|
BOOK REVIEWS: P-Titles |
|
Click on the reviewer's name below each title to access reviews Anne McDonald 10/2003 Paul James Watson is the writer of a mid-list paperback novels. His humdrum life is that, routine, and generally unimpressive, and his spiritual life follows suit. But Watson's escape is his craft. He becomes absorbed in his novels and his character, Toby McKenna, a highly successful detective who always solves the crime, heroically putting his life on the line for justice. But there is another Paul James Watson. He is the Watson of his imagination, who is living a life in his mind of new and exciting situations, conversations, and relationships. It is not long before the lines of reality, fiction, and imagination become so entwined that the real Watson threatens to become lost. (Inspirational/Contemporary/Fiction) PAPER MOON Barbara Warren 12/2006 Vickie McDonough 09/2004 Laura V. Hilton 09/2004 Two single parents, Caroline Spencer and Blaine Madison, agree to chaperone their teenage daughters' trip to Mexico. The owner and director of her own day care facility, Caroline approaches life with humor and child-like faith, but Blaine, a hardened workaholic, seeks success and results. Yet in spite of herself, Caroline finds him irresistible. Caroline and Blaine quickly discover Mexico's romantic and surreal qualities, which, to Caroline, makes the full moon above seem like a perfect paper cutout. Romance quickly turns to danger, however, as their daughters are caught in a smuggling ring and kidnapped. Caroline turns to God for help, but Blaine turns to anger. Will they find their way by the light of the moon? (Inspirational/Contemporary/Romance) PARENTING TEENS Barbara Warren 07/2006 This contemporary survival guide is a practical tool for parents of teenagers. Each theme-based chapter is led by a biblical "tour guide," with Scriptures that apply to a teen's life and their particular issues. (Inspirational/Nonfiction/Parenting) THE PATTERN OF HER HEART Laura V. Hilton 06/2006 When tragedy strikes, Jasmine Houston must uproot her family from the Northern mill town of Lowell and take over her family’s Southern plantation, The Willows. But upon her arrival, her anti-slavery positions cause strife between Jasmine and her neighbors and relatives. Tensions continue to rise until an explosive act—the burning of The Willows—causes Jasmine and Nolan to flee north. But the lives of the slaves they’ve promised to protect hang in the balance. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) Tyora Moody 03/2002 When the discovery of a schoolmate's lynched body puts her own life in jeopardy, Angela is sent by her parents from her beloved Mississippi home. With thousands of other African-Americans, Angela begins making her way north to the Promised Land of turn-of-the-century Chicago. On the way she meets two men who will dramatically impact her life. (Inspirational/Historical/Fiction) PAR FOR THE COURSE Laura V. Hilton 01/2008 Golf, politics, and romance collide in as golf range owner Chris Hackett meets an attractive political correspondent who turns his world upside down. (Inspirational/Guy-Lit) THE PAWN Karri Compton 01/2008 FBI Criminologist Patrick Bowers has never met a man he couldn’t catch... until now. In the remote mountains of North Carolina a killer is on the loose. His desire is dark. His motive is elusive. His knowledge--deadly. And as Special Agent Bowers tries to untangle the clues to the bizarre slayings, he’s drawn deeper into the killer’s deadly game. Explore the twisted mind of the Illusionist… and uncover the fate of his pawn. The game begins now. (Inspirational/Thriller)THE PAYLOAD Ethan McDonald 07/2006 Dutch Bennett, a struggling law school grad is forced to take a job in the obscure field of space law. But when he inadvertently receives an e-mail from NASA's JPL during a Mars Rover Mission, his life is suddenly turned upside down. Enlisting the help of a private investigator, Tamara Jennings, he blindly places his faith in her to uncover its secret meaning. But as her twisted motives become exposed, Dutch finds himself covered in blood and begging for God's forgiveness. (Inspirational/Sci-Fi/Suspense)
THE PEACEMAKER
Barbara Warren 11/2006 Vickie McDonough 04/2005 Bull-headed Wynne Elliot has one goal in mind: to track down Cass Claxton and shoot him dead for leaving her at the altar and running off with her money. But when Cass's brother Cole shows up, Wynne finds herself on an unexpected adventure, and she just might lose her heart. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) PEARL
