Into the Fire

(Originally posted on June 6th, 2011, as "In the process of . . . Chasing Sunsets".)

The Revell Book Tour features Eva Marie Everson’s latest release Chasing Sunsets, the first in a new series from Eva and another example of good Southern fiction from a current Floridian resident.
 
Although this novel picks up in the aftermath of another messy divorce with a nasty ex-husband gaining favor in the disputed settlement of the time he’s allowed to spend with his boys in the summer, Chasing Sunsets manages to salvage what has become a bit clichéd in CBA fiction regarding the portrayal of mean ol’ ex-husbands and their wives as victims. If this plot point happened occasionally it would be palatable because such cases exist, but it’s almost a constant in CBA literature and it gets old seeing the guys get beat up in stories when in reality ex-wives can be just as lethal. To balance this out in Chasing Sunsets, Eva exposes a not-so-great wife who divorces her worthwhile husband.
 
During the course of Chasing Sunsets, the heroine in this novel, Kimberly “Boo” Clayborne Tucker, is forced to realize her control issues while resolving a self-worth she’s been unable to find or master.
 
Kimberly “Boo” is one of the four lovely daughters of Dr. Clayborne and his beautiful wife who own a beachfront vacation home in Cedar Key, the little island town that never changes as Kimberly finds out during her excursion to that familiar place at her father’s request many years after her mother’s death. Cedar Key held the keys to her heart as a kid and teen when she fell in love for the first time with a commercial boater’s son Steven Granger. During their final summer together before Steven leaves for college, Kim believes they’ll be together forever.
 
The haunting memories of her mother, their mutual interest in photography, particularly on Cedar Key where the sunsets invite both residents and tourists to gather just to watch them, resurrect feelings she doesn’t want to face. When Kim is forced to confront issues about her mother, her dad’s present wife Anise reluctantly explains information Kim had never known. When Kim’s closest sister, Heather, demonstrates similar behaviors to their mother’s, Anise warns Kim not to accuse her dad for his unwillingness to deal with the matter.
 
During the revelations being unveiled to Kim by a now hostile childhood friend as well as her wise elderly neighbor, Kim reunites with Steven, stunned to learn they still hold feelings for each other.
 
Chasing Sunsets is a story of loves, losses, sacrifices, and secrets we keep from ourselves while we press on in our lives that don’t often turn out the way we have them planned. It’s told well, clichés included which somehow fit in with this kind of Southern fiction. The vivid scenery and scents play a role in capturing mood and memories. Back and forth in time told from different perspectives, the story leaves the reader with a sense of hope even though life continues with all its bumps and bruises. 
 
Personally speaking, I don’t care for the cover—or maybe I don’t “get” the cover. I don’t mind the divided images or the colors used, but it really doesn’t work for me as far as speaking to the story. Chances are without having read Eva’s work before this book I wouldn’t have picked it up, and I would’ve missed an interesting story.
 
 
 
Father, please continue to bless Eva's writing, lending her skills to tell regional stories of the human heart. Encourage her as only you can do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

It's not that I'm a big fan of Volvo. It's that I like the music and the conversation in this ad which subtly features the luxury of this particular car. In that respect: well done.

Father, for those who honor you without even knowing it, please bring them to your Son. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

One of her many hits, Carole King's "It's Too Late". The lyrics spoke volumes.

Father, thank you for all the talent and gifts you give. May we be thankful for all that you've done in our lives and give you all the glory for any of our accomplishments. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Roadkill by Barbara E. Brink is the first book in the Double Barrel Mysteries series, a bargain on Kindle right now.

Blake Gunner and his wife Shelby are two very different individuals who make a great couple. She loves to act on stage, quotes Shakespeare, and has good people skills. He's an ace detective at the beginning of this novel but after things go terribly wrong on one of his cases, Blake and Shelby take a trip to Blake's tiny hometown located along Lake Superior on the upper peninsula of Michigan where they stay at the Drunken Sailor Bed & Breakfast in Port Scuttlebutt.

