The Color of a Memory: grief, loss and moving forward with the memories

The Color of a Memory is the fifth book in The Color of Heaven series by Julianne MacLean. ER nurse Audrey Fitzgerald believed she had married a perfect man. Alex was a loving husband, a devoted father and a heroic firefighter who risked his life to save others. A year after his tragic death, she is struggling to move on when she finds information that threatens all she thought she knew about her husband. A picture and a name she had never heard before. A mysterious woman who holds the key to everything. Audrey discovers that in the weeks leading up to his death, Alex was distant, distracted and keeping secrets. With the help of a friend, she digs into his past and begins a journey that would lead her to a new future, one she never could have imagined. 

Continuing the arc which began in the third book, The Color of a Memory explores grief, loss and moving forward. This story had so many twists and turns that it kept me on the edge of my seat. My heart sank as Audrey discovered the evidence of what she thought was Alex’s secrets and the doubts that filled her head. I gasped at the reveal of who the mysterious woman was and her connection to Alex. I loved the interconnection of the characters and an example of how our own lives are interconnected whether we ever know it or not in a chain of events that can change lives forever. I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the rest of this series. I highly recommend The Color of a Memory and the earlier books in The Color of Heaven series. 

The Color of a Memory is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Already Gone: a young adult drama about two sisters and the fight for their future

Already Gone by Bridget E Baker is the story of two sisters and the events that tear their lives apart forever. Lacy Shelton and her sister Hope are only eleven months apart, aka Irish Twins. However, they couldn’t be more different. Lacy is captain of the debate team, a possible Valedictorian, and eagerly awaiting the admission letter from Yale. Hope is the captain of the swim team and happy to go to community college in the fall. According to Lacy, Hope has taken everything she has ever wanted and now she has had enough. She is determined that Hope will not take the handsome new guy in school and she won’t let her ruin her chances with Yale. When a shocking death changes everything and Lacy is now stuck in court-mandated therapy, she is forced to relive the events leading up to the tragedy for a chance at a future.

Already Gone alternates between Lacy’s and Hope’s points of view in a puzzle of sisterhood, betrayal, and teenage mistakes in order to find forgiveness and purpose for the future. I was ready for a great story of teenage sisters, angst, and a story to keep me on the edge of my seat. However, that is not what happened. Yes, Lacy and Hope are stereotypical teens filled with attitude and spite. So much so that I had the urge to shake some sense into both of them. I had a hard time relating to them as I was not this kind of teen growing up. The recommended ages are between 12 and 18. I don’t see a 12 year old understanding this story, definitely high school age readers. The ending was anti-climatic and a bit disappointing. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. However, if you enjoy young adult drama, I recommend Already Gone. 

Already Gone is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

What We Leave Behind: a woman must face her past and answer the question what could have been

What We Leave Behind by Rochelle Weinstein is the story of Jessica Parker as she faces life and emotional growth confronting the past and moving forward in her future. At sixteen, she is dealing with the loss of her father as well as the loss of her first love. After an intense summer romance, Jonas Levy, a twenty two year old medical student, has abruptly walked out of her life and Jessica is left with deep wounds. As she grows up and moves on, she eventually becomes a successful music supervisor in Los Angeles. After she marries Marty Tauber, a film producer, she finally seems to have it all until her marriage begins to unravel. When a secret from her past comes to light, Jessica finds herself in a storm of trauma and memories as she faces the past. Will she be able to find peace in order to salvage her marriage and save everything she loves? 

For a story that describes itself that “our lives are a sum total of the choices we make, which inevitably leaves us to wonder: what if?” To ask the question: would we go back and make a different choice if we could? To live what could have been? However, What We Leave Behind fell short. The story dragged with lots happening but it didn’t really add to the benefit of the story. For me, different reveals felt out of place and were more for shock value than an emotional impact. I didn’t care for the main character, Jessica and the events that she has to experience which made the book very hard to pick up and get into. Overall, I did not enjoy What We Leave Behind. I just wasn’t drawn into a story I expected to be an emotional exploration of what if and what could have been. I do not recommend What We Leave Behind. 

What We Leave Behind is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Lessons from a One Night Stand: can one wild night turn into a forever love?

