I Trusted Him: The True Story of Anna Lynn Hurd – Jennifer Smith & Cherry Tigris

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This story is written in 2 parts; the first part being Anna’s Journey, while the second part is Who’s at Risk. There are numerous resources at the end of the book on where teens, children, and parents can get help when they suspect or witness emotional, verbal, and physical abuse in a relationship. This story is written by Jennifer Smith; Anna’s mother, and Cherry Tigris, an advocate for child abuse survivors, and  teen dating violence advocate.

I Trusted Him Cover

Part one, Anna’s Journey, is told from her point of view, by her mother; what she was experiencing, the stress she felt maintaining this difficult relationship, and how her boyfriend would react to several different situations, based on his level of jealousy, anger, and need to control.

There are no parts in the story detailing any physical violence prior to her being killed, but there was an intense control issue going on. Anna was required to turn over her cell phone at the drop of a hat for Mark’s inspection. He was convinced that she was texting another; likely planning to end their relationship.

There was also discussion of a difficult relationship at home with her father, whom she lived with after her parents divorced. Her mother lived in Texas. She lost friends because of Mark’s control and deceit, and others chose to just avoid her completely so as to not even begin getting involved in that type of situation.

Anna had her way out; she was moving to Texas to live with her mother. Mark thought he was going to Texas with her, and she was running out of time to get away from him. In a confrontation where she could not deal with it anymore, she told him she was going to Texas, alone, and getting back together with her ex-boyfriend.

Mark stabbed her in the back as she walked away from him, and continued to stab her until he killed her. The story did not give further details on the trial, or the sentence that Mark received for killing Anna.

As I stated at the beginning, this story was told from Anna’s point of view, from her mother. I would never defend anyone capable of violence; physical, verbal, or emotional. We are told about Anna’s difficult childhood, but we are not told in this story of any issues or situations that Mark may have been experiencing. It is unclear if there was a turning point in his youth that caused him to be so distrustful of those closest to him.

This is not normally the type of story I would review, but I did read it as being a mother of 4 daughter’s, and witnessing one being in a very controlling relationship, I could read parts of this story that made me remember my daughter experiencing these same types of things. The only thing it seemed like I could tell her was “You cannot fix him. It is not your responsibility to fix him.”

If you have children, boys or girls, that are dating or will soon be, this would be a good story to pick up.

What I’m Reading Right Now

Angela3 Comments

Kill Them Wherever You Find Them (Pendulum of Time Trilogy Book 1) – David Hunter

photo courtesy of http://davidhunterbooks.com/
photo courtesy of http://davidhunterbooks.com/

This has been a great read so far, and I am about halfway through. I had every good intention of being done with this story by now, but life sometimes gets in the way of my reading plans!

There is a lot going on in this story, but I love it! It covers time travel, religious wars that have been going on since there has been more than one religion, and how 2 religious groups are determined to destroy the other, and the lengths they are willing to go to in order to do just that.

This story has moments that truly make you think to yourself “I wonder if that has ever/could ever really happen?” Unfortunately for mankind, I fear and believe the answer is yes; on both parts.

This story would be of interest to anyone who enjoys history, religious facts and beliefs, science fiction, and just likes to read to be educated about things you do not currently know about. Which is one of my favorite reasons for reading!

I will update with a complete review of this story when I finish it, and to check out this story and more by David Hunter, you can visit his website here: http://davidhunterbooks.com/

The Wychetts – William Holley

AngelaLeave a comment

This was a great, quick read full of laughs and not complicated in the least. This is definitely a YA series (this is book 1) or at least 4 or 5 that are published, with the promise of more titles to come.

The Wychetts Book 1 Cover

The story focuses on Bryony, a presumed teenage girl and her father, Bill. Bill is newly married to Jane, who brings along with her a 10 year old son, Edwin. Bill takes it upon himself to purchase a new family home for all of them, sight unseen. I chose to ignore the fact that no one in their right mind, or any mind, would ever do this. He did not even get the seller’s name or any information. Okay, so we are just going to move along and ignore the clearly impossible things happening here, and enjoy the story for the fun read it is meant to be. This house, called Wychetts (pronounced Witchitts), was created 500 years ago to ensnare the magic from the Guardians, to be used by the Dark One.

Bryony and Edwin are of course 2 Guardians, and Bill buying the house was not by accident. It was all planned in order to take the magic from the guardians and use it for evil.

There is nothing too scary here, and I would definitely let my 10 year old read it. Other than some talk of overgrown spiders, I did not see anything that would be of concern to young readers or their parents. I read it easily in a few hours, and will definitely read the other ones published to date. If you have young readers in your home, these books would be great gifts!

Visit there website for more information here: http://www.wychetts.com/Wychetts/Wychetts.html

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If you missed my Thursday post and the chance for the free Amazon gift cards, be sure to go check it out and register to get your name in the drawing. There’s a couple few days left and I would love a great turn-out for this give-away before my next one 🙂 You can find it here: https://booksandopinions.com/2014/11/06/give-away-1-for-your-holiday-season/

Give-Away #1 for your Holiday Season!

