A Thousand Tomorrows (Cody Gunner #1) by Karen Kingsbury | Contemporary Fiction Review

A Thousand Tomorrows

Cody Gunner #1

Karen Kingsbury

Contemporary Fiction

Cody Gunner has no use for real love. Abandoned as a child by the person he needed the most, he swears he will never allow himself to love again. Ali Daniels denies love as well. Carrying a terrible secret, she lives life to the fullest, taking risks and refusing relationships. When Cody and Ali meet, their first instincts are to hide behind their emotional walls, seemingly doomed to repeat the patterns they have established for most of their lives. But their attraction is too strong, and soon they're doomed in another way, for neither can avoid falling in love, regardless of the consequences. Only after three years--a thousand tomorrows later--do they realize at what cost their relationship comes. In the end, they must decide if love is worth the ultimate price.

My Thoughts

Many of us have already read this book from Karen Kingsbury. It was first released in 2005 and I scooped it up as soon as I could get my hands on it. I loved it then and I loved it again with this new release. If you haven't read it I highly recommend you get a copy. 

It's a gripping story of two very shattered people that eventually come together and help heal the other's wounds. Be forewarned it's a tear-jerker so keep the tissues handy. I knew what was coming and I still cried. 

The exciting part about this rerelease is that it comes just as the TV mini series for this story is being released on PureFlix. I've only had the opportunity to watch the first of six episodes but it looks like it will be a memorable series.

I would be remiss if  I didn't also mention that this is just book one in a three part series. The other two books are Just Beyond the Clouds and This Side of Heaven. The three books together tell the full story of Cody Gunner and in my opinion shouldn't be missed. I hope that the TV mini series goes on to tell the rest of the story contained in the following two books. I guess we'll see!

Disclosure

I received a copy of this book from the publisher to facilitate my review.

 

The Friends of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury {Book Review}

The Friends of Jesus

Life-Changing Bible Story Series, Book 2

Karen Kingsbury

Biblical Fiction

THIS SECOND BOOK in Karen Kingsbury's Life-Changing Bible Story Series deals with the friends of Jesus. This cast of characters traveled with Jesus and assisted Him with His ministry on a daily basis. They were the people He taught most often and who saw lives changed most dramatically. Yet among them was one who would question Christ, one who would doubt Him . . . and one who would betray Him. In every case they each have a compelling story to tell. A story that will draw you closer to Christ . . . closer to the Scriptures . . . and closer to each other.

• Experience Simon the Leper's humble gratitude
• Believe again with Martha
• Remember what matters most with Jairus
• Understand Mary Magdalene's devotion
• Witness Peter's redemption
• And learn from John's humility

Often we struggle the most with our friends, those people who spend time with us and know us best. This Bible story will give you a deeper understanding of the friends of Jesus as you learn what the Bible has to say about these fascinating relationships.

My Thoughts
Karen Kingsbury follows up her initial foray into Biblical fiction with another dynamic hit. Last year I read the first book in her Life-Changing Bible Story series, The Family of Jesus, and loved it. I eagerly anticipated this second book, The Friends of Jesus. 
As I said in my review for The Family of Jesus, I am quite picky about Biblical fiction. I don't mind adding background characters and scenery but I do not like it when an author takes too much license with the known facts. Kingsbury has again done a masterful job at presenting well-known stories by fleshing them out and adding dialogue to the scriptural accounts.
I know the first book was a big hit and I anticipate that this one will be as well. The story of Simon the Leper left me heartbroken when he at first lost everything that he knew. He was a Pharisee and prided himself on living to the letter of the law. Then the unthinkable happens and he is struck with leprosy. Talk about the ultimate doom for a Pharisee. He not only lost his standing in the community he lost his home and his family. His family was instructed to think of him as dead. Can you even imagine?
The story moves along and continues to weave in Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Jairus, Mary Magdalene, Peter, and then my favorite John. In her quintessential Kingsbury way Karen has taken these six seemingly separate stories and woven them together to give us a beautiful view of those that were the closest to Jesus.
Even though the stories were a fictionalized version it was easy to be drawn in to the ministry of Christ and revel in His miracles and teachings. I enjoyed this second book every bit as much as the first. 
At the end of the story there is a section of discussion questions that would work well with a book club or reading group. Another great resource to use as a follow up to the book is The Friends of Jesus Bible Study. It is a workbook and video teaching series by Karen Kingsbury.
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Chasing Sunsets (Angels Walking, Book 2) by Karen Kingsbury {Contemporary Romance Review}

Chasing Sunsets

Angels Walking, Book 2

Karen Kingsbury

Contemporary Romance

The moment was ending--Mary Catherine could sense it. 

