Category: Monday Book Review

Most of the books I review are given to me by the author or their publishing company and sometimes the library! I’m not required to post a good review.

However, my momma raised me to to say nice things, and if I can’t then I shouldn’t say anything. I’ve adopted that policy for my reviews. If I don’t like the book doesn’t mean it isn’t someone else’s favorite.

I am required by some strange law to let you know that I didn’t buy the book.

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle: a Review

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Congo Dawn: A Review

Jeanette Windle  whisked me away to a place filled with heat, gun for hire ex-marines and a purpose. Congo Dawn left me breathless several times as the main character Robin Duncan heads into dangerous situations.

As a reader I came away with a new respect for those helping the Congolese people.

The spiritual thread in this book runs deep but it’s not intrusive. Robin has issues with trusting a God whom she feels has been absent in her life and had difficulty understanding how someone living in the Congo could feel so differently. The way this was handled made this a strong book.

Tuesday Jeanette Windle will be on my blog telling us how come she writes books like Congo Dawn.

Here’s the blurb:

Congo Dawn cover-websizeWhen a multinational corporation with unlimited funds hires on a private military company with unbridled power, how far might they be willing to go with the planet’s ultimate “conflict mineral” up for grabs?  Especially in a Congolese rainforest where governmental accountability is only too cheaply for sale.

A veteran in handling corruption and conspiracy, former Marine lieutenant Robin Duncan has never had any trouble  discerning good guys from bad. But when her security team is sent to track down an insurgent killer, Robin faces a man who broke her trust years ago and discovers that gray areas extend deeper into the jungle than she anticipated.

As a vicious global conspiracy emerges, run by brutal men who don’t leave witnesses alive, Robin must decide if there is anyone left she can trust. And where is God in the suffering and injustice? How is it possible followers of Yesu (Jesus) caught in the crossfire can still rejoice when everything they hold dear is ripped away?

Buy it

Tell me do you like books set in different countries or do you prefer to read stories about the country you live in?

Diana

The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

What to do when sick!

READ

It’s been a long miserable week with not being able to do anything because of a sinus infection,  so I spent it with comfort books. That’s why you’re getting 2 reviews from me today-that and freezing rain is falling so I may not have power later.

As promised–the review

The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias

If you want surprise endings, and to know more about Harriet Tubman this book is for you.

If you are looking for a book about quilts, this isn’t it. Though the Moses Quilt is an important piece of the story as a quilter I would have liked to know more about the other squares that were in it.  There is a small square on the cover and the quilt must be beautiful—much like the story of Mazie Hartford.

I enjoyed reading The Moses Quilt even though I expected something quite different. The history of Harriet Tubman is presented in an intriguing way and you want to know why this is so important to Mazie’s grandmother.

Macias has a way with piecing plot and storytelling  in an intricate way that makes a reader search his or her own heart while reading The Moses Quilt.

The Moses Quilt

When the Heart Heals by Ann Shorey Review

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

When the Heart Heals = Good read!

 

This is a tale of a nurse no longer needed after the Civil War, nor is she looked upon with respect. It’s her struggle to find the respect and remain independent at time when the world has changed, but wants the women in it to remain who they were before the war.

You know that satisfying ‘ah’ when you finish a good book? You get that when you turn the last page of When the Heart Heals. I found myself turning the pages slower and slower not wanting this engaging tale to end.
Shorey has written her best book ever with this one. Will she top it with the next one? I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll preorder the book and find out.
Mystery, jealousy and misunderstandings are around every corner in Nobel Springs.  You won’t be disappointed with this love story.

Indie Author Book Marketing Success REVIEW

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Marketing Success or Woes

As most of you know last week was all about marketing for me, was it a success or full of woe?

I feel that it was a success, I had two great authors Pam Hillman and Johnnie Alexander Donely also marketing at the same time since our books released at the same time.

Some of the ‘how to’ I learned from the Indie Author Book Marketing Success.

Indie Author Book Marketing Success: Proven 5-Star Marketing Techniques from Successful Authors and Book Marketing Experts

While the book may not be for a beginning author I know I would have read this back when I started writing. I’m the kind of person that wants to know everything when I get started–no harm in that.

I’m not an indie author, but I found a piece of gold in each chapter that I can apply to marketing a traditional book. It’s good to know what has worked for others so you have a less rocky road to travel.

Staci Stallings included a list of hashtags which is worth far more than the price of this book.
Face it even traditional authors are responsible for so much marketing this book is a huge help.

I want to thank you all for being so patient with me last week while Mind of Her Own was on sale. I hope you were able to get a copy along with Johnnie’s Where Treasure Hides and  Pam’s Claiming Mariah. It was a challenging week of learning how to write tweets and facebook posts. As a reader and before being published I didn’t realize how much extra work a writer must do to get books noticed…kind of like when you become a teacher and find out you need to also be the volleyball coach, take on car lane duty and be an art teacher!

