Vic's Media Room

Book Review: “Grace’s Pictures” by Cindy Thomson

Cindy Thomson in her new book “Grace’s Pictures” Book One in the Ellis Island series published by Tyndale House Publishers takes us into the life of Grace McCaffery.

From the back cover:  “Listen to me,” her mother had said. “I don’t care what lies your father once spoke to you, darlin’. . . . Remember instead this: You are smart. You are important. You are able.”

Grace McCaffery hopes the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader.

A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.

I admire all that came to America as immigrants.  They gave up their homeland and came here to start over mostly not knowing anyone over here and never having been here before.  They certainly had a spirit of adventure.  Despite the fact that Grace is timid she is an immigrant and has that sense of adventure.  We take pictures left and right now practically everywhere we go but back in the 1900’s taking pictures was an entirely new thing and not everyone wanted their picture taken.  Grace takes a picture of a gang leader and, since this is the only picture ever taken of him, the gang wants to destroy it.  Owen is the cop who wants to help Grace however she has a distrust of cops and wants nothing to do with him.  “Grace’s Pictures” is about friendship, love, betrayal, healing from past wounds and finding your place in the world.  This is a fun read filled with adventure and romance.  I do not recommend starting this book late at night because it will cost you sleep as you will not want to put it down.  Ms. Thomson has given us an excellent beginning to this wonderful series and I am looking forward to the next one.

You can find “Grace’s Pictures” at a discount at http://www.deepershopping.com/item/thomson-cindy/graces-pictures-ellis-island-novel/4901505.html

If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.

To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers.   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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: “Perfectly Matched” by Maggie Brendan

Maggie Brendan in her new book “Perfectly Matched” Book Three in The Blue Willow Brides series published by Revell Books takes us into the life of Anna Olsen in 1888.

From the back cover:  His life runs like clockwork.  Hers is a spontaneous adventure.  But God’s timing is always perfect.

Anna Olsen knows it’s time to leave her sister’s increasingly crowded house and start a life of her own. Following her sisters’ examples, she becomes a mail-order bride, and after a short correspondence with clock maker and jeweler Edward Parker, she moves to Denver to become his wife.

Almost immediately it’s painfully apparent that Anna and Edward are very different. Anna is a free spirit who would rather be painting and enjoying the company of friends than cleaning house. Edward is a consummate perfectionist who, on their wedding day, hands Anna a list of chores that need to be done around the house daily.

Can this mismatched couple see past their differences to a harmonious future? Or will their disparate passions create obstacles neither is willing to surmount?

Maggie Brendan closes her Blue Willow Brides series with a heartwarming tale of true love despite misunderstanding, showing readers that God’s timing is always perfect.

I like Mail Order Bride stories.  Maybe it is because they portray the woman with such a sense of adventure and trust.  She has to pack up everything, say goodbye to family, probably for the last time, and move to a different City and State to marry someone she did not know nor had yet to meet.  This is what Anna Olsen agrees to as she travels out to Denver.  Anna and her new husband, Edward, are two different personalities.  Ms. Brendan has done it again.  She has provided a story that has real substance to it, as to what makes a good marriage, while showing us the fun in learning about another person.  I think that “Perfectly Matched” is a winner and may be Maggie Brendan’s best story to date.  “Perfectly Matched” is a wonderful, sweet story with power and depth that will keep you flipping pages.  I liked it a lot and am sorry that this series is over however I am looking forward to the next book by this highly talented author.

You can find “Perfectly Matched” at a discount at http://www.deepershopping.com/item/brendan-maggie/perfectly-matched-blue-willow-brides-v3-oct/5435291.html

If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.

To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers.   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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Available October 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.