Audiobook Review: Invitation by Alton Gansky, Angela Hunt, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti

This is entertaining and an easy listen.
Invitation
Written By: Alton Gansky, Angela Hunt, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti
Narrated By: Bill Myers, Ali Ahn, Cherise Boothe, Jeff Brick

Series: The Harbingers Series, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 04-04-17
Language: English
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: Christian, Collection, Mystery, Sci Fi, Supernatural
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Summary:
In the first cycle of the Harbinger series, four strangers discover they have extraordinary gifts and are brought together to fight a growing darkness. Meet the members of the Harbingers team--each written by an acclaimed author--in four linked episodes! Fast-paced and ongoing, this thrilling suspense collection reads like your favorite TV series. Four Bestselling Authors Team Up for Thrilling Supernatural Suspense Gathering four stories from four bestselling author friends, Invitation is the first collection in the ongoing Harbingers series. In "The Call" by Bill Myers, four strangers are drawn together to help a student at the mysterious Institute for Advanced Psychic Studies. His gifts are supposedly being honed to assist world leaders . . . but there are some very disturbing strings attached. Frank Peretti's "The Haunted" confronts a supernatural mystery, a case of murder, and an exploration into the darkness of the human heart, all centering around a mysterious house. In Angela Hunt's "The Sentinels," animals around the world are mysteriously dying. What could it mean? When the tragedy begins to touch Andi's dreams, she discovers a terrifying theory. "The Girl" by Alton Gansky is a gripping tale of a young barefoot girl found holding a scroll in the snowy Oregon mountains. She is sweet, innocent--apparently not of this world--and something wants to kill her...

Review:
Four strangers are pulled (or called) together to meet in one dangerous situation. After that they are pulled together again to face other supernatural circumstance.

"The Call" by Bill Myers introduces all four characters. It is written from the perspective of Brenda, a street raised, brash tattoo artist who happens to draw images of visions she sees effecting her customers. The four characters come together as they try to help a student trying to escape from a mysterious Institute for Advanced Psychic Studies. The student and characters are faced with their worst nightmare and have to struggle to make it out of the grounds safely.

"The Haunted” by Frank Peretti finds the professor, a former priest who now argues in favor of logic rather than faith, facing a mysterious haunted house which appears and disappears, trapping it's victims in their own evil pasts. His assistant, Andi, Brenda and Tank, are all drawn to the location to help solve the mystery and keep the professor from becoming a victim. During their creepy encounters they discover a little boy, Daniel, with an imaginary friend who protects him.

Angela Hunt focuses on Andi in "The Sentinels". Andi is the professors brilliant, geeky assistant who sees mathematical and natural patterns. Animals around the world are mysteriously dying and soon there are birds plummeting from the sky and dead fish littering the beach near Andi’s vacation house. The professor flies in Tank and Brenda, with Daniel in tow, to help solve another mystery. Daniel quickly forms a bond with Andi’s dog who is at risk of the killing phenomenon. Hopefully Tank’s gifts can help while Andi tries to unravel the mystery.

Finally, "The Girl" by Alton Gansky, gives us more of Tank’s background. Tank is a country boy jock excited to get a football scholarship until he realizes his soft heart doesn’t like hurting other players. He is sweet, caring and has a gift for healing. He and his uncle try to locate a barefoot girl in the cold snow. They discover that she is not what they think, more than they expect and in danger from unknown creatures. The other members of the team are called in to help face another supernatural occurrence.

I imagine it is not a simple thing for four authors to write of four characters and four situations and still make them fit seamlessly. The introduction noted the authors’ approach which was to have an overall storyline with episodes featuring each character – similar to a TV series. I found the work impressive for that achievement. I also enjoyed the four characters, the different stories and the gentle faith elements that are interwoven with the supernatural aspects.

I have read and enjoyed novels by three of these authors; Alton Gansky is new to me. I would be interested in reading more of this collaborative team as they use their gifts to fight an encroaching darkness. I recommend this to readers who enjoy supernatural mysteries and gentle faith elements.

Audio Notes: The four narrators, Bill Myers, Cherise Boothe, Ali Ahn, Jeff Brick each do a good job with the story presentations. The two females narrate the female character stories and the males narrate the male views. I enjoyed all four efforts which kept the work interesting. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Source: ChristianAudio Sale Summer 2017. This qualifies for 2018TBR and 2018 Audiobook Challenge.

Audible Book Review: This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti

This is a life-changing story of spiritual warfare.
This Present Darkness
Written by: Frank Peretti
Narrated by: Jack Sondericker

Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:06-30-08
Publisher: Books in Motion
Genre: Religious, Inspirational, Suspense
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
A small town newspaper editor and a local minister uncover a web of conspiracy while an unseen battle between the angels of good and evil takes place in the town of Ashton.
©1986 Frank Peretti; (P)2005 Books in Motion

Review:
Ashton is a small college community that is being overtaken by proponents of a belief in ‘Universal Consciousness’. This society group promotes meditation that allows people to open themselves to demons disguised as spirit guides. The town leaders including the mayor, the sheriff, a church pastor and college trustees, are all involved in corruption that pushes non-conforming people out of their jobs and out of town. But there are two new men in town, unknown to each other who are about to make a difference.

Marshall is a big city newsman who bought the local newspaper so he could semi-retire. He is still committed to quality news and it isn’t long before he begins to wonder what is going on when his attractive and effective reporter is arrested as a hooker. As they begin to investigate the ‘misunderstanding and mistaken identity’ they realize that they are getting different stories and there is a lot of tension in the town.

