Surviving Henry

Adventures in Loving a Canine Catastrophe

by: Erin Taylor Young

About

Sometimes you seek out love. And sometimes it broadsides you.
You don't always know what you're getting into when you bring home a puppy. You hope for laughs and cuddles, long walks and a wagging tail. And sometimes you get . . . Henry.

Henry is a boxer who suffers from Supreme Dictator of the Universe Syndrome. He vandalizes his obedience school, leaps through windows, cheats death at every turn, and generally causes his long-suffering owner Erin Taylor Young to wonder what on earth she did wrong that God would send this dog to derail her life.

But this rogue torpedo of a dog wasn't sent to torment his owner--well, not just to torment her. Through all the hair-pulling and questioning of her own sanity, Erin learns something very powerful from Henry, a dog who brings new meaning to the concept of unconditional love.

Through his laugh-out-loud antics and jaw-dropping escapades, Henry will careen into your life and steal your heart.

Erin Taylor Young is a humor writer who works in a library, where she gets to wander among books. She has written for Today's Christian Woman, Outdoor Guide Magazine, and MidWest Outdoors. A finalist in the Phoenix Rattler 2011-2012 writing contest and in the Genesis 2012 contest for her contemporary fiction, Erin lives in Oklahoma with her well-meaning husband, two polar-opposite sons, and a noncompliant dog.

Elizabeth Camden

With Every Breath

In the shadow of the nation's capital, Kate Livingston holds a respectable position as a government statistician when she encounters a rival from her past, the insufferable Trevor McDonough. A Harvard-trained physician, Trevor never showed the tiniest flicker of interest in Kate, and she's bewildered at the way he suddenly seeks her out. Surprising even herself, Kate agrees to Trevor's entirely unexpected and risky proposal to work side-by-side with him in his quest to rid the world of tuberculosis, a contagious and deadly disease.

As Kate begins to unlock the mysteries of Trevor's past, she realizes there is much more to him than she could have imagined. His hidden depths may fascinate her, but his most closely guarded secrets and a shadowy enemy lurking in the background carry a serious threat to their future.

When the truth of the past comes out, threatening to destroy everything they hold dear, how will Trevor and Kate ever overcome all that stands in their way?

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Through the Deep Waters

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn't old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive. The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her.  Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ's love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

Cindy Thomson

Ellis Island Series

Grace's Pictures

Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.

Annie's Stories

The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment - they're a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.

But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie - and in her father's unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.

Though the postman's intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father's stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she's always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.

Jody Hedlund

Captured By Love

by Jody Hedlund

It is 1814 and the British have taken hold of Mackinac Island and its fort, forcing American residents to swear an oath of loyalty to the British crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a voyageur--a fur trader who left his family home to find freedom and adventure. He's been gone five years and when he returns, his family's farm is at the mercy of the British invaders.

Torn between the life he's grown used to and guilt over leaving his brother and mother, he's drawn back into the loyalist fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique Labelle, a beautiful local girl who's been befriended by the daughter of the British commander. As tensions mount and the threat of violence increases, both Angelique and Pierre must decide where their loyalties rest, how far they will go to find freedom, and how much they will risk to find love.

MY REVIEW

2 Stars Out Of 5 

                

Captured by *KISSSES*

Captured by kisses, is what the title of this book should have been. Although the story of the book was interesting, I found myself disappointed by too much description of the physical attraction between the characters, and way too much kissing in this book.

It seemed like Pierre and Angelique only liked one another for their physical appearances. There are numerous times when one thought of another's body, curves, muscles. Too much was put in stock in the physical in this book and it practically replaced a great story line.

I would not recommend this book to any girl under 18 years old. It's gives a false message of what true love is. Most Christian fiction authors write books from "love from the first sight" perspective. That needs to be changed. Love doesn't grow on physical appearance alone.

I was so frustrated and annoyed to find so much kissing in this story that I can't write about anything else.

When I think over this book this is all I remember:, "kissing" and "desiring". Christian romances shouldn't be read like worldly romances. Just because you throw God here and there, it doesn't make it a Christian read.

I received a free copy of Captured by Love from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

90 minutes in Heaven

90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN

by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey

Publisher's Description


On the way home from a conference, Don Piper's car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven, awed by its beauty and music.

Ninety minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth with only the memory of inexpressible heavenly bliss. His faith in God was severely tested as he faced an uncertain and grueling recovery. Now he shares his life-changing story with you.
90 Minutes in Heaven offers a glimpse into a very real dimension of God's reality. It encourages those recovering from serious injuries and those dealing with the loss of a loved one. The experience dramatically changed Piper's life, and it will change yours too.

ATLAS GIRL

ATLAS GIRL

By: Emily T. Wierenga

Emily Wierenga has the heart of a poet. You will know it as you are carried along by her graceful prose and by the way your heart dips and soars. She tells her story, in her memoir Atlas Girl, with honesty and deep humility.

It is the story of a little girl so hungry for love she nearly died from starvation in a desperate attempt to find it. It was a battle she would fight for many years.

As a young woman, she continued to run after love, searching in relationships, Christian service, and far-away places. Her journey took her across continents and ended in the last place she expected - home. Home - to the family she had run away from and to the God whose love she finally understood.

It is a story of redemption, forgiveness, grace and unconditional love. It is our story. Us, with all our faults and failures, finding a way back to God and to the people closest to our hearts.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.

Publisher's Description

Disillusioned and yearning for freedom, Emily Wierenga left home at age eighteen with no intention of ever returning. Broken down by organized religion, a childhood battle with anorexia, and her parents' rigidity, she set out to find God somewhere else--anywhere else. Her travels took her across Canada, Central America, the United States, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. She had no idea that her faith was waiting for her the whole time--in the place she least expected it.

Poignant and passionate, Atlas Girl is a very personal story of a universal yearning for home and the assurance that we are known, forgiven, and beloved. Readers will find in this memoir a true description of living faith as a two-way pursuit in a world fraught with distraction. Anyone who wrestles with the brokenness we find in the world will love this emotional journey into the arms of the God who heals all wounds.