Unveiled: Tamar (Lineage of Grace #1) review & audiobook excerpt

About the book:
"Unveiled" is the story of Tamar, one of the women in the lineage of Jesus. Francine brings the story to life in her trademark style, showing the grace of God in the life of Tamar and her father-in-law, Judah. "Unveiled" is the first in the Lineage of Grace series of five novellas covering the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.

Review:

Many readers know Francine Rivers from her book Redeeming Love. I enjoyed that book so much that I picked up Unveiled: Tamar thinking it would be along the same lines. It is different from Redeeming Love in that it is not a parallel story based on the same bible plot points but with different characters, but rather a direct interpretation from the bible told from Tamara's point of view.

I didn't know who Tamara was, so a book about her and her importance made me want to read it, especially if she was art of the lineage of Jesus. Looking at the cover, it isn't something that would really stand out in a sea of books at the bookstore or library, but looks can be deceiving. And this story was interesting.

This story is based on characters in Genesis in the bible. I recommend reading Genesis 25-45 before starting this book in order to give you some background. Rivers does a good job giving you some of this in the beginning, but there is so much more. For example, the book references Jacob's sons and what they did in Schechem (Genesis 34), but this wasn't given in the book. It also references what Judah and his brothers did to Joseph, but Genesis 37 gives readers more details. Since this event impacted Judah so much, it is referenced several times throughout the book, and a base knowledge makes it easier to read.

The story of Tamar is very serious in tone and isn't very kid friendly, so I'd recommend this for adults. The basic storyline is about Tamar trying to get pregnant with an heir to continue Judah's family line. So yes, there are definitely sex scenes in the book, though these are done as tastefully as can be while Rivers tries to remain true to the facts in the bible. Be warned, the facts aren't always pretty though.

Poor Tamar. Your heart goes out to her, and yet I wanted to shake some sense into her! She started out in an abusive relationship with Er. Then she was forced on to Onan who was selfish, arrogant and refused to do what is right. When she pleaded with Judah to step in with Onan, he refused to help. The shrewd Bathsua tormented Tamar all throughout the story. Readers can't help but to dislike Judah's family. And because Tamar remained so loyal to them when she was wronged, she makes me admire her for her loyalty. Still, I want to tell her to wake up and punish Judah for the way he dishonored her!

Tamar is smart though. She comes up with a plan to force Judah to do what the laws at the time obligated him to do. When everything comes out into the open, readers see Judah finally do what is right. He even restores his relationship with God.

This is a novella, so there were 130 pages to the story, and then about a 40 page study guide at the end. The story can easily be read in a day, if not in one sitting. It would be perfect for a church small group.

Audiobook excerpt:
Want to know more? Check out the first five minutes from the audiobook!

About author Francine Rivers:

New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market, and her books were highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist.

Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Find Francine:   Website   Blog   Facebook   Twitter    

Life in the Palace

About the book:  
After a lifetime in the shadow of her sister, Chloe is severely phobic of the chronically cool. Seth is everything she avoids; a pre-med philosophy major who works in a bar, plays in a band and is so good looking that grown women stare at him in the street. But it’s hard to say no to your soul mate. Thinking she’s maxed out her supply of destiny, Chloe settles down to enjoy the happily-ever-after.  

Tal says that she’s one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance. Chloe assumes this is code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo.’ Actually Tal’s main extracurricular activity is fighting the forces of Oblivion. The People never need to hide what they are because no one ever believes them. Until Chloe does.  
Chloe sets out to help Tal and The People as much as she can as an outsider. Seth says as long as no one wears their underpants on the outside Chloe can do what she likes. What he doesn’t say is that he’s also one of The People, although non-practicing. But as the Final Battle draws nearer, Chloe realizes it’s time for Seth to go collect his regulation sword. The only thing standing in his way is her. Seth says he’ll give up his place in heaven to stay with her. Chloe must choose between Seth’s soul and her own happiness.

Life in the Palace by Catherine Green snippet:
“We need to talk,” Tal said.

Then I knew it was going to go badly. ‘We need to talk’ is the conversational equivalent of walking into your basement without turning on the light, on a dark and stormy night, when a known psychopath is on the loose. You might as well cut to the chase and slit your own throat.

Chloe Diaz assumed three things: that when Tal said that she was one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance, it was code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo;’ that the gorgeous Seth Wilks would never be her soul mate and that she’d never have to choose between them.

Chloe was wrong. Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if price is too great to pay?

