Best Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
This extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities, where some 40,000 people still practice polygamy. --John Moe Using as a focal point the chilling story of offshoot Mormon fundamentalist brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, who in 1984 brutally butchered their sister-in-law and 15-month-old niece in the name of a divine revelation, Krakauer explores what he sees as the nature of radical Mormon sects with Svengali-like leaders. Through interviews with family members and an unremorseful Dan Lafferty (who is currently serving a life sentence), Krakauer chronologically tracks what led to the double murder, from the brothers' theological misgivings about the Mormon church to starting their own fundamentalist sect that relies on their direct communications with God to guide their actions. According to Dan's chilling step-by-step account, when their new religion led to Ron's divorce and both men's excommunication from the Mormon church, the brothers followed divine revelations and sought to kill, starting with their sister-in-law, those who stood in the way of their new beliefs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My book group discussed this book and we all agreed we learned more about the Mormon faith than we ever wanted to know."
"This time around I was stuck how regional some religions are."
"One of the most shocking accounts of the development of a major denomination I can imagine."
"It's so disturbing that such inappropriate, illegal and immoral behavior hides behind the guise of religion and is therefore ignored and allowed to continue."
"This is one of the best books I've ever read in my life."
"taking care of each other, protecting families, the visiting teachers (yawn), and so forth. I was also surprised to learn of the political machinations of the leaders when disguising aspects of Mormonism that they knew would repulse other Christians (and those of other faiths, as well, to be fair) and which would lead to military interference into their affairs. With Mormonism being powerful enough to have a man running for President (which was Joseph Smith's ambition, after all) there is a need for information on it. This book is likely to take it's place in the pantheon and fill the empty niche which was waiting for a modern interpretation of these beliefs."
"I was raised without any religious beliefs. Then as an adult I joined the main Mormon religion."
"This book is fine if you really like to have a detailed history lesson leading up to the main story."
In The Sound of Gravel , she offers an unforgettable portrait of the violence that threatened her community, her family’s fierce sense of loyalty, and her own unshakeable belief in the possibility of a better life. Teens will root for Ruth and her siblings to survive, cry when the young woman is abused, and fear for the family when things go wrong. VERDICT Fast-paced, sincere, and gut-wrenching, just like Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle; this is a must-purchase memoir for high school libraries.—Sarah Hill, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL “ The Sound of Gravel is a portrait of real courage in a sea of pretenders. That Ruth survived to tell this story simply boggles my mind.” ― Jennifer Lauck, New York Times bestselling author of Blackbird, Still Waters, Show Me The Way, and Found. Ruth Wariner's simple writing, her enduring love for her mother and siblings, and her dramatic escape make this an engrossing, deeply moving memoir.” ― Claire Bidwell Smith, author of The Rules of Inheritance and After This. This is the question Ruth Wariner bravely asks as she brings us into the hardscrabble Mormon polygamous communities of remote northern Mexico. Powerless as she watches her misguided mother endure a life of servility to her stepfather, Ruth's love for her siblings and determination to break destructive family patterns will fill your heart with hope and triumph. Its stories of tragedy, abuse, trust, and dreams betrayed are more than offset by Wariner’s pure goodness: her courage, determination, wits, resilience, and ultimately, in her quest to save her beloved siblings, triumph. In her exquisite and powerful telling, Wariner takes us to the darkest recesses of extreme polygamist Mormonism―on a painfully real and personal level―and brings us back to the light.” ― April Christofferson, author of Trapped. “ The Sound of Gravel takes us into the complex relationships of families with intransigent beliefs, religious convictions so dogmatic that harrowing consequences are forced upon their children. Ruth Wariner, this child of an isolated polygamist community, not only survives the oppression, but writes this unaffected tale of compassion and haunting sadness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I heard about The Sound of Gravel first on Twitter, when I Tweeted the author, and then later that day found out she is my cousin. My review is so personal because, even though our lives were separated by the heinous crime my father, Ervil LeBaron had committed against her father, Joel, in 1972, we survived the same type of neglect and deprivation, among other horrors."
