Book Review - The Night Watchman

Description:
Ray Quinn is a tough, quick-witted homicide detective in love with his partner, Trisha Willis. She gives Ray something to live for—something to hope in. Until a barrage of bullets leaves Trisha murdered and Ray crippled.

Struggling with his new physical disability and severe depression, Quinn turns to whiskey, scorn, and a job as a night watchman to numb the pain. But when a pastor and dancer are found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, the pastor’s sister approaches Quinn for help.

Reluctantly, Quinn takes the case and is plunged into the perilous Orlando. Soon he discovers that, not only was the pastor murdered, but the case may be linked to his and Trisha’s ambush. Torn between seeking revenge or responsibility, Quinn is thrust into the case of his life.

Author Mark Mynheir gives readers his most profound police thriller to date with The Night Watchman (first book in The Night Watchman Private Detective Agency Series). Readers of all ages will devour this gripping murder mystery that bristles with tension and intrigue. In a taut cop-style all his own, Mynheir delivers an inside look at the thoughts, feelings, fears, and challenges police officers experience while investigating violent crimes and the lost souls who commit them.

Author Bio:
A detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Palm Bay Police Department, Mark Mynheir investigates violent crimes and writes riveting Christian fiction. A U.S. Marine with a passion for martial arts and firearms training, Mark has worked on narcotics units, SWAT teams, and myriad high-risk situations. His four novels offer a realistic glimpse into the gritty world of law enforcement and the rarely seen raw emotions behind the badge. Mark lives in Florida with his wife and three children.

My Thoughts
I’ve been reviewing a lot of serious books lately so it was a nice change of pace to read a piece of fiction. “The Night Watchman” was a good read both in plot and in character development. An unwilling crippled former police detective turned night watchman who is drawn into a murder investigation makes for good reading. I will also give credit to the author for not being overly suffocating with the Christianity portrayed in the story. I know some works of Christian fiction have basically every character accepting Christ by the end. I love my Lord, but in real life not everyone accepts him. Good fiction should reflect reality. In the story, the main character begins heading in the direction of Christ, but even at the end he has a ways to go.

Overall, a good story worthy of a place in your lazy days of summer reading list.

You can check out some purchase options at Random House.

Book Winner - Hero

Congratulations to Todd for commenting and winning the copy of “Hero” that was reviewed last week. All entries were assigned a number and then I used random.org to pick the number of the winner. I will be getting the book out to you real soon.

Battling

Last week I was away for church business for a few days and when I returned this blog remained untouched as I caught up on work. So, this week’s health update comes two weeks after the previous one. That’s my build up for my explanation. From two weeks ago, I’m up 0.4 pounds. However, from last week when I didn’t blog, I’m actually down 6 pounds. Yeah, I gained some weight on my trip. It’s mostly back off now. The current weight resides at 214.2 pounds.

This weekend entails me taking my wife out for her birthday, a family gathering celebrating multiple birthdays in May, and of course Memorial Day. If I would have stayed on track I could be closing in on 200 instead of losing the same five pounds again and again.

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Win a Copy of Hero

I completely forgot to mention in my last post that I have a copy of the book to giveaway. Just leave a comment to this post or the actual review and you will be entered to win. I will draw the winner next Wednesday.

Book Review - Hero

My next book in my ongoing book review series is “Hero” by Fred and Jasen Stoeker with Mike Yorkey. What follows is the publisher’s information and then my review.

Description
You already know it’s not easy being a single man in this culture today. But it is easy to be overwhelmed, to feel helpless and hopeless about living by God’s high standards for singles. It’s easy to cave in to the pressures of this sex-soaked world and accept defeat—blaming the media, the culture, even girlfriends who don’t know how tough it can be.

But many men have read books like Every Young Man’s Battle and Tactics and have committed themselves to stand strong and pure in the power of God, and to go on the offensive against the onslaught of negative stereotypes. Some have suffered. Some have fallen. But many have experienced victory—and you can be among them.

What makes those committed men so desirable to women? Be Her Hero is their motto. From best-selling author Fred Stoeker, along with his son Jasen, come the straightforward insight and real-life examples you’re looking for to help you take personal purity to its logical conclusion. Here’s straight truth with irrefutable evidence of what makes an ultimate hero to women who long for men of faith—men who stand by their convictions and make their world a safer and better place.

Are you ready to accept the challenge?

Authors Bios
Fred Stoeker is a best-selling author of several books, including Every Young Man’s Battle and Tactics, the president of Living True Ministries, and a popular conference speaker who challenges men to become sexually pure, to reconnect in true intimate relationship with their wives, and to train their sons to become godly men. A graduate of Stanford University, Fred lives in Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Brenda, and their children.

Mike Yorkey, a writer living in Encinitas, California, has collaborated with Fred Stoeker in all his books for the Every Man’s series.

Jasen Stoeker is a popular conference speaker who challenges young men to be heroic in their relationships with women and to be a Christian, rather than just seem like one. Jasen is a graduate of Iowa State University with degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science and now lives in Minneapolis, MN, with his wife Rose.

My thoughts
I’ve read various books by Fred Stoeker and have always been challenged by them. I’m sure they don’t sit well with some people because they’re very open and honest about the struggles that men have with lust and pornography. I’ve read comments in the past mocking the books (even from so called Christians) for the books’ strong stance on Ephesians 5:3, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” I’ll be honest, there have been times where I’ve felt that it is almost impossible to live up to the standards God has commanded and that these books champion. It can be done though and the results are worth it.