Lessons from a One Night Stand is the first book in The Baileys series by Piper Rayne. Austin Bailey came home to Lake Starlight, Alaska to take care of his younger siblings after the tragic death of their parents. Now as his younger sisters are graduating, he is looking to start his dream job as a collegiate baseball coach. Over the weekend, he had a wild night with an amazing woman. They exchanged no names and no identifying information. Imagine his surprise when Monday morning, he meets her as the temporary principal at the high school where he teaches biology. Holly Radicliffe is in town on a mission of her own and didn’t expect to see him again, but she is determined to keep their relationship as professional as possible. It turns out it is easier said than done as their attraction is strong. Neither is planning to stay in town after the school year ends, so they can certainly stay apart…right? 

Piper Raye has become my go-to author for great stories with amazing emotional depth and steamy romance. Lessons from a One Night Stand is more than a steamy romance. It is a story with laughs, smiles and heartbreak. It is a story where we find where we truly belong while on the search of what we think we want and need. I loved Austin for his commitment to his younger siblings while also still keeping his own dream in mind. I also loved Holly as a woman who is searching for a part of herself and discovering it was better that she didn’t have it in the first place. I enjoyed their supportive friends who were quick with a kick in the pants when they needed it as well as a shoulder to cry on. I loved the rest of the Bailey siblings and I am looking forward to reading their own love stories. I highly recommend Lessons from a One Night Stand. 

Lessons from a One Night Stand is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Second Chance Sweethearts: a short but sweet and powerful novella

Second Chance Sweethearts by Liwen Y Ho is a novella about two high school sweethearts finding a chance for love. When Missy Clark left her small town of Sun Valley, Texas, she left her first love behind. Five years later, she returns, battered, bruised and harboring a secret that will tarnish her reputation in the small town. Nate Dawson never stopped loving Missy, praying she would return to him. Now that she is back, he sees his prayers as being answered. However, he doesn’t realize that she hides a secret that hinders their reconnection. Nate is determined to show Missy she is worthy of love, despite her mistakes. Can he help her realize that he is willing and able to stand by her side? Can they find hope and healing for their future in the Lord?

Second Chance Sweethearts is a novella, short but very sweet and packed with love, the power of forgiveness and love with the Lord. It is a quick read as I was pulled into Missy and Nate’s story. Missy feels like damaged goods, coming back to her small town a failure. However, she doesn’t realize that one man has been praying for her return. Nate is a true sweetheart who sees the girl he fell in love with in the woman before him. Ms. Ho packs a lot in such a short story. The character development is wonderful. My heart broke for Missy from the first page and I cheered for them as they reconnected. If you are looking for a wonderful story of love and forgiveness for a quiet afternoon of reading, I highly recommend Second Chance Sweethearts. 

Second Chance Sweethearts is available in eBook. 

Good Dirt: one woman's emotional journey into the past to find her future

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson is the story of one woman’s journey to piece together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom and finds herself in the process. When Ebby Freeman was ten years old, a gunshot shattered her family and a priceless heirloom as her beloved brother, Baz, lying on the floor and the centuries old jar in pieces next to him. As the case goes unsolved, it remains a point of interest for the public as the Freemans are one of the only Black families in a very well-to-do neighborhood of New England. As Ebby’s fiancé leaves her at the altar, the family’s history is once again a source of public talk. To escape the scrutiny and heal her wounded heart, Ebby flees to France. As she begins to process her family’s suffering and her own heartache, she discovers the key to her future is in the handcrafted pottery, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. 

After reading Black Cake, Charmaine Wilkerson’s beautiful debut, I knew I was in for an emotional journey with the characters of Good Dirt. And Good Dirt did not disappoint. Without knowing the full history of the jar, my heart broke when I read how it shattered and it broke more as the stories involving the jar were revealed. I loved how Ebby finds her future in the stories of her family’s past and finds strength of her ancestors within herself. Ms Wilkerson beautifully tackles grief, racism, the importance of our ancestries, mental health and trauma. I especially loved her portrayal of how deep and complex grief can be even years after the events. Good Dirt has a bit of mystery woven with history, romance and drama. It is a book that you will need to take your time reading, especially after the highly emotional chapters, in order to really absorb and digest what happened. I highly recommend Good Dirt. 

