Into the Fire

With or without . . . Executive Power

 

(Reprinted from June 7th, 2010)

 

                                       

 

Although Mitch Rapp would prefer to have the President behind his escapades, Executive Power by Vince Flynn implicates that with or without it, certain events must happen to accomplish the things that keep the USA safe. Added to that are the particulars the executive branch would prefer not to know—especially when things go wrong but are solved in spite of them.

 

Here’s a prime example of Mitch’s philosophy (and mine):

 

Rapp didn’t know how she’d pulled it off, but she had. Kennedy had convinced the president to give his approval to the operation, or turn a blind eye. Either way it didn’t much matter to Rapp. He caught himself. That wasn’t entirely true. He did care. It was infinitely better if the president turned a blind eye to the Orion Team and their dark operations.

 

As far as the American people were concerned, Rapp honestly felt that the vast majority didn’t want to know what he was up to. America had been attacked. The country was at war, and war was ugly. They didn’t want to see the gruesome details of how it was fought. They didn’t start the war but they sure as hell didn’t want to lose it. They wanted someone like Mitch Rapp to take care of the dirty work. The chief problem, as always, lay with the politicians. [Chapter 15 of Executive Power by Vince Flynn]  

 

In Executive Power Mitch learns there are some pejorative obstacles to overcome in being married to his reporter wife (Anna) after a blissful honeymoon where he is allowed to remain incommunicado. After returning, he is thrust into a hostage rescue and traitor eliminating fiasco in the Philippines where two Navy SEALS lost their lives because of politicians who couldn’t keep their mouths shut. When he’s given the go-ahead from his boss, CIA Director Irene Kennedy, and the President, the understanding is that Mitch will design, organize, and implement the Special Forces in the area plus employ his private group of retired SEALS to augment the mission.

 

Although the mission is successful, of all the men involved, Mitch is the only one sporting a bullet wound. In his rear end of all places. Returning home, he’s floundering with a whole new kind of fear about what to tell Anna, having promised he would no longer involve himself in the action. Furious with her husband for participating and getting shot, she manifests her fear in rage and punches him in the face. Fortunately Vince Flynn doesn’t spend too much time with his Anna character. If he did, I might have to stop reading or skip pages. I feel like popping her a good one right across the face for her spoiled insolence. She drives me nuts. But Mitch loves her and is devoted to her, so . . . I read on!

 

Coinciding with this crisis lurks the mysterious “David” and the decadent Saudi Prince Omar who pays David to execute individuals or groups of political figures. David’s goals revolve around securing a Palestinian State, but the prince’s goals are more dedicated to destroying Israel and exerting his status as the “should be” king of the Saudi government instead of his brother.

 

When the Palestinian ambassador is assassinated on the streets of New York, Kennedy, Rapp, and the President scramble to waylay their suspicions that the head of Mossad organized the hit. Shortly following this, another event rocks D.C. and Rapp’s favorite computer wiz spots something which establishes an identity and a connection to who is inflaming the political turmoil.

 

Because Rapp understands the mindset of an assassin, he has a grudging respect for the nearly invisible killer and figures out a plan for ending the series of events. After persuading the president to give him 12 hours to execute his plan, Rapp and his team of guys clean up the mess of Omar and restore the always tentative political peace once again.

 

I love reading these Vince Flynn novels, but I have to admit Executive Power is my least favorite so far simply because since Mitch Rapp drives and carries these stories, when he’s not prominently involved in the repartee and the action, I think the story flags. His wife Anna does nothing to endear me to her, and her temper tantrums nauseate and deter me from enjoying Mitch’s “happiness”. Irene Kennedy is by far a more interesting and valiant character and one I don’t mind spending pages reading about. Giving too much attention to peripheral characters detracts from the fascination and tension that Mitch inspires. Vince created this larger than life character, so anything less than his appearance on too many pages makes the reader want to skip ahead to find him. 

 

God bless Vince Flynn. God bless those who serve in anonymity and who risk their lives to do the work that only a few can do. God bless America. In the Name of Jesus.

  

  

  

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

When the wicked thrive, so does sin,

but the righteous will see their downfall.

 

Proverbs 29:16 (NIV)

Experiencing the . . . Separation of Power

 

(Reprinted from April19th, 2010)

 

            



 

You can see I’m on a Vince Flynn reading spree—or binge if you prefer— here. It’s not often someone hands you a bag of books by an author you’ve just discovered and tells you to take your time with them, but that’s exactly what happened to me via an associate of my husband’s—all of Vince Flynn’s novels almost immediately after I read my first one, his latest, Pursuit of Honor (reviewed here). What a thrilling opportunity! And since I only had two novels to review for April, this opened up several days to begin pouring through the history of contemporary political thriller hero Mitch Rapp.

 

Separation of Power (published in 2001, pre 9/11 I presume) opens at the graveside of CIA giant Thomas Stansfield. His protégé Dr. Irene Kennedy knows she has lost not only her mentor, her friend, and even her father figure, but her biggest ally and the greatest leader the CIA has ever known. However, on the Beltway there is trouble brewing in the form of one Congressman who has always hated not only the CIA but Thomas Stansfield and Dr. Kennedy and has made no bones about it. The slimy world of politics played on both sides of the aisle is making ready to thwart the historical ascension of Dr. Kennedy, the favored presidential nominee, to the position of the new Directorship of the CIA and in this process bring down the President.

