Pelican Book Group

Have you read THURSDAY’S CHILD by Clare Revell?

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
Thursday’s Child
Purchase Link

About the book~

Broken…with bits missing. That’s how Niamh, senior prosecutor for the CPS, feels when she wakes in hospital severely injured with no knowledge what happened–for the past eight years. A tall man in a firefighters uniform claims he’s her husband. While he’s everything she’s ever dreamed of in a man and more, she doesn’t know him. And if he was so important why can’t she remember? Was there something so terrible, so painful in her marriage, her mind has suppressed it?


First on the scene at a horrific accident, Jared Harkin is devastated to find his wife one of the injured. He’s already lost a child, can he live through this? Niamh survives the crash, but awakens with eight years missing and no memories of their life together. Determined to help her remember the past and their love, he sets about wooing her all over again. But are some things best forgotten?


As Niamh struggles to remember, the investigation into the accident reveals foul play. Did her recent caseload have anything to do with the attempt on her life? Or was it someone closer to her? As bit and pieces of memory return, the attacker strikes again. Can she piece together the whole of her past before it’s too late?
Sharing my review~
As a successful prosecutor, Niamh Harkin (pronounced Neeve) has received her share of death threats, but this particular case has her stressed and on edge. While driving home during a raging storm, Niamh’s car flips. Jared, her husband and firefighter, responds to the accident, not knowing she’s involved. When Niamh wakes, she’s lost all memory of the last eight years, including being married, and doesn’t recognize her husband. 

What I really liked…

When post-crash Niamh discovers how she was before the crash, she doesn’t like her. I’m glad the author only showed us the new Niamh, rather than the old, because I wouldn’t have liked her either. 

Jared loved Niamh, for better or worse (and their marriage had taken a turn for the worse over the last couple of years), yet he was determined to make the best of their marriage, even when she’d given up on them. This was a true love story, from beginning to end, and Jared never gives up hope that she’ll finally love him again. He figures that Niamh’s memory loss is a great chance for them to start over and determines to win her heart all over again.

I especially liked how the author weaved in tidbits from Niamh’s boss, Alan. His wife suffers from dementia, but he’d never dream of taking his wedding ring off just because she doesn’t remember him. Niamh, who’d tucked her wedding band around her neck, can’t help but ponder her commitment. Loved the analogy!

And the ending? Oh, so sweet! But, I promise not to give away any spoilers. 

What I didn’t like so much…
The opening courtroom scene started a bit slow for me, and I felt Niamh’s reaction upon waking in the hospital a bit awkward, but don’t give up! Once I moved past that, it flew. I also stumbled occasionally over certain UK fire terminology, but only because I’m married to a US fire professional. 🙂

Overall…
This story reminded me of a modern day A Christmas Carol, except the events don’t take place in a dream. While I felt Thursday’s Child was a mite weak on the suspense (I surely didn’t mind!) and heavier on the romance, both sets of readers will enjoy the plot and savor the love story! Whether you’re lazing on the beach or hanging out at home, it’s a perfect read for summer.

What about you? Do you ever wish you had “do overs” in life?
Disclosure: Sending a big thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own, and I received no compensation for my review.

Clare Revell
Clare lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from an early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children’s stories. When she’s not writing, reading, sewing or keeping house or doing the many piles of laundry her children manage to make, she’s working part time in the breakfast club at one of the local schools.

She has been a Christian for more than half her life. She goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of three registrars.

She can be found at:
http://www.revell124.plus.com/clarerevell/
https://www.facebook.com/ClareRevellAuthor
https://twitter.com/ClareRevell
http://telscha.blogspot.co.uk/

From Sea to Shining Sea: 
Men in Uniform 4th of July Contest

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. From soldiers to sailors to firefighters and police officers. From pastors to teachers to fathers.Thursday’s Child releases July 5th from Pelican Book Group. To celebrate this, Clare will be giving away two print copies and two e-book copies. To enter leave a comment here. All names will go in a hat and the winners drawn randomly on July 12th.

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Have you read Dog Tags by Heidi Glick?

