Authors Books

Mike Robbins has written a great self-examination book focusing on appreciating and being appreciated, especially from one's self. Anyone who thinks they could do better in those categories, or have a more pleasant life, should find Focus on the Good Stuff very worthwhile reading.

Great presentation on a worthwhile topic. If more of us focused on what's good around us ... people, events, society in general ... and then expressed that appreciation ... life would be so much easier. I don't remember who said it, but I love the quote: "What we think about, we bring about." Let's bring about more "good stuff" by focusing on and appreciating what we already have.

This was a delightful little book with a gentle reminder to be good to yourself. Stop being so critical of yourself and appreciate the fact that you are exactly who /what you were born to be. Appreciate Yourself !!

Buy this book, learn the methods and take action, and you will certainly bring more happiness and fulfillment to your life. I wrote pages of notes, and I use these methods everyday! Relationships are crucial for happiness and fulfillment. Learn to treat others and yourself better with "Focus on the Good Stuff."

I had the pleasure of seeing author Mike Robbins at his recent appearance at the Learning Annex in NYC. I left the event impressed by the power of his message and the manner in which he delivers it. I then read this book and felt so good about the message the author is conveying.

So many new authors and speakers have jumped on the bandwagon of the "Secret" and/or the "Law of Attraction." It is refreshing to see a new star emerging with a unique, basic, implementable message that could change the world if implemented. And, refreshing to see someone who seems so committed to walking the talk!

Recent terrific books by Deborah Norville ("Thank You Power") and Robert Emmons ("Thanks") have similarly sounded the trumpet for the importance of gratitude, the cousin to appreciation. Mike's book is equally terrific with his strong point being the specificity of his wisdom on how to express appreciation in a manner such that it penetrates the thick skins hardened by a world of negativity.

I highly recommend the book and I equally recommend that you partake in one of the author's workshops or speeches. As excellent as the book is, in person the author's message resonates even more strongly.

Justin's Cronin's first novel is broken up into a collection of eight short stories about the love between parents, siblings, children and lovers.

The book doesn't begin with the title characters, but rather with O'Neil's parents, Arthur and Miriam. The entirety of the book is balanced on the early revelation of the sweet complexity of their love in life and death. Their death in the first story sets the tone for the rest of the stories, providing their children with both answers and more questions about love and loss.

Mary and O'Neil's love affair is one brought about by just these questions. Mary lives with the ghost of a child she aborted early on in the book, while O'Neil's parents live in his memory with such vitality that he actually tries to call them after the birth of his first child--only to unexpectedly have a sad and beautiful conversation with a lonely stranger. Cronin creates Mary and O'Neil as the answers to each other's questions. Even the names that Cronin picks for them overflow with a sense of completeness: "Mary" and "O'Neil," sound more like a first name and surname than two separate characters.

The surname as name only makes more sense when one considers O'Neil's presence in the book as father figure. It is O'Neil who develops as a source of strength for several characters in the book, anointing him the ultimate patriarch of this novel. Cronin is poetic and beautifully subtle when he baptizes O'Neil's relationship with the woman who completes him and gives him a first name. The baptism is complete when Mary is ready to walk down the aisle and it begins to rain. O'Neil looks at her and all the guests at their wedding and, Cronin writes, "in his heart he marries each one of them."

Cronin's style is delicate and full of purpose, just like all of the relationships between his characters. It is hard not to relate to this book in some way if you've ever loved someone, harder still to not find Cronin's prose captivating in its wisdom and sincerity.

Mary and O'neil was so poignant with paragraphs I read and re-read numerous times because they struck a chord of something lost yet familiar to me. I cannot wait for more from this author; he has my heart!

After reading "The Summer Guest" by Justin Cronin I couldn't wait to read something else by this wonderful author. That's when I bought "Mary and O'Neill". His first novel, "Mary and O'Neill" is just as enjoyable as "The Summer Guest", if in a somewhat different way. Don't let the fact that this is a novel in short store put you off. Even if you don't usually enjoy this type of book (and I don't) you will be glad you read "Mary and O'Neill". I cannot wait to see what else Mr. Cronin has in store for us. Believe the excellent reader reviews and buy this book!

Just finished reading Mary and O'Neil, and I know that it will stay with me for a long time. I laughed and cried, sighed and nodded my head as I read. This a very well crafted novel comprised of short stories, reminding me of the chapters of our lives. The relationships between parents and children, siblings, spouses and friends are realistically portrayed. Thanks to the author for a special experience. I look forward to reading his novel, The Summer Guest soon.