Good Dirt is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Every Time We Say Goodbye: confronting the past and facing the future in post war Europe

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner is the third book in the Jane Austen Society series. In a story of love and art, of grief and memory, and of confronting the past and facing the future, it opens in 1955, as Vivian Lowry faces an uncertain future. After a poorly reviewed play that threatens her career as a dramatic playwright, she takes a job as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a movie filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors and famous actors. The cast and crew find themselves torn between the past and a possibly brighter future, between the liberation of the post war cinema and the restrictions imposed by the Catholic Church. On a personal note, Vivien begins to learn the long-buried truth of what really happened to her deceased fiancé during the war. 

As a fan of The Bloomsbury Girls, I was looking forward to Every Time We Say Goodbye. I enjoy stories that feature life in the postwar world. Unfortunately, the story fell flat very quickly. The opening prologue was captivating and I was eager to discover more. However, the story that followed left me confused and lost. There were just so many characters. It was hard to keep track of who was who without stopping every other page to take notes and took me out of the story every time. I didn’t care for Vivien. I found her harsh and lacking any warmth or likability. I did enjoy learning about the famous Cinecitta Studios and the classic American movies that were filmed there. If you enjoyed Ms. Jenner’s The Jane Austen Society and The Bloomsbury Girls, I suggest giving Every Time We Say Goodbye a try. You may enjoy it more than I did. 

Every Time We Say Goodbye will be available 

in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook May 14, 2024

A Brighter Flame: a moving story of family drama and healing

A Brighter Flame by Christine Nolfi is a story of family secrets, healing and a new sense of belonging. All she ever wanted was a sense of belonging. After growing up feeling unwanted and an outsider in her family, Vale Lightner has learned to rely on and depend on herself and herself alone. When the bar she owns with her father goes up in flames, Vale returns to her hometown of Philadelphia at the urgent request of her grandmother, as she decides what her next step will be. Little does she know, her half sister, Blythe, is also staying at their grandmother’s house. Blythe is at a crossroads herself as she contemplates her own life changing decision. Everyone has their secrets as their lives converge where memories are reexamined and a chance for forgiveness, closure and a new sense of family can be found. Will Vale and Blythe let their guard down to finally have the sister relationship they both crave?

Christine Nolfi is known for hard hitting stories of drama with moving stories of secrets, healing and hopes for new life, love and family. A Brighter Flame is a story of a broken family with years of secrets and misunderstandings when the door opens to the possibility of glorious new relationships. These characters are flawed and deeply wounded but through tough love situations, they find themselves healing and living a life they never thought possible. Vale was a hardened woman with a deeply wounded child. However, as she opens up about her memories, she realized that misinterpreted events as only a child could. Blythe definitely acted the pampered princess as Vale saw her as the favored daughter of their mother and her stepfather. But like Vale, Blythe is hiding a secret and attempts to run instead of admitting the truth. I loved how the family rallied around her once her secret was out. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend A Brighter Flame. 

A Brighter Flame is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier: dance marathons, the Great Depression, and hopes for a better future

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird is a story set in the Great Depression as one woman struggles to rise above her past for a better future. The story opens on July 3, 1932 as Evie Grace Devlin watches in horror as the Starlite Palace burns. She had come to Galveston to escape a dark past in the fading days of vaudeville and become a nurse. When the dream of becoming a nurse doesn’t become a reality, she finds herself in the strange world of dance marathons. There she meets individuals who have been outcasted by their families and communities to make a living in the dance marathons. Evie soon finds herself in the one place she swore to leave behind: the spotlight. In the dreaded spotlight, she finds what she has wanted the most: a family, a purpose and love. Will Evie be able to truly put her past behind her and achieve her dreams? 

I was intrigued by the premise of Last Dance on the Starlight Pier. What’s not to be intrigued by the Great Depression, dance marathons and the resilience of the human spirit? I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning as Evie watched the fire burn and looked forward to discovering the events that led her there. Unfortunately, the story fell terribly flat. It was way too long and incredibly boring. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, particularly Evie. I found her to be unbelievably naïve despite her dark past. There was too much going on to be enjoyable. Was it a story of Evie and her resilience? Was it a story of the Great Depression, the mob and Prohibition? I felt the political commentary was more indicative of today’s political climate instead of being a reflection of the 1930s. There were just too many agendas trying to be in the forefront that it took away from the story. Unfortunately, I do not recommend Last Dance on Starlight Pier. 

