonderful job at portraying the despair and heartache of losing a child. She reveals the truth that everyone grieves differently; pain is very real and individualized. Moreover, Green uses her experience as a pediatric physical therapist to give insight into the organ donation process. Too often, we forget that someone has to die in order for someone else to live through organ transplant. This story delicately yet decisively weaves together the concept that there is a constant battle for the souls of humankind. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice; He died that we might live. A Rose for Jonathan's resounding message is that we as believers are overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Reviewed By Chris Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Wow. In a sad, touching and unfortunately appropriate story for the times, author Gwen Sutton has provided her readers with an absolutely wonderful piece of work in her new novel, Endurance. Follow the story of the beautiful Dereka Jones as her life changes from one of love and happiness to one of terror and dismay. Dereka has been kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery. Dereka's family, especially her mother, grandmother and two aunts with whom she has very close and special relationships, do all they can to get her back. When they realize who has done this to Dereka and their family, a man who wants nothing but revenge, their fears grow even stronger.

Endurance was simply a great read. It's obvious that author Gwen Sutton put a lot of time and care into her book, and that shows through in the wonderful portrayal of her main characters. Dereka and her strong and loving female family members are characters that Ms. Sutton's readers will connect with, relate to and continue to think about long after the book is finished. If that isn't a hallmark of a great author, I don't know what is. The story is written with a great sensitivity to victims of sexual slavery and abuse, and utilizes a wonderful sense of Christian undertones that doesn't overpower the story line, instead it enhances it. I am very happy to recommend Endurance by Gwen Sutton. I look forward to reading more from this very promising author in the future!

Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Can you forgive? Do you have the strength and the faith needed to forgive? What if someone killed your sister in a brutal act? Could you forgive? In The Ravine, Mitch is very conflicted. His close friend, Rachel, has been brutally murdered by her husband, Danny, a man she loved and trusted; a man Mitch loved as a brother-in-law. Danny also brutally killed his son, Evan, though he did spare the younger son, Christopher. Then, in remorse, Danny killed himself. Mitch is always going to mourn the loss of Rachel and Evan. He can't understand how or why Danny did what he did. And now, he is being told that he should forgive Danny. According to a woman, Joanna, a minister, a spiritualist who reaches beyond the physical world with her visions, God has already forgiven Danny and Mitch should too, in order to prevent the anger within him from festering.

Robert Pascuzzi has written an insightful story about the conflicting powers of good and evil, and how it can be so easy for a man, like Danny, to be led down the wrong path to do something so heinous as brutally and viciously (because it was more intense than just a shot in the head) murdering his own family. The author takes care to provide back stories on the characters, particularly Danny, the murderer, and Joanna, the spiritualist. These back stories build the characters and provide the reader with an understanding of the events that led up to the brutal act and the gentle guidance provided after the tragedy. This is indeed a powerful story about forgiveness.

Reviewed By Brenda Casto for Readers' Favorite

Elderberry Croft by Becky Doughty is the story of Willow Goodhope and the way her presence brought together many of the residents of The Coach House Trailer Park, changing their lives in ways that they never even knew needed changing. Willow Goodhope moves into a tiny cottage at the trailer park that she immediately names Elderberry Croft. Many of the residents speculate about her exuberance, but she soon becomes their ray of sunshine where things had previously been stagnant. The change that she brings affects each person she meets differently, but the one thing they learn is that perhaps their lives aren't finished yet and they decide to step outside their comfort zones and take a chance at life. Willow is struggling with something that hurts so bad she isn't sure she can ever overcome it. Can Willow find the strength and courage to forgive herself so that she can embrace the future that waits for her?

Elderberry Croft is filled with unique and interesting characters with compelling stories that touched my heart. The book was originally released as a serial novel where each chapter is about a different character in The Coach House Trailer Park. The stories flowed so smoothly that I found myself absorbed, wondering who I might meet next, and the neat thing was that the characters would overlap into other stories, allowing us to keep tabs on them so to speak. Ms. Doughty made the characters so real that it was easy to feel their struggles and their blossoming hope as change began to take place at the trailer park.