"Her courage, strength and determination saved lives and it is my humble belief that her story will continue to impact and inspire others to do the right thing."
"I can't believe this is Ruth Wariner's first book."
"This book is an amazing testimony of strength, courage and love!"
"It is the type of book you read faster and faster because you **need** to know what happens next."
"This memoir is a gripping, beautifully written, emotional roller coaster."
"The Sound of Gravel is Ruth Wariner's story of growing up in a polygamous cult."
"(NOTE: Review based on Advance Reader's Copy) Ruth's memoir of growing up in a polygamist community and her eventual escape from it is one of those books you will not be able to put down until you finish. The truth is, as part of team who read ARC's I saw other readers talk about how they stayed up late to finish or read it all in one day and I thought it must be hyperbole."
Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. the book speaks to the ways isolation, fear and secrecy can shelter insidious abuses until someone has the courage to step forward as a witness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In my opinion, whether it's under the guise of religion or helter skelter--when you have a population of people who are both terrified of as well as essentially worship a singular leader, cut off from the rest of the world, indoctrinated from birth, driving out all those who dare to question, and most importantly creating a system of that greatly disadvantages and mentally stunts a portion of the population so that they are easier to control--that is in fact a cult. Eventually, during his trial--more evidence came to light that Jeffs was in fact a serial pedophile and abuser not to mention was a total con artist concerning his "religion". Enough tales of 12 year old brides, rape and systemic corruption emerged that I think eventually the media finally came around to the side of the prosecutors--but some still made the case that Jeffs and his members should have just been left alone. Rebecca starts with her traumatic childhood of her siblings and mother forced to live in a dark basement and abused by her father's first wife. She makes it clear that child abuse is not a necessary byproduct of bigamy--though she did see reoccurring jealousy leading to violence or passive forms of aggression repeatedly in in first/second/third/etc... wife relationships. It seems things honestly didn't reach the point of outright major law breaking (for the greater organization--certainly Rebecca and her siblings would have all been taken away and her parents put in jail if authorities were aware of the child abuse) until maybe the late 90s early 00s. He had taken over the "school" system and little by little chipped away at whatever real knowledge these kids had and replaced it with a systematic indoctrination of both the church, himself, "sexual purity"/total submission of women and how evil the rest of the "Gentile" world was. When his father (the revered yet lecherous Prophet who Rebecca was married off to at 19 and he 85) became sick, he took over the main religious not to mention purse strings of the cult. When his father died, Jeffs began a systematic purge of all those who opposed him as well as rewarding young and younger girls as wives to those who backed his rise to power. And many boys were also either raped or sent off to work in almost chain gain like conditions for various construction FLDS owned companies if they showed the slightest sign of mere hesitation or rebellion. Eventually, as the federal and state governments began to make a case against Jeffs and senior members of the church--they called upon Rebecca to help them. At great emotional and psychological harm to herself and her marriage, Rebecca slowly started helping the authorities build a case against these members. I would highly recommend this book to anyone simply curious about the history and insight into the world of the Jeffs era FLDS, as well as young girls."
"Audio version read by the author and the former FLDS wife to the FDLS "Prophet"--leader of the supposedly religious sect, which seems nothing more than a cult, with people following blindly. From her story you can surmise that the higher ranking FLDS men and the "Prophet" --the leader of the "cult" --that women and girls were nothing. Boys got the short stick too, because the FLDS leaders--men--picked the wives they wanted and married so many, I don't know how there were ever enough to go around to all the males. The Jessops--Willy Jessop particularly, but another clan of this sect's "church" leaders--procreated children with IQs of 25 or less, from limiting their gene pool to their own flawed genes. But the book gave a good overview of the FLDS lifestyle and the people good and bad who followed this warped "faith"."
"A secretive world where institutions write ,teach, and print fantastic fictional history's including angel's speaking to men in caves and on mountain tops. These are largely desert kingdoms where fantastic wealth: black gold, Texas tea, sand dollars, turn to greenbacks, rubles, riyals, instantly digitized and flashed into hiding across continents."
