Shelf Control - May 20

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Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
• Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
• Check out other posts, and…

This week I am featuring another Kindle freebie I had bought long ago.

BLURB:  Broken promises, enduring love...

A dusty stack of unopened love letters forces Bo and Mona Beth Miller to revisit a part of their past they’d rather leave buried–especially in the face of death. Only as they retrace history will they learn the truth about the shattered promise that threatens to come between them. But can their relationship endure the deception and sabotage they unearth, or will the experience compel them to trust more fully in the promises that never fail?

DATE BOUGHT: 12/27/2014

WHY I BOUGHT IT: I've read some of Bryant's work in the past and enjoyed it, so I picked up this Kindle freebie when it was available. I also like stories of revisiting the past and how it can complicate the present. 

You can find my First Chapter Review of this book here.

New from Cathy Bryant: Pieces on Earth (Giveaway)

As the wife of a naval aviator in sunny Pensacola, Florida, Liv Tulley eagerly anticipates the first Christmas in several years with her husband, daughter, and extended family. Then her husband is unexpectedly deployed for an undetermined amount of time, smashing her white Christmas dreams. Can she find God's peace in the midst of life's pieces?

Read an excerpt!

Liv finished filling out the necessary paperwork in the medical clinic waiting room, doing her best to keep her fears at bay.

She rose to her feet and carried the clipboard with the completed paperwork to the receptionist. The harried woman took the clipboard without so much as a glance her way. "Have a seat. A nurse will call you back momentarily."

Liv trudged back to the worn gray chairs and slumped into one of them, once more cognizant of her reason for being here. October marked her second month without her period. For most women her age, that would be a sign of promising things to come, but no such luck in her case. She'd known since her daughter's birth that having more children just wasn't in the cards for her. A fact that made Chesney's life even more miraculous.

She gnawed the inside of her lip and watched a little boy--probably about two years old--playing in the floor with a toy car. Without warning, the fear returned, bringing with it only one thought. Was it possible that she'd somehow inherited the gene that lead to the ovarian cancer that claimed her grandmother's life? Was that the reason for her current symptoms?

Liv pressed her lips together and forced her thoughts to happier ones. How wonderful it would be to add a fourth member to their clan. Chesney would make such a great big sister, and Jeff would be ecstatic to have another child. Since being promoted to lieutenant a few months ago, he had qualified for a stateside assignment as an instructor pilot at Pensacola NAS. How wonderful would it be to be able to raise a child with his or her parent actually around to help out? Even the few short months of having her daddy at home had made a huge difference in Chesney.

A pent-up sigh whooshed from her lungs. This current line of thought was landing her nowhere except in the dumps. There wouldn't be another baby. She grabbed her large sack of a purse and rummaged inside until she found an old envelope. Forcing the baby blues away, she started a to-do list of things to accomplish for her family's first Christmas together since before Chesney was born.

Get the Christmas shopping done. Well, that was a no-brainer. But this year it was especially important, since they'd also be buying gifts for nieces, nephews, siblings, aunts, and uncles. How fun it would be to have both sides of the family all together again in the mountain cabin vacation rental her mother had located online.

Now happy thoughts wound their way through her insides. Liv leaned her head back against the Plexiglas partition and allowed the happiness to wander unchecked. Warm sweaters, cups of cocoa, a gigantic tree stuffed with presents, laughter of loved ones, and fluffy white snow.

Though she loved the sunny weather of Pensacola where Jeff was stationed, during the holidays she always yearned for the cold weather and snow of her Colorado upbringing. This year it would finally become a reality.

She straightened in her seat, checked the clock above the receptionist window, and returned to her list. Buy Chesney some cold weather clothing. Hmm, maybe she could order a ski bib online, since there was very little to no chance that she'd find one in Pensacola.

One thought led to another, and Liv scribbled as quickly as possible, unwilling to let even the smallest detail escape. A few minutes later, she brushed some escaped frizzy hair from her face and once more scanned her list. Yeah, that should do it. Now if she could just get these health concerns out of the way so she could concentrate on more pleasant tasks.

Liv glanced at the clock once more. Unbelievable. She'd been here for a half hour already. At this rate, she'd never make it to Chesney's preschool in time to pick her up. She grabbed her cell phone and hit speed dial for Darcy, one of many military wives in her group who all looked out for each other.