Laura V. Hilton 10/2004
Ruby plays matchmaker between the lovely but hidden Pearl and the carpenter Soren, who longs to uncover the beauty in Pearl that seems to be damaged by a tragic childhood. (Inspirational/Historical/Women’s/Fiction) PEARLS
Barbara Warren 11/2007
Nuggets of wisdom from the provers and pearls of inspirational thoughts from author Higman and Vaughn will illuminate your path and brighten your day. Tuck this little collection of pearls in your purse to bring you encouragement and inspirational throught your day or place it in a special reading nook where you can refer to it again and again. (Inspirational/Gift Book)
PECULIAR PEOPLE
Laura V. Hilton 03/2004 In the ruins of ancient Ephesus, an estranged young archaeologist discovers a first century scroll containing the personal story of Aquila and Priscilla, close associations of the Apostle Paul. As she translates the ancient document and share the trials and triumps of the early church, she is forced to re-examine her own past. Broad in scope and meticulously researched, "Peculiar People" covers the period from AD 28 to AD 78, giving the reader a vivid picture of the early years of the church and the Roman Empire. "Peculiar People" will entertain, educate, and inspire readers. (Biblical/Fiction) THE PENNY Laura V. Hilton 07/2007 Jenny Blake has a theory about life: big decisions often don't amount to much, but little decisions sometimes transform everything. Her theory proves true the summer she's 14, when she makes the decision to pick up a penny embedded in asphalt and consequently ends up stopping a robbery, getting a job, and meeting someone who changes her life forever--Miss Shaw. Together they form a friendship that dares both of them to confront secrets in their pasts--secrets that threaten to destroy them. Jenny helps Miss Shaw open up to the community around her, while Miss Shaw teaches Jenny to meet even life's most painful challenges with confidence and faith. This unexpected relationship transforms them both in ways neither could have anticipated, and the ripple effect that begins that summer goes on to bring new life to the people around them, revealing how God works in the smallest details--even in something as small as The Penny. (Inspirational/Women/Fiction)THE PERFECT MATCH Laura V. Hilton 07/2004 Vickie McDonough 06/2004 Ellie Karlson shocks residents of Deep Haven--including Pastor Dan Matthews, a volunteer firefighter--when she becomes interim fire chief. As Dan and Ellie work together to solve a string of mysterious arson fires, their mutual love and respect for each other builds. (Inspirational/Contemporary/Romantic/Suspense) PERFECTING KATE Barbara Warren 07/2007 Just when mural artist Kate Meadows resolves to embrace singledom and be unbelievably, inconceivably happy, it seems to be raining men. Famous makeup artist Michael wants her to have a few cosmetic procedures, and Dr. Clive Alexander wants to change her in his own way, too, while her relationship with God is what really needs a makeover. (Inspirational/Contemporary/Fiction) A PERILOUS PROPOSAL Laura V. Hilton 11/2003 A young black man in the South shortly after the War Between the States, Jake strikes out on his own, hoping to outrun his master and the consequences of an angry deed. Carrying a grudge and his guilty secret, Jake heads north on a quest to find freedom and the father he has long resented. On the way, he discovers not only his long-lost papa, but two intriguing young women as well, one of them a former slave like himself. Jake soon falls in love with a girl who has secrets of her own. But before she can answer his proposal, danger comes calling...Will Jake learn to forgive his father--and himself --only to lose his true love...and possibly his life?(Inspirational/Historical/Fiction) A PETTICOAT RANCH Laura V. Hilton 11/2003 Widow Sophie Edwards is doing fine, until a headstrong---and oddly familiar---mountain man enters her life. When Clay McClellan learns his brother is dead, he's determined to bring the killers to justice. But first his Christian obligation is to marry his sister-in-law. Can faith and love help them find common ground on the Texas frontier? (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) PIECES OF SILVER Laura V. Hilton 06/2006 When Liesel Bonner begins to suspect that the man she loves is involved in espionage against America, she knows she must do something. She finds that even as her trust in people crumbles, God's loving protection can save her. (Inspirational/Historical/Fiction) PINK Laura V. Hilton 04/2006
