This novel explores so many subjects that it is hard to imagine how they could all be woven so expertly into the story line without feeling like you are ticking off a list; however, the author skillfully does so.    Saving Cicadas shares with us an adult unplanned pregnancy, we learn of a teenaged pregnancy, an estrangement from parents in a time of need, we get a window into what it is like for a parent to deal with life’s ups and downs while parenting a special needs child.   Along with those issues we get exposed to the consequences of relationship failures and how they not only impact those in the intimate relationship; but also, into other peripheral relationships and how they are affected.   This story explores the raising of children without fathers, it dives into adoption, abortion, abandonment, and the complicated layers of influence that religion plays on our decisions and our choices in our daily lives.

         There are some definite artistic licenses taken with traditional Christian beliefs when it comes to exploring the concept of angels and the limits, or lack there of, that they play in our earthly lives.   The line between our physical selves and our spiritual selves is explored too.    I love how the story line explores the ramifications of what would have, should have, or could have been, in regards to the life of the unborn who’s lives were terminated through abortion.  This may be a hard read for those who have been touched by abortion.  However, the book also underscores the power of repentence and forgiveness which is exactly what scripture promises to those who truly seek it.

          All in all, this book is a life affirming book which I believe makes it worth the time and emotional energy that the reader expends while unfolding the storyline.  It is a good book and I like that the author takes the time to write questions at the end of the book which helps guide the reader’s feelings and understanding of the different areas of thought on these subjects. 

            The author is Nicole Seitz and the book was published in 2010 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.   The publisher’s website can be found here:  http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/  and here is the author’s website:  http://www.nicoleseitz.com/

Jewel is her mother Angela’s joy, her savior, and her anchor.   She is also the ball and chain to Angela’s relationships.   Angela puts Jewel on the back burner until she needs her when her latest man walks out, beats her up, uses her or just plain and simple demands that she dump Jewel into the foster care system.

Jewel is used to saving Angela from her poor choices.  She has changed roles with her mother and becomes the responsible adult in the relationship.  Even in foster care, Jewel has to steady and calm her mother over the phone.

The downside is that Jewel’s emotional needs are always put aside; buried, disregarded and deminished.  Jewel has learned not to trust, not to expect too much…and, to be ready to move at a moments notice.  She is smart but uses confrontational interaction to keep others at a distance.  She yearns to be accepted, loved and nurtured…but is unable to accept that she is worth it.   She holds out hope that she and her mother will have the life that they dreamed of…the fantasy life.  However, she really doesn’t expect it to happen.

Like many State Kids, Jewel has never really fit in.  This last time though, she has found a teacher who supports her, who understands her and who believes in her.  She toys with the concept of having friends…even though she doesn’t expect much from them.   She makes some poor choices and endangers herself after finding her mother Od’d.   She is sexually assaulted.  She saves someone who thinks little of her and in doing so…she finds a grudging respect and opens the door to some adult acceptance.  Her mother has abandoned her and is lost to her forever.

Jewel is strong…too strong; she is vulnerable…too vulnerable.  Jewel is precious and she is worthless at the same time.  Does she find a way to find value in her own life before it is too late?  Does the system destroy her or help her to build upon a foundation that is cracked and crumbling?  Does anyone really reach out far enough to help her to save herself?   You’ll have to read The Throwaway Piece to know for sure.   I enjoyed reading it…because it is real.

Just for full disclosure; I did receive this book as a free review copy.  This in no way, affects my opinion of it.  It is worth reading.  If you would like to purchase this book you can go Amazon.com.  Otherwise, here is a link to the publisher’s website where you can purchase the book directly:  http://www.latinoteca.com/app-home/app-inprints/Pinata_Books .   This book was copyrighted in 2006 by Pinata Books an imprint of Arte Publico Press.

Enjoy getting to know Jewel so that you can have compassion in your heart for foster children everywhere!  Every life has value and meaning…look beyond behaviors and read and understand the heart.