 

Meanwhile Mitch Rapp is ready to settle into the proffered position in Langley that Thomas Stansfield arranged for him, but doubts plague his outright acceptance of the position for a couple of reasons. The main reason is his ongoing love relationship with Anna Reilly, the reporter he rescued at the White House terrorist attack, due to her desire for them to live a “normal” life which Mitch wants more than he ever imagined but deep down fears will not become a reality. The second reason is because he was trained to be a lone wolf, defying orders from anyone and everyone when they didn’t mesh with the objective and getting away with it because he always produced results. The thought of blending in and taking orders doesn’t hold even a vague semblance of desirable to Mitch.

 

But first, Mitch has unfinished business in discovering who tried to have him killed not once but twice. The only person who can begin to unravel the mystery is his beautiful ex-lover and fellow Italian assassin. Deciding to take Anna to Milan so he can give her an engagement ring and take care of “business” with his former girlfriend who killed the man he intended to “question”, as only Mitch can do, as to who was paying for the attempted hits on him, the wisdom of this combined effort proves disastrous in the worst possible scenario, leaving Mitch wondering how it all could’ve happened the way it did.

 

Forcing himself into compartmentalization on his return to the states with his former lover Donatella and sans the love of his life Anna, Mitch learns of a critical new development in the Middle East involving Saddam Hussein. Agreeing to participate in this adrenaline-charged, Special Forces high risk adventure, he fights to release his thoughts about leading a normal life with Anna and is successful until the mission is accomplished and he returns to his empty home.

 

The tangled web of discovering who hired Donatella (and why) results in finally gaining the answers to Mitch’s questions and brings a satisfying conclusion to the intricacies of politics in D.C.

 

As with all of Vince Flynn’s novel titles, Separation of Power carries the added innuendo. Perfect.

 

A side note to this review . . . I’m not of the opinion that the Press is entitled to inform the people of any country of every single endeavor attempted by their governments. Deep caverns exist between political ideologies and practices, and in despot led countries there’s no such thing as a “free press”. I believe in the United States of America’s government ideals, torn asunder as they have become in past and recent days. I believe in elite forces that must do the unthinkable because of horrendous fanatics who only seek to destroy all that they cannot embrace as their own. The lusts for power exist in city, state, county, and country governments all over this world. Coupled with the love of money which is at the root of all kinds of evil, power and money rule those with no consciences who pretend to have them. I’m not naïve enough to think that our country’s agencies are without flaws and defectors and heartless individuals, but I think that the invincible code of right and wrong eventually rises to the top in the big picture, and I applaud those who strive to insure that evil fails and is punished.

 

For this reason, I failed to like either of the female reporters/characters in this ongoing story. I could feel the love Mitch gave to Anna—she touched this untouchable man so deep he didn’t know how to react to the love dynamic. When he assessed her character after their altercation, I thought he was right on, but as I noted in a previous review “You can’t help who you fall in love with” . . . and she owns Mitch’s heart.

 

Flynn’s writing keeps tension amping up at a gradual pace until he wreaks havoc in specific incidents. His ability to alternate and grind out the intrigue in the plans of both the bad guys and the good guys keeps the pages turning.

 

 
Again, Lord, I ask that Vince Flynn know you as you desire to be known. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Using . . . The Third Option

 

(Reprinted from April 12th, 2010)

 

 

First of all I love the Prelude in The Third Option. It’s a perfect setup for the third leg in this continuing Mitch Rapp saga by bestselling author Vince Flynn published in 2000. This story picks up a year after Transfer of Power, and Mitch Rapp is on assignment in Germany. He’s got that nagging feeling in his gut that something isn’t quite right, but while hoping this will be his final gig in service to his country, since he’s fallen in love with the reporter he rescued during the terrorist siege in the White House, the woman he’s working with turns on him and fires two bullets into his chest.

 

Mitch wrangles out of the mess like only he can do, but as he works his way back to the USA, he wonders if his oldest and most trusted friends in the CIA could possibly be responsible for this betrayal. Meanwhile one of those friends, Rapp’s elderly mentor and top CIA man Thomas Stansfield, is dying of cancer, but once he learns about what happened to Mitch he summons his final energy to solve the obvious leak in this most secretive of organizations.       

 

As an author it’s quite obvious Vince Flynn likes feisty women. In his fiction he creates two almost identical female characters in Congressman Michael O’Rourke’s wife and Mitch Rapp’s soon-to-be wife who also happen to be best friends. Both reporters, both headstrong and in-your-face to their men, both demanding to know secrets related to the government when their husbands are involved too deep to reveal information. As reporters they don’t think twice about protecting sources, yet when they’re the ones with the questions, they require answers which can’t be given without a potentially dreadful cost. This is probably my only difficulty with the Flynn stories so far. These women should know better, and I find their personalities too demonstrative in light of the particular circumstances of these two individual men.

 

I rarely comment on POV changes within stories, and Vince’s writing produces a lot of flip flops from one character to another. To date it rarely bothers me, and I don’t think it’s a sign of bad writing as many professionals insist. It could be argued the problem belongs more to a lazy reader who doesn’t want to be troubled by staying with the story wherever it leads. However, I will say there were a couple of swift transitions in this story where I had to go back a sentence or two to see if I was now in another character’s frame of mind. That didn’t happen in his other novels.

