The Watchman of Ephraim - Gerard de Marigny - Blog Tour Review

Cris De Niro worked his way up to the top of the hedge fund world. Yet, all of his money couldn't protect him from losing his wife on 9/11. 10 years passed since the tragedy. De Niro and his sons relocated to a sprawling ranch near Las Vegas. Turning to his faith to overcome his anguish, De Niro now lives for a higher purpose. From a biblical passage, he reads about the "Watchman of Ephraim," a defender who kept watch over the land. De Niro decides to acquire a lackluster counter-terrorism agency in order to transform it into a modern-day version of The Watchman for the United States but there's not a moment to lose.

Partial synopsis taken from goodreads. 

Title: The Watchman of Ephraim

Author: Gerard de Marigny

Genre: Adult Fiction, Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

Publisher: JarRyJorNo Publishing

Publication Date: January 21, 2011

Format: E-book

Source: Received from author. Many thanks goes to Gerard de Marigny for sending me a copy of his book for review. I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

Look for it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

My rating: 3.5/5

Cris de Niro had everything. A beautiful wife, two young sons, with a third child on the way. Then, in one moment, tragedy struck, and the world would never be the same again. When the towers fell, taking the life of his wife, Lisa, and their unborn child, Cris was left bereft, lost in a sea of emotions. With despair setting in, Cris turned to the Bible for comfort and sustenance. Now, ten years later, Cris is starting up an agency to watch out for terrorism, to make sure another terrorist attack never happens on U.S. soil again. 

With the ten year anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching, Cris is left with a growing sense of urgency. He forms a business that is on the lookout for terrorism within the United States borders. What he doesn't realize, is how quickly he will stumble upon a plot meant to extrapolate and incapacitate those on the anniversary of 9/11. 

With topics taken straight from the headlines, and our worst fears, de Marigny takes us on a wild ride as we follow Cris, and his compatriots on their search for any terrorist plots. When their worst fears are realized, we are right there with them, trying to figure out just what is going to happen next, and who will end up the victor. 

There are a slew of characters in The Watchman of Ephraim, and at times it was hard to differentiate between them as some of them seemed to have the same voice, however they are united in their goal to keep America safe. The structure of The Watchman of Ephraim is sound, and it has great bones. I just wanted the story fleshed out a little bit more. Also, with a little tightening up, this read could be an excellent one.There is a lot of technical jargon in association with different weapons, and military terms, and definitions are given in the back of the book which helps the non-military reader.

All in all, this is a heartbreaking subject to write about, and de Marigny writes with dignity and grace, while keeping in mind the grief of those who lost someone on that fateful day. I rooted for Cris to come out on top, and hoped that he would achieve the goals he set for himself, and those around him. I am definitely interested in seeing what happens next for Cris and his new agency.

Homefires - Emily Sue Harvey

"Emily Sue Harvey's first novel, Song of Renewal, was praised by New York Times bestselling author Jill Marie Landis as "an uplifting, heartwarming story," by bestselling author Kay Allenbaugh as a work that will "linger in the memory long after readers put it aside," and by Coffee Time Romance as "a must-read book for anyone doing a little soul searching." New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry said, "It captures your attention, and whets your appetite for more," while Peeking between the Pages called it "quite simply a beautiful book."

Her second novel, Homefires is set in the Deep South's Bible Belt on the eve of unprecedented moral changes. It is the story of Janeece and Kirk Crenshaw, a couple married just after their high school graduation who set out to make a life for themselves. It is a life marked by surprises, none more dramatic than when Kirk receives his "high-calling" and becomes a pastor. It is a life marked by tragedy, the most heart-rending of which is a devastating event very close to home. And it is a life marked by challenges: to their church, to their community, and most decidedly to their marriage. And as the fullness of time makes its impact on their union, Kirk and Janeece must face the question of whether they have gone as far as they can together.

Filled with the rich emotions and evocative characters that fans have come to expect from Emily Sue Harvey, and reminiscent of the work of Jan Karon and Anne Rivers Siddons, Homefires is a poignant and compelling novel that will steal readers' hearts."

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Title: Homefires

Author: Emily Sue Harvey

Genre: Adult Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher: The Story Plant

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

Format: Softcover

Source: Received from publicist. Many thanks goes to Tracee from Pump Up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

Tour: Pump Up Your Book

Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository

My rating: 4/5

Homefires opens with Janeece and Kirk ready to start the rest of their lives. Newly wedded, and ready to share a lifetime with each other, everything is fresh and new. Married life is this new and exotic land just beckoning to be explored. However, life never goes as expected, and we see the trials and tribulations that come to roost with Janeece and Kirk, and their extended families. Tragedies of the worst sort befall them. Will they be able to remain true to their vows, or have they reached the end of their path together? 

Homefires is an exceptional and thought-provoking read, as we see how Janeece and Kirk take to married life. They have come from two different backgrounds, and it is interesting to see how they interpret and misinterpret each other's intentions based on their separate childhood learning experiences. This read is fully fleshed out, and all of Janeece's and Kirk's struggles are aired out, but also, so are their joyous occasions. Homefires follows Janeece and Kirk through their many years of marriage, and we see Kirk as he is called to become a pastor. Life certainly turns upside down for them on more than one occasion, but through it all they have each other, until certain actions are taken. Faith and forgiveness play a large part in this read as Janeece and Kirk struggle to find themselves, and each other. Though temptations arise, and tragedies befall them, faith will prevail. 

They are memorable characters, and the various and large amount of side characters show what it's like to live in a small town environment. I especially enjoyed being able to place certain areas in the book, such as Pigeon Forge and Asheville. It made the book seem all the more real to me. 

Janeece and Kirk are so realistic because they are just like every couple out there. How they survive through certain elements I don't know, but they do. They show us that life is not going to always be happy, but there is this ever-sustaining belief that things will work out for better or worse.

All in all, an inspirational, and haunting read as we see how certain tragedies and triumphs affect the lives of Janeece, Kirk, and everyone around them. Both faith and forgiveness prevail, even after all that has been said and done and that in itself is inspiring. I would definitely recommend this one to those looking for a contemporary, coming of age, or inspirational read. 

Once Was Lost - Sara Zarr

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles.

She used to believe in a lot of things.

But where there was once faith... there are now only questions.

As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy into the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town goes missing, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed--about God, your family, and yourself--is transformed.

Title: Once Was Lost

Author: Sara Zarr

Genre: Young Adult, Inspirational Fiction

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

My Rating: 5/5

This book was excellent. The characters were so real. Sam was vivid and mesmerizing, and I could completely relate to her. I think I enjoyed this book so much because I could identify so well with her, how she was feeling in regards to her faith and her family, all of it. She was disillusioned to say the least, but never stopped striving to make things better, and to try to understand why they weren't getting any better. The sub-story also hit close to home. We also had a missing child in the area last fall, and unfortunately, things did not turn out well for the family. This book captures that feeling of desperation, of looking at everyone with a suspicious eye; turning friends and relatives into strangers overnight. Things can never go back to the way they were, but time moves on, albeit slowly at first. This book was fraught with emotion. The starkness of the landscape against the looming storms; the tension, the electricity buzzing in the air. It was so visceral and moving. I didn't find it anti-religious at all. Sam questioned her faith, but didn't "preach" about it (either). It was an engaging read, and it had so much depth to it. This one will stay with me for quite a while. I urge you all to pick it up and give it a try.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.