Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Touching the Heart of God: Embracing the Calendar of the Kingdom by Paul Wilbur is one of the spiritual books that will awaken readers to the consciousness of God’s kingdom and His will for humanity. In this book, the preacher and musician Paul Wilbur leads readers to discover God in the celebration of the different feasts through which God opens His heart, communicating His love and grace. The message of this book is centered on the idea that celebrating the feasts of God with devotion and openness of spirit leads worshipers into the very heart of God where He so generously communicates His secrets.

Touching the Heart of God: Embracing the Calendar of the Kingdom by Paul Wilbur is written in a style that is accessible, a language that is gentle and beautiful, like the author’s music. Drawing from the authority of the Bible, Wilbur establishes the importance of celebrating God through the different seasons of God’s calendar, expounding on themes such as oneness with God, humility, the laws of God, the mercy and benevolence of God, God’s purpose for humankind, man’s ultimate freedom, and a lot, lot more.

Touching the Heart of God: Embracing the Calendar of the Kingdom is a powerful invitation to enter into a life of grace and ultimate union with God. It will be one of the important tools for a spiritual revival in a world where God is swiftly replaced by science and technology. Paul Wilbur writes with authority and conviction, offering a message that is as universal as it is timeless. His writing will forever allow readers to feel the heartbeat of God.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Testimony of The Protected: How One Lost Warrior Was Found is a non-fiction military memoir written by Doug Milliken. Milliken’s college deferment did not protect him from the Maine draft board’s notice. After the disastrous Tet Offensive, the draft boards were scrambling to provide the military with replacement soldiers to make up for the staggering losses maintained in that campaign. The author decided to enlist instead, thinking that perhaps he might be able to choose his Military Occupation Specialty and get a posting to Germany as a clerk by doing so. While the army made no promises, indications seemed hopeful at first that he would at least be assigned a desk job, but that was not to be the case. He became one of the infantry recruits who were sent on after Basic Training to NCO training to help the army cope with the need for Infantry Squad Leaders, a title few wanted or, for that matter, survived. Milliken arrived in Vietnam during the Christmas season and served his nearly year-long tour while planning to take advantage of the Army’s college early release program. He enrolled in college and had his father take care of the paperwork as he’d be returning to the states just in time for the fall semester.

Doug Milliken’s non-fiction military memoir, Testimony of The Protected: How One Lost Warrior Was Found, is a gripping and well-written account of the author’s time spent in Vietnam and his subsequent conversion to Christianity. His story is honest and told in a wry, conversational style, and it’s accompanied by a most impressive collection of photographs taken in the country. Milliken goes beyond his own particular experiences and gives the reader an historian’s take on the politics and military strategy behind the incursion into Cambodia, which was to be a large part of his experience during the Vietnam War. He takes the reader into the jungle with him and his fellow soldiers as they recon the areas and set up ambushes, and eloquently describes the feelings of exposure and vulnerability the Recon Troop he was assigned to had to live with as their everyday experience. Milliken’s story segues into his life after service, beginning with his immediate enrollment in the university’s engineering program that he had always dreamed of, and the resumption of the kart racing he had loved since he was a teen. His conversion to Christianity is movingly and eloquently shared as is his dedication to the red-lined passages in the Bible that are the actual utterances of Jesus Christ. Looking through Milliken’s glossary of military terms is a must for civilian readers, and his bibliography is rich in resources for those looking to continue their readings on the Cambodian incursion. Testimony of The Protected is highly recommended.

Reviewed by Marilla Mulwane for Readers' Favorite

The Gay Detective: Nick and Norm in Chicago by Kenneth D. Michaels manages to do what most mysteries can't do. It manages to do what most LGBT books can't do. It entertains. Somehow, these two different genres come together to create an enjoyable masterpiece. The Gay Detective will bring together lovers of both genres and bring in readers that didn't know they liked either one.

The Gay Detective is about, well, a gay detective named Nick who is also a talk show host that interviews famous gay people. When a murderer begins to destroy everything that Nick loves and believes in, he must pull himself together and face his enemy or be destroyed. With the help of his new partner and a host of other interesting sidekicks, Nick will face hate, anger, grief, and revenge with himself and his enemy.

Kenneth D. Michaels has some awesome writing skills. The book is about a gay detective, but the morals and thought provoking moments can be universal for anyone. Despite being a book with a gay lead, the story is not campy. It doesn't rely on predictable gay personality traits and uses them for humor. Nick is very real. That's doesn't mean there isn't any humor. There are many humorous moments; they just aren't crass.

The story also manages to be great for teaching readers to deal with grief. How the author managed to fit so much helpful information into a story that is also a page-turner is beyond me. And it is a page-turner for sure. At times the story is creepy and nerve wracking, and the reveal isn't obvious or easy to figure out until near the end. Kenneth D. Michaels needs to keep Nick and Norm together for at least a few more books.

