Musings by Erin

  Carrie Stuart Parks is in a league of her own when it comes to inspirational suspense. While many authors draw you in with nail-biting and intense page turning, Ms. Parks whets your appetite with mystery and intrigue, draws in some real life history and events, adds dogs and art to each and every story, and creates characters with more quirks than  usual. This book was no different. Here's a little bit about the book: Samantha Williams’s carefully crafted life is about to be demolished as thoroughly as her art classroom when a careening SUV smashes into the school. In the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington, art teacher Samantha Williams manages to save her students when an SUV crashes into the school. Her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—containing her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage, forcing her to rely on the kindness of strangers. Never one to trust easily, Samantha is thrust into a world far different...

  When I want to enjoy a historical romance that includes mystery and intrigue as well as spiritual depth, I know I can count on Roseanna M. White. Her Secrets of the Isles series has followed  a group of friends - some of the nobility and others not - to the Scilly Islands, off the coast of Cornwall. The islands are filled with legends - many based in fact - that have brought many a treasure hunter to their shores. This series tells some of those tales. This final installment in the series includes the legend of King Arthur and the sinking of Lyonesse together in a way that is altogether believable. This book ties up the series nicely and brings closure to the characters. I also enjoy any book that includes a dog and there's a delightful puppy included in this one as well.  Here's a bit about the book: After a summer of successful pirate-treasure hunting, Lady Emily Scofield and her friends must hide the unprecedented discoveries they've made, thanks to the betrayal of h...

  As a CASA who is always looking for good continuing education books to read, this book popped out to me as one that I would really be interested in. It is written by a woman who grew up in foster care, and is now married and a foster mom. She overcame her obstacles and healed from her trauma by the grace of God and I knew that I wanted to hear her story. Honest about where she came from and owning up to her own bad decisions that took her further down that road, Ms. Petersen readily points to her relationship with God as being what saved her - physically, emotionally and spiritually. This book is one I'd recommend to anyone who works with or around foster youth or simply wants to know more.  Here's a little bit about the book: If you’re wondering if God can truly move in the life of someone with all the odds stacked against her, look no further than Tori Hope Petersen. Tori grew up in the foster care system, a bi-racial child in a confusing and volatile world. Growing up wit...

  Jerry B Jenkins has long been a prominent name within the Christian fiction genre and has made quite a name for himself in the industry. He has written quite a few wonderful books and I've read and enjoyed many of them. This book is the first dual timeline book of his that I've read and as that is a favorite genre of mine, I was thrilled with the premise of this one. The characters and dialogue in this one fell a bit short for me, though the plot and story-line were still very good. I believe I would have enjoyed this one more if I'd read book 1 in the series first. Here's a bit about the book: In this thrilling adventure, archaeologist Nicole Berman is about to discover the key to unifying three major religions—if a dangerous enemy doesn't stop her first. Archaeologist   Nicole Berman is the first woman to be awarded a permit to lead a dig in Saudi Arabia. Nicole believes what she hopes to discover has the power to to rewrite world history. She assembles a team t...