Review of Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer

This blog post is a review of the book Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer.

Back cover synopsis: 

I reminded myself that once you start to defend someone, it's difficult to find a place to stop. But I went ahead and took that first step anyway...

For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to "let the dirt fly" and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats.
     It's in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt begins to protect a mulatto girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires, sins, and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics. It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course   or bring an end to it.
     A love story set within a historical mystery, Saffire brings to life the most impressive   and embattled    engineering achievement of the twentieth century.

About the Author:
 The best-selling author of the multi-award-winning World War II novel Thief of Glory, SIGMUND BROUWER has written nineteen novels and has more than three million books in print. Through his Rock and Roll Literacy Show, he leads writing workshops to eighty-thousand students a year in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. Sigmund is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and has two daughters.

My thoughts:
    I really enjoyed this book. It is wonderfully descriptive I could almost see the sights, smell the smells, and taste the food just through the authors words. His attention to detail set the scene and made the story come to life right in front of me. Mr. Brouwer is a phenomenal writer. The story is set in Panama during the building of the Canal. If you enjoy learning about history in a story setting this book is a good choice. I have always been a bit of a history buff so I definitely enjoyed it. Saffire has a bit of everything history, mystery, romance, suspense, and intrigue all combined to make a wonderful read. I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.
    I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for my honest review.

Review of "Without Warning" by Lynette Eason

Today's blog post is a review of Without Warning by Lynette Eason. Without Warning is the second book in the Elite Guardians series.

Back Cover Synopsis:
Intensity. Skill. Tenacity.
The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.
Katie Singleton, a partner with the Elite Guardians Protection Agency, stumbles upon her next assignment quite by accident. Spotting blue lights at a familiar restaurant, she stops to investigate, only to discover that owner Daniel Matthews has become the target of someone who will go to any lengths to put him out of business.

Daniel might be concerned, but he's not convinced that a bodyguard--and a female one at that--is necessary. A new attack and his niece's urgings are enough to make him reconsider. He and Katie must figure out who's behind the intimidation and threats--before a would-be killer strikes again.

About the Author:
Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series, the Deadly Reunions series, and the Hidden Identity series, as well as Always Watching and Without Warning in the Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of an ACFW Carol Award, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award. She has a master's degree in education from Converse College and lives in South Carolina. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com. 

My Thoughts:
Without Warning is the first book that I have read by Lynette Eason. It looked interesting so I thought I would give it a shot. I started reading not knowing what to expect and ended up finding another Christian suspense/mystery author to read. From the first words this book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. It was a real page turner and hard to put down. Lynette Eason is a talented writer who knows how to make a story come alive. I lookforward to reading more of her books in the future. Although Without Warning is the second book in its series it is easily stand alone. While it makes a couple references to the previous book you don't feel like you are missing pertinent information or playing catch up. All in all I enjoyed the book and recommend it to older teens and adults who enjoy this type of book. I received this book in exchange for my honest review through the Revell Reads blogger review program. 

Back to blogging

I know it has been a while since I last blogged. Right about a month actually  but that's ok because I allowed myself that much time as I knew I would need it. Ladies and gentlemen I have an announcement (insert drum roll)... MY HUSBAND IS FINALLY HOME!!! We made it through a seemingly endless deployment! I took some time off of everything non essential until we could get used to Daddy being home. It has been so good having him home. He came back in Father's Day weekend. The Saturday of Marie and Dustin's vow renewal. The kids went up with mom and dad and I stayed behind and picked Beau up. In true military fashion he was released about 3 or more hours later than he was supposed to be. My phone died waiting for him so I didn't get any homecoming pictures. :-(  As soon as he was released we grabbed his bags and hit the road. We headed up to Alabama to surprise Dad and the kids for Father's Day. We stopped part of the way there and got a room for the night and went the rest of the way in the morning. We were exhausted and didn't make it in until after church but we were able to spend several hours with the family. When we got their Abby saw us coming across the parking lot at church and took off at a full run towards Beau. She hit him so hard she nearly knocked him over. Rachel saw her daddy put out her arms and just said oh daddy, oh daddy and wouldn't let go of him. It was so sweet and pitiful. Hunter didn't even see him at first. He saw me and had this look like what are you doing here mommy and I finally got him to look at his daddy then he held onto his legs and hugged him. Ruthie hit Beau about like Abby did. Francie kept her composure and waited until she could get a hug without getting knocked over or pushed out of the way. LOL The boys were mostly just shocked that he was there. The hugged him and kept asking what we were doing there. Mom and Dad of course got their fair share of hugs and tears in mom's case. I think all of us teared up a little. It was so good to finally have him back. We had lunch and a nice visit with the family at Brother and Sister Horne's home. It was so nice to be able to visit with the family and friends in a private place instead of in a busy, noisy, restaurant. We are so thankful that they opened up their home to us. It was a blessing.
    After our visit we took off towards Pigeon Forge. We had made plans to spend about a week up there in a nice secluded cabin. We had a wonderful time. We mostly stayed at the cabin but we did venture out and go hiking one day, and to a cave a different day, then out for lunch or dinner a couple different times. It was relaxing and just what we needed after so long apart.
   On our way home we went back through Alabama and rescued Josh and Sissy as they had been stranded their since BTI when Josh hurt his ankle. We finally got home and got settled back in with the kids.
   Beau had a 30 day leave and he just went back to work about 2 weeks ago. It was good having him home for so long a period. It helped us readjust to having him home. My mom and Zach and Beth came down for a visit. That was nice. Then we had camp. I ended up not going the construction theme because I couldn't get the inspiration for it. When I put my devotions together I ended up going a completely different direction. It worked out great and the kids really seemed to get it. So that was great. I loved working with the kids. Hunter however was pushing the boundaries all camp long. He thought since Daddy was home maybe he didn't have to listen to Mommy anymore. He seems to be finally getting that he has to listen to both of us. It made for a very exhausting camp though.
      In other news Mom and Dad C are moving to Alabama to pastor the Bessemer church and Nathan is going out west to be an associate pastor. It is bitter-sweet we are sad to see them go. We will miss them so much and feel sort of left behind. At the same time we are excited for them and the new adventure God is taking them on. Our new pastor is Brother Clarkson and Brother Austin Garcia is our associate pastor. That is exciting too.
  In more serious news my grandfather has congestive heart failure and is not doing well at all. About a week ago he was given anywhere from a couple days to a month to live. He is in need of prayer. Our whole family needs prayer but especially my dad. He just lost his mom in November and now Pappaw is so very sick. Please keep Pappaw and all of us in your prayers.