Last Dance on Starlight Pier is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

The Kindest Lie: when moving forward means confronting the past

The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson is the story of the past and a lie told to protect interferes with the present. The story opens on Election Night 2008 and Barack Obama has just been elected the new president of the United States, As his coming inauguration brings the promise of new hope for the future, Ruth Tuttle Shaw, an Ivy-League Black engineer, seemingly has it all, a successful career, a kind and successful husband, Xavier. Xavier is eager to start a family but Ruth is uncertain. She has never forgotten the baby she gave birth to at 17. She was forced to leave him behind to attend college. She promised her grandmother, the woman who raised her and she called Mama, that she would never look back. Ruth realizes that to move forward, she must make peace with the past. She returns home to the Indiana factory town where she finds the town plagued by unemployment, racism and despair. As she begins her search into the past, she befriends a young boy, Patrick aka “Midnight.” Midnight is a young white boy who desperately wants a place to belong. As Ruth begins to follow the clues to uncover the secrets surrounding her baby boy, secrets her family is desperate to leave in the past, an incident occurs which adds fuel to the town’s racial tensions. Can Ruth discover the truth? Will the truth upend the lives of all involved? 

The Kindest Lie is a powerful and revealing look into the divide between Black and White communities. Even with the election of the first Black president, many Black residents of the town were skeptical that things would change. The book is also an unwavering look of motherhood in contemporary America and the search for the American Dream. Ruth is a woman who is caught between two worlds. She doesn’t seem to belong among those she grew up with in the small town but she also seems lost in the world of the big city. As she digs into the past, she discovers more about her grandparents, her absent mother and the desire for her to become more than just a statistic in their small town. It is a story of the complicated and messy aspects of love. It is a story of how small lies can grow into bigger lies, “a lifetime of doing wrong for the right reasons. A lifetime of lies that started small, like a nick in the windshield, then eventually shattered the glass.” It is a story of the realization that there are no perfect mothers, just perfectly flawed ones who do what they can in the moment and pray it all works out. I highly recommend The Kindest Lie. It is a powerful, heartbreaking look into the lives of Americans. Black, white, poor, successful and everyone in between, we are all searching for the same things: a place to belong, a family to love and a better future than the struggles of the past. 

The Kindest Lie is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

The Book of Two Ways: not a typical Jodi Picoult story

 The Book of Two Ways is the newest book by bestselling author, Jodi Picoult. It is the story of Dawn Edelstein who survives a plane crash. In a single moment everything changes that as she prepares for the crash landing, her thoughts are not about her husband or daughter of a man she hasn’t seen in fifteen years. After the crash, she is given the option to be taken anywhere she wants to go. She knows she should go home to her husband and daughter but instead she hops on a plane to Cairo, Egypt where Wyatt Armstrong is an archaeologist studying the ancient burial sites. She wants to continue the work she left behind in Egypt as she was studying the Book of Two Ways, the first known map of the afterlife. It also means confronting her and Wyatt’s unresolved history. As the story unfolds, Dawn has two possible futures ahead of her and she confronts questions of what a life well-lived looks like, what do we leave behind when we leave this earth, and do we make choices or do our choices make us?

I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult’s for many years and I eagerly delved into The Book of Two Ways. Unfortunately, after the excitement of the opening chapter, I was quickly bored as the story gets bogged down with so much detailed information of hieroglyphs, Egyptian cultures, and quantum physics. It is a book about love and loss, life and death, and Egypt. Lots and lots of Egypt. The overload of information caused me to lose track of where I was in the story and how the information even fits into the story. This overload overpowers the emotional, human aspects that is usually characteristic of her books. It was hard to care for Dawn and her journey. At one point, she has sex with her husband after an argument and her husband thinks everything is fine, she proclaims that just because she had sex with him, everything was not fine. So why have sex with him? It is just one example of eyerolling moments. As a fan of Ms. Picoult, I say give The Book of Two Ways a pass.

 

The Book of Two Ways is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.

