Review: As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko

As Wings Unfurl 

by Arthur M. Doweyko 

Applegate Bogdanski returns from Vietnam with a missing leg, a Purple Heart, and an addiction to morphine. He stumbles through each day, looking forward to nothing and hoping it will arrive soon. When he attempts to thwart a crime, he is knocked unconscious and wakes up to discover that people are once again calling him a hero, though he feels undeserving of the praise.

Apple returns to work and meets Angela, a mysterious woman who claims to be his guardian. Immediately, he feels a connection to her, which morphs into an attraction. But he soon discovers that Angela is much more than she seems.

Apple and Angela are swept up in a conspiracy that stretches through time and space. Together, they must fight to save everything they hold dear from an alien race bent on destroying humanity.

My Take:

When Applegate Bogdanski returns from Vietnam, he has traded a leg for a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, a hero's welcome, and an addiction to morphine. He stumbles through life in a drug-induced cottony daze, wishing to die and knowing deep inside that he's not a hero but a coward. His job at a small bookstore in New York City is hardly interesting, until a man shows up pummeling his boss and looking for negatives to some incriminating picture.

A mysterious woman named Angela shows up and saves him, and claims to be his guardian angel. The negatives become the focal point of a string of attempts on his life by beings far more powerful than any human, and only the superpowers of his angel can save him. But all isn't as it seems. The angels and demons struggling over secrets seem more alien than divine, and the two of them uncover an unholy plot that could eliminate all of mankind. 

Content:

Drug Content:
PG – Multiple references to drug addiction and abuse, pushers, and drugs administered against a person's will. Some slight alcohol consumption. 
 
Violence:
PG-13 – Multiple violent scenes, including a few decapitations and severed limbs. Nothing gratuitously graphic.
 
Language:
PG-13 - The F-bomb appears once, and milder expletives are spread throughout the work.
 
Adult Content:
PG-13 – A few slight adult conversations, and several scenes with nudity, but no sex.
 
Christian content:
There's a tremendous struggle of good vs evil in this book, and the bad guys are disguised as monks, priests, cardinals, and nuns. The good guys also impersonate the priesthood. Several religious people pray, and much of the action takes place in religious buildings, like a cathedral. And you'll find loyalty, faith, and self-sacrifice repeatedly here. But don't enter this book looking for a story of the unseen world of angels and demons fighting for the souls of mankind.

  

Final Analysis:
As Wings Unfurl is a fast-paced high-stakes thriller with a depth of world building and character development that gives it solid realism. The characters are relatable, the setting and story immersive, and the pacing perfect. I found it engaging, gripping, and entertaining. Five Stars!

About the Author:

As a scientist, Arthur has authored 100+ publications, and shares the 2008 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for the discovery of Sprycel, a new anti-cancer drug. He writes hard science fiction, fantasy and horror. His debut novel, Algorithm, which is a story about DNA and the purpose of humanity, garnered a 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award (RPLA) and was published by E-Lit Books October 2014. He has published a number of short stories, many of which were finalists in RPLA competitions. A number of his short stories have garnered awards, which include Honorable Mentions in the international L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest and First Place in P&E Readers Polls. His recently completed Angela's Apple, a novel about angels who are not angels, won 1st place as Best SciFi Novel at the 2014 RPLA and will be published by Red Adept Publishing. His current project, Henry The Last, is about the last human being, a Lakota Indian cyborg. He lives in Florida with his wife Lidia, happily wandering the beaches and jousting with aliens.

You can find more about him, read his edgy science blogs, or enjoy his art work at www.ArthurMDoweyko.com

Review: Don't Be Silly! At My Age? by Jacqueline Diamond

 

Don't Be Silly! At My Age?

by Jacqueline Diamond

They’re never too old for love lessons!

At 54, the fearless nurse doesn’t believe in love but she’s writing a romance. At 60, the bestselling novelist is happy to teach her about more than just storytelling... if he can stop her cat from terrorizing his dog.

When Mandy dives into Richard’s writing class, this outspoken duo is headed for a collision that will rock both their worlds. Don’t miss the fun, surprises, and unexpected twists!

