Digitalis

My review at the end. Thank you to CFBA for the opportunity to review some amazing books over the past couple of years!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Digitalis Barbour Publishing, Inc.(January 1, 2011) by Ronie Kendig



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronie has been married since 1990 to a man who can easily be defined in classic terms as a hero. She has four beautiful children. Her eldest daughter is 16 this year, her second daughter will be 13, and her twin boys are 10. After having four children, she finally finished her degree in December 2006. She now has a B.S. in Psychology through Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Getting her degree is a huge triumph for both her and her family--they survived!!



This degree has also given her a fabulous perspective on her characters and how to not only make them deeper, stronger, but to make them realistic and know how they'll respond to each situation. Her debut novel, Dead Reckoning released March 2010 from Abingdon Press. And her Discarded Heroes series began in July 2010 from Barbour with the first book entitled Nightshade.



This is the second book in the series.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Step into the boots of a former Marine in this heart-pounding adventure in life and love. Colton “Cowboy” Neeley is a Marine trying to find his footing as he battles flashbacks now that he’s back home. Piper Blum is a woman in hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. When their hearts collide, more than their lives are at stake. Will Colton find a way to forgive Piper’s lies? Can Piper find a way to rescue her father, trapped in Israel? Is there any way their love, founded on her lies, can survive?



If you would like to read an excerpt of Digitalis, go HERE.

Pattie's Review:

Like Nightshade, Digitalis is a very intense book. It gets a bit confusing with the call signs and dual identities of the Nightshade team, and without having my copy of Nightshade (I gave it to a friend), I could not use the glossary at the front to keep the characters straight.

There are many layers of complexity in this story. The author does well in leaving the ending of the book solved for now, yet open for the third book in the series. However, it took me awhile longer to get into the storyline of this book. It was still a very good book, well-written, but not as immediately engrossing as the first book was.

Colton and Piper, the two main characters, kept denying their love and feelings for each other, and even though everyone else insisted they should get together, and that they loved each other, they kept denying away. That sort of got old after awhile.

I think Ronie Kendig did a superb job of picturing the entire "flashback" phenomenon of veterans. Colton's flashbacks are indeed scary, and I wish that more work had been done with the counselor. But at least he WENT to the counselor. That's more than some of our wounded veterans will do.

So yes, a mixed review of Digitalis, but overall, for those who enjoy military suspense with a hefty dose of faith, definitely check out this series.

My review of Nightshade is here.

Grace

For the past several years, I've been blessed to be a part of an online community of Christian women who seek the Lord and community with each other. I was first intrigued by the idea of an "annual theme" by some of them, who seek God's leading and guidance each year through a singular idea. More often than not, the theme is not chosen by the woman herself, but by God. The methods through which He chooses to reveal said theme are as varied as the women themselves, as one might imagine the Creator of the Universe to be creative Himself. It's exciting, not only at the precipice of a new year to see what each woman's theme is, but fascinating to see how God works through that theme in each friend's life.

I used to envy these women their themes. How wonderful that God gave them something to guide their years. So one year I asked the Lord to give me a theme, too. I thought it would be easy and maybe even fun. Well, God works as He wants to, and the theme He gave me for 2009 was "Brave." Last year, 2010, my year's theme was "Focus." Neither of those were easy, and only maybe a little bit fun sometimes (just goes to show you that envy gets you nowhere!).

New Year's Day 2011 came and went, and I began to think that God was letting me off the hook this year. However, the word that keeps coming to mind each and every time I read my friends' themes and reflect upon my past two is: Grace.

I am not entirely sure what this means. Brave, I knew. I knew God was asking me to step out of my comfort zone, sticking up for myself, my husband, and my children, and trying new things. Focus, I knew. I failed at focusing more often than I succeeded, but I did learn in the process what my writing focus needs to be, and that I need to focus on God and His Word and my family, before I focus on too many other distracting things.

Grace? Really? Let's just wait and see.

2011 From the Shelf Reading Challenge

Learn more here.

Where Do I Go? - Neta Jackson (Traded in at Paperback Swap)

Who Do I Talk To? - Neta Jackson (Sent back to my friend)

Who Do I Lean On? - Neta Jackson (Sent back to my friend)

The Gun Seller - Hugh Laurie (Sent to a friend)

Traveling Mercies: Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

It Happens Every Spring - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman

Summer Breeze - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman

Falling For You Again - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman

Winter Turns to Spring - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman

East of Eden - John Steinbeck

Mr. Monk is Miserable - Lee Goldberg

Don't You Forget About Me - Jancee Dunn (Traded in at Paperback Swap)

TBR 2011

I'm joining the TBR challenge this year--I took last year off, but I'm back this year! For more info, go to the blog here.

Here's the list:

1. Where Do I Go? - Neta Jackson
2. Who Do I Talk To? - Neta Jackson
3. Who Do I Lean On? - Neta Jackson
4. The Gun Seller - Hugh Laurie
5. Traveling Mercies: Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott
6. Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott
7. Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott
8. It Happens Every Spring - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman
9. Summer Breeze - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman
10. Falling For You Again - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman
11. Winter Turns to Spring - Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman
12. East of Eden - John Steinbeck

All of these books have been on my PBS wish list or bookshelves for at least a year, if not more.

Alternates:

• Mr. Monk is Miserable - Lee Goldberg
• The Ten-Year Nap - Meg Wolitzer
- could not finish this one. I think I gave it about 3 chapters before I gave up.
• Don't You Forget About Me - Jancee Dunn

Happy New Year!

Looking forward to firming up those goals and getting ready to share them, as well as some of my book reviews, this year.