Sunday, November 30, 2008

My Thanksgiving Vacation

Since this has been my first official weekend since August, I decided to do absolutely "nothing."

Okay, so nothing consisted of pigging out on Thansgiving and then sleeping in on Black Friday. Ha! Online shopping is the BEST! No crowds, no traffic, and it gets delivered to my door! I LOVE my computer Internet connection!!!

I also read a few books and caught up on some of the books that I've been trying to finish.

In addition, I also started to play with my digital scrapbooking a bit. I have Photoshop CS3, but apparently, I needed to buy Photoshop Elements instead--I won't even tell you how many books I've read to try and get the stupid photo bin at the bottom of my screen in Photoshop--which never worked. (Because the Photo Bin is only in Photoshop Elements--ARRRGHHH!) Instead, I've downloaded the free trial of Photoshop Elements 7 and I'm working like a fiend to try and get some layouts done before it expires and then I have to try and figure out how to do the same things in Photoshop CS3. After 2 hours (I was reading How-To Books which actually used Photoshop Elements 5 at the same time...), I finally figured out how to create a simple layout. Here's my very first digital scrapbooking page:


Yes, there are many changes I could make, but for the first one, I don't think it turned out half bad. Now, if only I had a few more days off to get more layouts done--I might actually finish some of my Christmas gifts before Christmas!

Well, Book Fair starts tomorrow--wish me luck--I'm on my own tomorrow. My cohort is on a cruise to the Bahamas--luck duck! :)

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

My New Favorite Song--There Will Be A Day by Jeremy Camp



Yes, I do tend to mention Jeremy Camp on here from time to time--especially since I love his music! A few weeks ago while on my way to work, I heard his newest release (now out in stores!!!) "There Will Be A Day" and I just wanted to weep for happiness because it reminded me that I have hope in the Lord despite the obstacles that I was facing at the time.

I think there are so many times that we/I get bogged down in the day to day gunk that I feel like there's no hope. But the Bible does remind us that--there WILL be a day where we will not cry anymore because we'll be by God's side! I for one can't wait for that to happen. I hope you enjoy the devotional!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Teen FIRST: Infidel--Graphic Novel: The Lost Books Series by Ted Dekker



It's the 21st, time for the Teen FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 21st, we will feature an author and his/her latest Teen fiction book's FIRST chapter!





and his book:





Thomas Nelson (November 11, 2008)







ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. To see a complete list of Dekker's work, visit The Works section of TedDekker.com.

Here are some of his latest titles:

Chosen (The Lost Books, Book 1) (The Books of History Chronicles)

Adam

Black: The Birth of Evil (The Circle Trilogy Graphic Novels, Book 1)

Saint


Product Details

List Price:$15.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 136 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 11, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595546049
ISBN-13: 978-1595546043


AND NOW...THE FIRST TWO PAGES:

(Click Pictures to Zoom!)
























Dynamic Uno here: As a librarian and former English teacher, I have to admit that I really do not like graphic novels. Don't get me wrong--I LOVE the artwork, but I think people miss out on so much of the story when they read the graphic novel instead of the regular book.

That having been said, I also realize that there are many kids who would never pick up a regular book, but will read a graphic novel because of the conciseness and of course, for the pictures. So, based upon my students, I know that The Lost Books series by Ted Dekker will go over very well with my student population. Many of our students are very low readers, so the short bubbles telling the story and the bright, action-packed graphics will definitely entice them.

I also know that we have a Christian following at our school, so I know that as soon as I buy the rest of the books in this series, they'll probably grow legs and walk off. (Which, if they have to steal a book about Christianity, I guess there are worse things in life...)

In any case, if you're a fan of Ted Dekker (which I am), and/or a fan of graphic novels, you'll like Infidel--Graphic Novel, the second book in The Lost Books series.

Monday, November 17, 2008

My Dewey Decimal Numbers

It's official--I'm a nerd! You remember the Dewey Decimal system, right? You know--it's how you find all of the non-fiction books in the library...Poetry is 811, Graphic Novels are 741.5 and so forth. Since I am a librarian by day, I decided to find out what Dewey Number I would be if I had to be classified in the non-fiction section of the library. (Any one who knows me is probably quaking in their boots right now...but I must admit, the results are pretty interesting.) Let me know what you think!