 

The Third Option leaves the reader dangling for the first time without resolution, laying the groundwork for the next book in line: Separation of Power. Mitch is given an “out” by Thomas Stansfield who convinces him he’s much too valuable to lose and being unable to refuse Thomas’s generous offer to remain with the Agency, he looks forward to his new life and a hint of normality. As a reader, I’m now anxious to know if Stansfield is going to last long enough to give Mitch the insight he needs to “be” The Third Option long enough to eliminate this villain which is unknown to Stansfield, Dr. Kennedy, and Mitch Rapp when the story ends.

 

 
God, each story reminds me of man’s lust for power, his overwhelming greed, and his inhumanity to one another. Vince Flynn captures it all in the gift of storytelling. I do pray this man knows you as you want to be known, and that eventually he works you into his stories. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

Complications with the . . . Transfer of Power

 

(Reprinted from March 25th, 2010)

 

                                 

 

Well, since I’ve willingly and shamelessly admitted my new addiction to Vince Flynn novels, it’s just pure pleasure to review my third adventure into the realm of spies, Special Forces, and dirty politics in this story Transfer of Power published in 1999.

 

It seems to me that God Himself provides certain insights to particular writers which enable them to see—and sometimes foretell—unique renditions of possible events before they take place.

 

If you’ve ever read Jeanette Windle’s two novels, Crossfire and Firestorm, published by Kregel Publications, you know what I’m talking about. Jeanette wrote about the South American drug cartels, having grown up down there with missionary parents. The delicate diplomatic “balance” between certain countries and the USA often depends upon the politicians who happen to be in power on both sides of the equator. Transcending political powers in order to do what’s right often lies in the hands of unique individuals.

 

To the best of my knowledge author Vince Flynn is not what many people refer to as a “religious” man, although he has a Catholic background, but his stories do acknowledge a few vague references to God and occasionally people offer prayers in dire circumstances—of which there are plenty. Regardless of his personal spiritual choices, the ultra-sense of defying the odds to do the right thing, to commit to acts of swift justice against pure evil—these ideals which emulate from godly principles are personified in the protagonist Mitch Rapp (aka Mitch Kruse).

 

Mitch Rapp is by no means perfect in his personal or emotional makeup. The wear-and-tear on his soul must be tamped down, suppressed, and managed by compartmentalizing his feelings and assessments of himself and others. He defies political positions and directives, sometimes tuning them out to accomplish what must be done.

 

His “handlers”, CIA top guy and Spymaster, the aging and unflappable Thomas Stansfield, and the brilliant female Dr. Kennedy, have learned to expect that given his freedom to make the call—without political restrictions—Mitch Rapp will inevitably get the job done.

 

In Transfer of Power certain protective safeguards set in place by the Secret Service are sidestepped by the Democrat leadership to insure a hefty payoff to their party coffers by a man they presume to be an Arab prince. The brokered deal insures the prince’s meeting with the unsuspecting President. The real identity of the prince turns out to be a major terrorist with whom Mitch Rapp has a score to settle—and a scar down the side of his face which required a plastic surgeon to make into a thin line.

 

The first bloodbath ensues after the prince’s entrance into the White House while he waits just outside the Oval Office. The intricate planning over a period of years by this Beirut terrorist Rafique Aziz posing as an Arab prince zooms into action as he slays the man who gave him entrance. Somehow the head of the Secret Service is given just enough time to whisk the President, his secretary, and a few Secret Service agents to the double-vaulted president’s bunker in one of the White House basements. Shortly afterward, Aziz jams all communications to the White House and prepares to make his demands with the threat of killing hostages and/or the ultimate destruction of the White House and all who are in it, having figured out a way to penetrate the bunker and capture the President.

 

While this chaos develops, the spineless power-hungry Vice President, who assumes command when communication with the President is lost, and his younger conniving aide strategize the way to handle the crisis from a purely political, poll-taking, vote-getting viewpoint.

 

Vince Flynn propels us through this story with heart-thumping tension. Mitch gains an older partner who proves to be an invaluable assistant and encounters some unusual distractions. It’s all about the story with these novels, and they don’t mess around. It’s conflict after conflict with consequence after consequence. True thrillers with a genuine hero at the controls.  

 

Terrific, intense, good vs. evil, a hero to cheer on, incredible risks, and satisfying conclusions. You want excitement in a political thriller which gives you an undoubtedly accurate picture of the interference of pure politics versus the need to keep this country safe? Read a Vince Flynn novel. If you don’t start with Term Limits, give Transfer of Power a whirl. You won’t be disappointed.

 

(As with all of Vince’s novels, there is some offensive language. I don’t think he overdoes this, but it’s there if it’s a problem for you.)

 

(Also, I must ask my friend Mark Harbeson [or anyone else who's read these novels] if he's formulated an opinion of who should play Mitch Rapp in a film?)

