Review: Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

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intothefreeInto the Free
Julie Cantrell
Thomas Nelson (first published in 2012 by David C. Cook)

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Millie has grown up watching the Romany travelers make their yearly trek through her Mississippi town and on into the free. She longs to leave her abusive father and poverty-stricken life behind and follow them, but who would care for Mama if she goes? When tragedy swallows Millie’s family, she’s left with only the memory of her mother’s faith to guide her. A window into her father’s secret life opens to Millie, and she finds an unexpected community among his friends. As the day draws near for the Romany to return and the one person Millie has counted … Continue reading →

Upcoming Reviews: June 2016

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upcomingreviews

June 2016

It’s summer time again, and here in FL, kids are already out of school. (We’ll be crying the second week of August when we have to go back and all you northerners have weeks left of summer fun.) We’ve got lots of things planned, including the obligatory beach days, and hopefully a bit of butterfly gardening. Plus, of course, lots of reading time.

Here’s a list of books you can expect to see reviewed on The Story Sanctuary over the next several weeks. Some of these have been on my list for quite some time, and I’m excited to have a chance to finally read them. I’ve been trying to work in more of the Christian … Continue reading →

Review: Rebel by R J Anderson

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Rebel by R J AndersonRebel
R J Anderson
Enclave

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A disciplinary issue at boarding school sends Timothy Sinclair to live with his aunt and uncle. While there, he meets a bizarre creature he never would have believed existed: a tiny, winged girl named Linden who desperately needs his help.

As Timothy becomes caught in Linden’s grave mission, he draws the attention of dark faeries. Soon, hunters close in on their trail. The only hope lies in a myth about a white stone that could secure the freedom of Linden’s people, faeries living in the Oak on Timothy’s aunt and uncle’s property. Timothy and Linden must find the stone before the deadly hunters catch them.

… Continue reading →

Review: An Uncertain Choice by Jodi Hedlund

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An Uncertain Choice by Jodi HedlundAn Uncertain Choice
Jodi Hedlund
Zondervan

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As Rosemarie’s eighteenth birthday nears, she prepares to fulfill the sacred vow her parents made and become a nun. She struggles to accept this role even as her kingdom is in turmoil at the hands of a sheriff who enforces cruel punishment and unexplained plagues that ravage the poorest citizens. Then, one month before her birthday, an old family friend rides into her kingdom with news: Rosemarie may have another option. If she can find and marry her true love before midnight on her eighteenth birthday, she will not have to enter the convent. Three knights accompany Rosemarie’s advisor. She must find out … Continue reading →

Review: I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan

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woke-up-dead-mallI Woke Up Dead at the Mall
Judy Sheehan
Delacorte Press

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Sarah wakes up, still wearing the mango-colored monstrosity of a bridesmaid dress, she is surprised by two things: she’s far from her New York home in the Mall of America, and she’s dead. Murdered. Sarah’s mentor encourages her (and the other teen ghosts who’ve taken up residence in the mall) to let go of her past, but Sarah can’t let go, especially when she learns what happened and realizes someone she loves is still in terrible danger. Now she can’t rest in peace until her murderer has been stopped and her family saved.

The concept of this story might be a bit dark, but … Continue reading →

Author Interview with Kenley Davidson

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Traitor's Masque by Kenley DavidsonOne of the best books I read recently happens to be Kenley Davidson’s debut novel, Traitor’s Masque. Today Kenley joins me to talk about what inspired the story and what’s coming next in the Andari Chronicles.

What inspired you to write a retelling of the Cinderella story? Is there a version of the story you found particularly inspirational?

I don’t know what this says about me, but I think what inspired me most was that I had never read a version of Cinderella that I could get very excited about. My kids had watched the animated movie several thousand times, and there was always that parental voice in my head that wanted to say to them, “No! This isn’t how love … Continue reading →