Best Religious Studies - Sociology
This extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities, where some 40,000 people still practice polygamy. --John Moe Using as a focal point the chilling story of offshoot Mormon fundamentalist brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, who in 1984 brutally butchered their sister-in-law and 15-month-old niece in the name of a divine revelation, Krakauer explores what he sees as the nature of radical Mormon sects with Svengali-like leaders. Through interviews with family members and an unremorseful Dan Lafferty (who is currently serving a life sentence), Krakauer chronologically tracks what led to the double murder, from the brothers' theological misgivings about the Mormon church to starting their own fundamentalist sect that relies on their direct communications with God to guide their actions. According to Dan's chilling step-by-step account, when their new religion led to Ron's divorce and both men's excommunication from the Mormon church, the brothers followed divine revelations and sought to kill, starting with their sister-in-law, those who stood in the way of their new beliefs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My book group discussed this book and we all agreed we learned more about the Mormon faith than we ever wanted to know."
"This time around I was stuck how regional some religions are."
"One of the most shocking accounts of the development of a major denomination I can imagine."
"It's so disturbing that such inappropriate, illegal and immoral behavior hides behind the guise of religion and is therefore ignored and allowed to continue."
"This is one of the best books I've ever read in my life."
"taking care of each other, protecting families, the visiting teachers (yawn), and so forth. I was also surprised to learn of the political machinations of the leaders when disguising aspects of Mormonism that they knew would repulse other Christians (and those of other faiths, as well, to be fair) and which would lead to military interference into their affairs. With Mormonism being powerful enough to have a man running for President (which was Joseph Smith's ambition, after all) there is a need for information on it. This book is likely to take it's place in the pantheon and fill the empty niche which was waiting for a modern interpretation of these beliefs."
"I was raised without any religious beliefs. Then as an adult I joined the main Mormon religion."
"This book is fine if you really like to have a detailed history lesson leading up to the main story."
Best Jehovah's Witness Christianity
In this remarkably candid part-memoir, part-history guide, former Witness Lloyd Evans comprehensively explores the religion of his upbringing, charting the organization's metamorphosis from unassuming 19th Century brethren to global brand in the modern age. Evans lays bare the circumstances leading to his "awakening" with startling honesty and reveals how the heartbreaking loss of his mother played a profound role in keeping long-held doubts suppressed. Evans analyzes the role of shunning (disfellowshipping) and the stigmatization of "apostates" in enforcing loyalty among Witnesses, and reflects on the indifference of society in general to human rights violations by high-control groups. Rather than being a sensationalist rant by an embittered ex-member, The Reluctant Apostate offers a relaxed, good-humored tour of Witness history and teachings supported by extensive references (to be found in the "Notes" section). "A compelling and informative window on the world of the Jehovah's Witnesses that will be a vital and life changing resource for former members and many others too in forming an authentic understanding of this group, its beliefs, methods and effects on individuals and families." -Scott Terry, author of Cowboys, Armageddon and the Truth "Insight only an 'insider' can bring to a subject difficult to understand for those who have never been part of this world, and unthinkable to contemplate for those inside its bubble. -Chris Shelton, author of Scientology: A to Xenu "A compelling and informative window on the world of the Jehovah's Witnesses that will be a vital and life changing resource for former members and many others too in forming an authentic understanding of this group, its beliefs, methods and effects on individuals and families." More recently, in 2017, Lloyd published his first book The Reluctant Apostate - a part-memoir, part-reference work interweaving his life story with Watchtower teachings and history. In recent years, Lloyd has established himself as a passionate advocate against cults and religious fundamentalism, stressing the need for governments to properly address human rights violations by high-control groups.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Ex-JWs, like other escapees from very controlling groups, are often still dealing with serious issues that can undermine skill and judgement, so sometimes the books are uneven or strangely biased. Among other things, it gently highlights some forms of toxic and/or problematic thinking that are operational within the group, and models at least a few of the healthier alternatives. However, if it were to be republished in a future edition, a good publisher’s editor might 1) tighten up the few sections where the history of historical personalities affecting policy did drag just a bit), 2) ensure that all sources were appropriately footnoted in the main text, 3) reduce the font size and single-space quoted paragraphs, and 3) resize and clean up a couple of the exhibits in the appendix. The refreshingly honest self-revealing bits of the book may be uncomfortable reading for those who only frame their understanding within binary oppositions such as hero/villain or hero/victim, but I think it shows that the psychological path of self-development in this kind of context is almost always fairly difficult and complicated."