 

Claiming Mariah a Review

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman

Claiming Mariah is an action packed, romance sizzling on the wood stove, and a desire for settling a family wronged kind of book.  Claiming Mariah keeps your finger moving the pages as Mariah and Slade seem to connect then fall back into old patterns.

You’ll fall in love with Slade–he makes a grand hero, one who is stong but needs the love of a good woman.

Mariah is not a weak fussy help-me heroine. She does what needs to be done even though she’s hurting through and through.

This book has it all, from rustlers to the town drunk.

This is a book well worth reading and made me want to go back and read her other book, Stealing Jake.

Claming Mariah by Pam Hillman

 

 

Where Treasure Hides

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Where Treasure Hides by Johnnie Alexander Donley

a2z: letter “W”

 

Where the Treasure Hides
Good Read!

The historical genre for inspirational has opened up to include World War 2.  I’m grateful for that because fictional Where  Treasure Hides by Johnnie Alexander Donley is a treasure of history that we need to be aware of right now. We do not want history to repeat itself and through well written fiction like Where the Treasure Hides perhaps we will be more aware of what is happening around us.

The story line involves artist Allison Schuyler, sent back to Holland by her grief-stricken father to live with her grandfather and aunt. The family owns a well-known art gallery.

Allison loves art more than anything until she meets Ian Devlin on a trip to England. The war around them is escalating and Alison doesn’t want to love any one. She believes the family is cursed. If she marries Ian he will die. and with the war the possibility of that occurring is even greater.

As the story title implies there is treasure—the paintings created by the Masters. They must be hidden and protected but at what cost? Is it more important than a human life? These are decisions Alison must make.

Where  Treasure Hides is an excellent read and while there is a healthy dose of history it does not over-ride the story which I found pleasant.

 

Are you excited about finding a new historical set in WW2?

Diana



 

A Dangerous Stage

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer


 Protection for Hire

guest post by Camy Tang

Hi everyone! My name is Camy Tang and the second book in my Protection for Hire series, A Dangerous Stage, just released a few days ago! It’s a humorous romantic suspense about a woman who is the niece of the San Francisco Japanese mafia boss, who went to prison for a crime she didn’t commit and then found Christ in prison. Now she’s out and has formed her own bodyguard service. She has to protect her latest client, a popular contestant in a televised singing competition, when he and his daughter discover evidence the show is rigged, all the while dealing with her dysfunctional family and the pressures of her uncle, who wants her to come back to working for the “family.”
Camy Tang with purple streaks in her hair 
When I first wrote A Dangerous Stage, I knew I wanted the backdrop to be a singing competition like American Idol, or The Voice, or X-Factor. I couldn’t use the name of any of those shows for legal reasons (and I wouldn’t want an angry note from Simon Cowell anyway!) so I had to come up with a name for my fictional singing competition.
I brainstormed for days, but couldn’t come up with anything better than “Screechers,” which my husband vetoed. 🙂 So I posted on my Facebook Author page (https://www.facebook.com/CamyTangAuthor) to ask my Facebook friends for help.
I had a ton of great ideas! The best one was from Amancay, which was Grab the Mic. I loved that title right away and inserted it into my manuscript only a few days before I sent it to my editor at Zondervan.
I always love asking for help from Facebook friends because I get so many creative ideas! I hope you’ll join me there if you have a Facebook account.
book cover
Thanks for letting me guest blog, Diana!
Readers can find me here:
http://www.camytang.com/
http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CamyTangAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/camytang
And there’s a page about A Dangerous Stage on my website here.
Thanks for being here, Camy. I have to get this book, the first one Protection for Hire kept me turning pages way into the night. 
Camy Tang is one of my favorite writers. She takes me into unusal places and I get to learn about different cultures. She’s written some fun books too if you aren’t a suspense reader. 
Here are the titles in the Sushi Series.
Sushi for One?
Only Uni
Single Sashimi
Weddings and Wasabi 

Here’s an interview I wrote featuring Camy in 2008. Camy Tang

Do you like reading books with characters in different cultures than yours?

Diana

Good Read! Callie by Sharon Srock

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

REVIEW OF CALLIE

DON’T MISS THE BOOK OR GIVEAWAY!

Callie by Sharon Srock was a pleasant surprise. The book follows the journey of a woman in her 50s and two sisters with a huge secret. Callie doesn’t want to be involved with them but she feels God pushing her to help despite the tragedy she bears extreme guilt that she can’t get beyond. It’s affecting her marriage, her job and her faith.