The Republic: a political thriller of a dystopian American future

 The Republic is the first book in The Republic series by Jon Jacobs. It is the story of the Sarantakos family. In a time when all of America’s social ills have been “cured” and all are free. Unfortunately, it is all a façade. Paul and Rose Sarantakos are wealthy entrepreneurs when they are captured, drugged, and forced to sign over their fortune to the Social Order Administration as the government is in desperate need for revenue. Their son, Rand, is a scientific genius with degrees in physics, math, and electronics engineering. He soon becomes an enemy of the state as his discoveries terrify the SOA and threaten to expose the truth. The government soon sets out to eliminate Rand and his research and the family finds themselves on the run for their lives.

The Republic is a dystopian cautionary tale as what happens when the government takes too much control. The story was a bit hard to read as it had so many chapters as well as the subject matter hits close to home as our country seems to be heading in this country and many fighting to keep it from happening. Despite the dystopian theme and the risk to their lives, the main characters still acted and spoke as if life should go on as normal. For example, as their lives are being torn apart, Paul urges his son to attend school as planned. A government university? The same government just coerced you to hand over all of your wealth?! It didn’t fit with the rest of the story. However, if you enjoy dystopian political thrillers, I highly recommend The Republic.

 

The Republic

is available in eBook

The Secrets Mothers Keep: a gripping tale of family, secrets and coming to terms with the past

The Secrets Mothers Keep by Jacquie Underdown is the story of three generations of women as deep secrets from the past are revealed and alter their futures. The story opens with the oldest sister, Mary Rivers, who lives in her late husband’s ancestral home, Viewtree House, in Tasmania, Australia. The house is in desperate need of repair. She calls on her sisters, June, who lives with her, and Grace, as well as her daughter, Lily Rose, and granddaughter, Pia, to come together, pool their resources and save the house. The request comes at a time when all the women need a break or escape from their lives. Grace is dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s death and discovers he had been hiding a terrible secret. Lily-Rose, a famous actress, is on the verge of divorce after an affair was exposed by the media. Pia, who broke up with her boyfriend, sees the request to put some distance between them. Told from the different perspectives of the five women, the story follows them as renovations on the house threatens to reveal deep secrets Mary and her sisters hold. Will their plans for the house bring them together or finally tear them part?

The Secrets Mothers Keep was a gripping story as the secrets are revealed, the women must decide who they are and who they will become as a family. At the heart of the story is a quote from June as she says, “Mothers in difficult circumstances, have had to life since forever in order to protect their child or themselves.” At the heart of the secrets is the desire to protect their family from scandal, pain and being torn apart. Another character reminds readers that “We can’t make judgments about decision made at different times and under conditions we don’t understand.” The Secrets Mothers Keep is a good story of family, secrets, and coming terms with the past. I enjoyed reading a story set in a different part of the world than is normally written about. I recommend The Secrets Mothers Keep.

The Secrets Mothers Keep

is available in paperback and eBook

In the Cradle Lies: continuation of the Tree of Life series

In the Cradle Lies by Olivia Newport is the second book in her The Tree of Life series. The story opens with the introduction of a new stranger in town. Tucker Kintzler is throwing money around and looking to ski a very dangerous slope, Hidden Run. Jillian Parisi-Duffy and her father, Nolan, along with their friends, befriend Tucker hoping to urge him from skiing the dangerous slope. Interwoven with the present is the story of Matthew “Matt” Ryder, from a child in the 1930 to an adult in the 1950s. Matt learns a dark family secret which destroys his mother’s fragile mental state and tears apart his relationship with his father, Judd. What is the connection to Tucker? Can Jillian and the others discover what he is running from before he seriously injures himself? Can he find peace with the burden he seems to be carrying?

From the opening page, In the Cradle Lies grabs you and sucks you in until you are determined to finish and discover the great secret that connects Tucker and Matt Ryder. There is so much about the book that I loved but due to possible spoiler issues, I won’t discuss them. However, I loved each character. I laughed at their banter. I gasped as the secret is revealed and I smiled as all the dots are connected. In the Cradle Lies is a great story about family, the past and coming to terms with it in the present. I am looking forward to the next book in the series which is set to be released next year. I highly recommend In the Cradle Lies as well as the first book in the series, The Inn at Hidden Run.

In the Cradle Lies

is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Book Charmer: when books truly speak!