"I liked the neutral tone, the analysis of the matter at hand, not just throwing rocks with no real basis."
"powerful and poignant."
"Llyod tells us his story from his early memories of growing up in the Jehovah's Witness religion or as he has come to realize the Cult. The story gets somewhat personal at times but he holds nothing back in helping us to understand what it is like to grow up with the repressive rules and regulations of the JW's. We are taken through his teenage years and his early 20 and possibly to most trajic part of his life the death of his mother."
"Awesome book that exposes Watchtower's craziness."
"For so many years I was unable to put into words many of the feelings I had about my experiences with JW's, but the lens that Mr. Evans sees the world through, and expresses through the pages of this book, made my own vague ideas crystal clear for once."
"Great buy for those who are trying to know what Jehovah's witnesses are about and for those thinking of leaving JW's , faded, shunned, ignored, or have doubts, as well as current members looking to find answers they were looking for."
Best Christian Protestantism
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas comes a brilliant and inspiring biography of the most influential man in modern history, Martin Luther, in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. On All Hallow’s Eve in 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther posted a document he hoped would spark an academic debate, but that instead ignited a conflagration that would forever destroy the world he knew. A beautifully balanced separation of fact from fiction.” —Hugh Hewitt “If you had to make a list of five people who shaped the modern West, Martin Luther would be on it. With a light and rapid touch that nonetheless is capable of conveying deep truths and insights, Metaxas deftly blends these many elements into a narrative that reads as compellingly as a novel. I imagine that Luther himself—not an easy man to please—would be deeply impressed by this master portraiture.” —Mark Helprin, bestselling author of Winter’s Tale and A Soldier of the Great War. With his customary verve and elegance, profound reverence, and biting wit, Metaxas’s Martin Luther is an education in the meaning of man’s relation to God. Gerald L. Schroeder, lecturer and teacher at College of Jewish Studies Aish HaTorah’s Discovery Seminar “This massive but eminently readable biography of Luther deserves no less an adjective than ‘formidable.’ Eric Metaxas is to religious biographers what Pixar is to cartoons.” —Peter Kreeft, author of Catholics and Protestants: What Can We Learn from Each Other? “If you wish to know why Martin Luther is remembered as one of the most consequential figures in history, and why Eric Metaxas has emerged as one of the most prominent storytellers of our generation, you’ll find the answers in this book. Eric’s skill as a writer and biographer are on full display here, even as he corrects the myths and secures the history of a monk who changed the world.” —John Stonestreet, president of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. “A biography designed to peel back the myths and reveal Luther as the fascinating and influential man he was . the author’s fast-paced style and attention to interesting details sets this 450-page book apart.” —Institute for Faith, Work & Economics “Turns some centuries-long legends upside down.” —The Blaze “A masterful portrait of a seminal figure.” — Booklist (starred review) “A meaty autobiography of the Reformation leader. Bold, fast-paced, and magisterial like its hero, yet always stylish and witty like its author, this account blows the cobwebs off long-settled expectations, and helps us to understand the man who shook the medieval world and helped to shape the modern world.” —Os Guinness, author of Impossible People “When Martin Luther made it possible to read the Bible for yourself, he did more than anyone else to create the future. Read this book for yourself to understand the story we’re all still living through.” —Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal, entrepreneur, and author of Zero to One “Eric Metaxas has blessed us with yet another indispensable biography. With his customary verve and elegance, profound reverence, and biting wit, Metaxas’s Martin Luther is an education in the meaning of man’s relation to God. Gerald L. Schroeder, lecturer and teacher at College of Jewish Studies Aish HaTorah’s Discovery Seminar “This massive but eminently readable biography of Luther deserves no less an adjective than ‘formidable.’ Eric Metaxas is to religious biographers what Pixar is to cartoons.” —Peter Kreeft, author of Catholics and Protestants: What Can We Learn from Each Other? A tour de force.” —Johnnie Moore, Jr., founder of The Kairos Company “If you wish to know why Martin Luther is remembered as one of the most consequential figures in history, and why Eric Metaxas has emerged as one of the most prominent storytellers of our generation, you’ll find the answers in this book. Eric’s skill as a writer and biographer are on full display here, even as he corrects the myths and secures the history of a monk who changed the world.” —John Stonestreet, president of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He starts off perfectly, explaining how MLK, Jr. got his name, which basically leaves no doubt -- this is important to all of us. Not to ruin the surprise, but key information literally "unearthed" in 2008. So yes, Metaxas adds new information to a well told 500 year old story, and it is really worth examining. But here's the best part about Metaxas' biography -- he makes sure God gets the glory. Metaxas pulls out the pieces of Luther's life that show how God was always part of the story. I heard that earnest but lighthearted Metaxas voice delivering several lines, and it struck me as very humorous."