Designers at an up-and-coming fashion design firm are thrilled to design a million-dollar wedding gown--until it turns out to be for the woman who stole the fiance of head designer Raya Joseph. High fashion meets romance in the Big Apple. (Inspirational/Multi-cultural/Chicklit) PIRATE'S PRIZE Laura V. Hilton 11/2005 Angelina de la Fuente Delgado, the pampered daughter of a wealthy merchant, is on her way home from a trip to Spain when her ship is attacked by pirates. The brigands capture her and her aunt and steal all the merchandise on the ship. After forcing most of the crew to walk the plank, they sink the vessel into the Atlantic. Brian O'Doule, who is secretly in love with Angelina, is also kidnapped by the pirates. Driven by feelings of guilt for not preventing the disaster, he does everything in his power to protect the women and to find a way for them all to escape. Will Angelina ever see her home and her beloved father again? Or will she be forced to marry the fierce pirate captain, Etienne Badeau?(Inspirational/Historical/Romance)PLAIN AND FANCY Laura V. Hilton 08/2007 Barbara Warren 04/2007 Interior design student Laura Meade loves her modern life, yet she is immediately attracted to Eli Yoder, an Amish man. Eli is also enamored with Laura, but to marry outside his faith would be forbidden. What then is the hope for love? (Inspirational/Romance) THE PLAINSMAN Laura V. Hilton 11/2005 Trey McAllister stops to help fight a raging fire and discovers the entire town is made up of eight women. Mire Dupree catches his eye, and he soon learns her father is the one harassing the women. Through determination and true love, Trey and Mire face their hardships together. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) PLAYING BY HEART Ellie Schroder 12/2004 Laura V. Hilton 08/2003 When young novelist Madeline Houser is offered the sanctuary of a charming bed-and-breakfast in which to write while her kitchen is suffering a remodeling, she gladly accepts. The owner of the inn is a 40-year-old widower, and an English professor at a nearby college. Arthur Tyler is not home during the day, but his lonely cat Alex is, so the situation is ideal for each of them. This arrangement has been coordinated by a mutual friend, Ginny Ross, a spry lady in her eighties. Arthur and Madeline have never met, but a wonderful correspondence begins through the daily notes they leave each other. But because Arthur and Madeline each believe the other to be Ginny's octogenarian friend, finding love with each other is the furthest thing from their minds. (Inspirational/Romance) PLAGUE MAKER Laura V. Hilton 05/2006 Eileen Key 11/2005 New York City, July 4. Millions gather for the city’s famous fireworks display. But the dazzling finale rains down a host of plague-carrying fleas to infect the city’s rats and, from there, humans. That’s the horrific what-if scenario behind this spine-tingling tale. The stakes are high when a volatile FBI agent named Nathan Baldwin, his terrorism-expert ex-wife Macy Armitstead, and a mysterious and refined Chinese Christian gentleman named Li Ming are pitted against Syrian terrorists and an elderly Japanese biological-weapons expert with a decades-old grudge. (Inspirational/Suspense) THE PLIGHT OF MADDIE GORDON Barbara Warren 06/2007 Laura V. Hilton 04/2007 Mattie Gordon’s ordinary life is turned upside down when bounty hunter Cyrus Braydon arrives on her doorstep showing a wanted poster for her son. Consumed with finding her son and making sure his soul is ready to meet eternity, Mattie embarks on a desperate race to reach Will before the bounty hunter finds him. When Mattie discovers someone following her, she reluctantly forms an alliance with Cyrus in order to save herself and Will. She soon discovers her own inadequacies and faces hard realities. The son she thought to be good, isn’t, and the bounty hunter she judged as evil is perhaps not so after all. Now she must save Cyrus from Will’s venomous grasp. If she succeeds in helping Cyrus escape, will her son ever listen to her about Jesus’ forgiveness? If only she can muster enough faith to trust God for one more miracle. But which one…? (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) POCKET GUIDE TO ADULTHOOD