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

About the book~
When disabled ex-Marine Mark Graham reconnects with his best friend’s sister, he finds himself falling in love. But Beth Martindale’s presence is a constant reminder of events he’d rather forget. Mark wants to move forward, but the secrets surrounding her brother’s death as well as his own confinement to a wheelchair threaten to tear them apart. When a psychopath who calls himself The Knight fixates on Beth, Mark is determined to give her the protection he failed to give her brother on the battlefield, yet he discovers that a wheelchair isn’t the only impediment he has to keeping Beth safe. Will terror win or can Mark find the strength of mind and body to rescue Beth and find his own redemption?

Sharing my humble opinion~
Confined to a wheelchair resulting from a stint in the military, Mark Graham now spends his time teaching college students and working in a bait shop he co-owns with two friends. Guilt over his best friend’s death plagues him and worsens his traumatic medical “episodes.” When Chris’s younger sister, Beth Martindale, shows up in town, Mark isn’t sure he wants to see her. She reminds him of Chris and the friendship he cherished, but Mark has to watch over her, doesn’t he? She’s Chris’s younger sister, and she’s new in town. That’s what Chris would want him to do. When a killer targets Beth, Mark determines to recover the strength he lost. 

First off, don’t you just love the cover? The design incorporates so many facets of Dog Tags, and one of the reasons I was thrilled to get my hands on this debut novel by Heidi Glick. Beth and Mark are well-constructed characters with a shared history, weaknesses, and goals. I’m a sucker for stories with beloved pets, and Sparky, Mark’s dog, played a big part in this book.

If you’re looking for a quick book you can read late at night, this isn’t the one. Filled with appearances by “The Knight,” Glick kept me guessing on the villain’s identity until the end of the book. The romance lover in me would have enjoyed this book as much without the suspense, but that’s just me. Overall, a winner, and I’ll be looking for more from Heidi Glick!

Disclosure: Sending a big thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own, and I received no compensation for my review.


Heidi Glick has a B.A. in biology, a minor in Bible from Cedarville University, and a passion for writing Christian fiction. She has over seven years of technical editing experience, a certificate in technical writing from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and is working towards her Master of English at Utah State University. Additionally, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and has written two articles for Intercom. When not working, Heidi spends time with her husband, son, and two dogs, Cocoa and Sparky. She attends Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio.

Pelican Book Group announces the return of Easter Lilies

/ Dora Hiers

————Permission to forward————

Pelican Book Group announces the return of Easter Lilies. While Easter Lilies was originally run as a short story contest, the resurrected Easter Lilies will not be a contest, but conducted as an annual special release much like our Christmas Holiday Extravaganza. Each year, one Easter Lilies story will be released on each day of the Easter Triduum. (Yes, only three stories per year.) 
2013 Defining Scripture for Easter Lilies is: Solomon 2:2 “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.”
Submission Guidelines:
Easter Lilies are historical or contemporary romances. In addition to adhering to the guidelines for the White Rose imprint, the following is also necessary: 

  • The defining Scripture for the year must be used as a basis for the story. (This scripture will change each year on October 1st) 

  • Stories should be between 15,000 and 25,000 words. 

  • Both the hero’s and heroine’s points of view may be incorporated, however, we’d like these stories to be “hero-driven”, so ideally, stories should focus on the hero’s love developing for his heroine. These stories may be historical or contemporary, but they must be set around the Easter holiday. 

  • Heroes and Heroines should be between the ages of 25 and 35. 

  • In addition to using the current year Easter Lilies scripture as the reference, some symbol of the Easter Lily must also be incorporated. Easter lilies have long been a symbol of purity, motherhood, the trumpet herald of the Angel Gabriel as he visited the Virgin Mary, of resurrection, and more. (Feel free to research and use different symbols. These are listed as example only). How you incorporate any of the symbols is up to you. Whether it’s an actual flower that the hero gives to the heroine (or vice-versa), or a piece of jewelry, or a spiritual experience. The use is up to you. Perhaps your hero is a Christian musician who plays the trumpet. Perhaps your heroine has lily earrings that have been passed through her family. Perhaps your hero had a “resurrection” of his faith through some experience past or present, or maybe your heroine is a mother. How you incorporate the Easter lily symbolism is up to you. It can be subtle or overt, but it has to be there.

Submissions for Easter Lilies are accepted August 1st through September 30th each year. Submissions for Easter Lilies that are received outside this time frame will be discarded without response.

These guidelines and submission information can be found at: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/submission-guidelines/easter-lilies-submission-guidelines