Cindy Bauer Books
Cindy Bauer - Christian Fiction Author / Speaker / Reviewer
Reviewed by Cindy
Check back for these reviews in the works!
When the Leaves Stop Falling by Kelly Moran (reading now!)
Growing Up Ugly by Donetta Garman (reading now!)
Vendetta by Roxanne Rustand
Wildfire by Roxanne Rustand
Rainbow's End by Irene Hannon
May 2008
By Glen Carter
ISBN # 978-155081-2398
Breakwater Books Limited
Jack Doyle is a hard-core journalist who will go beyond the limit to get a story. While doing a live shooting at the scene of multiple brutal murders, Jack finds himself in the middle of a raging Colombian drug war.
Beautiful producer Kaitlin O’Rourke knows Jack is on to something and despite his unauthorized follow up she willingly follows him to get to the core of a breaking, award-winning story sure to give both their careers a boost.
Born in
Narco-terrorists strike, using a man whose family history put him into the dangerous position which will cause him to lose his life, but save the lives of his beloved wife and children. Picturing them as he steps on the gas pedal, no one is aware of the danger until a bomb explodes.
The only thing that saved Jack was his position in the restaurant at the time of the explosion. Most of the others did not survive. Probably would never be identified. Mistakenly under the assumption that Kaitlin was among them, Jack sets sail to return home, knowing his career was probably in ruins.
But then he receives a message and a new mission is created. His most dangerous covert assignment ever, Jack returns for the beautiful Kaitlin, determined to bring her home, get the story they originally sought and discovers there is so much more to it than he had ever imagined.
Glen Carter has mastered his debut novel like a pro. With true-to-life accounts, gripping suspense, action packed story-telling, you will wonder if everything in it, is really fiction. The characters are so real, the setting is vividly described and this fast-paced novel is sure to capture your attention and keep you turning the pages to find out how it all ends. Carter can add another success story to his long list of credentials and is sure to become an award-winning novelist.
Excellent read
Note: Recommended for adults only as it includes graphic violence, foul language and sexual scenes.
April 2008
Sincerely, Mayla
by Virginia Smith
ISBN 978-0-8254-3692-5
Kregel Publications
Sincerely, Mayla was a delight to read. Mayla, a bit quirky and headstrong, knows where she is going in life and doesn’t mind telling people what they probably don’t want to hear, but need to hear in order to know God and to grow.
She loses her job and moves in with her grandmother and aunt in
Who else but God can help Mayla deal with life and the various circumstances we often find ourselves in? She’s a headstrong Christian with a good heart, bent on straightening out a few things in her life. She’s not one to “let things go”.
Where else but in this book could you find a dysfunctional family, a pastor on the “rebound”, a rabbit as stubborn as the person taking care of it, a teenager in trouble, a gay friend with a different point of view on Christianity, and then there’s Mayla, with her hands full and right in the middle of everything!
I loved this story and wish now I had read Virginia Smith’s first book about Mayla. Smith demonstrates her writing abilities to the fullest. Her story is smooth, her characters are real and she handles some of the toughest situations with ease and grace. I love it when a Christian book doesn’t preach, but teaches the ways of God. Brilliantly and masterfully written, Smith has become another of my favorite authors. I look forward to reading more of her work. I give Sincerely, Mayla 5 stars! A must read!
April 2008
Hard Evidence
by Roxanne Rustand
ISBN 373-44271-3
Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense
First in the Snow Canyon Ranch series
Janna, a single mother, is trying to restore Snow Canyon Resort, but trouble seems to find her at every turn. She hasn’t been there for a very long time, but is determined to make this work, despite the conflicts with her mother and the pressures of being a single mom in addition to all the problems of getting the cabins ready for guests. Stubborn as a mule, she is stressed to the max. Or so I thought. Then, as if it weren’t enough, a body was found on her land!
Michael, a deputy sheriff and guest at the lodge, is the hero in this perfectly woven suspense novel, who tries to help Janna by investigating into it to try to figure out who is behind everything happening at the resort. And he has problems of his own with a troubled son. And to top it all off, hard as he tries, he’s extremely attracted to Janna.
First in the Snow Canyon Ranch Series, I found I was hooked as soon as I opened the book with Roxanne Rustand’s well-crafted story and characters. Janna is a loving and dedicated woman, whose problems many could relate to in one way or another.