I read this book after finishing (right after!) The Summer Guest, also by Cronin. I loved both books. THe story line in each is poignant and moving and the characterizations are fleshed out brilliantly - with depth, eloquence and humor. The beauty of Cronin's writing is in his seemingly effortless ability to turn a phrase that just sings with its purity. He is able to capture, and describe emotions and events like no other author I've encountered in recent years. This is a lovely if odd story that jumps through the decades with poignant prose, the building of relationships, and the pain of loss. In reading Cronin's work you are left with a mystical and magical feeling. I did not want this book to be over as the emotions it evoked were much more powerful than those we typically feel in everyday life (unless you are 13). I found it hard to re-enter my own life - as if I were somehow changed by reading the words of this writer. Highly recommended!

I just finished this book, and my title says it all...well, almost--

Owen has you nailed. Your Old Man has certain strategies for interfering with your communion with our Holy God. Your Old Man wants to flee from His presence, and he will prompt you to sin, forcing you to grieve the Holy Spirit in order to give himself a breather from your fellowship with the One whose holiness he desires to avoid. Your Old Man is you--- the old law, the old principle within you---with all your imagination and creativity, and pet sins that your new man can't seem to shake. Owen will teach you how to recognize, track, and thwart your Old Man's stratagems by prayer and watchfulness.

One noteworthy lesson from Owen will prove familiar to all spiritual warriors, and that is the Old Man's line, "This far and no farther." Sound familiar? "I'll just look at this one thing on the web, but go no farther." "I'll just have dinner with her, no more." May I add here that I've noticed how prominent the word "just" is in the Old Man's lexicon. When you hear it echo in your mind, drop to your knees and start praying, because "it's on!"

Think of this book as critical intelligence on enemy movements and dispositions stolen from enemy headquarters by a stalwart agent of proven worth. You might win without it, but you'll suffer a number of defeats along the way that could easily have been avoided. Our final victory is indeed assured, for He Who has begun a good work in us will finish it unto the day of Christ Jesus Our Lord, but whether you start beating the guts our of your Old Man now or only much later depends largely on how well you now "know thy self," for to know thy self is to "know thine enemy." (See Romans 7)

To wage war while despising critical intelligence is the height of folly, for it is to give your enemy victories that might easily have been yours and is to prolong the suffering needlessly. Sure you have an enemy army without your walls, the Evil One and his minions, seeking to sift and devour you, but you have a tireless enemy within as well, who desperately wants to cooperate with him and throw open your gates to let him in. You must identify this spy, track, pursue, seize and bind him in chains and cast him into your deepest dungeon; but keep watch, for he fights furiously to free himself and turn the tables on you. Owen will show you how to put his neck under your boot, and through prayer and watchfulness keep him there, but it is up to you both to read this book and yet also manage to remember its lessons once the fog of battle descends on your mind in the heat of temptation and obscures your love of Christ.

If you read this work prayerfully, perhaps in conjunction with "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices," by Brooks (ISBN: 0851510027), and "The Christian in Complete Armour," by Gurnall (the full 1244-page version, ISBN: 0851511961), you'll find yourself promoted to officer in His army in no time. Officers enjoy many privileges along with their increased responsibilities, including greater proximity to the Leader and being made privy to more of His counsels.

See J.C. Ryle's "Holiness," too (ISBN: 0967760356), but this one by Owen is the clear winner for crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires.

If you're a purist and desire to read only undistilled versions of Owen and others, insisting on the Complete Works of..., or whatever, be at peace and buy this. It's by no means distilled, and though it is still a little bit of work it is by no means as hard to get through as Death of Death. I too prefer the works in the original, and that is indeed what you're going to get here, but with footnotes to explain archaisms and a few corrections to Owen's errant citations, etc. You can tell the editors love Owen in the original, too. I guarantee you won't regret this purchase.

Stop reading and start buying! For the Christian is from moment to moment, day to day, either advancing or retreating, conquering or being conquered, enslaving his Old Man or being enslaved by him. Put on the whole armor of God, read this intelligence on the ploys of your traitor within, and get on with your conquest!