Laura V. Hilton 12/2006 Maturity, Wisdom, and Hipster Credibility in 29 Short Chapters! Finally, the secrets to a well-lived adult life are now available in compact, readable form. Financial stability? Social sophistication? Psychological health? Delicious smoothie recipes? They're all inside, amid the occasional sensibility and unflinching hilarity of the Pocket Guide to Adulthood. Learn how to: ask for a raise; stay in shape; plan for retirement; maintain a home; be happily married; take a great photograph; perform an amazing card trick and more! Yes, young adult, it's time to toss aside the frivolity of your 20s and get all responsible and stuff. Be a grownup. Read this book. (Inspirational/Nonfiction) PORTAL
Anne McDonald 10/2003
Joseph Turner's life was irrevocably altered by a mistake he made fifteen years ago. As a result, the girl he loved died while he was powerless to save her. He never forgave himself. Now, he has the opportunity to change that event and shape the past to his own design. Haunted by his mistakes, Joseph invents the world's first working time machine and he's going back to make things right. The only person who can stop him is Tim Jarrell, Joseph's best friend who's running through the years to reach him before it's too late. Two men fight to control yesterday. Only one will succeed. The race has begun. The past...is history. (Inspirational/Science Fiction)
THE POTLUCK CLUB
Laura V. Hilton 04/2006 Six women in Colorado cook together andpray because they have no idea what life's going to serve next. (Inspirational/Women/Fiction) THE POTLUCK CLUB TAKES THE CAKE
Laura V. Hilton 02/2008 Is the Potluck Club becoming the Bridesmaids Club? Wedding plans and romantic desires abound as the six friends continue to share food, friendship, prayer--and new adventures ranging from hilarious to dangerous! Shocking rumors, family secrets, and a mountain avalanche threaten the friends' sense of security, their relationships, and even their lives. As Evangeline's wedding day draws near, Lisa Leann's matchmaking ways threaten to cause trouble in more than one relationship. Will the Potluck Club be able to put aside their differences and help each other survive the storms of life and love? (Inspirational/Women/Fiction) THE POWER OF THE NIGHT
Barbara Warren 04/2007 With the destruction of the Gate that linked it to the rest of the Assembly, the world of Farholme must face just isolation to face. There is something in the northsomething evilthat challenges and corrupts all the Assembly stands for. (Inspirational/Fantasy) THE PRAIRIE CALLS YOUR NAME
Vickie McDonough 01/2005
In a time when the American frontier held out hope and promise, a pioneering couple discovers that when sorrow stikes, only love can break their fall. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance)
A PRAIRIE CHRISTMAS
Vickie McDonough 12/2004 In this pair of irresistible stories, two Victorian women who lost their homes in the big city are appalled by their new homes on the open prairie. Can each woman find hope and love in their new lives? (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) PRAIRIE COUNTY FAIR Vickie McDonough 05/2003 Love takes the blue ribbon in four heartwarming novellas of life on the prairie and the excitement of the annual county fair. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) THE PRAYER OF REVENGE Laura V. Hilton 09/2003 When wronged, the saints in Bible days poured out their hearts to God, pleading for Him for retribution and vindication. But how can we pray in the same way, and still forgive as Christ taught? Theologian and author Doug Schmidt brings you into the vortex of this astounding paradox. Be prepared to learn the life-changing keys to forgiving the unrepentant through a new-found confidence in God's willingness to accomplish justice on your behalf. Find out how forgiveness and justice can abide as one in this gripping book! (Forgiveness/Christian Living) PRAYER STARTERS FOR BUSY MOMS Laura V. Hilton 02/2007 These inspirational nuggets will guide your heartfelt prayers every day. Make conversation with God part of your daily routine as you drive the carpool, prepare meals, and care for your family. Use these creative ideas to offer thanks, ask for guidance, and pray for your family and friends. (Women's Devotional) THE PREACHER'S DAUGHTER Laura V. Hilton 04/2006 Annie Zook, the only daughter of an Old Order Amish preacher, wants to please her parents and her Plain community, but a hidden passion stands in the way. Creating art is strictly forbidden by Annie’s church district. Her secret has already cost her the affection of handsome Rudy Esh. She must choose between her art and the People…the only life she knows. (Inspirational/Women/Fiction) PRECIOUS THINGS Laura V. Hilton 09/2004 The past