Three Winners of Travis Thrasher's 'Broken' Are.....

The Random Number Generator has chosen the three winners of 'Broken' by Travis Thrasher. This announcement deserves a DRUM ROLL!:


\\


The three winners are:


* Linda


* Katie M


* Ben


Congratulations; I will be sending out an email to each one of you. Please note that if I do not receive a response in one week, I will choose another winner.


To those of you who would like to read this book, you can order it here.


Many thanks to Val at FaithWords for providing the review and giveaway copies!


Please come back soon for more reviews and giveaways!

‘Broken’ by Travis Thrasher – Book Review and Giveaway

‘Christian’ novels come in all different flavors. ‘Broken,’ by Travis Thrasher, shows that we live in a broken world, and the only way for us to get through this life in a satisfying manner is to follow the Lord, and to follow His precepts.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

The Tormented Tale of a Woman on the Run from Her Past, and A Stranger Who Knows Her Darkest Secret. Laila had it all – love, family, wealth, and faith. But when her world fell apart, Laila escaped New York to pursue a career as a model. Her new world of glamour turned out to be an illusion, however, full of danger that eventually led to murder.

Now, reinventing herself once again, Laila has managed to create an unassuming life in Greenville, South Carolina. Though she avoids personal connections, she can’t resist a male colleague’s persistent attempts at friendship that could lead to something more.

But even as Laila struggles to move forward, she can’t seem to forget the crimes of her past. When a stranger approaches her and says he knows what she did, Laila runs, pursued by mysterious men in dark shadows and haunted by visions of the man she killed. Little does she know she’s being hounded by something not of this world, something that knows her deepest, darkest secret that will follow wherever she goes.

Here is the biography of this author:

The author of eleven works of fiction, Travis Thrasher creates flawed characters and takes them on harrowing journeys of redemption. He and his wife, Sharon, live with their daughter in Chicago, IL.

Each chapter opens with a journal entry from Laila; they really help us to get a glimpse into the mind of this beautiful, yet troubled, woman. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 8:

What good is living in the moment when the past always inevitably overshadows it?

Sometimes I tell myself I need to find a good shrink, someone different than the ones in New York and Chicago that needed more help than they could prescribe. Sometimes I tell myself I need to find someone, anyone, that will accept and love me for who I am. But I can’t imagine – I can’t begin to imagine the layers I’d have to go through to get to the core.

And then – yes, when I hear those words “accept” and “love” and “who I am,” I think that what I need is the faith of my father. But every time I think about praying, think about going to church, think about any of that, I go back to the mess I left behind.

My problem is not wondering why God could allow bad things to happen. My problem is believing that God can do wondrous things. Yes, the Garden of Eden might have been real, and Moses parting the Red Sea and all the prophets of the Old Testament doing their miracles, and yes, even Jesus coming and dying on the cross next to a couple of criminals and surrounded by masses who mocked him. That might all be real, but to me right now, it seems like a fairy tale. Just like in all the stories of old, the stories from youth, when things worked out happily ever after. Those stories sell because people are looking for happily ever afters, and that includes people going oto see a shrink or people living their whole lives in their own bubbles of a family, or people sitting down in church and getting saved.

What are they saved from? That’s what I want to know. (pp. 44-45)

Obviously, Laila has left the faith of her family. Her younger brother, Lex, still clings to that faith. Here is an exchange between Lex and his wife, Dena, who is not happy that he is trying to track down Laila:

         “She’s missing because she wants to be,” Dena says.

         “I’m going to find her.”

         “Probably shacking up with the devil himself.”

         “Stop it.”

“That girl doesn’t deserve to be found. What’re you gonna do? Bring her home? Save her soul?”

“I can try.”

“She needs to stay away. She’s no good.”

“So was I.”

“God shined his face down on you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Lex says. “And I’m hoping He’s got some more mercy to spare. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m going to find her.”