With engaging conversation and believable characters, Hard Evidence is a page-turner that will have you saying “...just one more chapter and then I’ll call it a night”. You won’t be able to put it down. You have to know what happens!
Rustand has a talent for hooking the reader and keeping their attention with her fast-paced mystery uniquely laced with romance and even some inspiration. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
I give it 5 stars! ~~ Cindy Bauer
April 2008
by Sharlene MacLaren
ISBN # 978-1-60374-020-3
Publisher: Whitaker House
Courting Emma is set in the late 1800’s with two main characters, Emma Browning and Pastor Jonathan Atkins. Emma Browning runs the local boarding house with some pretty gruff and rowdy men, though they respect her rules.
Emma’s father, Ezra, is the town drunk. Every town back then had one. Unfortunately for Emma, her father was their town’s drunk. And Emma was abused as a child, which in turn, made her very stubborn and defiant as an adult.
Emma grew up with Jon Atkins. When he came back, all religious-like, she had no use for his so-called ‘God’. He had never done anything for her. She had to work hard for what she had.
Then Jon does something the whole town thinks is strange. He sells his home to build a new church. But now, he needs somewhere to live and he wants to move into Emma’s boarding house. Emma tries to avoid this, but eventually she gives in and allows the preacher to live there. His money was just as good as anyone else’s.
Jon tries to ignore his growing ‘attachment’ to Miss Emma Browning, but of course, our hearts have a mind of their own.
Then Emma begins to receive mysterious letters from a woman in
MacLaren has a real talent for making her characters realistic, her settings so real, you almost feel like you are there. You can picture it all in your mind as you’re reading. The engaging conversation is lively and the slang is perfect for the time period she is writing about. You can hear the accent. You can envision the characters. You’ll fall in love with the little town of
Having never read a historical romance before, I was amazingly surprised at how I much I really enjoyed Courting Emma by Sharlene MacLaren. Not being a history buff myself, though I do enjoy movies that take place in the 19th century, I found I was hooked almost right away. And that says a lot in itself. A most enjoyable read and I wish now, I could’ve read the first two books in this series first. I intend to now.
An excellent read
Bookpleasures.com
Reviewed by: Cindy Bauer
March 2008
by J.L. Best
Coming Soon!
Molly Spungle is a delightful fantasy adventure based on characters who are descendant’s of the Genie and live in Fielder’s Forest. The Spungles have lived in the forest for hundreds of years, but fear the evil Hani, who claims to have been given the magical powers of the Genie. He uses the Lexii to help him take over and rule the land.
But Molly’s grandfather, Govi, knew better and vowed to thwart the evil Hani’s plans, exposing him and the Lexii as the phonies they really are. Hani is exiled in shame and vows to get revenge on the Spungles.
For a time, all is well in Fielder’s Forest, though the Spungles still avoided the Lexii who remained, always fearful that the evil Hani would return and exact his revenge on them.
J.L. Best is a very talented story teller with a unique approach to writing stories that will hold children’s attention as her stories unfold. She is able to weave many of life’s lessons into her fantasy worlds making them not only interesting, but educational and fun.
I give it 4 ½ stars! ~~ Cindy Bauer
March 2008
Dream Moments - The Voice in Your Dreams, Prophecy and Intuition
by Ruth Frances Hoskins, PhD., HHS, LCSW
Dream Moments – The Voice in Your Dreams, Prophecy and Intuition takes the reader through the paranormal world of dreams, visions, psychic phenomena, intuitions (or premonitions) based on both sleeping and waking dreams. If you have an open mind, you may possibly learn, or come to a better understanding, of what dreams might really mean and if they could have some significant purpose for occurring.
The author leads you through increments of time, places and people briefly described or detailed by dreams, depicting hidden messages within sleeping dreams or an actual voice heard during what is termed, a waking dream.
Though listed as fiction in the disclaimer, which of course I checked first, thinking this was an educational fact-based study, I soon discovered early in the book that in fact, it was more along the lines of the biography of the author, which you will learn as you go along and names are brought into place. She recalls past lives along with her current one, all of which centered around her and her friend “Lee”.
I feel Ms. Hoskins has written a well formatted book, with easy to read interesting and abbreviated chapters detailing the events as they occurred over a period of several years and indeed, it will open the reader’s mind to a different realm, one that the reader may have never explored before. It doesn’t really specify with facts that what are you are reading is related in any way to documented evidence, however it is written in such a way that you are given testimony with which to draw your own conclusions if you so choose not to deduce what the author did from them. I found this to be incongruous in some ways, but none-the-less, told in a linear fashion which jumped from event to event quickly throughout.