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins is the story of a small town with a magical family. Dove Pond was founded by the Dove family in the 1700s. A family with special gifts. As the story opens in 2001, we meet Sarah Dove, the seventh daughter, on her seventh birthday when something extraordinary happens: a book speaks to her! Not just catches her attention but speaks to her. Once she embraces the books, a whole new world opens to her. Grace Wheeler and her sister, Hannah, have been bounced from one foster home to another, and their last chance to stay together is at Mama G’s house. For the first time, despite her best efforts not to, Grace finally feels like she’s home. Fast forward to 2019, Grace is headed to Dove Pond with Mama G, who is now suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her niece, Daisy. Grace has taken a job as the town clerk, reluctantly, but they all need a change of scenery for a while. When she arrives, Sarah, now the town librarian, feels a change in the air, something good is going to happen to their town. At first, Grace keeps everyone at arm’s length, determined to do the job she was hired for and move on. Will the Dove Family Good Luck help win her over? How will the books help Sarah convince Grace to stay?

I loved, loved this book! From the open chapter, really a girl who can hear the books?!? To the closing pages, I fell in love with everyone in this lovely small town. I laughed, I cried. I smiled so much my face hurt! I could sympathize with Grace as she struggles to care for her ailing Mama G, learning to raise her niece and learning to ask for help. As a foster child, attachment meant pain, so Grace pushes everyone aside because it is what she knows. Sarah, who believes Grace is the key to save their town, won’t be pushed aside. Every small town has their characters from the mayor who likes the status quo, to the wealthy family who likes everyone to know it and those who hide their pain and suffering, everyone has a story. The Book Charmer is the first book in the Dove Pond series and I highly recommend it! I cannot wait to read more about this town and its wonderful residents.

The Book Charmer

is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Desire's Way: a typical romance

Desire’s Way by Ginni Conquest is the love story of Chase Rivers, owner of Rivers Security and Desiree Maisson, a wedding planner. While on a job, Chase watched Desiree walk by every day until he decided he had to meet her. He orchestrates a way to bump into her and talk with her. He discovers the name of her company and decides to visit her later that day. The sparks fly immediately as the two begin to date and become very close. Everything seems to be going smoothly until trouble comes their way, the two must find a way to be together. Will Chase and Desiree truly live happily ever after?

I’ve been reading romance novels since middle school and Desire’s Way is what I would describe as a typical Harlequin romance. In the book, there’s an instant attraction and the sexual tension builds up fast. I had a hard time enjoying the book for two reasons. First, the format and editing of the book was very distracting. The book started on the left side page when books typically start on the right side. Chapters also started a line after the previous chapter ended. It looks like the author wrote the book in Word and printed it from there. Also the double spacing is very unnecessary in a book. Again looks like a Word document in book form. Another format choice I don’t understand is the author chose to capitalize words that don’t need to be capitalized. For instance, the word aunt was capitalized in the middle of a sentence without a proper name. Second, the story itself. As I said, I’ve been reading romance novels for a very long time. This story is very much like a Harlequin romance where everything happens very quickly. Not to knock Harlequin novels too bad because I’ve read some really good ones that remain on my “keeper shelf.” However, this book is not one of those. I can’t tell you how many times I rolled my eyes and mumbled “oh geez” at certain parts of the story. I especially disliked Chase’s typical macho behavior of “get your hands off my woman” while on their first date! I mean, come on!!! If you enjoy a quick love story, you may enjoy Desire’s Way. However, if you enjoy a true love story with deep emotions and substance, stay away from Desire’s Way.

Desire’s Way

is available on Amazon

in paperback and on the Kindle

Daniel and Hosea: a study in dreams, visions and warnings

This month’s study is on two books, Daniel and Hosea, and will be a bit longer than usual. Daniel was one of four men who were chosen to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. He was even given a Babylonian name, Belteshazzar. Everyone knows the stories of the fiery furnace, the lion’s den and the writing on the wall. Few remember Daniel was also an interpreter of dreams and had dreams himself. These dreams foretold the future. Some were fulfilled quickly while others have yet be fulfilled. Hosea is a prophet in the northern kingdom. Hosea’s life is an illustration of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and his desire for reconciliation. Hosea takes a wife who is unfaithful to him. Despite her unfaithfulness, Hosea remained married. His life became a living, prophetic example of Israel. Hosea also proclaims to Israel the changes against them and the coming punishments.