My Take:

At 54, Mandy Matchett is a driving, no-nonsense single woman who knows exactly what she wants, and that does not include any romantic entanglements. Yet she's been challenged to write a romance. At 60, Richard Forbes is a bestselling novelist burdened with the loss of a wife, and no desire to open his heart up again. He'd rather be alone, thank you, even wishing to drop the small writing group he leads in his father's bookstore. But when Richard's dog breaks free on a walk and chases Mandy's cat, she joins his writing group out of spite. These two are on a collision course that will come to a head when a stalker targets Mandy for sending him to jail.

 Content:

Drug Content:
PG – There's some drinking in this, bottles of alcohol in the fridge, casual drinking. A drug addict comes calling, and there is some discussion of medicines and their abuse. 
 
Violence:
G – Not much, though there's some threatened.
 
Language:
G – Nada.
 
Adult Content:
G – This is a lighthearted romance, but there's little more than kissing mentioned. There are some mild references to moving in together.
 
Christian content:
There's a bit here. Several characters have come to faith and it makes a dramatic difference in them. There are a few references to praying and church attendance. But threaded throughout this novel there are themes of self-sacrifice, trust, faith, and second chances. Redemption and forgiveness play a significant part in the story. A broken marriage is reconciled. 

 
Final Analysis:
As I'd said before, I'm not usually a reader of lighthearted romances, but I enjoyed the book before this, and looked forward to reading more. I was certainly not disappointed. The writing in this novel was polished, engaging, and entertaining. I especially loved the banter between the main characters. Lines I found especially memorable: 

Well, he'd only dumped her two days ago. That wasn't a lot of lingering.

"And so it starts, with half a carton of purloined Chinese food and a sincere apology."

Mandy smiled all the way down to her slippers.

Hilarious dialog, engaging characters, edge-of-your-seat drama... what's not to love? Five Stars!

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Jacqueline Diamond has more than 100 novels to her name! A former Associated Press reporter and TV columnist, Jackie is best known for her Safe Harbor Medical romances (17 in all) and mysteries (four so far).

She is currently writing a series of romances about three sisters, all over 50, finding or rediscovering love. They are part of the Better Late collection of romantic comedies by Jackie and several other authors. Jackie's first romance in the series is Really? At Your Age?

Jackie has been honored with a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. She and her husband, who have two grown sons, live in Southern California. You can learn more about her books at www.jacquelinediamond.net, where you can sign up for her free monthly newsletter. You can contact Jackie at JacquelineDiamondAuthor on Facebook or as @jacquediamond on Twitter.

Review: The Tell-All by Libby Howard

  The Tell-All

by Libby Howard

Life at sixty isn't quite what Kay Carrera expected. She's working as a skip-tracer for a PI who is desperate to land his own reality TV show. She has a new roommate who arrived with more than the usual amount of baggage. And her attempts at knitting are less than stellar – way less than stellar. Worse, the cataract surgery that restored her sight has also delivered an unexpected and disturbing side-effect. Kay sees ghosts. And when the dead turn to her for help, she just can't say no.

My Take:

Kay Carrera is getting life redefined at sixty, the hard way.  Her husband she's spent her life with has recently passed after suffering for years after a terrible accident. She's picked up a job as a skip-tracer for a PI, one who'd rather be a star. In order to keep her house, she's had to take on boarders... ones with problems of their own. She's had cataract surgery too, which cleared things up a lot, but gave her an unexpected side-effect - she's seeing ghosts. In the small town of Locust Point, there's not a lot of excitement... but all of that is about to change too.

With the discovery of a prostitution ring in their small town, things get really dicey, especially when the Madam turns up dead. And the ghost in Kay's eye is asking for help to solve the murder.

 

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - There's a significant amount of drinking in this, mainly social drinking, but there's also a keg party where teens are drinking. The main character chides herself over how often she's seen with alcohol by her new tenant.

Violence:

PG - This is a murder mystery, so somebody is killed. Not a lot of blood and gore though.

Language:

G - The language in this book is squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

R - Sorry to pop an R on this one, as there's no real sexual content on screen at all. This isn't erotica, which I don't review. But there's a prostitution ring that was operating in the city, and there are a ton of kinks discussed in some detail in the book, or at least defined. People can be pretty sick. 