They learn quickly that the proprietor's daughter Alice is running the place with her grouchy father who's walker-bound and that her mother was killed in an unsolved hit-and-run. Before they know it, they've agreed to find out if it was an actual murder and who ended this well-liked woman's life. With Blake's familiarity with the townspeople, his investigative skills, and Shelby's natural curiosity and perceptive abilities, the two of them stir up trouble and raise the awareness of foul play in this lady's death.

The twists in this story prove fascinating as we get to know a homeless man, the librarian, a slimy tiny town politician and his haughty wealthy mother, a nature loving woman, the café owner, and we observe the unusual behavior of two elderly twins.

Blake and Shelby face unexpected danger as they inch closer to solving what really happened to Alice's mom.

Barbara Ellen Brink uses her unique voice to create two strong characters, adds quirky humor, the zing of romance between these two, and pens a good mystery in a quaint setting with all kinds of unexpected zig-zags in the story. Entertaining and a good read.

Father, please continue to bless Barbara in her storytelling skills and meet her needs in all areas of her life. May she continue to honor you in all she does. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthath, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 

Hebrews 11:32-34 (NIV) 

       Five sentences toward the end of my WIP Race:

      I surveyed their group to keep my mind off of my own lingering sorrow. The death of a loved one, someone special in this life, seeps into the soul. This story had a happy ending of sorts but it still resulted in the death of a young, vibrant man who’d made peace with God and knew the Lord Jesus Christ. Although I believed it all now, it was still hard to fathom that at this very moment, Roman was with the Creator. I slow-shook my head without realizing it. 

Father, thank you for every word. They don't always come easy. Help me keep them coming. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Originally posted on June 19, 2010; "When given the . . . Consent to Kill".

Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn, published in 2005, opens a small window for the reader to see the man Mitch Rapp aside from the CIA operative/assassin Mitch Rapp. The code of freelance assassins for hire differs only slightly from those sanctioned by government authorities doing their best to eliminate targets before those targets hurt or maim citizens, soldiers, or leaders within their governments. The extremes of the training, conditioning, and focus of these assassins can produce a sociopath if the thrill of the hunt and the success and reward of the kill override the moral choices involved in the assignment. In Consent to Kill Mitch Rapp faces the toughest challenge of his old-before-his-time life. Will he morph into an amoral killer or will he stay centered on a form of justice?
 
It’s fairly easy for some Christians to ignore the equalities of justice in the scripture verse “You reap what you sow” in favor of the verses “Turn the other cheek” and “Love your enemies”. When you pervert either of those scriptures and take them out of context, ignoring other verses and the overall picture of God and His Word, you come up with those people who refuse to admit there are consequences for evil. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” When you extract godliness from this equation, you get politicians who like to think their mere words and political bartering will subdue those committed to destroying this country. One of the primary battles of the CIA is providing the “woe” to those who call evil good. And their primary tool for achieving this provision is Mitch Rapp loosely directed by Irene Kennedy. No one knows Mitchell Rapp like his boss CIA Director Irene Kennedy, but even Irene loses her cool with Mitch once in awhile when Mitch goes “off the reservation” of her large and flexible allowances for him.
 
In Consent to Kill Irene receives word from a Jordanian operative that there’s a “new” price on Mitch’s head—someone is reaching out to the hired killer providers to assassinate the assassin. Although nothing particularly different in this information, it means someone else has entered the fray, and Mitch needs to be extra alert.
 
As a reader, meeting the assassin who takes on the challenge of killing Mitch Rapp gives us the antithesis of Mitch’s character in that this hired killer has forfeited his moral accountability because of his own selfish disappointments in life and his ensuing bitterness sometimes bordering on rage. He proves he is clearly up to the challenge but his ego and lust for the hunt plus the enormous sum of money he demands from the middle man obscure the reality of his choices.
 
Perhaps some of Vince’s best writing comes in a powerful and gut-wrenching conclusion to this book. Being who I am, this confrontation brought me to tears. Because in this scene both Mitch and the assassin must decide who they are and who they will become. It’s a piece of writing that puts you there in the room, and you read it almost holding your breath. You read through it and go to the end of the book, and you close the book, and you go do what you’ve put off the entire day just so you could read Consent to Kill. And then when you lay your head on the pillow, tears seep out again. And you give thanks to God for people who give their lives for inconsequential people like yourself. And you thank God that He is bigger than you, that He sees people’s hearts, that He knows way beyond what man thinks and professes to know, and that ultimately you can trust Him.
 
