Book Review of No Way Up by Mary Connealy

Another fun read from Mary Connealy! The Cimarron Legacy Book One is No Way Up.

The Fight for the Cimarron Ranch Has Just Begun!
When Cimarron Ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, only the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Before leaving by train to receive treatment to save his leg--and possibly his life--Chance demands that Heath read the patriarch's will and see its conditions enforced immediately. If Chance's three bickering adult children, Justin, Sadie, and Cole, don't live and work at the ranch for an entire year, ownership of the ranch will pass to a despised distant relative.

Before long, however, Heath discovers that the avalanche may have been intentionally set--and that more danger lurks ominously. Finding his own future--and a desired future with Sadie--locked up in saving the Cimarron Ranch, Heath and the Boden siblings must work together against outside forces that threaten them all.


For those of you who have followed along with some of Connealy's other books, for instance the Kincaid Brides Series will know Heath Kincaid from book 3, Over the Edge.

This new series takes place in New Mexico Territory in 1880. Connealy writes with her usual humor and delight to entertain readers. If you've enjoyed her cowboy series in the past you will likely enjoy this one as well.

However, if this is a new author for you I'd recommend starting with the Kincaid Brides series. This new book felt a little slow and dry for me compared to her others. I struggled my way through to complete the book.

It was hard to put my finger exactly on the problem. I liked the characters. The setting was intriguing. The writing was fun and engaging. I think it was the tension, or lack thereof, that tripped me up. The story is based on figuring out who is threatening the ranch, yet I couldn't buy in to it enough. There was no compelling urge to find out whodunit. Just my personal opinion.

Currently on her website, Mary Connealy is offering a free e-book prequel novella title The Boden Birthright. Why not check that out to inspire and ignite your interest for her new series. Book two in the series, Long Time Gone will be out in February 2017.

Although this was not a favourite read of mine, I still recommend this author if you like stories with humor and heart and lots of western brouhaha.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

Movie review of Voiceless

Christian film continues to put forth movies to challenge and open a discussion. Voiceless is no exception.

Voiceless takes on the monster topic of abortion in a moving and compelling drama about a believer, a church and a community divided along the lines of choice.

Coming in early October to theaters across the United States, (sorry my Canadian friends) Voiceless will challenge what you believe about abortion and what you're willing to do about it. As a person. As a church.

Battling his own inner demons, Jesse (Rusty Joiner) encounters a young, pregnant teen overcome with grief that, after an impulsive abortion, has her blaming Jesse for more than just her final decision. Jesse's wife Julia (Jocelyn Cruz) must come to terms with her own choices and decide if she can support her husband as opposition mounts against him. Comedian Paul Rodriguez also stars as Virgil with James Russo as Pastor Gil. 

Check out the Dove Foundation's review of Voiceless. It has been given four out of five doves with a caution for content. And be sure to watch the movie trailer of Voiceless.

“Voiceless was made to engage the church,” said producer Stuart Migdon. “We believe our film artfully presents the issue in a way that pro-life supporters can rally behind without alienating pro-choice viewers before they’ve had a chance to contemplate our story.”

My thoughts: The movie was compelling and moving. It presented a man divided, a marriage divided, a church divided and a community divided - all along the lines of protecting women. Free choice is a controversial topic and this movie handles it all very well. I was impressed by the acting, the approach and the ending. I would definitely recommend people watching this movie. I also agree with the caution given by the Dove Foundation - this is not a movie for young children. I would even have a hard time recommending it to some teens. It would depend on the level of conversation and discussions you've reached with your teens. There are more topics revealed in this movie than just abortion. Parents, be sure to preview it first.

The only issue I have with the movie is the pacing. It moved at a snail's pace. Maybe it won't affect the moviegoers in the theater as much, but definitely the ones who choose to watch it on DVD someday. Sitting on a couch in your own home there will be many tempted to turn it off. This is unfortunate because the ending is so important to the discussion.

As well, the overall cinematic feel was dark and dingy. A little light along with the Light presented would have been nice.

Despite these last two comments, I hope you give Voiceless a chance. Go watch Voiceless. One man.  One fight. The ultimate sacrifice.