Elderberry Croft is such a well crafted book that really took me on an emotional journey with each character. The story wraps up very well, but left me sad to leave my "friends" behind. Becky Doughty has hooked me with her richly descriptive writing style that has the ability to elicit emotion as I stepped into the lives of her characters. She deals with real life situations that aren't always neat and tidy, but the spiritual influence that she infuses into the telling provides hope, healing and inspiration.

Reviewed By Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

Dottie Rexford pens a soul-searching story in Cora Pooler. It has been twenty years; Cora Pooler decides it is time to return to Amish Country, to the village of Wander Lane. Facing her fears, she seeks the truth. She must confront her past. Hopefully by doing so she will discover who she really is ... Amish or English? Will she be received after all these years? A shunned person is an outcast, considered dead, invisible in the Amish community. She longs to be a part of the community once again, but she is torn; guilt and regret consume her. Her heart is pulling her home to her Da, her precious Maem and her beloved sister, Violet. She has been in the English world for so long. Will she be able to let go of the freedom she has found there, her job, her Daniel? To be recognized by those she loves, she must confess and repent. She places her trust in her Savior, Jesus; after all it is He who is calling her home. She has been forgiven, and is loved by her Heavenly Father. Although shunned, Cora talks to God and He listens. But will the Bishop listen? Will he and the Old Order forgive her unacceptable deed?

Cora Pooler by Dottie Rexford is an enlightening representation of God’s love, His forgiveness and salvation by grace through Christ alone. Rexford’s writing style is figurative and sensory descriptive; she creates mental images using sights, sounds and smells. At times, she even uses the literary device of alliteration. The narrative is poetic prose; beautifully written, the words flow delicately across the pages from beginning to end. Her depiction of Cora and the Amish lifestyle was impressive. Many of her analogies and metaphors were simply brilliant -- "the Amish a great flock of dark feathered blackbirds, the English a bevy of cardinals, canaries and bluebirds...” Wonderful! I currently am residing in a Mennonite and Amish community so I applaud her imagery. As a reader, you feel Cora’s longing and inner turmoil to discover herself. Moreover, I was awed at times with the portrayal of Cora’s relationship with God; sovereign, sincere, liberating. The story of Cora Pooler is masterfully told. All of us at times must face our past to move forward into our future.

Reviewed By Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite

Drama. Intrigue. Heartbreak. And memorable historical events. All of these elements are what make up a great entry into the genre of historical fiction. And you’ll find all of them, and more, in The Thornbearer by debut author Pepper D. Basham. Follow our protagonist, Ashleigh Dougall, as she tries to escape the betrayals she’s suffered, first by being left behind by her fiancé only eight months before their wedding, and then the ultimate betrayal by her father, sexual abuse. Fleeing on the Lusitania, she finds that a fellow traveler is one she knows well, her childhood friend and the best friend of her former fiancé, Sam Miller. Not pleased to discover he’s aboard at first, Ashleigh soon realizes that her feelings for Sam may be deeper than just friendship. But will he, or she for that matter, be able to look past what she’s suffered, and get over the idea that she is a “ruined woman?” Will God’s plan for Ashleigh ever include true love and a supportive partner?

The Thornbearer is a wonderful book. Not afraid to discuss the ravages of familial sexual abuse and the feelings that its victims often carry with them for the rest of their lives, author Pepper D. Basham does so with a real feeling of empathy and a sensitivity that is absolutely crucial with this subject matter. Strong Christian themes underlie this story, as well as those of redemption and vindication over very difficult life situations. Any reader who likes Christian fiction, historical fiction, or just a great read would love The Thornbearer, and it is my pleasure to highly recommend this book. This is the first in a planned trilogy in the Penned in Time series, and I certainly hope that Pepper D. Basham is very hard at work in the next installment!