She took a half step back and looked at him one last time, memorizing his face. "If . . . " 

Tears filled her eyes and she had to blink to see him clearly. 

"If I was going to love someone . . . it would be you."

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes the second novel in a brand-new series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life—the dramatic story of a woman desperate to find deeper meaning in her life.

Growing up in a comfortable home, Mary Catherine wanted for nothing. Though she loves her wealthy parents, their lifestyle never appealed to her. Instead, Mary Catherine pursues meaning through charity work, giving away a part of herself but never giving away her heart.

Mary Catherine lives in Los Angeles with her roommate, Sami, and volunteers at a local youth center with coach Tyler Ames and LA Dodger Marcus Dillinger. Despite Mary Catherine’s intention to stay single, she finds herself drawing close to Marcus, and their budding romance offers an exciting life she never dreamed of. That is, until she receives devastating news from her doctor. News that alters her future and forces her to make a rash decision.

Inspirational and moving, Chasing Sunsets is the story of one woman’s deep longings of the soul, and the sacrifices she’s willing to make in search of healing.




My Thoughts
If you liked Karen Kingsbury's book Divine then I'm pretty sure that you will enjoy this book as well. It is a bit grittier than her usual stories and I enjoyed that added element. It is still a romance, but it has side stories that deal with tragic but real situations. 
Chasing Sunsets picks up where Angels Walking left off but this time the main story shifts from Tyler and Sami to Mary Catherine and Marcus. We're also introduced to two new angels, Aspyn and Jag. This group is asked to be a part of a new program called Last Time In. The program pairs at risk teenage girls with mentors and takes them through a rigorous intervention meant to keep them out of prison.
Marcus and Mary Catherine are paired up with Lexy Jones, a sixteen year old gangbanger that is headed down a dead end road. Lexy's situation is bleak and seems impossible to escape from but Mary Catherine is determined to help her find a new path in life. I really liked how Mary Catherine had the ability to look past the circumstances and see the hurting girl underneath.
While Mary Catherine is helping Lexy uncover who she really is destined to be she's desperately trying to hide circumstances in her own life that make it impossible for her to pursue a lasting relationship with Marcus. How she resists such a wonderful man is beyond me!
As I said in my review of Angels Walking the added element of angels did not detract from the story but rather enhanced it. At the end of the book Karen Kingsbury opens up and shares about a beautiful encounter with what her family credits to an angel among them. 
The only downside to this novel . . . it has a cliff-hanger ending of sorts. The good news is that the third book in the Angels Walking series is scheduled to hit book stores this fall. I for one can't wait to see where this journey takes us next.
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Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury ~ A Contemporary Fiction Review

Angels Walking

Angels Walking Series, Book 1

Karen Kingsbury

Contemporary Fiction

Inside Book Flap:

SOMEWHERE IN HEAVEN, a decision has been made. An Angels Walking team has been assigned to a desperate mission: a broken baseball player, the love he left behind, and the miracle that might save a whole city. When angels walk, most people never know, never see. But they are there. And sometimes the stakes are so high, all of heaven stands ready.

One-time national baseball hero Tyler Ames has lost everyone he loves on a quest to make it to the big leagues. Then, just when things seem to be turning around, Tyler Ames has lost everyone he loves on a quest to make it to the big leagues. Then, just when things seem to be turning around, Tyler hits rock bottom. Across the country, Tyler's only love, Sami Dawson, has moved on.

A series of small miracles leads Tyler to a maintenance job at a retirement home and a friendship with Virginia Hutcheson, an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, who strangely might have the answers he so desperately seeks.

A team of Angels Walking takes on the mission to see hope restored for Tyler, Sami, and Virginia. Can the small and seemingly insignificant actions of the unseen bring healing and redemption? Can the words of a stranger restore lost love? Every journey begins with a step.

It is time for the mission to begin.