 

Lord, you have blessed Vince Flynn with incredible skills and insights. I pray he would grow closer and closer to you, Jesus. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Taking the . . . Kill Shot

 

(Reprinted from February 13th, 2012) 

 

               

 

The New York Times multiple bestselling novels by Vince Flynn give the contemporary thriller readers an informed and realistic look at the world of assassins and espionage. No one does it any better than Vince Flynn. Kill Shot is the latest in the Mitch Rapp series, the second prequel following American Assassin. Vince has said in a few of the interviews he's done for this novel that he wanted to expose the loneliness and isolation that an individual in Mitch's profession faces. He nails his objective with great flair in Kill Shot, a novel that moves quickly to the final page.

A young Mitch Rapp has been turned loose to eliminate a list of terrorists in multiple locations around the world. His next assignment is in Paris, France, and as he scopes out the target, the job looks textbook. He takes his time to make sure of every detail because his attention to precision is what makes him the best at what he does.When everything is in place, it's time to move on the target, but something feels off. It's an intangible that resonates in his gut but nowhere else. He proceeds, completes his mission, and as he's about to exit the hotel room, he's ambushed by men with automatic weapons spraying every inch of the suite. His incredible skill at assessing the attack is the only reason he escapes and not without damage as one bullet hits and exits through his left shoulder.

Mitch Rapp no longer knows who he can trust. This last hit erupted in an incredible mess and Paris law enforcement is all over it. A DGSE (the French CIA) agent appears on the scene and a side plot is injected into the story. Mitch does what he's been trained to do when things go horribly wrong, but he delays calling his handler Irene Kennedy because he's beginning to wonder if even she is trustworthy. When he decides to call, he exposes the prejudiced assumptions being made about the situation as errant and conspiratorial against him, insisting he was set up.

When a team is dispensed to Paris to find Mitch, he's not sure a "kill order" hasn't been sent along with them. The man who trained him (Stan Hurley) has misjudged him from the beginning and one of Hurley's top guys ("Victor") hates Mitch and wants him dead. Mixed in with all of this is a Monsignor who's an elderly spy, Mitch's gorgeous girlfriend Greta, a British MI6 friend of the acting Director of the CIA (Thomas Stansfield), some jihadists, and a few crooked politicians on both sides of the pond. 

If you want genuine thrillers with a larger than life hero in Mitch Rapp, Vince Flynn's novels should be next on your reading list. The importance and significance of the CIA with its successes and failures is never diminished in Vince's novels. The positions of political, law enforcement, espionage, and military types get honest portrayals and accurate assessments in characters of all kinds. If you get uptight about "head-hopping" in writing styles, Vince's approach might bug you, but I find it seamless and easy to follow.

If I had to fault the novel, I'd make the point that Mitch Rapp's character makes these stories, and a fair amount of this novel is partitioned off to those characters who want Mitch's head. It's not a big problem because it heightens the battle waged between the good and bad guys in the same professions and exposes the lusts for power, wealth, and dominance.

If you're squeamish about violence or uncomfortable with varying degrees of cussing, you'll be overlooking some valuable, yes, even meaningful, stories in Vince Flynn's novels. Kill Shot focuses on the isolation of an assassin who methodically takes care of the most evil terrorists in the world. His meticulous skills, extreme accuracy, and his personal moral code require him to avoid non-combatants at all costs where and when it's possible.

American Assassin and Kill Shot have taken us back to the young Mitch Rapp to show us how he became the elite assassin of Vince's later books. His next Mitch Rapp novel will pick up in time after Pursuit of Honor, bringing his readers back to the present in Rapp's life. There's no contemporary writer I can recommend more in this particular genre than Vince Flynn.

God, you've brought Vince through tremendous pain, physical and emotional suffering, and you've protected him along the way. I pray you would bring him back to full strength and provide complete healing. Continue to lead him in all that he does and in the stories he's born to tell. Watch over him with your protective hands, I pray. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

In favor of . . . Term Limits

  

(Reprinted from February 24th, 2010; the only novel without featuring Mitch Rapp.)

 

                            

 

Vince Flynn has written multiple New York Times Bestsellers with his political thrillers. I admit his stories will not be for everyone. They most certainly hit homeruns for readers like me. From the technical standpoint of writing, Vince is good, but it’s not his writing you notice. No. Instead you sense his impeccable research into the guts, glory, and horrifically ugly underbelly of DC politics and the various agencies set in place to protect citizens and this country from criminals and terrorists of all kinds—including those politicians who qualify for that ignominious description.

  

As you know, I swore off secular, or the more common term “general market”, fiction several years ago. In fact, I’ve read only three novels outside of CBA fare in the last several years, two of them belonging to Vince Flynn with more of his to come on my reading agenda. He’s scored two direct hits with Pursuit of Honor (his latest) and Term Limits published circa 1997.

  

Term Limits could have been written today. As in right now. In other words it’s somewhat prophetic in the political essence of this story. We’re introduced to the feisty ex-Marine Congressman Michael O’Rourke who despises “the way things are done here in DC” and who will not buckle to the pressure of passing an outlandish over-the-top presidential budget that will continue to sink the country into a totally unmanageable debt for years to come. Sound familiar?

 

When three corrupt heavy-hitters in Congress, who twist arms in clandestine meetings and buy votes by any means, are assassinated Commando-style with no one else injured, Michael O’Rourke senses who is behind the executions. When he learns the full facts, his loyalties are challenged and decisions he never anticipated must be made.