At another end of town, Henry Busche is the new Pastor of a small community church. He is insisting on following the Bible even in the face of forceful opposition by wealthy, powerful and influential members in the congregation.

Angels begin to gather in the town to give strength to Pastor Busche and his small but ardent congregation. Although the angels are gathering, they are not permitted to take action until certain events take place. Then they have to hope that their ranks, and the prayer coverage of the faithful, will be enough to defeat the demon hordes who have been planning to overtake the college and the town.

The author presents a clear picture of the battle of good and evil wrapped in a suspenseful story. Demons whisper in the ears of men until they work their way into control. On the other side are the faithful remnant who provide prayer support for the angels in the heavenly battle. I had never truly pictured spiritual warfare this clearly until I read this book in the 1980s. Reading this completely changed my prayer life. As I started listening to the story this time, I again felt the strength and powerful awe of the message. I know several of the ladies in the book club had trouble getting into the book but others felt the same excitement that I felt. I highly recommend this book, and the sequel, Piercing the Darkness, to anyone who has a desire to visualize spiritual warfare.

Audio Notes: The character voices are well done by Jack Sondericker. Sadly, the production sounded like it was inside a metal room with an echo. Although that was initially distracting, I pushed past it and still enjoyed the narration.

I have not read this since the late 1980s. We read this for our Ladies' Book Club. Our August meeting was postponed so we won’t be discussing this until September. I purchased this in 2012 so it qualifies for Mount TBR Challenge as well as my Audio Challenge.

(Audible) Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Illusion by Frank Peretti

Peretti has a gift for creating characters who draw you in and a story that engages your emotions and keeps you turning pages.

Illusion

by Frank Peretti

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books (October 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451669305
• ISBN-13: 978-1451669305

Genre:  Paranormal, Christian Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

 Book Description
Publication Date: March 6, 2012
Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life—or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protégée, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy’s powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.

Frank Peretti has crafted a rich, rewarding story of love and life, loss and restoration, full of twists and mystery. Exceptionally well written, Illusion will soon prove another Peretti classic.

Review:
We are introduced to Dane in a hospital struggling with the death and charred image of his wife of 40 years.  They were broadsided in a car accident and Dane was unable to get Mandy out and had to watch as the car was engulfed in flames.  Not knowing what else to do, Dane continues on their interrupted journey to purchase their new home in Idaho where they dreamed of a perfect retirement spot. He doesn’t know how he will continue his life without Mandy who was not only his companion but also his partner in their popular magic act. After all, “She was the dream. The house was just a frame around the picture.” Page 61.

While Dane suffers through his grief, Mandy wakes up as a nineteen year old girl 40 years into her future. She remembers the first 18 years of her life in Idaho but it should be 1970, not 2010. Her confusion gets her taken to the hospital and after examination and questioning they put her in the mental ward. Suddenly she discovers a way to slip out of the hospital as if invisible.

Mandy has always loved magic tricks and she begins to do small magic acts to make money. Dane spots her on the street and then again in the local coffee shop. The first time his grief may have made him think he was seeing a young Mandy but the second time he begins to wonder what is going on.  Mandy is thrilled to have Dane help train her and she quickly becomes adept at doing amazing tricks that seem to have extra hands.

It becomes clear that some manipulated experiment is going on. Slowly the secrets of the technology are revealed as certain participants decide that the moral ethics out way the possible benefits of trying to control human lives.

The story has definite Twilight Zone elements but is so much fuller of emotion. It is a roller coaster for Dane as he runs the gamut from deep grief of loss to the apparent joy of discovering that which was lost, then sinking again realizing the dream can not be. Mandy is on her own ride as she tries to figure out who she is, what her past means and how she manages her magic. The doves that she befriends are a sweet addition.

The story shows that man is not omnipotent; not in control. The handlers loose control of the project as Mandy’s soul overpowers the system to seek out its own path, seek its true identity, and seek those she loves and trusts even though she doesn’t know why.

This is different from his first novels, This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, which were spiritual warfare presentations that absolutely gave me a new view of demons and changed my prayer life.  The story moves along quickly and I found this story lovely in the way that Peretti quietly weaves God and faith into the story more as a life-style acknowledgment. I think this story could have a broader readership as it seems more paranormal to me than Christian Fiction although the recognition of God’s hand is pretty steady throughout. If you have read Peretti before I think you will enjoy this although don’t expect the same as his earlier writings. If you have never read this author I highly recommend this story as a introduction to his entertaining talent, captivating characters and emotional fullness.

Audible Comments:
When I saw that the Audible version was narrated by the author I decided to listen to this rather than just read.  The pacing is good and the reading was emotionally engaging. I really enjoyed the author's emphasis as the narrator.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two passages I really liked.

19 year old Mandy reminds Dane of the day they met on the sidewalk where she was doing tricks as a gypsy:

“It was a God thing. Don’t you think it was a God thing?”
....
“I think . . . I think it sure seemed like it. Of course, when you trust God with your life, most everything is a God thing, so sure. It was a God thing.” Page 234.

Dane reflects on the life he has to live without Mandy:

Since when did God choose only painless lessons for his children? Page 270.

Thank you to Handlebar Marketing for the chance to review this book and to and host a giveaway!

This story is based primarily in Idaho for the Where Are You Reading challenge. I will also add it to my ARC challenge and Audio challenge.

The publicist has made one extra ARC copy (with the cover to the left) available for giveaway.  
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY: 
 1. Visit the Author's website and tell me something that interests you there. This is required for entry.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Two total entries possible.)

THERE WILL BE ONE WINNER.

* This contest is open US and Canada only.

* One Winner per household.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on April 27, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries and announced on April 28 with 72 hours to complete the winners' form.