Arson and Emery have literally been taken away, far away into a horrendous laboratory where their bodies and their minds are being tested to see where they get their abilities.  Tested with machines and by psychologists, all deep beneath a top-secret government facility.  How in the world will they ever get out much less survive?  Emery’s father begins his search to find her with much desperation.  His relationship with his wife is tested once again by the fires that he now faces.  Will they make it through all of this together?

The thing that is most striking to me in this story is the trials that each character faces, and must face alone.  They all begin to fight their own demons, hoping that by doing so they will find their way.  Most of the story each main character spends alone in some fashion, and so we see deep within the minds of the characters.  That is something that Estevan Vega is particularly accomplished at, helping us to see and hear the thoughts of his characters, seemingly bringing them to life before our eyes.  Reading this book is better than watching the movie, though a movie wouldn’t be a bad idea with all the trippy and crazy things going on in this story.

If Arson cranked it up to eleven, Ashes somehow managed to crank it up to twelve, and the nonstop action and thrills kept me up late into the night more than one time!  I certainly can’t wait for the follow-up to this amazing book, as Estevan decided once again to hang us high up on that cliff’s edge on the very last page.  I won’t spoil the story for you as you must read it for yourself, but all I will say is a Phoenix can do more than simply death by fire. Now go get the book already!

Ted Dekker

Ted Dekker weaves a tale about a woman by the name of Renee Gilmore, her savior Lamont, and a priest called Danny Hansen. Danny grew up in Bosnia, and in 1992 fighting broke out between the Serbs and the Croats, but it was more than that. It was a war between the Orthodox and the Catholic Christians. Christians killing Christians in the name of God. It was one day in the fall of 92 that Danny’s village was attacked. When the men came to his house his mother and sisters were raped and killed, and Danny decided then that justice must be had. He killed those men just as he would kill others to come.

Danny created his own brand of justice. He became a priest who deals in this justice. Justice brought on the end of a knife and a gun when the guilty don’t see the light. Sure there were those that changed their ways, but the others…

Renee Gilmore was addicted to heroin, it took over her body and her mind, and one of those nights it seemed her end would come. Her dealer had come to collect, even if it meant her life. Luckily a man named Lamont came her way and saved her, risking everything for her safety. Lamont is a man of the law, trusting that it is always best to trust the authorities, but when Lamont mysteriously disappears Renee is alone in the world once again. Renee is lost, and the only way she feels she can find herself is to bring her own brand of justice upon the person who is responsible.

Renee and Danny are brought together by this one thread, this thirst for justice, even if you have to deal it yourself, and so they both desire the very same thing. When Renee and Danny come together to work there is both great danger and adventure to be had, and you will find yourself asking questions about your own morality. What is right? Is it Justice if you are the one who brings it? It it right to work that justice in the name of God? To kill?

This very dilemma drives the story forward towards some truly rocky seas. What would you do if your daughter was being raped? Is it right to kill the man responsible? The story is so amazing with all it’s twists and turns, and it you must definitely read it NOW! So I definitely recommend the book, and though I am a little biased since I love every Ted Dekker book, I think that anyone who has never read one of his books will love it as well. So check it out and enjoy, it will definitely keep you up many late nights!

This book was supplied by Center Street books, but the opinion is 100% my own. So go get the book on the 19th! It really is that good!

The collection begins with the story Baby Blue, which is a romantic tragedy told oh so elegantly. It consists of the characters of Casey, a struggling girl who has never found love, and Thomas Rayford, a mysterious man who comes in one day from the rain looking for a suit in Casey’s store. He comes back week after week only looking at one suit, a baby blue one that no-one else will buy. He tells her how it is beautiful to him and how special it is even though he is the only one who looks at it. The story develops in a way that captured me instantly and took me along on a magical ride. The ending was as marvelous as it was tragic and it left my mind unravelling.

That is not all however. The second story is Vanilla Red, a tale of a man locked up for life in a padded cell. But what makes this story so powerful is the perspective. It is told from within the mind of this man, a man so crazy it is hard to understand. Diving beneath the skin of this character onto the path that led to this cell is almost poetic. It has a lyrical and almost beautiful feel to this horrific and terrifying story, lending the character an almost sane quality. It is some truly amazing prose and my favorite of this collection.

The final tale is called The Man in the Colored Room. It is equally mysterious as the first and as beautiful as the second, but is about a man who finds himself waking up in this colored room for an unknown reason. As the reader figures out the mystery of it all you are learning alongside the man so it really brings you into the story. The ending is unforeseen and it is truly amazing how Estevan Vega can manage it in such a short tale. You must read When Colors Bleed, and you will be hooked on his writing forever after!

The Sherlockian

What about that time back when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Holmes back to life? Graham Moore tells that tale in a very imaginative way as well. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has a mystery of his own on his hands, a real one that will keep him on his toes. Will the truth be exposed explaining the reason for bringing his most hated character back to life? Will the diary be found? Will Doyle solve his own mystery? It is this web of mystery and intrigue on multiple levels that kept me on edge, turning page after page of this marvelous tribute to the creator of the mystery novel. Who will forget Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or his creation of Sherlock Holmes after this? I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good thriller or mystery novel, and to those that don’t, you have to read this anyway. It is that good!

Review title provided courtesy of Grand Central Publishing

He heals a paraplegic, gives sight to a boy, and even raises a man from the dead.  Caleb was placed in the hands of Father Nikolous at Sunnyside Orphanage when he arrived in the U.S. and since Caleb is his charge Nikolous begins to use Caleb’s power.  He begins to get groups of people together to be healed by Caleb, and Caleb gladly heals whatever ails them, but Nikolous does it for profit.  The healings begin to grow in size and stature until the whole world is watching.  But that is not all!  A politician realizes that Caleb’s ablility will destroy his future and has a killer go after the boy.

Dekker writes that the whole time no-one can believe that the power comes from God through Caleb’s faith and yet it is his faith that has begun to falter.  He has been kept pure and seperate from the world for his whole life and now he is exposed to a world of sin and darkness.  Caleb can see what no-one else can see, and he can see by faith alone.  We see deep into an uncorrupted heart that aches for those of us who are so dark.  When he discovers how Nikolous is using him for evil and he suffers through his time at the Orphanage his faith begins to falter.  However, God is at work in the hearts of Jason and Leiah.  They begin to fall in love with each other, and Jason accepts her scarred body as beautiful.  They begin to see through Caleb and each other the unconditional love of God and how faith can change how we see things.

The book is action packed cover to cover and it draws you along with every word on the page.  It is such an exciting and interesting tale I could not put it down for one moment, even to catch my breath!  As the trio face the odds in front of them they do so with their newfound faith and hope.  This faith and hope are key!