Dynamic Uno's Dewey Decimal Section:

912 Atlases, maps, charts & plans

Dynamic Uno = 4541393145 = 454+139+314+5 = 912


Class:
900 History & Geography


Contains:
Travel, biographies, ancient history, and histories of continents.



What it says about you:
You're connected to your past and value the things that have happened to you. You've had some conflicted times in your life, but they've brought you to where you are today and you don't ignore it.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com







Dynamic Uno's Dewey Decimal Section:

798 Equestrian sports & animal racing

Dynamic Uno's birthday: 8/23/1975 = 823+1975 = 2798


Class:
700 Arts & Recreation


Contains:
Architecture, drawing, painting, music, sports.



What it says about you:
You're creative and fun, and you're good at motivating the people around you. You're attracted to things that are visually interesting. Other people might not always understand your taste or style, but it's yours.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com







Dynamic Uno's Dewey Decimal Section:

023 Personnel management


Class:
000 Computer Science, Information & General Works


Contains:
Encyclopedias, magazines, journals and books with quotations.



What it says about you:
You are very informative and up to date. You're working on living in the here and now, not the past. You go through a lot of changes. When you make a decision you can be very sure of yourself, maybe even stubborn, but your friends appreciate your honesty and resolve.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Sunday, November 16, 2008

I'm Still Standing...

but it sure has been a whirlwind week and weekend!

Sunday, my aunt and I decided to go see Phantom. It was fabulous!

Monday, I decided to take a personal day off of work to try and get some things done for Christmas. (I'm trying to make my presents this year.)

Tuesday was Veteran's Day, so we had the day off of work too. I used this day to finish reading A Thousand Splendid Suns for our book club. Thank you to those who served and are still serving our country so that I am able to do all of the things I enjoy with my freedom!







Wednesday was a crazy day at work. I don't even think we stopped for lunch. Then, I had to leave half way through the day to attend a Media Meeting across town for the remainder of the day. Most of it was with a conference call with a sales rep who wasn't interested in answering our questions, she just wanted to sell her product. Quite annoying, really.



Thursday was a crazy day as well, but it was also our Faculty Thanksgiving Luncheon. Our Culinary department made the food--I wonder if they're free for Thanksgiving? The chorus group-Special Request-performed while we were eating, and the Art Department had artwork displayed like a gallery. It was wonderful to actually sit down and talk with the teachers because we only see them if they set foot in the library.






Once I finished with lunch, I had to type up notes for our Reading Leadership Meeting that afternoon. Since my cohort was attending so I could go to our Book Club, I had to type up the things we needed to discuss and to beg for money for programs we want to have in the library.






After school, we had our Book Club meeting to discuss A Thousand Splendid Suns. It was actually a great look into the life that women live in the Middle East. There were moments when I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next to the main characters.--Don't worry, there's a happy ending. :)






Friday was awesome! Maybe because it was the end of the week, I don't know, but the day flew by. Of course we were extremely busy--I had to eat my soup while checking email--so that may have helped.






After work, I came home and changed so that we could go to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) Concert! My aunt came over after she got off of work, so we (my aunt, dad, and I) had to wait for my Mom to get home. I actually made sure I had the tickets before we left (I almost forgot the Phantom tickets last Sunday) and we braved traffic to get the what was formerly known as the Ice Palace.











Since we were supposed to meet several of my friends from work at the local watering hole, I hopped on the cell phone to see where they happened to be. Since they were around the corner from us, I sent the rest of my family to The Hut to grab a table for all of us. While waiting for Mary and her husband to round the corner, I decided to put my money and cards together so that I wouldn't lose them out of my pockets, when lo and behold, I realized that I no longer had the concert tickets. Trying not to completely lose it, I ran to get the car keys from my dad and high-tailed it back to the car. Thankfully they had fallen in the seat when I pulled out money to pay for parking. So, thanking God that they were still there, I ran back to The Hut to grab a bite to eat.





