Gail Pallotta Shares Breaking Barriers - Disappointing...

“…love is not easily angered …” 1 Corinthians: 13:5

This book is part of a series...I have not read any of the others. For me, this became a problem--there was insufficient information to understand exactly what was happening. Was it a book post-apocalypse? Was it a time when a terrorist fanatical group had invaded America? Yet, the one main reference implies differently:

Randolph hit the table with his fist and it wobbled. “I don’t know the source of her strength and brains, but she’s one successful broad when she wants to be. This time it’s imperative that the anti-Christian movement abolish every trace of Christianity. When I was a U.S. senator, I learned as long as people are strong in their faith, some even willing to die for it, those with the movement can’t take over this country. And then, I can’t line my pockets and fork over satchels of cash for you to do our dirty work, so what’s the new plan?” The Worm could feel the cash in his hands. “I hope you idiots don’t go public as Out to Exploit Others. Nobody will go for it.” “Of course not. This time we’re thinking of making the mantra Enlightened Fairness for All.” Randolph shrugged his shoulders. “Or, whatever works, whatever people want to hear right now, possibly something about finances and fairness. Yeah, I like that. We’ll see.” The Worm knitted his eyebrows. It was hard to think around Randolph with grand ideas and schemes flowing from his mouth like a rushing river. “Next time I’ll follow her for a while and find a better place to attack. I’ll pull it off. You’ll see.”

Other than the continuation of the assignment to kill to the Worm, nothing more is said about past-Senator Randolph nor his, seemingly obvious, criminal role to use anti-Christianity for his profit... 

If you are able to bypass the lack of knowing the real villain, other than his hired hand, and see him brought to justice, then you may enjoy the story that is presented. I didn't. Even if this is part of a series, each book should provide sufficient information to make the single storyline totally satisfactory and complete.  