You should definitely pick up this book at your local barnes & noble or christian book store and read it as soon as you can!  It is an exciting wonderful read that you are sure to never forget!  Check it out!  This is definitely not a Ted Dekker book to miss!

Why Everybody’s Stuck (and nobody has to be)

Do you ever feel stuck in life?  Have you ever faced a problem that just feels impossible?  I know I have.  There are some problems that even God cannot fix…right??  Well maybe you are looking at things all wrong.  Maybe God can fix it, HAS fixed it and you are the problem.  You have erected a wall between you and God’s plan for you, blocking your way to greatness.  Or maybe you have been tricked into leaving up a wall from your past.  A wall created out of fear and hurt.  We all create these kinds of walls and most of the time we never take them down.  All of these walls present one simple problem, we can’t get past them.

What can we do to bring down these walls to have our own personal breakthrough?  That is what this book is all about.  It is not about the quick fix or the easy remedy or the 10 step approach to solving all your problems, but it does present a way to help.  Not without a little pain mind you.

When we face down those walls and remove them from our lives we will find ourselves happy and free people, without all the barriers of our lives before.  But what does it take to knock down our walls?  The biggest key that Ryan talks about throughout the book is faith and hope in God.  We have to learn to take down our walls, our personal defenses, and trust God to keep up the night watch.  It’s not as easy as it sounds, but this book is a great source of inspiration to help you do it.  Ryan Rush is a great storyteller and gives us many a picture to look at, lives that are as wrecked or more than our own.  These lives were filled with many walls and they had to come down.  What happens in each of these tales serves as an illustration to grow from.  After all it is better to learn from someone else’s mistakes than make our own right?  But I bet you that you have your own walls right now, protecting you for all your life and you never brought them down.  Well maybe now is the time.  If it is, Walls by Ryan Rush is definitely a good place to start!

Ryan Rush is the senior pastor at Bannockburn Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. He has been speaking and writing on effective home life for over two decades. In fact, Ryan’s first church staff position began at the age of fifteen. Since then, he’s shared the practical truths of God’s Word with thousands of families across the United States. Ryan served as the family pastor of the historic Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. He has hosted radio and television programs on the subject of family life, and is the author of Home on Time: Life Management by the Book. Ryan currently hosts the Ryan Rush Show on radio weekdays throughout central Texas.

This review title was provided courtesy of Tyndale publishers.  I was not asked to write a positive review on it, I just enjoyed this book as I truly hope you will as well!

Are any of you avid readers?  I’m sure you are.  I would even bet that there are many people that read my blog that read books way more often and faster than myself but just don’t feel like blogging themselves.  Well let me tell you it is definitely fun!  Worth it too, but it is a demanding job at times.  Have you ever committed to reading X number of books a month?  It makes it hard to read and get through the books you want to while still enjoying it.  But the best part is getting that book review written and sent out to the reader.  It is SO satisfying to finish a review!

So what do you want to know about the process of book reviewing?  Maybe you have some ideas for me, I would be glad to hear them.  Maybe you want to know where all the books come from, please ask away!

The Topkapi Secret begins with the two characters of Mohammed Atareek, a researcher of ancient Koranic manuscripts, and Angela Hall, a UC Berkley English professor.  Mohammed is interested in the integrity of the Koran, and is looking at all the old manuscripts to try to find something of use, but the real manuscript he wants to see is the Topkapi codex, and none are allowed access to it.  Angela is recovering from the recent loss of a friend and colleague as well as a recent divorce.  She ventures to the Middle East with a friend and is enjoying her trip when she runs into Mohammed, who rushes off with her in search of adventure and the Topkapi codex.

Someone is after Mohammed, however, and will do anything to keep him from getting the codex.  It is after a few run-ins with a dangerous brotherhood that Mohammed decides to go on the run with Angela.  The action and intrigue build and build as together they adventure across the Middle East, each in search of something different.

Sparks fly between Mohammed and Angela as they venture through locales one could only dream of visiting.  Whether it is the ancient cedars of Lebanon or the ruins and caves of Istanbul, the scenes are easy to picture in the mind’s eye.  Terry Kelhawk does an excellent job of creating these mental pictures for the reader.  I would definitely recommend this book, especially for those who are the adventurous type or really interested in history.  It is very well written, and draws the reader through to the last page.

My only problem with The Topkapi Secret was that even though I couldn’t put it down (as it was really interesting) the book has too much fascinating history and not enough story, at least for my taste.  I couldn’t wait to turn the page and learn a bit more about the Koran, the Middle East, and all the amazing locations and the history behind it all.  It was certainly the most interesting bit of history I have read in a long time.  The book does cover a few mature topics, as a character or two are seen in a compromising position, and the history of the area does include what went on inside the harem of a prince—especially as the harem’s main purpose was to provide the prince with an heir.

Again, I recommend this book, particularly to Christians, as it is a great means to learn about the faith, the land, and the history of the Muslim faith.  It is very intriguing and I guarantee you will learn something that you have never known, and it may just challenge you as well.  So check out The Topkapi Secret by Terry Kelhawk!

Review title sent courtesy of Prometheus Books

I have just finished listening to the first book on tape I have heard in a long while, Harry Potter probably being my last.  I don’t tend to care for books on tape as I lose interest too quickly and my attentions stray to other places.  When I heard my favorite talk show host Craig Ferguson had written an autobiography I was interested, and I don’t even like reading an autobiography.  I was determined to go down to the local library and get the book to read, but never got around to it.  It wasn’t long until I heard that Craig  had been nominated for a Grammy.  I was intrigued, as I didn’t understand how he could get a Grammy, but then I learned it was for his book.  Now I had to get it, but I decided to get the audiobook instead.  How could I pass up listening to a Grammy nominated book read by Craig Ferguson?

This book is definitely the best book on tape I have ever heard and definitely the most interesting non-fiction book I have ever dared to crack open, so you should definitely go out and get it for yourself, or at least get a copy from your library.  I started listening to it and found it very difficult to do anything else as I would listen for hours to my favorite late night comedian’s voice.

Craig does an excellent job of telling his tale, and isn’t shy about leaving out all the nasty bits.  He didn’t have the most pleasant of beginnings in a drab part of Scotland, and his childhood was tough.  That was almost to be expected though, and as his family consisted of Scottish Protestants they certainly didn’t conceive of the idea of telling their kids they loved them, instead they showed them.  To his family the best way of showing love was always through work.  If you worked hard you loved them.  That was it, no sense blabbering about it.

Craig continues on telling of his childhood fights with the neighborhood boys and especially of his memory of the landing on the moon and a subsequent trip to america with his father.  Craig wanted to be an american from this time onward and this lit a spark in him that would not go out.

