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Book Review - Blessed Child by Dekker and Bright

5/1/2016

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It's been awhile since I've posted a book review. But after reading (actually, listening to) Blessed Child by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ), I couldn't wait to post a review. This novel is, without a doubt, one of the best stories I've read for quite some time. Is it because of the excellent storytelling prowess of Ted Dekker, the lovable characters, the fast pace, or the intriguing premise set forward by Bill Bright? Honestly, I don't know, probably all of the above. What I do know is that I couldn't wait to get back to the story, every time I put it down.

​If you are familiar with my work, you will know that I love speculative fiction that makes you rethink your understanding of the world around you. Blessed Child is definitely in that category. It seamlessly weaves together speculation about the spiritual world, fast-paced action, romance, and intrigue to keep your attention and pluck at your heartstrings.

​Caleb is a young child who was raised in a monastery in Ethiopia. When soldiers launch an unexplained attack to destroy the monastery, two relief workers from the west rescue young Caleb and bring him to Los Angeles. But it soon becomes evident that this is no ordinary child. Despite having never left the monastery, Caleb begins to change the world around him and leaves all involved scrambling to react. Likewise, his story will change the way you view the world.

​If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend doing so.

Till next time.

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Advance Reviewers

1/10/2016

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It has been an exciting couple of weeks here at Hearts of Compassion. My second novel, Restoration's Journey, is sprinting down the home stretch to Release Day, March 1st!

Many of you, my faithful blog readers, have already heard from me about the exciting opportunity to be the first to read this new novel. For those who haven't, now you are.

In our world of thousands of new books hitting the market each month, it is absolutely critical for a new book to launch with excitement, expectation, and an abundance of reviews and preorders. That first day only comes one time for a book. My goal is to ensure that Restoration's Journey captures as much spotlight in that brief moment as possible.
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So, I am looking for readers who would be willing to offer honest reviews on March 1st in exchange for a free ARC (Advance Review Copy) of the novel.​​​ To keep expenses down and to keep the flow of publishing proceeds headed to Living Water International, I am primarily looking to provide ebook copies, though I will have a few print copies available.

If you would like to participate with us in this exciting pre-launch activity, drop me a quick note​ through our contact form.

Stay tuned for the first sighting of a printed copy of Restoration's Journey!​

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Vacation Reading

8/22/2015

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We just returned from a week of camping. I love the slow-paced vacation option camping offers our family. Swimming, kayaking, fishing, biking, campfires, S'mores, and my favorite, reading! There is no better way for a writer to tweak his or her story telling ability than through reading a variety of authors. You can learn from those who've mastered the craft, and you can learn from the mistakes of others. As you can see from the covers above, there are some excellent storytellers in my list from this past week.

I began by completing Luana Ehrlich's debut novel One Night in Tehran. The second book in the series, Two Days in Caracas, recently released in June. This was a great read for a debut novel. I have made an intentional effort this year to read both new-to-me authors, and indie authors. This book qualified in both regards.

The next book I read was really more of novella from Stephen King. Many years ago, I watched the movie Langoliers. This was my first exposure to King's unique story telling ability. While I am not a big horror fan, Langoliers is more of a speculative fiction than some of his more traditional horror stories. So, in preparation for my vacation reading, I picked up the Four Past Midnight ebook, which contains the Langoliers story. I'm not usually one to read or watch a story more than once, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

From there, I went on to read a couple series continuations. The first was Silver Hand by Stephen R. Lawhead. I really enjoyed book one of this series, though I haven't written a blog review of it. These books do stand alone, but there is a tight thread running between them. Whereas, the next series book I read, Watcher in the Woods by Robert Liparulo, is really more like the second act in a three part story. This series has a great premise, but I would have preferred the books had been combined rather than sold as three separate novels.

The final novel, which I began reading while camping, and I hope to finish yet this weekend, is Distortion by Terri Blackstock. I was first introduced to Terri's writing through her great series called Cape Refuge. I read these books back before I started writing In The Image of Man. Without a doubt, Terri's writing along with Frank Peretti's Darkness series had the most significant influence on my own writing.

Back to reading. . .

'Till next time.

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Book Review - Story Trumps Structure by Steven James

8/8/2015

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I have read many resources on the craft of writing. From these I have gleaned, and I’m sure missed much valuable information. However, I do not believe I have read anything as valuable to the development of a quality story as the book Story Trumps Structure by Steven James. I’ve read several of this author’s novels, a couple of which I've reviewed previously in this blog. I absolutely love Steven's engaging and suspenseful writing. This book brings an under-the-hood look at his thought process while creating those enthralling stories.

