4 the LOVE of BOOKS

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can’t shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she’s giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash. It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he’d been spying for Russia. She had seen that man--that eerie face--the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he’s back--and coming for her.

On the run and struggling to rely on the protection of CIA agent Ava Mullins and handsome newspaper reporter Cade O’Brien, Liesl learns she is the prey of an underground cell of Russian KGB agents determined to restore their country to its former Soviet might. But what she doesn’t know is that she is in possession of something--a piece of sheet music--that Russian intelligence is now frantic to find. Inside that music is a secret code, the hidden transcriptions of her deceased mentor, that clearly identify a Russian mole operating inside Israel’s Department of Defense, a mole with enough power and access to execute a daring assassination that no one would see coming.

Caught in a deadly conflict between American and Russian undercover agents, this innocent young pianist is just trying to survive her own personal trauma. Through it all, Liesl must learn that no matter how dark her world grows or how fiercely her enemies pursue her, God is still in control--if only she can yield herself to His grace. Read an excerpt here: http://www.sueduffybooks.com/#!vstc1=books

If you want a WOW Book with suspense each turn of the page as the plot thickens then this is the book for you. It is definitely a page turn, can't put it down type of book. The Sound of Red Returning is a book with espionage, the US FBI/CIA is looking for moles in the Russian KGB. America, Russia, Israel they all are involved. It's a high security operation that innocent citizens get pulled into. Citizens must make a decision to betray blood or government.

My favorite character was not the main one he was more pulled into the scene because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but her sure makes for a nice fun-filled character. Pop Ian is light-hearted, quick and witty always ready with an answer; somewhat of a prankster.

Would she ever be free from the guilt, ever find peace and forgiveness? Would the music ever come back to her heart, life and the stage? Or would she always be running, looking over her shoulder? Would there ever be closure for Liesl bower? I guess I can't give you all the answers or that would spoil the book, but I can say it is a book well worth reading.

I don't recall ever reading any of Sue Duffy's books; however, I will be looking for more of them in the future. I have told my teen daughter she needs to read this one. She loves suspense books.

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody Magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001) and Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children.

Find out more at www.sueduffybooks.com.

Follow this blog tour here.

Win a Kindle Fire from @SueDuffy2 and @KregelBooks in the "Red Returning" Giveaway!

Sue Duffy and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are celebrating the release of The Sound of Red Returning by giving away a Kindle Fire prize package worth over $200 to one lucky winner!!!! (1/23-2/11)

Enter the Sue Duffy’s Giveaway today and you could win:

* A brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi

* The Sound of Red Returning (Book One in the Red Returning series) by Sue Duffy

To enter click one of the icons below. But, hurry! The giveway ends on 2/11. Sue will be announcing the winner of the “Red Returning” Giveaway on February 13th on the Litfuse website!

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Link to buy the book

A copy of this book was provided for this tour by...

Teaser Tuesday ~ The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Suddenly he heard a faint scratching at the window. Looking up, he saw a thin black rod easing through a tiny gap between the sliding glass and the outer window frame. The sliding glass window could only be opened from the inside, which meant that someone must have been in their cabin and deliberately unlatched it from there. The faint scrabbling noise continued. The intruder was trying to work the window open by jiggling the rod inside the gap to make it wider. Soon the gap was be wide enough for someone's fingers to slide through.

~taken from p. 99 of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram

Monday, January 23, 2012

Mailbox Monday ~ Jan. 23, 2012

Join Mailbox Monday meme

@ The Printed Page

January's host is:
at Home with Books

(I will be hosting sometime in 2013 she is that far booked ahead)

Adult Fiction

Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

In Too Deep by Mary Connealy

Adult nonfiction

Uplifters by Debbie Hoffman Nutile

the missional mom by Helen Lee

One Year Alone with God by Ava Pennington

cookbook

Pillsbury Appetizers & Desserts

Friday, January 20, 2012

Kaleidoscope collection by Hameray Publishing

I was so excited when Bill from Hameray Publishing contacted me to do some product reviews of their books on my site. The first collection I chose to review was the Kaleidoscope collection. The Kaleidoscope Collection is a series of 150 books at various reading levels written by a team of experienced reading teachers, leaders, literacy coaches and reading specialist. The authors come from many different states and teaching backgrounds. There are fiction as well as non-fiction titles in the series. These readers may be used in small groups, individually or put into a classroom library. Currently there are 40 book available with 50 additional titles to be added here in January of 2012 and 60 more added in January 2013.

