Kiss

Molly and her cheerleading squad had a big competition on Saturday. They worked for I can't tell you how many hours to put the routine together and then get it down. She's at school every night until 5:20, plus some Saturdays and a few other hours here and there. I felt awful, because I wasn't able to go to the actual competition. I was still recovering from the flu that hit me last week and didn't think that sitting in a hot, crowded gymnasium for six hours would be a good idea. I texted her throughout the day to see how she was doing, and her boyfriend kept me updated when she couldn't. They took second in the Cheer Dance category, which is nothing to be ashamed of, but I know that the girls are hopeful of more at the Regional competition on the 31st. I am so thankful to the Kilgore family for videotaping their performance and then putting it up on YouTube. I am also incredibly proud of Molly. When you watch the video, she's in the third row on the far left at the beginning of the routine.

Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy is a suspenseful novel about the power and value of memory. Shauna McAllister awakes from a six week coma with no knowledge of the previous six months. What she finds is her brother severely injured from their car accident, charges of drug use and abuse, and her father on the brink of winning the Presidential election. When she tries to recover her lost memories, she's told in kind and not-so-kind terms to let the past die. But Shauna feels lost and without foundation in her life without knowing what came before, so she begins to seek answers, even as they put into question who she can trust and who she's become. To be honest, I'm always a little afraid to read Ted Dekker's books. His Christianity is so fierce and uncompromising, it makes me a bit nervous, but when I read the reviews and synopsis of Kiss, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read and review it, and I'm so glad I read it! The authors create this situation around Shauna that the reader can't help but become emotionally involved. As the lies were building around her, I wanted someone, anyone, to step up and defend her and clear away the lies and deceit. They do a terrific job of placing some red herrings and not making the bad guys too obvious, so the thrills add up quickly. There were a couple of spots where the editing wasn't great. When the reader is forced to stop and reread a sentence a few times to get the gist of it, breaking up the flow of reading, that's a spot the editor should have caught and polished before publication. Aside from that, it was definitely a book I didn't want to put down until I had devoured the last page. I hope that the authors aren't through with the McAllister family, because there are more stories to be told there.

Randy Singer is one of my absolute favorite authors, and he's come up with a unique premise for his new book. The Justice Game, coming this summer, is about gun control and involves a trial about guns and their role in our society. Singer is offering readers the chance to determine the outcome of the trial within the book. This is so cool! Go to his site and watch the video. After you've watched it, vote for who you think should win. Singer will take all of the votes and allow the majority to determine the trial in the book. So go and watch the video, vote, and then put The Justice Game on your wish list. I can't wait to read it, and no, I'm not telling how I voted!