So much has been written about plotting, outlining, creating backstory, point of view (POV), grammatical good and bad, and on and on it goes. As its title suggests, this isn’t that book. Instead, Story Trumps Structure is a guide to really thinking through your story. How do you escalate tension? How do you create it in the first place? And, why do you need it? It guides you to think through your plot twists, overall and in each scene. There are many other valuable story considerations presented, such as cause-effect, story progression, and the value of organic writing, just to name a few.

The book also examines character development. This is the best, if not only, book I’ve read on character status, and the value varying status between characters. There are other character considerations, which I have observed in other resources, such as quirks, transformation, uniqueness, and attitude. But, even in these more common considerations, his approach is fresh and effective. I also really enjoyed his discussion of character intention.

I read this book, as I often do, between the first draft of my next novel and the rewrite process. I believe Steven’s insights will prove invaluable in taking my own writing to the next level. I only wish I had read this book before writing my first novel. Yes, I have much to learn about my craft, as I believe we all do.

This book will remain on my writing desk for years to come and I give it a “14 dog-eared pages” rating!

‘Till next time.


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Book Review - The Stranger by Harlan Coben

7/25/2015

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The truth will set you free!

Or, will it? If someone knew your deepest darkest secrets, would the revelation set you free? Or would it entrap you forever in bondage.

Written by Harlan Coben, one of today’s top suspense authors, the novel The Stranger provides an intriguing look into the world of truth and deceit. How would you react if a perfect stranger approached you and revealed a life-shattering secret about your friends or family? Would you believe them? Could you bury your doubts? This is the dilemma faced by Adam Price, when a total stranger rocks the foundation of his seemingly perfect American-dream family.

This is the first Coben book I have read. I have heard much positive feedback with regards to Coben’s writing and The Stranger did not disappoint. His development of believable and relatable characters set the stage for a riveting read. I found his writing to be both entertaining and thought-provoking. I especially liked his reflection on how we seek the “American Dream,” when in reality dreams are so fragile and fleeting upon awakening.

For me, the ending of the story was unexpected, yet, slightly disappointing. Perhaps, this is appropriate given the fragility of our dreams in light of the overwhelming power of the truth. You’ll just have to see for yourself what your think. But, I don’t think you’ll regret the time you invest to devour this story.

‘Till next time!


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Book Review - Ben the Dragonborn by Dianne Astle

5/31/2015

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I love it when I am able to read quality fiction by fellow authors that I meet on Twitter. Ben the Dragonborn by Dianne Astle, @AstleDE, is no exception. This book is listed on Amazon for ages 9-15. No wonder I enjoyed it so much!

This was a fun read! I don't read too much middle-grade fiction, but the story proved engaging and well told. Appropriate for the intended age range, the suspense and conflict were moderate, but present. The story presented a great lesson on diversity and prejudice.

The characters were likable and believable (at least as would be expected in the fantastical world created by the author). The use of an omniscient POV (point of view) keeps the reader from engaging as deeply as could have been the case. I would have preferred the author use a stronger POV to avoid the, at time jarring, head-hopping.

Though I would have preferred a bit more development to the climax of the main storyline (perhaps more the age target than the writing), this book provided a creative glimpse into a world, or worlds, which I hope to read much more of in the future. Looking forward to book two.


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Book Review - Singularity by Steven James

4/26/2015

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Steven James is one of only a couple authors whom I have read everything they've written, or at least published. I can't make a much stronger statement of my appreciation for his writing. Singularity does not disappoint.

This is a well-paced thriller with a nice blending of science and romance as well. This series comes much closer to Science Fiction than his previous series, The Bowers Files. That said, this is still a Suspense/Thriller more than any other genre. If you've read the first book of my series, you'll know that a mix of Sci-Fi and Thriller is right up my alley.

As always, his characters are believable and likable, or despicable as the case may be. There is an edge to many of the scenes, which may prove less than desirable for those who shy away from violence in their reads. This is consistent with his prior novels. So, if you've enjoyed his previous novels, you won't be disappointed with this one.

I am still trying to get used to his use of present tense for the protagonist POV in this series. That said it doesn't detract from the story, though I don't find it adds to it either, at least for me.

I am also reading Steven's book on writing, Story Trumps Structure. Interestingly, there was one section in Singularity that I felt stepped a bit too far from the flow of the story. It was a strange sensation of feeling like I'd jumped books as I read the section that seemed a bit of a soapbox for writing a good story. I'm not sure if I would have felt this quite as succinctly if I weren't reading his book on writing.

All-in-all, this is another intriguing story with a strong message from Steven.

'Till next time!