Craig was soon distracted by the world of drugs, sex, and rock and roll.  He became a drummer and moved from band to band over the years doing more and more drugs and alcohol and that all caught up with him.  His first marriage was a failure because of this, and he knew it.  He had been in america for the majority of this marriage, but nothing had come from his dreams because of all of the booze and cocaine.

He decided soon after that he would have to change his life around and first to go would have to be the drinking.  He had plans to commit suicide but God, it seems had other plans for him.  He remembered the turning point in his life as one night when he asked God to either kill him there or fix him.  Well things changed, though it took a long while, and Craig decided to go through rehab.  He came out of it a sober man and has been ever since.

You just have to read this man’s story as it both touched me and excited me about who I am as an American.  Craig always seems to do this to me, after all he starts off every show with “It’s a great day for America!” and though his comedy is always at the forefront he finds a way of touching at the things that our at the heart.  In fact his biggest show ever was when he had, as a guest, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The story of a man who is “American On Purpose” inspired me.  I think that if you read this you may find some things out about yourself.  You might have a few laughs at the expense of Craig’s past as well.  I recommend this book in the highest way I can.  This is a story of a broken man just like many of us, who triumphed in hardship, and is the first to admit that he is not the best of people. So go out and read it already! (or listen to the Grammy nominated version of it if that is your cup of tea)

Oh and by the way, I would like to congratulate Craig and his wife Megan on the birth of their son Liam James Ferguson!

The Strange Man is the first act in the upcoming Christian horror trilogy,The Coming Evil, which tells of a world filled with horror movies and comic books, where there is no longer anyone who believes in such things, but yet they are still real.  Dras Weldon has grown up in this world hearing of monsters and goblins, and of the creature called the Bogeyman who takes away bad little girls and boys.  Dras is a twenty-two-year-old unemployed man stuck in the world of adolescence, collecting GI Joe figures in his unkempt apartment.  He has lived a life under the watchful eye of his older brother Jeff, the local pastor.  Dras has always professed Christianity but has never had a life of spirituality, but soon everything he believes in will be put to the test.

When a powerful storm comes to town everyone seems to sense what is about to happen.  A demon known as The Strange Man has shown his face in town and the darkest evil follows behind.  He has been known for ages as none other than the dreaded Bogeyman.  Dras soon receives a threat from the man and begins a race against the clock to change not only his own life, but that of his lifelong friend Rosalyn Meyers, to save her at any cost.

This story reaches into every person’s darkest past as a child, awakening those fears of the monster at the window coming to get them.  As the story progresses, the action builds from page to page drawing the reader through to its intense climax.  You can almost picture yourself sitting up in bed as a child, your mean older brother or sister telling you the story of the monster in the closet.  Occasionally you may have to pull the covers over your head or pull out your trusty flashlight to keep the shadows at bay.  The Strange Man captures the inner child and takes it out the window through this intense ride.  It is sure to join the author’s film The Time Changer in Christian cinematic glory.

The book does an excellent job of blending its prominent Christian themes in with the tale, keeping them an important part of the story while not shoving the ideas in your face.  The characters are all flawed with Dras most of all, and yet the reader can cheer him on as he learns how badly he has lived his life and how much he needs to change.  Many can empathize with him as he tells Rosalyn about Jesus and how the Bogeyman is after her soul.  He fails utterly at first and is beaten back with words about him being a hypocrite.  Who is he to tell her she needs Jesus?  Overall I enjoyed the movements of Christ throughout the book, and the Bible is shown to have much power over evil.  It is a great book to give to struggling and strong Christians alike, as we all have something to learn.

I definitely recommend reading The Strange Man under the covers with your nightlight on!  Please enjoy this great book as I did.  Thanks to the author Greg Mitchell for writing such a great novel and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Review title provided courtesy of Realms

Wouldn’t it be cool if this spreads far enough this year to catch Ellen’s  attention?  I wish him the best of luck! Ellen DeGeneres, please be Generous!

The book maintains the same main characters as The Strange Man, but does a great job of establishing their characters and the evil that is just around the corner for them.  The world no longer believes in the creatures and monsters of the night, but these Demons are real and they are coming to stake their claim in this little town.

This is the story of Dras Weldon and Rosalyn Meyers in their early teens, 10 years before The Strange Man shows up in the town of Greensboro.  Rosalyn is facing the recent loss of her father, who committed suicide a month before.  When Dras decides to knock on the door of the old widow McDowell Rosalyn finds herself getting to know the old woman and becomes interested in her practice of calling out to her lost husband every night hoping to hear his voice.  Rosalyn wants to hear her father’s voice and thus begins this little adventure.

You will have to read the tale for yourself as I don’t want to spoil things, and the only way to do that is to read it in the back of The Strange Man.  If you want to know what I thought of The Strange Man check it out at The Christian Manifesto.  I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy and I hope you will enjoy this scary tale as much as I did!

When you think of Metallica what do you think of?  Do you think of some heavy metal concert you went to with some of your friends or do you think of “the band that is going to hell”?  Have you ever heard of the houseplant song?  It is an old favorite of mine, written by the christian band Audio Adrenaline which I have been fortunate enough to see a few times.  The song they wrote goes a little like this:

Once I read a book
And this is what it said
If your music has a beat
Then you’re gonna wind up dead
It doesn’t really matter if it’s Christian or not
If it’s syncopated rhythm then your soul is gonna rot
And this book was called “Ha! Your Gonna Burn”
And in the second chapter I went on to learn

[CHORUS:]
Take two houseplants
And put them to the test
Set them both in front of speakers
And let the music do the rest
The first one you play Mozart
Or something lovely like that
The second one you play that Petra Or that MegaDeth.
Doesn’t really matter what kind of rock it is.

So I took my two houseplants
And I put them to the test
Set them both in front of speakers
To let the music do the rest
I powered up my Pioneers
To let the music roar
But twenty minutes later
Someone’s knocking at my door
I opened up my door
And there my neighbor stood
He said, “Man I’d like to get some sleep
If you think I could”
I said, “Man, can’t you see here
I’ve got this moral dilemma that I got to get clear.”
He said, ” What kind of moral dilemma
Could you have at this time of night
That could make me so angry
That I just want to fight!?”
So I pointed to the page in that open book
That had a picture of a potted plant
And I said, “Go have a look.”
And he read

[CHORUS]

First of all he said,
“That’s Wagner that you’re playing
I’ve never heard of Petra
And isn’t MegaDeth all dead.”
And secondly, emphatically, He asked me,
“What’s the sense of hanging out with houseplants
when, hey,
I live right across the fence.”
And I thought to myself
You know, that’s a good point
So I took my two houseplants, and
I put them both back outside
And me and my neighbor
Well, we went out for a drive
We talked about all the things
That really matter most
Like life and love and happiness
And then the Holy Ghost
And now my two houseplants
They sit out in the sun
As for me and my neighbor
Well our friendship has become
A meaningful relationship
That’s headed straight to heaven
But as for now
We like to sit around and listen to Audio Adrenaline
Cranked to eleven!