Christian content:

Nada. There's one mention of praying, but it's to a goddess, and likely that's in jest. That having been said, there's some value here in at least the desire of a dad to hold his family together, and love of family. There's an instance where someone puts themselves in harm's way for someone else. There's also an undercurrent of persistence and diligence in getting to the bottom of an injustice. As many of us have had to do, Kay deals with a recent death of a loved one with grace and a few tears. Death is something all of us have to deal with here, and this book touches on grief well.

Final analysis:

I'll drop a warning here that there's a few short passages in here that might be triggers for some. But the writing in this novel is entertaining, witty, and engrossing. It rolls across the pages as a comfortable cozy mystery with a bit of spice and sauce, and I found it hard to put down. I liked the character development and even through all the sauce and sass there were some real moments. Five Stars!

About the Author

Libby Howard lives in a little house in the woods with her sons and two exuberant bloodhounds. She occasionally knits, occasionally bakes, and occasionally manages to do a load of laundry. Most of her writing is done in a bar where she can combine work with people-watching, a decent micro-brew, and a plate of Old Bay wings.

Review: JESUS IS BETTER THAN PORN by Hugh Houston

JESUS IS BETTER THAN PORN: How I Confessed my Addiction to My Wife and Found a New Life.

by 

Hugh Houston

Habitual sins, like pornography addiction, are only a problem for unbelievers, right? Wrong! Becoming a Christian is only the start of a lifelong battle against sin. This book is the story of one man's courageous battle against sin, in the power of God's spirit. Hugh’s story shows that any Christian can be trapped in the dark pit of sin, even a respected pastor, feeling isolated and fearful to ask for help. But Hugh’s story of heartbreak and humility and trusting in Christ, shows that God makes a way back. 

This is a story of God bringing back life and grace, after terrible pain. It can be your story too. That's what the gospel is all about! 

Sin leads to death but in this book God (and Hugh’s practical advice), shows us a far better way: Jesus is so much better than porn! 

My Take:

Porn is a pandemic addiction assaulting men (and women) around the world, especially with the onset of the internet and the availability and anonymity it provides. Where once a person had to brave the back magazine racks and adult book stores, now that person can navigate to porn with only a few taps or clicks, from the privacy of their own room or smart phone.

But though it is pandemic both outside and inside the church, it is rarely discussed either from the pulpit or among close friends. Many men think that they are alone in this struggle, but as more material becomes available concerning it, evangelical efforts such as Celebrate Recovery, XXXChurch and literature such as this one and Every Man's Battle make it clear they are not.

Hugh Houston shares his courageous story of coming clean, and the struggle and victory he's found in Christ. His story makes it clear that every Christian man is susceptible to this dark battle, whether a pastor or a lay leader, or a pew warmer. With powerful examples and liberal doses of scripture, Hugh provides constructive help and hope for any man or woman wanting freedom from this addiction.

Content:

This is a non-fiction book, but it's subject matter requires ratings on content, of course.

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG-13 - The book covers subjects like adultery, divorce, and masturbation, the last point there is what  gives it a PG-13 rating. None of the material is graphic but it is subject matter that needs guidance. 

Christian content:

This is a solidly Christian book by a respected pastor who has been in the thick of this addiction. Scripture and faith fill every page, and deliverance is offered only through the power of Christ and the work of the Spirit. The theology I found in this work is clearly evangelical and biblically based.

Final analysis:
This work gives solid help for any man or woman struggling with a sex addiction, especially pornography. It is hard-hitting, clear, and effective. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and suggestions for further work, and it would make an excellent men's small-group study book. I consider that it can stand beside Every Man's Battle as a help in overcoming this tragic addiction. Five Stars!

About the Author:

I chose to write this using a pen name in order to share my most intimate thoughts while maintaining my privacy. My wife and I have been missionaries for most of our adult lives. 
We have four adult children.

I am an avid reader and have included many quotes and examples from other sources which I have found to be helpful in my own life and which I believe can bless others as well.
This is my story and I pray that it will help you with your story. 
You can reach me at: onlywithhishelp@gmail.com

Review: Memoirs of a Girl Who Loves God by C.L. Wells

Memoirs of a Girl Who Loves God

by C.L. Wells

Fourteen-year-old Krystal finds herself flailing when her parents separate. Unable to cope, she begins cutting. No one knows. 