"For most of my life I worked in the Printing profession so I was glad to see the Eric gave the invention of the printing press it's proper due in why Martin Luther's reforms work where other before him fell short. I personally rank him 2nd to Johann Gutenburg who moveable type combined with the Printing Press was the Reformation and the biggest event of the last millennium. The fact that this Monk could not be killed like nearly everyone else who dare question Catholic dogma of the time is in fact a GREAT story!"
"I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in church history and those of you that don’t really know how Martin changed the world."
Best Christian Science
Letters from readers that testify to such healing from simply reading the book can be found in the last chapter of Science and Health. The author, Mary Baker Eddy, devoted more than four decades to refining this message of hope, healing, comfort and spiritual strength.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You may get some quick answers and even some healing, but you may also find some long held beliefs disconcertingly challenged. The book is easily criticized by the intellectual, but worldly minded, and even facilely parodied by such literary luminaries as Mark Twain. If you have already found some self-satisfied comfort in the belief, amply demonstrated by the five physical senses, that you live, love, laugh, eat and die, and that's it, then this may not be a book for you. Since the book is out of copyright, I imagine some spiritual and intellectual giant, and many lesser qualified, will attempt an update."
"She took a fall on the ice which left her on her deathbed... and by turning to her Bible and reading an account of healing by Jesus was miraculously healed of all its effects. She learned to heal herself and others in the way Christ Jesus healed, and this book will teach you how to heal yourself and others as He healed."
"The last 100 pages of the book include testimonies of people healed of hundreds of maladies from simply reading the book."
"Which is good for the reader because you can assimilate the words and let them join your own positive beliefs and generate a whole inner world of clarity and spirit."
"..through the examples of lives of ordinary people who trusted in a supreme power, seeing that spiritual guidance helped them triumph over huge obstacles."
"Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is the church's main text, along with the Bible."
Best Christian Orthodoxy
This history of mankind, Christ, and Christianity is to some extent a conscious rebuttal of H. G. Wells' Outline of History, which embraced both the evolutionary origins of humanity and the mortal humanity of Jesus. This, in part, is the question that G.K. Chesterton starts with in this classic exploration of human history. Wells, Chesterton in this work affirms human uniqueness and the unique message of the Christian faith. Writing in a time when social Darwinism was rampant, Chesterton instead argued that the idea that society has been steadily progressing from a state of primitivism and barbarity towards civilization is simply and flatly inaccurate. Lewis described reading it in 1925 when he was still an atheist: "Then I read Chesterton's Everlasting Man and for the first time saw the whole Christian outline of history set out in a form that seemed to me to make sense . I already thought Chesterton the most sensible man alive;apart from his Christianity; Now, I veritably believe, I thought that Christianity itself was very sensible;apart from its Christianity." (Surprised by Joy p.223) When asked what Christian writers had helped him, Lewis remarked in 1963, six months before he died; "The contemporary book that has helped me the most is Chesterton's The Everlasting Man."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Lewis mentioned that this book had a significant impact to his conversion to Christianity from atheism."
"Lots of typos...find it odd."