As amusing as this song is there are many people that believe that if you listen to Metallica or other similar bands “Ha! Your Gonna Burn” and they think that this kind of music is evil, but we must think, what is more important?  Is sitting around the house with your houseplants and your grudges about certain music beneficial?  Shouldn’t we be more concerned with the spiritual status of our friends around us?  Now I have to agree to one point that there is a lot of music out there that has a really bad message and has been a factor for creating gangs and causing crime around the world, but I think there is more to the music than that.

The Day Metallica Came to Church starts off with a very interesting scenario.  The Pastor and author of this book, John Van Sloten had decided to preach on the music of the band Metallica.  John went to the local newspaper with the story and then the paper soon made its way under the nose of one Lars Ulrich.  Lars was very interested in why a pastor would be preaching on their music and so he sent a camera crew to the church as they were away on tour. So, technically they never stepped foot inside John Van Sloten’s church but they did hear what he had to say about their music.

John had decided to preach on Metallica after a teenage boy in his church asked if he would.  You see John had preached on several musicians in the past and the boy thought that his music was as important as the rest of it.  At first John turned him down but after much prodding by the Spirit, John sat down to write his sermon.  He speaks on these subjects because he believes that God, being all powerful, can speak through all things.  It is only by seeing these songs, books, movies and even the world around us through a different light that we can be mutually illuminated by the words of God though the bible and through his physical creation.

John includes our own creations in this group as God has created us to also create and explore.  Though the words of God may be muted in many situations, even through the bad things we do God speaks to us.  Through the bad songs and the Horror movies and the raunchy stories that some people tell, there is always some form of light.  God created us in his image and so though our creation we place a little bit of that image within it.  It enables God to speak through both the natural world and the world that we humans have built up, if only by the grace of God.

As you read on through the book you are shown many ways to see God in everything, and shown how to discern with wisdom what is from God and what is not.  I believe that God does speak through everything, and even if you don’t believe the same that is perfectly OK, but I would advise you not to go sit with your houseplants.  You must instead get out and take the world by storm.  Though first I would advise you to take a second look at the world around you and consider reading this great book.

When you speak to a man that listens to heavy metal you must understand where he is coming from and not be ignorant of his surroundings but rather you can use the very music he listens to as a tool to speak to him.  I believe that God is already using us as we write music or movies or games or whatever to illuminate certain truths about himself to those that may otherwise never have any exposure to the words and the truths of our wonderful God and Creator!  Do not underestimate the power of God and say that he cannot speak through Mettallica.

I would like to leave you with one more song:

Curse the day I was born!
The day my mother bore me – a curse on it I say!
And curse the man who delivered the news to my father:
“You’ve got a new baby – a boy baby!”
(How happy it made him.)
Let that birth notice be blacked out,
deleted from the records,
And the man who brought it haunted to his death
with the bad news he brought.
He should have killed me before I was born,
with that womb as my tomb,
My mother pregnant for the rest of her life
with a baby dead in her womb
Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb?
Life’s been nothing but trouble and tears,
and what’s coming is more of the same.

Heavy metal headbanger: Jeremiah the Prophet
(Jer. 20:14-18, The Message, 600 BC)

Have you ever read The Sneeches?  It tells of these creatures that are segregated into stars and no-stars on their stomachs.  Seuss wrote this book to tell young children about segregation and racism.  Seuss even experienced it himself as he was mistaken for a Jew, even though he was a German Christian.  Seuss was made fun of and he saw others in the same situation and felt the need to do something about it.  Seuss was not always on the right side though, as during World War II he was for the Japanese imprisonment and believed it was good how we treated them.  I believe that Seuss had a change of heart when he realized what he was saying years later when he began to write Horton Hears a Who.

Horton Hears a Who has the same ring to it as The Sneeches, though quite different at the same time.  Seuss dedicated this book to a Japanese friend of his, which tells us a little something about the meaning of it.  This story tells us “a person’s a person no matter how small.” which I think was his discovery that what he said was wrong.  Even though they were the Japanese people he learned that we should not treat people like that.  I believe it is a tribute to those who championed for the rights of the American Japanese as they, just like Horton, meant what they said and said what they meant.  We must never give up our ideals and we must stand up for them through tribulations of many kinds.

One thing that stands out to me as a Christian that believes that a baby is a person at conception is the idea that “a person’s a person no matter how small.”  In 2008, right here in Colorado there was a group that pushed for an amendment to the state constitution that defines personhood as when you are conceived.  This was also about the time the film for Horton Hears a Who came out.  You can guess what happened next, as the group promoting the amendment began to wear T-shirts that quoted that very same line.  Apparently those representing Dr. Seuss didn’t like it and told them to take it off.  So did Seuss intend to include babies in his statement?  Probably not, as he was a liberal and fought for women’s rights, but it doesn’t matter.  The statement remains the same.  A baby is still a person even though they are not born yet.  Who are we to discount them a soul?

Now the most surprising thing to me is how many Christians, whether that be Protestant or Catholic, do not believe that a baby is a person.  The biggest concern for them is whether the girl in question was raped.  Now, I do agree with them that the girl should not have that hanging over their head for their entire life and that there are many women out there having an unplanned pregnancy.  Does this mean that the baby is somehow less of a person because they were not planned or because the father was a rapist?  I would recommend giving up the baby to someone who wants one or even may not be able to have one.  Bless them with the gift of a child and not take the life of one.

Of course there are many other problems with letting the child live, but does that change things really?  What if the mother might die in childbirth what then do we do?  Does a mother have the right to kill her unborn child?

What do his other stories tell us?  There are some really interesting things to be seen in his other books as well:  The Cat in the Hat is about challenging authority so watch out parents if this is your child’s favorite book.  How the Grinch stole christmas is more obvious as it is about materialism during Christmastime.  Green Eggs and Ham was a challenge to write an entire book in 50 words.  Yertle the turtle was about Hitler and all his power.  The Butter Battle Book was about nuclear weapons and the Cold war.  But one of my favorites, The Lorax, is a very interesting one as well.

The Lorax is rather direct with its point, and is about conservation.  In fact, there are many schools around the country that have banned this book in favor of another book called The Truax.  The Truax, written by the logging companies as they took offense to the original book.  The concepts and the story of the original are rather obvious but I would like to propose some interesting points about the story.  What if the Lorax is a christ figure?  After all, Seuss was a Christian.  He would have been influenced by the Christian story in his writing, though maybe not intentionally.