Again, this novel is not for sensitive or squeamish readers. It’s tough, it’s harsh, it’s complicated to determine whether it’s revenge or simply justice.
 
 
Lord, someday you will reign in truth and justice. Until then humanity will be what it is. And the only source for Truth and Justice is you and in you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

If you're a fan of Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills and/or Brad Thor novels, this television series is well worth your time. The challenges these operatives face remind us of how fortunate we are to live in a country where freedom and liberty are pursued and fought for by dedicated, supremely loyal, multi-talented men and women who strive to keep the USA safe from our enemies around the world. Because America's destruction is sought by many both within and without our country, those who serve in covert positions know the battle is constant and intense and their lives are risked every day often without the assurance that our government can claim knowledge of their whereabouts or missions.

This particular ensemble of actors works very well in their roles. Highly recommend Brave.

Father, everyone is desperate for you. You are the Savior of the world. I can't think of anyone who needs your divine protection any more than these warriors. Thank your for each one of them. And thank you for loving us all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A sign of those times. Great music but not without the touch of the wrong spirit in the lyrics. It was a hard time in this nation's history just as it is now. But the music was utterly sensational. God gifted some fabulous musicians and vocalists, but so many of them failed to acknowledge Him as the source of their incredible talent.

Father, every good and perfect gift comes down from you. Thank you for all of them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Carrie Stuart Parks has written a fabulous series featuring a wonderful character in Gwen Marcey, self-deprecating breast cancer survivor and ultra talented forensic artist slash investigator. She's named her many sets of breast prosthetics (i.e. Laverne and Shirley) that somehow keep being used and discarded in critical situations when her life is at stake. 

Gwen has a probationary much-needed new job with a not-so-nice boss. She hears of a new case at the meeting of investigators and campaigns for one she isn't assigned. Although difficult, she is able to talk her boss into the assignment she wants knowing if she fails, this job is history. In order to get started she must leave her new beau – who fails to understand why after they had made significant travel plans - to go to Lapwai, Idaho, a predominantly Native American populated town, in search of a child who's been kidnapped. The sheriff there fails to understand why he needs her but soon learns to truly appreciate her multiple skills in spite of the resentment she feels from tribal law enforcement.

When this child turns out to be one of many, Gwen's company car and some of her equipment end up in a river, while the sheriff's female deputy continues to give her the evil eye over the drop-dead gorgeous sheriff's attention to and respect for Gwen, slowly Gwen begins to establish some long ago connections between this child's (and others') kidnapping and the unexplained death of her parents in a private plane crash. She calls in her longtime friend and neighbor back home who loves to help Gwen with her fine-tuned (former Microsoft employee) research skills and natural and persistent investigative curiosity. Faithfully she brings everything Gwen needs including herself.

All of this while her arrogant and despicable ex-husband threatens to get full custody of their teen daughter no doubt to provide a live-in babysitter for his expected first child by his second wife.

The twists and turns, the terrible danger Gwen experiences through these twists, and just a great complex plot with Carrie's both dead serious and LOL humorous, irreverent, and sarcastic voice expressed mostly in Gwen's internal dialogue, unmistakable forensic expertise, and innate storytelling ability, all combine to give us a fascinating tale of sheer determination, a grown up re-experiencing childhood pain, the desire to risk it all to get to the truth and to save victims. Gwen Marcey is my second favorite heroine, second only to Raleigh Harmon, and that in itself is a supreme compliment to Carrie Stuart Parks. 

A powerful and compelling book about vengeance and its destruction. Highly recommend this fascinating series and this latest addition Portrait of Vengeance.  

Father, you know Carrie and all her needs. You've healed her, helped her, kept her safe, and loved her deeply. Please continue to bless her life, skills, and give her all she needs to continue to do what you have for her. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.