 

Find Chloe & Seth   Chloe on Facebook * Seth on Facebook

Download a FREE copy now!   Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Smashwords

Praise for Life in the Palace
An interesting take on the paranormal romance genre. …..While other books in the genre have unrealistic buy in to the acceptance of someone from the outside entering a "new world" Life in the Palace handled it from both the main character looking in and the dwellers of the Palace looking out at this person trying to enter their world. …….I am so happy to hear that there are more books in the series! – Yonit on Goodreads

I loved this world that Catherine Green created. I happily lost myself in the life & deep love between Chloe & Seth …..I loved the attention to detail, the fleshing out of the world around them, the obvious growth of all the characters... Even the heartbreaking choices made at the end. Book two I cannot wait to read! – Ebon Darkmyth on Smashwords

Loved it, great story line, fun characters and after reading it and thinking deeply about the duality of our lives, it made my prayers come alive! – Rebecca Wittenstein on Amazon.com

This book introduces you to a whole host of characters that you want to meet in real life. ….The action keeps you reading, while the budding love between Seth and Chloe makes you breathless. A great read. – Cypora Cohen on Amazon.co.uk

 

About author Catherine Green:
Catherine Green writes fantasy books featuring religious characters in a brazen attempt to make the people in faith communities seem less weird. She lives with her husband, children and three marginally neglected goldfish. When she's not writing, or pretending to be one of her characters on Facebook, she has been known to cook dinner.

Find Catherine   Website   Goodreads   Twitter   Facebook

     
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Ends 5/15/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

The Windgate (The School of Ministry #1)

About the book:
TO CHOOSE, IS FATE!

A young man named Ziv struggles to find his place in life after both of his parents are murdered. Orphaned and alone by the age of six, he bounces in and out of foster homes hopeless and afraid, wondering if he will ever find a path to happiness. He resolves to accept a life of depravity, until one day he discovers he possesses the gift of sight: to see creatures from the afterlife, but not angels...demons!

Ziv is recruited by The School of Ministry, a secret society that promises to help him find his best friend Stephanie, who has gone missing. But there is one catch: he must agree to join them in their quest to eradicate evil and protect the weak. Ziv learns that he is a "Conduit," which allow him to cross over into the spirit world and transcend time itself. When he is partnered with two other young men who have similar gifts, the unlikely trio is trained in the mastery of weapons and the art of Shouting, during treacherous challenges of the tortuous Quad in preparation for their mission: to secure the Windgate. Ziv becomes entrenched in a quest of identity, love, and will, until comes face to face with pure evil itself--Akabod, the spiritual prodigal son to the School of Ministry and a master of talents.

Find it:   Barnes & Noble   Amazon

Review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love how this book mixes the paranormal aspect with christian faith. Some Christian books don't mix well with the paranormal and fantasy type stories that I enjoy, but this one does. It has a good plot line that's original and is filled with lots of obstacles that the main characters must face.

There were a few scenes in the book that needed a little polishing. Some of the transitions from one bit of action to another wasn't smooth. I'd have to flip back and check how they got from point A to point B. For example, they were out of the country on a mission in one scene, then they are entering the facility a couple sentences later. Hardly a mention of the journey back. Luckily, this only happens a handful of times throughout the book.

I enjoyed reading the Quad scenes. (The quad is sort of like a fear landscape that's in the Divergent books, but not quite as taylored to each individual.) The initiates must enter the Quad and go through a series of tests. Some tests range from choosing a weapon (easy) to getting out of a flame filled room (much harder). The tests get more difficult each time an initiate enters the Quad. I enjoyed seeing Cosby's creativity come through during these scenes.

The book has a lot of action mixed all throughout it. The initiates must pass many tests. Some are on location at the facility (like the Quad), but others are off location. The initiates travel quite a bit, and come face to face with various demons. Cosby doesn't go into much detail about what the demons look like, but focuses more on their abilities. I like this because it lets my imagination fill in the blanks.

The main character, Ziv, has a lot of anger in him. Many of his actions (or reactions)stem from his anger. I liked how the author allows Ziv to recognize this and try to do something about it. He has several chances to let go of his anger, but he chooses to hang on to it because his anger is part of him. It's what he relies on to get him through tough times. However, he learns that his anger can be a bit of a distraction that could get him killed. He has to decide if it is worth keeping or if he can finally let it go.

This book is told from Ziv's point of view. Readers will be able to really get to know what motivates him and how he deals with this transition in his life. Ziv interacts with Francis, Jaythan, Mr. C, and Miss Evans, but I want to know more about what's in their heads too. This isn't a criticism at all. Those chatacters all seem to have a little something that they are hiding, and I want to know what they are thinking instead of waiting on when/if their secerets are revealed.

If you want a paranormal book with Christian undertones, then I would recommend this book to you. There's a lot of action and adventure and just a touch of romance that is perfect for teens and adults.