My Thoughts:
Sometimes we get so focused on ourselves and our success that we forget about those around us that were pivotal in helping us achieve our dreams.
Tyler Ames was a pitching phenom at the ripe old age of twelve. His friend Marcus was every bit as good. They made a pact to never leave the other behind. But as often happens, the passage of time changed things. Different paths were chosen with different results.
After a season ending and possibly career ending injury Tyler finds himself looking back and regretting choices that were made. He regrets the relationships he let go and the paths that he pursued. If he had a second chance there are definitely things he would do differently. 
Tyler's not the only one with regrets. His parents Bill and Angie now wonder how they could have let such distance come between themselves and their son. Sami Dawson once thought that she and Tyler would be together forever. How had it all gone wrong?
Beck and Ember are angels on a mission. Tyler and the others are in desperate need of a new beginning. God in His providential way has sent the angels to intervene and redirect the lives of His children. The seemingly impossible suddenly becomes possible. Through the very touching relationship with Alzheimer's patient Virginia Hutcheson, Tyler gets his new beginning.
When I first picked this book up I was a bit leery of it being an angel story. Those stories can sometimes be a bit too "woo woo" for me. But I was pleasantly surprised with Angels Walking. Not only is the story plausible, it is uplifting and hopeful. We've all been in that place where we think all is lost, only to have the situation begin to turn around in ways we never expected. That is how this story plays out. If this first book is any indication of how the series will be . . . it's going to be good!
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The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury ~ A Biblical Fiction and Bible Study Review and Giveaway

The Family of Jesus

Heart of the Story, Book 1

Karen Kingsbury

Biblical Fiction/ Bible Study

Back of the book:

Meet the family closest to Jesus . . .

Joseph,

his stepfather: the protector of Jesus

Zechariah,

                his uncle: a priest who waited on God

Elizabeth,

                his aunt: a woman who faithfully believed in the impossible

John the Baptist,

                his cousin: a man whose whole life meant dying for Jesus
James,

                his brother: a man whose regret turned to joy

Mary,

                his mother: a woman desperate to save her son from the one mission she couldn’t stop

These are their stories.

Each has a compelling tale to tell. Based on the Bible and interspersed with emotionally gripping fictional details as well as historical and theological insights, the stories of Jesus’s family will shed new light on God’s word.

Read and imagine the Bible like never before.

My thoughts:
With The Family of Jesus, Karen Kingsbury uses her talent to take her fans in a new direction. She has embarked on a storytelling journey into the realm of Biblical fiction. In my opinion it is some of the best work I have seen from her in a long time. That is not to say I haven't enjoyed her recent works, it is just that this book feels like her original writing. It is very engaging in its simply told stories. 

I'm a very picky reader when it comes to Biblical fiction. I think there is a fine line that shouldn't be crossed and I'm happy to say that Karen stayed on the correct side of that line. In fact at the very beginning of the book she explained the parameters that she stuck to in telling the stories.

"From the beginning as I undertook this project, I felt compelled by my love of the Bible to stick to some hard-and-fast ground rules. The most important was this: The stories had to be anchored in Scripture. In a way, I took the Bible verses on these real-life characters and stuck them like tent stakes in the desert sand. Nothing could ever violate those truths.

Then I researched the cultural and geographical accuracy and made absolutely sure the tent of the stories didn't billow beyond that.

But otherwise, I let the tent blow in the wind a little."

So with that in mind I'm pleased to say that this was a wonderful journey through the life of Christ as seen through the eyes of those closest to Him. The story begins with Joseph and winds through Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, James and then ends with His mother Mary.

The stories are so well told that I found myself contemplating things that I had never really considered before. Such as how did Mary and Joseph's families feel about the situation. What kind of shame would be heaped upon Zachariah for remaining childless all those years? After all he is a priest and his offspring is expected to carry on that priestly line. What would John the Baptist be like as a child? The Scripture says he was filled with the Spirit from birth. How would that affect his actions and decisions? As you can see there is lots and lots to ponder during the telling of this line of stories.

The second half of the book is made up of a six week Bible study that takes each of the characters presented and spends five days delving deeper into the background of that person. Each week then ends with a Group Discussion session. This book would make an excellent small-group study or even an extended Book Club read and discussion.

READ AN EXCERPT!