An Interesting but most Unusual Read
Bookpleasures.com
Reviewed by: Cindy Bauer
February 2008
by Jordan Dane
ISBN: 978-0-06-125278-5
Publisher: Avon Books (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
Dane Delivers Romantic Suspense With A Capital “S”
Rebecca Montgomery is a determined homicide detective on a mission. Her sister went missing and all the evidence pointed to her being brutally murdered, though no body was ever found. But
While on a suspected arson case assigned to her by her superior, an unidentified woman’s body is discovered among the remains of the rubble.
And in the midst of it all is Hunter Cavanaugh, a wealthy business man with suspected mob ties, and a henchman named Brogan with a thirst for killing. Somehow she has to fit the puzzle pieces together. For her sister, Dani, for the woman whose body had just recently been discovered, for the others still missing and for her own peace of mind. With only an empty casket to bury, Rebecca and her mother had no real closure, no real explanation for Dani’s death. She didn’t want that to be the case for the other families.
When
Jordan Dane is an exciting new author who delivers romantic suspense with a capital “S”. No One Heard Her Scream is a page-turner you aren’t going to want to miss. With well written dialogue, an attention grabbing plot and true-to-life characters, the novel reads like a movie playing out on a picture screen and I could easily envision every scene as the story unfolded. This is a must-read for sure and I believe Dane is well on her way to becoming the next best-selling author.
A Must Read
Bookpleasures
.comReviewed by: Cindy Bauer
January 2008
by J.L. Best
Coming Soon!
House Incorporated by J.L. Best was one of the most delightful children’s books I’ve ever had the opportunity to read. Written well with animated storylines, a house and its contents actually come to life for the reader.
Ms. Best has demonstrated her ability of storytelling and the unique storyline in this book will capture the children’s attention, holding them in suspense, as House rids itself of unwanted guests until an artist named Sal comes along.
Sure to entertain young children of all ages, I could envision everything as it took place, bringing the story to life for me as well. You won’t want to miss this one!
I give it 4 ½ stars! ~~ Cindy Bauer
December 2007
Joys and Sorrows of Living with Adult Autism
by Big Bertha Evans
Joys and Sorrows of Living with Adult Autism is an amazing story and a good read. The author, Big Bertha Evans, states at the beginning that she is not a writer and she doesn’t type. Her husband, who is autistic, did the typing for her. If you accept that for what it is and consider the grammar, punctuation and writing level as part of the message, the book itself is undeniably a good read.
The miracle is the strength and faith in God that this family retains through challenges and struggles that would destroy most.
Giving the story content 5 stars and the writing 1 star, I believe this unique book deserves 3 stars overall. ~~ Cindy Bauer ~~ Joys and Sorrows of Living with Adult Autism is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
November 2007
by Miralee Ferrell
For a debut novel, author Miralee Ferrell has proven with The Other Daughter that she can captivate her reading audience from the very first page. Beginning with the arrival of Brianna, a young teenage girl claiming her mother is dead, her uncle doesn’t want her and that David Carson is her biological father, Susan and David Carson’s marriage is in very serious trouble.
While David turned his life over to God long ago, Susan refused to do the same. Now she finds she must deal with her feelings that she can no longer trust her husband, pushing her further away from God. They have two children of their own. How could a God so loving do that to their family?
David is consumed with guilt and distances himself away from Brianna, though the resemblance between them is striking and once he discovers who her mother is, he knows he’s her father. But he can see the pain on Susan’s face and almost hear her broken heart.
Brianna has had a difficult life and is used to rejection. She’s wrapped herself so tightly inside a shell of protection, that it will take a miracle to save this family, much less...her.
But Meagan and Josh Carson, David and Susanne’s children, easily accept the new family addition, adding to Susan’s confusion as she struggles with her maternal instincts, while it tears her heart out to look at this girl who looks so much like David, knowing she is not her mother.
The Other Daughter is a heart touching story filled with a roller coaster of emotions, turmoil, love, forgiveness and deception, and leads the Carson family on a suspenseful journey until God intervenes and his plan for this family becomes apparent. Miralee Ferrell has captured the essence of her characters well in this novel and will have you turning the pages, not wishing to put it down.
I give it 5 stars!