was far behind her--at least that's what Blythe Severson thought. But then she received a wedding invitation containing a faded photograph, and old memories resurfaced. Even worse, Kylie Rollins entered her life....Kylie's fresh young face--searching, wondering, and reminding Blythe of the one man she loved and lost--turns Blythe's world upside down. When T. J. enters the picture, bringing a taste of emotions Blythe thought long dead, she must summon the courage to reveal painful secrets that will end Kylie's tortured search. In Precious Things, author Andrea Boeshaar brings her Faded Photographs series to a dramatic close. An antique dealer must confront her own past when a faded photograph resurrects memories she thought were gone forever (Inspirational/Women/Fiction) PREMONITION
Vennessa Ng 12/2004 Ellie Schroder 12/2004 Anne McDonald 01/2004
It's the year A.D. 57...Jerusalem teeters on the brink of revolt against Rome. James-the brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jewish-Christian community-has an enemy in high places. And two very strange friends... Rivka Meyers and her husband, Ari Kazan, don't belong. Not in this city. Not in this century. Rivka is a Messianic Jewish archaeologist from California. Ari is an Israeli physicist, slowly coming to grips with his Jewish heritage-and the Christianity he was raised to hate. Both are now trapped in first-century Jerusalem by a physics experiment gone horribly wrong. With no way back to their own century, Rivka and Ari seek their niche in a city they know is doomed. Armed with a knowledge of future events, Rivka uses her "premonitions" to earn a reputation as a seer woman. But when one of her predictions fails, she is scorned as a false prophet. Rivka knows that violent death awaits James. Can she prevent the impending disaster? Or will her meddling only make matters worse? (Inspirational/Science Fiction/Biblical Fiction)
PREPARING HIM FOR THE OTHER WOMAN
Laura V. Hilton 08/2006 Mothers can ensure a healthy, happy future marriage for their sons by raisingthem to be the kind of godly husband every woman desires. (Inspirational/Nonfiction) THE PRICE OF FREEDOM Vickie McDonough 06/2003 The saga of love and betrayal continues in the highlands of medieval Scotland. Book Two of The Scottish Crown Series. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) THE PRISONER'S WIFE Laura V. Hilton 10/2006 Jack Hunter is thrown in jail on suspicion of murdering his neighbor. In 1720 Maine, the outcome of his case looks bleak. Told he will be hanged in the morning, Jack sends for Lucy Hamblin, the only woman he ever loved. Years ago her father forbade him to court Lucy, but now her father is dead. Jack asks her to marry him in the jail, to thwart the unscrupulous constables from taking his property. But when Jack's trial is postponed, he has other worries: Lucy agreed to become a prisoner's widow, not the wife of a man her father despised. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) A PROMISE FOR ELLIE Laura V. Hilton 12/2001 Andrew Bjorklund and Ellie Wold are preparing for life together on their farm, but when their new barn burns, will their dreams and future go up in smoke too? (Inspirational/Historical/Fiction) PROMISE ME ALWAYS Kathy Carlton Willis 01/2007 Laura V. Hilton 12/2006 Barbara Warren 12/2006 Allie Richards has always dreamed of having her own landscaping business and her Pinky Promise girlfriends convince her to enter Shady Grove's Beautiful Town Landscaping Competition. Daniel Montgomery, the man behind the camera who is filming the competition, is after more than just a story. Will he be satisfied with anything less than Allie's heart? (Inspirational/Contemporary/Romance) A PROPER PURSUIT Laura V. Hilton 06/2008 When Violet Hayes ventures to Chicago during the time of the Worlds Fair, her one goal is to find her mother, who has been missing from her life since she was nine. As Violet contemplates what course her life will take, she discovers the missing parts of her familys past and, ultimately, herself. (Inspirational/Historical/Fiction) Vickie McDonough 11/2001 Sparks fly when a young widow left with a cattle ranch to manage, hires an itinerant cowboy running from his past. Their future together is forged by God's providence and the sacrifice of a mysterious Comanche warrior. (Inspirational/Historical/Romance) Debra Claus Walker 11/2000 Not even a month has past since Dr. Ben Reese solved two previous murders while in Scotland. Now his services are required again. (Inspirational/Mystery/Suspense) |