“Heartache is all you’re gonna find. Heartache and death.” (p. 111)  

Another character in the book that has strong faith is Laila’s coworker, Kyle. Here is a conversation between the cynical Laila and the steadfast Kyle on the subject of confession of sins. Kyle begins:

         “Telling me won’t. But you can tell them to God.”

         “If He’s there He already knows about them.”

         “But you can put them before Him and ask for forgiveness.”

 “What’s that going to get me? A golden ticket to the heavenly spa up there? A get-out-of-jail card where I won’t have to worry about it anymore?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Kyle says.

“So how does it work?”

“I don’t know, but I know what I believe. I know that I believe in God and I believe in His son, and I know this is going to sound like preaching 101 but I believe there is a way Jesus takes my mistakes. I have to believe this because if I don’t I’m hopeless.”

“What mistakes have you made? You’re a good guy.”

“We all make mistakes. All of us.” (p. 201)

I have read one other book by Mr. Thrasher – ‘Solitary’ (you can read my review here). That book is in the Juvenile Fiction category; this book decidedly is not. This book brings to the forefront the truth that this world is ruled by the enemy of our souls. Mr. Thrasher does not sugar coat life on this planet. You don’t want to read a book like this too far away from a loved one; it is chilling and not for the faint of heart. That said, Mr. Thrasher is gifted in his writing style, and puts you into the hearts and minds of his characters (cold and calculated as they may be). Fortunately, and thankfully, Laila finally sees what is truly important in this world; for that, I am grateful – and there will be no spoilers coming from me!  

You can order this book here.

This book was published by FaithWorks and provided by them for review and giveaway purposes.

_________________________________________

I have three copies of this book to pass along to three of you; thanks to Val at FaithWorks for generously providing these copies! 

There are several ways to gain entry:           

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me how God has redeemed your life! Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com. 

2) Follow me on Twitter; I will more than likely follow you back! If you are already a Twitter follower, that counts, too! Please leave a new comment to that effect.

3) Follow me as a Google Friend on this blog; if you are already a Friend, that counts, too! Please leave a new comment to that effect.

4) Become my Facebook friend. Please leave a new comment to that effect.

5) Follow this blog as a NetWorked Blog Follower after you’ve become my Facebook friend. Please leave a new comment to that effect.

So there are five chances to enter! Please limit one entry per option, and please include your email address, or, sad to say, the Random Number Generator will have to choose a different winner.

This giveaway is for U.S. and Canadian residents only. The deadline for entry is Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator (www.random.org) on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 and will be contacted via email. The best to all of you!

‘Solitary’ by Travis Thrasher – Book Review

I don’t often read books in the Juvenile Fiction category, but I made an exception for ‘Solitary’ by Travis Thrasher. I was intrigued by its description.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

His loneliness will soon turn to fear. When Chris Buckley moves to Solitary, North Carolina, he faces the reality of his parents’ divorce, a school full of nameless faces – and Jocelyn Evans. Jocelyn is beautiful and mysterious enough to leave Chris speechless. But the more Jocelyn resists him, the more the two are drawn together.

Chris soon learns that Jocelyn has secrets as deep as the town herself. Secrets more terrifying than the bullies he faces in the locker room of his mother’s unexplained nightmares. He slowly begins to understand the horrific answers. The question is whether he can save Jocelyn in time.

This first book in the Solitary Tales series will take you from the cold halls of high school to the dark rooms of an abandoned cabin – and remind you what it means to believe in what you cannot see.

Here is the biography of this author:

The author of a dozen works of fiction, including Isolation and Ghostwriter, Travis Thrasher  has been writing since he was in the third grade. He is an author of diverse talents with novels including romance, suspense, adventure, and supernatural horror tales. At the core of each of Thrasher’s stories lie flawed characters in search of redemption. Thrasher  weaves hope within all of his tales, and he loves surprising his readers with amazing plot twists and unexpected variety in his writing, as well as honesty, depth, and surprising twists. Thrasher lives with his wife and three daughters near Chicago.