Scarfing down my food, we made it to the "Ice Palace" (now called the St. Pete Times Forum--which is STUPID since St. Pete is across the Bay, but, whatever....) and found our seats. Let me tell you--I've followed TSO since their Savatage days--when they were pretty much born here in the Tampa Bay area. This is the first concert I've actually been too and it ROCKED! It had the music, laser lights, fire, and fireworks! Plus, gorgeous singers with outstanding voices!


















With 22 people in your band--you know there's going to be a lot of things happening onstage at once. They even took some of our local talent to play with them on the stage. (How cool is that?!)


If you ever get a chance to see TSO--definitely go! You will not be disappointed by their performance!



After getting home REALLY late Friday, I had to get up early on Saturday for my PNE class. I also had a test that I had to pass so that I can officially evaluate new teachers. YIKES! No pressure there...Thankfully, I find out the results on Tuesday, and since it's one of our teachers teaching the class, I'm going to try hard not to bug her until then.


When I finally finished my exam Saturday afternoon, I came home prepared to take a nap before searching for items for the Poetry Jam this coming Friday. Instead, I was so exhausted, that I decided to change into my jammies and curl up with a good book. However, my niece burst in a while later and said that she was learning to knit and that she wanted to make Nanny something for Christmas. So, I was up and in the other room, cheering her on while she learned to knit--something I have no idea how to do!


I think she's doing rather well, considering she hasn't done it before. We'll see how long it takes for her to "make Nanny's present."

Today was church. Since she was dressed in her "princess" dress, people kept stopping us all afternoon when we went to Sam's Club to pick up stuff for the Poetry Jam. I think we would have been in and out in under an hour, but with all of the stops and the "free samples" that she wanted to try, we were there for almost three hours! (No wonder we were famished when we came out!) Our plan was to eat at Chic-fil-a since they're right there in the same parking lot, but when we went to pull through the drive-through, we realized that they were closed since it's Sunday. Oops! We went to Mickey D's instead because it was close as well. We had both wolfed down half of our lunch before we made it the mile back to the house.

While it was a roller coaster of a week, I'm glad to know that I'm still standing...so far. :)

Monday, November 10, 2008

TitleTrakk's 1st Blog Tour and Fantastic Fall Giveaway

Welcome to the 1st ever
TitleTrakk.com Blog Tour!


This week we're chatting about:



The Fantastic Fall Giveaway Contest!


Just in time for the holidays, you could win over
$335 worth of books, cds and dvds!

Sponsored by our friends at:


The Grand Prize Winner will receive:

BOOKS:

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
Rachel's Secret by BJ Hoff
Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
Playing God by Michelle McKinney Hammond
White Soul by Brandt Dodson
The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka
Finding Marie by Susan Paige Davis
The Power of Praying Through the Bible by Stormie Omartian
A Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George
Evidence for Faith 101 by Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz

CDS:

Wake Up! Wake Up! by Everyday Sunday
Rock What You Got by Superchick
Sunday by Tree63
Houston We Are Go by Newsboys (Live CD/DVD)
Nothing Left To Lose by Mat Kearney
I Am Free Worship Collection
Salvation Station by Newworldson
Not Without Love by Jimmy Needham
Pages by Shane & Shane
Colors and Sounds by Article One

MOVIES:

Love's Unfolding Dream
The Ten Commandments Animated
Between the Walls

But that's not all!
We're giving away even more!


During this blog tour (November 10th - 16th) we'll be drawing 2 winners daily from the contest entries to win an additional free book or cd!

Visit the TitleTrakk.com Contest page today to enter the contest and place yourself in the running to receive the Grand Prize, plus all the daily prizes! Deadline to enter is November 17th.