"His writings make me think in a different way and it is why I can read Everlasting twelve times and get a slightly different interpretation each.."
"Like I his other writings, this book comes across the believing mind as fresh and insightful with both practical wisdom and the light of The Light Of the World."
"Extraordinary outline of human history from a Catholic perspective."
"Loved it."
Best Amish Christianity
Detective Olivia Mast would rather run through gunfire than return to her former Amish community in Unity, Maine, where she killed her abusive husband in self-defense and witnessed her family’s murder. After an Amish man is murdered, the community will not pursue justice or answer questions from the police, so she begrudgingly dons her old prayer kapp and heads to Unity to investigate the murder undercover. Whether you have ever read Amish detective stories before or not, I know you'll like this one and be totally engaged from start to finish. I enjoyed the author giving her readers an inside view of the Amish community, especially during dangerous and unpredictable times. The only disappointing thing for me about Undercover Amish was when the story ended--I already miss the main characters!" Not only did I find myself engrossed in the unraveling of a crime, but also in thelearning about a culture, within my own country, about which I was, admittedly, basically ignorant. Ashley weaves two opposite worlds together in a fast-paced story following Detective Olivia Mast. Olivia's journey forces her to face issues of identity, rise up to work challenges, and eventually she finds love. Ashley writes about a culture few of us know about, or perhaps it's more accurate to say we think we know about it, but popular media has gotten the details wrong. That fact alone fascinates me (she wrote all about it in Ashley's Amish Adventure), but wait until you read the mystery novel she's written about the community. I thought this would be such an easy area for criminals to target, especially since the Amish do not report crimes that happen to them. From there my imagination ran with it, and several of the characters in my books are based on Amish friends I met in Unity . I lived with three Amish families in Unity, Maine for a total of ten days. The main character of the book, Detective Olivia Mast, must go undercover to investigate a murder in her former Amish community. Most of my books I wrote in high school or in my early twenties but are undergoing rewriting and editing. I definitely did for my fantasy book Identity because I was 14 when I wrote it and knew nothing about characterization, so I just based her character on myself, except she is more sarcastic and funny. That is funny you mention that because a reviewer recently just said she thought the book should be made into a movie! I think Kristen Kreuk from the TV show Beauty and the Beast would be perfect for playing Olivia! The second thing is my brother in law is a police officer so I asked him a ton of questions to make sure the book was as realistic as possible. I mean, I'd go over my friend's house, and we would just read novels for hours and go to the library and get stacks of books for fun. The two books that really stand out in my memory that made me want to become a novelist was Inkheart by Cornelia Funke and Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Also, seeing your book published on Amazon is a pretty great feeling, along with reading positive reviews. It was amazing to actually hear that someone thought I was a good writer from a total stranger and not just a family member! I LOVE reading all the nice reviews people have been leaving me, and I check them every day. I was also asked to visit an elementary school to talk to students about my author experiences and how I started so young, so I hope I inspired some of the kids!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Shows a story can be entertaining without ugly language or detailed sex scenes."
"I highly recommend to pick this up if you are interested in great storytelling."
"Looking forward to her next book."
"A well written Amish romance that takes us deeper into the Amish life than many other books."
"There were so many emotions running through my mind while reading this book."
"I enjoy Amish stories, but the believable unexpected in this book made it so much more interesting."
"Combining love and mystery is done of my favorite reading."
"This was a great story."