Reviewed by Emily White for Readers' Favorite

Rory D Nelson wrote an epic and unique fantasy in The Brotherhood of Merlin which chronicles the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table. It is a continuation of the saga of Merlin, a wizard that many readers will be familiar with. As a boy, Merlin was locked away in a terrible prison. But now he is in charge of a handful of fellow men who think like him and want the same goals as he does. The Brotherhood of Merlin starts five hundred years after King Arthur’s death. King Jason is the new ruler and he is a bloodthirsty tyrant that wants to take over neighboring villages for the valuable mineral rights. When King Jason swoops down on the villages to pillage, plunder, and destroy, Merlin and his brethren might just be their only hope of salvation. Merlin has the magic of premonition and telepathy on his side. The villagers can only hope that Merlin’s magic is as powerful as it was 500 years before.

The Brotherhood of Merlin is the true definition of an epic fantasy and will please readers who enjoy worlds like this, full of fighting, danger, magic, and secrecy. Rory D Nelson created a beautiful world by taking a character that we all love and know and making him into something different and exciting. This is a unique story because it puts Merlin in a different situation and shows what he is capable of doing. I liked the way Nelson gave us something familiar, but put his own unique twist on it.

Reviewed by C.J. Anaya for Readers' Favorite

The Prodigal Son by Anna Belfrage is an intense and highly satisfying addition to The Graham Saga, and one that I was able to follow easily despite the fact that it had been some time since I'd read the previous installments. Belfrage does a commendable job of capturing the religious and political strife felt among the Scots due to persecution of the Presbyterian Sects and any members of that particular faith who continued to aid the ministers or failed to denounce their beliefs. She takes this historical turmoil and infuses it into Matthew and Alex's story in a way that had me crying, laughing, and essentially thanking my lucky stars that I hadn't been born in that era of history. Yet at the same time I couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of Matthew's fierce determination to hold to his beliefs while protecting his family and children in the process.

The author presented a truly compelling conflict for Matthew in the form of his loyalty to his faith and his loyalty to his family. His continued persistence in helping outlawed men of his church such as Sandy Peden caused quite a bit of persecution to fall upon him and his loved ones while taking a toll on his marriage. This conflict brought out the very best and the very worst in both him and Alex, and as a result I got to know them even better than I had before, causing me to marvel once again at the complex and truly amazing characters Belfrage has created. His counterpart, Alex, is also no stranger to conflict, but the issue for her is her loyalty to her family while attempting to support her husband in a faith she doesn't share and, based on her upbringing, can't quite come to terms with. The choice between faith and family is easy for her, but her love for her husband adds to the conflict.

The obstacles and problems pummel them one right after the other, and I'm reminded of an old lesson my creative writing instructor used to teach: "Beat up your characters, make them work for what they want, make it so dire, so desperate, and so dangerous that your audience holds its breath throughout the entire story, praying for the end result to be one resounding triumph." I can safely say that Anna Belfrage managed to do just that. I highly recommend this book and this entire series to all fans of historical sagas. It will make you value and appreciate the sacrifices and struggles so many of our ancestors experienced in pursuit of a land where freedom of religion might be realized.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Story of Jack: The Pit Bull Who Became a Hero is a contemporary fiction novel written by Pam Daoust. Jack was getting panicky the last few days he had been in the Animal Shelter. He was there with his mother after they had been found freezing to death out in the street by a little boy and his mother. They couldn't keep the two dogs, but rather than let them die in the cold, brought them to the Shelter. Jack was tiny then and still nursing, so the two were able to stay together until Jack was weaned. His mother had been abused by people, and she was terrified of even the nice ones and deemed unadoptable, so she took the trip Down the Hall that all the animals there dreaded. No one ever came back from Down the Hall, and the last view Jack had of his mom was her trying to get back to him. His own time at the Shelter was quickly running out. No matter how well he behaved or tried to interact with the people who came to find a pet, no one wanted him because they called him a pit bull and a dangerous breed -- that is, until Ally came to the shelter and took him home with her.

Pam Daoust's contemporary fiction novel, The Story of Jack: The Pit Bull Who Became a Hero, is a heartwarming and inspirational tale that casts light on the plight of those dogs whose square or blocky faces cause them to be labelled as pit bulls or dangerous dogs. Daoust's Jack is a compelling narrator who shows the reader what it feels like from his point of view. Jack’s life is dedicated to the people he loves, and he finds the concept that he is somehow a bad dog because of his lineage to be quite incomprehensible. The author's story reminded me of recent news headlines where hero dogs have ended up in foster homes or worse due to city ordinances blocking their breeds. I was very impressed with The Story of Jack. It's a beautifully written story that addresses a very important social issue that everyone, whether or not they have an animal companion of their own, needs to be more informed about, and it does so beautifully. The Story of Jack: The Pit Bull Who Became a Hero is highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Eleventh Ring: Bartholomew the Adventurer, Book One is an epic fantasy written by Tom Hoffman. Bartholomew Rabbit had a strange dream about a mysterious figure wearing a green cloak. The stranger's paw emitted a blue glow that wrapped around the sleeping rabbit, and he said that Bartholomew spoke with her in his dreams, though he retained no memories of that. And then the figure released a pink cloud that moved towards him and said, "You must find it. It is yours and you must find it." When Bartholomew woke up, he and his servant Parfello searched high and low for that something from his dream. Bartholomew had no idea what he was searching for; there was only that compulsion to search for it. Parfello suggested that Bartholomew travel to the Cavern of Silence, a magical place where answers could be found -- if the questioner was willing for wait for a response. Bartholomew was intrigued by the concept of adventuring to the Cavern and, armed with a sturdy canvas pack, set off on his quest.