About TitleTrakk.com:
Founded in 2006 by Tracy & C.J. Darlington, TitleTrakk.com is an interactive website spotlighting Christian books, music & movies. Updated weekly, we feature author and musician interviews, album and book reviews, music videos, movie reviews and interviews, book excerpts, surveys, polls, and fun contests. Learn more: http://www.titletrakk.com/



Dynamic Uno here: You can bet I'm entering this Fantastic Fall Giveaway! Titletrakk's site is FULL of great news, giveaways, and fun. Remember to enter by November 17th!! The earlier you enter, the more chances you have of winning! Good Luck!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Phantom of the Opera

It was FABULOUS!!!! With this outing being probably the fourth or fifth time I've seen the production at TPAC, I was sure I'd be disappointed--after all, once you've seen Phantom, not too much changes. Imagine my surprise when I found that these performers actually made the production their own! The pauses were different than the original version, as well as the timing. This production's performers actually put their own spin on things and it was nice to hear that it wasn't the same "old" production that I've seen over and over. BRAVO!

My aunt came over and we had a photo session out in the yard. As you can see--neither of us have a clue how to act when we're dressed up. Not to mention, our paparazzi were really my parents...so, it was a bust--at least with my camera anyways. We decided to eat at TPAC's restaurant--Maestro's. They had the BEST food! It was a five course meal--buffet style. I think I liked everything there--although the seven bean soup needed some help. The bill was even cheaper than we had anticipated, so we were able to get our souvenirs too.

My aunt picked up the program since she'd never seen Phantom. (How is that possible since I go each time it's in town?) I decided on the ink pen (refillable!) and a silver mask pin to put with my collection.

We were in the sixth row from the stage, although we were not in the center--which didn't pose too much of a problem--aside from the people who decided that they MUST leave during Intermission, etc. In fact, if I were able to take pics during the performance, I would have had some great shots. Unfortunately, all I could get was of the angel the Phantom hides in towards the end of Act I--taken during Intermission.

I was really proud of myself for not singing the whole score out loud, although the conductor was singing along as well, which was pretty neat to see. Alas, the performance was over too soon and we had to leave. We actually ran around to the back entrance to try and catch some of the cast members, but a lot of the escaped before we could get to them. Then, with the mobs of people standing there, we decided that it would be best to go ahead and leave--so I didn't get my picture with the Phantom. :( (Maybe I should dress up and just go to the back door after the next performance. Hmmmm.....)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

It's a beautiful day...

...here in Florida, and what did I do? I was sitting inside a classroom learning about how to "grade" teachers and help mentor other teachers. Yep--it's as boring as it sounds. Not to mention that I had the traingin about 10 years ago and NOTHING has changed. (Although that probably won't help me pass the test next week! Have I mentioned that I'm a bit Type-A and that the word TEST causes me to break out in hives? ACK!)


I must admit though, I am SO GLAD that the HOS event is finally over! The last night of the event was last Saturday, and I've been using the past couple of days to try and get caught up on my sleep. After all is said and done, the experience wasn't as horrible as I first thought it would be--especially since I was able to meet some really interesting people! Speaking of interesting, I met a Zombie....






a vampire....



some dead gothic club goers....

escaped convicts that have come back from the dead to exact their revenge....




and we musn't forget THE CLOWNS!!!!!





We also had members of the biker gang and the SLIDERS.....


(The one on the far left is one of my former eighth grade students....YIKES!)






In addition to the HOS event ending, I also had the chance to meet author Alane Ferguson while she was visiting some of the school's here in town. She has written one of this year's Teens Read books titled--The Christopher Killer.



Let me tell you--she is one of the coolest people you'll meet. She's a Christian, so she's been given A LOT of flack because her stories deal with crime and death, but she's so down to earth and has interesting stories to tell that I think it's horrible that some people are giving her a hard time about it. She's also a blogger (yay!) and teaches writing at the local community college in Colorado.

Stay tuned because there's more information and a giveaway coming to you soon!




Also during the week of Halloween, we had the Preschoolers come around trick-or-treating to the library. The had some of the cutest little outfits! One even had a cute little piggie tail!




Now that things have died down a bit, what am I planning, you ask?

Tomorrow, my aunt and I are going to see Phantom of the Opera at the Performing Arts Center!!!! It's my absolute favorite so I've been trying to remain low-key about the whole thing, but it's starting to wear off. I've been blasting the soundtrack for the last couple of days, "singing" at the top of my lungs and I think Madison is ready to kill me. I know she'll be excited when it's finally over. Hopefully we'll be able to get around to the back door and get our pictures taken with some of the cast members before they leave. I'm also going to bring my Sharpie so that I can hopefully get some autographs too. Here's a clip of Sarah Brightman and Antonio Banderas singing Phantom of the Opera...