 

Following the deaths of the three most corrupt politicians, two more decent members of Congress are gunned down and blown up along with Secret Service personnel and other members of law enforcement. Because of this, the decision is made easy for Michael O’Rourke.

 

Vince Flynn writes a compelling story of political spin and corruption and takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the dedication of Special Forces, FBI, and CIA operatives contrasting valor to the lust for power in the different agencies. We can’t help but be on the side of valor even though it takes us where we might not want to go.

 

For Christian readers I must point out there is the language factor to contend with in Vince’s stories, but it’s not obsessive and it’s always real.

 

I loved this novel which quite honestly only feels slightly fictionalized.

 

 

Father, you know Vince. You know his heart for justice. You are the just judge, the only One. I pray Vince would hear your voice. And I pray you would continue to inspire the talent you’ve given him. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sunday's Offerings

 

Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the Lord's unfailing love

surrounds the man who trusts in him.

 

Psalm 32:10 (NIV)

Why I loved his writing . . .

 

 

 

Whatever "it" is that sets some writers apart for us, that certain something usually has to do with their style, plots, and voice. That description probably simplifies it too much because often there are intangibles with novels we love that separate them from the rest even as we take in the first chapter. Whether we glide into the story or whether we're compelled into the story - by a whisp or a whirl, a hint of drama, or the whispered  fatal zing of a silencer - we realize subtly or forcefully that we're in for a special tour.

Vince Flynn was not the "best" writer I've ever read in the literary sense. It wasn't his style. And technically speaking, he probably wasn't even close to passing the test for "best" writers in that he didn't observe "the rules". That fact made him extra special and endeared him to me. In one of my most recent reviews I pointed out there always seems to be a number of typos and mistakes in the final renditions of his hardcovers but the stories make up for them. And that's true. I'd gladly endure the errors to read many more Vince Flynn novels.

To the best of my knowledge, and I could be wrong, his final novel is titled The Survivor, due out in October of this year (2013). I've read the first three pages, and it's vintage Vince Flynn. I can't wait to read it, but then I dread it being the possible last fling with my hero Mitch Rapp.

What made Vince Flynn's writing so special, so vital, so, dare I say: important, is his accuracy. It's somehow easy to accept Mitch Rapp because, although his feats seem super-human, his training and fervency ring true. I mentioned a few posts ago about Mitch Rapp being an emotional character. Truly, his emotions run the gamut of a man's man. He knows how and when to suppress them, but they always surface somewhere, sometime, and even when he can't deal with them, they're still there. I've said many a time Consent To Kill was my favorite, but you could bunch several of them together to place second. Consent To Kill gives Mitch an extra dimension, and this is where Vince's writing excelled.  

Vince once told Rush Limbaugh there were maybe 60 Mitch Rapp types in service. Vince had inside knowledge, valuable and secret sources, and when reading his novels, you knew it. Authenticity poured off the pages.

Vince's only weakness - in my opinion - came in the woman he created for Mitch. She was shrill, brazen, and I hated her. I did. She generated no empathy from me.

Anyway, if you've never read any of his novels, you've missed out on some fascinating, reality-based, dynamic, exciting, genuine espionage and political thrillers. No one will equal Vince Flynn's writing and his creation of Mitch Rapp.

 

Father, I pray again for your comfort to his family and loved ones. So sad for those left behind. Please bless their mourning and help them to draw nearer to you in the process. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.         

 

My tribute to Vince Flynn

 

  

 

I never had the pleasure or honor to meet this man, but I can tell you this: He was a patriot. From hearing the various acknowledgments of his death, I've learned he was extremely generous, willingly sharing his time, charity, and gifts. He loved deeply. Family and friends mattered to him. And so did God. He was a practicing Catholic and knew the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse in Psalms which says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." surely applies to Vince.

I will miss his creative accuracy which gave us devoted fans a truer picture of the conflict in keeping this nation safe not only from the terrorists who desire to destroy us but from those within our government who work against all that operatives like Mitch Rapp try to do to keep us free. It's no secret Vince Flynn's detailed stories came from sources "in the know". Clandestine information came through his stories taut and true. I loved him as a writer. And I'm sure I would've loved him as a man.

A close friend of his, Rush Limbaugh, said in many ways Vince Flynn was Mitch Rapp. I believe that. No one could write the character like he did without residing somewhere in his skin.

I hope his novels set new records for sales just because there couldn't be a better time to read them than right now.

If you'd like to know more about Vince, here are some links to investigate:

http://www.vinceflynn.com/index.html

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=814071&ocid=ansent11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uhbbhWWuMU

All of his novels have been reviewed here at Into the Fire.

 

Father, please comfort those who've lost this precious man. You're truly the only one who can. My tears mean nothing other than to join with those who mourn this earthly loss. Such a decent man will be missed, and I pray the extreme pain of his loss will slowly subside by your gentle and reassuring hand. Bless his family with your divine presence and intense comfort. In the Name, Authority, and Blood of Jesus, Amen.  

 

 

 

 

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What are you afraid of?

 

 

 

So what is it you're afraid to write? I'm not talking about topics - like constructing a spy thriller which might be what you love to read but have no contacts for researching such an expansive project.

I'm asking what do you consider your weakness? What scares you when you place your fingers on the keys and know the upcoming scene is keeping you from depressing any of those letters?