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The Giveaway:

We have partnered with Family Christian to offer two of our readers a copy of the book The Family of Jesus. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

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Whatever You Grow Up to Be by Karen Kingsbury ~ A Children's Book Review

Whatever You Grow Up to Be

Karen Kingsbury

Juvenile Fiction

About the book:

Ten little toes right from the start make footprints on your mommy's heart!

The timeless journey of a mother and son is poignantly captured in the story of a boy's growth from childhood to fatherhood. From birth to football games to college graduation, a mother reminds her son that life is filled with possibilities and that God has a plan for him--whatever he grows up to be!

My thoughts:
All you boy mommas need to grab a Kleenex before reading this one! It is such a poignant reminder that the days may be long but the years fly by. Before you know it you will be looking into the face of your precious grandbaby.
Through the use of rhyming verse Karen Kingsbury takes us through the journey of a mother and her beloved son. As each milestone passes the momma is there to cheer her son on no matter what he grows up to be. The story begins with the birth of her own son and goes through all the life stages up to the point of the birth of her grandson. The illustrations by Valeria Docampo are absolutely beautiful. I love the bright colors and the whimsical paintings. 
While this is technically a children's book I think it would make a marvelous gift for Mother's Day for all the boy mommas and even the grandmommas! 
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Book Review ~ Fifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury

Fifteen Minutes

Karen Kingsbury

Contemporary Fiction

About the book:

Zack Dylan has a dream. He wants to sing on the biggest stages, for the biggest crowds, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make it come true. But Zack also made a promise to his college sweetheart when he left Kentucky to compete on the popular TV show Fifteen Minutes: If he made it, nothing would change him or his faith in God.

Overnight, Zack becomes the nation’s most popular contestant, a country singer comparable to a young Tim McGraw. As his star rises, Zack is often asked to compromise and quiet his beliefs. Just as he’s on the verge of winning it all, his choices lead him to the brink of personal disaster. Meanwhile, a former Fifteen Minutes winner is searching for meaning amidst her own private losses. Can she warn Zack about the real price of fame? Or will Zack lose everything he loves for his fifteen minutes of glory?

My thoughts:

Die-hard Karen Kingsbury fans are going to be thrilled with this newest offering. Karen is such a prolific and talented writer. It is hard to imagine how one could write so many stories without becoming formula driven. So far Karen has managed to escape that trap.

In Fifteen Minutes the search for fame and fortune is what Zack Dylan is after. Zack is a young man devoted to God, his family and his fiancé. He is convinced that he can help them all by trying out and winning Fifteen Minutes, the reality TV singing competition. Before he really knows what is happening he finds himself compromising time and time again. 

The true costs to obtaining and maintaining fame are addressed in this well-written book. The stories of Kelly and Chandra give us a glimpse of the price of fame. It takes a toll on every aspect of their lives. The voice of God has become silent, their families are destroyed, and the contentment they thought they would find with having it all is elusive.

Fifteen Minutes gives a great fictionalized account of reality TV and those unsuspecting individuals who clamor to become a part of it. It will make you think differently as you watch your favorite show each week. I think you will begin to picture the contestants as real people with real lives. For that we can all benefit from the reading of this book. 

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Photo by: Dan Davis Photography

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The Chance ~ A Moving Tale by @KarenKingsbury

Disclosure *I was given a copy of this book. All thoughts are from @FitzysMom of Rambles of a SAHM

The Chance

Karen Kingsbury

Christian Fiction

Buy it on Amazon! 

About the book:

The day before a teenage Ellie moved from Georgia to California, she and her best friend Nolan sat beneath the Spanish moss of an ancient oak tree where they wrote letters to each other and buried them in a rusty old metal box. The plan was to return eleven years later, dig the box up, and read the letters. But now, as that date approaches, much has changed. Ellie has abandoned the faith she grew up with, her days consumed with loving her little girl and trying to make ends meet. Sometimes she watches TV to catch a glimpse of her old friend Nolan, now an NBA star, whose faith is known by the entire nation. But few know that Nolan’s own personal tragedies have fueled both his faith and athletic drive. Despite his success, Nolan is isolated and lonely, plagued by a void in his heart that has remained since that night beneath the old oak tree with Ellie. For both Ellie and Nolan, the coming date is more than just a childhood promise. It’s the chance to make sense of it all—the chance to find out if it’s ever too late to find love again.