Her friend picked up immediately. "Hi Liv. What's up?"

"My blood pressure."

Darcy's contagious giggle sounded through the phone. "Let me guess. You're still waiting to see the doctor."

"How'd you guess?"

"Umm, 'cause I've been there and done that. Need me to pick up Ches?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. And if a miracle occurs and I get out of here in time, I'll shoot you a text."

"Sounds good."

Liv had just dropped the phone back into her purse, when a short blond nurse in pink scrubs called her name from the doorway that lead to the exam rooms. She followed the nurse through the door where the dreaded scales awaited. After getting off the scales, fresh resolve took root in Liv's mind to cut back on carbs and lose those ten extra pounds that had plagued her since Chesney was born. Four years was way too long to lug around the unwanted weight. She followed the woman down the hallway and dutifully entered the room to which she motioned.

The nurse smiled and pulled the door toward the closed position. "Dr. Amy will be with you soon."

Liv perched on the edge of the exam table, once more on pins and needles about the potential problem. Lord, please let me be okay, and please, please, please, don't let this affect our Christmas plans.

Purchase at:

Print: http://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Earth-Christian-Fiction-Christmas/dp/1941699103/
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/PIECES-EARTH-Christian-Fiction-Christmas-ebook/dp/B017FV5AAG/

Amazon best-selling author Cathy Bryant loves to write heart-stirring stories of God's life-changing grace, and has done so through six Miller's Creek novels, two Bible studies, one Christmas novella, and two devotional books written in collaboration with other Christian authors. She's also written for The Upper Room devotional magazine. When she's not writing, you'll find her rummaging through thrift stores, romping in the great outdoors, or up to her elbows in yet another home improvement project in the mountain cabin she shares with her minister husband of over thirty years. You can connect with Cathy in the following online spots, including her website: http://www.CatBryant.com, where you can download a free eBook copy of one of her novels.

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PIECES ON EARTH $200 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway:

In celebration of the release of PIECES ON EARTH, Cathy is giving away a $200 Amazon Gift Card. The contest closes on December 21, 2015. Winner will be announced via social media channels on Cathy's Reader's Group Newsletter. Click here to enter: http://www.catbryant.com/win-a-200-amazon-gift-card/

Clean Fiction Versus Christian Fiction--What's the Difference?

Check out this post by Christian author, Cathy Bryant on how to distinguish "clean fiction" from "Christian fiction." She makes some great points. Click here.

First Chapter Review: A Bridge Unbroken by Cathy Bryant

The author sent along the first chapter of her latest Christian romantic suspense novel for review.

BLURB: A BRIDGE UNBROKEN
a Miller's Creek Novel by Cathy Bryant

Letting go to build a bridge…

A frightened runaway wants her painful past to disappear. A plan to start afresh is derailed when she co-inherits her late grandfather’s farm with the man responsible for the scars on her heart. But he isn’t the only ghost from the past. Someone else is out to get her and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will Chance and Dakota lay aside their grudges to restore the old farmhouse and bridge, or will evil forces sabotage their attempt at forgiveness?

COVER: I have to admit I've never seen a bad cover on one of Cathy's books. They are all beautifully done. I love the nails sticking up along the edge of the bridge in this one. It's a great detail.

FIRST CHAPTER: Dakota has been living life on the run. She spies a dark figure coming toward her room and plans her escape. She knows it's time to leave and eventually decides to return to the one place she never thought she would go.

Chance is busy with working at the hospital and taking care of his sickly grandfather. When his grandfather asks him to check out the abandoned farmhouse, he goes begrudgingly. He certainly doesn't expect what he finds.

KEEP READING: Absolutely. Bryant draws the reader in from the first words and keeps the tension tight through this well-written and intriguing first chapter. Told from Dakota's and Chance's points of view, the reader meets each character in their own world: Dakota living alone in fear and Chance who lives in Miller's Creek. You get a sense for who each character is and what they are dealing with and the terrible past that tore them apart. Everything about this chapter begs the reader to continue and she is happy to oblige.