Breaking Barriers

By Gail Pallotta

Ann Jones smoothed the front of her black skirt as she entered the narthex of the church. 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty... The powerful song resounded from behind the sanctuary’s oak doors. Late for the service again, Ann hurried past a flower arrangement of brown-eyed Susans on a mahogany table with a picture of Jesus above it. 
A loud rat-a-tat-tat-rat-a-tat-tat ripped the air. Was that a gun? She shook her head. The noise commenced again. Screams echoed from the sanctuary, and another round blasted Ann’s ears. She ran past the receptionist’s desk to the bathroom, ducked into a stall, and crouched on the cold beige tile floor. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she shivered. More bullets rang out. She buried her head in her arms to hush the noise of hate and terrifying cries for help. 
Finally, a siren whirred in the distance, and the shots stopped. Shaking from head to toe, Ann placed her hands on the wall opposite the sinks and moved them up, one over the other, steadying herself as she stood. She took deep breaths, forced one foot in front of the other, and plodded out. Her knees almost buckled as she headed down the hall, the flowers blurring through her tears. She stepped to a door at the sanctuary and stopped in her tracks, her chest so tight she barely could breathe. She reached out to open it, and her hand trembled. What if she could help someone, and she didn’t? She crept inside. 
Shattered stained glass lay at her feet in a pool of blood on the hardwood floor. She yelled, sank down on an oak pew, sobbed, and shook. Dead bodies of close friends and acquaintances littered the room, some still sitting in their seats, their lifeless eyes focused on the altar. Others lay flat on the floor in the aisles or between the pews. The minster was facing down in front of the altar. The choir members slumped in their seats behind him, their heads lowered. A hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped. 
“I’m sorry, Miss Jones. I heard the gun as I gathered the trash can in the men’s room. I dropped it and came running. Before the shooter saw me I jumped in the closet and dialed 911.” The misty look in the janitor’s green eyes faded. Then everything went black. 
Ann woke with a paramedic holding a damp cloth on the back of her head. He escorted her away from the massacre, but the memory stayed with her, nagging her day and night. A passion to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again erupted inside her.

~~~

As we've already seen in America, attacking of churches is not new...nor is there just one specific religion that has been targeted. Those Christian churches may have been attacked because of race as opposed to the religion taught in that facility. However, at this time, in this story, apparently all Christians were being targeted. The latest attack was at the church attended by Ann Jones, our main character.

Being late had undoubtedly saved her life, but when she saw the devastation of the sanctuary, she knew she had been called to act...

Up until that time, I was totally involved. Yes, Ann had organized to bring Christians together in secret, to begin to plan for dealing with what happened. Her dedication seemed to be successful as people gathered and were ready to work with her...

And then it turned primarily into a love story...

James Crawford had been at the first meeting called to begin plans. Ann admitted that his eyes on her had caught her attention...but she would not be turned aside...she knew based upon the abuse from her father, that you could not trust the eyes of men...

But, she did succumb and they began to date...

And when James fell hard for Ann, he began to coax her to give up the leadership of her group. Ann would become angry every time this happened, so that James decided he'd have to stop the relationship since he couldn't stand the worry and fear he felt for her...

About that time, I was saying..."Say What?" I don't know about you, but if there was an anti-Christian movement going on and all churches were being attacked or threatened and I felt called to lead a group against those who were threatening our very lives, I just don't think my life would continue on as it had... 

Nor would I not be depending upon God for strength...

Nor accept that a Christian friend would constantly insist I give up what I had been called to do...

And I certainly wouldn't come to depend upon that man to help protect me during that time, for Ann readily admitted that she no longer felt safe after James' split...