But be advised, Christian, much is expected from him to whom much has been given. If you study this prayerfully and apply it diligently, by God's grace you will find yourself granted closer communion with God, but the closer you get to Him the less tolerant He will be of your indwelling sins, for their reek will only be that much stronger in His nostrils the closer you get. An ounce of sanctification calls for two, two for a pound, and on until carelessness or unwatchfulness in your daily temptations will result in grieving the Holy Spirit more quickly and more sharply, and more profound setbacks will accrue than before, since to fall from a height hurts more. Therefore be prayerful, be watchful, be precise, dear Christian, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its passions and desires, for we are commanded to be holy as He is holy, and we are advised that He will be regarded as holy by all who would draw nigh to Him. Attempt this on your own strength and wits, however, and you will fail. You need to learn how, you need to read Owen's work. Studying Owen will indeed require dedication and focus, but the labor is not in vain, for,

"In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some for noble use and some for ignoble. If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work." 2 Ti. 2:20f.

Absolutely at the top of the list, just under The Holy Book of God, you will find this masterpiece. Of all the oceans I have dared to surf, the ocean of Owens' "Overcoming Sin & Temptation" will quickly grab at your heels and pull you under. However, after returning to the crest of the water, you are ready to dive again. Endless thoughts he ponders on the awfulness and despicableness of sin to which he offers God's Holy Word as the ONLY balm of healing. Any scholar or student of the Word of God must take on the challenge of digesting even "parts" of this book. I will for the next twenty years be scouring the pages of this volume to understand the depth of the wisdom of John Owen.

I'm about a third of the way through having owned it for a little over a month, and the book is phenomenal. This is not light reading though, and one must be in a state of high mental and spiritual aptitude, as well as prepared to reread a sentence or two now and again. Concurrently, I'd say this is a book to spend some time with rather than trying to rush through in a week or two.
They just don't write 'em like they used to...America we need revival!!!

Takes plenty of work to read, but magnificently rewarding. I don't know of anything that compares to it on these topics of sin and tempation. It took me over a year, but I read all 400 pages and loved just about every minute of it.

This is a well written and thought out book by John Owen. The editors have done a great job making it accessible to laymen like myself. After reading the forwards I was intimidated to even start, but with their "modernizing" of the language and useful footnotes at the bottom of each page, they have helped make this a book that many will understand and learn from.
I would highly recommend it. You may spend a lot of time on one page, but you will grow in your faith and find scripture passages enlightening in new ways to you.
Take up and read!

I enjoyed reading this - as well as my husband. It may look small but it packs quite a punch! Some are funny, some thought provoking and some just plain hot!

Steamy Erotic Poetry is a real pleasure. Without being vulgar it is VERY sensual. Solomon knows, admirably, that Aphrodite is a laughter loving goddess, furthermore, and running throughout his poems is a rich sense of humor. Finally, this is a book that is lovely and loving: a gift (as it was for us) for Valentine's Day.

John Solomon's book was incredibly well written and while it wasn't the longest book ever written it is well worth the money. I recommend that people pick up a copy of this book. And give it a shot. As a matter of a fact, one of my friend's have currently borrowed the book from me. She mentioned she enjoyed the book as well. On a side note, John's book arrived quickly and efficiently. Again, I really think people should buy a copy of this book.

Hmmm...

This is good stuff.

This man loves his wife, that's for sure!

As for me, to discover he is content while reading this book, is an understatement of the first degree.

John Solomon grants us the favour of an intimate glimpse at his sexual feelings towards his lady. It's cooking, hot and steamy as you can expect of a heating boiler. It makes your ears turn red and your head to sweat. I enjoyed the book very much. It's tangible, visible, perceptible and enjoyable when you are engaged in a similar liaison and can recognize the train of thoughts he is experiencing throughout the day.

With an exquisite taste of humor and sexual feelings, he plays with words and ties them like a string. This man has a delicate feeling for what the phenomenon of pleasure is doing to you as a male human being. A great lesson for many serious believing men to enjoy life with the girl of their dreams. And for women to learn a little more about the feelings and fantasies that are racing through the male head while admiring his love.

A final word must be said, this book is a danger to the dispassionate reader.

A nice job!

I bought the previous edition which inspired me to write a few poems in similar style... this new one is even better and I'm SO glad I bought it! Lovely, erotic thoughts, sexy ones and funny ones, expressed with economy of words. Thoughts and verses to share together and smile over, and revisit. Thank you for a real treat!