Click HERE to read a sample chapter of A Bridge Unbroken.
Click HERE to view the book trailer for A Bridge Unbroken.
Click HERE to enter the $100 Visa Card Giveaway/RSVP to Book Launch Party.

| Purchase Print Version | Purchase eBook Version |

Series: A Miller's Creek Novel
Paperback: 344 pages
Publisher: WordVessel Press; 1 edition (April 27, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984431187
ISBN-13: 978-0984431182

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

First Chapter Review: Pilgrimage of Promise by Cathy Bryant

I received the first chapter of Pilgrimage of Promise for review. This is the fourth book in Cathy Bryant's Miller's Creek series. I have the first book--Texas Roads--in my TBR pile waiting to be read.

BLURB:  Broken promises, enduring love... A dusty stack of unopened love letters forces Bo and Mona Beth Miller to revisit a part of their past they’d rather leave buried–especially in the face of death. Only as they retrace history will they learn the truth about the shattered promise that threatens to come between them. But can their relationship endure the deception and sabotage they unearth, or will the experience compel them to trust more fully in the promises that never fail?

COVER: I love everything about this cover: the subtle, warm colors, the woman walking through the field, the letters on the lower half that are in the foreground behind the title, and the font used for the title and author's name. Kudos to whoever designed this cover. It's stunning.

FIRST CHAPTER: Mona Beth and Bo receive disturbing news about Bo's condition. After the doctor leaves, they begin to talk and then reminisce about when they first met.

KEEP READING: It's rare a book can make me cry in the first chapter, but I came very close with this one. The seriousness of Bo's illness is revealed, and he and his wife are left alone to consider their next step. Talk eventually turns to the day they first met. The rest of the chapter reveals that story.

Based upon the synopsis and the style of the first chapter, it appears Pilgrimage of Promise will weave through past and present frequently. This is a style I love because I am fond of stories that display how the past impacts the future and ones that connect present day characters to family members or incidents in the past. Bryant's main characters appear to be mature Christians who know one another well and whose words and actions reveal a deep love for each other. This is definitely a story whose journey I want to follow.


Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: WordVessel Press (March 23, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984431160
ISBN-13: 978-0984431168

I received the first chapter of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

Guest Blogger: Cathy Bryant, Author of The Way of Grace

In pursuit of justice, in need of grace . . . A justice-seeking perfectionist pursues her dream of a perfect life in her hometown of Miller's Creek, Texas. Sidetracked by her desire to be a prosecuting attorney, Grace Soldano launches into uncharted waters, making herself over to please her boss and mentor. Then a disheveled free spirit turns her perfectly ordered world upside down, challenging the concept of personal goodness. A fall from perfection leaves her teetering between vengeance and grace, caught in a deadly crossfire that leaves her dreams in a heap of ashes. Can she learn to joyfully accept the life God has given her--far from perfect--but one completely immersed in His grace?

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

By Cathy Bryant, ©2012

I start with such good intentions. I really do. I know that life is only improved when I choose to be grateful. But somehow during the course of each day, it becomes increasingly easy to focus on what I lack—funds, creativity, time, patience—the list could go on and on.

But I don’t want to spend my life that way. I really want to focus on what I have, to be mindful of the gift of life. I want that positive attitude of gratitude. So I’ve come up with a plan. Each day I take one minute as my day begins to write down at least one thing for which I’m thankful. So far the plan is working well, and I’ve discovered that when I try to think of only one thing, a host of other things crowd my mind, all elbowing and shoving to garner my attention, so many things that I don’t have time or space to write them all down.

Some of them seem so mundane and common—indoor plumbing, fresh water, a tooth brush. But where would I be without these things I so often take for granted?

Other items of gratitude center around the people in my life—the comfort of my husband’s presence, the way he makes me feel so treasured in the way he cares for me, my mom’s laugh, my siblings’ ability to make me smile when no one else can, seeing the world afresh through the eyes of my three-year-old grandson.

Most of my “grateful for” lists drive me to a place of thankfulness to the One who created me and sustains me and unfolds His plans for my life in miraculous ways.

The truth is that in spite of living in a world of change and troubles and turmoil, we are all incredibly blessed. We all have the gift of this moment, a moment where our hearts are beating. Each day brings touches of beauty capable of making us catch our breath in awe and wonder if we will but still ourselves to notice. Even the poorest among us have something for which to express thanks.