Then there is the new employee where Ann worked...she immediately was concerned about the relationship he had with the owner...thinking he would push her out of her job, but then it was James who suggested she was probably wrong about him. Frankly, this is not how a female manager, already in her position, would have acted...

I was quite disappointed with the author. The books she has routinely written have been wonderful. It is my personal opinion that writing a series book was not a good idea. It obviously placed her into a situation that did not reflect her own choices in writing this book. For me, the whole story did not make sense, there was no continuity from the beginning, with a horrible event...into a lackadaisical courtship and managerial job with little real action except by The Worm who had been contracted to kill her.

Sure, she had been targeted...but she constantly refused to believe that her secret organization wasn't the reason because she believe it was totally secret! Come on...in today's society, nothing that has a universal action can be kept secret. If people don't know that by now, they are escaping into a life outside of reality...

There are many others who have reviewed this book and recommended it. Do take the time to read other reviews. I cannot support this book as written... I do want to add one small, but disruptive to reading, matter about the writing. It was very clear that the writer constantly used other action words rather than the repetitive walk...In many cases, the alternative action word was strange... For instance, "He must have frightened my attacker when he strolled out of the building.” I doubt an attacker would ever stroll when leaving the scene of a crime, do you?

This is not the normal quality for Gail Pallotta, but in this case, I recognize that my opinion is based upon what I expect from this writer... You decide.

GABixlerReviews


Please check out reviews of her other books...


http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-beautiful-love-story-plus-valuable.html

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2015/08/gail-pallotta-presents-stopped-cold.html

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2011/07/heartwarming-inspirational-story-leaves.html

A Beautiful Love Story Plus Valuable Health Information! All Presented by Gail Pallotta...

Suzie shivered at Carson Snotte’s words, not the March air with its hint of lingering winter. “Under the circumstances, I don’t think we should see each other.” He threw their relationship to the wind whipping around the Bradford pear tree in her small, grassy yard. Everything spun out of control. Suzie struggled to stand upright on the cement drive in front of her brick condo. An image of her and Carson entering Blue Mountain, North Carolina’s largest charity event as the King and Queen begged her to hold on to her destiny. The grandeur of his black and white tuxedo, the promise of being seen as the ideal couple, hovered over them as she had floated next to him in her long purple gown.

“Don’t say that. I promise I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I’ll fix it.” 

Carson’s thin lips snarled, ruining his fine features, his blue eyes staring at Suzie like pieces of stone. “You’ve made a mess of our lives. Who introduced you to drugs? Are you seeing some hood on the side?” 

“No, I told you the doctor said I have a foreign substance in my system.” She didn’t add that the physician had said he couldn’t treat her because the labs couldn’t identify it. Carson was already upset.

He guffawed. “Right, can’t they figure out cocaine, or is it heroin?” Suzie’s heart broke in a million pieces. “I’ve never taken illegal drugs in my life. I don’t even take prescription medicine, and no, I haven’t seen anyone but you in three years.” Carson waved his long, thin hand then blew air from his mouth. “Seriously, our relationship has deteriorated beyond repair. I’m not sure if you’re actually hooked on something, or if you’re a hypochondriac. Let’s say hypochondriac, and we’ll both be lots happier.” The fair-haired, athletic guy with broad shoulders pivoted and walked away.

Suzie stood with tears rolling down her cheeks. Maybe he was right. There was nothing wrong with her. The ailment was all in her head. Why look even more foolish trying to find someone to cure a disease that didn’t exist? She plunked down on her front stoop and wiped her eyes. The azalea bush beside her blurred with her tears and morphed into an Impressionist painting.

See Dr. Granger. Was she losing it? See Dr. Granger. 

Who was Dr. Granger? She’d heard the name but couldn’t recall him. 

See Dr. Granger. You need to see Dr. Granger. The words persisted as though they resounded from a stuck CD player.