What a fun read! I was delightfully surprised with this novel - it went far above and beyond what I expected when I picked it up! The cover is adorable, but it gets so much better!! =)

This is a new chick lit with a completely unique voice - one you don't want to miss! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was very disappointed when I turned the last page. Must...read...more!!!!!!

I believe women of all ages, shapes, and sizes will be able to relate to the realistic, heartfelt characters in this novel. For example, I'm 23 - a good 30 years younger than the heroine, yet I emphasized and cheered her on with my whole heart!

If you're looking for a chick lit with a deeper storyline and realistic problems for today's woman, look no further. This is one story that entertains without the extra layer of fluff.

BUY IT NOW!! =)

A Stitch in Time was a great romance and a great read. Dee is an engaging character and the "inside story" on fund-raising fascinating. As much as I liked this book, Allison Bottke's next book, One Little Secret, is even better! Keep it up, Allison!

Dee is now living the fabulous life. Once overweight and unhappy, thanks to gastric bypass surgery, plastic surgery and a great job she's starting to enjoy life a little more. She still won't forgive her ex-husband who cheated on her even though he keeps bugging her about it. She's enjoying her new image and wants to enjoy her life to her fullest. Unfortunately her two 30+ year children don't seem to share this idea with her and constantly bicker with Dee blaming her for their parents' breakup. Plus Dee's new clients are not the easiest bunch to work with. Then just as there is a new guy in the horizon, Dee is forced to work with her ex on the project! This definitely puts her new faith in Christianity to the test.

This was a really fun book to read. I enjoyed reading about Dee's business with all the movie stars. Loved the costume ball sequence with Patrick Swayze. I also enjoyed that the person who had kept doing wrong to Dee finally got found out and punished, without Dee extracting her own revenge. I also liked since Dee is new Christian, she is eager to share about her faith but she knows not to blast it out to people when they feel uncomfortable. She's still mostly the same person though, feeling insecure about herself and hoping that plastic surgery will ease all her troubles away. I enjoyed the fashion, shoes, clothes talk in the book. It made it more fun for me to hear about designer names even though I will never be able to afford them! Dee's a very likable character and the reader constantly wants to cheer her on. I felt that it was also very realistic to show that society was treating Dee better just because she was skinnier. Yes Christians are suppose to love everyone, but it's also truth that looks ARE being judged in society. The only thing I didn't like was that I felt the ending was a little too tidied up. I honestly didn't see why she had to go back to Lyle. Yes she should forgive him, but that doesn't mean she can't be angry with him. He lost her trust, she didn't have to take him back. I know he became a Christian but I would have liked to see him at least become more spiritually mature before Dee took him back. Other than this, this book is highly recommended. It's targeted for the baby-boomer set but I believe anyone who likes a fun chick lit book will enjoy this one at any age.

I gave up cuddling on the couch with my husband one Friday evening just to spend time with this book. That's saying a lot, because my hubby's a good cuddler.

Read it. You won't be disappointed.

A Stitch in Time is a must-read! Dee Decker is a heroine, not only for those who are or have been overweight, but also for any woman who struggles to survive in a dog-eat-dog world of luncheons, business dinners, and posh banquets. She is the poster child for every woman whose husband has been unfaithful, whose children have been ungrateful, and who looks for herself outside of herself rather than what is at the core of a woman, her heart.

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of "Grey's Anatomy" only it takes place in the early 1970's so it's interesting to see how many things have changed since then (women in the surgical field, major technology differences, etc.) Good character development, I felt like I really knew the characters by the end of the book. Sequel! Sequel!

The struggles, challenges, and rewards of being a medical intern are realistically and graphically portrayed in Pierce Scranton's "Learning Curve". The vivid accounts of medical conditions and procedures described in the book are offset by the constant reminders that doctors are, after all, human! The downside of that humanness is that medical mistakes can and are made, resulting in adverse affects on patients...sometimes in death. The upside of the humanness of doctors is that most of them really do CARE deeply about healing their patients, and they work so very hard toward that end.

The author has given us a very honest and insightful account of the everyday high drama that surrounds our physicians as they practice and learn how to blend their professional skills and knowledge with their humanness and love and respect for life.

Thank God for duck hunting!

A really excellent book for anyone interested in the medical field. A true insight into doctors in training.

I read Death On the Learning Curve while recovering from ankle surgery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, someday in the future, I plan on reading it again! It was a hard book to put down and I couldn't wait to see the outcome of the medical drama. I now understand how hard it is for interns to make decisions that could cost another's life. While reading this book, I often gasped, laughed, and got teary eyed. You won't be disappointed if you invest your money and time into this book.