First of all, the Once-ler comes to us towards the end of days and tells us the story of the fall and tells us how to take care of this world, something that the bible teaches us as well.  He then tells of how after it all the Lorax was taken up into the sky.  Finally we are given one thing to remember it all.  The last seed, a seed of hope for a new world to come.

Now I may be reading into it a bit much but I believe that it is an interesting parallel to say the least.  There are many parallels of christ today and many of them are not plain to see.  What kind of impact do you think these things have on you and the way you live your life?  Does the tale heard during childhood stay with you throughout your life and continue to speak volumes?

The next part in The Circle by Ted Dekker is White, and for the most part it is the conclusion to the tale of Thomas Hunter.  In White, Thomas faces his most difficult trials yet as not just one, but two worlds are facing an end.  In our world Thomas is trying to keep war from breaking out all over the globe and the Raison Strain from ravaging what is left of the population.  He must also face innumerable trials on other Earth as the Horde seeks to exterminate the remnant of the circle that is remaining.  Those left alive are now known as the albinos and it is the Horde that now live in the forests.  Most of all Thomas must know what it means for an albino to fall in love with Horde.

White builds to an ending that will have you amazed and astonished.  Thomas faces the most difficult decisions of his life, and saying that it is a matter of life or death is an understatement.  It is much more than that.  The Great Romance and the Circle must be left unbroken, and the only way to live is to die.  To dive deep.  If you enjoyed the first two you will certainly love the powerful ending that is Ted Dekker’s White.

The real sequel to white is Showdown, and as Showdown was written closely after Ted wrote White it is the book that makes the most sense.  However, Ted decided to write a book that would be an ending and a beginning to the original Circle Trilogy making it the Circle Series.  Green is that book. Green is chronologically the sequel to White only in the world of Other Earth but it follows the rest of Thomas Hunter’s life.

Thomas Hunter’s own son, Samuel, has turned his back on The Circle and seeks to destroy the Horde once and for all.  His hatred of the horde has grown with every death of a friend or family member and it has become too much.  Thomas must once again save The Circle, even if he must cross the realities once again to do so.  The action is the most intense of all of the books but in my mind it requires too much knowledge of the world that Ted Dekker has created to be the first book to read.  Rather in this setting of the four books together it works great.  I still would love to tell you to read some of Decker’s other books first but if you need to know how the tale of Thomas hunter ends then read on to Green.  Ted Dekker wrote green very well and it stays exciting and action packed from page 1 until you close the book and say WOW.  It makes you want to read it all over again if only to figure it out what just happened.

Now here is the dividing point between the original books and the new 4-in-1 edition.  In this version there is an alternate ending.  The new ending does not change anything too dramatically, though it makes a point of exploring the idea of what if Thomas made a different choice?  The Circle is all about choices, but what does it mean if Thomas never goes back and resets his life?  It means Billy can’t try to kill him and Marsuuv doesn’t win.  Thomas instead goes on to live in the new creation that has been made for those in The Circle and what he sees is amazing to say the least.  But any fan of the series must ask the question, if Billy never attacks Thomas then how do the events of the original Circle ever take place?  Sure the choice of moving on is closure to the story but it asks the question of what if it never happened?

A new ending to Green should be a welcome addition to the library of any Ted Dekker fan, and those that have never read it before will highly enjoy reading the series from beginning to end.  I really enjoyed reading this version of The Circle Series and I definitely recommend it!  For those out there I merely ask, what was your first Ted Dekker book and what did you think of it?  If you have never read any of his books before they are highly enlightening and give you a new perspective on the Gospel and what it means to us.  So either way, read on!

Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling Christian author best known for suspense andthriller novels, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans. Early in his career he wrote a number of books with Christian themes that would best be categorized asreligious fiction. His later works are a mix of mainstream novels such as Adam, Thr3e, Skin,Obsessed, BoneMan’s Daughters, and The Bride Collector; and fantasy thrillers that metaphorically explore faith. Best known among these are his Circle Series (Black, Red, White, Green), The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, Elyon), and The Paradise Books (Showdown ,Saint, and Sinner), as well as House (with Frank Peretti), Skin, and Immanuel’s Veins.

Ted Dekker‘s greatest books are finally together under one binding and they couldn’t look better!  When you pick it up it has weight but is certainly lighter than if you were carrying around all of the books.  Not that you would….or would you?  It finally looks like an actual book of history with the leather thong and all.

Now all of that is nice and all, but Ted decided to make this particular edition extra special.  THIS version of the circle books has an alternate ending, and yes you read that right.  A new ending to the book series that so many fans have grown to love!

Ted Dekker’s book series began back in February of 2005 with a novel by the name of Black.  Black is the tale of a man by the name of Thomas Hunter and his dreams, but these are no ordinary dreams as Thomas discovers that he is travelling between two worlds, one of them being far into our future.  He struggles with the idea of which one is real, but most of all he struggles with something he knows.  He knows that there will come The Great Deception over the earth and many will die.  He also knows that the world now faces an all too deadly virus called the Raison Strain.  Thomas Hunter is the only one that can do anything as he is the only one who travels to the colored forests of the other world.  Even worse than that he has already died….twice.

Thomas Hunter is chased by a killer in one world who is desperate to stop him and in the other world Thomas becomes engrossed in the world that worships Elyon.  In this other world there is what is called The Great Romance, a love between the creator and the created.  In this world there are colored forests and fuzzy white bats, but there is darkness as well.  Darkness and light are much more physical in this world and darkness shows itself in the form of a great black bat called Teeleh.  A bat that is enticing and quite creepy at the same time.

Black is the funnel that sucks you in and never lets you go and is an amazing part of Ted Dekker’s work.  The thing is that once you have started with Black it never lets you go and you must read on, in Red.  Dekker is great at keeping you through the books and in this case it is really great to have the books packaged back to back.  All you have to do is turn the page and keep reading!

In Red, Dekker continues his work and builds the excitement even more.  Thomas has not dreamed for 15 years and many things have changed.  Instead of colored forests there are now only 7 lakes with small forests but everywhere else there is just desert.  In this desert a new enemy has risen up known as the Horde.  The Horde is plagued by a skin disease only healed by the water in the lakes.  It is this water that the people of the forests live and thrive on but even all that water cannot help the oncoming Horde.  The Forest people are making a last stand against the enemy when a man named Justin proposes a truce between the two.  The “Great Romance is not followed as well even among those of the forest and Thomas must face against that enemy as well.  Justin comes at a time that is highly dividing to the people, and Thomas must do something about the things he says, as Justin is bordering on blasphemy.  In our world Thomas continues to fight against those that continue to spread the Raison Strain and the world turns towards war as things escalate.