        When his failure to overcome financial obstacles starts to consume him and destroy him…it causes her to leave temparily.  This in turn leads him to a life of crime and an over-indulgence in substances that numb him and allows him to lower his moral standards even farther until he can no longer tolerate the man he has become.   As he tries to regain his self worth he attempts to reconnect with his wife who has divorced him.  Can they find their way back to one another after such devastation?

        One last time, they agree to camp and fish together on the land they love so that they can have closure on their relationship.  He has hurt her badly and regrets it; knowing that when he let her go it was a huge mistake.  He had temporarily in the midst of his addictions had a relationship with a fellow addict…his wife Vonnie knows of this and is hurt.  On this last time together on the land that drew them together in the first place and upon which their love was grown they come to a place of healing only to find their future endangered by the past illegal relationships that Mack had tried to walk away from.  Where they go and how they get their is why you will want to dive into the words between the covers of this book.  If you love action, stories about commitment and relationships you will enjoy this book.

          The Signal was copyrighted in 2009 by Viking.   You can visit their site here: http://www.vpbookclub.com/

        In what turns out to be a case of self-fulfilling prophecy, Claire is kidnapped.  She was faced with a scenerio right out of one of her nightmares when a stranger forces himself into her home and attempts to steal her young daughter.  In a desperate moment of complete mother love, Claire trades her freedom for her child’s potential imprisonment by this stranger.  As the knowledge of what she has done sets in, Claire’s internal panic mode sets in.  It is her nightmare come to life; that lack of control over what is about to happen to her…she feels trapped and powerless to guarantee a good outcome.  Claire’s husband has been living a secret life; maybe that is true but, so has she.   These things are revealed slowly to her, during her time in captivity. 

          This taking of her freedom is what ultimately sets Claire free and opens her eyes to the life that surrounds her.   Come and see how she puts the pieces of her life together, into a framework that allows her to live her life in appreciation of beauty, instead of fear; with a sense of fulfillment and gratitude for the things she holds dear.  By the time the book was completely finished, I thought the title should have read; Still Standing!   I loved this book, and you will too.

           If you have ever had any relationship with an irrational fear, panic attacks or an anxiety disorder this book will feel like someone is speaking your language.  A sister who shares your thoughts and feelings…she gives you hope that life can be different, freer, and more peaceful once again.  Read the novel, soak it up and enjoy the knowledge that this author, Kelly Simmons, doesn’t make light of those who know what Claire has been through!

            You can learn more about the author here on her website:  http://www.bykellysimmons.com/  There you can also find a link to purchase her book.  You wont be sorry that you did.  The book Standing Still was published by Atria Books and copyrighted in 2008.   They are a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.  You can find Atria Books here:  http://www.simonandschuster.net/content/destination.cfm?sid=33&pid=427719

           A wife, a mother, a daughter who is so consummed by the fears that she faces daily that she almost forgets how to “live”.  Her life is dictated by those fears.  When one of the things she fears most happens…she sacrifices herself for one of the most basic reasons…motherly instinct. 

           A man breaks into her home…she discovers him as he is attempting to kidnap her young daughter.  She offers herself in place of her child out of a need to protect her child…at the same time…wondering if she will survive this very real threat.

            In the days to come, her heart and her mind examines her life and her priorities.  She confronts some of her fears as she almost “rests” in the captivity caused by her kidnapper. 

            Secrets from Claires past have held her hostage. She used to be a fearless writer, an insatiable reporter, a woman who was constantly on the move, a woman not willing to be tied down in life.   She has built an invisible wall all around her family.  Her husband has become distant and she no longer feels as if she knows who he is or what he wants or needs from her.  Will their marriage survive…will she survive this ordeal? 

         How is it that the kidnapper understands her better than her own husband.  He knows her likes and dislikes.  He nurtures her and he protects her from others who wish to inflict violence…and yet, he hits her.  How can they be friendly in a situation that is definately not supposed to feel safe?