~~~

Barely Above Water

By Gail Pallotta

Well, I have to say that the first line I read drew a surprising question...why, oh, why, did the author give a character the last name of Snotte? But by the time I'd read the first chapters, I knew why... The man had simply verbally abused Suzie, without remorse...The man was indeed a snot! Now, when readers meet the next guy in Suzie's life, we are bound to love him after that! Right? Well, at least I did...and so did Suzie... But, she was still soooo afraid...

When Snotte walked out on Suzie, she didn't know that it was the best thing for her. But almost immediately she was given a message--I believe by the Holy Spirit--to go to a certain doctor, a Dr. Granger...

When she got  such a message from God, she knew to listen. Suzie immediately started making plans. She quit the job that she loved, agreed to take time to train her replacement, and then packed up to move to Destin, Florida, where Dr. Granger had his practice.

What was a hot chick like Suzie doing

looking for summer employment as a

coach in Destin, especially 

considering her qualifications? 

Lots of people dreamed of living at

the beach. 

He stared at her application. 

His instincts told him there were

some facts missing, but apparently

nothing that would affect her work.

~~~

Suzie does  not know what is wrong with her. She has gone to many doctors who have turned her away, indicating they couldn't treat what they could not diagnose...

Fortunately Dr. Granger did not depend upon having a diagnosis. He just declared that he could help! And readers will watch as he and his staff start working to heal Suzie, beginning with their prayers for her...

While this is going on, readers have a wonderful time since, fortunately, Suzie has been able to snag a temporary summer job as a swimming coach. Her new boss, Matt Combs, is a little curious about why she left her good job, but is so relieved to have found somebody who had the qualifications he needed for the job, that he hired her that first day!

Both Suzie and Matt had bad experiences with their last relationships but as Matt got to know her he thought about...something more. Matt had invited her to lunch to welcome her to the job and was surprised when all she ate was a sweet potato and broccoli...but he kept asking her out and many evenings after dinner, they would walk along the beach getting to know each other...

Matt also wound up spending a lot of time with Suzie as she started her job... She was coach for a new group, made up of children of employees from the company where they worked. The money was so tight that handling more than what they had budgeted was a problem. For instance, on the first day, all 40 of the children were brought for the swim team. They were all ages...some did not even know how to swim... When Matt realized how much extra work had been placed on Suzie than was in her job description, he had chosen to try to supplement her salary by taking her out for meals...From an emotional standpoint that really had not been a good idea, as each of them felt both the draw toward each other, as well as the fear of being hurt, especially Suzie who had not shared that she was ill.

The fun part of the book is the children and the swim team activities. Suzie was an excellent coach and easily worked with each age group while Matt had responsibility for the rest of the children until their age group was called... Children who had not known each other before the team was formed soon became a group working together to perform as best as they could...

Suzie does not find out what her disease is until later in the book. I had heard of it, of course...but I had never known what it can do to those individuals infected. Seeing what was happening to Suzie, especially with her not knowing what was wrong, was heartbreaking and readers cannot help but empathize and then start hoping and looking forward to whether Dr. Granger's help would make a difference.

I was greatly impressed with how Pallotta merged this illness into a story that was both enjoyable to read, as well as extremely informative about something that could happen to anybody...and often does! It certainly shows how faith and prayer is a primary part of turning your life over to God when you face unknown turmoil and fears. Also, the tension between Matt and Suzie is intriguing as both face the growing attraction while knowing there is something between them that could totally destroy their love.

And then God took a hand in Matt's life and he was nearly arrested! LOL He got off with a warning on the promise that he would start going to sunrise services on the beach. It's funny because he had agreed to take Suzie but had backed out...when he had finally been told Suzie was ill...

Matt had the law on him now... He asked Suzie for forgiveness
and to go with him that first morning...

“It’s more than that. I should have told you. My mother was diagnosed with liver cancer and died two weeks later.” Matt’s eyes grew teary. “I’ve had such a hard time dealing with it.” Suzie put her hand on top of Matt’s on the steering wheel. “That must have been so difficult for you.” “Yes, but I had no right to transfer it to your situation and let it ruin everything between us.” “No worries. No hard feelings. We’re friends.” “That’s a start.” 

The salty breeze bent the sea oats in front of them to the right. Matt grabbed two folding chairs from the trunk, the slam piercing the soft sound of the ocean lapping in the distance. He put his other arm around her waist and guided her down a lighted wooden pathway between high sand dunes. Within seconds, they reached the beach, where fifty people sat in folding chairs facing the sea. Reddish-orange colors with a yellow ball in the center danced on the horizon, casting pink and golden hues over white foam as the waves curled ashore. The minster, wearing a white suit, rose from the first row of chairs and stood in front of the podium as Matt and Suzie settled in their seats. With opened arms, the preacher motioned for those gathered to stand. “We’ll begin by singing ‘Morning Has Broken.’” As the sweet sound filled the air, the colors low in the sky rose slowly, breaking through the cloud cover, brightening the world as the soft washing of waves lulled it. 

The minister motioned for them to sit down. Then he turned to a place in the Bible marked by a burgundy ribbon. He read from Matthew nine, verses twenty-seven through twenty-nine. The Scripture told the story of two blind men who followed Jesus and asked him to have mercy on them. Jesus asked if they believed he was able to heal them. They answered “Yes,” and Jesus told them it would be done according to their faith. The preacher then flipped the pages to another place and read from Matthew seventeen, verse twenty, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 

Nothing impossible? Suzie mouthed the words. They should have filled her with assurance, but they didn’t. Margaret’s information about the bacteria that still lived in her body sounded much louder in her mind. 

The minister held up a small, clear jar. “You probably can’t see this from where you’re sitting, so I’ll pass it around. It’s a mustard seed. Take a few seconds to look in the container and observe how much faith you need to move a mountain.” The pastor held out the specimen. A man wearing white pants on the first row sprang up and accepted it. The guy peered at it with interest for a few moments then passed it to a woman sitting next to him. She handed it to Suzie, the sunlight bouncing off it. Suzie stared at the tiny seed. Surely, she could have that much faith. That’s all it would take for God to heal her. That must have been God’s intention when he sent her to Dr. Granger. Why wasn’t she well? 

She handed the mustard seed to Matt and turned her attention back to the minister. “Jesus told us, when we pray, we should ask that God’s will be done. If we think God isn’t answering a prayer, maybe it’s because He knows what we need, or don’t need, better than we do. Then, too, the Bible tells us to wait on the Lord. He will respond to our prayers in His time. That may be very different from ours.” Suzie absorbed the minister’s words. Unfortunately, she’d learned first-hand that evil existed. The world was imperfect, but the minister was giving Suzie a new perspective like the optometrist when he put the corrective lenses over her eyes. God was with her, making it possible for her to move, coach, write, walk on the beach, swim, and meet someone nicer than Carson. She had to admit, the Lord seemed to be taking a long time healing her, and she wanted to get well in her time. That was only human, wasn’t it? 

She glanced at Matt. He squirmed a little as though he was ready to go. Did something about the sermon disturb him? The minister picked up a hymnbook. “Turn to page three hundred three.” 

The congregation stood and sang “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The powerful song filled Suzie’s pores with strength for living. The reverend raised his arms. 

“Go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is true. Render to no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted. Support the weak. Help the afflicted. Honor all. Serve the Lord with gladness, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