About author Braxton Cosby:

Multi-Award-Wining Author Braxton A. Cosby is a dreamer who evolved from concepts on pen and paper to pixels and keyboards. He tells stories that evoke emotions and stimulate thought. Protostar: Book 1 The Star-Crossed Saga and The School of Ministry: The Windgate are currently two Young Adult series he created. Braxton lives in Georgia with his wife, three children and a troop of crazy African Cichlids

www.braxtoncosby.com www.cosbysconer.com

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Excerpt:
Mr. C. takes a deep breath and spits it out. "It is Stephanie. She's here. We found her."
Time seems to stand still as Stephanie's name rang through my eardrums. My heart rate increases.

"She…Stephanie's here? Well, where is she? When can I see her?" I head toward the door.

"She's safe." Maxwell halts me. "She's being detained in one of the fifth floor containment units where she will be under close surveillance. She is not to come out until we have assured our own safety."

My voice cracks. "What do you mean detained? Is Stephanie considered a threat?"

"She was picked up by one of our scout teams in the northeast. We think she may be involved in witchcraft."

I lean back in my chair, snickering. "Witchcraft? Come on. You've got to be kidding me, right?"

"We would certainly hope not," he warns, not sounding the least bit confident. "But there is only one way to be sure. We have to put her through the Purge."

"No," I scream, as my heart pounds against my chest wall.

"It's the only way to be sure, son." Mr. C. places his hand on my shoulder.

I drop my head, struggling to hold back the tears welling up in my eyelids. "Can I see her?"

"No!" Maxwell's tone scorches my ears. "Unequivocally—no! Not under any circumstances. She must go through the Purge first. Then there will be time to visit her. If she survives, that is."

I storm to the window and look down at the cross. My mind drifts to thoughts of freedom, away from this place: just me and Stephanie, all alone. This is what I came here for—to free her. My hands fist at my sides. She can't go through the Purge. All I want is for things to go right for once in my life. But it hasn't and never will if I don't start dictating back. I didn't want any of this for her. I didn't ask for my family to be torn apart. I didn't ask to be born an orphan. Yet, for some reason, I continue to be a doormat.

I want more than this!

"Ziv," Mr. C. says.

If only I could see her again. Her eyes would tell me the truth.

"Dr. Ethridge will be conducting the interrogation. She will be in the best care. You have my word on that."

A surge of heat pours through my stomach and I ask, "Is that the complete truth?"

"Yes," Maxwell warns, "and don't question the authority at hand. Be mindful to stay in your place."

"Fifth floor, huh?" The words spill from my mouth.

I face Mr. C. and Maxwell, who stand blocking the door. A heap of air gusts from my mouth and I shout, "Sit Down!"
My voice, covered in thunder, explodes throughout the room and bounces off the walls. A small vase on the table shatters, sending ceramic shards everywhere. Mr. C. and Maxwell tremble and collapse to the floor, landing on their backsides before crossing their legs.

I storm past them.

Maxwell reaches out a hand and sarcastically utters, "Nice…technique!"

Breaking to the back corridors, I run to avoid guards. I know I only have a few seconds to spare before Maxwell and Mr. C. are back on their feet. The elevators would be too slow, so I take the stairs, skipping multiple steps as I float down, using the handrails to propel me. The jolts of my knee joints are barely noticeable as I land and quickly pounce to the next level below. As I reach level five, the alarm blares overhead, along with an unfamiliar announcement about some code that I haven't invested enough time in to recognize. I race past a crowd of onlookers before they can identify me, bumping a young man off his feet as I turn the corner and head toward the detainment room.

I fling the doors open, where a pack of burly built men stand waiting for me. They are unarmed, but more than husky enough to take me out with one or two well-placed punches.

Then I would not see her again, wasting this adrenaline filled romp.

"Stand down sir," one of the men yells, pointing a weighty fist at me.

The air is pregnant with potential. I bite down on my bottom lip, straining to hide a smile.

Steady, the words pour out, "Don't you mean," and I shout, "Sit Down!"

All five men stagger and fall to the ground, one at a time like dominoes. I step over them, lifting the set of keys from one of their hands, while I whistle. Pressing forward, I reach the room and insert the key. The swooshes in my chest have suddenly merged, creating one large rhythmic pulsation as I anticipate seeing Stephanie again. I open the door and there she sits, alone on a bench with her head in her hands.

She looks up at me and asks, "Ziv, is that you?"

Her mouth seems to move in slow motion and her voice travels through the air in asynchronous fashion.

"Yes, it's me!" I slam the door behind me.

Thoughts of hugging her transform my brisk walk into a run as I pull her close. The softness of her body is pure kryptonite to me and I melt away like ice. Time stands still as my heart stops and my emotions freeze. I'm not quite sure if it's the safe or something else at work, but my fear and doubt have completely left me. Nothing else matters at this moment—nothing but Stephanie. All those words of truth and trust have been cast aside as well. And it's going to take a miracle to bring them back.