  

 

Thanks to Icon media and The Voiceless movie for the chance to review this movie. These thoughts are my honest opinion.

Movie Review of God's Not Dead 2

Own it on DVD and Blu-ray and Digital NOW!

Drawing from today's headlines, the thought-provoking sequel to the Christian blockbuster God's Not Dead examines the high cost of taking a stand for religious freedom. Stars Melissa Joan Hart, Jessie Metcalfe, David A. R. White, Sadie Robertson, and the Newsboys.​

When high school history teacher Grace Wesley is asked a question about Jesus in class, her reasoned response lands her in deep trouble. The ensuing court case could expel God from the classroom and the public square once and for all.


If you didn't have a chance to see God's Not Dead 2 in the theaters, you can do so in your own home. It is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital. If you are still not sure, let me tell what I thought of the movie.

I need to begin with this statement ... God's Not Dead 2 is much better than its predecessor. I wrote an unofficial review of the first movie that you can read. However the producers of the sequel took some of the issues from the first film and fixed them. Thankfully.

First, let's address the story line. Following current and real trends of Christian professionals being targeted for their faith, God's Not dead 2 focuses on a high school teacher, Grace who answers a student's question in a history class. The question seems innocent enough, as the student inquires about the non-violence teachings of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. in comparison to Jesus' teaching in the Bible. The teacher does her best to answer the question as honestly and as generically as she can, despite her firm Christian beliefs. Soon, like a wildfire, news spreads of her mention of scripture in the classroom and everything snowballs from there. The movie moves logically through the process as the teacher decides not to bow down and "confess" she made a mistake by mentioning Jesus. She is assigned a lawyer who admits he drew the shortest straw and no one else wants to touch her case. But on the bright side, he doesn't like to lose. 

Soon we see that the lawyer, Tom doesn't share her faith but is sympathetic to her situation. Although he doesn't have a plan, he is determined to believe they have a chance - if the other lawyer screws up. And so the story goes, moving through court testimonies of real life individuals such as Lee Strobel and James Warner Wallace to prove the historical truth of Jesus.

Things look good until the student who asked the question in the first place storms the court room determined not to be silenced any longer and to fight for her favorite teacher. This is where all the threads unravel. Even Tom, the lawyer gives up.

But, back to the real reason we are here ... God is not dead! Even when all our human efforts fail, He is still at work. I enjoyed the ending. It wasn't predictable and cheesy. It was moving and satisfying. I won't add any more than that to avoid any spoilers. 

The previous movie had me groaning through most of the characters. They were flat and stereotypical. That is not the case this time. The main characters are fleshed out more and respond realistically. Gone are the obvious black and white lines between the good guys versus the bad guys. 

There are some returning characters from the first movie - Pastor Dave and his friend, who this time around play a key role in the plot. We also get to see some widening of Pastor Dave as he has to grapple with his own legal issues. (Be sure to watch through the credits at the end to catch a glimpse of his story line, and what may be a bread crumb for a third installment.) We also see Martin, the college student from the previous movie who converts to Christianity despite his angry and abusive father's threats. In GND2 we see the continuation of his story line and all that it costs him to follow Christ.

Returning also, is Amy the reporter, who in the first movie was determined to destroy the "Christians" in her writings, only to be diagnosed with cancer and then say the sinner's prayer - out of her fear of dying (?). Amy's story continues on and starts out with another unbelievable twist - she is now in remission. At first I groaned. However then I changed my mind. Amy had to grapple with her faith from a different angle - if there is no cancer, does she still need God? That, to me is a very legitimate question. She tags along with the court proceedings to help her find her own answers.

And of course, we have the Newsboys! Their hit song God's Not Dead closes out the film once again. However we also have a wonderful concert performance of their newest hit, Guilty. Great song!

So, check out God's Not Dead 2 - even if you didn't enjoy the first one. I think it is definitely worth your time. 

Here are some links you might like:
God's Not Dead website - movie trailer and ordering options

PureFlix - other Christian movie titles

Pluggedin(dot)com - movie review, parent cautions, etc


"Movie has been provided courtesy of Sony Home Entertainment Canada and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."