Title: Beauty Behind the Mask!
Author: Melanie Brown
Publisher: Arthur House Publishing (March 14, 2012)
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
Melanie Brown’s Beauty Behind the Mask! is a fanciful story of sisterhood, sorcery, and the power of love to defeat even the darkest evil.
Life was not easy in the 14th century, especially for women. For Othelia Maria Valance, it is about to get a lot more complicated. As the youngest of Jolene Valance’s three daughters, Othelia has always enjoyed her loving mother’s undivided attention. Her oldest sister Marleen only cares about male suitors, and Alita, the middle sister, was sent away years ago for having a “dark personality”. When Alita suddenly returns, the family is turned upside down. As Alita and Othelia begin spending more and more time together, strange things begin to happen. Othelia realizes that she has mysterious and wonderful healing gifts, and she and Alita begin working together to help the villagers. But then Othelia falls ill with a mysterious illness, and when she regains consciousness, Alita tells their mother has died. Feeling devastated and alone, Othelia as no one but Alita to rely on. Can she trust this seemingly kind sister she has never known? As they embark on a journey through villages ravaged by war and crushing poverty, Alita will learn the true meaning of love, passion and above all, sisterhood.
Beauty Behind the Mask! is a heartbreaking but inspiring tale of mysticism, loss and courage in the face of bigotry. Brown’s descriptions are so vivid that they border on palpable. I could see the bloody, war torn battlefields and feel Othelia’s fear that she and her sister will be accused of witchcraft. It is also a fascinating historical sketch of the beliefs during that time period, particularly those concerning women. I didn’t want it to end, and can only hope we won’t have to wait too long before Melanie Brown’s next book comes out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Sabotage
Author: Apostle Kevin A. Johnson
Publisher: AuthorHouse (March 26, 2012)
Reviewer: Dana Micheli
In his ministry, Apostle Kevin A. Johnson preaches that the greatest danger to humanity is a defeated mind. When we don’t believe in ourselves and what God can do in our lives, we make all sorts of decisions that can lead us down the wrong road. But what we may not know is that we are not completely responsible for this; there are forces, both seen and unseen, that can destroy us. Now, in his new book, Sabotage, he teaches us how to recognize these dangers, both in ourselves and those around us.
Sabotage is an inspirational guide to eradicating our “spiritual terrorists” and living a healthy, Christ-centered life. Like Dust Collector, Johnson’s previous book, Sabotage provides moral support for people facing their biggest challenges and darkest hours. Although the answers to these problems may seem complicated, the reality is simple: once you accept Christ and become born again, your work, relationships, and finances will begin to take miraculous turns beyond your wildest dreams.
Apostle Kevin A. Johnson is a minister, counselor, and writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and a minor in Pastoral Studies from the American Baptist Theological Seminary, where he graduated magna cum laude and was twice-named Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. He also received special recognition for outstanding service by former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist.
In addition to his ministry, Apostle Johnson and his wife Terrah operate Just Breathe Ministries, LLC. They have five children.
No comments:
Post a Comment