Tom Hoffman's epic fantasy, The Eleventh Ring: Bartholomew the Adventurer, Book One, features a most remarkable and introspective rabbit whose journey to the Cavern of Silence is just the beginning of a grand and sometimes terrifying adventure. Hoffman's tale is compelling and thoughtfully plotted. His characters are animals, which I had thought might be a distraction, but they quickly became much more than furry woodland creatures. Along the way, Bartholomew encounters Oliver T. Rabbit, a scientist and inventor, whose gifts with machinery infuse a marvelous steampunk atmosphere to the tale. I had a grand time reading The Eleventh Ring. The visionary questing Bartholomew undertakes brought to mind the classic fantasy tales of George MacDonald, Hope Mirrlees and Lord Dunsany, with more than just a touch of Jules Verne added in. The Eleventh Ring: Bartholomew the Adventurer, Book One is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Taking The Lead: Adventures of a Hollywood Dog Walker by Di Jones is the novel of every dog lovers dream, especially people like me who love dogs and just can’t have them. This novel is an absolute gem. What should I talk about first? The dogs, or the characters, or the chapter names? Oh, the chapter names. Di Jones must be the master of pun and irony. I am officially in love with the way she writes and the only other person I have said this about is J.K Rowling!

The story is about Tessa, a girl with dreams of making it big in Hollywood. But things are not that easy. Times get tough and she is desperate to make ends meet. Her life takes a turn for the better when she gets a job as a dog walker. She finally has a chance to make something out of her life and dreams, and if she plays her cards right, she might even get a hunky man out of it.

Let me start with the dogs; they are full of character. Twinkletoes is awesome. That Great Dane is a dream pet. And all the other dogs mixed with Twinkletoes gives you the right kind of humor and mischief that just makes your heart melt and have you grinning like a fool. I loved, loved, and loved reading this novel and I cannot wait for more from Tessa and her dream of making it big in the Hollywood. I hope I don’t have to wait long for a sequel.

Reviewed by Vernita Naylor for Readers' Favorite

There has been a slew of kidnapped and missing children that is stumping the FBI. The Faithful by S.M. Freedman is an audio book narrated by Tanya Eby. Dr. Rowan Wilson is beginning to experience some strange dreams that are keeping her off course. She seems to be blacking out and unable to remember things about her current life, but is beginning to remember things about her childhood. She recalls a children’s chant, which means Remember Return. She doesn’t understand what this chant means and why this is happening. Her friendship with Agent Sumner is helping her to recall the past that was once lost to her. Now as Sumner gets deeper into helping Dr. Wilson understand her past, he is beginning to revisit his past as well. Sumner discovers later that the missing children are a part of his past. These kidnapped and missing children are special. These special children are housed at a camp for children with psychic abilities. These psychic abilities are being honed for the world’s destruction. Will Dr. Wilson's and Agent Sumner’s pasts change the course of things?

I always enjoy listening to an audio book. The Faithful by S.M. Freedman allowed me to just relax and let the story take over. It was interesting to see how all of the elements of the characters - from the missing children and Agents Metcalf and Sumner to Dr. Wilson - all gelled together. What a small world! While I enjoyed listening to this story, it got a little edgy due to its sexual overtones and choice words, but yet it's a great story. If you want to kick back and listen an audio book that will keep you engrossed and engaged, The Faithful by S.M. Freedman is ideal.

Reviewed by Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

The Reinvention of Mimi Finnegan by Whitney Dineen is a delightful chick-lit story told in a funny and adorable way. Mimi reaches an early mid-life crisis that begins with the diagnosis of a bunion. Constantly comparing herself to her clever and successful siblings, Mimi has always struggled to find her own identity. The fact that she is single doesn’t help her self-worth. Obsessed with her weight, her appearance, and her apparent failure to accomplish anything in life continues to drag Mimi down to the depths of despair. All that changes when she meets Elliot Fielding. She immediately jumps on the roller coaster of infatuation that quickly turns to true love, but - even now she has finally found someone she could share her life with - she discovers he is in a serious relationship with another.

The humour of this novel is its absolute charm. Captivating the reader from the start, the first person approach is spot on. The author, Whitney Dineen, must have a brilliant sense of humour herself which shines forth in her writing. I love the way even a visit to a burger bar can engender such hilarity. A really great read that I didn’t want to put down. It made me chuckle throughout, even with the sad parts. I shall certainly seek out other work by this author. It’s ideal for its genre, chick-lit, but would also work with comedy fiction. Watch out Bridget Jones, Mimi Finnegan is on your tail.