Is it authentic dialogue? Is it enticing character development? Is it an action-heavy scene or pacing the story? What are you afraid of when you know it's coming or perhaps before you begin?

 

Father, you give us our inspiration, our courage, our hopes, and dreams. You supply the talent and we do our best to orchestrate it. Help us to complete what you have for us to do. Lord, apart from you, we can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Discovering . . . Ties That Bind

 

                          

 

Death, family, antiquated books, drugs, the love of horses, and empty lives collide in C. J. Darlington's latest novel Ties That Bind, published by Mountainview Books. Picking up with familiar characters from her past novels (Thicker Than Blood, Bound by Guilt), C. J. takes the reader on a search for belonging and redemption, both of which seem an impossible feat for her protagonist Brynn Taylor.

Brynn Taylor's mom's dying request was that she find her father and give him a chance. Her only guide to his possible location is a rare book she inherits with an inscription addressed to her from him. His name is Peter Williams, and in the back of this book is the name Edna Williams with a location in Elk Valley, Colorado. With her meager belongings and a five year stint in jail behind her, she sets out to do what she thought her mother asked. Her bitterness about having no one in her life since her mother ebbed away from cancer when Brynn was 17, knowing her inability to cope with losing her led to a downward spiral, Brynn hopes to renew her life by meeting a dad she's never known. What little faith she had in God plus her passion for painting passed away with her mother.

Through twists and turns in her journey, she meets the Williams' sisters, Christy and May, but getting the nerve to introduce them to her real identity amps up Brynn's old cravings for medicating her angst. Making it to May's ranch, she's readily accepted by the gentle old woman known as Ruth who co-owns the ranch with May and encourages her to trust the two women enough to tell them who she is. Ruth promises not to reveal her secret at Brynn's request. When Ruth hires her, much to May's surprise and annoyance since she can't afford her and doesn't really need her, it doesn't get past Brynn's notice, but her desire to please May weighs even heavier on her fragile shoulders.

The stark realities she learns about her father leave her even more empty and yearning for a real relationship with the Williams' sisters, but as all addicts do, she manages to find a way to secure some drugs and revisit that fake calm they incur until they wear off, realizing they'll just take her where she doesn't want to go.

C. J. weaves an intricate story of loss, addiction, recovery, and redemption through the lives of diverse characters and personalities illustrating how lives become entwined with or without our efforts. Showing hurting lives with and without Jesus, C. J. manages to make a way for her characters to mend not only broken down fences on the ranch but in relationships.

And for anyone who's ever loved a horse and made that once-in-a-lifetime connection with a special equine, there's something especially edifying - and tear-jerking if you're a sap like me - with the inclusion of a particular relationship between a young lady and a flashy mare.

All the different avenues of plot points in Ties That Bind do, in fact, come together and make for a quality story. C. J.'s clean and purposeful writing, some meaningful character sketches and development, combined with some good dialogue, provide a realistic tale of finding redemption, a place to call home, and amplify Brynn's mom's final instructions to her daughter.

Available in print or e-book:

 http://www.amazon.com/Ties-That-Bind-C-Darlington/dp/0989162109/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371512937&sr=1-1&keywords=ties+that+bind+c+j+darlington   

 

Father, C. J. has served you faithfully. Please continue to bless her life with clear direction and a straight path as she endeavors to follow after you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

When . . . Fear Has A Name

 

                                    

                                   (Free for review from the CFBA Tour)

 

Creston Mapes has a new novel out after a lengthy hiatus titled Fear Has A Name, published by David C. Cook, and it's the first in a series called The Crittendon Files.

Jack Crittendon is an investigative reporter in Trenton City, Ohio. He's been given the story about a local missing pastor, Evan McDaniel, who is projected to have left his church to run off with a wealthy widow member or to commit suicide because of his battle with depression. His wife Wendy is convinced her husband would never leave her and their three sons for any valid reason and is working with Jack to fill in every blank she can think of as to where he might've gone and why.

However, interrupting his investigation is the terrifying daylight break-in while his wife Pamela and his two young daughters are home. They manage to escape to the neighbor's house while the burglar gains entrance to the Crittendon's home and the police are called. Pamela and the girls briefly see the intruder before they dash next door.

Precautions are taken, Jack is given leeway at work, and they assume the invasion was a one-time event until further discoveries and occurrences bring back school memories for Pam of who the thief might be.

At the crux of this story are the spiritual conditions of individuals who've experienced different origins and how they've been affected by those experiences. Jack is the model Christian man until his family, particularly his wife, is threatened by someone from her past. The fear that he won't be able to protect his family turns into a rabid hatred with a violent bent. Pamela has always clung to the spiritual strength of her husband until she's forced to put that reliance directly upon God. Evan McDaniel thought he knew God well until he became so overwhelmed by everything he experienced at his church, he's convinced God doesn't care anymore so neither does he. The man who breaks into the Crittendon home is looking for a link to something meaningful in his life but knows he's deluding himself. Having been through horrible parental abuse in a totally unloving home, he only remembers one person in his life who's shown him any concern.

In the midst of extreme weather conditions in the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms, the climactic results of these intertwining lives conclude with a valuable resolution without satisfying all of the characters. The overall story ties in nicely at the end.