Ted Dekker writes these books so eloquently and makes it such an interesting and fun tale to read!  You must read these books, whether together or individually, but I warn you, you won’t be able to put it down!  Dekker writes the plot so thick with action and intrigue that your head is spinning by the end.  Read my next post for my review on White and Green, the second half of the four book series!

I really enjoyed the writing of T.L. Higley in this book as it was both elegant in the description of the city around them and exciting as the events around Cassia and her son unfolded.  She keeps you engaged in the story from page one until the conclusion!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read and maybe someone who they have never read.  This author is a really good writer and I look forward to any future work!  You should watch the book trailer as well! Check it out:

T.L. Higley holds a degree in English Literature and has written three previous novels and more than fifty drama productions for church ministry.  She is especially passionate about “breaking down emotional and philosophical barriers that people have put up between themselves and Christ.”

I was provided this book by B&H books in hopes that I would review it, but my review and opinions are my own.  I enjoyed receiving this book, however, and hope to see some more from this publisher in the future.

For the sake of their three children Saphora Warren stayed married to her womanizing spouse plastic surgeon Bender. However, with the nest empty, she has had enough of his cheating so decides to leave him and their affluent lifestyle. Her plan is to let Bender remain on the affluent estate overlooking Lake Norman where they just did a shoot for Southern Living magazine; she will move to their dilapidated bungalow Oriental on the Outer Banks.

As Saphora begins her exit speech, Bender interrupts with two words: “I’m Dying.” She agrees to remain with him at Oriental though she also feels like a fool for her sympathy towards the father of her children. Paradise Lost becomes more crowded than Noah’s Ark when a horde of family members arrive and townsfolk keep dropping in on them. As Saphora seeks herself she finds inadequate time to do so; instead she asks God for a sign of divine guidance to help her find Paradise Regained.

I certainly didn’t enjoy reading this book as I don’t understand it.  I need a plot that is more prevalent or more direction where the story-line is going and this book didn’t do that for me.  The different situations and conversations within the book were very hard to follow and didn’t pull me in as a reader.

I don’t enjoy a writing style like this and maybe she is just writing over my head, but that is what it felt like.  It felt like it was written for someone who possibly had studied literature, but I haven’t studied literature, and frankly that sounds too much for me.  It just doesn’t seem to connect with the everyday reader.  I don’t recommend reading this yourself and if a Patricia Hickman book shows up on the shelves of the bookstore I probably won’t be reading it.  If you think otherwise, I would love to hear your comments and would love to know why you like a book like this?  Why do you like her writing?

I find it personally interesting that there are many readers out there that pick up fiction from authors like Patricia Hickman as she has many many followers and readers.  I am obviously not the target market for writing like this, but there are many who would rave about how amazing her writing is.  Case in point, she is an award winning author.  Somebody loves it, just not me.

More about Patricia Hickman:

Patricia Hickman, M.F.A., is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction whose work has been praised by critics and readers alike. Patricia first studied creative writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and then went on to do graduate studies in creative writing at Queens University. She writes for major publishers and is currently at work on her eighteen book, a novel set in the North Carolina Piedmont. Her next novel,The Pirate Queen, will release Summer 2010, a story that takes readers journeying from suburban Lake Norman, NC to the sailing villages of the Outer Banks. She has served as a writing professor at UNCC and taught in writing workshops across the country offering her popular “Creating Characters-Giving Story People Life” workshops and courses on fiction.

I have written this review purely from my own opinions and have not been asked by any publisher to write a review for them.

The main character is not known by name but only by what he does.  He is an artisan himself and he lives on the outskirts of a small village.  He is woken one night by a small boy that wants to show him how to fly, how to be alive and extraordinary. This boy leads him away from the small house in the village up a mountain and over into a place the boy calls “Home”, a place filled with other artisans like himself.  The man feels like there is nothing left for him back where he lived and is very interested in this world.  The boy tells him how in this place the artisans cry out their tears that water the world and provide life to the world and yet in doing this they grow young and alive with time.  It is then that the tale echoes the beginning, telling of a time far in the future where the man, now a boy himself tells the tale to another man, another artisan that will learn of the beauty and joy to be had in crying those tears.

This tale is certainly powerful to anyone who considers themselves an artisan.  Someone who may be a writer or musician or actor will find this tale very powerful just as I have.  In fact this morning I prayed with some friends in our weekly prayer meeting for those artisans as they show their work that they will be inspired by God and his Word.  We also thanked God for showing many a dream much like this one to inspire others in a Godly manner.  It is stories like this that are given to us by God and the ideas behind them are right.

Those of us who are artisans can certainly empathize with the characters in the story as we find ourselves out of sight out of mind as Kevin says.  We work very hard on our work but as those around us just give it and us a passing glance.  But we must know that we have been given our creative gift by The Giver, that is God.  He has provided for us a place we can go to cry our tears as we give birth to our creative works.  It is only through tears that we can influence the world.  It is just as Kevin’s story says, our tears water the world and give it life.  It does not rain in our world and so it is only through our tears that the world may live on.

Please read the full story by Kevin Kaiser at his blog HERE and please learn from it as I have.  You, me, and the other artists around us can be inspired by a simple story such as this, especially one that was inspired by a dream.  Read it pass it on in the same manner as the man becomes a little boy and passes it on himself.

Andy Andrews has been getting a lot of reviews from me recently, but it is for a really good reason.  Andrews has a way of writing that cuts to the heart of the story and feeds you the most tender cut of meat, something you really can grow on.  He writes about things that not only are interesting and exciting, but are of spiritual significance.  The Heart Mender is another such book, and is quite possibly the greatest book he has written thus far.

In The Heart Mender Andy writes about a personal discovery that led to learning of some really exciting events that took place in his own backyard…..literally! Andy first tells the story of how he came to find these clues and then goes on to tell the real story.  This story is an incredible one involving the characters of German U-boat under-lieutenant Josef Landermann and an American waitress by the name of Helen Mason.  Helen was happily married when Captain Tyler Mason went off to London and was killed in a bombing run.  She couldn’t handle the trauma of loosing him, and though her aunt asked Helen to stay with her, it was only worsened when her aunt died as well.  She is mad at everyone, especially the Germans who killed her husband.  Josef meets Helen in a most interesting way.  He washes up on shore with serious injuries and Helen almost leaves him there to die or be found by the police when he says something that changes her mind.

The rest of this story is incredibly engaging and interesting as well.  There are so many things I learned while reading this about the history of the German U-boat blockade during World War II and how they sunk many ships during that time period.  The plot is really well driven and keeps you turning those pages.  The book also gives such a great illustration of how to forgive one another and what difference that can truly make in a person’s life.  It is this theme that is stated over and over throughout the book, and it might be said that Andy sought out to teach us in this book how to give our neighbor a second chance.