And here’s the book trailer for this book:

Chris feels like a complete outsider in this new environment. This passage gives a good glimpse into his personality and perspective:

          Every class I’m introduced to seems more and more unimpressed.

“This is Christopher Buckley from Chicago, Illinois,” the teachers say, in case anyone doesn’t know where Chicago is.

In case anyone wonders who the new breathing slab of human is, stuck in the middle of the room.

A redheaded girl with a giant nose stares at me, then glances at my shirt as if I have food smeared all over it. She rolls her eyes and then looks away.

Glancing down at my shirt makes me think of a song by The Smiths, “Half a Person.”

That’s how I feel.

I’ve never been the most popular kid in school. I’m a soccer player in a football world. My parents never had an abundance of money. I’m not overly good looking or overly smart or overly anything, to be honest. Just decent-looking and decent at sports and decent at school. But decent doesn’t get you far. Most of the time you need to be the best at one thing and stick to it. (p. 14)

Chris has a gracious and loving – yet realistic - opinion of his mother:

Mom is thirty-nine but looks ten years younger. If I had a dollar for every time someone had expressed disbelief that she is my mom…well, I‘d be a rich kid. Which at this point in life would be nice. I think she’s beautiful.

She used to complain about her upcoming birthday – the big four-oh – until she had other, more pressing things to think about. Sitting across the table from her, I see dark lines under her eyes. They’re new. So is the lack of spark in her green eyes. And how thin she looks. And how faded her blonde hair seems. (p. 19)     

Chris’s father became religious – not necessarily a Christian – and made some choices and developed some incorrect theology that caused Chris to turn his back on God:

Dad used to tell me – well, tell isn’t actually right, it was more like preach to me – that there was no such thing as chance in this life. That God controlled everything.

I wanted to say, “Yeah, well, if that’s the case, Pops, then why did God put you and Mom together?”

I think it’s easier to not believe in God knowing that Dad does.

It’s easier to pick a side.

Chance.

That’s what I believe in. That’s the team I’m on. (p. 79)

Chris is captivated by Jocelyn from the beginning. They both start out with the same doubts about God. But Jocelyn’s faith takes an unexpected turn, as she explains to Chris in this exchange:

“All I know is this. This is the truth. God sent you to me. He used you in the most amazing way ever. Do you believe in destiny?”

“I’m not sure. I’d say no.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t either until it slapped me on the face, and I woke up and saw a beautiful, brilliant sunrise and realized that every day we have is a gift. And every smile that comes along is a gift too.”

I’m totally lost.

Who is this person, and where did Jocelyn go?

“Not sure what to say.”

Jocelyn finished her meal, then puts the basket over my half eaten meal.
Don’t say anything. Just know this. You’re the gift that came along. You and your words.” (p. 200)

I was really swept away by this book! This is the first book I have read by Mr. Thrasher, having heard rave reviews of his writing for a long time. Now having read one myself, I have to agree with all of the raves! Chris Buckley, the main character, is a high school student full of angst (aren’t they all?! And weren’t we all?!). The story is written from his point of view, and Thrasher transports me into the mind of a high school boy with all of the ensuing trials and tribulations. My teenage years were very difficult, so it was strange to be able to relate to this character (despite the difference in our genders). During the time that I was reading this book, I was as unsettled as was Chris. That, in my opinion, is the sign of a great writer – when you feel that much empathy for a two-dimensional character in a book.

Thrasher’s writing reminded me in some places of elements of the works of Stephen King, Ted Dekker, and Dean Koontz. The difference between this book and those by King and Koontz, for instance, is that God’s redemption is evident in this book. I was surprised by the ending, but happy that truth was revealed and believed.

I am not sure if the second book in the ‘Solitary Tales’ series will pick up with Chris Buckley where this one left off (I certainly hope so), but there are enough other interesting characters in this book to keep me wanting to come back for more!

You can order this book here.

This book was published by David C. Cook and provided by the B &B Media Group for review purposes.