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Book Review - Kracken by Ray Ellis

3/1/2015

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KrackenKracken by Ray Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an engaging story that continued to pull me in throughout. Important to the Sci-Fi genre, Author Ray Ellis creates believable characters and immerses them into a well described environment. At times, I would have appreciated even more detail as to the scene the author envisioned. However, there was enough detail to allow for the creative filling in of the rest. Ray did a good job of keeping the story pushing forward to an intriguing, unexpected, and somewhat open-ended conclusion. My primary struggle with this novel originated with the use of the omniscient point-of-view. At times, scenes jumped around a bit much and this kept me from being able to dive as deep into the characters as I wanted to. Overall, this was a good read and worth the investment of my time.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews
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Book Review - Checkmate: The Bowers Files by Steven James

1/18/2015

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I remember when I picked up my first book from Steven James. It seemed like everywhere I went, the cover of the book The Pawn--bright yellow with a tipped over pawn from the game of chess--jumped out at me from the bookshelf. Eventually, I had to pick up the book and give it a read. The Pawn was released back in 2007 and I can't believe that eight years and eight books later, I'm writing a review of the final book in "The Bowers Files" series.

In my opinion, Steven James is an excellent example that you can create a fast-paced, edgy, real-to-life crime drama without the need for excess profanity or gore. That said, I certainly wouldn't suggest these books for younger readers. In fact, I didn't allow my children to read them prior to adulthood, assuming that happens at 18. Steven deals with some very real challenges that face both adults and teenagers.

Aside from the disappointment that the series is really done, Checkmate will in no way disappoint readers of the prior books in the series. With twists, misdirection, and clues galore Checkmate, and the rest of the series, will appeal to both mystery and thriller fans alike. Steven exhibits a mastery of the ability to create believable characters, including frighteningly realistic psychotic antagonists. As an author, I find at times I'm intimidated to reveal the truth of the darkness that a creative mind is capable of dreaming  up for stories such as these. I can only imagine Steven must feel this at times as well.

Along these lines, I loved the struggle Patrick Bowers, the protagonist of the series, deals with as he faces his own demons while hunting down some of the worst criminals imaginable. What is justice when dealing with serial killers? How different are these psychopaths from the rest of us? How close to the line does one dare go before the pull of darkness drags them across?

Perhaps, my favorite line in the series appears near the end of the last book:

You strive for justice, you move toward the light when you can, and you shake off the darkness that clings to you from living on this fractured planet of lost dreams and sharp heartache.

This is a great illustration of the phrase in John 1:5, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." We all should remember that if it weren't for the grace of God, we all would find ourselves on the short end of being able to control the darkness that permeates our souls. Only the true light of Christ is capable of driving out the darkness and giving us an opportunity to pursue righteousness. Not our own, but that of Christ.

Thanks you Steven James for this intense, yet insightful series.

'Till next time.

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Book Review - Orion Connection by S DeGiorgio

1/11/2015

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With millions of books and ebooks available online, how do you find the ones that are worth reading? Often it seems that readers solve the dilemma by sticking with the big names or those they see everywhere on the shelves. I have to admit, this often applies to myself as well. But, are the big names or big publisher books better than the Indie books out there? Unfortunately for those of us trying to promote Indie books, the answer is all-too-often, yes.

In the past months, I've made a commitment to read more Indie books. This has even resulted in the creation of a new bookshelf on my Goodreads account. This shelf is called "Shelved." As the name implies, this shelf is for books that I started reading, gave sufficient time, but just couldn't make the time commitment to finish reading. This doesn't necessarily imply a bad story. It could also be poor writing, significant mistakes (not the petty grammar errors that some like to point out), or a lack of believable plot or characters.

Enter Orion Connection, by husband and wife team S DeGiorgio. This is the best written indie work I've read to this point. The authors' mastery of the craft allows the storyline to shine through. The characters are believable and the reader doesn't just read, but feels what they are going through. The story, though relatively familiar--given several similar Sci-Fi plots, including some bigger name movies--is engaging and makes the read move quickly.

I'm not saying that this is a perfectly written book. I certainly wouldn't say such a thing about my own work. However, the story was engaging and I quickly moved from looking for craft related issues to not caring if they were there or not. It is important to note that this doesn't always happen. Often, books with a great plot never engage the way they should because of poor writing quality, POV issues, or excessive mistakes. This was certainly not the case here.

If you like space-based Sci-Fi, I would recommend this book for an enjoyable and engaging read. Personally, I look forward to the sequel.

'Till next time.

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    Author -
    Robert Roush

    I've been a husband for 28 years and am the father of five children, three boys and two girls, ages 24 and under.

    My vocational years have been an eclectic mix of software developer, electrical and manufacturing engineer, manager, and even five years as a worship pastor. So, I guess it only stands to reason that my aspirations as an author are equally unique. As an author it is my desire to challenge one's mind with what ifs, one's heart with if only, and one's sense of justice with if not me.

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