Book Review: The Betrayal A Precinct 11 Novel by Jerry Jenkins

Boon Drake is back in the second book of the Precinct 11 Series. It picks up right where The Brotherhood left off and takes you on a non-stop ride of mystery, action, heart and the hunt for the truth. Drake has taken down the heads of the biggest street gangs and organized crime units and barely escaped with his life. Now he is back and it soon becomes apparent something is not right. When his girlfriend Haeley is arrested, he has no choice but to put himself back into the game and find out the truth, even if it‘s not what he wanted to hear. He doesn’t know who he can trust and who he shouldn’t. He has to rely on his mind and his heart to lead him through and to stay alive. Enemies are friends and friends are enemies in this exciting story of a cop who has loved, lost and pressed on with his faith.

 

Jerry Jenkins has done a wonderful job with the sequel to The Brotherhood. It flowed from one book to the next perfectly and left me griping the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put the book down until I had devoured it from cover to cover.  The Betrayal is filled with action, heart and comfort.

Jerry Jenkins is a New York Times Bestselling author. He also owns the Christian Writers Guild. He has made USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal lists. If you would like more information on this author and his books, be sure to stop by his website http://www.jerryjenkins.com/

 

*I received a free advance readers copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Desert Gift by Sally John

A nationally known marriage expert, Jillian Galloway is successful, married and thinks everything is perfect. Well until the morning her and her husband are set to leave for a trip. Without any warning Jillian's husband announces he wants a divorce.

With her home life in ruins and her career based on keeping marriages happy, how can Jillian go on? Everything is falling apart and she is lost as to how to handle it. Will her marriage be saved? Can she continue with her career?

Sally John's new book Desert Gift, is a wonderful book that takes the reader on a journey of a husband and wife who somewhere lost their way and try to find their way back.

I found Desert Gift to be a exceptional read and I look forward to reading more books by Sally John. I highly recommend this book.

For more information on this author be sure to check out her website.

http://www.sally-john.com/

*I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to write a postive review. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Book Review: The Skin Map (Trade Paper) by Stephen R. Lawhead

Book Review: The Skin Map (Trade Paper) by Stephen R. Lawhead

Review by: Shellie Bailey

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

The Skin Map is fiction novel which takes the reader on a journey through alternative realities. Kit Livingston’s great-grandfather appears to him and reveals a story that sends Kit on an unusual journey of mystery, alternative realities and times. By using ley lines in Britain a person is able to gain access to other worlds, a multi-layered universe which is unknown to all but a select few. The Skin Map is a code-roadmap of symbols-an explorer tattooed onto his body to avoid being lost in the cosmos. The map has since been lost and now the race is on to find the pieces and reveal its secrets.

Based on the cover and the book description I was excited to read this one. I found the book to have a unique plot and overall was interesting to read. I initially had a hard time getting into the story and it was hard for me to keep reading it even with the interesting plot. The writing just didn’t draw me in as some books do. My high expectations for the book were let down. The book is broken down into separate parts and the chapters are titled. I did find some chapters to be gripping, while others seemed to fall short.

I do recommend giving the book a shot, overall it is unique and for someone else it may be the perfect read. The book is a mix of sci-fi, mystery, action and historical so it appeals to many reader tastes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


 
 

Book Review: The Velveteen Bible

From the Publisher:

A sweet addition to the Tommy Nelson Baby/Toddler Bible line, using an adorable image of a flocked velvet bunny.

Inspired by Baby's First Bible with the adorable fuzzy duck cover, this new offering for little ones, The Velveteen Bible features soft fur and a fuzzy tail! Inside, the New King James Version scripture is accompanied by whimsical images of bunnies and other baby animals, colorful borders, and lovely sentiments from the scriptures. The Bible is packaged in a keepsake treasure box.

My Review:

I found the Velveteen Bible to be a wonderful starter Bible for a child. It comes in a matching box and the cute rabbit on the front cover of both the box and the Bible are velvet. I found the Bible to be easy to read and loved the pictures placed throughout. The Bible is in the new King James Version and is part of the Tommy Nelson line from Thomas Nelson Publishers. The small size is perfect for smaller hands and there is a dedication page which allows the child to list brothers and sisters, grandparents, parents and events.

Overall it’s a great gift idea, but depending on the age of the child it may be a few years before they can read it. It’s published in the same style and font as most Bibles and is a full Bible. The pictures do offer scripture on them that the child will be able to look at. I am excited to give this to my daughter as her first Bible.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: A Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer

Her genetic secret could change humanity forever.

Her DNA grants her the ultimate power.

But all she wants is to disappear. 