This book is a great read and is perfect for reading before bed or sitting by the fire, as we all look forward to the winter months.  So check out this book for yourself and give Andy Andrews’ books another look, especially his book The Noticer.

Hailed by a New York Times writer as a ‘modern-day Will Rogers who has quietly become one of the most influential people in America,’ Andy Andrews is an internationally known speaker and novelist whose combined works have sold millions of copies worldwide. He has been received at the White House and has spoken at the request of four different United States presidents. His two-hour PBS special is entitled Andy Andrews: The Seven Decisions and is now airing nationally to incredible reviews.

I was given a copy of The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews by the publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.  The review I have written here is my  own opinion of the book.  I love giving you my opinion on books and love to hear yours as well so feel free to comment below and let me know what you think of this book and others!

Max has always had such a calling towards helping people see their potential in ministry whether that be getting out on the streets or supporting those who are.  He brings to our attention statistics that say American Christians could house the worlds orphans if they felt the call, could feed the world if we only gave a little away and didn’t gorge ourselves so much, and we could provide the world with plenty of water and clothing to go around.  And that’s just Christians in America.  That’s without help from other christians or from other kinds souls in the world that would lend a helping hand.

What if you and I just took one step, be it caring for a child overseas or by ministering to the poor and needy right around the corner?  I know you have seen them around where you are.  Have you overlooked someone who could be shown the love of Christ?  Have you crawled up in your little shell and kept everything to yourself?

If you are tired of being that way and want to make a change then Outlive Your Life can help inspire you to grow in your outwardly expressions of God’s love to others.  What can you do?  There are many things out there and many ways to get started but you must be grounded first.  Get your basis, your daily bread, from the word of God and he will make all of your efforts abound.  Look to the bible for your sustenance and certainly look to the book of Acts for inspiration.  These men were given a mission from God, and so are we now!  Go out and be fruitful in your efforts!

I would most definitely recommend reading Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado as it is very inspiring and shakes us to the core if we just let it.  Max Lucado has always written some very powerful prose but this is probably the very best I have read from him and it keeps you interested in what is to come from every page.  I am normally not as inspired by such works and so I tip my hat to Max again for a very amazing work!

I was given this copy of Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado by BookSneeze and I was not required to write a positive review.  I tend to look for books to review that I will enjoy and so I do tend to give positive reviews though that isn’t always the case.  If you found this review interesting please comment below I always enjoy feedback!

About Max Lucado:

In just under two decades of writing, Max Lucado has accomplished more than most writers hope for in a lifetime. Most of his books have appeared on one or more best seller lists, including those published by the “New York Times,” “USA Today,” “Publishers Weekly,” and the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). Aside from hardcover books, Lucado’s writings have also been published as children’s books, videos, CD-ROMs, DVDs, music CDs, mass paperback booklets, apparel, giftware, bookmarks, calendars, study Bibles, workbooks, curricula, and plush products. In spring 2003, Hallmark/Dayspring Cards launched a new gift card line featuring excerpts from Lucado’s writings–and has already sold more than one million cards.

All this success has drawn more than a little attention to a previously low-profile Texas author and minister. Lucado has been featured in a wide range of media, including “USA Today,” “Larry King Live,” and “NBC Nightly News.” He has spoken at the National Prayer Breakfast before the President of the United States. He has traveled with internationally renowned musicians as a special speaker on their music tours, such as the highly successful “Come Together & Worship Tour” (sponsored by Chevrolet) with Grammy Award-winning artists Michael W. Smith and Third Day.

A parent in todays fast paced world can be a great parent and yet still have a healthy love life, which is very important in a happy marriage.  This is the philosophy that drives this book and it is this idea that is reinforced throughout.  The book gives great insight into a typical marriage today and how one is to balance being a good parent with being a great lover. The book does this via Jeff Foxworthy style humor with questions like:

You might be a Great Parent, Lousy Lover if you consider an appetizer the free applesauce that comes with a kid’s meal.

You might be a Great Parent, Lousy Lover if your idea of a date night is watching the kids play on the playground at Chick-fil-A.

You might be a Great Parent, Lousy Lover if, before you leave the house, you ask your husband, “Do you need to go potty before we leave?”

These comments are answered by situations and solutions to those situations that you may run up against as a parent, whether a new parent or raising up teens.  This book is for many groups of married couples out there, especially those that want to have any hope of making it through the terrible twos and threes still intimate with their husband or wife.  So if you are a parent, then chances are this book is for you!

I received this book from Tyndale publishers and was in no way obligated to give a positive review.  I have read and reviewed this book with my own opinions.

What was it like to wake up and find yourself a new creation with only one companion called Adam?  What was it like to walk among the trees and flowers of the garden of Eden?  Most of all, what was it like to find yourself exiled from Eden only to live the rest of your life with pain and sorrow?  These are the questions that Tosca asked herself and oh so elegantly answered within these pages.  Havah is an adventure within the mind, body, and soul of one we could only dream of meeting, and yet Tosca writes so well that you could only think she had interviewed the person herself!

As Havah, the name chosen for Eve by Adam, continues on with her life she must face many troubles as she raises her children keeping them safe from harm.  Try as she might to protect her babies, she faces heartbreak as the classic tale of Cain killing Abel unfolds in front of her.  One might ask what could that have been like to live through?  Well this book answers that.

Throughout her lifetime Havah looks forward to one thing, the deliverance promised by The One, and awaits the coming of the one who will deliver them back unto Eden.  While she is pregnant with her first child she views him as a “compass” back to where they had come.

When you read through the pages of Havah, you are drawn by forces unknown that keep you glued to the pages.  It is thanks to these forces that I have heartily enjoyed this book.  I couldn’t put it down, and even when I was incredibly busy I found myself wanting to read more and more of it!

I definitely recommend reading Havah for yourself as it is an exciting and wonderful read that will have you turning pages faster than you thought possible!

I would again recommend this book to anyone who has kids who are reading and would love to give them another great story.  Also it helps as an adult to read this with your kid as it is a gentle reminder to give yourself some perspective.

This book was provided to my by BookSneeze to review.  I was not required to give a positive review and anything I have said is purely my own opinion of this book.

Be sure to check out my review of Andy Andrews’ other book The Noticer.

Who are we to say that we won’t create our own butterfly effect upon those around us?  We may or may not see the impact we have on the lives of those around us but you can be guaranteed it will make a big difference further down the line.  Maybe you won’t be around to see it but it will happen.