There is much to absorb for readers from these pages. It’s a heavy book, but has light moments of fun. Despite the seriousness Callie doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down and drained wishing you hadn’t taken the time to read it. Instead Srock has the genuine ability to make the reader feel a part of the story, almost as a best friend to Callie and the girls. It is an enjoyable read, one that I couldn’t set aside until I finished it in the early morning hours. 

Sharon Srock is giving one commenter from her blog tour a chance to win a bunch of goodies.

A copy of Callie’s story
A certificate for Terri’s story when it releases in April
A 6 piece Cherry blossom bath set
pink eye mask, tennis bracelet, amazon gift card
A cosmetic bag
A Bath Wrap
A Cozy pink eye mask
A Pair of aloe infused booties
A Hair Turban
A Tennis Bracelet
A 25.00 Amazon gift card
Here’s the back cover copy:
Three dire circumstances. Three desperate prayers. 
One miracle to save them all.
Callie Stillman is drawn to the evasive girl who’s befriended her granddaughter, but the last time Callie tried to help a child, her efforts backfired. Memories of the tiny coffin still haunt her.

Samantha and Iris Evans should be worried about homework, not whether they can pool enough cash to survive another week of caring for an infant while evading the authorities.

Steve Evans wants a second chance at fatherhood, but his children are missing.  And no one seems to want to help the former addict who deserted his family.

For Steve to regain the relationship he abandoned, for his girls to receive the care they deserve, Callie must surrender her fear and rely on God to work the miracle they all need.

About Sharon:
Sharon Srock lives with her husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter. Sharon’s writing credits include numerous poems and short stories published in science fiction fanzines.


Get in touch with Sharon here:
Don’t forget to leave a comment and your email address to be entered into Sharon’s drawing.

So you Wrote a Book. Now What?

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer

Marketing on Your Own

Shelly Hitz
Marketing Your Book
If you are one of the many people who tell me you want to write a book, have a great idea for a book, or you have one sitting in a file on your computer, head over to Amazon and pick up Shelley Hitz’s Markeing Your Book On Amazon. It’s free today (11/8/12).
I finished reading it and came away with several ideas that any  either a tradional or indepented published author could use. 
Shelley Hitzs includes links to videos showing screen shots how to keep track of what marketing you need to do. She has a good checklist in the back of the book which would help plan your stratedgy before you even get started. 
 
One important thing for an author are reviews–as many as possible, good and bad. 
So if you’re not a writer and your still reading this, please review books. 
Do you review books you like?
Do you review on Amazon, The BookClub Network or Goodreads? Or somewhere else? 
  
Diana
* if you aren’t sure where my comments are look to the left of the green print friendly button, click comments

Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan

Posted on by Diana Brandmeyer



Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan is pure fun. Curl up on the couch with a blanket, turn off your phone and prepare for an afternoon/evening of delightful reading. Two brides one groom and that means TROUBLE for someone. 

The story is set in Central City, Colorado. A place I’ve been researching for a book so reading about it in Twice Promised made the town even more alive for me. 

The Blue Willow Brides books would make a nice Christmas gift for someone. The first book Deeply Devoted was also a good read. You can read my review of it here.



About Twice Promised

Two beautiful brides. One unsuspecting groom. Three weeks to figure it all out.
Greta Olsen arrives in Central City, Colorado, as a mail-order bride, expecting to marry Jess Gifford, the man she’s come to know through his tender letters. But when the dust clears, she meets Cora Johnson and discovers she’s not the only bride waiting at the train station for Jess. 

Already shocked to find they must compete for Jess’s affection, the young women can hardly believe it when not Jess but his brother Zach picks them up from the station—and reveals that Jess knows nothing about any mail-order bride, let alone two. Will either bride make the match she hopes for? 

Filled with surprises, misunderstandings, and tender romance, Twice Promised is the story of how two unlikely women become twice blessed.

 Praise for Twice Promised
“Twice Promised is another great love story by Maggie Brendan . . . with fast-paced plot twists as the characters find their way to true love.”—Mary Connealy, author of Over the Edge, In Too Deep, and Out of Control

“Memorable characters and solid storytelling abound in Maggie Brendan’s delightful tale. The two romances will double your reading pleasure, and the twists and turns will keep you guessing until the end. I loved it!”—Margaret Brownley, New York Times bestselling author of the Brides of Last Chance Ranch series

Bio
Maggie Brendan is a CBA bestselling author, was nominated for the Rita, a finalist for Inspirational Reader’s Choice awards and a finalist for Heart of Excellence award for Deeply Devoted. She is a member of the Author’s Guild, the American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Faith, Hope and Love and Georgia Romance Writers. She is the author of the Heart of the West series. Her latest series is The Blue Willow Brides. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, singing, painting, scrapbooking and being with her family. You can follow Maggie on her website here and her blog, Southern Belle Writer She is also a resident blogger on Bustles and Spurs

Buy Links
CBD

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Diana