"The Skin Map" by Stephen R. Lawhead

"The ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure. Chasing a map tatooed on a man's body across an omniverse of intersecting realities." I'm a sometimes fan of sci-fi/fantasy, so the thought of time travel that involves exploring alternative worlds intrigued me. Thomas Nelson offered this on their BookSneeze site in the form of audio book only. I listened to the book on my way to and from work. After a few chapters, I made excuses to drive my car instead of walking or riding my bike so I could stay abreast of Kit Livingstone's adventures with his great-grandfather Cosimo and Sir Henry. One sign of a well-written novel is the author's ability to make me gasp when the bad guys are about to overcome the good guys. Or when I say, "aha," at the moment he plants a nugget of information in the story. Stephen Lawhead did both...until the end of the book. The finale, which I won't reveal here (I'm not a spoiler for the next reader), came unexpectedly. I felt nothing had been resolved. I still had questions that needed to be answered. Even the epilogue left me with a question mark floating around my head. "How could he do this?" I demanded. I want to know what happened to Arthur Flinders Peachtree. How did the dread Lord Burley always know where Kit and Cosimo would be? Then I noticed the fine print on the cover: A Bright Empires Novel. I looked it up on the Internet and discovered the story continues in another book. What are the chances Thomas Nelson will offer the audio version of The Bonehouse to their BookSneezers? {grumble} I also wonder why Thomas Nelson published this book. I found no Christian theme in it. On the contrary, it seemed to be more new age than Church Age. Just saying... When I post my review on Barnes & Noble's site, I might give The Skin Map two stars instead of four or five simply because of all the loose ends that needed to be tied up at the end. I am a dissatisfied reader right now. >:-(

The Fight of our Lives by Bennett & Leibsohn

I prefer to read fiction because non-fiction usually serves as a good antidote to insomnia. I struggled to get through this work for that reason only. Unlike other non-fiction list-our-woes type of books, THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES is a true eye-opener. Most books of this ilk merely point out the problem, but this one delves deeply into the cause of our slide into political correctness and directs us to a clear resolution. "Rolling off our couches" is a good first step. In eight short chapters, plus an introduction and epilogue, Bennett & Leibsohn describe the lessons we SHOULD HAVE learned (but didn't) from Viet Nam (which showed Bin Laden our weaknesses) to the Ft. Hood massacre (which underscored our PC standing). Quoting Gen. George Casey of the recent attack: "As horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse." I had to read that line several times, asking myself, "Can a military general REALLY put diversity above his soldiers?" This book clearly identifies our enemies, some of whom are within our own culture. Eleven pages of notes for their voluminous footnotes is indicative of the authors' intense research. THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES isn't based on opinion, but proven facts. I hope it starts a wildfire of couch potatoes getting involved in taking back our country. I will certainly share it, give it as a gift, and recommend it. I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze®.com in exchange for my review, and am in no way compelled to write flattery for flattery's sake.

"Save the Date"

"Save the Date" by Jenny B. Jones took me captive in the first paragraph of the prologue. The sassy protagonist, Lucy Wiltshire thought she was about to become engaged to her long-time boyfriend. The expected proposal turned out to be his news of a job offer...in another state.

Two years later, Lucy found herself in dire straits when Sinclair Hotels, one of her biggest donors for Saving Grace, pulled their funding. Tough economic times, it seemed, knew no boundaries. Lucy established Saving Grace, the home for girls who age out of foster care, and her dedication to "her girls" created some comical scenes throughout the book. One of my favorites was Lucy crashing the Sinclair gala...literally. Alex, the heir to the Sinclair fortune and a candidate for Congress, swept her to the dance floor to keep her away from the affluent guests. But Mr. Zaminski didn't have a chance. Lucy knocked into a waiter, causing him to spill his tray of shrimp cocktail on the floor. The beaded strap of her second-hand gown broke at the same time. Zaminski hit the floor. Lucy, graspong her last semblance of modesty, headed for the nearest exit. Alex followed her outside. While comforting her, he inadvertently gave the news media photos of him embracing a young blonde.

Two weeks later, Alex discovered his numbers in the polls rose dramatically because of the photos and a bogus magazine story about his romance with Lucy Wiltshire. Thus came his scheme to easily slide into his Congressional seat. Lucy needed funds to keep her home for girls open. He needed her to pose as his fiancée.

From their first meeting to the end of the story, I watched Lucy grow from a klutzy kid to an elegant young lady. Alex grew from a self-centered football hero-playboy to a caring young gentleman.

I identified with Lucy because she knew as much about football as I do and shopped for clothes in second-hand stores (you can find me most weekends at Life's Treasures in south Tampa - Bruno Magli shoes for $3.00!) .

I highly recommend this light-hearted romance novel. Jenny B. Jones is a master at planting seeds, setting gems, and creating sassy dialogue. Her talent for flashbacks (or back story) is pure genius. A great example for any aspiring writer to follow, this is the way a novel should be written!

"No Other" by Shawna K. Williams

This historical romance by Shawna K. Williams pulled me into the story with the first sentence. Set in Post WWII America, it possesses the right amount of detail to keep the reader in the late 1940s, learning about the struggles one American family of German descent suffered from President Roosevelt's (d) internment camps. The war ended, and twenty-year-old Jacob had to return to the classroom to earn his high school diploma. Difficult enough without a pretty teacher, Meri, who was only two years older than he. Their relationship began innocently enough with a school play, which Jacob's sister helped write (revealing more about their family's difficulties than Jacob preferred). As Jacob and Meri allowed their love for each other to unfold, he learned she was trapped in her own private internment camp, created by her hypocritical and overbearing parents. Despite Jacob's struggle (and failure) with temptation, he found the path of redemption in honestly claiming responsibility for his actions. No Other is a refreshing look at two people in love during a forgotten era. I look forward to a sequel. I'd like to know what happened to Roger (wink wink).