Regarding the co-protagonist Jack Crittendon, I like the reporter Jack Crittendon because he's savvy, kind, not overbearing, insightful, and good at getting information. I really don't like Jack Crittendon the Christian/husband. Fear makes him oppressive and hateful, full of vengeance. Now maybe this is a man thing, but clearly Jack needs to tone down his battering ram ego. I get the over-protective thing under the circumstances - totally natural and understandable - but the hatred and turning off the God dial as if He's a radio that can be tuned in or out, I don't like Jack in the flesh. (But, hey, I don't like myself in the flesh either.) And it takes a drastic measure to get Jack off his high horse. We are left in the lurch as to what has given Jack his rage factor but further enlightenment as to his character will no doubt show up in the following segments to this series.

Pamela is a conundrum for me. She's in and out of compassion, fear, wisdom, and lack of common sense. Her journey through her fearful escapade is both admirable and manic. Strong but vulnerable, air-headed but smart, she's a confusing character, and I didn't totally enjoy her.

Evan is the classic example of an individual in the depths of depression mixed with the taunting of the enemy. His battle is well written and well done.

The criminal, Granger Meade, is a mixed-up combo of high school angst, adult rage, self-loathing, and a perpetual victim with no end in sight for his wasted life. Vascillating between lucid kindness and demonic threats of violence, he's on the verge of losing it.

Creston enables the reader to hear all points of view from these characters, observing their reactions to the ever-increasing tests and trials presented to them. Spiritual warfare hides in the shadows of this story but is never directly addressed. It's Christian fiction from start to finish and CBA devotees will enjoy the faith elements in Fear Has A Name.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781408164%20

 

Father, you know Creston, the talents you've given him, and the direction you have for him. Please lead him in your ways everlasting and bless all of his efforts done to honor you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Sunday's Offerings

 

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth, and determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

 

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone - an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." [Paul]

 

Acts 17:24-31 (NIV) 

"Don't get emotional"?

 

                           

 

If your characters aren't emotional, what are they? If you write thrillers, there better be some heavy-duty tension going on with those characters. Yes, we've all read of the psychopaths who exhibit serious control and rarely react except possibly in rage when something goes haywire, but if we create static characters short on emotions, well . . . not very interesting scenarios where they're involved.

As you all know, I love Vince Flynn's master CIA operative Mitch Rapp. One of a kind character who, as well trained as he is to handle every possible situation with control, he's a highly emotional man. If you want to get to the core of this character, read Consent to Kill - preferably in sequential order of this series to get the full impact.

I can write emotional scenes. I feel them in my bones. If I have no other writing strengths, I can do emotion. Now emotion won't get you a whole novel. But without emotion, you don't have a novel.

 

Father, you are the Author of emotion. We see it first in you. You've warned us that our fleshly emotions can't rule us, but you give us our passion. Thank you for sharing your heart with us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Gone again . . .

 

                              

 

                Gone visitin' again over here.

 

Father, thank you again for all the opportunities you give me. I'm so grateful for all the people you've put in my life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

For the guys . . . and gals.

 

                                          

 

Traditionally, these are two occupations we associate with manly men. There are multiple other jobs where guys excel at being guys and work to provide for their families. They come in all shapes and sizes, and some are soft-spoken while others are firey. Men being men. Confounding or romancing women. Just guys. Can never have enough of them.  

My author friend Brenda Anderson did this post presenting possible gifts for men this Father's Day. Good selection. She and I generally prefer to read novels geared toward men and featuring male protagonists. Guess we just like guys.

 

God, your men have it tough in today's world. They're persecuted for their faith and values. They need your help everyday to remain who you designed them to be. Bless them for holding true to you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Creating . . . An Open Heart

 

                                 

                               (Free for review from the CFBA Tour)

 

I love Dr. Harry Kraus' writing. I've been a fan of his for a long time. If he were my doctor, I might actually go once in a while.  An Open Heart by Harry Kraus, published by David C. Cook, takes advantage of Dr. Kraus' African medical missions and surgical knowledge and plants the reader smack dab at the Kijabe Hospital where his protagonist Dr. Jace Rawlings, a celebrated heart surgeon, and his now deceased sister Janice were raised in Kenya as missionary kids. Jace hopes to start up a heart program for the local people in this place of bittersweet memories, thinking if he returns, he might be able to pay a debt of some kind or find a remedy for his immense guilt.

The problem with Jace is the bitter memories far outweigh the sweet, and they've taken a toll on his spiritual heart leaving it cold, dead, and closed to all the things that gave his twin sister her vibrance and confidence. If ever there were two twins who represented the lost and found, it would be Jace and Janice. And if ever there was a patient who needed spiritual open heart surgery, it's Jace Rawlings. 

When Jace operates on the governor of his state and saves his life, the governor's attractive model wife takes a liking to her husband's surgeon. Jace denies the appeal of her attention to him after his wife Heather's objections but struggles with his attraction to her. After a fatal car accident which leaves the governor's wife dead with Jace injured, confused, and the subject of scandal, he begs his wife to go back to Africa with him because of some kind of vision he experienced immediately following the wreck - one he believes is from his dead sister beckoning him back to Africa where she is buried. His memory of the events preceding the accident are missing, and Heather isn't sure she believes him.