I'll let you know how things went. Have a great rest of the day!

















Tuesday, November 4, 2008

AAAACCCKKK!

I would have never believed it if you had told me--my stomach is actually churning and burbling with anxiety over the outcome of this election. I know everything is in God's hands, but what if His will isn't the same as mine?

While I'm all for CHANGE (remember, I'm the girl that moved half-way across the country to "try" a job for a year), I'm not really liking the idea of Socialism. Of course, if CHANGE does occur, I guess I should be happy. After all, I could go on a massive shopping spree while maxing out my credit cards (almost enough to match the National Debt), then I could quit my job, and declare bankruptcy. After all, CHANGE is going to take care of me--right? I'd be without a job and homeless, so I could have health care benefits and those people who are "lucky enough" to have a job can take care of my expenses since I will not be able too. Hmmmm....maybe this CHANGE person isn't so bad after all. I wonder if it will work?

Yes, I know--it's a little late to be airing my opinion now, but God and I have been at a cross-roads and He's not budging right now. I guess I'll have to wait and find out with the rest of the world who becomes our next President. Grrrrr....I'll get back to praying.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

FIRST: Forsaken by James David Jordan



It is time for the FIRST Blog Tour! On the FIRST day of every month we feature an author and his/her latest book's FIRST chapter!






The feature author is:



and his book:


Forsaken
B&H Fiction (October 1, 2008)



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James David Jordan is a business litigation attorney with the prominent Texas law firm of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. From 1998 through 2005, he served as the firm's Chairman and CEO. The Dallas Business Journal has named him one of the most influential leaders in the Dallas/Fort Worth legal community and one of the top fifteen business defense attorneys in Dallas/Fort Worth. His peers have voted him one of the Best Lawyers in America in commercial litigation.

A minister's son who grew up in the Mississippi River town of Alton, Illinois, Jim has a law degree and MBA from the University of Illinois, and a journalism degree from the University of Missouri. He lives with his wife and two teenage children in the Dallas suburbs.

Jim grew up playing sports and loves athletics of all kinds. But he especially loves baseball, the sport that is a little bit closer to God than all the others.

His first novel was Something that Lasts . Forsaken is his second novel.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: B&H Fiction (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805447490
ISBN-13: 978-0805447491

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:


Even in high school I didn’t mind sleeping on the ground. When your father is a retired Special Forces officer, you pick up things that most girls don’t learn. As the years passed I slept in lots of places a good girl shouldn’t sleep. It’s a part of my past I don’t brag about, like ugly wallpaper that won’t come unstuck. No matter how hard I scrape, it just hangs on in big, obscene blotches. I’m twenty-nine years old now, and I’ve done my best to paint over it. But it’s still there under the surface, making everything rougher, less presentable than it should be. Though I want more than anything to be smooth and fresh and clean.


Sometimes I wonder what will happen if the paint begins to fade. Will the wallpaper show? I thought so for a long time. But I have hope now that it won’t. Simon Mason helped me find that hope. That’s why it’s important for me to tell our story. There must be others who need hope, too. There must be others who are afraid that their ugly wallpaper might bleed through.


What does sleeping on the ground have to do with a world-famous preacher like Simon Mason? The story begins twelve years ago—eleven years before I met Simon. My dad and I packed our camping gear and went fishing. It was mid-May, and the trip was a present for my seventeenth birthday. Not exactly every high school girl’s dream, but my dad wasn’t like most dads. He taught me to camp and fish and, particularly, to shoot. He had trained me in self-defense since I was nine, the year Mom fell apart and left for good. With my long legs, long arms, and Dad’s athletic genes, I could handle myself even back then. I suppose I wasn’t like most other girls.


After what happened on that fishing trip, I know I wasn’t.


Fishing with my dad didn’t mean renting a cane pole and buying bait pellets out of a dispenser at some catfish tank near an RV park. It generally meant tramping miles across a field to a glassy pond on some war buddy’s ranch, or winding through dense woods, pitching a tent, and fly fishing an icy stream far from the nearest telephone. The trips were rough, but they were the bright times of my life—and his, too. They let him forget the things that haunted him and remember how to be happy.