              This writer, Kelly Simmons, writes as if she has lived in this woman Claire’s head for a long time.  She understands her …she has a connection to the way that the character Claire sorts through her turmoil.  I found the conversational style of writing very inclusive…i felt as if i too, could understand how a woman in Claire’s position found the kidnapping situation, almost as if it were a sabbatical from her real life…a time to reflect and a time to induce changes.  It is a good read.

       The main characters are interesting; Susannah is the female who is a research and cave anthropologist.  She is seeking solace in her work around the world as she heals from the loss of her mother.  She goes to a place which holds power over her…it is the place where her mother and father went to seek assistance from their faith in having a child.  Susannah is the result of that faith.  She was destined to complete the circle by coming back to the place where it all began.  At the statue of Sarah.

        Grey is the male character that brings the circumstances of her trip to completion by falling in love with Susannah. Grey gave up much for his wife Maria.  He also lost his freedom when his wife left.  He became a rancher who understood the wild white horses of Camargue.   Grey has a daughter who has been traumatized also by the loss of her mother.  Her mother left her to go on and start a new life….her mother Maria was born a gypsy.  Her marriage to Grey was forbidden and therefore caused great harm to her relationships.  She was cursed and so were her children and her marriage.  She fulfilled that curse by believing in it.  She left her husband and her child and caused intense harm to her child Sari.  She didn’t know how to balance her calling, her family, her freedom and her happiness.  She paid a heavy price for her freedom.  Unresolved regrets can eat away at the soul of a person.

         In the end, love and healing are allowed to flourish.  It is a mystery to understand the spiritual realm.  Yet, we all live in it too!  This book is worth the time it takes to get emotionally involved.  It is beautifully written.  The mystical white horses of Camargue add an old world quality to the book.  The intensity of human emotions and the damage they can do to others that we care about is underscored throughout the book.  It teaches us the power of love, forgiveness and moving forward through the healing process.  It is transforming to know that we do not have to be held hostage to the mistakes that we make in this world…that we have the power to change course at any given time. 

           This book was copyrighted in 2008.

          The book is about a female entrenpeneur named Avery; who creates her own cosmetic company.  She is on the rising star list of companies who creates their own make-up and now they are entering into the world of perfume.  However, Avery is saddled with one very spoiled and troubled rich young woman who is the daughter of Avery’s deceased lover who helped financially fund the business.  The young woman’s name is Parker and she is self-destructive by consuming large amounts of drugs and alcohol.  She is lonely and feels abandoned and when she is not sober…she trys to destroy Avery and her company.

          Avery is not without alot of baggage of her own.  She finds out that she is adopted in her thirties.  She is both relieved and filled with angst.  Her adoptive parents would win no parenting award…they are both alcoholics, and promiscuous.  There was childhood abuse and neglect in Avery’s life as well; she just set about overcoming it.  Avery has dealt with a lifetime of betrayal and divided loyalties. 

           However, when Avery’s birth mother makes an appearance; Avery is at first curious.  Then she is aghast at the woman’s manipulations.  Her birth mother is very self centered and is out to use Avery for her own gain.  When that is revealed…she drops the bomb that Avery has a half sister.  It opens a whole floodgate of emotions for Avery.  Avery rediscovers a love and loyalty that she initially felt towards the woman who raised her in her very young years before much of the abuse and alcohol use.  Avery shows strong character by taking care of a woman who has now been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  

            Avery’s love life is damaged as well.  Her first true love is Parker’s father and he was killed.  Then the next man she dares to let into her heart betrays her; the next one, kept secrets from her that the second lover used to put a wedge between him and  Avery.  Avery goes back and forth between the two men and finds herself pregnant and confused about what she really wants and needs.

             Charmed is entertaining, it is interesting to anyone who has ever watched the soap opera All My Children because of the obvious mirror image of Avery/Kendall Hart and Avery’s famous movie star, birth mother Patricia Lucas/Erica Kane (Kendall Hart’s birth mother), Erica being Kendall’s birth mother.