This review was written by Linda Gardner.

Dr. Scranton's book is a candid and realistic portrait of internship in the 1970's. Although some things have changed, many more things have remained the same. His attention to details makes this story very real and delightfully entertaining. This is a wonderful read for anyone in the medical profession, but medical knowledge is certainly not needed to follow the story line and thoroughly enjoy.

This was my first time reading John Ortberg and I really enjoyed and learned useful techniques to apply in daily life. The author has a good sense of humor and reminds of Max Lucado. I will be reading more books by John Ortberg.

Each chapter holds special insights, inspiration, and application. Each with a twist of Ortberg's zany humor. I use this kind of book for daily devotional reading - sometimes only half a chapter just to savor it and let it soak into my life.

God is closer than you think! I read this in conjunction with the video study series in our home bible study group. The challenge is to become aware of his presence and learn to do as he wishes.

Ray Ruppert, Author of "The Sovereign Reigns, or Does He?" "The Sovereign's Last Battle" and "Revelation: A Layperson's Reflections"

This book is well written, easy to understand and apply to your life now. It's so good it's worth being read more than once. The other thing I discovered is that when applying what you have read your behavior is changed and you are renewed no matter what you are experiencing.

I put off reading this book for a while, but when I got my Kindle this was one of the first that I purchased for it. I can only say that I wish I had read it sooner.

I appreciate the challenge that John gives us to keep God in the forefront of all that we do. I know this may sound difficult, but I believe that as he states with practice it becomes easier.

I have found that you can't just read this book, you have to put it into action in your life. If you do I believe you will be amazed at how much more you see God in all that you do daily.

Thank you John for the challenge to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn!

This book is a must for teachers, parents, and children 10 years old and up. It should read with children and an adult together and should have some Holocaust background explained first. If we want future generations to know what happened, we must tell them

This is a really good book. It was a great tool for teaching my daughter about the Holocaust. The best thing about the book is that you are seeing pictures and poetry that was created by the children of one of the most terrible tragedies in history.

This collection of works is mostly by children who were imprisoned in the Terezin ghetto during the Holocaust. Their writing is hauntingly and painfully honest, devastating, and heartbreaking. Yet, with death all around them, these children dared to hope and dream of a day they would leave the ghetto and return to their normal lives. The adults who taught them hoped the same things. It makes it all the more difficult to take in when one reads the appendix where details are given of the outcomes for these children, the vast majority of whom perished at Auschwitz and other death camps. It makes their hope that much more poignant and breathtaking. Of the 15,000 children to dwell within its barbed wire fences, only 100 children walked out. I highly encourage anyone to read this account of the Holocaust, this true and touching monument to these children and their teachers.

Only three of the poets and authors whose work is represented in this volume survived the Nazi Holocaust.

These works, however, are no more dead than the wings of butterflies mounted in a natural history museum.

They fly: They give the children voices for all time---not just the authors and poets' voices, but the voices of all 14,900 children who perished in Terezin from the arrival of the first transport in November 1941 to the ghetto's liberation in April 1945. Indeed, voices for all 141,000 Jewish people transported here from Germany, Holland, Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and elsewhere, including the relative handful---16,832---who survived.

The works here are a testament to the human spirit.

As a school teacher, I found a wonderful use for this book in my classroom. My 6th grade history class studies the Holocaust and was participating in the Houston Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project. This book helped my students understand some of the feelings and problems faced by children housed at Terezin Concentration Camp during WWII.

With all the wonderful reviews of this book and the fact that it was awarded Women of Faith Novel of the Year, I had high hopes. However, I was sadly disappointed. This book was SO slow! I have better things that I could be doing and other books I could be reading without wasting my time on a book that seems to go nowhere.

I hardly ever read fiction, but this one intrigued me. I heard it was life-changing for many readers, but since my life was in a ministry transition as it is, I simply related. It's about life, stuff and purpose. It asks questions we all need to find answers for. It made me laugh and cry. It made me more ready to serve the sick, not just hang out with the healthy. I liked the title and it made for a relaxing summer read.