Angela19 Comments

Here it is – my first official honest-to-goodness-free-stuff-for-you giveaway! I will be doing several of these through the end of the year, as it moves into one of my favorite times of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas! I have so many things to truly be thankful for, including my children, my health, my family, my job, my church, my friends, my pets, a warm home to live in, and food in the cupboards. I absolutely believe that it is better to give than to receive. Nothing gives me more joy than buying a special gift for someone who is not expecting it, and who I know will truly appreciate it. So whatever holidays you may be celebrating in the upcoming months, let me help you do so!

 Amazon $25.00 Gift Card

So first up, I have two $25.00 Amazon gift cards. I was going to do a $50.00, but I figured that maybe I can help someone give a gift to someone else as well. So there are 2 for one lucky winner, you can keep them both, give them both away, or share one! I am a huge fan of Barnes and Noble gift cards, but with so many of my readers and writers using Amazon as platforms for their books, I figured this will give you a great opportunity to buy even more books!

So, all you need to do is follow this blog, leave a comment on what you would use your gift card(s) for, fill out the Rafflecopter form, and we will get this underway!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0dcc89d91/

Goodreads Choice Awards 2014

Angela6 Comments

I received my annual email recently that Goodreads was opening up their voting for the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards. I like to go through all of the books and see if there are ones I have read, any of my new favorite authors, or something that catches my eye that I may want to read.

Goodreads Choice 2014 Logo

So I was curious as to how many of you do the same thing. Do you actively use Goodreads? I have been much better about logging in on a regular basis, and need to get to the point that I am checking in every day; which as of late, I have been.

The voting tends to be a long, tedious process, at least with my internet connection. Lately everything is long and tedious and I do not know if it is the 2 laptops we use in my house or the internet service. When I am trying to do my MBA homework, help my daughter with her homeschooling, write book reviews, update my blogs, check email…you get the picture…I have been wanting to chuck my laptop right in the garbage.

Sorry; I got off track.

So the voting has everything in their own categories, so it does keep it nice and organized. You also have the option of writing in a book, and I honestly have a couple books in mind that I may do this for, because I read them this year and they were fantastic, and deserve to be in this competition.

Do you vote? Have you written in a book you loved and wanted it recognized? Have you ever known one of the authors on the list? Have you been on the list?

What do you do for the categories that you do not read, such as if you do not read science fiction, or romance? Do you just pick one that you like the looks of the cover or the title? Do you think that is fair to the authors? (I am just curious, I have no hard-and-fast rules or feelings about this platform of voting for books).

I think Goodreads is a great resource for readers and writers alike, and will likely be adding some books I come across to my bookshelf.

The Generations Series: A Little Lower Than the Angels (Book 1) – Caryl McAdoo

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If you love the stories of the Bible, if you are new to reading the Bible, or a seasoned expert looking to expand on the stories surrounding the creation of the human race- this story is the perfect place to start.

photo courtesy of Caryl McAdoo
photo courtesy of Caryl McAdoo

This first in The Generations Series, titled A Little Lower than the Angels, takes you through the lives of Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel, and how the choices they each willfully made affected the rest of their lives.

You will experience Abel and his interactions in Heaven with various cherubim, his constant questioning of when the rest of his family will join him, and the biggest question of if Cain himself will be able to join him there.

Watch as Adam and Eve deal with the disobedience and sin of Cain, and his disappearance with his sister and wife, Sheriah. Adam and Eve are again left alone, Eve seemingly unable to bear the burden of her guilt that all of this tragedy her family is experiencing is due to her original sin in the Garden of Eden. Will she ever be able to repent enough and again enjoy a life on Earth with her husband? Your heart breaks right along with her as she buries her son into the ground, not quite understanding her husband’s insistence that they are from the earth, and to it they must return.

The facts in this story are true to the Bible, and come from the King James Version. The story is one interpretation of what life may have been like; what this family may have experienced as they lived through the ups and downs of their lives during this time period.

This story is a triumph for Biblical fiction: it gets everything right, while adding to the story to allow the reader to experience what the early Christians went through for and because of their faith.

I do not think Caryl McAdoo could write the remaining books of this series fast enough for me!

Be sure to visit her website for more great reads! I have another one already, and cannot wait to read it!

http://carylmcadoo.com

Oklahoma Ride: Guideposts for your Life – Tony A. Smith

AngelaLeave a comment

What a great read this was! It takes you through a young boys’ life, the time he was fortunate enough to spend with his Grams, and the lessons she taught him. Everyone should be so lucky to have such a wise, loving person in their young life that they can spend time with.

Oklahoma Ride Cover

I have never been to Oklahoma, but Tony certainly wrote this in a way that I could see every scene he described as if I had visited it many times. I adore books that have great descriptions of the surroundings.

There are wonderful life lessons here that will always be important, no matter what stage of your life you are at. They will never go out of style either. Tony’s Grams showed him from a very early age the importance of writing letters, and how much it means to the person who receives it. Why it is important to always be on time, and to truly listen to others, even if they repeat themselves. Your time is really the most valuable gift you can give to another.

There are great explanations and examples of why it is necessary and important to have a plan, be organized, and always strive to learn something new.

This book brought many smiles to my face, reading about this young boy and the loving relationship he had with his Grams. It is an easy read with some wonderful poetry, and is a perfect way to spend a relaxing Fall weekend!