Reviewed By Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

Life's Choices by Paul Turk conveys the reality of hard decisions. Carlos is an ex-con who finds himself in a precarious situation which could send him back to prison. Lourdes is young, fresh out of high school, and has her whole life in front of her. Life throws her a curve ball when she discovers that she is pregnant. Both Carlos' and Lourdes' lives are touched by Robert and Coral Williams. Robert is an ex-con who has devoted himself to helping others, especially those incarcerated. He is very serious about doing the Lord’s business. Both Robert and Coral believe in the power of prayer. When Carlos finds himself in trouble, he reaches out to Robert. Robert believes Carlos is innocent and goes the extra mile for his friend. Meanwhile, Coral becomes personally involved in the prevention of abortion volunteering at a pro choice clinic. When praying outside an abortion clinic, Coral encounters Lourdes and her sister Lydia. From that moment on a bond is forged, and God begins to move in incredible ways.

The choices we make dictate the life we lead. Often our life choices are not ours alone to bear. Many times the decisions we make touch, mold and directly affect someone else’s life. We find evidence of this truth in Paul Turk’s, Life's Choices. Mr. Turk weaves together two separate stories within this narrative. The characters intersect, allowing the stories to coincide with each other. The characters are sincere, loving, devoted, but not perfect. I really appreciated the portrayal of different denominations working together for the common good. Very refreshing! Turk keeps true to the theme - all of us make mistakes, life is full of difficult choices, but with God’s help we can get through it all. But even more so is the correlation of life over death and adoption over abortion. Jesus conquered death. By making Christ your Savior, you choose life. By doing so, you become adopted into the family of God and are no longer aborted to the world.

Reviewed By Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

Angels and Imperfections by Daniel Roland Banks is the story of Private Detective John Wesley Tucker whose life revolves around fighting evil. From his neighbour to the streets of a small town in East Texas, it seems Tucker’s mission will be never-ending. What starts out as a routine assignment takes Tucker into a world it is hard to admit might exist in such a quiet, small town. His missions can be likened to that of an angel, trying to save those who have gone astray or those who have suffered at the hands of evil. As Tucker tries to bring home the lost, he puts his own life in danger in his quest to conquer the evil that seems to be all around him.

There are unforeseen twists and turns and an unexpected viewpoint in this fast-paced thriller that will have any reader on the edge of their seat. The author, Daniel Roland Banks, has really excelled with a superbly written story that will equal any crime thriller writer. The first chapter grips the reader and I found myself unable to stop reading as the pace increased. Captivating from the start, the story unfolds and moves in peaks and troughs, lulling the reader into a false sense of security until another twist yanks them out of their seats and compels them to keep reading. A truly excellent piece of writing that I enjoyed immensely. As a keen thriller reader, I find this book is up there with the likes of James Patterson. Highly recommended and I look forward to the next book by this author.

Reviewed By Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

The Gray Season: The Summer of Salvation by Dianna Donnely is not only a story about how the death of two family members only a few weeks apart caught two families completely off guard, but it records the wonderful guidance and nurturing that took place within the lives of those closest to them. Lily Eastbrook Rhodes' story shows how, at each turn, there was another “God Thing” or “Open Door” that led from one seemingly impossible event to another; and how each of those things added up to not only healing for the family, but healing for individuals as well. The events that take place bring Lily out of the high stress corporate world and back to her childhood hometown and ultimately to the "Shop of Her Dreams." Though the healing improves the lives of the individuals and of Lily in particular, there is an ultimate healing; a healing for the emptiness inside that has plagued Lily since she was a child.

“We will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands (2 Corinthians 5:1, New Living Translation).” As the story of Lily Eastbrook Rhodes unravels in this inspired story of her family, the reader will come to realize that the things we see falling into place as we go through open doors are those things which God has been building for us in His Kingdom. Honest, compelling and inspiring; The Gray Season: The Summer of Salvation is a marvelously written chronicle of how those things which seem to be the end of our happiness turn out to be our deliverance.