Best Mennonite Christianity
Detective Olivia Mast would rather run through gunfire than return to her former Amish community in Unity, Maine, where she killed her abusive husband in self-defense and witnessed her family’s murder. After an Amish man is murdered, the community will not pursue justice or answer questions from the police, so she begrudgingly dons her old prayer kapp and heads to Unity to investigate the murder undercover. Whether you have ever read Amish detective stories before or not, I know you'll like this one and be totally engaged from start to finish. I enjoyed the author giving her readers an inside view of the Amish community, especially during dangerous and unpredictable times. The only disappointing thing for me about Undercover Amish was when the story ended--I already miss the main characters!" Not only did I find myself engrossed in the unraveling of a crime, but also in thelearning about a culture, within my own country, about which I was, admittedly, basically ignorant. Ashley weaves two opposite worlds together in a fast-paced story following Detective Olivia Mast. Olivia's journey forces her to face issues of identity, rise up to work challenges, and eventually she finds love. Ashley writes about a culture few of us know about, or perhaps it's more accurate to say we think we know about it, but popular media has gotten the details wrong. That fact alone fascinates me (she wrote all about it in Ashley's Amish Adventure), but wait until you read the mystery novel she's written about the community. I thought this would be such an easy area for criminals to target, especially since the Amish do not report crimes that happen to them. From there my imagination ran with it, and several of the characters in my books are based on Amish friends I met in Unity . I lived with three Amish families in Unity, Maine for a total of ten days. The main character of the book, Detective Olivia Mast, must go undercover to investigate a murder in her former Amish community. Most of my books I wrote in high school or in my early twenties but are undergoing rewriting and editing. I definitely did for my fantasy book Identity because I was 14 when I wrote it and knew nothing about characterization, so I just based her character on myself, except she is more sarcastic and funny. That is funny you mention that because a reviewer recently just said she thought the book should be made into a movie! I think Kristen Kreuk from the TV show Beauty and the Beast would be perfect for playing Olivia! The second thing is my brother in law is a police officer so I asked him a ton of questions to make sure the book was as realistic as possible. I mean, I'd go over my friend's house, and we would just read novels for hours and go to the library and get stacks of books for fun. The two books that really stand out in my memory that made me want to become a novelist was Inkheart by Cornelia Funke and Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Also, seeing your book published on Amazon is a pretty great feeling, along with reading positive reviews. It was amazing to actually hear that someone thought I was a good writer from a total stranger and not just a family member! I LOVE reading all the nice reviews people have been leaving me, and I check them every day. I was also asked to visit an elementary school to talk to students about my author experiences and how I started so young, so I hope I inspired some of the kids!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Shows a story can be entertaining without ugly language or detailed sex scenes."
"I highly recommend to pick this up if you are interested in great storytelling."
"Looking forward to her next book."
"A well written Amish romance that takes us deeper into the Amish life than many other books."
"There were so many emotions running through my mind while reading this book."
"I enjoy Amish stories, but the believable unexpected in this book made it so much more interesting."
"Combining love and mystery is done of my favorite reading."
"This was a great story."
Best Messianic Judaism
The only English translation that expresses the Bible's original and essential Jewishness from Genesis to Revelation. The Complete Jewish Bible, challenges both Jews and Christians to see that the whole Bible is Jewish, the B'rit Hadashah as well as the Tanakh.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I set out to read more about being Jewish and whatnot and discovered that it is a beautiful religion and even started talking to my parents about attending a synagogue. I proceeded to read about how it came to be and what it was and I discovered that it was a beautiful religion and so I began to search for an appropriate "messianic" bible to compare to my parents Catholic Bible(NRSV–CE)."
"There are very many different translations of the Bible, and this book gives you the option of what fits in better than the chosen translations according to what the Spirit guides you get a better understanding of what Father is saying."
"In process of reading along side my bible."
"Love this bible version - the names being in Hebrew - are - uhm - a wee bit of a challenge for a commoner like myself ... but ... each heading - this is cool - at least in my humble opinion ... is labeled in both the hebrew & english - index is perfect etc - quality of each page is outstanding - type set is nice & clean - font selection is good - I wear reading glass's - so - a clean font is better - this one appears to be good - easily readable ... no issues with this bible what so ever - this is the second one I purchased - purchases my first copy from the Gateway Southlake Campus bookstore - haven't seen in stock there for a wee bit - sent my first copy to my son in Canada - hope he appreciates the perspective this bible brings on the word ...."
"The Complete Jewish Bible is a must read for "Gentiles" who want to dig deeper into the scriptural basis of their Jewish roots."
"A Jewish person in the class was using the Complete Jewish Bible and I was so interested in his responses. Also, one day in class I read aloud the verse we were told to look up and Steven told me that the Complete Jewish Bible's passage was incomplete."
"Interesting."
"I wanted a Bible with some notes."