~~~

I hope this last part hasn't given too much of the story ending away, but, I got such enjoyment spending the time at the beach service with Matt and Suzie... I  wanted my blog readers to enjoy it too.

This is a lovely inspirational book that is well worth reading. I do hope you accept my high recommendation for it.

GABixlerReviews

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A former regional writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, she won Clash of the Titles in 2010. Her teen book, Stopped Cold, was a best-seller on All Romance eBooks, finished fourth in the Preditors and Editors readers’ poll, and was a finalist for the 2013 Grace Awards. She’s published five books, poems, short stories and two-hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. Visit Gail’s new website at http://www.gailpallotta.com

Gail Pallotta Presents Stopped Cold - A Wonderful YA Tale of Sports and Steroids...And a Loving Sister...

"Thanks for being there for me,
Margaret. At least my failure to qualify
 for first string quarterback
isn't a stinger."
 What was he talking about?
 How could I help if I didn't understand?
 "What's a stinger?
 That feeling you sometimes get when
 you pull a muscle overdoing in sports?"
 "That too, but I meant a bad personality
 trait like a temper or a big ego.
Something that can upset other people.
For instance, I can't throw great passes,
but that doesn't degrade anyone else.
It's a shortcoming, not a stinger."
 I hugged him around the neck.
"You make people happy. You're the
 best whether you ever play first string
 quarterback again or not."
 We had each other.
"I'll deal with it." Sean lifted
his chin and marched up the
oak staircase.
~~~

This Saturday Dad perched in the rust and green-checked easy chair with his feet propped on the matching footstool. Wrinkles creased his forehead like rivers on a map, his grayish blue eyes cold. He glared at Sean who stood in front of him like a page having an audience with the king. The urge to rush in the den and tell Dad to stop upsetting Sean filled every fiber of my being. All I could do was stand outside the door and wait in the lonely hall with its cold parquet floor and empty beige wall. Sean shook his head. 
"Coach is taking me out, sir. I'm not winning enough games." Sunshine seeped through the mini blinds creating a peaceful glow that seemed out of place.
"Son, you'll have to get back that position. To clinch your college football career you need to be the number one quarterback for Meriwether Christian High."
Sean looked up and sidled around, probably to get out of Dad's line of view. "I had a meeting with Coach Rogers." Dad turned up his large palm and gestured. "Good. That's a start." Sean ranked at the top of his class, but he struggled with sports. He may have looked like Dad, but he inherited our mom, Kelly's, mediocre athletic ability.

"No, I mean I met with him when he told me he was replacing me as first-string quarterback." Sean glanced at me. I nodded to give him support. Sean shifted his weight. "A new guy, Harold Gravitts, will start. He moved here two weeks ago from Greenstown, North Carolina. You were there the last two games. You know we lost because I threw bad passes in the end zone."

Dad bounded out of the chair as though he'd been shot from a cannon and knocked the coffee cup off the walnut occasional table. "What can this guy do that you can't?" 
"He's no better than I am in scrimmages." Dad lowered himself into the seat and tapped his lips. "Hmm. Maybe he's a jock who holds back in practice, but Coach Rogers sees his special talent."
"I don't know what it is, but—"
"Of course you don't. You're not a coach." 
Sean wrung his hands. "He wouldn't have to be Super Bowl quality to have something on me." Sean's quivering voice pierced my heart. "I'm not a great quarterback like you were." 
Six-foot-three, Dad had earned the nickname Bullet when he broke the passing records at the University of North Carolina in the 1980s. Often when he introduced himself as Randolph Sean McWhorter, he'd grin and add, "aka. Bullet. I played quarterback at U.N.C." 
"Maybe you need more strength in your throwing arm. Lift more weights. Do whatever it takes to get back that position." 
Dad's humiliating words had to hurt Sean. Was Sean's heart falling to his toes like mine did when I had to confess something less than perfect? Seeing that disappointed look on Dad's face always hit me in the gut. Sometimes Dad teased me and cheered me up if I was sad. Mom said he worked hard to give us a good home, but he could make me feel as little as a worm. Did Sean feel that way now? Fists formed involuntarily at my sides as I swallowed back my fury. 
Dad picked up the coffee cup and peered at the coffee-soaked spot on the rust-colored carpet. "Just look at that mess." He rubbed his shoe across it. 
What about the stain Dad put on Sean's heart?