Book Features include:

a large range of interesting topics that reflect the diverse world of young readers
high-quality illustrations/photographs
encounter characters that are familiar to their own lives as well as meet new folks in different jobs and settings
prose, poetry and effective use of vocabulary to engage and challenge readers to expand their horizons
like a kaleidoscope the books add color and interest and new experiences to the reader

as a teacher I was very impressed with these readers that were sent me to review. The illustrations were wonderful the print easy to read. On the average one readers is about 8 pages as to not overwhelm the new budding or the reluctant reader.
Here is a sample of a book using photos...

Here is a sample page of a book using illustrations....

Needless to say my pictures of the pictures doesn't do them justice.
Here is the sample of books I was sent for this review...

Halloween Night by Gaynell R. Jamison

We Recycle by Susan G. Weaver Jones

Crash Cars by Lisa Burnett Killebrew

Zip the Squirrel by Kimberly Ziemann

No Rules by Sandy Veach

So if you need some reinforcement at home you may want to check out this great collection and others that are put out by Hameray Publishing.

review copies have been provided in exchange for my honest review by....

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Mulligans of Mt. Jefferson by Don Reid

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Mulligans of Mt Jefferson David C. Cook (January 1, 2012) by Don Reid

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Don is one of the original members of the STATLER BROTHERS, the most award-winning act in the history of country music. He and his brother and two friends began singing in their hometown of Staunton, Virginia when Don was only fourteen years old. Working all over their home and neighboring states as a part time group, they were discovered in 1964 by Johnny Cash and given their first record contract. By the time Don was 20 years old, the STATLERS had their first major, world-wide hit record with FLOWERS ON THE WALL, which started a string of hits that generated a career in the music industry that lasted for four decades. The STATLERS have been recipients of multiple industry awards:

It wasn’t until the STATLER BROTHERS decided to retire from traveling in 2002 that Don pursued his writing career to another level. Having songwriting and scriptwriting under his belt, the next obvious step was to write a book. And that book was the scripture based HEROES AND OUTLAWS OF THE BIBLE published in June of 2002 by New Leaf Press. He has since wrote two other non-fiction books and in 2008 saw another dream come true for Don when he released his first novel, O LITTLE TOWN. Novel number two came in the form of ONE LANE BRIDGE, and THE MULLIGANS OF MT. JEFFERSON, is a sequel to O LITTLE TOWN.

Don is the father of two sons. Debo and his wife, Julie, and daughters Sela Mae and Adra, live within a stone’s throw. You may have seen Debo’s name on many songs written with Don on albums over the years.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cal, Harlan, and Buddy grow up together in a small Virginia town in the years before the second World War. United by age, proximity, and temperament, they get into—and out of—all the trouble that boys manage to find. They even earn a nickname from a local restaurateur who gives the boys their first jobs and plenty of friendly advice. “Uncle” Vic calls them the Mulligans, because they always seem to find a way through a thicket of trouble—family problems, girls, college, war—to success. Cal and Harlan and Buddy have been blessed with second chances.

Now it’s 1959, and police lieutenant Buddy receives an early-morning phone call: his friend Harlan, a store owner, has been shot in a break-in. Cal, now a preacher, meets Buddy at the hospital, and together, as professionals and as friends, they begin to unravel what might have happened to Harlan.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Mulligans of Mt Jefferson, go HERE.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

America: The Last Best Hope Vol. III by William J. Bennett

William Bennett has done it again; he has put together information to inform his readers. I have many of Bennett's books both adult and children's and like them this book was not a disappointment. This is this third book in America series it enlightens the reader to the last 20 years of American history: From the collapse of Communism to the Rise of radical Islam. It covers presidents from George H. Bush to beginning of Obama's presidency. This book was very interesting for the history buff and informative for the political/history wannabes. The author presents the information in a very easy to read format that is easy to read and follow, Bennett keeps the readers interest sparked. The author adds his own personal notes, views, and perspectives throughout the book. Many schools use Bennett's books in their curriculum. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to be informed. You will walk away more informed after reading Bennett's book.


Buy		Read

for more information about this book visit here

a copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review

WWW ~ Jan. 18, 2012

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

Recently Finished:

Read my Review here

Next Read:

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

NEWS BREAK!!!

We interrupt the regularly schedule programming to bring to you this new and latest and BREAKING NEWS

Teaser Tuesday ~ TJ and the Time Stumblers: Oops!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!