When Jace heads to Africa alone, his operating equipment is detained at customs, and his initial experience involves a goat, jail time, and the first evidence of supernatural interference. With politics dictating whether or not he will be able to retrieve his donated equipment, he faces the disdain of the head surgeon at the Kijabe Hospital who lives with the reality of unavailable blood supplies not tainted by AIDS and the lack of skills and finances to perform such surgeries at this hospital.

When political pressure inserts itself into Jace's life, he performs his first Kenyan open-heart surgery on a young woman from a ghetto town after securing two of his best assistants from back home. All goes well until she wakes up to deliver a startling message to Jace which he ignores and attributes to a drug reaction. However, when two other patients come out of surgery with equally disturbing messages, Jace begins to sense the spiritual drama playing out in his life over which he has no control. Fear begins to make a stark entrance into his hardened heart, reminding him of the powers unleashed on the "dark continent". He has no idea how much danger he's in until he has no choice but to see it face to face.

And in looking at that fear, he finally sees himself face to face, who he is, who he was, who he's become.

I've been told by people in the medical community that surgeons are a unique breed. Some aloof, some almost seeming sociopathic in order to make impartial and medically necessary decisions, they can be persistent perfectionists, structured and demanding. Dr. Jace Rawlings is a dedicated surgeon who fails to see the big picture if it doesn't exist outside of himself. He has moments of reflection but mostly he's defiant until humbled by circumstances he created. It's hard to hope for Jace because of his cynicism and consequently his self-absorbed attitude, but somehow Harry manages to keep just a hint of a tender heart visible in the man to keep us turning the pages.

Heather is equally unsympathetic. Taking on the full-dress of a woman scorned, she fluctuates between likability and self-righteousness. While her distrust and suspicions are understandable, she consciously decides to push her husband away before gaining the truth of his accident and his involvement with the governor's wife.

With two characters who stretched my ability to like them, I kept reading this story because of Harry's quality writing, his authentic depiction of Africa, capturing politics both there and here, showing acute spiritual warfare which is more visible there but certainly not any more active than here, the stream of background information supplied to add depth to the two main characters, and for a satisfactory conclusion I knew would eventually arrive. Sometimes you have to open a heart to see the problem, and then you have to fix it.

Another fascinating look into the medical and spiritual fields of endeavor, Harry Kraus creates An Open Heart to demonstrate the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the human heart and how to fix them when they're sick and damaged. 

 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078140535
 



 

Father, please continue to bless Dr. Kraus as he alternates his practice in the USA and Africa where he serves you with his healing gifts and his writing. Meet the supply to enable him to do as you ask. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Partial . . . Retribution

 

   

   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D0AGZLU/ref=pe_160340_30264770_email_1p_1_im

 

Retribution is Book Two in the Degrees of Darkness Series published by Crimson Romance Suspense for Winter Austin, and she cranks up the high-stakes in this outing. In her first release, Relentless, she introduced us to the secretive Cajun Detective Remy LeBeau and the red-headed dynamo barrel racer Cody Lewis. They're back with the angst and stubbornness that neither of them can resist in each other, and once again Cody's and Remy's lives are threatened by circumstances in Remy's past.

Remy's partner (Heath) at the Dallas Police Department is fed up with Remy's secrets as they pertain to the recent murder of an attorney. When the deceased's representative shows up with an envelope for Remy, he tries to smuggle it out of the station to discover what could be in it from a man he's never known. Hints of his past from New Orleans wiggle into his speculations, but he has nothing solid to indicate his presence in Dallas has been discovered by those who might want to kill him. Until he opens the envelope.

Remy's partner is a sleuth in his own right and accuses Remy of withholding evidence in the case, eventually going to the Lieutenant with his concerns. Remy is suspended pending an IA investigation and shortly afterward all hell breaks loose around him, Cody, and Heath.

The romance is hot and heavy in the shadows of the main story, Cody suffers from her episodes originating in the previous novel, and her low-key faith is tested. The climactic ending adds yet another mysterious character to the mix after exposing a few of Remy's secrets.

Winter's writing skills definitely suit this kind of novel and her voice is strong. For me, the romantic drama is a bit over the top with these two characters as they spar and fuss and struggle with internal and external conflict, but the plot is hefty and interesting. We learn more about Remy's past, but he's still hanging on to a few confidences as this story concludes. I'd rather he and his partner find a way to create a true partnership, but Remy still possesses all kinds of trust issues dictated by his past experiences.

As the story weaves in and out of New Orleans and what Remy left behind there, his past continues to break into his present and shows no signs of stopping. Having revealed portions of it to Cody and Heath, he keeps a tight hold on the rest of it, leaving some for the next book in the series which will no doubt usher in more murders from wicked characters. Some profanity and Christianity-lite in this novel.

A very good second effort in the series giving readers another quick, sassy, and entertaining read from Winter Austin keeping the passion alive in Retribution.

Available in e-book.  

 

Father, please continue to direct Winter's steps in all things. Let her hear your voice clearly. Give her many stories and ways to tell them. Watch over her and her family. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Sunday's Offerings

 

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,

  who are caught in the schemes he devises.

He boasts of the cravings of his heart;

  he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;

  in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

His ways are always prosperous;

  he is haughty and your laws are far from him;

  he sneers at all his enemies.

He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;

  I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;

  trouble and evil are under his tongue.

 

Psalm 10:2-7 (NIV)