~~~

Stopped Cold

By Gail Pallotta

It's been years since I had the chance to read a novel by Gail Pallotta (Do click over and read review of Love Turns the Tide)  so I was happy to see a recent notice about her young adult book and grabbed it!

Stopped Cold is narrated by Margaret, a teenager with a brother, Sean, and a father who, as a former jock, who drives his kids to both succeed in sports as well...unfortunately...

Sean has been the quarterback for his local high school team and his father has already been guiding him to be prepared to move on to college ball, probably at his Alma mater, University of North Carolina... It all starts falling apart when Sean is suddenly replaced by a new student who has just entered Mistville. And his father immediately stresses to Sean that he must get the quarterback position back in order to be selected at the college level...

And Sean does exactly what his father wants--he does whatever it will take to get the position back...

But the steroid he had taken put him in a coma in the hospital instead...

"Sean's never had a health problem. He's an athlete. What caused this?" Mom asked.
 "I'm sorry to tell you, but we found Winstrol V in Sean's system." A hint of compassion rang in Dr. Salis's official-sounding tone. 
Mom's gaze grew distant. "What's that?" 
"It's an anabolic steroid used in veterinary medicine. It carries many adverse side effects, including kidney and liver dysfunction. In some people there's a risk of heart attack or stroke." 
Dr. Salis spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Why would anyone take it?" Mom's questioning voice trailed off.
Dr. Salis took a deep sigh. "It enhances athletic performance."
 "In what way? I can't imagine Sean taking something like that." Mom spoke softly as though she talked to herself. Dr. Salis raised his gray eyebrows. "Steroids build muscle mass and shorten the recovery time needed after strenuous workouts. Jocks who use them grow stronger and can practice more often."
Mom's eyes snapped open. Was she thinking of the pressure Dad put on Sean?
"I don't feel well. Margaret, would you get me some water?" Dad asked. He was as white as Mistville's winter snow. So fit, so strong, he rarely got sick, weak, or pale. Anxious over the sight of him, I bounded off the bed, grabbed one of the paper cups out of the dispenser beside the sink, and filled it... Mom's eyes snapped open. Was she thinking of the pressure Dad put on Sean? 
"I don't feel well. Margaret, would you get me some water?" 
Dad asked. He was as white as Mistville's winter snow. So fit, so strong, he rarely got sick, weak, or pale. 
Anxious over the sight of him, I bounded off the bed, grabbed one of the paper cups out of the dispenser beside the sink, and filled it...
                                                                                                                 ~~~