Daniel interpreted two dreams. First, in Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a large statute. The statue had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze and legs and feet of iron and clay. And a stone destroys each part, leaving no trace. No one could tell him the meaning of the dream until Daniel sought God’s guidance for the meaning (verse 18). Daniel interpreted the dream, telling the king that he is the head of gold. After his kingdom’s time, another kingdom will rise, inferior to his. Each succeeding kingdom will be inferior to its predecessor. The last kingdom is a mixture of iron and clay, mixed but not united. In this last kingdom, God will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Many scholars believe this alludes to Christ’s earthly kingdom. Many scholars believe that the silver represents the Medo-Persian Empire, the bronze the Grecian Empire, and iron and clay the Roman Empire. Although, some scholars now believe the iron and clay represents modern world powers and we now wait for the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Second, Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar, once again, has a dream. This time he dreams of a tree. A large and strong tree which gave food and shelter until a messenger, an angel, comes to cut down the tree. Before Daniel gave his interpretation, verse 19 says he was deeply perplexed and it terrified him. The tree is the king and God has issued against him. He will be driven away from the people, to live among the animals. Seven times will pass by until the king acknowledges the Most High is sovereign. One year later, the dream is fulfilled with Nebuchadnezzar took credit for his kingdom (Daniel 4:28-37).

Daniel has dreams and visions himself. First, the dream of the four beasts in Daniel 7:1-14. The first beast was a lion with wings of an eagle. Its wings were torn off and it stood like a man. The second beast, a bear with three ribs in its mouth. A voice told the bear to get its fill of flesh. The third beast is a leopard with four wings like a bird and four heads. It was given the authority to rule. The last beast is the most terrifying, frightening and powerful with large iron teeth and ten horns. It crushed and devoured its victims. God reveals the meaning of the vision to Daniel (Daniel 7:15-28). The four beasts represent four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. Many scholars believe this is an end times vision. Second, the vision of a ram and a goat (Daniel 8:1-14). In it, there was a ram with two horns and a goat with one horn. The goat attacked the ram and the ram was powerless to overcome the goat. The goat’s horn would break off and four more grew in its place. The angel, Gabriel, gives Daniel the interpretation of the dream at God’s command (Daniel 8:15-27). The ram represented the kings of Media and Persia. The goat was the king of Greece. The four horns represent the four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation. These kingdoms will be less powerful than the original kingdom. 

In chapters 4, 5 and 7, Hosea details the charges against Israel. They have no faithfulness, no love, or acknowledgement of God (Hosea 4:1). God is angry at the priests who relished in the people’s sins for they profited from it. Hosea 4:7-8 says “The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of my people and relish in their wickedness.” The more the people sinned, the more they offered as atonement. The priests would live on the offerings as stated in the Law (Leviticus 7:28-36). However, what they could not eat, the priests would sell. They were making money from the people’s sins. So what motivation would the priests have to help the people leave behind their wicked ways? God places the blame on the priests and the kings for the people’s sins. In Hosea 5:1, Hosea writes “Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, O royal house! This judgment is against you; You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.” Mizpah and Tabor may have been prominent sites of worship to the god Baal. Leaders encouraged the people to worship and sin at these sites. With the kings and priests encouraging sins for their own benefit, how could the people of Israel stand a chance to obey God. God still held the people responsible for their sins; however, when the civil and religious leaders whom they looked to for guidance were disobeying God, why should they? God wants to save Israel but they do not call out to him, they do not repent (Hosea 7:13b-14).

The coming punishment for Israel’s unfaithfulness Hosea 9: 17 says “My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations.” Due to their disobedience and their failure to repent and turn back to God, Hosea 10:13 says that the Israelites “have planted wickedness,” they have “reaped evil” and “have eaten the fruit of deception” and depended upon their own strength and “many warriors.” They believed they were safe due to the military might of the northern kingdom. God promised them that with the roar of battle, their fortresses will be devastated (Hosea 10:14). They will live in tents once again like they did when they were brought out of Egypt (Hosea 12:9). However, God still loves this people. He still wants to see them turn from their wickedness. Hosea 14:9 states “Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them? The ways of the Lord are right, the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” It is an appeal to listen, learn and benefit from God’s word. To those who receive the message from Hosea, it meant the difference between life and death. God judges the sin but shows mercy to the sinner when the sinner repents and turns back to God.