Lisa Samson has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors. In this book, Heather, the main character, is a well-to-do shopaholic with a terrific kid and married to a handsome surgeon who is nuts about her. She lives in a house that most people only dream of, furnished with the best of everything. On the surface, life is grand. But are all the `things' merely anesthetic for a pain too deep to be faced? In order to find the peace to move ahead, she must confront her own shameful past. To do that, she finds help from some unlikely sources - among them a nun, and a couple of ancient Quaker women.

Quaker Summer is one of those books that captivates you so deeply and draws you into the story so masterfully that you can't put it down. It changed the way I think - about a lot of things. It's beautifully written, and full of so much wisdom I wanted to grab my highlighter as I read. I challenge you to read this book and not come away changed. It's never preachy (I detest preachy books), but the message is powerful and profound. Samson spins a wonderful tale with strength and skill.

I thought it was an excellent book for our book club as it had many thought provoking episodes to recall.

This book is among the best I've ever read! Samson's characters are real, down to their doubts and spending habits. This book is not only entertaining, it is convicting. If you want a book that will open your eyes and change your life, read this one!

Wow! And wow again! As far as I am aware, this is a break out novel for Sharon Carter Rogers, and she just made it to the top of my authors-to-watch list.

Sinner is a story that, while somewhat predictable in outcome, is a compelling journey. Rogers weaves a tale of past and present to a surprise living-connection between two engaging characters.

CK Ivors is a name without a face to most of the world. But to her charming entourage she is boss, author, and Superman collector extraordinaire. The Sinner is mystery man, vigilante and urban-legend all rolled into one. He's been quiet for years but he's on the move again - wearing a cool grey coat. CK Ivors is desperate for the subject of her next book and finds it in The Sinner. CK and her team are some of the most engaging characters - and I do mean "characters" - I have met in my reading of late. Rogers does a fabulous job of making the reader fond of this unlikely collection of talent that hunts down the famous Sinner legend, and eager to read more of their collaborations.

The conclusion of the story finds CK confronting the past and The Sinner confronting forgiveness. It's a soft approach to the message that is accessible and uncomplicated. Sinners in both camps - forgiven and otherwise - will find this a poignant and fitting end.

I'm amazed at how adept Rogers is at pacing and transition, as well as the already mentioned character development. She weaves a tale of ins and outs that could leave you needing a score card, but does it without so much as a moment of confusion or anxiety. What should happen at just the right time - does, leaving the reader wholly gratified and not the least bit disappointed. Don't know where she came from, but this is one author I won't miss next time!

The short and sweet of it is that Sharon Carter Rogers has written an amazing piece of work. Sinner was captivating from the start. Her story telling technique drew me in and held me throughout. She masterfully employed a layering technique in both plot and character development wherein details and structure were withheld from the reader until it became almost crucially necessary.

The story itself is a brilliant concept. The world which Sharon created and the mythology of the titular character were so very well thought out and developed. Nothing felt rushed, stretched or required jumping to conclusions in order to get where she wanted you to go. In fact, I found that when I did jump to conclusions, I was more often than not wrong. And not because of the employment of some deus ex machina or literary slight of hand. Her storyline and subplots followed a logical, progressive order that kept every aspect of the story neatly wrapped up with no loose ends or unanswered questions at the end of the book.

As for the characters themselves, each was well developed, well executed and believable, from main character CK Ivers down to supporting roles and "extras." The dialogue and back stories made each of the characters interesting and each played their parts well with none seeming as though they weren't crucial to the story. And, I might add, Sharon showed us just enough of these characters to make me want more of them. I can only hope we will one day.

I have, over the past 4 months made a concerted effort to reach out and discover authors which I had not yet heard of or read. Sharon Carter Rogers is, without a doubt one one of the top three authors I have discovered and her name will be placed firmly on my "watch list" of other authors to always read whatever they have available.

I whole heartedly recommend Sinner. It is a gripping, captivating read. You will not be sorry you read it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sinner. Not only is it well-written, intriguing, and suprising, it's also a fun read. It's obvious Sharon Carter Rogers has a sense of humor to go along with her vivid imagination.

Addtionally, it's great to read a Christian novel that speaks the truth of Christ, without forcing it down the readers throat. The author does a superb job of examining the issue of sin, forgiveness, and redemption through normal conversation and everyday experiences(as normal as can be expected in a supernatural novel). A book I highly recommend.

I just finished reading SINNER and I have mixed feelings about it. First I'd like to mention that the opening scene is one of the best I've read in recent times. Awesome! And while I found the plotline and mystery at the core of the book to be very enthralling, I also experienced a strange detachment throughout the ride.