This process has led to discovery. When I choose to focus a grateful heart on the abundance in my life, what I think I lack seems to lessen in significance and pale in comparison. Gratitude builds on itself, until life becomes one prayer of thanksgiving after another. “Thank You for the brilliant colors of fall. And the blue sky. And the wind that rustles the leaves and scatters them to the ground. And the gift of sight and hearing…”

As I draw this post to a conclusion, I am reminded of a post I recently saw circling around on Facebook. I think it bears repeating because it creates a gratitude barometer which forces us to be mindful of all that we have to be grateful for.

“What if what we were given tomorrow depended on us being grateful for it today?”

BIO: Cathy’s desire is to write heart-stirring stories about God’s life-changing grace. Her first novel, Texas Roads, was a 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis finalist. Her second novel, A Path Less Traveled, was published in 2010. The Way of Grace, the third book in the Miller’s Creek novels was released in 2012. She is currently at work on book four in the series, Pilgrimage of Promise. A native Texan, Cathy currently resides in the beautiful Ozark mountains of northwest Arkansas with her husband of thirty years, and near the world’s cutest grandson. You can find out more about Cathy and her books at http://www.CatBryant.com.

PURCHASE LINKS FOR THE WAY OF GRACE:

Amazon (print)

Amazon (Kindle)

Barnes & Noble (print)

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Other eBook editions

CONNECT WITH CATHY ON:

Facebook

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Goodreads

First Chapter Review: The Way of Grace by Cathy Bryant

The first chapter of The Way of Grace, a contemporary Christian romantic suspense novel with a touch of mystery, was submitted by author Cathy Bryant. This appears to be the third book in her Miller's Creek series, but they are stand-alone novels featuring different characters, though some seem to be recurring.

BLURB: In pursuit of justice, in need of grace . . . A justice-seeking perfectionist pursues her dream of a perfect life in her hometown of Miller's Creek, Texas. Sidetracked by her desire to be a prosecuting attorney, Grace Soldano launches into uncharted waters, making herself over to please her boss and mentor. Then a disheveled free spirit turns her perfectly ordered world upside down, challenging the concept of personal goodness. A fall from perfection leaves her teetering between vengeance and grace, caught in a deadly crossfire that leaves her dreams in a heap of ashes. Can she learn to joyfully accept the life God has given her--far from perfect--but one completely immersed in His grace?

COVER: Soft. comforting, beautiful. I love this cover. It's not necessarily the picture I made in my mind of Miller's Creek based upon the first chapter's setting, but the soothing color scheme and the lovely woman definitely catch your attention.

FIRST CHAPTER: Grace awakens to a nightmare that has plagued her since her mother's death. Perhaps it has something to do with being back in Miller's Creek. Now a full-fledged attorney, she is eager, yet anxious, about her first day at Tyler, Dent, and Snodgrass.

Papa isn't afraid to express his displeasure of her career choice, but Grace is determined to stick to her life plan. She unexpectedly runs into a man from her past, a man who knows her so well it bothers her. But Matt is not part of her life plan, so he's off-limits.

KEEP READING:  Definitely. There is a lot of conflict moving this story forward in the first chapter. Grace's recurring nightmare, Papa's disapproval of her becoming an attorney, and her mysterious past with Matt, all blend together to ramp up the tension. You're eager to see how all this conflict unfolds.

What Bryant also did well is to place her novel squarely in its genre: Christian fiction. Without being preachy, you quickly learn that Grace's faith is an important part of her life.

I mentioned the setting in the cover section, but I also want to make note of it here. The reader's first glimpse of Miller's Creek in this novel is filled with restored century old buildings and a historical town square decorated for the holidays. Part of me wishes that was on the cover of this book, but I am a sucker for holiday novels (bought one today just because I liked the cover art), so I'm reserving final judgement to see how the image on the cover plays into the plot of the novel.

If the rest of the book is as strong as the first chapter, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

Paperback: 318 pages
Publisher: WordVessel Press (September 25, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984431144
ISBN-13: 978-0984431144
SRP: $12.99

I received the first chapter of this novel from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.