              It was a fun read if a bit predictible in places…after all…it is modeled after a soap opera .  Hmmm…i would like to smell the perfume though which really was for sale in the market place to tie into the book’s publishing.  This book was was published in 2008 by Hyperion and ABC.  The perfume went on sale March 2008 at Sears, it is called, Charm!  All My Children.   You can see Hyperion’s website here:  www.HyperionBooks.com

        Bella is a story woven around a couple of main characters; Nina a pregnant young waitress who dreams of becoming a professional dancer, and Jose, a man who made a mistake that resulted in a death, went to jail…giving up a promising career in professional soccer…then doing pennance by living a solitary life working as a chef in his brother Manny’s restaurant and punnishing himself by burning himself regularily.

        Two wounded souls who work side by side for years until circumstances allow them to reach out and try to help each other deal with the pain in their lives.    In making a conscious choice to turn the corner and make wiser choices that God has put in their pathway they discover happiness…bring a life into the world that others suggested shouldn’t be given life.  Following the opportunity for life, they are given freedom to once again live in joy.

       Bella was written by Lisa Samson.  It was published in 2008 by arrangement with Thomas Nelson. 

          One of the main characters is a motherless child named, Alice.  Alice is a treasure who is caught between an innocent, sheltered childhood and an abrupt jolt into a reality that is changing on all sides.  She is about to meet a childhood friend who she at times, admires, wants to protect, clings to, and at all times, comes to love very much; his name is Theo. 

          Theo is a mystery that slowly unravels.  He is bi-racial.  He appears abandoned, he is living with grandparents who don’t know him and one of which doesn’t want to.   Alice doesn’t understand how anyone could be prejudiced against another for the color of their skin.   He has suffered neglect by all adults who should have been caring for him.  He is a walking wounded child…who tries to live out loud in spite of it all by learning about the world around him.

          Together, Alice and Theo take on a chore and a journey of volunteer caregiving for a man named Kenneth who is an artist who is dying of AIDS.  Kenneth has come to live with his adult sister who is living in a self designed prison with some sort of phobia where she lives in fear inside her home stacked to the ceilings with walls of hoarded, dirty items. 

         Alice and Theo form a bond with Kenneth.  They share the love of adventure through books with him.  They plan a surprise for him to escape his confinement because of his health.  That surprise ends badly; but, there was a written communication that never gets passed along which could have saved them all some heartache and seperation.  

         The book explores compassion, selfishness, volunterrism, communication and awareness.  I really liked this book…but i do have to confess, it both saddened me and at the same time…showed me that if people want to…they have the ability to positively impact the lives of others if they would only take a risk and reach out to do so! 

         This book was copyrighted in 2007 by Thomson Gale.  You can see their website at:  www.gale.com/thorndikepress or www.thomson.com .

        Some believe that Irene was still working on the book at the time of her arrest because when she was arrested…her two daughter escaped arrest and two pages of her novel were in their belongings; along with another novel that she had written called, Suite Francaise.  At the same time, Irene had insured that 30 pages of Fire in the Blood were kept safe by giving them to her editor friend. 

          That she would work so hard to preserve her writings shows just how much they meant to her; she risked much to make sure that the novels could be read.   Her novel Suite Francaise was published 60 years after her death in Auschwitz.   The Nazi death camps stole much from our world with all of the murders of people who each had a life; and skills, that forever was ended once they were forced beyond the gates of the camps. 

           The story of Fire In The Blood is one of passion; recklessly spent in youth and atoned for later in life.  It is set in a French village at a time before WWII.   The main character is Silvio who is in his adult retirement stage of life.  He is brought to a reckoning of his past by the actions of his friends and relatives, in their present circumstances.   Secrets from that time are revealed that impact them all and he is resigned to relive those days.   He sees all of the life choices he has made in review and tries not to judge others on the choices they make while they are under the influence of Fire In The Blood.  It is a very good book…made even more special by having the knowledge of what the writer went through to allow us to read the words of her heart and mind. 

          This edition was published by Wheeler Publishing, an imprint of Thomson Gale and was copyrighted in 2007.    You can see their website here:  www.gale.com/wheelerpublishing or at www.thomson.com .