While his previous books have dealt more with lust, this book tackles the issue from the perspective of being the man that women really want. A man of uncompromising standards and integrity, A man that will fight tooth and nail to preserve his purity and the purity of the women around him. Fred brings in his son’s perspective, a man that has chosen this path and had victory. The testimony is pretty amazing.

The book challenges us to lives worthy of Christ. This means taking strong stands on holiness. It means making hard choices even when those around us are willing to compromise. While the target audience is young men (single of course), it convicted me again and again as a man that has been married for several years now. It opened my eyes once again to myself and even more, it has caused me to turn my eyes to my 18 month old son. His battle is still several years away, but I need to be ready to walk with him through it.

Let me wrap up this review with one thought that hit me hard from the chapter “The Promise of Pain.” Fred writes, “Sex is not a guy’s ticket to manhood. Suffering is.” As men, we grow the most when we are put in a place of pain. We draw nearer to Christ and find true male maturity when we suffer yet remain strong. Maybe it’s just me, but that was an eye opener. The more I reflect on it the more I’m beginning to believe it. Scripture consistently tells us to be willing to suffer for the Lord. The heroes of the faith always suffered. In this fight for holiness, it will mean suffering.

This is a powerful book. I completely and totally recommend it.

Check out the book at the Random House website or buy it from my favorite bookseller Amazon.

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Praying For Power

My pastor preached a message last night on praying for the power. The book of Acts is a book that is drenched with God’s power. We see a small group of people that completely changed the world. Not because of their own wisdom or creativity, but because God was at work in them.

So often it feels like we pray for God to bless our ideas and plans instead of taking the time to seek Him and allow Him to fill us with his power. What would happen if God’s people would humbly begin to pray and seek Him? What if the power we see displayed in Acts was once again displayed for the market places of our world to see? What if healings began to take place at Starbucks? What if demons that had controlled and tormented some people for years were cast out? What if our walk with Christ reflected what we see in Scripture?

It’s beginning to stir my heart. It’s time to stop talking about the power of God. It’s time to draw close enough for the power of God to begin working in and through us.

Book Reviews

This week’s books are reviewed by my wife Kelly.

Publisher’s Description for “Mama’s Got a Fake I.D
Formula for identity loss:
1. Take one multifaceted, intriguing human being.
2. Bless her with a child.
3. Mix with today’s cultural assumptions.
4. Add the demands of motherhood.
5. Presto! All identity except Mom disappears.

For every woman wondering what happened to the unique combination of gifts and abilities she was known for before kids came along, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has good news: in Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Rivedeneira helps moms reclaim their full identity as creative beings, gifted professionals and volunteers, loving friends, children of God—and mothers.

This inspiring and practical guide shows women how to break free from false guilt, learn a new language to express who they really are, and follow God’s lead in sharing their true self with others. After all, motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing one’s identity. Instead, being a mom makes it possible for a woman to discover a more complete identity as the person God made her to be.

Author Bio:
The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.

Publisher’s Description for Dear Mom
Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.
Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”
Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:
· how to talk to teens so they hear,
· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,
· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.
The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

Author Bio:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

Publisher’s Description for Enduring Justice
In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

Author Bio:
Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

Kelly’s Reviews
“Mama’s Got a Fake I.D.
I picked up this book and thought it looked exciting. I thought it would be about how I can find my true identity. And in a way it was but it was also about being okay with not wanting to be ‘just a mom’. I am a mom who loves being just that, a mom. I truly enjoy being a mom. I love spending each and every day with my children. The book talked a lot about mothers who love being a mom as part of who they are. It almost made me feel guilty for liking being a mom. I know being a mom is not all that I am. I am so much more of a complex person, but I know that being a mom is what I am called to do and I love it. I think this book is tailored to moms who may be struggling with finding a balance between being a mom and everything else they do. It had great things to say and do to help all moms discover who they are in Christ.

“Dear Mom”
This was a good book. I did not get all of it read, but from what I was able to finish I would recommend it to moms that have teenage or soon to be teenage daughters. It will give you great insight into ways to talk with your daughter. It shows ways to open the lines of communication and how to be there for your daughter without making her resent you.

Enduring Justice
I had all these books to read about being a mother and to be honest, I’ve spent the past few couple of weeks being just that. What I’m basically saying is that I didn’t have time to read this book. Looks really good and I plan on reading it in the near future.

You can find the books on the Random House website at the following links.
Mama’s Got a Fake I.D.
Dear Mom
Enduring Justice

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Fought For This

I really fought for this weight loss. Dumb to say, but psychologically it was extremely difficult. I just want to eat something that was different and tasted good. I did my best and thankfully was able to get some weight loss. I am currently at 213.8 pounds. That is a loss of 2.2 pounds from last week. It’s also my new low.

Next week I’m taking a trip for my church and will be eating out multiple times. I’m going to try to get into the workout room at my hotel and be cautious on my food intake, but I’m still not looking forward to next Friday’s weigh day.

Read a Book

I write this blog because I enjoy doing it. However, I never want it to control me. So, instead of spending time tonight thinking of and then writing a post, I’m going to write these few words and then read a little bit of a book before going to bed. Good night.

Frustration

The graphic screams my frustration. Up 2 pounds to 216. I can’t seem to break this barrier. Not saying I did a great job all week but overall I did pretty well. I need to sit down and really reevaluate what I’m doing.

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