In conclusion, the dreams in Daniel were messages, warnings to things to come. Some events could not be stopped like the dream of the statute. It was a look into the future of the major world powers. Some dreams were a warning from pride like Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the tree. God used these dreams and visions to how his people that he is in control of heaven and of earth. He is the one directing the forces of nature, the destiny of the nations and the care of his people. In Hosea, God is the one who is forever faithful to an unfaithful people. In the book, God lists Israel’s sins against him and the terrible consequences if they did not repent and turn back to God. Despite Israel’s sins, God still loved the people. No matter what we do, God still loves us. There is still hope to turn away from sin and turn back to God. He waits for us with open arms, if only we are willing to walk into them. However, if we do not, we will suffer the consequences of our sins just as Israel did. 

In Twenty Years: five friends gather to honor one friend and confront the past

In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch is the story of five friends who reunite at the last request of a departed friend. They must confront past indiscretions, present issues and hope to build better futures. The story begins in 1998 with the six college friends and roommates on the eve of their graduation. Bea, the de facto leader, gathers everyone together and has them write a letter to their selves twenty years in the future. Annie is shy and reluctant to write such a letter. Lindy, the outgoing musician, is eager. Colin, the handsome future doctor and Owen and Catherine, the college sweethearts, are also eager to write this letter. Fast forward to 2016. Bea tragically died thirteen years earlier which fractured the friends cross the country, leaving the lines of communication and friendship tattered and frayed. Each friend receives a letter from the Bea’s estate, request each one to spend the weekend of what would have been Bea’s 40^th birthday at their college home. As the friends arrive at the house, it is clear that the past is still a part of their lives. Will the friends be able to find the common thread which gathered them together in the first place? Will they be able to get their lives back on track? To the dreams they held eighteen years ago?

In Twenty Years is an excellent story filled with drama, excitement, tears and joy. The characters felt real with their past and current issues. The reader could be any or all of the characters. I also enjoyed how the story is told from each character’s perspective. You get to really see their motivations. You can related to their fears of failure, of rejection, of the past and of the future. You will cheer with them, cry with them, and cry foul when someone is being a jerk. I highly recommend In Twenty Years!

In Twenty Years

Is available at major booksellers

In paperback, ebook and audiobook

Reflections on turning 35

Tomorrow I turn 35. It’s not a milestone birthday but I find myself laughing when I remember being a teenager thinking 30’s and 40’s were so far off. Now, I’m five years from 40. Not that I’m afraid of turning 40, age is just a number. You remain youthful by allowing yourself to live youthful moments. Youthful moments takes the stress of adult responsibility away and hides it for a moment. I think certain birthdays cause you to stop and look back. To see how different you are from your youth or even how much you are the same. I look back on my life and think about what regrets I may have and what I look forward to in the future. I think everyone has regrets. The difference is some people hold on to their regrets and allow them to weigh them down, while others see their regrets as lessons learned for the future. Do I have regrets? 

Yes: 

• I regret childhood friends I let slip out of my life. I wish I could find them and apologize for doing them wrong. Maybe one day, I will. I pray that they forgive me and that they are healthy and happy. 
• I regret not sticking up for myself when times called for it. It’s a lesson I’ve definitely learned now and I’m not afraid to stand up. Many people may not like what I have to say but I’m tired of keeping quiet when something upsets me or irks me. 

And no:

• I don’t regret my college education. I enjoyed school and learned a lot. I may not be working in career in my fields but I use the information I learned every day. 
• I don’t regret changing my career goals. If I had stuck to my original career plan, I wouldn’t have moved to Ontario in 2005, I wouldn’t have met my husband and gotten married and we wouldn’t have our daughter. If my life went a different path, I wouldn’t have the two most important people in my life 

My life is good. I’ve always dreamed of being a wife, mother and author. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad and I’m working on #3. I still have a lot to look forward to and I eagerly await those days. I may not be rich, I may not have a fancy house or car but I have a great family loves me unconditionally and we have great adventures together. I have great friends who care deeply for me as I celebrate and struggle through the moments of my life. I have a great hobby that allows me to reach people from across the country and around the world. I’ve met great new people who have read my blog and liked what they read. Every now and then I think of what could have been, then I remember everything I wouldn’t gain if my path was different. I’m looking forward to my birthday and many birthdays after. Life is good.