I'm used to multi-viewpoint novels, but this one I found jarring. It quickly skips from one view to another, and I knew all these threads would tie together--so it didn't bother me, but with most of the POVs having strange names and very little physical description given, it's difficult to remember who's who. I had to keep flipping back, which is annoying. If you set the book down, forget it. You have to remember who's who, who's where and what predicament they're in. Regarding the strange names, Lincoln, CK, Junebug, Keena, Cyril, Maria Eliza Garces, Rebel, Chance or maybe it's Chase--not sure without the book in front of me, Galway, James Dandy, it seemed as though the author thought using her list of favorite baby names would be cool, along with her favorite letters: k, j, c, l, r and S, which causes a lot of confusion. I cringed every time a new character came on the scene with their clunky, funky name. The overuse of last names also, seems like a tiny detail, a preference thing really, but CK Ivors, CK Ivors, CK Ivors ushers formality throughout the book.

The author did a FABULOUS job at revealing little idiosyncrasies of the main characters, which were cute and fascinating, but there wasn't much beyond that. The dialogue, which could have been used to reveal more character depth was pretty blah and generic, with the exception of a few key scenes. I hoped to feel CK's passions, hurt, anger, frustration or something somewhere along the line, and I never got that satisfaction. I don't mean the author's characters weren't interesting or that they came across flat. It's just that I didn't experience the book, feel like I lived in that world, which I expect to happen when I read a book. While the intriguing story-question in this novel kept me riveted, there was so much about it that held me at arms-length and jerked me out of the story. With so many POVs, the protagonist in the story is not showcased enough. I don't feel like I know her well. Only the Sinner feels well-developed. If that was her point, than she was successful.


Also, I'm not one who needs a lot of character description to enjoy a story, but the author withholds facts about some of her characters until the end. Galway, for instance, is said to be old. So I adopted a certain mental image of him, thinking that's where the description ends. But three-quarters of the way through readers learn he's a chubby, Irish-looking guy with reddish wisps of hair around his balding head. And the MC's description isn't given until almost the very end. Also, journal entries from a Beverly Scott Thomas, who I assumed was a woman, were written by a guy. Beverly? Another weird name. Maybe it's a nineteenth century thing.

While the story served to answer the questions, SINNER didn't really have a converging climax like you'd expect from a book in the thriller genre. All the forces didn't come together, although the threads did, it just kind of ended after a violent episode, a story and a nap.

The story of SINNER is good, in spite of my negative comments. I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded. The piecemeal effect would have been more enjoyable for me with a wilder ending, more identifiable and pronounced characters--minus some of the crazy names. This book differs a great deal from most Christian fiction, which usually highlights at least one strong Christian main character. SINNER simply carries the message of God's grace, which I believe speaks louder than a sermonized chapter would. I do give the author applause for that, as it gives the book a broad-spectrum appeal in both secular and Christian markets. I'm just a reader who values character development and story pull as much as plot.

I do anticipate spectacular works from Rogers in the future. She has an entertaining narrative voice, a creative mind and a heart for God.

SINNER has all the markings of a really terrific thriller - a kind of grown up Nancy Drew mystery whose chief character is a writer CK Ivors who has a penchant for mystery and group coordinated investigation. As Sharon Carter Rogers begins to spin her tale the book has all the tension and feeling of a 'can't put it down' epic: there is a murder of a priest with a past history of unpriestly behaviors, a 'supernatural' hunky guy who traipses around in a bullet proof coat righting wrongs for people by killing the bad guys, a fascinating little group of thinkers and smart kids, police and wealthy men along with gangs, maids of glory etc.

The problem, for this reader, is in the telling. Rogers splices bits and pieces of incidents that are not always linked chronologically (not a bad thing at all) but fragment the story with a plethora of funky names that make the reader keep back-pedaling to stay on track. There is also the addition of a diary in a different font and graphic setting set throughout the book that has a payoff in the end but again blurs the progress of the novel in the meantime. Rogers has some absolutely terrific ideas ('Sinner' as a character is a fine concoction that pleads for cinematic realization) and her use of CK Ivors is very sound. The subtle introduction of spiritual values is well done. But for a novel that is supposed to be a spellbinder there is just too much clutter in getting there. It feels like the next outing will be a solid one, with the help of a more forceful editor. Rogers is a fine writer! Grady Harp, March 07