This particular outing was to a ranch in the Texas Panhandle, owned by a former Defense Department bigwig. The ranch bordered one of the few sizeable lakes in a corner of Texas that is brown and rocky and dry. We loaded Dad’s new Chevy pickup with cheese puffs and soft drinks—healthy eat­ing wouldn’t begin until the first fish hit the skillet—and left Dallas just before noon with the bass boat in tow. The drive was long, but we had leather interior, plenty of tunes, and time to talk. Dad and I could always talk.


The heat rose early that year, and the temperature hung in the nineties. Two hours after we left Dallas, the brand-new air conditioner in the brand-new truck rattled and clicked and dropped dead. We drove the rest of the way with the windows down while the high Texas sun tried to burn a hole through the roof.


Around five-thirty we stopped to use the bathroom at a rundown gas station somewhere southeast of Amarillo. The station was nothing but a twisted gray shack dropped in the middle of a hundred square miles of blistering hard pan. It hadn’t rained for a month in that part of Texas, and the place was so baked that even the brittle weeds rolled over on their bellies, as if preparing a last-ditch effort to drag themselves to shade.


The restroom door was on the outside of the station, iso­lated from the rest of the building. There was no hope of cool­ing off until I finished my business and got around to the little store in the front, where a rusty air conditioner chugged in the window. When I walked into the bathroom, I had to cover my nose and mouth with my hand. A mound of rotting trash leaned like a grimy snow drift against a metal garbage can in the corner. Thick, black flies zipped and bounced from floor to wall and ceiling to floor, occasionally smacking my arms and legs as if I were a bumper in a buzzing pinball machine. It was the filthiest place I’d ever been.


Looking back, it was an apt spot to begin the filthiest night of my life.


I had just leaned over the rust-ringed sink to inspect my teeth in the sole remaining corner of a shattered mirror when someone pounded on the door.


“Just a minute!” I turned on the faucet. A soupy liquid dribbled out, followed by the steamy smell of rotten eggs. I turned off the faucet, pulled my sport bottle from the holster on my hip, and squirted water on my face and in my mouth. I wiped my face on the sleeve of my T-shirt.


My blue-jean cutoffs were short and tight, and I pried free a tube of lotion that was wedged into my front pocket. I raised one foot at a time to the edge of the toilet seat and did my best to brush the dust from my legs. Then I spread the lotion over them. The ride may have turned me into a dust ball, but I was determined at least to be a soft dust ball with a coconut scent. Before leaving I took one last look in my little corner of mir­ror. The hair was auburn, the dust was beige. I gave the hair a shake, sending tiny flecks floating through a slash of light that cut the room diagonally from a hole in the roof. Someone pounded on the door again. I turned away from the mirror.


“Okay, okay, I’m coming!”


When I pulled open the door and stepped into the light, I shaded my eyes and blinked to clear away the spots. All that I could think about was the little air conditioner in the front window and how great it would feel when I got inside. That’s probably why I was completely unprepared when a man’s hand reached from beside the door and clamped hard onto my wrist.


Dynamic Uno here: Wow! Talk about gripping you by the throat and not letting go. That's how I felt when I read Forsaken. I did not want to put this book down. In fact, as I was working at my HOS job one evening, I had the book in my hand and one of the make-up artists asked me about it since she had seen me reading it on numerous occasions. After I finished reading the book, I passed it on to her, and she passed it on to her mom when she finished reading it--it's THAT good! (Did I mention that neither is a Christian, so I've been getting a few questions too?!)

If you like suspense thrillers, you'll be hooked by James David Jordan's writing. The subjects of loneliness, unconditional love, and crisis of faith are portrayed with reality as the characters are faced with seemingly impossible situations. You'll be sucked in as you first meet Taylor and her father on her birthday camping trip. You'll also weep for Simon as he must make a horrible choice to save his daughter Kacey from her terrorist kidnappers.

Forsaken by James David Jordan is a must have! You will not be disappointed.