by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti
WestBow Press - a division of Thomas Nelson Publishing
On a deserted back road in Alabama, Jack and Stephanie find themselves driving fast and running late. Their world suddenly changes when a strange accident leaves them stranded with no car, no cell phone coverage, and no help in sight. They have no choice except to continue on foot. As darkness approaches, they round a bend and see a small sign at the top of a long gravel driveway: THE WAYSIDE INN.
The exhausted couple stands in front of an inviting house, complete with a gated stone wall, ancient oak trees, and a note welcoming weary travelers. Inside they find another couple with an equally troubling story about a similar accident. It seems that backwoods pranksters have made their day miserable. Still, they are safe . . .
Or so they think.
This is the first book that I have read from the collaboration of the two powerhouses of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. I have had the wonderful opportunity to read books that these two authors have written before, but this is their only collaboration. I loved the two books of Peretti's that I have read (This Present Darkness and Piercing The Darkness), and I have yet to read a Dekker book that doesn't move me, so I was really looking forward to sitting down with the sum of these two incredible geniuses. I was in no way disappointed.
I will admit that I saw the movie before reading the book, but it had been such a long time since I had seen it that I had forgotten just about everything about it, so that didn't ruin too much for me.
I really can't tell who wrote the majority of the book because it really reads like a stand-alone Dekker book AND a stand-alone Peretti book. I think that that truly shows the skill of the authors, and how they approached the story with a like mind. If you have read a book by either of these authors you will find yourself in familiar territory, stylistically. The boys introduce the protagonists right in the middle of a fight, and it goes downhill for them from there. They are driving through the backwoods of Alabama, on their way to a marriage counseling appointment, when they suddenly find themselves being chased by a Highway Patrol officer. As they slow down to pull over, the cruiser almost rear-ends them, then it speeds off. As they continue on from that disturbing scene, they meet an incredible set of circumstances that place them in an unforgettable evening with a very surprising set of people.
I am a fan of thrillers. That's one reason why I love Dekker's body of work so much; he is a spectacular writer. Even so, there is only one book of his that set me on edge while reading it, and that was the book 'Adam'. The only reason (that I can think of) that 'Adam' got to me was because it is a book dealing with the subject of demon possession. 'House' actually creeped me out. There is something about the way that they presented the subject matter that just got under my skin and I couldn't read too much of it before going to bed. Not that it gave me nightmares per sé, but that it was just unsettling. That, and that alone, is enough for me to recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers! Obviously, because of the genre, you can expect that good triumphs over evil -- but it's in the journey that you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, jumping at any sound that your own house makes, and racing through the pages to see how it all turns out.
Get this book!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Burn
By Erin Healy and Ted Dekker
Thomas Nelson Publishing
Janeal has long felt trapped in her father's Gypsy culture. then one night a powerful man named Salazar Sanso promises her the life she longs for -- if she will help redover a vast sum of money tied to her father. When the plan implodes, Sanso and his men attack the Gypsy settlement and burn it to the ground. During the blaze, Jenael is faced with a staggering choice. The impact of that moment changes her forever. As her past rises form the ashes, Jenael faces a new life-or-death choice. And this time, escape is not an option.
I had the opportunity to read the first collaborative effort of Ted Dekker and Erin Healy (Kiss --Thomas Nelson Publishing) last year and, based on my impression of that book, I was quite excited to read their latest effort. I was not dissappointed in the least. It was apparent that Burn was headed mainly by Erin Healy as the writing style is somewhat different from Dekker's, but it wasn't distracting. There were a few times that I stopped and scratched my head and asked why we needed to know that right now, but these are rough edges that will be sanded down by experience -- and from what I have read, Erin Healy has quite a career ahead of her. I will certainly be looking for more of her work in the coming years.
The story itself was really intruiging. A 17 year old girl, who is disenchanted by her past, is approached by a stranger and she is asked a simple question: "Do you love your father?" Her answer is defined by the choices that she makes over the next day, and those choices shatter everything she ever thought about herself and sets her on a path of self-discovery of epic proportions. In the end she must decide if she is willing to face her true self and reclaim a life that she had never known or continue down the road that she made for herself into destruction.