This book is a great read, and though it is short it packs quite a lot into such a small package.  All you really need is a little perspective as Andy would say, and he is right.  This is a book I would recommend to anyone to put on their coffee table in their living room.  It is a perfect little bit of light reading for a cloudy day.

This book was provided to my by BookSneeze to review.  I was not required to give a positive review and anything I have said is purely my own opinion of this book.

Be sure to check out my review of Andy Andrews’ other book The Noticer.

This new book pushes forward and looks to God as the source of all that is good.  It asks us to place everything in the arms of God as we ask him for physical and spiritual healing, ask for our every waking need.  There is a lot to be learned for many Christians today as many of us have little to no faith in God and what he will do for us.

I definitely recommend this book to those who are struggling in our faith, which is really all of us.  I’m sure the study will be highly beneficial for those looking for more.  So check it out for yourself when it comes out September 21st!

My question is, why are you asking that question of a book of the Bible?  The Bible says all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.  I understand that Immanuel’s veins is not on the same plane as the Bible of course so I am not equating the two, but the message contained within the book is one of a biblical, sensual love.  This kind of love is very beautiful in the eyes of our Creator God and should be viewed with respect.  All Immanuel’s Veins did was emulate this same love within the realm of fiction.  Does this make it wrong?  Is Song of Solomon wrong?

Please comment and let me know what you think!  Do you feel the same way or do you think sex should have no part in christian literature?  Where is the line drawn for you?

I definitely recommend Immanuel’s Veins to you so please read my review for the book!

The Israel Connection, The Crude Awakening (a chapter on the current and future oil crises), Modern Europe…Ancient Rome, Islamic Terrorism, Vanished without a trace, Does america have a role in prophecy? , When one man rules the world, The new axis of evil, Arming for Armageddon, and The return of the king.

The first thing that I noticed was that these 10 chapters seem at first to be 10 signs, but as I continued on within those chapters that they were simply different topics as Dr. Jeremiah talked about the progression of end time events.  They were more of a timeline that went through from now until the last chapter, The return of the king.  Obviously the return of the king or Jesus is not a sign of the end times as it has not happenedyet and also is what happens at the end of all of that prophecy.  In fact chapters 5-10 seemed to not be talking about signs of the end times at all but simply a retelling of one interpretation of end time prophecy.

Once I began reading these chapters however I did enjoy the way that the prophecy is described and explained in such a way that is not very hard to understand.  There however lies my second problem with the book.  Dr. David Jeremiah has very accurately portrayed his interpretation of end time events within the later chapters.  He does not, however, explain any kind of other interpretation of the same set of verses.  He fails to acknowledge for the most part that there are other interpretations at all!  Basically if you are a fan of the Left Behind book series and subscribe to that brand of biblical prophecy you will enjoy this book, though you will probably not hear much that wasn’t said first in the Left Behind book series.  This book offers little modern input for the interpretation of the prophecies, and does not accurately portray the contents of the book when it says there are 10 signs.

I say all of that about the book and yet I find myself enjoying what I have read within its pages.  It is an interesting read and certainly well written, but I don’t personally see any reason why this book was written in the way it was.  I would have enjoyed an in depth study into the prophecy that describes events leading up to the second coming and the rapture and such but that is not what this book is.  If you asked me to describe this book to you in one word it would be this: Stale.

If you are someone who has done any kind of reading about end time prophecy I would not recommend this book to you as you would be better off finding your information elsewhere.  The same goes to those who have read all or part of the Left Behind series of books.  However, if you are a newer christian who would simply like an introduction into biblical prophecy then you might enjoy this book.  In fact you might absolutely love it.  But keep in mind that there is a lot more information out there, some of which is more open minded and some is more in depth so keep your eye out for other books on the topic.

Dr. David Jeremiah is the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, and chancellor of San Diego Christian College. He is also the founder of Turning Point, a ministry committed to providing sound Bible teaching through national radio and television broadcasting. Dr. Jeremiah has authored numerous books, including the best-selling “Captured by Grace,” “Life Wide Open,” “My Heart’s Desire,” and “Sanctuary.”

This book was provided to my by BookSneeze to review.  I was not required to give a positive review and anything I have said is purely my own opinion of this book.

You read this book trying to see what is around the next corner for Arson and his masked friend, and how will this story end?  How could such a story with so much within its pages conclude?  Now that was really something else, and though I admit it was a slightly abrupt ending that left me wanting more, it was exactly thatwanting that kept my mind creating the rest on my own. That is really one of the most engaging parts of the story, as you really want to know whathappens to arson after the last words on the page have been read.  You create the ending.  You get to ask, what happened to?… did she really?…. did he?… and though it might drive you crazy it is quite engaging to be able to do that.

I actually love the way the book was put together with Estevan Vega’s short story The Borrower as I was drawn rather quickly in reading that as well, and so I have posted a review of that as well for your enjoyment.  I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting and interesting tale, it certaintly had my heart pounding at many points.  And in case you still have doubts, those of you that are swayed by book covers sitting on the shelves, this book is certainly a cool one! I have also posted the book trailer for your enjoyment here:

About Estevan Vega:

“Close your eyes. Close your eyes and picture this.” To a ten year old, the simple task of sitting still and closing your eyes is almost as complicated as summoning an imagination after a lengthy reprieve from the world of make-believe. But both were required in order to bring Estevan Vega to where he is today. These simple words forced a disinterested child into writing. And the good grades and attentive audience that seemed to follow didn’t hurt.

Vega was born in 1989 in Connecticut, where he currently resides. Growing up, he fell in love with sketching comic book superheroes, watching movies, and listening to rock music. While his passion for art still remains, he now focuses his time on creating rather than copying someone else’s work through a picture. When he was 12, he knew he wanted to be a writer, so he began Servant of the Realm, what would become his first published book. Though the book wasn’t a national best-seller, it became the catalyst for everything that was to come. The Sacred Sin, a dark, psychological thriller about a soul-stealing madman, was released three years later to considerable acclaim. These two published titles spawned a number of radio and television interviews, along with a blog tour and a book tour.

But still Vega felt there was a more important story lurking inside of him, one that wanted out.

His slow and intense rise into the literary world is rather fitting, considering the slow and intense burn that remains long after the final page of his latest and most personal novel to date, ARSON. Compared to Jumper, Twilight, even Stephen King’s Firestarter, there is no question that it will be the tour de force of the summer. Part realistic, part supernatural, it is a beautiful and breathtaking blend of regret and redemption.

Estevan Vega’s ultimate goal as a writer is to walk the red carpet at a Hollywood premiere…stay tuned.

I was given a copy of this book by Estevan but I was not asked to write a positive review on it, I quite simply really enjoyed this book as I truly hope you will as well!