At her new school, she makes one single friend, Em, who invites her to volunteer at the local homeless shelter. There, Krystal discovers fellow misfits, including Brandon, a boy from her school. How can Krystal start a new life when the scars of her old one will never fully heal?

My Take:

Some scars just can't stay hidden.

Fourteen-year-old Krystal's life is falling apart. Her parents have split up, and won't talk to each other, except through her. Being caught in the middle is bad enough, but being forced to stay with her unfaithful mom and the adulterous  man that knocked her up is driving her over the edge. She blames her mother for the wreckage of her family, but even more, she blames God.

To cope, she's been cutting herself. No one knows. Not even her best friend Em. When Em gets her to volunteer at the local homeless shelter, she finds purpose and meaning. Brandon, a boy from her school, is getting meals at the shelter while his family struggles, and Krystal vows to keep his secret, even if she knows she can never reveal her own to him.

As Krystal begins to rebuild her life, however, her well-hidden secret is about to blow up in her face.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - A few characters have drug addictions at the shelter. One character had a serious alcohol problem in his past. 

Violence:

PG - A soldier is wounded, and his comrades are all killed. The main character has a long-standing habit of cutting, and it has left many scars, and draws blood. One person is shot and killed. None of the violence is graphic.  

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG-13 - Krystal's mother is unfaithful and ends up pregnant. A counselor asks questions about a couple's sex life. Two characters have been raped repeatedly by someone they know, though it's a past wound not on screen.   

Christian content:

This story covers the conversion stories of several characters at the shelter, and God is definitely at work in what appear to be amazing coincidences. God's hand in action is clearly displayed, and characters see answers to prayer. The disappointment that people face when God doesn't answer a prayer with a Yes, is a major topic of this novel.Dealing with grief, loss, and disillusionment, are major topics as well.  

Final analysis:

This was a well-written book that would find shelf space alongside good Christian teen books like the Lilly series. The characters are very real and the struggles they face are common to many teens. Issues like Anorexia and teen suicide are covered, and characters find hope in the midst of tragedy. The plot was well-constructed, the pace steady, the characters true to life. Five Stars!

About the Author:
C.L. Wells is a JANE-OF-ALL-TRADES, with a passion for writing and animals. She lives in Kansas with her family, which includes a fat doggie who is not named Toto and a cat who moonlights as an escape artist. Feel free to ask her about the ‘escape artist.’ She plans to write about it someday. She would love hearing from you.

Review: Missing Piece by Uzo Okoye

Missing Piece
by Uzo Okoye

A desperate search for what ‘more’ there is to life, eventually leads John Williams to answers. But tragically, everything falls apart, just as his journey appears to be complete. His picture-perfect life is stripped apart - piece by piece - and lies in a crumpled heap. To make matters worse, a troubling dark secret from his past returns to haunt him.

Will John accept his new reality? Is he brave enough to fight for the truth? Or will the enticement to return to his seeming perfect past prove too much of a temptation to resist?


My Take:
John Williams was a rising star in the law firm of Malone and Malone. He was soon set to become partner, but it was coming at a high cost. The demands of the job were destroying his marriage and he had become a stranger even to his kids. His beautiful home, the fancy clothes, the well-groomed executive were just a brittle facade, a house of cards, hiding a broken man with a dark secret.

The pressures of the job, the coldness of his home, the deadness of his marriage, and the emptiness in his soul was driving him to seek solace in the arms of a string of mistresses, to bury himself in work, even to seek answers in the bottom of a bottle. But nothing could fill the black hole eating him from the inside out.

Even as he finds the answer he seeks, his world crumbles around him, and he must choose to stand for truth, even if it costs him everything, or return to the empty gold-plated past.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There is some heavy drinking. John descends into drunken rages, and wrecks his car, getting a DUI. Alcoholism is portrayed pretty candidly. Some of the characters are toying with drugs, going to parties where drugs will be available.

Violence:

PG - There's not a lot of violence in the main story, but reference is made to an event in a client's past that is pretty horrific, eliminating the people in an entire village.

Language:

PG - There's a small amount of cussing. The F-bomb is not dropped, that I recall.