 **From back cover**

Caitlyn Brown is anything but normal and desperately wishes to hide away from the world around her. In a future America she is attempting to blend in and hide the deformity on her back, but the task is almost impossible. She soon finds herself on the run with a street smart illusionist named Razor. Caitlyn can trust no one as she attempts to make contact with friends already watched by the government. A bounty hunter is staying in pursuit and soon Caitlyn realizes the extent of her DNA. Powerful people are after her and what she holds in her genes. Will she choose freedom or self-sacrifice to change human destiny?

This is the first novel of Sigmund Brouwer’s I have read and I found it beyond interesting. The plot and characters are distinctive and have strong personal stories. The action is nonstop and will keep you turning the pages. The novel feels like fantasy and sci-fi, but shows a realistic picture of where our own world could go in the future with science. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys futurist action novels with unique characters.

Sigmund Brouwer is a best-selling author if Broken Angel and eighteen additional novels. He gives writing workshops in schools. He is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and they split their time between Nashville and Red Deer, Alberta.

I give this book 3.5 of 5 stars.
**Book recieved from publisher as review copy. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Writing: Making it a career

      It is important to view your writing as a career, even if it’s not currently a paying one. Writing is full time work and hopefully work you enjoy to the fullest or you wouldn’t spend time doing it. For 2011 I have decided I am going to be more pursuant in my writing career and begin making progress and maybe even some cold hard cash. I have a full time job to pay the bills so writing has tended to not be on the front burner, but I want that to change.

     So I ventured out into the land of freelance writing, a new stepping stone for me. At first the stones felt wobbly under my bare clad newbie feet, but it didn’t take me long to realize I could do this! The internet is full of sites for writing jobs, some pay and some don’t. But hey getting published is every writer’s dream, so most (including myself) will take publication with out pay. Because one day I hope with the experience it will lead me down the path of something greater.

     So my journey has begun and I am feeling good. I am gaining practice, knowledge and yep even some money. I have found several sites that seem to have been smart choices Examiner.com, Yahoo! Associated Content and hopefully About.com. Prayers are spewing out of me on the last one there, since it’s not the easiest to gain access to.

     Freelance writing keeps me in the mind frame to write, especially with Yahoo! since you mainly accept assignments to write and they have deadlines. Since this one typically pays you have to get it done and on time to earn your keep. Motivation 101.

     By writing at least once a day it makes it easier not to fall into the rut of not writing for long periods of time. This of course aids in my novel writing, which has been going in and out of dark tunnels since becoming pregnant in September.

     Some things I started the New Year out doing are:

• Searching out freelance writing opportunities
• Entering contests
• Joined a critique group
• Look for magazines and publications accepting submissions and submit, submit, submit!!
• I purchased a planner to keep track of what submissions were out and due dates for critiques, book reviews and writing assignments. Keeping track is not only professional, but key to making everything flow.

     I want to encourage other writers out there who are hitting the dreaded “writers block” or who are overwhelmed with life to try some freelancing. If you haven’t checked out Yahoo! then I highly recommend it, but there are a ton of sites to get you started.

Best of luck in your 2011 writing!

Book Review and Giveaway: The Brotherhood by Jerry Jenkins Series #1

Genre: Fiction/Christian/General

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Shellie Bailey

Boone Drake is a young cop at the Chicago Police Department and his life seems to be going along perfectly just as he planned. He is married to the love of his life with a young son. He loves his job and gets along well with his partner. He is on the right track to reaching his goal of working for the Organized Crime Division.

         All is perfect until one incident changes Boone’s world forever. A tragic accident makes Boone rethink everything in his life, including his relationship with God. When Boone comes face to face with the leader of a gang, he starts to rethink his bitterness and his life. He begins to rethink his hard heart and open his mind to see what God can do.

        I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I found it captivating, engaging and thought provoking. This is a story that reaches deep down in us all and makes us think. How would we react? What would we do if thrust in the situation of the character? The Brotherhood will make you contemplate, maybe cry and defiantly want more. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who loves cop drama or a novel that will evoke deep emotion in you.


      One life lesson I took away from this book was to think about what is important and how we need to cherish those things over all others. Sometimes we get so busy with our plans and the daily grind we forget to stop and reflect on God’s plan and what is really important in this life.

     Jerry B. Jenkins is a best-selling author of more than 175 books. Some of these titles are Riven, The Left Behind Series, The Last Operative, John’s Story. He owns the Christian Writers Guild and Jenkins Entertainment. He and his wife Dianna live in Colorado and have three grown sons and six grandchildren.


For more information please visit http://www.tyndale.com/

**Book Recieved from Publisher for review purposes. All opinions expressed above are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.**

Be sure to leave a comment  (about this book, another one of Jerry Jenkins books or even something you would like to ask the author about the book) below by midnight Tuesday February 8th, 2011 for your chance to win a copy of this book! **Family, Tyndale employees and their familes are not eligible to win.**

Check back on this blog, Facebook or my Twitter page where I will annouce the winner Wednesday Februray 9th!! You can also leave your email/website on your comment and I will contact you and let you know if you have won.