It's quite a page-turner, and I was surprised by the twist that came out of left field. It is definitely a book to get if you like Dekker, and it's a great introduction to Erin Healy if you have never read any of her work before. If you are looking for an escape into a world of deceit, suspense, and ultimately redemption, then I recommend Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy.
Thomas Nelson Publishing
Janeal has long felt trapped in her father's Gypsy culture. then one night a powerful man named Salazar Sanso promises her the life she longs for -- if she will help redover a vast sum of money tied to her father. When the plan implodes, Sanso and his men attack the Gypsy settlement and burn it to the ground. During the blaze, Jenael is faced with a staggering choice. The impact of that moment changes her forever. As her past rises form the ashes, Jenael faces a new life-or-death choice. And this time, escape is not an option.
I had the opportunity to read the first collaborative effort of Ted Dekker and Erin Healy (Kiss --Thomas Nelson Publishing) last year and, based on my impression of that book, I was quite excited to read their latest effort. I was not dissappointed in the least. It was apparent that Burn was headed mainly by Erin Healy as the writing style is somewhat different from Dekker's, but it wasn't distracting. There were a few times that I stopped and scratched my head and asked why we needed to know that right now, but these are rough edges that will be sanded down by experience -- and from what I have read, Erin Healy has quite a career ahead of her. I will certainly be looking for more of her work in the coming years.
The story itself was really intruiging. A 17 year old girl, who is disenchanted by her past, is approached by a stranger and she is asked a simple question: "Do you love your father?" Her answer is defined by the choices that she makes over the next day, and those choices shatter everything she ever thought about herself and sets her on a path of self-discovery of epic proportions. In the end she must decide if she is willing to face her true self and reclaim a life that she had never known or continue down the road that she made for herself into destruction.
It's quite a page-turner, and I was surprised by the twist that came out of left field. It is definitely a book to get if you like Dekker, and it's a great introduction to Erin Healy if you have never read any of her work before. If you are looking for an escape into a world of deceit, suspense, and ultimately redemption, then I recommend Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy.
Jack Daniels -- Spirit Of Tennessee Cookbook
By Lynne Tolley and Pat Mitchamore
Thomas Nelson Publishing
This is my first cookbook review, and I have to say that I was rather excited to try out some honest southern-style cooking. Since I don't drink, I wasn't sure how the introduction of Jack Daniels Whiskey to the cooking process would affect the final product, but I was plesantly surprised to find that it simply colored the finished dishes with a somewhat unique flavor.
Overall, the presentation of the book is tremendous. The cookbook is so much more than merely a bunch of recipes that are thown together. The authors of this book gathered pages and pages of history-- not just about Jack Daniels, but about Tennessee itself. There is a wonderful piece about Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding house in Lynchburg Tennessee, a nice short biography of Moore County Tennessee, and there's a Hardware and General Store that has such a beautiful story that I will make a point to stop by the next time I am in Tennessee.
All in all, I highly reccommend this book if you are cook, a lover of food, or a fan of down home-southern hospitality. I thought I was just getting a cookbook, but I got so much more.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thomas Nelson Publishing
This is my first cookbook review, and I have to say that I was rather excited to try out some honest southern-style cooking. Since I don't drink, I wasn't sure how the introduction of Jack Daniels Whiskey to the cooking process would affect the final product, but I was plesantly surprised to find that it simply colored the finished dishes with a somewhat unique flavor.
Overall, the presentation of the book is tremendous. The cookbook is so much more than merely a bunch of recipes that are thown together. The authors of this book gathered pages and pages of history-- not just about Jack Daniels, but about Tennessee itself. There is a wonderful piece about Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding house in Lynchburg Tennessee, a nice short biography of Moore County Tennessee, and there's a Hardware and General Store that has such a beautiful story that I will make a point to stop by the next time I am in Tennessee.
All in all, I highly reccommend this book if you are cook, a lover of food, or a fan of down home-southern hospitality. I thought I was just getting a cookbook, but I got so much more.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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