But not win? He'd made aiming for number one a goal for Sean and me for as long as I could remember. If I weren't winning, would he still care about me? Anyway, I wasn't sure I  could turn my competitive drive off like a spigot.
Being known as the Meriwether Shark who won butterfly gave me a feeling of accomplishment and pride. 
Mom gazed at me, tears glistening in her eyes.  "Well, Margaret."
Poor Mom. How could she think I'd even consider drugs? She never would have imagined Sean would either. That's how.
"I won't take steroids, Dad. I promise."
"Good." Dad rubbed his hands on his knees as he often did when he ended a conversation and got up to do something else.
"Let's get back to the hospital."
~~~

Margaret also is a sports star--in swimming. She is the school's top swimmer for the butterfly stroke.

Margaret had an extremely hard time absorbing Sean's being in the hospital and not able to talk...Soon all she could think about was where and why Sean had taken the steroid... She hated what somebody had done to her beloved brother.

And that's when the book becomes a mystery! Margaret is determined to discover who had given him the steroid (and within herself she knew gain revenge. When the steroid was discovered, the entire family became involved with a special undercover investigator and he did ask for Margaret's assistance related to the school crowd...

He did not, however, realize that she had talked with two friends from school and they begun following leads that were being discovered... 

Margaret had overheard one of the jock groupies asking a football player if he was heading for the Temple. She realized that she was talking about an old log cabin that had once housed Buddhists priests. It no longer was used as a Temple and everybody had thought it was deserted... Jimmy, one of her friends also confirmed that he'd heard something about going to the Temple...

Jimmy flashed a wide smile. "No, but thanks." He thumped his fingers on the table. "It was after a scrimmage. A soccer player was talking to one of his teammates. He said, 'We can get steroids at the Buddhist Temple in the woods. If we beef up now next year we can play first string.' I don't know their names." Jimmy tilted his head. "I didn't know there was a Buddhist Temple around here." 

Emily sat straight up and snapped to attention like a soldier. "It's a log cabin built in the early 1900' s. Monks migrated here to live a reclusive lifestyle. It's deserted now. At least that's what I've been told." "Where is it?" Jimmy asked. 

"I don't know. I'm Buddhist, but I've never gone to it." Emily's voice trailed off as though she regretted her words. 

I didn't expect her to know where the temple was. I did fear more than ever someone had told Sean a bunch of lies to make him think he could out-perform Harold Gravitts, if he took Winstrol V... but who? If only I'd known, I would've told Sean not to take that junk. Football was just a game, a contest usually forgotten the week after it was played. Sean cared about people, and he was smart enough to make a difference in the world. I couldn't believe a steroid intended for animals may have robbed him of all the things he could do.

~~~

Pallotta has written a truly inspirational book about how a family grows and comes closer together after a traumatic experience. If indeed some of us believe that there is a plan controlling our lives, this book surely supports the type of miracles, power of prayer, and the strength derived through God's presence... At the same time, she hits hard and straight into the drug problem within American sports, especially, through the father of the family characters intense desire and pressure on today's children to succeed. And even more so, as the surprise ending catches everybody by surprise.

Highly recommended for both young adults and for parents and grandparents of teenage children. I'm one of those individuals in today's world that worries about the emphasis on talent and becoming "the best" for our young people. While I love to listen to or watch programs featuring young people sharing God's gift to them, I deplore the pitting of young people against each other for ridiculous sums of money as rewards...  And then creating star-struck children who follows extremist stars who will do anything to gain popularity and sell their image... Is this the future for our teenagers and children?

Kudos to Pallotta for presenting a though-provoking novel that forces all of us to examine what our children face from every corner of their lives!

GABixlerReviews

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta's a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. She's been a Sunday school teacher, a swim-team coordinator and an after-school literary instructor. A former regional writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, she won Clash of the Titles in 2010.