Karen Kingsbury weaves a moving tale of heart-wrenching loss, the power of faith, and the wounds that only a forever kind of love can heal. She delves deeply into a theme that resonates within us all: Hope lives for those willing to take a chance.

About the author:

Website: KarenKingsbury.com

Facebook Page

Twitter @KarenKingsbury

Karen Kingsbury is America’s favorite inspirational novelist. There are more than 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen’s recent dozen titles have all debuted at or near the top of the New York Times Bestseller’s list.

She is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. Karen lives and works outside Nashville, Tenn., with her husband, Don, and their five sons, three of whom were adopted from Haiti. Also living nearby is their only daughter, Kelsey, an actress in inspirational films and married to Christian recording artist Kyle Kupecky.

My thoughts:

In The Chance Karen Kingsbury brings us back to the writing style that we’ve all come to know and love. Yes, it is a storyline that has been done before and some of the characters are larger than life and way above reproach. Do they have flaws? Maybe, but they are few and far between.

The truth is that none of that matters. In The Chance we are taken on a journey through some seemingly impossible situations and in the end God provides a way. We are reminded that our good intentions often have not so good motives. Our righteous indignation is just that . . . ours. We use God to get others to act according to our thinking instead of seeking His wisdom in our own actions.

I enjoyed the premise of young love and the hope that it could become more than that someday. I thought that Nolan was a wonderful depiction of Christ’s love for us in the way he accepted and loved Ellie. Ellie’s parents’ story is proof that forgiveness is powerful for all involved.

A fun aspect of the book was getting to catch up with Molly and Ryan from The Bridge. I am enjoying this new non series that Karen has put together. I like the aspect of returning characters that pop up in future books. It is refreshing after a long drawn out series of series. 

Disclosure: The opinions expressed in this review are those of @FitzysMom from Rambles of a SAHM. A book was provided free of cost in order to facilitate this review. This post contains affiliate links. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"

Book Review ~ The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury @KarenKingsbury #ChristmasGiftGuide

The Bridge

Karen Kingsbury

Fiction/ Religious/Christmas

Buy it on Amazon!

Inside book cover:

Number one New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury delivers an instant classic with this heartwarming Christmas story about a hundred-year flood, lost love, and the beauty of enduring friendships.

Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but she left her heart back in Tennessee with a man she walked away from five years ago. They had a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.

Ryan Kelly lives in Nashville after a broken engagement and several years on the road touring with a country music duo. He can still hear Molly’s voice encouraging him to follow his dreams; Molly, whose memory stays with him. At least he can visit The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin—and remember the hours he and Molly once spent there.

For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales and the rise of digital books. Then in May, the hundred-year flood swept through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store.

Now the bank is pulling the lease on The Bridge. Despondent and without answers, Charlie considers the unthinkable. Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly, everything changes. In the face of desperate brokenness and lost opportunities, could the miracle of a second chance actually unfold?

The Bridge is a love story set against the struggle of the American bookstore, a love story you will never forget.

About the author:

Website: www.KarenKingsbury.com

Twitter: @KarenKingsbury

Facebook Page

No. 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist. There are nearly 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

Karen's newest novel, COMING HOME - The Baxter Family - releases June 26 and is the subject of much buzz on Karen's active Facebook page, where she had more than 250,000 friends. There is also great anticipation over THE BRIDGE, Karen's much-anticipated first hardback release with her new publisher - Simon & Schuster's Howard Books. THE BRIDGE is a love story set against the demise of the American bookstore.

My thoughts:

Here’s another great Christmas book for making our season merry and bright! It is great for a couple of different reasons. Number one; it is written by Karen Kingsbury . . . enough said! Number two; it is centered around a bookstore. Not just any bookstore, this is a special bookstore. It is one of those quaint shops that draw you back time and time again.

There are two different love stories going on here. The first is that of Charlie and Donna. Theirs is made up of years together and all the heartache and joy that comes with that span of time. The other storyline is Ryan and Molly. Theirs is a young love that has hit a major bump in the road.

I completely enjoyed how Karen wove the two tales together. The Bridge is a perfect title. It reminds us to always look for that span between the two situations. That is where our hope lies.

To make this little novella even better check out Karen’s prequel to The Bridge.

(It is the backstory of Charlie and Donna and will make the whole account come to life.)

The Beginning: An eShort Prequil to The Bridge

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”