Adult Content:

PG - Someone gets a girl pregnant, and has to deal with the results. There's no sexual content, though mistresses are mentioned in several places, as well as some candid office talk about the conquests of the partners in the firm.

Christian content:

This is a solidly Christian conversion story. Several people in the book, through lots of struggle and resistance, come to faith in Christ. The gospel message is pretty clearly presented. Drug and alcohol addiction and its collateral damage are fairly well portrayed. Characters have to make hard choices and depend on their faith to see them through.

Final analysis:

This novel is well-written. The characters are believable and their struggles are real. The action and pace are not rapid, but the drama and conflicts are raw and realistic. It's a compelling story and a pretty quick read. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Little did Uzo Okoye know what God had in store for her when six years ago, she was awakened by a restlessness that persisted. Thus, would begin a journey of many doubts, frustrations, in an attempt to discern answers.

 

During this time of unsettledness and a deep cry for real answers, surprisingly she is ignited with a desire to write, the answers that formed the basis of a book idea.

 

No sooner, risking leaving the familiar, her comfort zone and stepping into the unknown, Uzo began the challenging but exciting work of writing her debut fiction novel, ‘Missing Piece’.

 

Forever grateful to God for entrusting her with this gift, she looks forward to hearing the many testimonies of how ‘Missing Piece’ inspires hope and produces lasting peace, joy and new way of living realised through a personal encounter and walk with Jesus Christ.

 

Missing Piece was published in June 2016, and the ebook is currently available for order on Amazon Kindle, iTunes, Kobo and other retailers. 

 

Uzo is a Management graduate from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and currently works as an IT professional in the United Kingdom.

 

She is a member of the dynamic and flourishing church Kings Court Chapel, located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire under the senior leadership of Pastor Sola and Pastor Tumise Ewedemi. On Sundays, she enjoys using her gift of teaching Kingdom truths to the delightful and inquisitive kids aged seven and eight.

 

Married to Ejike Okoye, the couple share their home with their three beautiful children in Hemel Hempstead, the eastern part of England.

Review: Cupcakes for Breakfast by Su-Ny Kluckow

Cupcakes for Breakfast
by Su-Ny Kluckow

To every man and woman who has ever been unhappy with the way they look, to every person who has found themselves eating when they were full, because they were bored, or angry, or watching TV, or out of guilt because someone expected you to, to anyone who thinks they might be obsessed about, or addicted to, the consumption or control of food, this book is for you.

In a heart-felt book that reads like a daily devotional, Su Ny has laid bare issues in her life with eating, and has provided insight and encouragement for anyone who might be on the same path. Whether you find yourself obsessed with the scale or binge-eating, or depressed about your weight, the content in this book gives a hand up through the deliverance found in Christ.

As a Fat Daddy, I found this book applicable in my own life, as we love to spend our meals in front of Netflix, and this tends to make me overindulge; I find myself continuing to eat until the show is over, and often find that I've taken more than my share.

Food addictions, like any other addiction, require boundaries, dependence on God, and accountability, and Su-Ny gives solid steps for establishing these foundations.

Each chapter leans heavily on God's Word for its basis, with well-researched thoughtful and appropriate passages to support each step in deliverance. Each chapter closes with an appropriate heartfelt prayer.

I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with weight and food issues. Five Stars.


About the Author:
I’m from a small coastal town called Jeffrey’s Bay on the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where I live with my husband and two baby boys whom God gave to us after an 8-year walk of faith. I believe that I am wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of God. I am His devoted daughter and princess of the Almighty King.
Would I write if no one would ever read it? I look at writing as a form or worship, a time to be intimate with God. When I am writing He is inspiring me, prompting me to engage Him on a level that sometimes is deeper than prayer or the words that I might speak otherwise. I feel close to Him when I hear my keyboard chatter with anticipation, each keystroke inviting Him to bless my thoughts and interact with my soul. Writing is a way that I bless others, with words of encouragement and love via, E-mail, text or a physical letter. If I was the last person on the planet...you could find me at any coffee shop banging away at my laptop; provided being the last person on the planet there were electricity or coffee shops...wait who would make my coffee?
It is my mission and purpose to advance His Kingdom and love His people.