Her new teen book, Stopped Cold, is a best-seller on All Romance eBooks, finished fourth in the 16th Annual Preditors and Editors Readers Poll, and is a Grace Awards Finalist. She's published short stories in "Splickety" magazine and Sweet Freedom with a Slice of Peach Cobbler. Some of her published articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums.

Readers can find her on the internet on the staff of Clash of the Titles, http://www.clashofthetitles.blogspot.com, at her blog, http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com, on her Web Site, http://www.gailpallotta.com on Authors and More on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorsandmore and twitter, Gail Pallotta @Hopefulwords

Heartwarming Inspirational Story Leaves You Smiling...

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"Looking back on the situation she told herself
 she'd been an idiot to think she and Jay would
marry,  buy a home in Cedar Forks,
and attend church together.
Now here she was in Destin, Florida,
where she knew no one, except Bill
 of course, and she'd just met him this morning."

Love Turns The Tide




By Gail Pallotta










Suspense coupled with lots of romance will entice new fans for Gail Pallotta in her new inspirational novel, Love Turns the Tide. The beautiful cover is only a hint of the many romantic walks and beautiful shore living that Cammie O'Shea found surrounding her new home. Still, when she was transferred to Destin, Florida, she was not sure she wanted to leave her family and friends. The only reason she had for leaving was Jay, her ex,  who had, unbelievably, been arrested for assaulting a woman:

Bill Collins was trying to get a small local newspaper off the ground. The Sun Dial was so new that Bill was the only one there so he had called for help from the Dexter Group and been "loaned" Cammie--who really had no choice in the matter. And now her very first major assignment was starting off badly. Not only did Vic Deleona cancel out on meeting with her, but he did so rudely and was clearly, in Cammie's opinion, not interested in granting her an interview...

Vic Deleona was a major real estate developer and was presently working on his new high-rise project called Pelican Point. He was a very important member of the business community and if he liked Cammie's story, he might begin advertising in the newspaper. So when Cammie returned to the office, Bill immediately asked how things went...responding worriedly when she shared he had cancelled.

"In a strained voice Bill said, 'I hope he gives you another time slot. Vic's so successful he doesn't need our help. We need him. If he likes the article you write and advertises with us, every developer from Fort Walton Beach to San Destin probably will..."

As Cammie waits for her interview, she creates a new series about the largest fish catch to occur by local fisherman, immediately gaining interest and ad income...she could do this if only given a chance!

But when the apartment of a new friend was broken into, and then her own was also, Cammie once again began to wonder about staying there. She had finally completed the article on Deleona and had even begun having dinner and long walks with him...but was it enough to keep her from going back home?

Love Turns The Tide has a good solid story line that allows readers to immediately empathize with the main character. We could be walking in her shoes--angry and upset over a broken relationship with a tarnished hero, forced to change jobs, move to a new location, leaving family and friends behind, and trying to once again gain the professional respect that can only be earned not demanded. Cammie is quick to share her concerns in prayers and to seek out scriptural references to guide her, sharing where she goes to find her inspiration to meet each day and move toward an unknown future. There is warmth and love surrounding Cammie and I quickly decided I wanted everything to turn out perfectly for her...

Even in the suspense and concern of the breakins, readers will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome, which, when it occurred, allowed Cammie to make her most important decision for the future. Heartwarming and enjoyable reading from Gail Pallotta. The e-book is available from Awe-Struck Publishing! Don't Miss This one!

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GABixlerReviews

"Softly, she spoke, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life." (John 3: 16). It had been the first Bible verse she had
memorized. She hadn't thought of it in a long time, but she was glad she
remembered it now. She stood for a few minutes and watched the
seagulls soar over the crystal green tinted water, flying to the bright white
sand bar across the way to dive for fish, their course sure, their
destination fruitful. If God directed their paths surely he would guide her too.
For a reason she couldn't explain she felt close to Him now. It was as though
He was telling her everything was all right..."